Thursday, August 30, 2012

Cubs Lean on Anthony Rizzo to be the Cornerstone of the Future


(Jake Roth/US Presswire)


By Lincoln Hamilton | @LHamiltonPP
(Cover Story for August Issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine)

One of the biggest and, oftentimes, most misunderstood findings of baseball’s analytical revolution concerns a player’s ability in the clutch. For generations players and coaches, writers and announcers, die-hard and casual fans alike have bemoaned or glorified certain players based on how they performed when the game was on the line. How players faired when the chips are down, their backs are against the wall, and any other clichés surround them said more about their character as men than their specific abilities as a player.
An otherwise mediocre player can be lauded as a “gamer,” “winner,” and, the highest of compliments, the axiomatic “Baseball Player” based on a string of achievements when the outcome of the game was in doubt. The reasons for winning and losing went beyond skill and moved toward virtue. The good guys win. Losing means a lack of desire or strength of will.

We create these narratives from the outside in sports in order to give meaning and order to our lives. Good things happened to the grasshopper because he was industrious, George Washington because he was honest, and David Eckstein because he tried so hard. Cues on how to act in our daily lives can be taken from a fable, history, or a diminutive middle infielder. Stories make morals easily digestible.
But, in business, objective truth is more useful than compelling stories. Are some people or teams just destined to fail? Via moral defect? Or curse?

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Have The Royals Really Been “Yost'ed”?



(Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

It’s always hard to evaluate the ways and means by which a losing team continues to lose, and no evaluation seems to hurt the greater majority the most than those that involve the 2012 Kansas City Royals.
This is primarily part of an unfair media backlash as a result of their stunning rankings in the developmental realm during the 2011 season. They famously had the best farm system in baseball throughout 2011 and generated the kind of hype and buzz that many of us have never seen. It’s hard for even the most complacent fan to not embrace the excellent culture that so many read volumes about last year; it’s even more difficult for loyal Royals fans to accept the differential between the swell of last year’s blazing hope and the smoldering reality that the Royals are going to do no better than even the most hopeful pre-season projections…and quite possibly, even worse than that.

Putting a Bow on the Red Sox/Dodgers Trade


(REUTERS/Danny Moloshok)
By Ben Wertz | @RangersExaminer

The Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers completed a trade over the weekend that might go down as the biggest blockbuster trade in baseball history. On one side, you have the Red Sox beginning the process of revamping their team by cutting a ton of salary. On the other side, you have the Dodgers looking to win now with new ownership that has money to burn.

When you look at the trade on paper, it’s amazing it even got done with the big names that were involved and the salaries that were exchanged. The Red Sox sent Adrian Gonzalez, Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto to Los Angeles in exchange for James Loney and a package of minor leaguers. In total, there were nine players involved and over $250 million in salaries taken on by the Dodgers.

Monday, August 27, 2012

MLB Power Rankings - August 27, 2012

By Chris Carelli | @Chris_Carelli

The stretch run in Major League Baseball is set to begin as the calendar will turn to September over the weekend. Teams will use their ability to increase roster size for varying reasons. Teams out of the race will make call-ups looking to the future, while contenders will use their minor league talent to provide depth for what amounts to a grueling month of pressure packed baseball.

The wild card races have the added drama of an extra team this season, though it will be hard to match the final day of the 2011 regular season. There are some teams who were not expected to be part of the playoff talk when the season began; Chicago (AL), Oakland, Baltimore and Pittsburgh have all made their mark and continue to dictate or maintain pace in their respective leagues.

There was little movement at the very top of the charts, with the Washington Nationals hanging onto the top spot despite losing four straight. Once again there can be arguments for any of the top four teams being #1. Here are the rankings, please let me know what you think in the comments.


Friday, August 24, 2012

Why Washington Fans Shouldn’t Worry About Shutting Down Strasburg



(Alex Brandon / AP)        
By Carlos Collazo | @CarlosCollazo__

How’s it going guys? Man it’s been a while since I have managed to write anything about baseball and let me tell you; it’s good to be back. For those of you who don’t know (probably a large number of you), I have just recently moved into college. I have been getting my dorm set up, getting accustomed to classes, eating a lot of food, and getting my internet set up. That last little part turned out to be extremely cumbersome, but I have some great tech guys around here to help me out.
Regardless of all of my issues, I’m back and, more importantly, ready to talk some baseball.

Today’s column—which is actually my first column for the Daily Site—is going to cover one of the best teams and one of the best pitchers in baseball. If you haven’t already deduced from the title, it is Stephen Strasburg and the Nationals of Washington.
The Nationals are 77-47 so far during the season, helped out significantly by Strasburg and his 15-5 record in 25 starts. So, clearly he is a good pitcher right? He’s got a lot of wins and not a lot of losses, so he must be. If you know me then you know that I don’t put too much stock in Wins and Losses for pitchers (say hello, Felix). I like to look a little bit deeper.

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that most of you know about Stephen Strasburg and are aware that he is an elite pitcher. We won’t need to analyze all of his advanced stats because there is no real need. He is good, we know he is good, and we know why he is good. He throws ridiculously hard, has a ridiculous curve ball, and a ridiculously cool beard to top it off (the high socks he normally wears can’t hurt either).

Watching a Grandmaster at Work: Jerry Dipoto Getting Zack Greinke (August Issue)

(Kyle Terada-US Presswire)

By David Saltzer | @DaveSaltzer

A good chess player knows the rules of the game and has some understanding of strategy. More often than not, he can align the pieces in such a way as to win the game. Since nothing is hidden on a chess board, a good opponent can easily spot the moves far in advance to counter any end-game that may ensue.  
A grandmaster chess player, on the other hand, has a much deeper understanding of the game. He isn’t just thinking about the move he is making presently; he’s thinking about how the present move sets up a strategy several moves later. Sometimes, it involves making an opportunity happen that wouldn’t otherwise exist. But, for a grandmaster, any move made is always part of the bigger picture—winning the game.

Being a baseball general manager is a lot like playing chess. In most cases, the needs and opportunities are available for all to see. All teams scout every other organization in baseball, so there are not that many surprises when it comes to making deals.
Sometimes being a GM can be easy, such as when an owner opens his wallet to buy what his team needs. That was the case when Arte Moreno committed several hundred million to Albert Pujols and C. J. Wilson this offseason. While it took a lot of skill for Jerry Dipoto to sign both, especially simultaneously, it took even more courage for Mr. Moreno to commit to writing checks that large.

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

The Curious Case of Pedro Alvarez and his Diurnal Explosion


(Gene J. Puskar / AP)        
By Stevo-sama | @yoshiki89

There has been some discussion, most recently following the Pittsburgh Pirates’ dramatic 19-inning win over the St. Louis Cardinals, surrounding Pirates infielder Pedro Alvarez and his peculiar AVG/OBP/SLG day/night splits this season.
In 582 AB during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Alvarez was batting .241/.313/.354 (158 AB) in day games and .226/.301/.406 (424 AB) in night games, a percentage difference of 5.8% in OPS. However, in 2012 so far Alvarez’ day/night splits are profoundly shocking. In 125 AB, Alvarez is batting .312/.385/.752 in day games and 255 AB, .196/.280/.322 in night games. His most notable conventional offensive metric is his HR rate in those ABs; he’s hit 16 HR in 125 AB (12.8%) during the day, 7 HR in 255 AB (2.7%) at night.

There have been other notable day/night splits poster children in recent seasons. Justin Morneau’s 2011 splits found him struggling considerably during night games after several fairly consistent seasons (Day: 100 AB, .320/.361/.490; Night: 164 AB, .171/.239/.238). Morneau’s troubles may or may not have begun after his mid-2010 concussion (he finished the season with a 1.13% difference in OPS between day and night), but there’s enough doubt around his lingering symptoms starting in 2011 to perhaps explain the drastic change during that season. What isn’t easily explained is why, in 2012, Morneau is experiencing a swing in the opposite direction, .682 OPS in 129 Day AB versus .870 OPS in 256 Night AB.

'On Deck' with Billy Hamilton (July Issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine)

 
 
  (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times )
By Mike Viso | @MikeViso
Billy Hamilton wasted no time giving those in attendance for the 2012 Carolina-California League All-Star Game what they wanted. After reaching first base on a bunt single, Hamilton promptly stole second on what he was told later by his Cal League teammates was a pitchout. He then stole third base before scoring on outfielder George Springer’s groundout to second base. Although that was his only hit
of the night and the lone run scored in a 9-1 loss to the Carolina League All-Stars, he was named the MVP of the California team. Hamilton seems to be resurrecting the memories of Vince Coleman and the days of the 100-plus stolen base season, especially given his recent surpassing of that mark for the Class A Advanced affiliate Bakersfield Blaze. After swiping 103 bases in the Midwest League last season, he recently stole his 100th base of 2012 against the Lake Elsinore Storm.
Big Leagues Monthly columnist and Lynchburg Hillcats broadcaster Mike Viso recently spoke with the Cincinnati Red’s top prospect at the Carolina-California League All-Star game.


Q: You're getting a lot of national recognition, what's it been like?
A: I mean, it's been good, man. People [have] been asking about my 80 stolen bases and stuff. I answer this question maybe a 100 times a day, so I'm getting used to it now. It's getting on base that's the main key to those stolen bases. Relaxing and having fun out here. Being confident that I can steal a base every time helps me out a little bit.

Q:You're hitting .322 on the season, what's your approach to hitting? Are you trying to drive the ball or do you find you're getting more slap and infield hits?
A: I mean, it’s different situations...I look at the shortstop to see where they're playing at or I slap the ball in the hole. More this year, I've been driving the ball in the gap, hitting line drives and stuff. I get just as many infield hits and I'm mixing those in. That's the main thing, mixing those infield hits in.

Lucas Giolito Will Likely Need Tommy John Surgery


 
By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

On the Wednesday morning edition of The Mike Rizzo Show, the Washington Nationals general manager confirmed that Lucas Giolito would likely need Tommy John surgery.
(Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)
During his appearance on 106.7 The Fan in Washington, Rizzo said, "It looks like he is going to need Tommy John surgery. He's seen our medical people. We're going to give him a second medical opinion. Dr. Lewis Yocum is going to see him this week some time and we anticipate that he will have Tommy John and if and when he does, it will be done by Lew Yocum. We'll have a rehabilitation schedule in place the same as we've had with Jordan Zimmermann, Stephen Strasburg and Sammy Solis and in a year he'll be a young 19-year-old guy that's come off Tommy John surgery and will begin his ascent up the minor league system."

Giolito, the 16th overall pick in the June draft, appeared in only one game for the Gulf Coast League Nationals before reporting soreness in his right elbow.

Scouting Notebook featuring Dylan Bundy


By Nathaniel Stoltz | @stoltz_baseball

As someone who frequently discusses prospects in his writing, one of the most important ways for me to get and stay informed about the minors is to attend minor league games. Certainly, statistics, video clips, and even MiLB.tv are invaluable resources as well, but nothing is quite like sitting right behind home plate and taking everything in.
So, without further ado, here are my thoughts on some of the more notable players I’ve had the pleasure of watching in person over the last couple of weeks.


(Cliff Welch/Icon SMI)
Dylan Bundy, RHP, Orioles (Double-A Bowie)
I’ll start with the obvious: Dylan Bundy is a fantastic pitching prospect. You don’t need to go see him to know that. At this point, he’s essentially the consensus top pitching prospect in baseball, which is no small feat for a guy who hasn’t even escaped A-ball and is the least progressed of the top four picks of the previous season’s draft.

So yes, Bundy is terrific. He has four distinct pitches: a fastball with riding life up and in that’s usually in the 92-94 range, a curveball with sharp, big break in the mid-70s, a solid changeup at 81-84, and an upper-80s cutter. The fastball is easily a plus pitch, the curve is unhittable when he sets it up and locates it, the changeup flashes plus, and the cutter is a nice change of pace when he locates it.
Many reports mention the curveball as Bundy’s worst pitch and the cutter as a plus offering, but in my viewings, the cutter looked a bit on the soft side, and several ran out over the plate, while the curve was inconsistent but deadly when he stayed on top of it, forcing some absurd swings by unprepared batters. He’s supposedly been asked to deemphasize the cutter in favor of working on the curve this season—at least the latter half of that seems to be paying off.

Given all the talk about Bundy’s polish for his age, some have suggested he could succeed in a major league rotation right now. Great as Bundy is, that idea is quite a bit off the mark. His biggest flaw at this point is a lack of pitch sequencing ability—compared to some of the polished college arms he was facing, Bundy didn’t have much of a feel for when to go to his offspeed pitches or what to use to strike batters out. It’s completely understandable why this is the case—until he reached High-A, Bundy probably went his whole life getting batters out using whatever pitch he cared to use. Only now is he starting to get any sort of pushback and negative feedback from hitters that will really allow him to assess what is working and what is lagging behind as he advances.
That makes his issue, which isn’t all that big of a deal for a teenage A-ball pitcher, not too difficult to fix, and given that Bundy receives high marks for his acumen and work ethic, there’s no reason he won’t get a better sense of when and where to throw what as he continues to progress. Still, Julio Teheran and Jacob Turner have been waylaid by similar issues in Triple-A and the majors, so it’s not out of the question that Bundy will experience some bumps in the road when he gets to those levels.
Overall, Bundy looks on a path to have a lot of major league success. He has a diverse and effective arsenal with good mechanics and control, with a lot of development time in front of him to tighten things up. He might not quite make it into the Justin Verlander/Clayton Kershaw class of ridiculous aces, but a career along the lines of Matt Cain’s seems feasible. Barring a total meltdown, he’s a #3 starter at the worst.

Monday, August 20, 2012

MLB Power Rankings - August 20, 2012

By Chris Carelli | @Chris_Carelli

This past week in Major League Baseball was highlighted by the good and the bad of the game all in one day. Seattle Mariners' pitcher Felix Hernandez reminded us why we love the game when he tossed the third perfect game of the 2012 season, and the 23rd all-time. This happened just a few hours after it was announced that the National League batting leader, San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, had tested positive for testosterone use and was suspended for 50 games under MLB's drug policy.

One event lifted the spirits of a team looking for a change in direction and the other deflated a fan base that had warmed to a promising star.

Not much changed near the top of the rankings. Despite being on the wrong end of the perfect game (I'm not sure anyone could have gotten a hit off of the King) the Tampa Bay Rays moved up a spot after sweeping the Los Angeles Angels in four games. The Yankees took three of four from the Rangers dropping Texas to number five in this week's pecking order. Here is the chart. I look forward to your reactions in the comments below.


Yankees Injured Pitcher Michael Pineda Arrested for DUI


Kim Klement/US PRESSWIRE
By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly
New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was pulled over early Monday morning in Tampa, FL for suspicion of DUI after being seen driving erratically in his Nissan SUV.  

According to published reports by The New York Post, the Tampa police officer that arrested Pineda at 2:35 am wrote that he "had a fixed gaze and his eyes were bloodshot, watery and glassy" and that he “could smell a distinct odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath, and his speech was slurred".

It was also reported that Pineda’s “blood-alcohol level was found to be .128 and .125 in two separate readings, according to police records.”

The injured pitcher was eventually charged with driving under the influence of alcohol before being released on a $500 bond.

Pineda has been living in the Tampa area while recovering from season-ending surgery to repair a labrum tear in his right shoulder.

Scott Boras Says the Braves Can Re-Sign Michael Bourn


Photo Credit: Hyosub Shin
By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly
Of all the free agents this offseason, one of the more intriguing players to watch is Michael Bourn, especially given his standing as a Scott Boras client. It’s been well publicized that the combination of the Atlanta Braves mid-level payroll restrictions and the Bourn/Boras relationship will likely dramatically decrease Atlanta’s chances of re-signing the free agent.

Well, not according to Boras.

Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported on August 12 that “the Braves aren’t holding out much hope that they can re-sign Bourn when he becomes a free agent. They don’t seem to do well with Scott Boras clients…”
Recently, Boras contacted Cafardo in reference to that story to “remind” him that the Boras Corporation has “an excellent relationship withFrank Wren and the Braves organization” and that the Braves will not be ruled out of negotiations because Bourn enjoys playing in Atlanta.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Oakland A’s Look to Walk-Off with a Spot in the Playoffs


This column was originally written for the August issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine.

By Devin Pangaro | @devinpangaro 
Success is such a funny word. How one measures it is completely up to the standards in which theyset. Take baseball for example. If you can average three hits every 10 at-bats, you're a success. Where else in life can you succeed 30 percent of the time and sit at the top of your chosen profession? For the 2012 season, success is very much in grasp for the Oakland Athletics. Some would you say it has already been accomplished. Eight months ago, the thought of a decent season seemed like a pipe dream for even the most loyal of A's fans.
(Keith Allison/Flickr)
In a winter of discontent, general manager Billy Beane traded the three players on his roster of the greatest value in Trevor Cahill, Gio Gonzalez, and Andrew Bailey. In the course of a month’s time, Beane set forth to rebuild and retool the team with an eye to a prospective move to San Jose. This hypothetical relocation is at least three years away from happening, and standing in their way to dispute territory rights are the San Francisco Giants. With the assumption that the move will eventually be approved, A's management essentially told the fan base that they must endure yet another rebuild and lose their favorite players. To top that off, the team will be leaving the economically challenged city of Oakland in the near future.

For lifelong fans, that's a hard pill to swallow. For some, it’s a reason to turn their back on a team. For others, it provides a chance to curse the ownership and the disparity of finances in baseball. Yet some have kept the faith. They've trusted the process and track record of player development. They've rationalized and accepted the fact that the city of Oakland does not support the team, and some feel fortunate that ownership will at least keep them in the Bay Area.

Thursday, August 16, 2012

CC Sabathia Feels Good After Playing Catch, Should Return On Schedule




(Jason Szenes/New York Times)

By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

CC Sabathia played catch on Thursday for the first time since the injury and reported no discomfort as he left the field … “It felt really good, I didn’t feel anything in the elbow, so I am confident. I’m just looking forward to pitching next Friday.” – New York Post
Sabathia made it clear he didn’t want to go on the DL to begin with, pleading his case to manager Joe Girardi and general manager Brian Cashman.
Waking up the day after throwing a complete game against the Seattle Mariners on August 3, Sabathia couldn’t touch his left shoulder withhis left hand. After an MRI revealed no structural damage, he was allowed to make his next scheduled start in the rotation. Although he threw less than 100 pitches against Detroit, Sabathia once felt soreness in the elbow.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Giants Melky Cabrera Suspended 50 games for PEDs


(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP)
By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has been suspended for 50 games, without pay, after “testing positive for Testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.” – MLB.com
Cabrera’s suspension will begin immediately and with only 45 games remaining on the Giants schedule, if the club make the playoffs, his suspension will include the first 5 games of the postseason. If the Giants fall short of the playoffs, the suspension will continue with the first 5 games of the 2013 season.

In a MLBPA press release, Cabrera stated, “My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program, and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake, and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization, and to the fans for letting them down."

Jason Martinez of MLBDepthCharts.com expects this suspension could cost Cabrera millions on the free agent market this winter, “I was expecting him to get approximately $60M over 5 years in free agency. Now it's hard to see him doing better than a 3 yr, $18-20M deal.”

Monday, August 13, 2012

MLB Power Rankings - August 13, 2012

This is the first of a weekly series which will provide my rankings of all 30 MLB teams. There is no scientific formula behind the rankings. I take into account the teams' current record, their future outlook and recent trends when determining positions on the chart. I welcome any and all comments concerning the rankings themselves and/or the notes provided for each team.

The first set of rankings is headed up by the Washington Nationals, which should be of no surprise at this point in the season. However, how many of us had them this good in 2012? Personally, I felt they were one or two years away from dominating this division, but they've developed quicker than I expected and have done so while dealing with several key injuries. This team is for real and will be a force in the National League East for some time. It will be interesting to see how they handle Stephen Strasburg going forward and what impact his innings limit will have on the team. For now they are number one in my estimation, with at least a few teams a good win streak away from snatching the honors. Without further delay here are the rankings. Team records and statistics are as of Sunday, August 12.



There you have it. What are your thoughts? Are the Nationals the number one team in MLB? Who do you think deserves the top spot? Let me know in the comments.

Updated 8/14/12: Big Leagues Monthly magazine's second issue has gone live, so please check it out and feel free to leave us comments here or through our social media sites. You can follow the Big Leagues Monthly daily edition and magazine on Twitter at @BigLeaguesMthly and on Facebook here

Follow me on Twitter at @Chris Carelli.

Friday, August 10, 2012

High School and College Coaches have a Responsibility to Protect Amateur Pitchers

 

This column was originally written for the July issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine.

By Lincoln Hamilton | @LHamiltonPP

Rental cars and out of state license plates packed the cement parking lot as grown men have come from across the nation to see a 17-year-old high school senior. The 1995 Major League Baseball Draft is fast approaching, and with his team down 1-0 in the best-of-three State Semifinals, this could be the last chance any of them get to see the year’s best pitching prospect.
He dazzles. His mid-90’s fastball sinks and crashes on hitters’ fists. His curveball moves so much it confuses umpires as often as opposing batters. He works hard, throwing over 100 pitches in the course of a complete game. His team wins. The Gophers are kept alive, at least until the next game which was scheduled to start shortly after completion of the first (if necessary).
Impressed by what they’ve seen, the scouts begin trading stories as they walk back to the parking lot eager to get relief from the Texas summer’s sun. Then a new buzz overcomes the group. “He’s warming up?”

“Again?”

The seats are filled once more with khakis and radar guns as young Kerry Wood takes the mound. The Grand Prairie High School Gophers win again. Wood is relieved in the fifth inning, once the score is well out-of-hand.
When asked after the game how they could let any pitcher, much less one this valuable, throw 175 pitches over two games on the same day his father, Gary, and Head Coach Mike McGilvary defend the workload pointing to the fact that the strapping six-foot-five teenager had handled similar workloads in the past.

This line of reasoning is so wrong it almost deserves respect -- in a twisted, morbid sort of way. The truth is severe pitching injuries are nearly always caused gradually.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Orioles Promote Machado to the Big Leagues; Bundy to Double-A


(Mark Olson/MiLB.com)
By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

As the season inches towards the middle of August, the Baltimore Orioles find themselves in a three-way tie for the American League wild card lead and just 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East.

Despite the countless number of promotions, demotions and DL-stints the Orioles have dealt with this season they are now in the precarious position of trying to remain in the playoff race by promoting their top position prospect to the big leagues, although he turned just 20 years-old last month.

Two years removed from being selected with third overall pick in the 2010 draft out of high school, Manny Machado will make his first major league start tonight at third base against the Kansas City Royals.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Before There Was a Mike Trout, There was Tony Conigliaro

By Lew Freedman | Staff Historian

Tony C. was a Red Sox phenom. Tony C. was a local hero. Tony C. is a forever memory in Boston sports lore. He was a great, young baseball player whose life was a Shakespearean tragedy.


                     (MLB.com)
You can mention the name Tony Conigliaro to a Red Sox of a certain age and they may get misty on you. Rarely has there been a tease of such talent proportions and rarely has there been a sadness engulfing the life of a single professional athlete. It is hard not to weep when recalling his career.

The Boy Wonder. That was one nickname applied to Conigliaro. He was born in Revere, Massachusetts, about a 20 minute drive from Fenway Park, depending on the traffic, and was a high school star in Lynn (add another 10 minutes).




By 1964, when he was 19 years-old, Tony C. was playing the outfield for the hometown team in the American League and in 1965 when he cracked 32 dingers he became the youngest home-run king in AL history.
Oh, Boston was atwitter, long before it knew about tweets. Conigliaro was the Mike Trout of his era, a home run king, and in 1967 he was an All-Star. Many say they have never seen such a mature, accomplished young hitter as the Los Angeles Angels’ Trout this year. But fans have short memories and they do not remember the hype that surrounded the ascension of Mickey Mantle to the Yankees’ outfield in 1951, at the start of his Hall of Fame career. And they don’t remember Tony C., who by the time he was 22 already had smacked 100 career homers, and maybe they forget because he did not have a Hall of Fame career. Too many terrible things got in the way.

Todd Helton Injury: Hip Surgery to End Season


By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

                                           (AP Photo)
Todd Helton will undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right hip on Friday. He originally injured the hip in early June causing him to miss time with a stint on the 15-day disabled list.
Helton told Denver Post columnist Patrick Saunders, "The recovery time is about six months, so I am doing this now so I can be ready for spring training. I plan on playing next year,"

Helton is owed $5 million for 2013 and has part of a previous extension the Rockies will owe him $13.1 million in deferred money to be paid from 2014 to 2023. – According to Cot’s Contracts.  

A career .320/.419/.545 hitter, he has struggled this season only hitting .238/.343/.400 with seven home runs and 37 RBI in 69 games.

Roy Oswalt has ‘Had Enough’

By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly

                                          (AP)
After throwing two scoreless innings of relief on Sunday, Roy Oswalt declined to go to the mound for a third in what was an eventual 7-6 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

According to media reports, manager Ron Washington said “he couldn’t go any further, he said he had enough. To get anymore, you have to ask him [Oswalt].”

Sunday’s outing was the third appearance in a seven-day span for Oswalt, during that time he has thrown 9.1 innings. His demotion to the bullpen coincided with the addition of Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs at the non-waiver trade deadline.

Friday, August 3, 2012

Dodgers Acquire Blanton from Phillies in Waiver Deal


Joe Blanton                      (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

By Jim Pratt | @BigLeaguesMthly
The Los Angeles Dodgers continue to pillage those clubs in sell-mode as they acquire Philadelphia Phillies starter Joe Blanton for a player to be named later or cash considerations after they claimed him off revocable waivers.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Houston Astros Execute Draft Plan to Perfection

This column was originally written for the July issue of Big Leagues Monthly | Magazine.

By Brooks Parker |

Astros’ fans, it’s been a long year. Major League Baseball and its club of owners took months to approve Drayton McClane’s sell of the team to Jim Crane. The approval was contingent upon Crane agreeing to move the team to the American League and leaving years of history behind. In the following months, Jeff Luhnow replaced Ed Wade and gave the fans a new hope for the future despite losing over a hundred games. With a shiny new front office that pledged to build the organization by spending on premium talent through the draft and international markets, MLB slapped a CBA on teams that limited spending in those areas. How were they going to secure top talent that carries a premium price tag?

Carlos Correa (Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Fast-forward to June 5, its draft day and the Astros are faced with a conundrum. There isn’t a clear cut top talent, and the potential top five all have some question marks surrounding them. Despite several reports that Stanford’s ace, Mark Appel, was going to be the top pick, nobody truly knew for sure whom the Astros would take. Everywhere you looked, everyone’s draft board was different, whether it was Appel, University of Florida’s catcher Mark Zunino, Louisiana State’s pitcher Kevin Gausman, High School outfielder Brian Buxton, or Puerto Rico Baseball Academy short-stop Carlos Correa. Throughout the whole process, Luhnow promised that the Astros would draft the best available talent.