Category Archives: MiLB

WBC Simulation: USA vs. Canada

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On Sunday, March 30, 2013, Team USA and Canada will play the final Pool D game at Chase Field in Phoenix. Canada will technically be the home team. It’s entirely possible that who has advanced in the WBC would already be decided, but the sometimes erratic tie-breaking procedures of the round robin first round make it unlikely that both would be decided, and it is entirely likely that this game would decide the fates of at least one of the teams playing.

So, how might it go down? Well, using Out of the Park Baseball, I am simulating it! Go after the jump for the rest.

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Famous for something else: Randy “Macho Man” Savage

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Randy Poffo’s baseball career took a turn for the worst as he was hit by a series of injuries, but he found a second career as Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1971 18 Cardinals GULF Rk STL 35 81 63 10 18 3 2 2 13 2 0 14 16 .286 .420 .492 .912 31 2 0 2
1972 19 Cardinals GULF Rk STL 52 168 46 3 4 3 .274 .393 66
1973 20 2 Teams 2 Lgs A-Rk STL 71 191 177 7 50 14 4 2 11 0 0 13 11 .282 .330 .441 .771 78 0 0 1
1973 20 Red Birds GULF Rk STL 25 75 61 7 21 6 2 0 11 0 0 13 11 .344 .453 .508 .962 31 0 0 1
1973 20 Orangeburg WCRS A 46 116 29 8 2 2 .250 .405 47
1974 21 Tampa FLOR A CIN 131 521 461 36 107 19 6 9 66 3 5 46 85 .232 .304 .358 .662 165 14 5 2 7 4
4 Seasons 289 961 869 53 221 39 16 16 90 5 5 73 112 .254 .314 .391 .705 340 14 7 2 10 4
Rk (3 seasons) Rk 112 324 292 17 85 12 8 5 24 2 0 27 27 .291 .352 .438 .790 128 2 0 3
A (2 seasons) A 177 637 577 36 136 27 8 11 66 3 5 46 85 .236 .294 .367 .662 212 14 5 2 7 4
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/17/2013.

Famous for Something Else: Mario Cuomo

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In “Famous for Something Else”, we look at how people famous for things other than baseball did during their baseball careers.

Mario Cuomo was governor of New York State from 1983 to 1994. But in his younger days, he played baseball:

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
1952 20 Brunswick GAFL D PIT 81 254 62 10 2 1 .244 .311 79
1 Season 81 254 254 62 10 2 1 .244 .244 .311 .555 79
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/13/2013.

 

Russell Wilson probably made the right decision

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Russell Wilson plays for the Seattle Seahawks today, but he once played in the Colorado Rockies organization.

Looking at his career .229 BA, I’d say he probably made the right decision.

Year Age Tm Lg Lev Aff G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB
2010 21 Tri-City NORW A- COL 32 143 122 18 28 4 4 2 11 4 6 16 36 .230 .336 .377 .713 46 4 4 0 1 0
2011 22 Asheville SALL A COL 61 236 193 40 44 5 4 3 15 15 2 35 82 .228 .366 .342 .708 66 2 7 1 0 0
2 Seasons 93 379 315 58 72 9 8 5 26 19 8 51 118 .229 .354 .356 .710 112 6 11 1 1 0
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 1/13/2013.

The first 23 players of Team Canada have been revealed

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Canada has released the first 23 players who are officially on their provisional roster, here’s a photo of the roster that they released on Twitter:

Now, a few notes on this roster:

Joey Votto is still expected to take part, he just needs to get some insurance paperwork done before it’s official:

Ryan Dempster, as mentioned above, is less clear. He hasn’t pitched in past WBCs for certain reasons but it had been hinted at that he might this time (although to the best of my knowledge he himself hadn’t). While he is not on the roster as of now, he could still possibly be put on it later, as Team Canada has only released 23 of the 28 player names. However, Dempster will be heading into his first season with the Red Sox, which makes it unlikely that he will for two reasons:

1) Players (but especially pitchers) joining new teams are often less likely to take part in the WBC.

2) The Red Sox, after the grand Daisuke Matsuzaka debacle of 2009 (when he, according to some sources, hid an injury so that he could continue pitching for Team Japan), are probably the most gunshy team this side of the Yankees when it comes to the WBC, so are probably going to do everything that they are allowed to do (a club cannot unilaterally bar a player from the WBC unless they have an injury) to keep him from playing.
Anyway, continue coming to The Baseball Continuum for more WBC news in the coming days.

Cheat Sheet: (Almost) All of the Most Recent Champions (as of Nov. 29, 2012)

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(Note: Not included are leagues still in session)

So, who’s the defending champion in the….

The Top Leagues:

…MLB? San Francisco Giants

…NPB? Yomiuri Giants

…KBO? Samsung Lions

…CPBL? Lamigo Monkeys

…Mexican League? Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz

The Affiliated Minors:

…International League? Pawtucket Red Sox

…Pacific Coast League? Reno Aces

…Eastern League? Akron Aeros

…Southern League? Mobile BayBears

…Texas League? San Antonio Missions

…California League? Lancaster JetHawks

…Carolina League? Lynchburg Hillcats

…Florida State League? Lakeland Flying Tigers

…Midwest League? Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

…South Atlantic League? Asheville Tourists

…NY-Penn League? Hudson Valley Renegades

…Northwest League? Vancouver Canadians

…Appalachian League? Elizabethton Twins

…Pioneer League? Missoula Osprey

…Gulf Coast League? Gulf Coast Pirates

…Arizona League? Arizona Rangers

…Dominican Summer League? DSL Pirates Team 1

…Venezuelan Summer League? VSL Pirates

(Want more? Go below the jump!)

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World Baseball Classic Qualifier Preview: Regensburg (Germany, Canada, Czech Republic, Great Britain)

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As I have previously mentioned, the World Baseball Classic’s qualifying rounds are about to start. I have, of course, done extensive projections for many of the already-qualified teams, but I am also doing overviews for each qualifying pool as rosters are released. This time: the pool in Regensburg, Germany.
Go after the jump. All rosters are from Baseball America.

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Ozzie Guillen doesn’t show up that much as the Trade Deadline dominates in the 4th episode of “The Franchise”

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This week’s episode of The Franchise focused on the Trade Deadline, primarily focusing on the front office, the players being traded, and the players being traded for.

Go after the jump for thoughts and the weekly count of Ozzie Guillen’s foul mouth.

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Billy Hamilton is the fastest man alive

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Watching the Futures Game out of the corner of my eye a few weeks ago, a guy named Billy Hamilton (Reds Organization) hit a triple. A very, very, fast triple. A triple that, if the outfielders had been slower or the outfield walls has been deeper, he could easily have attempted to make into an inside-the-park home run.

A few days ago, he did hit a inside-the-park home run. Not only that, but he did it in 13.8 seconds… while not even going full-speed near the end. Oh, and he has 109 stolen bases between A and AA this season. The all-time pro record for a season is 145, which Vince Coleman pulled off in A-ball during the 1983 season.

(more after jump)

And Hamilton isn’t exactly a one-trick pony, he hit .323 in a half-season of A-Ball. Barring injury, he could end up as a runner-off-the-bench for the Reds come September. After all, he’s way too fast to just be left in the minors once crunch-time comes, especially for a National League team.

By the way, Hamilton’s dash around the bases in 13.8 seconds- roughly 360 feet- is in itself a impressive athletic feat. It means he was averaging about 17.79 MPH during the run. If Hamilton were to hold that speed for just 100 meters, he’d finish in about 12.57 seconds. That isn’t exactly Usain Bolt, but then again it wasn’t exactly a straight sprint and Hamilton was running on dirt and grass instead of smooth pavement, so the comparison doesn’t really work… does it?

Interestingly, Billy Hamilton was also the name of a Hall of Famer from the late 19th century. “Sliding Billy” Hamilton also was quite the base stealer: he had 914 in his career, which was the most of all time until Lou Brock broke his record in 1978. He still is third overall.

So keep an eye out for Sliding Billy 2.0, he’s running his way through the minors, and it is probably only a matter of time before he is testing the arms of MLB catchers.

An Eyewitness account of Evan Longoria’s setback

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So, I was at the ballpark last night. Evan Longoria was in town with Durham on a rehab assignment- having injured his hamstring earlier in the year. I’ve seen him before in the big leagues, but the chance to see a ballplayer on a rehab assignment in the minors is something you should never pass up: you can see them far closer for far cheaper. Why, you can get close enough to realize they have begun growing more facial hair.

Good thing I went last night, otherwise I wouldn’t have seen him at all.

(jump)

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