Tag Archives: MLB

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): The ABCs of the Colorado Rockies

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, the Colorado Rockies.

 

A is for Altitude, of which Denver is quite high.

B is for Blackmon, who had six hits in a game, oh my!

C is for CarGo, coming off a down year.

D is for Dickerson, CarGo’s outfield peer.

E is for Eddie Butler, of whom I know little, see?

F is for Fourth, in the NL West they will be.

G is for Galarragga, who had quite the hitting niche.

H is for Hawkins, one final year to pitch.

I is for Isotopes, home of their AAA players.

J is for Justin, of the Canadian Eh-ers?

K is for Kendrick, formerly of the Phillies.

L is for Low April temperatures, which can give you the willies.

M is for the Mahieu, that comes after Le.

N is for Nolan the Arenado, not Ryan the P.

O is for Ottavino‘s beginning and end.

P is for Power-hitting, which the humidor tries to mend.

Q is for Questions, of which the Rockies might have many.

R is for Rex Brothers, not as tall as Brad Penny.

S is for Stubbs, who was not a Sooner.

T is for Tulo, who’s trade is ever rumor.

U is for Uniforms, occasionally purple.

V is for Vinny Castilla, because nothing rhymes with purple.

W is for Weiss, the Rockies’ skipper.

X is for Xylophone, there are instruments that are hipper.

Y is for Ynoa, Rafael to be exact.

Z is for Zobrist, an A just to keep the alphabet intact.

Tomorrow: Texas Rangers.

 

 

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): For the Dodgers, there is no kill like overkill

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, the Dodgers.

Today, the Dodgers reportedly signed Cuban 3B defector Hector Olivera for six years and 62.5 million dollars. Now, they have a 3B currently in Juan Uribe, and his secondary position of 2B has Howie Kendrick there, but this is the Dodgers, and for them, there is no kill like overkill.

Flush with cable cash (despite the fact that, ironically, most of LA’s population is unable to watch due to carriage issues) and the fact they are in Los Angeles, and with star power on the field, in the stands and in the owner’s box (when Magic Johnson calls to see if you are interested in playing for the Dodgers, you listen), the Dodgers have, in some ways, taken over for the Yankees as the team for which money is no object.

For example, the Dodgers certainly could have been fine if their rotation was Kershaw, Greinke, Ryu (who is currently hurt) and then two other guys, but, nope, they go ahead and give Brandon McCarthy 48 million dollars, despite the fact he struggled with the Diamondbacks last year, only to inexplicably turn it around after going to the American League with the Yankees. Because they are the Dodgers, and if they want the best Twitter-user in baseball to be their number four starter, they will do it. It wouldn’t be shocking at all if they add somebody else, like Cole Hamels, sometime during the season, thus pushing McCarthy to fifth on the depth chart, should Ryu be healthy by that point. Oh, and they also have Brett Anderson and Brandon Beachy (who should have recovered from Tommy John surgery by mid-season), too. And, while I’m no expert on the Dodgers’ farm system, I’m sure they have somebody at AAA who is willing to step up if anybody gets hurt or underperforms.

And then, of course, there is the lineup. Here’s what the opening-day lineup for the Dodgers will likely be:

1. Jimmy Rollins

2. Carl Crawford

3. Yasiel Puig

4. Adrian Gonzalez

5. Yasmani Grandal

6. Howie Kendrick

7. Joc Pederson

8. Juan Uribe

9. Pitcher

That’s a good lineup. But, don’t worry, if that lineup doesn’t work, it’s nothing that money won’t fix. Because there’s no amount to high, and no kill like overkill.

Tomorrow: The Rockies

 

 

 

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): The Angels’ season, according to OOTP Baseball 2016

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, we’ve reached the Los Angeles Angels of Angel Stadium of Anaheim, 2000 Gene Autry Way, Anaheim, Orange County, California, USA, North America, Northwestern Hemisphere, Planet Earth, Sol System, Milky Way.

The new Out Of The Park Baseball came out yesterday, and while my review won’t be coming for another week or so, I decided I’d give it a quick spin today to see what it thinks of the Angels for this year. Go below the jump, as this is very image intensive.

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“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): The Chicago White Sox’s player to watch isn’t one of the new guys

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here.Today, I talk briefly about the Chicago White Sox.

The White Sox spent the off-season helping build a team that could contend in the AL Central this coming year. Whether they will succeed is more up for debate. Among the additions: Zach Duke, Adam LaRoche, David Robertson, and Jeff Samardzija.

However, the player to most watch isn’t one of the new guys. No, the player to watch is the sophomore MLB season version of Jose Abreu.

Consider his season last year, his first in MLB after arriving from Cuba. He hit .317 with a .964 OPS and 36 HRs… and this was while missing some time with a knee injury.

And now, it’s his second year coming up. If the White Sox do well, it could prove to be his breakout amongst more casual baseball fans, especially if he is able to do better this year than he did last. Is it possible that he could hit 50 HRs? Perhaps. And that would be something to see.

Tomorrow: Los Angeles Angels.

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): A gratuitous post on Hank the Dog

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, a cute dog.

I could write about the Brewers, but why do that when I now have a perfect excuse to have pictures of Hank, the cute little stray pup who was adopted as a unofficial mascot by the Brewers last season and found it’s way into America’s heart?

I mean, look at this fella:

D’aww.

(Go below the jump for more, since this is image heavy.)

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“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): So, are the Cardinals the “Best Fans in Baseball”?

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here.Today, we look at the evidence for and against the claim that St. Louis is home of the “Best Fans in Baseball”.

It is often said that St. Louis is the home of the “Best Fans in Baseball”. But how true is that claim? Let’s look at the evidence for and against such a claim:

FOR:

  • A Wall Street Journal article on what cities get the best TV ratings for each sport (and not just for their home teams, but for nationally televised games in general) had St. Louis as the top location for baseball.
  • The Cardinals were the top-rated (as far as percentage) team in baseball locally/regionally last season.
  • Former Commissioner Bud Selig said so, and no matter what you say about Selig, it can’t be argued that he probably had been to every stadium in the league, probably several times.
  • The Cardinals were second in attendance last season, behind only the Dodgers, who have a larger stadium and a much larger fanbase numerically. They have averaged over 40,000 fans every year except once since 2005 and been in the top four in NL attendance every year except once since 1996.
  • Anecdotal evidence online says that the team leads the league in number of fans who keep score, to the point where the old Busch Stadium apparently showed score-keeping marks for batters so that people who had missed something could fill it in (I’m not 100% sure about this, but I remember reading it somewhere).
  • The Cardinals haven’t been last in the league in attendance since 1916.
  • And, yes, they do show an appreciation for good baseball, even, at times, when it’s an opponent doing it.
  • They count Ellie Kemper and Jon Hamm as members, and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is awesome. Not really relevant to this discussion, just sort of throwing it out there.

Against:

  • St. Louis, despite it’s passion for the Cardinals, obviously wasn’t baseball-crazy enough to keep the Browns from moving back in the 1950s. Although, to be fair, the Browns almost perpetually were crummy.
  • The racist, homophobic and generally disgusting people showcased on the “BestFansStLouis”, which I refuse to link to for consideration of human dignity. However, it should be noted that every sports team has plenty of fans who are horrible bigoted a-holes, it’s just that they don’t have Twitter accounts devoted to them.
  • It was Tywin Lannister of Game of Thrones fame that said: “Any man who must say ‘I am King’ is no true king.” With that in mind, one must wonder if any Cardinals fan who calls the Cardinal faithful the “Best Fans in Baseball'” is truly worthy of being called the Best Fans In Baseball.
  • Have overlooked the flaws of many of the team’s great players and managers, such as steroid use, drinking, etc. etc. Although, again, this is true for every single team’s fanbase.
  • It is nearly impossible to truly figure out who the best fans in anything are, since there are so many things to consider and ultimately it is a vague intangible title that can change based on definition, a team’s fortunes, and other factors.

So, the verdict is… Cardinals fans are likely, but not definitely, the Best Fans in Baseball. But as the last “against” proves… it really doesn’t matter.

“30 Teams, 30 Posts” (2015): Are the Washington Nationals going to win it all? Well… Maybe?

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today: The Washington Nationals, my early favorite for World Series champion.

I think the Washington Nationals will win the World Series this season. And yet, I’m not 100% sure why I think this.

Maybe it’s the pitching. They have added Max Scherzer to an already excellent staff that includes Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmermann and Doug Fister.

Maybe it’s because this might be the year that Bryce Harper returns to form after an off-year last season.

Maybe it’s because of Anthony Rendon.

Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because this will be the year where things click, where the odd breaks that have gone against them will go for them, where the bullpen won’t screw it up, and they finally go to the World Series for the first time in franchise history.

Or maybe not. Maybe it’s something else. I don’t know, but for some reason- and I’m not sure what- I think this is the Nationals’ year.

Maybe.

The Schedule for the upcoming “30 Teams, 30 Posts”

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Here’s the schedule for the upcoming “30 Teams, 30 Posts”, it will be subject to change based on other factors, but this roughly will be it, although I might space them out a bit more.

DONE: Red Sox, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Orioles, Rays, Pirates, Mets, Royals, Marlins, Blue Jays, Braves, Yankees, Mariners, Astros, Giants, Phillies (16/30)

March 18: Washington Nationals (17/30)

March 19: St. Louis Cardinals (18/30)

March 20: Milwaukee Brewers (19/30)

March 21: Chicago White Sox (20/30)

March 22: Los Angeles Angels (21/30)

March 23: Los Angeles Dodgers (22/30)

March 24: Colorado Rockies (23/30)

March 25: Texas Rangers (24/30)

March 26: Oakland Athletics (25/30)

March 27: Cleveland Indians (26/30)

March 28: Cincinnati Reds (27/30)

March 29: San Diego Padres (28/30)

March 30: Chicago Cubs (29/30)

March 31: Minnesota Twins (30/30)

“30 Teams, 30 Posts”: Happy Evacuation Day, Boston Red Sox (and a look at their off-season acquisitions)

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, I celebrate Evacuation Day by talking Red Sox.

On March 17, 1776, as the Colonial forces reinforced their siege with cannons taken from Fort Ticonderoga, the British decided that their position in Boston was too threatened to be sustainable. So they left. And there was much rejoicing. In fact, to this day, Bostonians celebrate “Evacuation Day”, a city holiday that totally wasn’t chosen specifically as an excuse to give the heavy Irish-American population of Boston an excuse to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day without coming up with an excuse to leave work.

So, in honor of St. Patri- err… Evacuation Day, today we are talking Boston. Red Sox, that is.

To be more exact, let’s talk about the guys they acquired this off-season:

First off, the big guy (pun only somewhat intended): Pablo Sandoval. Some Red Sox fans, upon seeing him in spring training, thought he was overweight. Well, maybe he is, but that’s just Kung Fu Panda. He’s always like that. However, that hasn’t stopped him before, and he has the reflexes needed for third base. And he can still hit, of course, and with him now in the AL, he can DH at times, although of course David Ortiz will usually be in charge of that.

Next, Hanley Ramirez. He’s finally returned to Boston, after being traded by them way back in 2005 in the Josh Beckett deal. Now, he’s going to be a left-fielder. This could be interesting, seeing as how Hanley Ramirez has never played outfield before, much less had to deal with the odd bounces of the Green Monster. This will really be something to watch.

Wade Miley, acquired from the ever-anonymous Diamondbacks, is in some ways as anonymous as the team he came from. He’s good, but not great. He had a great rookie year in 2011, but has been middle-of-the-road since then, with a 3.94 ERA. Still, maybe a change in scenery will do him good and get him back to his rookie self.

Rick Porcello also has joined the Red Sox, acquired in the Cespedes deal, as well as Justin Masterson, signed the same day. Alexi Ogando and Craig Breslow also signed. Porcello should be a fine addition, but Masterson, Breslow and Ogando will have to bounce back from injuries and off-years.

How all these deals work out may determine how Boston does this year in the AL East.

 

 

 

“30 Teams, 30 Posts”: The Arizona Diamondbacks are now the forgotten team of the NL West

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In 30 Teams, 30 Posts, I write a post about every MLB team in some way in the lead-up to the beginning of the 2015 season. Previous installments can be found here. Today, the Arizona Diamondbacks.

For years, the Padres were the forgotten team of baseball, or, at the very least, the NL West. The Dodgers were the Dodgers and thus seemingly inherently interesting. The Giants have been winning world titles every even year. The Rockies have had Troy Tulowitzki, who is always in the news because he is always on the brink of being traded, and yet never is. The Diamondbacks were full of talk about “grit” and so on, and the Padres… were just kind of there.

But now, after a crazy off-season for the Padres that may well have turned them into a contender, the Diamondbacks are the forgotten team of the NL West. They don’t have Kirk Gibson there anymore trumpeting things about grit anymore, and it’s likely they will be an afterthought in the race for the postseason.

Although they do still have Paul Goldschmidt, and he’s really good, so that’s cool. But, alas, it’s unlikely he’ll be enough to make the Diamondbacks anything more than a minor character in this season of Major League Baseball.