Tag Archives: mlb

2014 MLB Team Preview: Cincinnati Reds

The Cincinnati Reds have been NL Central contenders for the last few years, but Pittsburgh emerged and St. Louis doesn’t seem to have an off-year. They lost Shin-Soo Choo and Bronson Arroyo to free agency and didn’t do much in free agency.

Their biggest offseason move was firing Dusty Baker. They hired pitching coach Bryan Price as their new skipper. He’s an experienced and heralded pitching coach, but this will be his first season as a manager.

The Reds will rely heavily on Jay Bruce and Joey Votto to drive in runs this season. They also need Todd Frazier to bounce back from a forgettable 2013 season. It’s not much to ask since he looked like a future All-Star his rookie season.

Super prospect Billy Hamilton is expected to be on the Opening Day roster. He is one of the best base runners in all of baseball, but is expected to have issues getting on base. Will he succeed or end up in the minors at some point?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Cincinnati Reds.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Chicago White Sox

It’s going to be a long season for Chicago baseball teams. We all know the Cubs were in a performance lull, but the White Sox fell from AL Central contenders to the division basement in 2013.

Chicago made a big splash this offseason by trading Addison Reed to Arizona for young hitters Adam Eaton and Matt Davidson. They also signed Jose Abreu, possibly the best hitter to come out of Cuba in a long time (sorry Yoenis Cespedes).

Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko both look near the end of their careers. Do they have one final elite season in them or are they running on fumes?

Will Robin Ventura last the entire season as manager?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Chicago White Sox.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are in the middle of a long-term rebuilding plan. They are building the team through the draft and their farm system is now one of the best in baseball. Many of those prospects are still a year away, so many Cubs fans are already looking ahead to the 2015 season.

Expect the Cubs roster to looks drastically different by the end of the season. Jeff Samardzija may even be traded before the season begins.

New manager Rick Renteria takes over a team of mostly cheap role players keeping seats warm until Javier Baez, Jorge Soler and Kris Bryant are ready to appear in the Majors.

Can Starlin Castro regain his All-Star form? Will Anthony Rizzo make a leap forward and become a better all-around hitter?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Chicago Cubs.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Boston Red Sox

Boston went from worst to first to win the World Series. It’s hard to believe that this time last year, we were still talking about ‘chicken and beer’. Manager John Farrell turned around the team at a wicked fast rate.

The Red Sox now have a target on their backs. They will get the best effort from their opponents in every game. The Yankees and Rays are extra hungry to knock off the defending champs.

Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Will Middlebrooks, players who have yet to live up to their hype, will be asked to play everyday. Is Boston asking too much?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Boston Red Sox.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Baltimore Orioles

It must be difficult being an AL East team not in Boston or New York. Baltimore have tried to build through the draft and sign cheap veterans to add depth, but they can barely hang with the pack. They were hoping to build off their 2012 Wild Card berth and compete for the division, but the Red Sox and Rays were the cream of the division.

2013 wasn’t completely forgettable. Chris Davis became one of the best power hitters in the game and Manny Machado showed why he was one of the top prospects in the game.

Boston and New York rearranged some of their pieces this offseason. If they get off to a slow start, can Baltimore build an early lead in the AL East?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Baltimore Orioles.

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2014 MLB Team Preview: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are coming off a successful regular season, but disappointed in the playoffs. Their big acquisition of Justin Upton last offseason didn’t pay off immediately. They struggled offensively in stretches, but was bailed out by their pitching.

The Braves lost starting pitchers Tim Hudson and Paul Malholm to free agency then lost Kris Medlan and Brandon Beachy with elbow injuries. Newly-signed Ervin Santana & Gavin Floyd will help fill the need, but it will be an uphill battle.

The Braves spent the offseason signing all their young talent to contract extensions. They lost Brian McCann to the Yankees and didn’t sign any impact bats to fill their on-base needs.

Will the Braves repeat as NL East champs?

Here is the 2014 MLB season preview for the Atlanta Braves.

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Review: “Wrigley Field: An Oral And Narrative History Of The Home Of The Chicago Cubs” by Ira Berkow

Spring Training is fast approaching and so is the season when great baseball books are released. “Wrigley Field: An Oral And Narrative History Of The Chicago Cubs” could be the gem of the year.

Ira Berkow went all out and made the most all-encompassing book about Wrigley Field ever printed. Not only are there interesting stories, but the photos in this book are amazing. Panoramic shots from various seats in the bleachers and rooftop seats to intimate portraits of early Cubs players.

This isn’t a small book. It’s a ‘coffee table’ book in size, but with enough written content to read and not just flip through.

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2013 MLB Rule 5 Draft Results

It’s rare I cover baseball news this time of year. NFL, NBA, NHL and college football are in-season and the only news worth mentioning right now are significant trades.

I try to weed out trade and free agent rumors in MLB, since there is so much fabricated information. Agents leak out wrong information to gain leverage in negotiations.

Something did happen today in the MLB, the Rule 5 Draft. As you may already know, the Texas Rangers selected Seattle Seahawks QB Russell Wilson in the minor-league portion of the draft. Wilson played some minor league baseball in the Colorado Rockies farm system.

In the past, the major league portion of the MLB Rule 5 Draft has been significant in the past. Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, Johan Santana, R.A. Dickey and even hall of famer Roberto Clemente have been selected in the past. Here are today’s results and what the rules are after drafting a player.

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Who Will the Cubs Hire as Manager?

The Chicago Cubs managerial search took a hit with Joe Girardi re-signing with the New York Yankees. He was their top candidate, since he’s from the area and was a former player for the organization. Oh, he also won the World Series as a manager.

The list of qualified candidates is out there, but we try to weed out the rumors.

The decision on who they hire makes a statement if this organization is looking to win now or if they realize this team is still a few years from making a run.

Will Theo Epstein hire once again hire one of his boys (Dale Sveum was third base coach on Boston’s 2004 World Series team) or will he go outside his comfort zone?

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Why Wil Myers Will Be Better Than Yasiel Puig

Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig caught the world by storm when he was called up to the Majors. He had game-winning hits, threw guys out with his arm and hit for power and average. His rookie cards are going for $50+ and his autographs are fetching a couple hundred dollars on eBay.

On the other side of the coin, Tampa Bay Rays rookie Wil Myers was called up soon after Puig with less fanfare, even though Myers was most well-known prospect in the minor leagues. He started off a bit slow, but is turning into a better player than Puig.

Puig has plateaued a bit and Myers is currently on a hot streak, yet SportsCenter gives more attention to Puig. I understand he’s in a bigger market than Myers, but that will soon change.

Wil Myers is better than Yasiel Puig and will be for the rest of his career…and here’s why. Continue reading →

MLB Suspends 12 Players Linked to Biogenesis Scandal

It finally happened. According to a report by ESPN and Yahoo!, Major League Baseball will announce that 12 players will accept suspensions linked to Biogenesis scandal. There is one glaring admission, Alex Rodriguez.

The list of players to receive 50-game suspensions are those who agreed to not appeal their suspensions.

The list is full of players already reported to be linked to the Biogenesis scandal and a few that weren’t as prominently reported.

The list below are players who will start serving their suspensions right away. Continue reading →

MLB: Biogenesis Scandal Could Benefit Yankees

Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter speaks his mind. He believes if Alex Rodriguez is banned from baseball, the New York Yankees will be the only winner in the Biogenesis scandal.

If the Yankees get out of the monster contract Rodriguez is owed, Showalter believes Orioles catcher Matt Wieters will be playing in the Bronx in 2016.

The Yankees will be under the luxury tax and can afford to once again splurge on a few free agents, Wieters being one of the potential players on the market.

Showalter doesn’t feel the Yankees should be completely exempt from their own mistake. MLB could give them a get out of jail free card.

If MLB bans A-rod for life, is it fair for the league to let the Yankees out of his contract without penalties? Should the contract still count against the Yankees for luxury tax purposes?