Colorado Rockies Blogs

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"

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"

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"

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"

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 ..."

I thought that ship had sailed? I also thought it was certain that Bengie Molina would be a New York Met in 2010. New York was dangling a two year deal, but Molina's camp wanted a third year option. Something went terribly wrong in the negotiations, and the two sides parted ways, which is good news for the Giants! It's hard to get greedy in this current market place, especially when you're an older player (who turns 36 in July), and playing a demanding position like catcher. I thought Molina might have ended-up in the American League where he could also be a DH.   Whatever happened at the end of last season (not playing hurt?), I say forget any bad blood that may have bubbled to the surface between Molina and the Giants, and welcome him back behind the plate with open arms. The pitchers love him. He's a club house presence and leader. He will be an excellent mentor to the young Buster Posey. He comes at a relative bargain for one year and $4.5-million, and can hit! Fortunately though, he won't be relied upon to bat clean-up for San Francisco this year (assuming the off-season acquisitions come through as expected). Molina should be much more comfortable further down in the order as a number-six hitter, behind a 3-4-5 combination of Sandoval, Huff, and De Rosa. Now I'm digging this line-up a lot more than I was just a couple of weeks ago.  Yorvit Torrealba? Rod Barajas? Bengie's going to be a better hitter than both of those guys. Last year, Molina struggled through some injuries, but still managed to play in 132 games and had 491 at-bats. The rest of the pertinent numbers: 130 hits, (only) 52 runs scored, 25 doubles, 20 homers, 80 RBI's, and an incredibly low 13 walks...Yikes! That's reflected in a .285 on-base percentage, but a fairly solid .265 batting average. Molina drove in 95 runs with 16 homers and 33 doubles in 2008; with a .292 average, and .322 on-base percentage. So, assuming he plays most of the season, you know roughly what kind of numbers you're going to get. But what if Posey is ready to go mid-season and gets the call-up? That remains to be seen. I would say Eli Whiteside begins the year as Molina's back-up with Posey down in Triple-A Fresno.  By-the-way: Torrealba sported a .351 on-base percentage and a .291 average in just 64 games with the Rockies last season, sharing time with Chris Ianetta. It's hard to really compare any other stats with fewer than half the number of at-bats, but Yorvit did manage to work 21 walks in just 213 at-bats. So, he would easily have more than 50 BB's with 500 A.B's. Barajas, meanwhile, had a descent season with the Blue Jays in 2008 as far as power numbers (19 and 71), but his batting average and on-base were dreadful in roughly the same number of at-bats. So, considering Bengie's familiarity with the Giants' pitching staff, and his overall better hitting, he was clearly the best choice of the three. The fourth choice, Miguel Olivo, had already signed with Colorado -- essentially replacing Torrealba.   Merkin Valdez, who was designated for assignment earlier last week, has been traded to Toronoto for cash considerations. Valdez just never realized his potential, but maintained a dominant fastball even after returning from

Continue reading ""Bengie Molina is Back in the Squat ..."

The Oakland As recently got a John Hancock from Former Red Sox brawler Coco Crisp, for a modest 1 -year, 4 and a half million dollar contract. With this latest Billy Beane brain storm the A's should give its fans one of, if not the best defensive out fields in baseball, if thats how it will play out. As the normal with the A's, they leave the winter meetings with questions all over the diamond. But the outfield, with the signing of crisp and deals for others are the most muddled. Crisp could join Rajai Davis and Ryan Sweeney to form that crew.

Continue reading "Another Defensive Outfielder for Oakland"

Violence has been a part of hockey since at least the early 1900's. According to the book Hockey: A People's History, in 1904 alone, four players were killed during hockey games from the frequent brawls and violent stickwork. 

Continue reading "Legend Of The Goon Squad pt.2"

 Just sheer domination that didn't necessarily show up in the win column! Fifteen victories equals a Cy Young?  Let's look at ALL of the numbers to really appreciate how great Tim Lincecum has been through his first two-full seasons with the Giants (he did throw 146-plus innings in 24 starts in 2007). Back-to-back Cy Young Awards do not come around very often (see: N.L. stand-outs RJ and Maddux, each with four straight, and Sandy Koufax with three of four; Clemens, Palmer, McClain, and Pedro each went back-to-back in the A.L. ([Clemens did it twice; ten years apart]). The difference? Lincecum has done it twice in two full years by the age of 25! So how do you follow up a CY YOUNG AWARD WINNING SEASON??? You work even harder to improve (by perfecting a third pitch), and that's exactly what Lincecum did after winning his first CY in 2008 with an 18-and-5 record, and 265 strikeouts in 227 innings. Lincecum worked 225 and one-third innings this year, and went 15-and-7 with 261 strikeouts. No, that doesn't sound any better until we delve deeper. Check this out - in roughly the same number of innings pitched, Lincecum allowed fourteen

Continue reading ""Tim Lincecum Captures Second Cy Young""

Hey all,

Managers Mike Scioscia of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and Jim Tracy of the Colorado Rockies were named the Managers of the Year in the American and National Leagues respectively today.  Ron Gardenhire of the Twins and Tony La Russa of the St. Louis Cardinals finished second in the voting in the respective leagues.

Continue reading "Angels' Scioscia, Rockies' Tracy ..."

  

  Do we really blame Carney Lansford for a bunch of over-anxious, free-swinging hitters?  The stats certainly don't lie.  Only the Padres, Pirates, and Astros scored fewer runs than the Giants' 657 runs in 2009.  San Francisco's 122 home runs was second-to-last in the N.L., behind only the Mets, who stroked just 95 homers with a half-injured team in their brand-new, spacious Citi Field. Walks: 392 for the Giants was dead last in the league (the Rockies had 660 walks to lead the league). And that leads us to on-base percentage; where the Giants ranked last at .309!  That is just dismal, anemic, pitiful....any other good adjectives to throw in there?

Continue reading ""Carney Lansford the Scape Goat for ..."

Of course we all know by now that Barmes' unbelievable catch was just that. More of an acting job than catching. To his credit, he did make an outstanding defensive play, getting two outs off the pop-up by Cardinals outfielder Ryan Ludwick, that would have otherwise tied the game.  Seeing this catch brought back bad memories from two years ago, when the Rockies beat the Padres in a tie-breaker game for a play-off spot, because of a bad call at home plate.  Did Holliday really touch home plate or not?  I think not, after they showed the play over and over again.  Those dang Rockies are always gettin' lucky.  I'm real close to rooting for the Dodgers in this last series coming up between them and the Rockies.  The bad call at home plate from two years ago just stings too much still.  So what do you think?  Should the MLB use instant-replay challenges like they do in the NFL? At least during post-season games? Hmmm.

Continue reading "Barmes' Unbelievable Catch - Was It Real?"

   It's hard to believe only 10 games remain in the regular season for the Giants, trailing Colorado by four games in the N.L. Wild Card race.  Although it's still mathematic

Continue reading ""Giants Begin Final Home Stand of the Season""

  As an optimistic Giants' fan, I must say I've enjoyed THIS season more than any in recent memory.  The hopes of reaching the play-offs as a wild card still intrigue me; how

Continue reading ""Giants Limp out of L.A., Dropping ..."

  Bruce Bochy announced after Tuesday night's Giants' win that Randy Johnson is back on the active roster.  To make room, Justin Miller was moved to the 60-day D.L. with elbow inflammation.  Miller has been a solid contributor all season with an ERA around three, but hasn't been quite the same in recent weeks.  Most notably, Miller was one of the pitchers who gave it up in the bottom of the 14th-inning in that disastrous loss to the Rockies in late August at Coors Field. Johnson is already making a contribution in the dugout and the clubhouse, helping to mentor a whole stable full of baby-Giants.  It'll be great to see RJ back on the mound, even if it's just in relief.  It makes you think he may want to come back for another year.  Dan Runzler, meanwhile, has already proven to be a valuable bull pen addition as an extra lefty to compliment Jeremy Affeldt.

Continue reading ""Randy Johnson Activated from the 60-Day D.L.""

  Tim Lincecum showed no signs of rust after skipping last week's turn in the rotation with back stiffness.  Lincecum spearheaded a 9-1 Giants' win over the Rockies, tossing seven strong innings, allowing just one run and striking-out eleven Monday night.  Lincecum threw 116 pitches, and seemed to benefit from the extra rest with a little extra SNAP on the breaking pitches.  Although he had double-digit strikeouts, he did walk four, and scattered numerous base runners.  

Continue reading ""Giants Close the N.L. Wildcard Gap ..."

As it stands right now, the Colorado Rockies are 4.5 games ahead of the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card race. The Rockies have been a bit of a surprise team this season, after an unimpressive '08 campaign and the loss of Matt Holliday during the offseason. They've thrived after the firing of Clint Hurdle, as Jim Tracy has pushed the right buttons, rarely ever taking a misstep.

Continue reading "Have the Rockies locked up the NL Wild Card?"

  I went to Sunday's game, and enjoyed another strong outing from Brad Penny - this time against his former team the Dodgers in a 7-2 Giants' win.  Penny is now 3-0 in the orange-

Continue reading ""Brad Penny to the Rescue as Giants ..."

Wow! It was another nail-biter last night between the Padres and Rockies. It was definitely a pitching duel, with Padres pitcher Tim Stauffer going up against the Rockies' rookie pitcher Esmil Rogers, in Rogers' major league debut. Rogers, who used to be a shortstop with the Rockies organization, faltered through his first two innings, allowing two San Diego runs, but went on to pitch three scoreless frames showing an ability to handle himself well.  Stauffer had another strong outing, carrying a shutout into the sixth inning before Troy Tulowitzki hammered a solo home run to get the Rockies on the board.

Continue reading "San Diego Padres Break The Rockies ..."

  Eugenio Velez drilled the first pitch of the game of Pedro Martinez for a home run and a 1-0 Giants' lead.  Too bad that was the end of the scoring for the rest of the game in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies Thursday.  Martinez looked really good with 9 strike outs over seven innings. No, his fastball is not what it once was, but he knows how to pitch, and still features a deceptive delivery with his arm angle. Philadelphia is hoping THIS will be the same Pedro they can take with them into the post season. Giants' fans may remember when Pedro came off the DL in May of '08 as a New York Met, and beat San Francisco at A.T.& T. Park. He also had two hits in that game, and Barry Zito was awful - I remember because I was there!  Now Zito has regained his form, and apparently, so has Pedro, because he was Way better today then he was at anytime last year with the Mets.

Continue reading ""Giants Can't Score Off Pedro Martinez; ..."

Cliff Lee was meant to pitch for the Phillies.  How else do you explain his ridiculous string of starts since joining the team last month?  In five games, Lee has a 5-0 record, a 0.75 WHIP, and a 0.68 E.R.A.  In 40 innings, he has struck out 39 batters and walked just six, surrendered a grand total of zero home runs, and looked like a true ace while averaging eight innings per start.  As if he weren’t contributing enough already, Lee is hitting .313, which, if it were over enough at-bats to qualify, would lead the team.  The southpaw has truly made the most of his time in the City of Brotherly Love.

Continue reading "Cliff Lee: Philly Fave"

  News on the injury front is not good.  The Giants reportedly will be without their regular numbers two-, three-, and four-hitters tonight against Danny Haren and the Diamondbacks.  Freddy Sanchez is still out with a bad shoulder and will likely go on the disabled list.  Pablo Sandoval, who left Monday's game in Denver with a tight calf is expected to miss a couple of games, and Bengie Molina is dinged with an apparent quad injury.  This on top of a mentally draining weekend against the Rockies.  We will really find out what this team is made of in a must-win, bounce-back scenario.  Arizona is a struggling team, and may be just the right remedy for the Giants in between scheduled clashes with Colorado.   

Continue reading ""Sandoval, Molina, and Sanchez All ..."

  Matt Cain must play the role of stopper for the Giants against Arizona tonight.  Not only that; he has got to go DEEP into the game, eat up some innings, and give a bewildered bullpen a break.  What can one say about Monday night's 14-inning nightmare?  There are still 37 games remaining on the schedule starting TONIGHT against the D-Backs (for three games), and then - guess who's coming to town for the weekend for three more games? - the Colorado Rockies.  Is it just me, or are the Rocks becoming almost as annoying as the Dodgers? 

Continue reading ""The Giants Have Got to Bounce Back ..."

In the National League, the elongated double switch shows again why pitching statistics are quite poorly attributed.  A traditional double switch involves the manager inserting a position player into the game  for the current pitcher and a new pitcher for a position player--typically one who just made an out, so that the new pitcher won't be batting for nearly a full trip through the lineup.

Continue reading "More Thoughts on MLB Pitching Statistics"

Baseball families have made history in pinstripes. The Boones are in their 3rd generation playing baseball. Aaron Boone, whose brother Bret, father Bob, and grandfather Ray all had 10+ year careers in the majors, cemented his name in Yankee history. Jose Molina, whose brother Yadier plays for the Colorado Rockies and other brother Bengie plays for San Francisco Giants, also cemented his name in Yankee history. Now that the Yankees have acquired Jerry Hairston, Jr., whose brother Scott is playing for the Oakland Athletics, and father Jerry, Sr., uncle Johnny, and grandfather Sam also had MLB baseball careers. Now Jerry Jr. has a chance to continue this trend of success for baseball families playing for the Bronx Bombers. Before we get into the Hairstons, let’s take a look at what the Boones and the Molinas have accomplished in pinstripes.

Continue reading "Move over Boones. Move over Molinas. ..."

MLB.com has reported that Rafael Betancourt has been traded to the Rockies for Connor Graham, a minor leauge pitcher who will play in Akron. Betancourt has been with the Tribe since 2003 having a brea

Continue reading "Betancourt traded"

http://atdhe.net/7388/watch-mariners-vs-yankees    Yankees vs Mariners

http://atdhe.net/5632/watch-rays-vs-blue-jays : Blue Jays and Rays

  http://atdhe.net/5711/watch-red-sox-vs-orioles   Red Sox vs Orioles

Continue reading "More MLB Links"

aight i got links to most MLB games today 

Yankees vs Mariners, Dodgers Rockies, TB vs Toronto and Boston vs Baltimore are there we also got minor league games    http://alexswentonsnitchtv2.webs.com/apps/blog/

Continue reading "MLB Links"

Let's face it. Most people don't go to enough Rockies games each year to figure out the best way to attend a game. Here's my guide for making the best out of a Rockies Game.

Preperation: Bring your wallet, walking shoes (not very fancy/expensive), your cell phone, a sharpie and your tickets to the park. You also should wear a Rockies cap, because A. They look cool, usually B. It shows support. C. The sun is blinding over Left Field at night games and, well almost anywhere during day games D. What better occasion to wear a baseball cap than at a baseball game. Don't bring a glove (Beer spills at Coors Field a lot and you don't want it on your glove or nice shoes. Plus, if you're over 12 and bring your glove to the game, well then there is a problem). Ladies, don't bring a purse to the game, it will get ruined and it'll be a pain to carry through all the crowds. Put cash in your pocket and call it a day. Your cell will come in handy to call friends at the stadium so you can wave mindlessly at no one in particular and ask if they can see you. You can also snap embarassing pics of your friends and family (Chowing in to a burger, dog, burrito, etc usually makes for a funny pic) and send them to the jumbotron. There are also lots of polls via text you can vote in. But do yourself a favor, turn off the email function if your phone has it. A ballgame is a time to relax and get away from the rest of your life. Don't take calls that could be stressful, don't email on your blackberry; just enjoy the game.

Continue reading "Guide to Coors Field"

The Colorado Rockies, a team that went from the N.L. West cellar to just a half a game out of the wildcard spot, have won nine of their last 10 games. They have gone from hosting an 18-28 record to currently standing strong at 37-33.

Continue reading "Surprised with the Rockies? Well, ..."

Hazel Mae interviewed Ken Rosenthal from Fox Sports the other night on MLB Network’s show Quick Pitch. Mae brought out the point that the Yankees needed to improve their bullpen. Ken mentioned that the Yankees are all set with Brian Bruney and that they expect improvement in their bullpen upon his return. He also brought out some possibilities considering that Brian has been on the DL twice this season. Here are his picks along with my personal reaction to each pick:

Continue reading "Rosenthal’s Picks to Improve Yankees ..."

Yesterday on the MLB Channel, they were replaying Game 4 of the 2007 World Series.  I tuned in during the 8th inning and was very content in watching the final innings.  What made it so much fun was  remembering who I was watching with and things that they were saying as the score changed.   It was a bit emotional to bring back those memories that were still fairly fresh.  And it was even more fun to remember how excited we all were after Papelbon recorded the final strikeout to win the game, and the series. 

Continue reading "Why 2009 is a Special Year"

I’ve been in Denver all week and was able to attend two Rockies games at Coors Field.

Among the highlights:

I saw Evan Longoria hit home runs – his 15th and 16th - on back-to-back nights.  The first shot got the Rays on the board in the first inning on Tuesday en route to their 12-4 win over the Rockies, whose 11-game winning streak came to an end.

Continue reading "Mile High Baseball"

The Rays put up a dozen runs in the first game of the series, but can only muster three in the second game, as the Rockies hand them their first loss in seven games.

 Apart from his 4 run second inning, which included back to back base hits and a three run homer, David Price's outing last night was decent. He was finally able to go deeper into the game, something he was determined to do after several of his previous starts fell short. He gave up 5 earned in 7 innings of work. Unfortunately for the Rays, the couldn't match that offensively. Solo blasts from Crawford and Longoria and a RBI single by Burrell was the only support Price got, giving him his first loss of the season.

Continue reading "Rockies return the favor, snap the ..."

Well look what we have here. The Colorado Rockies are streaking again.

 

Do you remember during their “Rocktober” where they won 21 of 22 in September to get in, the greatest streak to end the regular season? Well, don’t expect that this time around, but I do admit the Rockies do have some sort of a new identity with Jim Tracy taking over.

Continue reading "Can you smell what the Rockies are cooking?"

"There's no analysis here...what happened?!" - ESPN's Steve Levy, 4/27/09

The New Orleans hornets suffered the all-time-tying worst playoff loss in NBA history yesterday, getting stomped on 121-63 by the Denver Nuggets. Don't wet yourselves, Nuggets fans. The Hornets just played THAT BAD. Here are the Top 10 Reasons why they shouldn't bother showing up for Game 5:

Continue reading "Top 10 Reasons the New Orleans Hornets ..."

The National League West is not a division too many people are getting overly excited about entering the 2009 season. The return of Manny Ramirez to Los Angeles has made the Dodgers the division’s lone true contender for the World Series. Arizona will go as far as its pitching takes it, which could be far, but other than that, there’s not a whole lot to pontificate upon. Yet, somehow, I still managed to write 1,383 words.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's 2009 NL West Preview"

Can you feel it?

Pitchers and catchers report in less than a month. The World Baseball Classic is upon us.

Can you feel it?

Many of the mega contracts have been finalized, while a handful of others are still in the works.

Continue reading "Astros Payroll: Design on a dime"

Maybe I'm just the average disgruntled sports fan of a team who has yet to win the big one, but I find that the reputation of the Colorado Rockies is a bit upsetting. Many teams can only dream of developing a superstar out of a previously unknown talent. However, it seems that the Colorado Rockies' best shot at another World Series is to win with a team full of average players that have alot of heart.

Continue reading "Colorado Rockies are not Saturday Night Live"

One of the underrated benefits of the Holliday deal is the flexibility the A's now have.  As I see it, there are four distinct options the A's now have.  From worst case to best case scenario, they are:

Continue reading "After Holliday, What's Next?"

Ty Law doesn't scare me.

The 5-time former Pro Bowl corner is 34 years old and hasn't played a game since the end of the 2007 season with Kansas City. That season Law came away with two interceptions, 13 passes defensed, and declining play. If he was still good, K.C. would had kept him over Patrick Surtain.

Continue reading "Hours Before Kickoff: Week 11"

Let’s start off today with a thank you to all the men and women who have represented our country in the Armed Forces.  If it weren’t for the sacrifices that these Americans have made, we would be able to live our lives with the freedom and choice that we all enjoy.  Thank you.

Continue reading ""

A big thanks to everyone who participated in the "Inbound Link Contest".  We have a winner!  A big congratulations go out to Marija.  Thank you for all your hard work on this.  While we had a lot of people participate, Marija was able to win with only 4 links!  So it wouldn't have taken a lot to win this contest!  We'll be having another contest soon so stay tuned.

Continue reading "Inbound link contest winner announced!"

Mariano Rivera is all kinds of clutch. In non-save situations, his ERA is 3.00. In save situations, it is an outstanding .30. No, that was not a typo, .30. If you need a win, call The Sandman.

Continue reading "MLB Notebook: The Sandman, Bonds, Livan and Willy"

Hernandez, Too Late

  

           It was a tough first start for Livan Hernandez in a Rockies uniform.  After being picked up from the Twins on Tuesday, Hernandez made a quick exit from the game Sunday in the third inning giving up nine runs and leaving to an echo of boos.  It was a bad start, but the real problem is the Rockies move for Hernandez was too late.

Continue reading "Rockies and Hernandez, Too Late."

    The trade deadline is approaching and the Mets still have some needs to fill.  It's still unknown whether Ryan Church will be able to come back and play everyday, so a corner outfielder is certainly a priority.  On Monday Jerry Manuel named Fernando Tatis the everyday left fielder, but his red-hot month may not, and probably will not, last.  Even if Tatis remains decent as a starter, the uncertainty surrounding Church's health calls for a stronger bench.  Endy Chavez is an excellent defensive replacement outfielder, but when he plays everyday he eventually gets exposed offensively, so he is really more suited to a role as a fourth outfielder.  Casey Blake would have been a good fit because he can play both corner outfield positions as well as first base, but he has already been traded to the Dodgers.

Continue reading "Trade Market: Will The Mets Be Involved?"

This is one of the times of the year where the General Managers around baseball really make their money. Some have already done their job (Billy Beane), and some still have pieces to sell. Some GM's will do much more work then others over the next 3+ days, but all will probably be fielding or making phone calls this week. Some teams who look to be busy, and the situation they are in:

Continue reading "Whats a GM to do? : Trade Deadline Talks"

For some time now, no pitcher worth his spikes wanted to pitch in Coors Field. Teams scored in the double-digits, and so did pitcher’s ERAs. Some said that the thin air meant the ball would travel farther—which, as we’ve all seen, it does. Others say that the ball breaks differently in the thin air, that curves and sliders hang, that cutters don’t cut—that’s likely true, too.

Continue reading "Ubaldo Jimenez: the Anti-Coors Pitcher"

I disappear for a few days and suddenly the Dodgers become the most powerful offensive team since I traded for Albert Pujols and David Ortiz in my MLB 06: The Show?? After beating the D-Backs (or “Goo Backs" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uORAyORWRAA as I prefer to call ‘em) in the opening game, which was as exciting as Andruw Jones is fat and useless, 8-7, the Dodgers came back to stink up the joint down 3-0 in the 9th of game two. The proceeded to score 2 runs and NEARLY tie it in the 9th. For once you can’t blame Andruw, as he managed to walk, no matter how hard it is on his knees to carry that keg of a body. Moral victory for the Blue I would say!

Continue reading "IF THE SEASON ENDED TODAY 07.22.08: ..."

Clint Hurdle probably didn't think it'd be this bad.  Sure, when your team is streaky enough to win 21 of 22 and get you into the World Series out of nowhere, there's always a chance it could go the other way.  39-57 at the All-Star break isn't a slump, though.  His team, a young group most experts thought would be right back in contention this fall have fallen flat on their faces.  Then again, the entire NL West has been a major disppointment considering the way last season ended up. 

Continue reading "From The Edge Of Greatness To A Longshot Contender"

To try and motivate our bloggers to get inbound links we're going to have a contest to see which blogger can get the most inbound links to their blog. The contest begins now and ends July 31st, 2008. To be entered in to the contest all you have to do is go out and get as many websites to link to your blog as you can and at the end of the month send us an email listing all those links. All links must be active from August 1st through August 7th when we'll be judging the entries - a winner will be announced on August 7th. All entry emails must be received by Midnight on July 31st, 2008. You can email them to sportsfan@nbabasketballonline.com

Continue reading "Inbound link contest - Win $100!"

It’s the annual midpoint of the baseball season, and for the brief span that is the All-Star break, all eyes are upon the Bronx. As everyone is well aware of, this campaign is the last go around for the world’s most famous, largest, and most prominent ballpark, Yankee Stadium. It seems hard to believe, and even more sacrilegious that this living legend’s days are numbered. Built in 1923 and christened by the greatest ballplayer to ever live, Babe Ruth, the cathedral of baseball will never truly be replaced. Although the Bombers will move a block to Yankee Stadium’s heir, the Mecca of America’s Pastime will still live on in our hearts. Whether you’re a diehard Yankee fan, or Yankee-hater, you still can respect the history and awe that the stadium brings. So when the All-Stars take the field Tuesday night, sit back on your couch, crack open a cold one and soak up the history of Yankee Stadium, as its final chapter is unveiled to all of us.

Continue reading "National League Looks to End Rut"

It’s the All-Star Break once again, that mythical halfway point in the season (I say “mythical” because most teams have played 95-96 games, more than the 81 that’s the true midway mark). Traditionally, it’s time for the teams to take a breath, collect themselves and iron out any kinks in their batting stroke or the pitching rotation—several starters made relief appearances or threw out of turn in the past game or two, knowing that three or four days of rest was coming for all of them.

Continue reading "Gimme A Break!"

It's funny sometimes how these things get started, but there certainly has been some talk recently about the Colorado Rockies dumping some of their best players for prospects.

With the non-waiver trade deadline a mere three weeks away, "rumors" have been floating around that closer Brian Fuentes, catcher Yorvit Torrealba, and outfielder Matt Holliday all on the shopping block.

Continue reading "Why the trade winds in Colorado?"

    This season Mets fans have come to realize that win or lose, life is excruciating.  For this team there is no such thing as a laugher--in either direction.  It seems that every Mets loss includes a blown lead, and every Mets win includes an attempt at the same.

Continue reading "Despite best efforts, Wagner and ..."

Let me start off by stating that I'm a diehard Los Angeles Dodgers fan. It's not a flash-in-pan admiration for the Dodger Blue. I've been cheering them on since the days of Fernandomania. For you younger readers, that would be Fernando Valenzuela, the butterball left-hander who carried the team's pitching staff to a World Series title in 1981 against the hated New York Yankees.

Continue reading "It's not 2007 anymore Rockies fans"

                After coughing up a five-run lead and heading for extra innings, you’d think the Dodger offense would just roll over and die, and drop their fifth straight game to Houston.

Continue reading "Kent's 11th-Hour Homer Gives Dodgers ..."

All right. Are you ready for this? As the All-Star break approaches, the Tampa Bay Rays have the best record in baseball. That’s right. At 49-32, they’re a half-game ahead of Boston, the Cubs, and Anaheim. Whoa. Is this one of the signs of the apocalypse?

Continue reading "Hold On To Your Hats"

With the major league baseball season in full swing and the year less than a
month away from the all-star break, both Chicago teams sit atop their respecti-
ve divisions. On one side of town this was expected and on the south side of

Continue reading "Chicago baseball at midseason point"

We're starting to see the shape of this year's baseball season a bit more clearly.

Some teams are really good. The Red Sox, White Sox and Angels, perhaps the Rays.

The jury's still out on the A's, who might be able to contend. (Or not.) It's hard to know what to think about the Yankees. They were even worse last year but came back. You can't write them off too quickly -- they have such a huge payroll that they could go out and buy a pitcher.

Continue reading "Pretenders, Contenders"

The night began with the promise of success: The Dodgers had won their previous contest with an offensive explosion, Brad Penny was pitching against one of his favorite opponents in Colorado, and Juan Pierre had doubled to lead off the game.

Continue reading "Frustration is as Frustration Does; ..."

Giants took a three game series against the Colorado Rockies 2-1...  All three games were one-run affairs, games which the Giants had not excelled at this year...Tim Lincecum stopped the the

Continue reading "Giants win a series!!!"

May 12, 2008 – Padres Bloggers: I’m still behind so this is my one-stop effort to get Padres release information up-to-date. Obviously they are off to a rough start and going into today have the worst record in baseball at 14-24 (.368).

Continue reading "San Diego Padres Updates"

Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!

May 5, 2008 -- Sorry for the delay in updating but I was the busy skipper of the PGSL Div. 1 (10U) Red Alert and we finished 2nd Saturday in our recreation league championship. Overall record was 10-5-2. It was a great run and a great squad of girls and parents.

Continue reading "San Diego Padres update...getting caught up"

3-2 and 3-2...Giants ended splitting two games that both ended with the identical scores of 3-2.  The Tuesday night game was the weird one, as the Colorado Rockies scored the winning run on a bal

Continue reading "2 days of 3-2 scores!"

EXRA, EXTRA: Barry Zito sent to the bullpen for an unspecified amount of time.  His well publicized 0-6 start forced the hand of management.  With a favorable schedule for the next two weeks

Continue reading "M'Bad: Zito to the 'pen!"

The Astros were able to salvage a win in their three-game series against the Colorado Rockies, winning 6-4—courtesy of a three-run eighth inning. The runs in that inning came off a single from Kaz Matsui and a double from Miguel Tejada. What’s more, Matsui and Tejada’s run-scoring hits came with two outs. Very nice to see Houston hitting in the clutch.

Continue reading "Houston salvages a win against the Rockies, 6-4"

Whenever the Houston Astros and Colorado Rockies get together for a game, it’s sure to be anything but boring. Both teams play in hitter-friendly parks: Colorado in Coors Canaveral and Houston in Homeron Field.

Continue reading "Colorado feasts on Astros pitching; ..."

I have to go to bed early and get up early for work, but I find myself wondering how the Houston Astros will fare in their weekend series against the Colorado Rockies.

 

To be honest, I’m a little nervous. Rockies first baseman Todd Helton always seems to have a great night at the plate whenever he faces Astros pitchers.

Continue reading "Astros versus Colorado Rockies tonight"

I knew the Astros were in trouble today when it was revealed that shortstop Miguel Tejada is two years older than previously thought. Makes me wonder if his parents got his birth certificate from the same office that issued Danny Almonte’s infamous birth certificate.

Continue reading "Back to the drawing board for the ..."

http://wizbangsports.com/2008/03/arizona_pitcher_doug_davis_has.

He got biopsy results this week that resulted ina cancer diagnosis. From AP-

PHOENIX - Diagnosed with thyroid cancer, Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis decided he wanted to keep pitching until his April 10 operation.

Continue reading "Arizona Pitcher Doug Davis has cancer"

March 17, 2008 -- Yesterday's Spring Training game between the San Diego Padres & Colorado Rockies was canceled due to rain.

Today, the Padres are at the Arizona Diamondbacks in Tucson (Tucson Electric Park), game time 1:05 p.m. Today Shawn Estes starts after yesterday's cancelation; the game is over and the Diamondbacks defeated the Padres 8-4. Shawn Estes took the loss. Padres pitchers gave up 19 hits. Jody Gerut homered for the Padres.

Continue reading "San Diego Padres this week"

Over the next several weeks I will preview the upcoming Major League Baseball season on division at a time by addressing the key issue each team faces this summer. I’ll wrap it up with my post season picks and predictions for award winners. First up is the National League West.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Preview Part One: National League West"

Someone forgot to tell the NL West they were supposed to be the worst division in baseball last year.  Out of nowhere this division became arguably the best division in the league and had one of the most fantastic finishes in recent memory.  That play-in game was a game I will be talking about for years and I will never forget the Rockies historic run to the World Series.  This year promises to be another great race in this division.

Continue reading "Part III: NL West"

Those glorious words are upon us, words that come every February to help us all realize that spring is just a few weeks away.
Pitchers and catchers.
The Boston Red Sox have started trickling, one by one, into their home away from home in Fort Myers, Fla., preparing to defend their World Series title for the second time in the last four years. Of course, even though Boston broke The Curse in 2004, controversy still surrounds the Sox as it always has.

Continue reading "Spring training questions start for Red Sox"

What have we learned ten days after the New York Giants stunned the unbeaten Patriots in Superbowl XLII? Perhaps the same thing we learned when the Jets upset the Colts in Superbowl III. The lesson we should have learned in watching the Colorado Rockies go almost a month without losing in their run to the World Series. Hell, I’ll even go as far back to the 1980 US hockey team that pulled a miracle on a frozen pond in Lake Placid one Friday afternoon. We learned that in an era where stories of dog fighting, steroids, HGH and alleged cheating dominate the limelight; there is still room for an underdog story to come along and remind us of the beauty and appreciation that draws us to sports in general.

Continue reading "We we learned from Superbowl XLII"

Remember last year at about this time? "The Philles are the team to beat in the NL East" says Jimmy Rollins. "Oh, that's just our silly J Roll." we said with a patronizing chuckle and a shake of our heads, "I'll be happy to see them over 500 by the end of the season." Well, here we are a year later and what do you know? Turns out that not only was our star shortstop right, but he was awarded the NL MVP for his spooky Nostradamus impression. And remember those chills you felt when Brett Myers threw that last strike and hurled his glove in the air joining the great mound celebrations of those who came before him like Al Holland in '83, Mitch Williams in '93 (against the Braves anyway) and of course the Tugger in '80? You felt like you were dreaming. You couldn't believe that you were actually going to get to see your favorite team play October baseball for the first time in 14 years. I could feel the electricity emanating from the city and I live 3000 miles away in the suburbs of Los Angeles. Didn't matter that they went quietly into that good night a week later against the NL "team of destiny" Colorado Rockies. It was bonus baseball for us. That's the sweetest kind of baseball there is. Remember how proud we were of our boys?

Continue reading "Expectations are high"