Sunday, July 31, 2011

Rafael Furcal traded to Cardinals

Rafael Furcal was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the St Louis Cardinals on July 31, 2011. In exchange the Dodgers receive minor league player Nick Castellanos.


Shortstop Rafael Furcal has played 12 seasons for the Dodgers and Braves. Before the trade he hit .197 with one home run, 12 RBI, 15 runs and 5 steals in 37 games plus two trips to the DL. For his career he has hit .283 with 101 home runs, 520 RBI, 961 runs and 298 steals in 1434 games. He originally signed with the Braves as an amateur free agent in 1996 out of the Dominican Republic.


Castellanos plays third in the Class A level of the minors and is 19. This season he has hit .303 with six home runs, 60 RBI, 48 runs and 2 steals in 101 games. He was originally drafted by the Tigers with the 44th pick in the first round in 2010. 

Jason Marquis traded to Diamondbacks

Jason Marquis was traded by the Washington Nationals to the Arizona Diamondbacks on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Nationals receive minor league player Zachary Walters.


Marquis is a RHP who in 12 seasons has played for the Nationals, Rockies, Cubs, Cardinals and Braves. Before the trade he was 8-5 with a 3.95 ERA, 71 strikeouts, and 1.42 WHIP in 120.2 innings over 20 games. For his career he is 104-97 with a 4.52 ERA, 969 strikeouts and 1.43 WHIP in 1664.1 innings over 323 games. He was originally drafted by the Braves with the 35th pick of the first round in 1996.


Walters has played second, third, shortstop and DH at the Class A level of the minors this season and is 21. This season he has hit .302 with nine home runs, 56 RBI, 69 runs and 12 steals in 97 games. He was originally drafted by the  Diamondbacks in the ninth round in 2010.

Derrek Lee traded to Pirates

Derrek Lee was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Orioles receive minor league player Aaron Baker.


First baseman Derrek Lee has played 15 seasons for the Orioles, Braves, Cubs, Marlins and Padres. Before the trade he hit .246 with 12 home runs, 41 RBS, 39 runs and 2 steals in 85 games. For his career he has hit .281 with 324 home runs, 1060 RBI, 1065 runs and 104 steals in 1914 games. He was originally drafted by the Padres with the 14th pick of the first round in 1993.


Baker is a first baseman at the Class A advanced level of the minors. This season he has hit .282 with 15 home runs, 73 RBI, 53 runs and one steal in 103 games. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the 11th round in 2009.

Orlando Cabrera traded to Giants

Orlando Cabrera was traded by the Cleveland Indians to the San Francisco Giants on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Indians receive minor league player Thomas Neal.


Cabrera has played second base and shortstop in 15 seasons for the Indians, Reds, Twins, Athletics, White Sox Angels, Red Sox and Expos. Before the trade he hit .244 with four home runs, 38 RBI, 35 runs and 6 steals in 91 games. For his career he has hit .273 with 122 home runs, 841 RBI, 981 runs and 214 steals in 1946 games. He originally signed with the Expos as an amateur free agent in 1993.


Neal is an outfielder at the Triple A level of the minors. This season he has hit .295 with two home runs, 25 RBI, 35 runs and 7 steals in 60 games. He was originally drafted by the Giants in the 36th round in 2005.

Doug Fister traded to Tigers

Doug Fister was traded by the Seattle Mariners to the Detroit Tigers along with David Pauley on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Mariners receive Casper Wells, Charlie Furbush and minor league player Francisco Martinez.


Fister is a RHP who was in his third season with the Mariners. Before the trade he was 3-12 with a 3.33 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 1.17 WHIP in 146 innings over 21 games. For his career he is 12-30 with a 3.81 ERA, 218 strikeouts and 1.24 WHIP in 378 innings over 60 games. He was originally drafted by the Mariners in the seventh round in 2006.


Pauley is a RHP who in 4 seasons has played for the Mariners and Red Sox. Before the trade he was 5-4 with a  2.15 ERA, 34 strikeouts and 0.99 WHIP in 54.1 innings over 39 games. For his career he is 9-16 with a 4.36 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP in 173.1 innings over 67 games. He was originally drafted by the Padres in the eighth round in 2001.


Wells is an outfielder who was in his second season with the Tigers. Before the trade he hit .257 with four home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs and 1 steal in 64 games. For his career he has hit .286 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, 30 runs and 1 steal in 100 games. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 14th round in 2005. 


Furbush is a LHP who has split the season in Triple A and with the Tigers. This season he was 5-3 with a 3.17 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 0.94 WHIP in 54 innings over 10 triple A games and was 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA, 26 strikeouts and 1.55 WHIP in 32.1 innings over 17 games with Detroit. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the fourth round in 2007.


Martinez plays third base at the Double A level of the minors and is 20. This season he has hit .282 with seven home runs, 46 RBI, 63 runs and 7 steals in 91 games. He originally signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 2007.

Ubaldo Jimenez traded to Indians

Ubaldo Jimenez was traded by the Colorado Rockies to the Cleveland Indians on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Rockies receive Alex White, minor league players Joseph Gardner and Matt McBride, plus a player to be named later revealed to be Drew Pomeranz.


Jimenez is a RHP in his sixth season with the Rockies. Before the trade he was 6-9 with a 4.46 ERA, 118 strikeouts and 1.37 WHIP in 123 innings over 21 games. For his career he is 56-45 with a 3.66 ERA, 773 strikeouts and 1.28 WHIP in 851 innings over 138 games. He  originally signed with the Rockies as an amateur free agent in 2001 out of the Dominican Republic.


White is a RHP who had spent his first season with Cleveland split between the minors, majors and the DL. This season he was 1-0 with a 1.90 ERA, 28 strikeouts and 1.01 WHIP in 23.2 innings over four games in Triple A and 1-0 with a 3.60 ERA, 13 strikeouts and 1.53 WHIP in 15 innings over three games. He was originally drafted by the Indians with the 15th pick of the first round in 2009.


Gardner is RHP at the Double A level of the minors and is 23. This season he is 7-8 with a 4.99 ERA, 60 strikeouts and 1.59 WHIP in 97.1 innings over 19 games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the third round in 2009.


McBride has played first base, outfield and catcher in Double A and Triple A this season in the minors. He hit .297 with 14 home runs, 53 RBI, 50 runs and 3 steals in 84 Double A games and hit .156 with one home run, three RBI, three runs and zero steals in 12 Triple A games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the second round in 2006.


Pomeranz is a RHP who has played in Class A advanced and Double A in the minors this season. He was 3-2 with a 1.87 ERA, 95 strikeouts and 1.14 WHIP in 77 innings over 15 games in Class A advanced and was 0-1 with a 2.57 ERA, 17 strikeouts and 1.14 WHIP in 14 innings over three Double A games. He was originally drafted by the Indians with the fifth pick of the first round in 2010.

Hunter Pence traded to Phillies

Hunter Pence was traded by the Houston Astros to the Philadelphia Phillies on July 29, 2011. In exchange the Astros receive minor league players Jonathan Singleton, Jarred Cosart, and Josh Zeid plus a player to be named later.


Pence is an outfielder who was in his fifth season with the Astros. Before the trade he was hitting .308 with 11 home runs, 62 RBI, 49 runs and 7 steals in 100 games. For his career he has hit .290 with 103 home runs, 377 RBI, 353 runs and 61 steals in 680 games. He was originally drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2004.


Singleton plays first base and outfield at the Class A advanced level of the minors and is 19. For the season he was hitting .284 with nine home runs, 47 RBI, 48 runs and 3 steals in 936 games. He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the eighth round in 2009.


Cosart is a RHP at the Class A advanced level of the minors and is 21. For the season he is 9-8 with a 3.92 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP in 108 innings over 20 games. He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 38th round in 2008.


Zeid is a RHP at the Double A level of the minors and is 24. For the season he is 2-3 with a 5.65 ERA, 56 strikeouts, 1.41 WHIP and two saves in 63.2 innings over 21 games that also included 11 starts. He was originally drafted by the Phillies in the 10th round in 2009.

Colby Rasmus traded to Blue Jays

Colby Rasmus was traded by the St Louis Cardinals to the Toronto Blue Jays along with Brian Tallet, Trever Miller and P.J. Walters on July 27, 2011. In exchange the Cardinals received Edwin Jackson, Octavio Dotel, Marc Rzepczynski, Corey Patterson and three players to be named later or cash.


Rasmus is an outfielder who was in his third season with the Cardinals. Before the trade he was hitting .246 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 61 runs and 5 steals in 94 games. For his career Rasmus has hit .256 with 50 home runs, 158 RBI, 218 runs and 20 steals in 388 games. He was drafted by the Cardinals with the 28th pick of the first round in 2005.


Tallet is a LHP with 9 seasons in the majors with the Cardinals, Blue Jays and Indians. Before the trade he was 0-1 with a 8.31 ERA, nine strikeouts, and 1.92 WHIP in 13 innings over 18 games. For his career he is 16-24 with a 4.76 ERA, 336 strikeouts and 1.45 WHIP in 459.2 innings over 241 games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the second round in 2000.


Miller is a LHP with 13 seasons in the majors with the Cardinals, Astros, Rays, Dodgers, Phillies and Tigers. Before the trade he was 0-1 with a 4.02 ERA, nine strikeouts, 1.85 WHIP and one save in 15.2 innings over 39 games. For his career he is 18-17 with a 4.18 ERA, 432 strikeouts, 1.45 WHIP and 11 saves in 518.1 innings over 686 games. He was originally drafted by the Tigers with the 41st pick of the first round in 1991.


Walters is a RHP and has split the last three seasons between the minors and with the Cardinals. Before the trade he was 7-4 with 17 starts in Triple A with a 4.27 ERA, 87 strikeouts and 1.42 WHIP in 103.1 innings while going 0-0 with a 9.00 ERA, three strikeouts and 1.25 WHIP in 4 innings over four games in the Cardinals bullpen. He was originally drafted by the Cardinals in the 11th round in 2006.


Jackson barely had time to buy cyber real estate on Facebook after being traded by the White Sox to the Blue Jays before being traded to the Cardinals the same day. As stated in his trade to the Blue Jays Jackson is a RHP and was 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and 1.42 WHIP in 121.2 innings before the trade. In his career he has pitched for the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Rays and Dodgers going 55-58 with a 4.53 ERA, 750 strikeouts and 1.48 WHIP over 1001 innings in 190 games pitched. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2001. 


Dotel is a RHP with 13 seasons with the Blue Jays, Rockies, Dodger, Pirates, White Sox, Royals, Yankees, Athletics, Astros and Mets. Before the trade he was 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA, 30 strikeouts, 1.09 WHIP and one save in 29.1 innings over 36 games. For his career he is 51-44 with a 3.74 ERA, 1048 strikeouts, 1.25 WHIP and 106 saves in 866.2 innings over 669 games. He originally signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1993 out of the Dominican Republic.


Rzepczynski is a LHP who was in his third season with the Blue Jays. Before the trade he was 2-3 with a 2.97 ERA, 33 strikeouts and 1.09 WHIP in 39.1 innings over 43 games. For his career he is 8-11 with a 3.95 ERA, 154 strikeouts and 1.36 WHIP in 166.1 innings over 69 games. He was originally drafted by the Blue Jays in the fifth round in 2007.


Patterson is an outfielder who in 12 seasons has played with the Blue Jays, Orioles, Brewers, Nationals, Reds, and Cubs. Before the trade he was hitting .252 with six home runs, 33 RBI, 44 runs and 13 steals in 89 games. For his career he has hit .253 with 118 home runs, 429 RBI, 566 runs and 218 steals in 1189 games. He was originally drafted by the Cubs with the third pick in the first round in 1998.

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Koji Uehara traded to Rangers

Koji Uehara was traded by the Baltimore Orioles to the Texas Rangers on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Orioles receive Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis. 


RHP Koji Uehara was in his third season with the Orioles after 10 seasons with the Yomiuri Giants in Japan. While playing in Japan he was 112-62 with a 3.01 ERA, 1376 strikeouts, 1.01 WHIP and 33 saves in 1549 innings over 276 games. With the Orioles he was 4-7 with a 3.03 ERA, 165 strikeouts, 1.00 WHIP, and 13 saves in 157.2 innings over 98 games. This season before the trade he was 1-1 with a 1.72 ERA, 62 strikeouts, 0.70 WHIP and zero saves in 47 innings over 43 games.


Hunter is a RHP who was in his fourth season with the Rangers. Before the trade he was 1-1 with a 2.93 ERA, 10 strikeouts and 1.11 WHIP in 15.1 innings after missing part of the season on the DL. While rehabbing in the minors he was 2-2 with a 4.99 ERA, 21 strikeouts and  1.44 WHIP in 30.2 innings. For his career Hunter is 23-13 with a 4.36 ERA, 151 strikeouts and 1.31 WHIP in 266.1 innings over 53games. He was originally drafted by the Rangers with the 54th pick of the first round in 2007.


Davis has played first and third in his four year career with the Rangers where time has been split between the majors and minors. This season before the trade he hit .368 with 24 home runs, 66 RBI, 39 runs and 1 steal in 48 games in Triple A and .250 with three home runs, six RBI, nine runs and zero steals in 27 games with the Rangers. In his career with Texas he has hit .248 with 42 home runs, 124 RBI, 115 runs and 4 steals in 265 games. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round in 2006.

Felipe Lopez traded to Brewers

Felipe Lopez was traded by the Tampa Bay Rays to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 28, 2011 in exchange for cash. In his 11 year career Lopez has played second, third, short and outfield for the Rays, Red Sox, Cardinals, Brewers, Diamondbacks, Nationals, Reds, and Blue Jays. Before the trade he was hitting .216 with two home runs, eight RBI, eight runs and one steal in 32 games. For his career he has hit .265 with 90 home runs, 436 RBI, 597 runs and 124 steals in 1170 games. He was originally drafted by the Blue Jays with the eighth pick of the first round in 1998.

Jerry Hairston Jr traded to Brewers

Jerry Hairston Jr was traded by the Washington Nationals to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Nationals receive minor league player Erik Komatsu.


Hairston is a utility player who has played second, third, short and outfield. In his 14 year career he has played for the Nationals, Padres, Yankees, Reds, Rangers, Cubs and Orioles. Before the trade he was hitting .268 with  four home runs, 24 RBI, 25 runs and 2 steals in 75 games. For his career he has hit .258 with 63 home runs, 365 RBI, 526 runs and 145 steals in 1223 games. He was originally drafted by the Orioles in the 11th round in 1997.


Erik Komatsu is an outfielder at the Double A level of the minors. Before the trade he was hitting .294 with six home runs, 40 RBI, 48 runs and 13 steals in 93 games. He was originally drafted by the Brewers in the eighth round in 2008.

Mike Aviles traded to Red Sox

Mike Aviles was traded from the Kansas City Royals to the Boston Red Sox on July 30, 2011. In exchange the Royals receive Yamaico Navarro and minor league player Kendal Volz.


Aviles is a utility player who has played second, third, short and DH in his four year career with the Royals. Before the trade he was hitting .222 with five home runs, 31 RBI, 14 runs and 10 steals in 53 games. For his career he has hit .286 with 24 home runs, 122 RBI, 155 runs and 33 steals in 301 games. He was originally drafted by the Royals in the seventh round in 2003.


Navarro is a super utility player that has spent time in Triple A and the Majors this season playing second, third, short. all three outfield positions and DH. In Triple A he hit .258 with five home runs, 13 RBI, 25 runs and 3 steals in 34 games. Playing with the Red Sox he hit .216 with one home run, three RBI, six runs and zero steals in 16 games. He originally signed with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2005 out of the Dominican Republic.


Kendal Volz is a RHP at the Class A advanced level of the minors. Before the trade he was 2-3 with a 3.33 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 1.05 WHIP and 2 saves in 51.1 innings over 31 games. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox in the ninth round in 2009.

Friday, July 29, 2011

Two Major One Minor 072911

The three players covered this week all have the fact they lead their respective leagues in one base percentage in common. The two Major League players are Jose Bautista and Joey Votto while the minor league player is Kody Hinze. Bautista and Votto are more established than most players I cover with this segment but that's the path I'm going down today.


Bautista currently leads the American League with a .461 OBP. It is ironic that the player that leads in home runs also gets on base the most. Ole Joey Bats is proving last season wasn't just a fluke as he continues his second season of stardom. His career best .327 average  is fueled by 108 hits coupled with a league leading 82 walks and now his OBP is 90 points above his previous best of .378 last year. This season he also has 31 home runs, 71 RBI, 77 runs and 5 steals. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the 20th round in 2000.


Votto currently leads the Nationals League with a .427 OBP. The defending MVP is slightly ahead of his .424 last season. He also leads the NL with 71 walks while his 123 hits are fourth. Earlier in the season Votto had a 33 game on base streak. So far he is hitting .319 with 16 home runs, 64 RBI, 65 runs and 6 steals. He was originally drafted by the Reds in the second round in 2002.


Kody Hinze is a first baseman for the Houston Astros Double A team and he leads all minor league players with a .450 OBP. Between two levels this season he is hitting .328 with 27 home runs, 81 RBI, 71 runs, 1 steal and 78 walks. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the 46th round in 2005.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Kosuke Fukudome traded to Indians

Kosuke Fukudome was traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Cleveland Indians on July 28, 2011. In exchange the Cubs receive minor league players Carlton Smith and Abner Abreu.


Outfielder Kosuke Fukudome was in his fourth season with the Cubs after nine seasons with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. While playing in Japan he hit .305 with 192 home runs, 647 RBI, 713 runs and 71 steals in 1094 games. As a Cub he hit .262 with 37 home runs, 169 RBI, 236 runs and 27 steals in 513 games. Before the trade he was hitting .273 with three home runs, 13 RBI, 33 runs and 2 steals in 87 games this season.


Carlton Smith is a RHP at the Triple A level of the minors. This season he is 2-3 with a 4.50 ERA, 46 strikeouts,   1.41 WHIP, 2 saves in 46 innings over 34 games. He was originally drafted by the Indians in the 21st round in 2004.


Abner Abreu is an outfielder at the Class A Advanced level of the minors. This season he is hitting .244 with 12 home runs, 35 RBI, 42 runs and 19 steals in 91 games. He originally signed with the Indians as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic.

Carlos Beltran traded to Giants

Carlos Beltran was traded by the New York Mets to the San Francisco Giants on July 28, 2011. In exchange the Mets receive minor league pitcher Zack Wheeler.


Beltran has played outfield for the Mets, Astros and Royals in his 14 year career. Before the trade he was hitting .289 with 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 61 runs and 3 steals in 98 games. For his career Beltran has hit .282 with 295 home runs, 1128 RBI, 1167 runs and 292 steals in 1724 games. He was originally drafted by the Royals in the second round in 1995.


Zack Wheeler is a RHP at the Class A Advanced  level of the minors and is 21. So far this season he is 7-5 with a 3.99 ERA, 98 strikeouts and 1.38 WHIP in 88 innings. He was originally drafted by the Giants with the sixth pick of the first round in 2009.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Edwin Jackson traded to Blue Jays

Edwin Jackson was traded by the Chicago White Sox along with Mark Teahan to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 27, 2011. In exchange the White Sox received Jason Frasor and minor leaguer Zach Stewart.


RHP Edwin Jackson was 7-7 with a 3.92 ERA, 97 strikeouts, and 1.42 WHIP in 121.2 innings before the trade. In his career he has pitched for the White Sox, Diamondbacks, Tigers, Rays and Dodgers going 55-58 with a 4.53 ERA, 750 strikeouts and 1.48 WHIP over 1001 innings in 190 games pitched. He was originally drafted by the Dodgers in 2001.


Utility player Mark Teahan has played third base, first base and outfield in his career with the White Sox and Royals. Before the draft he was hitting .203 with three home runs, 11 RBI, 11 runs and zero steals in 51 games. For his career he has hit .265 with 66 home runs, 329 RBI, 385 runs and 45 steals in 804 games. He was originally drafted by the Athletics with the 39th pick of the first round in 2002.


RHP Jason Frasor was 2-1 with a 2.98 ERA, 37 strikeouts and 1.25 WHIP in 42.1 innings before the trade. In his eight year career with the Blue Jays he was 24-28 with a 3.69 ERA, 426 strikeouts, 1.30 WHIP and 36 saves over 461 innings in 455 games pitched. He was originally drafted by the Tigers in the 33rd round in 1999.


Zach Stewart is a RHP at the Triple A level of the minors. This season he was 5-5 with a 4.20 ERA, 74 strikeouts and 1.41 WHIP in 94.1 innings at Triple A and had a brief call up for 3 starts for the Blue Jays going 0-1 with a 4.86 ERA, 10 strikeouts and 1.86 WHIP in 16.2 innings. He was originally drafted by the Reds in teh third round in 2008.


Yet Jackson wouldn't have time to even unpack before being traded later in the day to the St Louis Cardinals.

Wil Nieves traded to Braves

Catcher Will Nieves was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the Atlanta Braves on July 27, 2011 for cash. This season before the trade Nieves batted .189 with zero home runs, zero RBI, two runs and zero steals in 20 games with the Brewers before being sent down to Triple A where he hit .170 with one home run, six RBI, three runs and zero steals in 23 games. In his major league career he has played for the Brewers, Nationals, Yankees and Padres while hitting .221 with five home runs, 73 RBI, 55 runs and 2 steals in 282 games. He was originally drafted by the Padres is the 47th round in 1995.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Jonny Gomes traded to Nationals

Outfielder Jonny Gomes was traded by the Cincinnati Reds to the Washington Nationals on July 26, 2011. In exchange the Reds receive minor league players Bill Rhinehart and Christopher Manno.


Gomes was hitting .211 with 11 home runs, 31 RBI, 30 runs and 5 steals in 77 games before the trade. He played for the Rays before they Reds and in his career he has hit .244 with 115 home runs, 352 RBI, 332 runs and 43 steals in 738 games. He was originally drafted by the Rays in the 18th round in 2001.


Bill Rhinehart is a left hand hitting outfielder who has been playing at the Double A level of the minors. This season he is hitting .283 with 21 home runs, 59 RBI, 55 runs and one steal in 89 games. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 11th round in 2007.


Christopher Manno is a LHP currently playing at the Class A level of the minors. This season he is 1-3 with a 1.04 ERA, 69 strikeouts, 0.81 WHIP and 12 saves in 43.1 innings. He was originally drafted by the Nationals in the 26th round in 2010.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Even the Playing Field

Over the years when a team gets too good the cry goes out from the masses to break up that team. Break up the Yankees! Break up the Reds! In our league it is Break up the Chile Heads.


The Cozumel Chile Heads are running away with their sixth championship in a row. After winning the first one they have been able to draft and trade from a position of strength. Their roster is talented and deep and it runs through to their farm team.


It is a 12 team keeper league with a standard 5x5 roto format with a $300 cap to maintain 40 roster spots plus 10 farm players are allowed that do not count against the cap. After this season they will lose seven players they have under contract: Ian Kinsler, Pablo Sandoval, Rajai Davis, Dan Haren, Justin Verlander, Carlos Marmol and Brian Wilson. Yet they currently have seven contract pitchers returning next season: Tim Lincecum, Yovani Gallardo, Max Scherzer, Mat Latos, David Price, Clay Buchholz and Neftali Feliz. They also have eleven position players under contract which return next season: Colby Rasmus, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jay Bruce, Justin Upton, Ryan Braun, Troy Tulowitzki, Hanley Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia, Billy Butler, Prince Fielder and Matt Wieters. That alone would be an impressive core 18 to build a team around.


However there are another 15 players remaining on their 40 man roster which they could sign to contracts or use in trades if they don't cut them to free a spot for the next draft. Six of those are pitchers: Stephen Strasburg, Shaun Marcum, Carlos Carrasco, Brad Lidge, Mark Melancon and Jordan Walden. The other nine are position players although some are farm eligible: Carlos Santana, Jose Bautista, Starlin Castro, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Justin Smoak, Jason Heyward, Pedro Alvarez, Mike Trout and Gary Sanchez. 


That leaves ten players on their farm team. These players will eventually feed the next generation of the juggernaut or be used in trades to help replenish roster loses. Their current farm includes Desmond Jennings, Lonnie Chisenhall, Brett Lawrie, Danny Espinosa, Dustin Ackley, Billy Hamilton, Miguel Sano, Manny Machado, Brandon Belt and Rubby De La Rosa.


I came up with a proposal to help the other eleven teams in the league. I proposed a special draft at the end of the season of the Chile Head players. Initially I thought it could be a two round draft since there were 25 non contract players available including the farm team. Yet I felt that didn't cut deep enough so one more round would be needed. To reach the 33 players needed the pool of contract players would have to be raided. I suggest that the Chile Heads pick which eight they are willing to give up and keep a core ten players to build on. The draft would go three rounds starting in reverse order of finish. The drafting teams would get the players at their current roster price and if it was a contract player they would adopt the contract as well.


I did mention my proposal to one of the owners of the Chile Heads who is also our commish. Obviously he did not like the idea because he said that would guarantee that they finish last next year. AND? Welcome to our world. They had a wonderful six year run and it is time to give another team a realistic chance at it.


He countered that the best way to handicap his team is through economic sanctions that will make it harder for his team and frankly mine as well from accumulating so many players for so long. That is probably the approach we will take but I liken it to starting to fill a bathtub and then going down to the next floor and start a fire. You hope that the bathtub overflows and puts out the fire before too much damage is done. In a similar vein the sanctions will take time to work and the Chile Heads could easily have seven or eight championships in their trophy case before the run is stopped. My proposal was viewed as radical but I think the head of the dragon would need to be cut off to ensure the others have a chance in the near future.


There are some that are still under the delusion that they can catch the Chile Heads next season even if the current system remains in place. That will have to wait to be addressed another time...

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Wilson Betemit traded to Tigers

Infielder Wilson Betemit was traded by the Kansas City Royals to the Detroit Tigers on July 20, 2011. In exchange the Royals receive minor league players Antonio Cruz and Julio Rodriguez.


In his career Betemit has been a super utility player with experience at first, second, third, shortstop, outfield and DH. In his career before the Royals he also played for the White Sox, Yankees, Dodgers and Braves. For his career he has hit .268 with 58 home runs, 224 RBI, 212 runs, and 8 steals in 657 games. Before the trade this season he was hitting .281 with three home runs, 27 RBI, 29 runs and 3 steals in 57 games. He originally signed with the Braves as an amateur free agent in 1996 out of the Dominican Republic.


Antonio Cruz is a LHP at the Class A level of the minors and is 19. He started the season as a starter but has since moved to the bullpen. He has 10 starts and in 22 games is 2-6 with a 3.11 ERA, 58 strikeouts, 1.27 WHIP and one save. He originally signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 2009 out of the Dominican Republic.


Julio Rodriguez is a catcher at the Class A advanced level of the minors and is 20. This season he is hitting .283 with one home run, 27 RBI, 20 runs and zero steals in 66 games. He originally signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 2006 out of the Dominican Republic.

Jeff Keppinger traded to Giants

Infielder Jeff Keppinger was traded by the Houston Astros to the San Francisco Giants on July 19, 2011. In exchange the Astros receive minor league players Henry Sosa and Jason Stoffel.


Keppinger plays at second, third and shortstop. Before the Astros he also played for the Reds, Royals and Mets. For his career he is hitting .283 with 30 home runs, 200 RBI, 223 runs and 11 steals in 530 games. Before the trade this season he was hitting .307 with four home runs, 20 RBI, 22 runs and zero steals in 43 games. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the fourth round in 2001.


Henry Sosa is a RHP still in the minors. This season he started in Double A where he was 5-2 with a 2.68 ERA, 36 strikeouts and 1.22 WHIP in 40.1 innings. He was struggling after a promotion to Triple A going 3-1 with a staggering 10.41 ERA and 2.40 WHIP along with 21 strikeouts over 23.1 innings. After the trade the Astros assigned him to their Double A team to reboot his promising career in which he is 37-21 in the minors. He was originally signed with the Giants as an amateur free agent in 2004 out of the Dominican Republic.


Jasson Stoffel is also a RHP still in the minors. This season with the Giants Double A team he was 1-2 with a 3.98 ERA, 31 strikeouts, 1.58 WHIP and 13 saves in 31.2 innings. The Astros also assigned him to their Double A team. He was originally drafted by the Giants in the fourth round in 2009.

Francisco Rodriguez traded to Brewers

Pitcher Francisco Rodriguez was traded by the New York Mets to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 12, 2011. In exchange the Mets will receive two players to be named later. Rodriguez has pitched for the Mets and Angels in his 10 year career in which he is 33-27 with a 2.56 ERA, 777 strikeouts, 1.16 WHIP and 291 saves over 622.2 innings. Before the trade this season he was 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA, 46 strikeouts, 1.41 WHIP and 23 saves in 42.2 innings for New York. He originally signed with the Angels as an amateur free agent in 1998 from Venezuela.

Juan Rivera traded to Dodgers

Outfielder Juan Rivera was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 12, 2011. In exchange the Blue Jays will receive cash or a player to be named later. Over his career Rivera has played for the Blue Jays, Angels, Expos and Yankees. The last couple seasons he has started spending time at first base. For his career he has hit .277 with 119 home runs and 14 steals. This season before the trade he was hitting .243 with six home runs, 28 RBI, 22 runs and 3 steals with Toronto. He was originally signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1996 out of Venezuela. 

Mike Cameron traded to Marlins

Outfielder Mike Cameron was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Florida Marlins on July 5, 2011. In exchange the Red Sox received cash and a player to be named later. Cameron has had a well traveled career and has spent time with the Red Sox, Brewers, Padres, Mets, Mariners, Reds and White Sox. For his career Cameron has hit .248 with 273 home runs and 296 steals. Before the trade he was hitting .149 with 3 home runs, 9 RBI, 9 runs and zero steals in 33 games with Boston. He was originally drafted by the White Sox in the 18th round in 1991.

Mark Ellis traded to Rockies

Second baseman Mark Ellis was traded by the Oakland Athletics to the Colorado Rockies on June 30, 2011. In exchange the Athletics receive cash, Bruce Billings and a player to be named later. 


Mark Ellis was hitting .217 with one home run, 16 RBI, 21 runs and 7 steals in 62 games before the trade. This was his ninth year with Oakland where his career bests included hitting .316 with 13 home runs in 2005, .276 with 19 home runs in 2007 and .291 with five home runs in 2010. He was originally drafted by the Royals in the ninth round in 1999.


Bruce Billings is a RHP and has spent all of 2011 at the Triple A level. He has pitched strictly in the bullpen this season but has some starting experience in previous seasons. In 2010 in Double A he had 14 starts out of 34 games and was 11-6 with a 3.28 ERA, 101 strikeouts and 1.19 WHIP in 109.2 innings. He was originally drafted by the Rockies in the 30th round in 2007.

Sergio Mitre traded to Yankees

Pitcher Sergio Mitre was traded by the Milwaukee Brewers to the New York Yankees on June 29, 2011 for cash considerations. He had been traded to the Brewers from the Yankees before the season on March 25, 2011 in exchange for Chris Dickerson. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the seventh round in 2001.


Mitre has been used exclusively in the bullpen so far this season by the Brewers and Yankees although he has starting experience. In previous seasons he has split time starting and in the bullpen for the Yankees, Marlins and Cubs. He spent the entire 2007 season as a starter for the Marlins going 5-8 with a 4.65 ERA, 80 strikeouts and 1.48 WHIP in 149 innings. 

Michael McKenry traded to Pirates

Catcher Michael McKenry was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the Pittsburgh Pirates on June 13, 2011. In exchange the Red Sox received cash and a player to be named later. McKenry's previous Major League experience was with the Colorado Rockies where he played six games in 2010. He was traded from the Rockies to the Red Sox on March 29, 2011. He was originally drafted by the Rockies in the seventh round in 2006.

Two Major One Minor 072111

All the all star games have been played and the season is now in the second half. The two Major League pitchers under the spotlight today are established and without worry of being shut down like some of the younger pitchers. They are Tom Gorzelanny and James Shields. The minor league player is Eric Surkamp.


Gorzelanny is in his first season with the Washington Nationals after previously pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs. While this lefty has struggled some this season he is still a good option for strikeouts with 72 strikeouts in 79.2 innings. He is averaging 8.1 stirikeouts per nine which is up from his 6.8 for his career. He has only walked 26 and allowed 76 hits which has his WHIP at 1.28. He has struggled on the road with a 1-5 record and 5.11 ERA vs 1-1 and 3.16 at home. He was originally drafted by the Pirates in the second round in 2003.


Shields is established in his sixth season in the Tampa Bay Rays rotation. While on this surface it appears his righthander is struggling with an 8-8 record he is having career bests at ERA with 2.60, WHIP at 1.00 and strikeout rate of 8.8/9. In 148.2 innings he has 145 strikeouts against only 37 walks. While he is currently on a four decision losing streak three of those games were lost by one run with only five runs of support total. There is speculation that other teams have their eye on him and may trade for him by the July 31st deadline. He was originally drafted by the rays in the 16th round in 2000.


Eric Surkamp is a talented lefty for the San Francisco Giants Double A team. This season he is 7-3 with a 2.05 ERA, 118 strikeouts, 1.15 WHIP and .227 average against. He has twice been the Eastern League pitcher of the week this season and claimed that award twice in 2010 in the California League in Single A. It will be interesting what adjustments are made in San Francisco to allow him eventually join their rotation filled with All Stars. He was originally drafted by the Giants in the sixth round in 2008.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Lewis Vogelsong and ?

The last two seasons Colby Lewis and Ryan Vogelsong each made a big splash upon reentry to the MLB after playing in Japan. Will gold be struck again next season? I offer six possible candidates that are currently in Japan and could return given the opportunity.


Bobby Keppel is a RHP for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. This season he is 9-2 with a 2.90 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 87 innings. He was originally drafted by the New York Mets with the 36th pick of the first round in 2000. He spent six seasons in the Mets minor league system before being released in 2005. He signed a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals and did spend some time pitching in Kansas City in 2006 getting six starts going 0-4 with a 5.50 ERA. He spent some time in the Rockies bullpen in 2007 and the Twins bullpen in 2009 before moving over to Japan in 2010. In 2010 for the Ham Fighters he was 12-8 with a 3.35 ERA and 85 strikeouts in 158.2 innings.


Brian Wolfe is a RHP who also pitches for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. This season he is 7-3 with a 2.63 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 78.2 innings. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the sixth round in 1999. He spent nine years in the minors in the Twins, Brewers and Blue Jays organizations before landing various stints in the Blue Jays bullpen 2007 to 2009 when he amassed a 5-5 record with a 3.81 ERA and 47 strikeouts in 82.2 innings. He moved to Japan in 2010 and spent the season in the Ham Fighters bullpen going 4-3 with a 3.03 ERA, 24 strikeouts and 3 saves in 62.1 innings.


Dennis Sean Houlton is a RHP who pitches for the Fukuoka Daiei Hawks. This season he is 10-3 with a 2.13 ERA and 57 strikeouts in 84.1 innings. He was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in the 11th round in 2001. He spent four years in the minor league system when he was drafted by the Dodgers in the Rule 5 or minor league draft in December 2004. He spent the entire 2005 season in the Majors with the Dodgers getting 19 starts in addition to time in the bullpen and went 6-9 with a 5.16 ERA and 90 strikeout in 129 innings. He spent all of 2006 in the minors and was called up to the Dodgers in 2007 to spend time in the bullpen and in 18 appearances he was 0-2 with a 4.18 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 28 innings. In 2008 his contract was purchased by the Hawks and he split time starting and in the bullpen going 4-7 with a 4.27 ERA and 86 strikeouts in 84.1 innings. In 2009 he started full time and had his breakout season going 11-8 with a 2.89 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 171 innings. He followed up in 2010 with a 8-6 record with a 5.70 ERA and  69 strikeouts in 79 innings.


Alfredo Figaro is a RHP who pitches for the Orix Buffaloes. This season he is 5-4 with a 2.80 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 80.1 innings. He originally signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 2004. He was released and signed the next season with the Detroit Tigers and spent four season in the minors before getting short stints in Detroit both starting and in the bullpen in 2009 and 2010. In 13 games that included four starts he went 2-4 with a 6.54 ERA and 21 strikeouts in  31.2 innings. He was released by the Tigers in December 2010 and then landed in Japan.


Jason Standridge is a RHP who pitches for the Hanshin Tigers. This season he is 6-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 78.1 innings. He was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays with the 31st pick of the first round in 1997. He spent five seasons in the Minors before his first call up with the Rays in 2001 and spent the next four season bouncing between the minors and Tampa Bay. In Tampa Bay he split time between starting and the bullpen and over 21 games which included nine starts he was 0-5 over those four seasons. Between 2005 to 2007 he spent time in the Red, Rangers and Royals bullpens. He then had his first stint in Japan in 2008 in the Fukuoka Hawks bullpen then returned to the U.S. for a short stint with the Florida Marlins triple A team before being cut. He returned to Japan to play with the Tigers in 2010 where he went 11-5 with a 3.49 ERA and 98 strikeouts over 126.1 innings.


Bryan Bullington is a RHP who pitches for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp. This season he is 9-4 with a 2.06 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 104.2 innings. He was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates with the first pick in the first round in 2002. His initial rise through the minors was fairly quick in three seasons going 34-17 before a late season call up in 2005. He pitched in one game before injuring his arm and missed the entire 2006 season after Tommy John surgery. Since his return he has bounced between the majors and minors while spending time with the Pirates, Indians, Blue Jays and Royals. He struggled while in Kansas City in 2010 going 1-4 with a 6.12 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 42.2 innings but showed improvement in Triple A Omaha where he spent most of the second half and was 8-2 with a 2.82 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 102 innings. After the season he was released by the Royals in November 2010 which led him to pursue his options in Japan.


One wild card in the mix is Maximo Nelson of the Chunichi Dragons. He had been a highly touted New York Yankees prospect before he was caught up in a marriage scandal and is currently barred from playing in the United States. If those issues can ever be worked out then he could be another to make the leap from Japan back to the U.S.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Two Major One Minor 071611

First base is a position where you want someone that carries a big stick. All three this week fit that mold. They are Mark Trumbo, Mitch Moreland and Christopher John Cron. 


Mark Trumbo is having a stellar rookie season for the Los Angeles Angels. I made the wrong decision of choosing Juan Miranda over him in our draft this year because I believed the initial reports that Kendrys Morales would only miss the first couple weeks of the season. Morales under went a second surgery in May as Trumbo was already shining in his on the job training. So far this season Trumbo is hitting .261 with 17 home runs, 41 RBI, 36 runs and 8 steals. That is a nice continuation of his 2010 season in triple A where he hit .301 with 36 home runs, 122 RBI, 103 runs and 3 steals in 139 games. If Morales returns next year the Angels will be blessed with the problem of abundance of talent which may end with one being traded.


Mitch Moreland is also having a good first full season for the Texas Rangers. He spent 47 games with the Rangers in 2010 and managed nine home runs in 145 at bats. That was something I noticed after our draft this year and picked up Moreland with my first free agent transaction of the year to add depth behind Joey Votto and Miranda. This season he is hitting .271 with 11 home runs, 24 RBI, 38 runs and 2 steals. He started out strong but did go through a recent 0 for 15 slump which he may soon turn around with adjustments to his swing and he did have two multi hit games in his last five. His walk rate has fallen off since last season and hopefully he can work on that in the second half. Just getting on base in the potent Rangers line up could lead to a further increase in his runs total.


Cron is just beginning his minor league career as the Angels first round pick in the 2011 draft but will be on my radar for some time. Actually CJ Cron was on my radar in college at Utah where he was a first team All American at first and also played catcher. As a Freshman he gained notoriety by being the only player to get three hits in a game off the great Stephen Strasburg  who went number one overall that season in the 2009 MLB draft. This year for Utah he hit .434 with 15 home runs, 59 RBI and 51 runs in 49 games. Over the two seasons 2010 and 2011 he had a 70 game reached game streak which brings to mind Joey Votto. Through 14 games so far with Class A Orem Owls he is hitting .311 with four home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs. I foresee a quick rise through the minors over the next couple seasons.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Official Starting Line Ups All Star Game 2011

After a week of line up adjustments the final starting line up and batting orders have been announced for the MLB All Star game. Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels will be the starting pitcher for the American League team. Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies will be the starting pitcher for the National League team.


Curtis Granderson of the Detroit Tigers will bat first and play center field for the American League team. Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians will bat second and play shortstop. Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox will bat third and play first base. Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays will bat fourth and play right field. Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers will bat fifth and play left field. Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers will bat sixth and play third base. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox will bat seventh and DH. Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees will bat eighth and play second base. Alex Avila of the Detroit Tigers will bat ninth and play catcher.


Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers will bat first and play second base for the Nationals League team. Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets will bat second and DH. Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers will bat third and play center field. Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers will bat fourth and play first base. Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves will bat fifth and play catcher. Lance Berkman of the St Louis Cardinals will bat sixth and play right field. Matt Holliday of the St Louis Cardinals will bat seventh and play left field. Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies will bat eighth and play shortstop. Scott Rolen of the Cincinnati Reds will bat ninth and play third base.

Monday, July 11, 2011

One last change

With all the roster shuffling going on this weekend I missed one that got slipped into the deck. Andrew McCutchen will be replacing Ryan Braun who withdrew due to injury. 


Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates is hitting .291 with 14 home runs, 54 RBI, 54 runs and 15 steals. This is is first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Pirates with the 11th pick of the first round in 2005.


I saw that Aramis Ramirez of the Cubs turned down a chance to join the National League roster. 

Sunday, July 10, 2011

All Star roster updates 2011

A whopping nine player replacements were announced due to either injury or pitching issues. Scott Rolen was picked to replace Chipper Jones who withdrew due to injury a couple days ago. Pablo Sandoval is replacing Jose Reyes, Miguel Montero is replacing Placido Polanco, David Robertson replaces David Price, Alexi Ogando is replacing CC Sabathia, Kevin Correia replaces Cole Hamels, Craig Kimbrel replaces Cole Hamels, Michael Pineda replaces Justin Verlander and Ricky Romero replaces Felix Hernandez. Sabathia was actually on the roster for the blink of an eye as was Jon Lester but both were bumped. Sabathia had originally been a replacement for James Shields but since he pitched Sunday can't pitch in the All Star game. Lester was tabbed to replace Hernandez but injured his back so it fell to Ogando. 


Scott Rolen of the Cincinnati Red is hitting .241 with five home runs, 36 RBI, 31 runs and one steal. This is his seventh All Star selection. He was drafted by the Phillies in the second round in 1993.


Pablo Sandoval of the San Francisco Giants is hitting .303 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, 26 runs and 2 steals.  This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Giants as an amateur free agent in 2003.


Miguel Montero of the Arizona Diamondbacks is hitting .272 with 10 home runs, 45 RBI, 40 runs and one steal. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in 2001.


David Robertson of the New York Yankees is 2-0 with a 1.27 ERA,  56 strikeouts, and 1.36 WHIP in 35.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Yankees in the 17th round in 2006.


Alexi Ogando of the Texas Rangers is 9-3 with a 2.92 ERA, 78 strikeouts and 1.01 WHIP in 104.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Athletics as an amateur free agent in 2002.


Kevin Correia of the Pittsburgh Pirates is 11-7 with a 4.01 ERA, 59 strikeouts and 1.28 WHIP in 116.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Giants in the fourth round in 2002.


Craig Kimbrel of the Atlanta Braves is 2-2 with a 2.40 ERA, 70 strikeouts, 27 saves and 1.07 WHIP in 45 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Braves in the third round in 2008.


Michael Pineda of the Seattle Mariners is 8-6 with a 3.03 ERA, 113 strikeouts and 1.04 WHIP in 113 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent in 2005.


Ricky Romero of the Toronto Blue Jays is 7-8 with a 3.09 ERA, 101 strikeouts and 1.23 WHIP in 122.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Blue Jays with the sixth pick of the first round in 2005.


CC Sabathia of the New York Yankees is 13-4 with a 2.72 ERA, 126 strikeouts and 1.16 WHIP in 145.2 innings. This was his fifth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Indians with the 20th pick of the first round in 1998.


Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox is 10-4 with a 3.31 ERA, 110 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 114.1 innings. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the second round of 2002.


I'm sure some of the players are just happy to be named due to contract bonuses. It is a good thing I waited because I was close to writing about some players that should have made it including Sabathia, Ogando and Kimbrel.

USA wins Futures Game 6 to 4

Watching the Futures Game today was more than baseball mind candy. It was a whole buffet table. It was great to see players I have written about in action: Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt, Jose Altuve, Liam Hendriks, Dayan Viciendo and Devin Mesoraco. There were many other great talents I am sure to write about in the future too.


The USA pitching dominated the whole game except the sixth when Drew Pomeranz was lit up by the World team like he was tossing batting practice. All four World runs were charged to Pomeranz although the fourth was driven in on a triple by Jurickson Profar off Kyle Gibson. Five of the World's eight hits came off Pomeranz and Gibson but the rest off the USA pitchers held them in check.


Jason Kipnis set the tone for USA by blasting a lead off home run to start the game. He and Grant Green who replaced him at second shined in the top spot going a combined 3 for 4 with two runs and two RBI. The catchers Mesoraco and Austin Romine also provided offensive spark going a combined 3 for 3 with two runs and one RBI. On the flipside Harper and Goldschmidt were a disappointing 0 for 8 as Harper looked like the over matched 18 year old he is.


Altuve was 2 for 3 for the World but it was Alfredo Silverio who opened the floodgates for the World in the sixth with his two run home run off Pomeranz. The USA was up 3-0 heading into the sixth and were trailing 4-3 after the World barrage. Then in the eighth Gary Brown led an offensive assault getting the first hit followed by Green, Tim Beckham and Romine allowing the USA to go ahead 6-4. Jarred Cosart picked up the win because he pitched the top of the eighth and Matt Harvey earned the save.


With this victory the USA is now ahead 7 to 6 in the series. I think it is a great format and gives a glimpse into what the MLB All Star games in the future will look like. It was mentioned during the game that 30 players in Tuesday's game played in past Futures Games including recent MVPs Joey Votto and Josh Hamilton. For this game the future was today.

Jeter reaches 3000

Derek Jeter reached the 3000 hit mark yesterday. Before I address that I have to deal with the Yankee issue. My normal policy with the Yankees is if you can't say anything nice just ignore them. My disdain for the Evil Empire stretches back to when they were battling the Kansas City Royals for the American League crown in the late 70's and has carried forward to this day. Yet what Jeter did transcends the Yankees and is part of general baseball history.


I'll admit that Jeter is one of baseball's great players. Several words describe him. Leader. Winner. Champion. MVP. Future Hall of Famer. He does play the game the way it should be played and is great on both offense and defense.


Jeter reached the 3000 hit plateau which is something only 27 players before him had done in the entire history of the game. No other Yankee had even accomplished that feat it their storied past. He was one of 15 players that managed to amass 3000 hits with one team. He joins Wade Boggs as the only players to reach their 3000th hit with a home run. Add the fact that Jeter went 5 for 5 on the day to make it even more special.


I say kudos to Mr Derek Jeter! 

Saturday, July 9, 2011

NL All Star Game bench 2011

Earlier I covered the American League bench players for the All Star game Tuesday. Now it is the National League's turn. The National League bench will consist of Jay Bruce, Carlos Beltran, Starlin Castro, Andre Ethier, Matt Holliday, Chipper Jones, Yadier Molina, Hunter Pence, Brandon Phillips, Gaby Sanchez, Troy Tulowitzki, Shane Victorino, Joey Votto and Justin Upton. Jones and Victorino have been declared unavailable to play due to injury. Ethier is Victorino's replacement but no word on a replacement for Jones yet.


Jay Bruce of the Cincinnati Reds is hitting .261 with 20 home runs, 56 RBI, 50 runs and 6 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Reds with the 12th pick in the first round in 2005.


Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets is hitting .288 with 13 home runs, 58 RBI, 51 runs and 3 steals. This is his sixth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Royals in the second round in 1995.


Starlin Castro of the Chicago Cubs is hitting .304 with two home runs, 38 RBI, 48 runs and 10 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Cubs as an amateur free agent in 2006.


Andre Ethier of the Los Angeles Dodgers is hitting .311 with seven home runs, 42 RBI, 43 runs and zero steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Athletics in the second round in 2003.


Matt Holliday of the St Louis Cardinals is hitting .322 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI, 44 runs and zero steals. This is his fifth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Rockies in the seventh round in 1998.


Chipper Jones of the Atlanta Braves is hitting .259 with eight home runs, 46 RBI, 35 runs and one steal. This is he seventh All Star selection. He was drafted by the Braves with the first pick in the first round in 1990.


Yadier Molina of the St Louis Cardinals is hitting .279 with five home runs, 31 RBI, 27 runs and one steal. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the fourth round in 2000.


Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros is hitting .325 with 10 home runs, 59 RBI, 42 runs and 5 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Astros in the second round in 2004.


Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds is hitting .295 with eight home runs, 48 RBI, 56 runs and 5 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Expos in the second round in 1999.


Gaby Sanchez of the Florida Marlins is hitting .293 with 13 home runs, 48 RBI, 45 runs and one steal. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Marlins in the fourth round in 2005.


Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies is hitting .271 with 17 home runs, 57 RBI, 44 runs and 6 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Rockies with the seventh pick in the first round in 2005.


Shane Victorino of the Philadelphia Phillies is hitting .303 with nine home runs, 34 RBI, 53 runs and 13 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 1999.


Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds is hitting .321 with 13 home runs, 53 RBI, 59 runs and 6 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Reds in the second round in 2002.


Justin Upton of the Arizona Diamondbacks is hitting .294 with 15 home runs, 46 RBI, 54 runs and 14 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Diamondbacks with the first pick in the first round in 2005.

AL All Star Game bench 2011

The MLB All Star game is Tuesday and so far I've covered the starters voted by the fans and the pitchers. Now I'm going to go over the bench players for the American League team. The American League bench will consist of Adrian Beltre, Asdrubal Cabrera, Miguel Cabrera, Michael Cuddyer, Jacoby Ellsbury, Matt Joyce, Howie Kendrick, Paul Konerko, Russell Martin, Jhonny Peralta, Carlos Quintin, Matt Wieters, Kevin Youkilis, and Michael Young. Actually Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez pulled out of the All Star game so Peralta and Youkilis took their places on the roster. Beltre will now start for Rodriguez and Asdrubal Cabrera will now start for Jeter.


Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers is hitting .273 with 17 home runs, 68 RBI, 54 runs and zero steals. This is his second All Star selection. He signed with the Dodgers as an amateur free agent in 1994.


Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians is hitting .294 with 14 home runs, 51 RBI, 55 runs and 12 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent in 2002.


Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers is hitting .316 with 18 home runs, 65 RBI, 63 runs and one steal. This is his sixth All Star selection. He signed with the Marlins as an amateur free agent in 1999.


Michael Cuddyer of the Minnesota Twins is hitting .298 with 13 home runs, 42 RBI, 41 runs and 7 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Twins with the ninth pick of the first round in 1997.


Jacoby Ellsbury of the Boston Red Sox is hitting .309 with 11 home runs, 48 RBI, 62 runs and 28 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted bu the Red Sox with the 23rd pick of the first round in 2005.


Matt Joyce of the Tampa Bay Rays is hitting .287 with 11 home runs, 40 RBI, 44 runs and 4 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Tigers in the 12th round in 2005.


Howie Kendrick of the Los Angeles Angels is hitting .306 with eight home runs, 29 RBI, 42 runs and 9 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Angels in the 10th round in 2002.


Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox is hitting .319 with 22 home runs, 65 RBI, 42 runs and one steal. This is his fifth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Dodgers with the 13th pick of the first round in 1994.


Russell Martin of the New York Yankees is hitting .220 with 10 home runs, 35 RBI, 26 runs and 7 steals. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the 17th round in 2002.


Jhonny Peralta of the Detroit Tigers is hitting .313 with 14 home runs, 50 RBI, 40 runs and zero steals. This is his first All Star selection. He signed with the Indians as an amateur free agent in 1999.


Carlos Quentin of the Chicago White Sox is hitting .254 with 17 home runs, 50 RBI, 37 runs and one steal. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Diamondbacks with the 29th pick of the first round in 2003.


Matt Wieters of the Baltimore Orioles is hitting .268 with eight home runs, 34 RBI, 30 runs and one steal. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Orioles with the fifth pick of the first round in 2007.


Kevin Youkilis of the Boston Red Sox is hitting .275 with 12 home runs, 59 RBI, 50 runs and one steal. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Red Sox in the eighth round in 2001.


Micheal Young of the Texas Rangers is hitting .327 with eight home runs, 59 RBI, 42 runs and 4 steals. This is his seventh All Star selection. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the fifth round in 1997.

Friday, July 8, 2011

NL All Star Game Pitchers 2011

Earlier I covered the American League pitchers for next week's MLB All Star game. Now it is the National League's turn. The pitchers selected for the Nationals League team are Heath Bell, Matt Cain, Tyler Clippard, Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Joel Hanrahan, Jair Jurrjens, Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee, Tim Lincecum, Jonny Venters, Ryan Vogelsong and Brian Wilson. The Giants and Phillies dominate the staff with four and three respectively.


Heath Bell of the San Diego Padres is 2-3 with a 2.43 ERA, 27 strikeouts, 26 saves and 1.19 WHIP in 37 innings. This is his third All Star selection. He signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1998.


Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants is 7-5 with a 3.22 ERA, 101 strikeouts and 1.09 WHIP in 120.1 innings. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Giants with the 25th pick of the first round in 2002.


Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 0.83 WHIP in 48.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Yankees in the ninth round in 2003.


Cole Hamels of the Philadelphia Phillies is 10-4 with a 2.40 ERA, 115 strikeouts and 0.95 WHIP in 124 innings. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Phillies with the 17th pick in the first round in 2002.


Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies is 11-3 with a 2.44 ERA, 131 strikeouts and 1.03 WHIP in 136.1 innings. This is his eighth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Blue Jays with  the 17th pick of the first round in 1995.


Joel Hanrahan of the Pittsburgh Pirates is 0-1 with a 1.37 ERA, 33 strikeouts, 25 saves and 0.94 WHIP in 39.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Dodgers in the second round in 2000.


Jair Jurrjens of the Atlanta Braves is 12-3 with a 1.87 ERA, 65 strikeouts and 1.07 WHIP in 110.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection, He signed with the Tigers as an amateur free agent in 2003.


Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers is 9-4 with a 3.03 ERA, 147 strikeouts and 1.05 WHIP in 130.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Dodgers with the seventh pick in the first round in 2006.


Cliff Lee of the Philadelphia Phillies is 9-6 with a 2.92 ERA, 128 strikeouts and 1.08 WHIP in 129.1 innings. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Expos in the fourth round in 2000.


Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants is 6-7 with a 3.14 ERA, 126 strikeouts and 1.19 WHIP in 117.1 innings. This is his fourth All Star selection, He was drafted by the Giants with the 10th pick in the first round in 2006.


Jonny Venters of the Atlanta Braves is 4-1 with a 1.52 ERA, 57 strikeouts, 3 saves and 0.96 WHIP in 53.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Braves in the 30th round in 2003.


Ryan Vogelson of the San Francisco Giants is 6-1 with a 2.13 ERA, 68 strikeouts, and 1.15 WHIP in 84.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Giants in teh fifth round in 1998.


Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants is 6-1 with a 2.81 ERA, 40 strikeouts, 25 saves, and 1.39 WHIP in 41.2 innings, This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Giants in the 24th round in 2003.

AL All Star Game Pitchers 2011

Yesterday I went over the American League starters voted by the fans for the All Star game next Tuesday. Today I will cover the pitchers. The pitchers selected for the American League team are Josh Beckett, Aaron Crow, Gio Gonzalez, Felix Hernandez, Brandon League, Chris Perez, David Price, Mariano Rivera, James Shields, Jose Valverde, Justin Verlander, Jordan Walden, Jered Weaver, and C.J. Wilson. Rivera will not play due to injury and Walden was chosen to replace him. 


Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox is 7-3 with a 2.12 ERA, 91 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP in 106 innings. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Marlins with the second pick of the first round in 1999.


Aaron Crow of the Kansas City Royals is 2-2 with a 2.13 ERA, 43 strikeouts and 1.18 WHIP in 42.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Royals with the 12th pick of the first round in 2009.


Gio Gonzalez of the Oakland Athletics is 8-5 with a 2.31 ERA, 106 strikeouts and 1.23 WHIP in 109 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the White Sox with the 38th pick of the first round in 2004.


Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners is 8-7 with a 3.22 ERA, 134 strikeouts and 1.15 WHIP in 137 innings. This is his second All Star selection. He signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent in 2002.


Brandon League of the Seattle Mariners is 1-4 with a 3.44 ERA, 25 strikeouts, 23 saves and 1.09 WHIP in 36.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Blue Jays in the second round in 2001.


Chris Perez of the Cleveland Indians is 2-3 with a 2.23 ERA, 21 strikeouts, 21 saves and 1.14 WHIP in 32.1 innings. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Cardinals with the 42nd pick of the first round in 2006.


David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays is 8-7 with a 3.56 ERA, 122 strikeouts and 1.05 WHIP in 124 innings. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Rays with the first pick of the first round in 2007.


Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees is 1-1 with a 1.91 ERA, 28 strikeouts, 21 saves and 1.03 WHIP in 33 innings. This is his 12th All Star selection. He was signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 1990.


James Shields of the Tampa Bay Rays is 8-6 with a 2.47 ERA, 132 strikeouts and 1.00 WHIP in 134.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Rays in the 16th round in 2000.


Jose Valverde of the Detroit Tigers is 2-3 with a 2.84 ERA, 37 strikeouts, 22 saves and 1.34 WHIP in 38 innings. This is his third All Star selection. He signed with the Diamondbacks as an amateur free agent in 1997.


Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers is 11-4 with a 2.26 ERA, 138 strikeouts and 0.88 WHIP in 143.1 innings. This is his fourth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Tigers with the second pick of the first round in 2004.


Jordan Walden of the Los Angeles Angels is 1-2 with a 2.95 ERA, 39 strikeouts, 19 saves and 1.23 WHIP in 36.2 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Angels in the 12th round in 2006.


Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels is 11-4 with a 1.86 ERA, 120 strikeouts and 0.91 WHIP in 140.1 innings. This is his second All Star selection, He was drafted by the Angels with the 12th pick of the first round in 2004.


C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers is 8-3 with a 3.10 ERA, 109 strikeouts and 1.21 WHIP in 125 innings. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Rangers in the fifth round in 2001.

Tragedy in Texas

My heart goes out to Shannon Stone and his family after his tragic accident yesterday during the Rangers game against the visiting Oakland A's. I feel for Stone who had been a firefighter for 18 years which makes him an every day hero. I feel for his six-year-old son who was at the game and had to witness the accident. I feel for Josh Hamilton who tossed the ball that Stone reached for before his fall. I feel for all touched by this and hope that time quickly heals all hearts and minds.

Thursday, July 7, 2011

NL All Star Game starters 2011

Earlier I went over the American League starters for the All Star game next week. Now it's the National League's turn. On the National League team Brian McCann was voted in at catcher, Prince Fielder at first base, Rickie Weeks at second base, Placido Polanco at third base, Jose Reyes at shortstop, and Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman and Matt Kemp in the outfield. Half represent the Central with four while three were from the East and one from the West.


Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves is hitting .314 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI, 34 runs and 2 steals. This is his sixth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Braves in the second round in 2002.


Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers is hitting .304 with 22 home runs, 71 RBI, 53 runs and zero steals. This is his third All Star selection. He was drafted by the Brewers with the seventh pick of the first round in 2002.


Rickie Weeks of the Milwaukee Brewers is hitting .273 with 34 RBI, 61 runs and 7 steals. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Brewers with the second pick of the first round in 2003.


Placido Polanco of the Philadelphia Phillies is hitting .274 with four home runs, 39 RBI, 34 runs and 3 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the 19th round in 1994.


Jose Reyes of the New York Mets is hitting .354 with three home runs, 32 RBI, 65 runs and 30 steals. This is his fourth All Star selection. He signed with the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1999.


Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers is hitting .320 with 16 home runs, 62 RBI, 57 runs and 19 steals. This is his fourth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Brewers with the fifth pick of the first round in 2005.


Lance Berkman of the St Louis Cardinals is hitting .292 with 23 home runs, 62 RBI, 52 runs and zero steals. This is his sixth All Star selection. He was drafted by the Astros with the 16th pick of the first round in 1997.


Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers is hitting .324 with 22 home runs, 64 RBI, 54 runs and 25 steals. This is his first All Star selection, He was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round in 2003.

AL All Star Game starters 2011

The season has passed the halfway mark and the MLB All Star game is next Tuesday. On the American League team Alex Avila was voted in at catcher, Adrian Gonzalez at first base, Robinson Cano at second base, Alex Rodriguez at third base, Derek Jeter at shortstop, Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson and Josh Hamilton in the outfield, and David Ortiz at DH. The East is heavily represented with seven while the Central and West have one each.


Alex Avila of the Detroit Tigers is hitting .291 with 10 home runs, 46 RBI, 29 runs and 3 steals. This is his first All Star selection. He was drafted by the Tigers in the 5th round of the 2008 draft.


Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox is hitting .348 with 16 home runs, 75 RBI, 59 runs and one steal. This is his fourth All Star selection. He was drafted by Marlins with the first pick of the first round in 2000.


Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees is hitting .295 with 14 home runs, 55 RBI, 55 runs and 6 steals. This is his third All Star selection. He signed with the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 2001.


Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees is hitting .299 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI, 53 runs and 4 steals. This is his 14th All Star selection. He was drafted by the Mariners with the first pick of the first round in 1993.


Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees is hitting .258 with two home runs, 22 RBI, 40 runs and 7 steals. This is his 12th All Star selection. He was drafted by the Yankees with the 6th pick of the first round in 1992.


Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays is hitting .335 with 28 home runs, 60 RBI, 68 runs and 5 steals. This is his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 20th round in 2000.


Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees is hitting .274 with 25 home runs, 62 RBI, 77 runs and 15 steals. This his his second All Star selection. He was drafted by the Tigers in the third round in 2002.


Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers is hitting .294 with 10 home runs, 42 RBI, 32 runs, and 4 steals. This is his fourth All Star selection, He was drafted by the Rays with the first pick of the first round in 1999.


David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox is hitting .299 with 17 home runs, 49 RBI, 50 runs and one steal. This is his sixth All Star Selection. He signed with the Mariners as an amateur free agent in 1992.