tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21065130993008644822024-02-19T06:55:49.396-05:00BaseballBuzz: Latest Major League Baseball News Scores RumorsBaseballBuzz: Latest Major League Baseball news scores and rumors teams games standings Yankees Red Sox Cubs Braves Dodgers Rangers Marlins allstar...NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.comBlogger172125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-22022326409172370412019-08-27T12:15:00.000-04:002019-08-27T12:15:45.970-04:00Ford blasts 2 homers to lift Yankees past Mariners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Rookie Mike Ford homered in consecutive at-bats, and the New York Yankees continued their nine-game West Coast trip with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Monday night.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Yankees improved to 3-4 on the trip and beat the Mariners for the 16th time in the last 20 meetings thanks to Ford's first career multi-homer game.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A night after homering off Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw, Ford capped a four-run second inning with a two-run homer, and he connected again in the fourth against Tommy Milone (3-8). Ford gave the Yankees a 4-0 lead by lining a first-pitch fastball down the right field line and made it 5-3 by blasting a 2-2 fastball.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ford became the 23rd different player to produce a multi-homer game for New York this year. The Yankees also extended their major league record for homers in a month to 64.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gleyber Torres started the four-run second with his team-leading 33rd homer, a 438-foot shot to center on the first pitch of the inning. Austin Romine preceded Ford's first homer with an RBI single.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dylan Moore hit a three-run homer and Mallex Smith hit a solo homer for the Mariners, who lost for the third time in their past nine games.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New York left-hander J.A. Happ (11-8) allowed three runs on two hits in five innings. He struggled in the second inning, but after Moore hit a 1-1 changeup over the center field fence, Happ retired 10 of the final 12 hitters he faced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Happ walked three and struck out seven, including Keon Broxton for the final out of the second. Broxton was ejected by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez for tossing his helmet and batting glove, which hit Gonzalez in the face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cory Gearrin was called for a balk and faced three batters in the sixth before Nestor Cortes Jr. finished the inning. Cortes gave up Smith's homer but ended the seventh with two strikeouts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tommy Kahnle struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Aroldis Chapman fanned two in a perfect ninth and converted his 36th save in 41 opportunities, ending the game by reaching 102 mph on a strikeout of Moore.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Matt Wisler began the game as Seattle's opener and retired the side on 12 pitches before exiting. Milone entered and allowed five runs on eight hits in five innings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>theguardian</i></span></div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-6279391463344093402018-12-31T16:01:00.003-05:002018-12-31T16:03:39.095-05:00Trump administration aims to stop professional baseball deal with Cuba<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">WASHINGTON.</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue", arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Trump administration is expected to take steps to block a historic agreement that would allow Cuban baseball players from joining Major League Baseball in the United States without having to defect, according to an official familiar with the discussions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The administration wants to reverse an Obama-era ruling that says the Cuban government doesn’t run the island’s professional baseball league. Such a position gave MLB space to negotiate and reach the deal with Cuban baseball and circumvent the U.S. embargo against Cuba.<a name='more'></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, who vowed to fight the deal between Major League Baseball and the Cuban Baseball federation, has been pressing the State Department to review the 2016 ruling and asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo personally to rule that the Cuban government controls the island baseball league and therefore nullify the deal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“The deal between MLB and the Cuban Baseball Federation is both illegal and immoral,” Rubio told McClatchy. “This terrible one-sided agreement will only enrich the regime and further exploit the Cuban people.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The crux of the agreement rests on the Obama administration ruling that the Cuban Baseball Federation is an independent entity from the government. In 2016, MLB obtained a license from the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the Treasury Department to reach an agreement with the Cuban Baseball Federation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is up to Treasury to revoke the license, but it first needs guidance from the State Department. State is currently reviewing the foreign policy guidance from 2016. Once that process is complete, State will provide guidance to Treasury and then OFAC can provide a response to MLB. Without guidance from State, Treasury can’t revoke or grant a license.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The administration did not respond to specific questions about plans to scuttle the deal, but officials have been clear they feel the agreement would “institutionalize a system by which a Cuban body garnishes the wages of hard-working athletes who simply seek to live and compete in a free society.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Parties seeking to benefit from business opportunities in Cuba are on notice that the administration will continue to take actions to support human rights and restrict the Cuban regime’s ability to profit from U.S. business,” a senior administration official said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MLB officials said they had been in regular contact with the Trump administration during the months of negotiations, including in the last several days with top officials at the White House and State Department who were supportive of the arrangement. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Until the 11th hour, the messaging to MLB was that the administration would not have an issue with the agreement,” said Dan Halem, MLB’s deputy commissioner and chief legal officer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The agreement is intended to give Cuban baseball players a chance to play baseball in the United States without having to make the perilous ocean journey or sign up with dangerous smuggling operations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The extent of the danger was highlighted in a recent criminal case against a sports agent and a baseball trainer convicted of operating a sophisticated network that smuggled Cuban players off the island and took them to Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti where they established residency or obtained fake papers to then apply for U.S. visas and work licenses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many current and former Cuban baseball players who took such dramatic steps to play Major League Baseball praised the agreement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“To this date, I am still harassed,” said White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. “The next generation of Cuban baseball players will be able to sign an MLB contract while in Cuba, they will be able to keep their earnings as any other player in the world, they will be able to return to Cuba, they will be able to share with their families, and they will be able to play the sport they love against the best players in the world without fear and trepidation.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Major League Baseball officials said they were surprised some politicians oppose an agreement that is designed to end human smuggling and that the alternative is allowing the current system in which players are trafficked to continue.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“We’ve been trying to end this practice and provide a safe and legal path for Cuban players to come to the United States for years,” Halem said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The deal would allow Cuban baseball players who are 25 or older to play in the United States and then return to Cuba without penalty. The players, who must also have six years of professional experience in Cuba, would be eligible to play as free agents.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In exchange, the U.S. team would pay a one-time release fee between 15 and 20 percent of the total contract to the Cuban federation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But since the announcement was made, Rubio has questioned its legality, called it a “farce” and expressed confidence the administration will take steps to prevent it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“I am confident that Secretary Pompeo will overturn it as soon as possible,” Rubio said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Miamiherald</i></span>NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-50501902375941400332018-09-08T12:32:00.004-04:002018-09-08T12:32:47.014-04:00There's no ducking the numbers: MLB has a bad baseball problem that's only getting worse<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(0 , 0 , 0 , 0.75); color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700;">Chris Davis, the Orioles first baseman, is batting .150 with 86 strikeouts.</span>(Photo: Evan Habeeb, USA TODAY Sports)</td></tr>
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It’s a shame Eddie Gaedel isn’t with us anymore. This is his time to shine.</div>
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You remember Gaedel. He was the 3-foot-7 slugger hired by St. Louis Browns owner Bill Veeck as a publicity stunt to bat against the Detroit Tigers in the second game of a doubleheader in 1951.</div>
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He walked on four pitches in his only major-league plate appearance that afternoon, giving him a lifetime 1.000 on-base percentage.<a name='more'></a><br />
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He couldn’t hit. He couldn’t run. He had no power. He certainly would have struck out if he ever took the bat off his shoulders. But, oh, how he could draw a walk.<br />
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Gaedel would have fit right in today’s game of baseball, where fans are staying away in droves, scouts are covering their eyes in disbelief and baseball executives are running for cover.<br />
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In an era when athletes are bigger, stronger and faster, something has gone dreadfully wrong with our glorious pastime.<br />
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Players are striking out more than at any time, an alarming 22.5 percent of all plate appearances. We are on pace for more strikeouts than hits – 18,613 strikeouts compared to 18,136 hits entering Wednesday's non-action.<br />
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The National League, which is expected to adopt the DH within the next five years, has only four teams with more hits than strikeouts.<br />
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Yet instead of these offensive woes dragging teams down like they’re the ’62 Mets, they’re hardly a detriment.<br />
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The Arizona Diamondbacks have the lowest batting average (.227) in all of baseball, with 135 more strikeouts than hits, and they’re in first place in the NL West.<br />
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The Milwaukee Brewers have been shut out a major-league-leading 10 times, produced a paltry .316 on-base percentage, have grounded into more double plays than any team in the NL and they’re in first place in the NL Central.<br />
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The Cleveland Indians are the only team in their division, the American League Central, with a winning record, a division so putrid that it has been outscored by a cumulative 230 runs.<br />
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A staggering 41 position players who appeared in Tuesday night’s games were batting .200 or below.<br />
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The disparity between the haves and have-nots among teams never has been greater, either. There are five teams with winning percentages below .400 and four teams that are on pace to win 100 games – both would be unprecedented marks should they hold up.<br />
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It’s sucking the life out of any suspense in the AL, unless you’re a lover of playoff seeding. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Houston Astros and Indians can virtually set their playoff rotations now, with playoff probabilities of at least 96%, according to FanGraphs.<br />
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And you wonder why attendance is down 6.5 percent from this point last year. The average attendance to date is 27,675, which would be the lowest since 1996.<br />
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While some of the 18 teams whose attendance has declined from a year ago may make up the gap in the summer months, there are five whose attendance has plummeted by more than 200,000 fans. The Toronto Blue Jays, who have a retractable roof, are down a major-league worst 429,665 fans – 11,017 fewer per game.<br />
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The game is simply devoid of action, with players striking out, walking or hitting home runs in 34 percent of their plate appearances. So, for more than a third of every game, there’s not a fielder involved in the action.<br />
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The average time between balls put in play, according to "Sports Illustrated," is a staggering 3 minutes, 45 seconds.<br />
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Meanwhile, scoreboards display an academic decathlon's worth of advanced statistics, almost drowning out the fact that the team that scores the most runs actually wins the game.<br />
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“The two biggest stats to me are runs scored and RBI,’’ says two-time MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, the game’s greatest player in the midst of his finest season. “I mean, that’s how you win games right, scoring the most runs?’’<br />
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In theory, yes. But why ponder actual outcomes when you can obsess over expected ones?<br />
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We’re having our heads filled with so many exit velocities, spin rates, launch angles and catch probabilities, it’s as if scoring the most runs in a game is considered as antiquated as the eight-track.<br />
These days you’re a hero when you take that pitch that’s 1/8th of an inch off the plate and draw your walk, even though a mere ground ball to the right side of the infield would have driven in that runner from third base with less than two outs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baseball 2018: Marlins first baseman Justin Bour draws a walk in a game 9,149 fans came to watch in Miami.<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #646464; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span class="credit" style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #646464; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic;">(Photo: Steve Mitchell, USA TODAY Sports)</span></td></tr>
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If you strike out three times but happen to mix in a walk, take a bow.<br />
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Strikeouts used to be a hitter’s ultimate embarrassment.<br />
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We’re seeing relievers start games these days, legitimate starters expected to last 5⅓ innings, shifts on every pitch and hit-and-runs becoming as obsolete as library cards.<br />
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Pitchers are pitching away from contact, hitters are swinging like it’s a Sunday beer league softball game, and every game is being managed like it’s Game 7 of the World Series.<br />
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We’ve already had three no-hitters – one more than the last two seasons combined – with eight pitchers having a no-hitter through at least seven innings and 27 pitchers with a no-no through six innings.<br />
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When will it end? Can we have some baserunners now and then? How about some old-fashioned rallies? Perhaps the occasional baserunner in motion?<br />
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Hitters aren’t saying they want the shift outlawed, but they sure wouldn’t mind seeing the mounds lowered, with pitchers such as Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander doing their greatest Bob Gibson impersonation, or maybe pushing the mound back.<br />
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If you listen to the umpires, and pitching coaches, too, maybe widening the strike zone is the answer, at least forcing hitters to swing the bat.<br />
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Some players, such as Washington Nationals All-Star outfielder Bryce Harper, are suggesting games be reduced to seven innings.<br />
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Commissioner Rob Manfred believes a pitch clock would be the magical elixir. Perhaps it wouldn’t bring any further excitement into the game, but it at least would reduce the time of boredom.<br />
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Maybe we just have to be patient, hoping this is only an ugly cycle. Maybe, in time, hitters will actually learn to hit the other way and actually beat those relentless shifts.<br />
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But baseball better hurry, because with the NFL dominating the sports landscape and LeBron James and the NBA stealing the headlines, it’s starting to get late awfully early.<br />
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<i>usatoday</i></div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-70930215785746083862018-04-08T19:11:00.003-04:002018-04-08T19:11:38.228-04:00Details On The Blue Jays' Interest In Jay Bruce<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heyman provides some new details on Jay Bruce’s free agent market, reporting that the Indians offered Bruce a two-year, $18MM deal while the Blue Jays discussed a one-year deal in the range of $5MM-$7MM. It’s interesting to note that both teams ended up signing somewhat similar veteran left-handed bats for similar price points — Cleveland inked Yonder Alonso for two years and $16MM in guaranteed money, while Toronto signed Curtis Granderson to a one-year, $5MM deal.<a name='more'></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Jays didn’t actually make Bruce an offer, however, and neither did the Astros, though they also had some talks with Bruce about a two-year deal. Heyman speculates that Houston may have been considering Bruce only if top prospect Derek Fisher was dealt, and thus the Astros’ interest waned since they were able to acquire Gerrit Cole without parting ways with the young outfielder. As it turned out, Bruce ended up landing a three-year, $39MM deal to return to the Mets.</span><br />
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<span style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">mlbtraderumors</span></i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-37255347453591984652018-04-07T10:31:00.000-04:002018-04-07T10:34:49.258-04:00Cardinals rookie Jordan Hicks appears to have taken the title of Fastest Pitcher in Baseball<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cardinals rookie Jordan Hicks</span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Since becoming a full-time big leaguer back in 2011, Aroldis Chapman has been the undisputed hardest thrower in baseball. The Cuban's flamethrowing dominance is such that MLB.com's Statcast leaderboard for fastest pitches has a "Chapman filter" that files out all of Chapman's hardest pitches so you can actually sort through the data. Even with the sample sized caveat, things are looking a smidge different thus far in 2018.<a name='more'></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That's right. It's hilariously early in the 2018 season, but Cardinals rookie Jordan Hicks is challenging Chapman's claim as the hardest thrower in baseball. In his Opening Day appearance, the 21-year old Hicks became the youngest pitcher to throw a pitch 101.6 MPH or harder since Neftali Feliz chucked a heater 101.9 MPH in August of 2009.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What makes Hicks' performance all the more remarkable is that before making the big league club out of Spring Training, he had never pitched a single inning above High-A. In four appearances this year, Hicks has thrown 4 1/3 innings out of the Cardinals pen and has yet to allow a run, walking only one batter and striking out three.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It's way, way too early to give Hicks the title belt just yet: Chapman has only made three appearances and thrown only 31 pitches. But there's no doubt that Hicks' outrageously sharp cheddar makes him a legit challenger to Chapman's reign as the hardest thrower in the sport.</span><br />
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-31067302810489920682015-06-16T14:49:00.004-04:002015-06-16T14:50:34.117-04:00Cardinals Face F.B.I. Inquiry in Hacking of Astros’ Network<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Jeff Luhnow, the Houston Astros’ general manager, with Jon Jay, left, and Daniel Descalso of the Cardinals in 2013.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WASHINGTON — The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors are investigating whether front-office officials for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful teams in baseball over the past two decades, hacked into internal networks of a rival team to steal closely guarded information about player personnel.<br /><br />Investigators have uncovered evidence that Cardinals officials broke into a network of the Houston Astros that housed special databases the team had built, according to law enforcement officials. Internal discussions about trades, proprietary statistics and scouting reports were compromised, the officials said.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />The officials did not say which employees were the focus of the investigation or whether the team’s highest-ranking officials were aware of the hacking or authorized it. The investigation is being led by the F.B.I.’s Houston field office and has progressed to the point that subpoenas have been served on the Cardinals and Major League Baseball for electronic correspondence.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Houston Astros hired Luhnow as general manager in December 2011. Before then he had been a successful and polarizing executive with the Cardinals. CreditDavid J. Phillip/Associated Press</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The attack would represent the first known case of corporate espionage in which a professional sports team hacked the network of another team. Illegal intrusions into companies’ networks have become commonplace, but it is generally conducted by hackers operating in foreign countries, like Russia and China, who steal large tranches of data or trade secrets for military equipment and electronics.<br /><br />Major League Baseball “has been aware of and has fully cooperated with the federal investigation into the illegal breach of the Astros’ baseball operations database,” a spokesman for baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, said in a written statement.<br /><br />The Cardinals officials under investigation have not been put on leave, suspended or fired. The commissioner’s office is likely to wait until the conclusion of the government’s investigation to determine whether to take disciplinary action against the officials or the team.<br /><br />“The St. Louis Cardinals are aware of the investigation into the security breach of the Houston Astros’ database,” the team said in a statement. “The team has fully cooperated with the investigation and will continue to do so. Given that this is an ongoing federal investigation, it is not appropriate for us to comment further.”<br /><br />The case is a rare mark of ignominy for the Cardinals, one of the sport’s most revered and popular organizations. The team has the best record in baseball this season (42-21), regularly commands outsize television ratings and has reached the National League Championship Series nine times since 2000. The Cardinals, who last won the World Series in 2011, have 11 titles over all, second only to the Yankees.<br /><br />Law enforcement officials believe the hacking was executed by vengeful front-office employees for the Cardinals hoping to wreak havoc on the work of Jeff Luhnow, the Astros’ general manager who had been a successful and polarizing executive with the Cardinals until 2011.<br /><br />From 1994 to 2012, the Astros and the Cardinals were division rivals, in the National League. For a part of that time, Mr. Luhnow was a Cardinals executive, primarily handling scouting and player development. One of many innovative thinkers drawn to the sport by the “Moneyball” phenomenon, he was credited with building baseball’s best minor league system, as well as drafting several players who would become linchpins of the Cardinals’ 2011 World Series-winning team.<br /><br /><br />The Astros hired Mr. Luhnow as general manager in December 2011, and he quickly began applying his unconventional approach to running a baseball team. In an exploration of the team’s radical transformation,Bloomberg Business called it “a project unlike anything baseball has seen before.”<br /><br />Under Mr. Luhnow, the Astros have accomplished a striking turnaround; they are in first place in the American League West division. But in 2013, before their revival at the major league level, their internal deliberations about statistics and players were compromised, law enforcement officials said.<br /><br />The intrusion did not appear to be sophisticated, the law enforcement officials said. When Mr. Luhnow was with the Cardinals, the organization built a computer network, called Redbird, to house all of their baseball operations information — including scouting reports and player personnel information. After leaving to join the Astros, and bringing some front-office personnel with him from the Cardinals, Houston created a similar program known as Ground Control.<br /><br />Ground Control contained the Astros’ “collective baseball knowledge,” according to a Bloomberg Business article published last year. The program took a series of variables and “weights them according to the values determined by the team’s statisticians, physicist, doctors, scouts and coaches,” the article said.<br /><br />Investigators believe Cardinals officials, concerned that Mr. Luhnow had taken their idea and proprietary baseball information to the Astros, examined a master list of passwords used by Mr. Luhnow and the other officials who had joined the Astros when they worked for the Cardinals. The Cardinals officials are believed to have used those passwords to gain access to the Astros’ network, law enforcement officials said.<br /><br />That tactic is often used by cybercriminals, who sell passwords from one breach on the underground market, where others buy them and test them on other websites, including banking and brokerage services. The breach on the Astros would be one of the first known instances of a corporate competitor using the tactic against a rival. It is also, security experts say, just one more reason people are advised not to use the same passwords across different sites and services.<br /><br />Last year, some of the information was posted anonymously online, according to an article on Deadspin. Among the details that were exposed were trade discussions that the Astros had with other teams. Mr. Luhnow was asked at the time whether the breach would affect how he dealt with other teams. “Today I used a pencil and paper in all my conversations,” he said.<br /><br />Believing that the Astros’ network had been compromised by a rogue hacker, Major League Baseball notified the F.B.I., and the authorities in Houston opened an investigation. Agents soon found that the Astros’ network had been entered from a computer at a home that some Cardinals officials had lived in. The agents then turned their attention to the team’s front office.<br /><br />“The F.B.I. aggressively investigates all potential threats to public and private sector systems,” an F.B.I. spokeswoman said. “Once our investigations are complete, we pursue all appropriate avenues to hold accountable those who pose a threat in cyberspace.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NYTimes</span></div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-42071504335426288792015-06-09T19:01:00.003-04:002015-06-09T19:01:52.338-04:00Ysleta's Justin Maese taken in third round of Major League Baseball Draft<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggKBtorTDMzXlLjdwduZBhVjt7e0KJxCGW2E5l8GHhaYAtjQiv9F-w7uApsJWyANVvwc96T2Ez2aDqyc8bBlIsY-Eae_I4bxa6gTOd4cWIby_S8yS2xWQQdi7r10O_3x4R-uIWf_XTkun/s1600/Maese.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Ysleta's Justin Maese pitches against Riverside at the Indians' home field." border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiggKBtorTDMzXlLjdwduZBhVjt7e0KJxCGW2E5l8GHhaYAtjQiv9F-w7uApsJWyANVvwc96T2Ez2aDqyc8bBlIsY-Eae_I4bxa6gTOd4cWIby_S8yS2xWQQdi7r10O_3x4R-uIWf_XTkun/s320/Maese.jpg" title="Justin Maese " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Right-handed pitcher Justin Maese was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the third round of the Major League Baseball Draft this morning.<br /><br />The 6-foot-3 Ysleta High School standout was the 91st overall pick in the draft, which started Monday and ends Wednesday.<br /><br />Maese, who has signed with Texas Tech if he doesn't reach a deal with the Blue Jays, had 156 strikeouts as a junior and 81 strikeouts this past season. He was named to the Louisville Slugger High School All America First team as a junior.<br /><br />Several scouts attended Maese's games this past season and his fastball has been clocked as high as 96 mph.<br /><br />Felix Chávez may be reached at 546-6167.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>elpasotimes</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-45372744753817593192015-06-09T18:56:00.002-04:002015-06-09T18:56:40.997-04:00Major League Baseball first-year player draft Day 2: Yankees and Mets selections<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span class="cap" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 1px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">VCU during </span></span><span class="cap" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 1px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">the super regionals of</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 1.2em;"> the NCAA college baseball tournament, </span></span><br />
<span class="cap" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 7px 0px 0px 1px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; line-height: 1.2em;">Friday, June 5, 2015, in Coral Gables, Fla. Photo Credit: AP</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As the Yankees and Mets make selections during ay 2 of the MLB Draft on Tuesday, learn about each player they selected. Rounds 3 through 10 are on Tuesday, and the draft concludes on Wednesday with the final 30 rounds.<br /><br /><b>METS -- Max Wotell (6-3, 180)</b><br />Round 3, No. 88 overall<br /><br />The lefthanded pitcher out of Marvin Ridge High School in North Carolina was ranked by Baseball America as the 143rd-best player in the draft. Wotell was 13-0 with a 0.57 ERA, striking out 136 in 72 innings. He allowed just 28 hits and 24 walks and was named the North Carolina Gatorade baseball player of the year. <a name='more'></a>Wotell batted .417 with 21 RBIs. Baseball America notes the "natural life" on Wotell's fastball and his "good command." He reportedly throws in the low 90s. Wotell is committed to the University of Arizona. In an interview with impactbaseball.com, Wotell described himself as a "funky lefthander that just loves to compete!" He lists his favorite MLB player as White Sox ace Chris Sale. A rival high school head coach likened Wotell to Braves lefthander Alex Wood. "When he went out, it was over," the coach, Hal Bagwell told the Charlotte Observer. "He chewed us up. He's the real deal."<br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>YANKEES -- Drew Finley (6-3, 200)</b><br />Round 3, No. 92 overall<br /><br />The righthanded pitcher from Rancho Bernardo High School in California was ranked No. 60 in this year's draft by Baseball America. The publication mentions an "above-average curveball" in addition to "advanced feel and pitchability." Finley, whose fastball sits in the low 90s, struck out 20 hitters during a game in April. Born July 7, 1996, Finley is listed by Baseball America as one of the oldest high school pitchers in its Top 500. Finley was 8-1 with a 1.07 ERA in 10 games. He struck out 113 in 67 innings, allowing 27 hits and 17 walks.<br /><br /><br /><b>METS -- David Thompson (6-1, 220)</b><br />Round 4, No. 119 overall<br /><br />Thompson, a righthanded hitter, had injury issues early in his career with Miami but broke out in 2015 hitting .335 with 19 home runs, 15 doubles and 80 RBIs as a junior. The third baseman was ranked as No. 102 in this year's draft by Baseball America.<br /><br /><br /><b>YANKEES -- Jeff Hendrix (6-0, 195)</b><br />Round 4, No. 123 overall<br /><br />The junior from Oregon State hit .351 with six home runs, 14 doubles and five stolen bases. A lefthanded-hitting centerfielder, Hendrix was ranked No. 154 by Baseball America.<br /><br /><br /><b>METS -- Thomas Szapucki (6-2, 190)</b><br />Round 5, No. 149 overall<br /><br />The lefthanded pitcher from William T Dwyer High School in Florida was ranked No. 91 overall by Baseball America. He struck out 89 in 54 innings, allowing 20 hits and 27 walks with a 1.01 ERA. Baseball America notes Szapucki's "premium velocity" and "quality breaking ball."<br /><br /><b>YANKEES -- Chance Adams (6-0, 215)</b><br /><br />The hardthrowing righthanded reliever hails from Scottsdale, Arizona, and is a junior at Dallas Baptist University in Texas. He struck out 83 in 59 innings with a 1.98 ERA, pitching exclusively in relief. Adams allowed 41 hits, 13 walks and a .196 batting average against, saving two games. He was a pitcher and third baseman at Chaparral High School, winning back-to-back state titles. Adams began his college career as a reliever, going 2-0 with a 5.40 ERA in 2013 as a freshman, but he moved to the rotation in 2014 where he was 4-4 with a 2.88 ERA.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Newsday</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-19893552189132131572015-06-09T18:45:00.003-04:002015-06-09T18:47:22.995-04:00Who’s That Guy? No. 1 Overall MLB Draft Pick Dansby Swanson!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">No. 1 Overall MLB Draft Pick Dansby Swanson!</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>Who’s That Guy</i></b> is an ongoing Grantland series and an orientation tool to use in the vast sports landscape. And, hey, baseball is part of that landscape! <br /><br /><b>Who is he?</b> Vanderbilt shortstop Dansby Swanson, whom the Arizona Diamondbacks selected no. 1 overall in the MLB draft on Monday night.<br /><br /><b>Where is he from?</b> Marietta, Georgia, by way of Vandy, where he became the Commodores’ second no. 1 overall pick, following David Price in 2007. <br /><br /><b><i>Has anyone ever had a better 15 minutes than Swanson had on Monday? Maybe?<a name='more'></a></i></b> I don’t know. For those of you who aren’t up on the latest college baseball news, here’s what happened this weekend: Vanderbilt, the defending national champion, visited the University of Illinois for a best-of-three super regional, with the winner going to Omaha for the College World Series. After a 13-0 win on Saturday and a rainout on Sunday, Vanderbilt punched its ticket to Omaha at 6:02 p.m. local time, thanks in part to Swanson going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and a stolen base, primarily off Illinois super-lefty Tyler Jay. By 7 p.m., Swanson went no. 1 overall to Arizona, Jay went sixth to Minnesota, and Swanson’s roommate, starter Carson Fulmer, went eighth to the White Sox. Later that night, another Vanderbilt pitcher, Walker Buehler, went no. 24 overall to the Dodgers. I covered this game for D1Baseball.com and was able to catch up with Swanson afterward, which allowed him to answer the question “Who’s that guy?” at least partially in his own words.<br /><br /><b>So how about those incredible 15 minutes?</b><br /><br />“I say you couldn’t have scripted it any better,” says Swanson, who stopped for a hug and mutual congratulations with both Jay and Fulmer during the interview. “To have a great team win and be able to celebrate, and when you get done, watch it on the phone with my parents, my brother and sister. David Price was here, who was the no. 1 pick. Former players Jared Miller and Navery Moore, those guys are here. Fan base sticks around, best friends, teammates, all right next to me. And it all happened at one time, it’s just this huge … Wow.”<br /><br /><b><i>David Price was there?</i></b> Yeah, the Cy Young winner had an off day, and the Tigers are in Chicago today, so he came down to Champaign and sat in the stands, cheering like a normal person would when his alma mater does something good in sports. He and Swanson have struck up a friendship, and Price was on the field celebrating with the Commodores when Swanson was picked. And while Swanson is going to be Price’s adversary in a year or two, he’s enjoying having the Tigers ace on his side right now.<br /><br />“I think it’s sick,” Swanson says. “It’s one of those things where people are like, ‘Wow, David Price!’ But when it comes down to it, he hangs out with us. We’re cool with him, we’re friends with him, he’ll do anything for us.”<br /><br />Did going through this process alongside Fulmer help Swanson?Players as good as Fulmer and Swanson, on teams as good as Vanderbilt, find themselves spending May and June caught mentally between the draft and the playoffs, and Swanson says the two leaned on each other heavily this year.<br /><br />“It’s just one of those things that’s good to get off your chest with somebody who’s going through the same thing,” Swanson says. “It’s kind of like your getaway, because you don’t really want to talk about it with everybody on the team, because they’ll think all your focus is on that, so it’s good to have that outlet.”<br /><br /><b><i>What kind of a name is Dansby?</i></b> “It’s my mom’s maiden name,” Swanson says. If and when he makes the bigs, he’ll become the first Dansby ever to play in the major leagues, though the exquisitely named Leonidas Dansby played four seasons in the minors in the 1950s. (According to Swanson’s Vanderbilt bio, his dad goes by “Cooter,” so it could be worse.)<br /><br />His game in 37 words: Says Swanson: “Just trying to do the basic things right. I think we, often times, get wrapped up in tools and all that, but if you can play the game of baseball, you can play the game of baseball.”<br /><br />His game, described by someone who isn’t Dansby Swanson: He’s a good defensive shortstop who can hit for power and run like crazy. Physically, Swanson grades out as average or better at pretty much everything. Statistically, he hit .350/.442/.661 with 15 home runs and 16 stolen bases in 65 games in what’s probably the best amateur baseball league in the world, the SEC. Factor in that there are at most 10 to 15 guys on the planet who can be even a competent defensive shortstop and an average major league hitter at the same time, and you begin to appreciate why Swanson went no. 1 overall. He’s the player I’d have picked, particularly in a draft that lacked a talent like Bryce Harper or Stephen Strasburg.<br /><br /><b><i>What’s his walk-up music?</i></b> “Out Here” by Mike Stud. “It kind of gave me a good vibe when I go up to hit,” Swanson says. “I don’t like to get too pumped up or too mellowed out. Honestly, I like to be happy when I go to hit, because it makes me just lock in.”<br /><br />Since I’m old and therefore have no idea what the kids are listening to, I’d never heard of this song, but having now listened to it, I can vouch for it striking that balance between pumped-up and mellowed out. Also, I’m going to insist that from now on, everyone must call me Mike Stud.<br /><br />What’s his favorite thing to do on the baseball field? “Offensively, I’d say I like hitting doubles and triples,” Swanson says. “I like to hit it, and then watch it and be able to go run. And then, I wouldn’t say [it’s my signature] play, but ever since I was little, I always slid on one knee in the hole and caught it, then threw to first. So definitely that for defense.”<br /><br /><b><i>Who does he model his game after?</i></b> Nomar Garciaparra. Swanson doesn’t have that kind of hit tool, because nobody does, but he’s probably a better athlete and defender than Garciaparra. Because of the paucity of quality major league shortstops right now, there’s not really a perfect contemporary comp for him.<br /><br />What’s his most underrated attribute? His hair. Swanson’s got a phenomenal head of hair, which, even after wearing a hat and sweating all day, looks like something normal people would pay big bucks to imitate.<br /><br /><b><i>Should we know him?</i></b> Absolutely.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Grantland</i></span></div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-17092464253588529542015-06-01T13:43:00.000-04:002015-06-01T13:44:47.540-04:00John McGrath’s Major League Baseball power rankings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbpzfDouBneLVq3tsud6kbhvHksxO15N1Ox2R-uZaKMYRgO5hYrA2kagHbrdzEKow0N7yI6KEXaikjNcgFQQGeG_1uJ7nuB5DegoYuql57oOkyhLkS2wi0Iw7eh6x-09jl2nZNGVsVJMg/s1600/Moustakas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Royals’ Mike Moustakas is the top All-Star Game vote-getter for AL starting third baseman." border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbpzfDouBneLVq3tsud6kbhvHksxO15N1Ox2R-uZaKMYRgO5hYrA2kagHbrdzEKow0N7yI6KEXaikjNcgFQQGeG_1uJ7nuB5DegoYuql57oOkyhLkS2wi0Iw7eh6x-09jl2nZNGVsVJMg/s200/Moustakas.jpeg" title="Mike Moustakas " width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 15.6000003814697px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">The Royals’ Mike Moustakas is the top All-Star Game <br />vote-getter for AL starting third baseman</span></span><span style="background-color: #eeeeee; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15.6000003814697px; text-align: left;">.</span><br />
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Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/05/30/3816654_john-mcgraths-major-league-baseball.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>1. St. Louis Cardinals (1):</strong> Redbirds responded to tough news of Matt Adams’ season-ending quad injury by putting together a winning streak.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>2. Kansas City Royals (2):</strong> Mike Moustakas, who hit a career-low .212 in 2014, has taken the lead in the All-Star Game vote for starting AL third baseman.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>3. Houston Astros (3):</strong> Two years removed from a 51-111 finish in their AL debut, Astros’ status as Best of the West has a long-term look.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>4. Washington Nationals (4):</strong> Jayson Werth’s broken left wrist latest evidence hard-luck Nats are destined to be tested.<a name='more'></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>5. Los Angeles Dodgers (5):</strong> Yasiel who? Dodgers haven’t missed a beat with captivating but polarizing superstar Puig on disabled list.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>6. San Francisco Giants (7):</strong> Four straight shutouts for pitching-centric Giants last week at pitcher-friendly AT&T Park.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>7. Minnesota Twins (8):</strong> GM Terry Ryan on team’s remarkable recovery from 1-6 start: “We just seem to find a way.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>8. Detroit Tigers (6):</strong> Bereavement leave of staff anchor Alfredo Simon posing another challenge to resilience of injury-plagued rotation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>9. New York Mets (9):</strong> Mets trusting experiment with six-man rotation will keep young arms for September stretch.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>10. Pittsburgh Pirates (16):</strong> UCLA product Gerrit Cole, first overall choice of 2011 draft, fulfilling great expectations as Bucs’ ace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>11. New York Yankees (12):</strong> Pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, sidelined since April 27, slotted to make comeback start this week in Seattle.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>12. Chicago Cubs (11):</strong> As exciting young team proceeds upward and onward, growing pains are part of the deal</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>13. Los Angeles Angels (13):</strong> Chris Iannatta and Matt Joyce awakening from prolonged slumps at the same time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>14. Tampa Bay Rays (10):</strong> After throwing eight scoreless innings Wednesday, Chris Archer wanted to continue classic pitchers’ duel against his baseball idol, King Felix.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>15. Atlanta Braves (14):</strong> Stellar month for starter Shelby Miller ended with a thud vs. Giants.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>16. Seattle Mariners (21):</strong> Laborious climb to hike record over .500 looking like Sisyphus’ mythological rock push.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>17. Texas Rangers (23):</strong> First-year manager Jeff Banister turning heads after 7-15 start.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>18. Baltimore Orioles (17):</strong> Starter Tyler Wilson, team’s 2014 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, didn’t disappoint during Thursday debut.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>19. Cleveland Indians (25):</strong> Corey Kluber’s 13-strikeout gem vs. M’s showed why his 2014 Cy Young Award wasn’t a fluke.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>20. Boston Red Sox (19):</strong> Spot start of rookie lefty Eduardo Rodriguez was one for the books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>21. San Diego Padres (15):</strong> Petco Park will seat 20,000 for outdoor basketball game in December between San Diego State and University of San Diego.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>22. Arizona Diamondbacks (22):</strong> Sweep at St. Louis, where they were outscored by four runs in three games, suggests D-Backs are close to contending.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>23. Toronto Blue Jays (24):</strong> Third baseman Josh Donaldson entered weekend with a 2.9 WAR (wins above replacement) rating, better than 2.3 of M’s slugger Nelson Cruz.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>24. Chicago White Sox (20):</strong> Dual-team owner Jerry Reinsdorf too distracted by coaching overhaul of NBA Bulls to dwell on disappointing South Siders.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>25. Colorado Rockies (26):</strong> Starting rotation, never a team strength, key to Rox winning four of five last week.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>26. Cincinnati Reds (18):</strong> Late-May skid — Reds were 18-17 two weeks ago — a comprehensive team effort involving starters, bullpen and hitters.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>27. Milwaukee Brewers (27):</strong> The “Selig Experience” — a 1,500 square-foot exhibit celebrating career of former MLB commissioner who returned baseball to Milwaukee by pilfering Pilots from Seattle — opened Thursday at Miller Field.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>28. Philadelphia Phillies (28):</strong> GM Ruben Amaro violated first commandment of sports marketing last week: Thou shalt not insult fans.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>29. Miami Marlins (29):</strong> Weird decision by GM Dan Jennings to wear manager’s cap for first time has worsened already toxic climate in clubhouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>30. Oakland A’s (30):</strong> Midseason fire sale figures to begin with offers for potential 2016 free agents Scott Kazmir, Ben Zobrist and Tyler Clippard.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/05/30/3816654_john-mcgraths-major-league-baseball.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy</span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-43136949981520551632015-05-29T16:21:00.004-04:002015-05-29T16:21:37.451-04:00Scout on A-Rod: “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Andy Martino of the Daily News spoke to a scoutabout the resurgent Alex Rodriguez. Why is hitting so well?</b></span><blockquote style="background-color: whitesmoke; background-image: url(https://s0.wp.com/wp-content/themes/vip/nbcsports/img/local/openquote.gif); background-repeat: no-repeat; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.960000038147px; line-height: 19px; margin: 1.2em 20px; overflow: auto; padding: 10px 20px 10px 40px;">
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“He has the easiest swing I’ve ever seen from him,” the advance scout said. “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t. And that’s a good thing.”</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Scout on A-Rod: “He just looks like he doesn’t give a sh-t”" height="142" src="https://nbchardballtalk.files.wordpress.com/2015/05/alex-rodriguez1-e1431083944421.jpeg?w=320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="A-Rod" width="200" /></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Martino’s take is that A-Rod is relaxed and the year off helped him get his body and his mind straight and he’s now appreciating what time he has left in the game a lot more than he did before. I think all of that is probably true.<br /><br />I also think that no amount of contentment fully makes up for being nearly 40-years-old, so it’s quite possible he’ll have some trouble as the summer heats up and his numbers will go down a bit. Not that that takes anything away from what he’s doing now.<br /><br />And as of now: the putatively washed up, broken down A-Rod is hitting .277/.372/.561, which translates to a 158 OPS+. The best OPS+ mark since his MVP 2007 season. He’s also on pace for 37 homers and 91 driven in.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>hardballtalk.nbcsports.com</i></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-35919066093597218272015-05-29T16:16:00.003-04:002015-05-29T16:17:49.856-04:00A-Rod ties Bonds for 2nd on RBI list<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Yanks slugger: It's 'special' to catch friend at 1,996</b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5GnTSKUhxvNFl-B3JzjNZ7ipwVZHUDgygZM5MVPjpulLkxvppVePFbfekIk707aNViUq56jb8DTP84tBhCnV6k95tD596KfuIihoAE-GQNL8fo-KUhb568I3xyf0ReXALd2vZOU_EYlq/s1600/ARod1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alex Rodriguez drove in the 1,996th run of his career" border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5GnTSKUhxvNFl-B3JzjNZ7ipwVZHUDgygZM5MVPjpulLkxvppVePFbfekIk707aNViUq56jb8DTP84tBhCnV6k95tD596KfuIihoAE-GQNL8fo-KUhb568I3xyf0ReXALd2vZOU_EYlq/s320/ARod1.jpg" title="Alex Rodriguez" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alex Rodriguez</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>OAKLAND -- Alex Rodriguez drove in the 1,996th run of his career on Thursday, tying Barry Bonds for second place on baseball's all-time RBI list, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.<br /><br />Rodriguez lifted a fifth-inning sacrifice fly to center field off Athletics starter Kendall Graveman, driving home Brett Gardner with the Yankees' third run of the evening in a 5-4 loss.<br /><br />Henry Aaron is first on baseball's all-time RBI list with 2,297, according to Elias, the official statistician of Major League Baseball. Rodriguez said that, just as it was meaningful to be mentioned alongside Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in his recent RBI chase, tying Bonds marked a memorable moment.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />"You say the same thing about Gehrig and Ruth, and Barry's the same thing; he's one of the greats," Rodriguez said. "This is kind of special because he's also a friend and I know him very well."<br /><br />Rodriguez spent part of this past offseason working out with Bonds in Northern California, preparing to return to the diamond after his season-long suspension for performance-enhancing drug use in 2014.<br /><br />"Barry is a great guy," Rodriguez said. "He's a true professor of the game of baseball. He's one of the great minds out there right now and one of the smartest guys I've ever talked to. He loves the game, is extremely passionate about the game and it was fun for me to work with a professor like Barry, someone who loves the game so much."<br /><br />Because RBIs became an official Major League statistic in 1920, Elias' tally begins at that date. Due to the uncertain nature of record keeping in the early part of the 20th century, some discrepancies may exist between the stats provided today by different historical data providers.<br /><br />MLB.com utilizes different statistics than Elias. By MLB.com's count, Rodriguez is now tied with Bonds for third on the all-time RBI list behind Aaron (2,297) and Ruth (2,213).<br /><br />"He's got a long way to go to catch the next guy, Hammering Hank, but he's passed a lot of guys lately," manager Joe Girardi said.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>MLB.com</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-53075395389149844752015-05-28T13:55:00.002-04:002015-05-28T13:55:54.673-04:00Baseball-Major League Baseball roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj58dU97HtHg5f2nA50kO_FdMmEsv1AN1LRra9HRnvtoX-9qM-2A_6nbTepiz1YvPWHnBMpId72_6bojuzi5BAISySenEOoTYwzgpOzrSuAFXbLS2RE0AzfNj5Ve92qLxalrX2SluYBrH/s1600/kazmir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Oakland Athletics left-hander Scott Kazmir" border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJj58dU97HtHg5f2nA50kO_FdMmEsv1AN1LRra9HRnvtoX-9qM-2A_6nbTepiz1YvPWHnBMpId72_6bojuzi5BAISySenEOoTYwzgpOzrSuAFXbLS2RE0AzfNj5Ve92qLxalrX2SluYBrH/s400/kazmir.jpg" title="Scott Kazmir " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Oakland Athletics left-hander Scott Kazmir left Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers <br />after the third inning because of left shoulder tightness.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">May 27 (The Sports Xchange) - Oakland Athletics left-hander Scott Kazmir left Wednesday's game against the Detroit Tigers after the third inning because of left shoulder tightness.<br /><br />Kazmir allowed no hits, struck out four and walked three. He threw 47 pitches, including 28 for strikes. He walked three in the second inning but pitched a perfect third.<br /><br />Kazmir is 2-3 with a 2.93 ERA this season. Last year, he made the American League All-Star team and finished with a 15-9 record and a 3.55 ERA in his first season with the A's.<a name='more'></a><br />- - -<br />Washington Nationals outfielder Bryce Harpertopped all vote-getters for the National League All-Star team and four St. Louis Cardinals players were the leaders for starting spots at their positions.<br /><br />Results of early balloting were announced Wednesday, one day after the American League fan voting was released.<br /><br />The 22-year-old Harper, a two-time All-Star who has 17 home runs, 42 RBIs and a .331 batting average in 46 games this season, received 1,116,582 votes.<br /><br />Matt Holliday (979,008) of the Cardinals was second and Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins(746,926) was third among outfielders.<br /><br />The three other Cardinals leading at their positions were catchers Yadier Molina (859,520), third baseman Matt Carpenter (1,113,060) and Jhonny Peralta (595,741).<br />- - -<br />Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Juan Uribe said he is on the move to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Alberto Callaspo in a deal that includes six players.<br /><br />Callaspo initially rejected the deal, but he later reportedly waived the right to reject the trade before June 15.<br /><br />The Braves announced that he was scratched from Tuesday's lineup "due to trade talks being revisited."<br />- - -<br />The New York Mets are planning to go with a six-man pitching rotation through early to mid-August.<br /><br />Pitching coach Dan Warthen said after right-hander Dillon Gee makes a final rehab start on Wednesday night with Double-A Binghamton that the Mets likely will add the extra starter -- a big change since major league teams expanded to a five-man rotation in the mid-1970s.<br /><br />Warthen told ESPN.com that the objective is to have the starting pitchers make roughly 30 instead of the standard 33 starts during the season to save long-term wear on their arms.<br /><br />The organization views the conservative innings counts as particularly important for right-hander Matt Harvey returning from Tommy John surgery.<br /><br />In addition, the team wants to trim innings for young right-handers Jacob deGrom (178 2/3 innings in 2014) and Noah Syndergaard (137 innings).</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Yahoo Sports</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-38028389516638999352015-05-27T17:51:00.001-04:002015-05-29T19:21:56.196-04:00Alex Rodriguez passes Gehrig on all-time RBI list, Yankees sweep Royals<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeQbMkcenrjNaySaz0v_pSRDSDPVCSitj7O27STJonig4WQqXnUwmPZW83FPIxVZsK0G4HfuXaiuEbQXyRnKXa1srzMqErTQ_qIx_hYZPeMONUR2daH2nyH-eW26SWFhvlIe4pnyiqWz7/s1600/ARod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Alex Rodriguez passes Lou Gehrig for sole possession of fourth place on the all-time RBI list." border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeQbMkcenrjNaySaz0v_pSRDSDPVCSitj7O27STJonig4WQqXnUwmPZW83FPIxVZsK0G4HfuXaiuEbQXyRnKXa1srzMqErTQ_qIx_hYZPeMONUR2daH2nyH-eW26SWFhvlIe4pnyiqWz7/s200/ARod.jpg" title="Alex Rodriguez" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="cutline js-caption" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Alex Rodriguez passes Lou Gehrig for sole possession of fourth place</span></span><br />
<span class="cutline js-caption" style="display: block; font-weight: bold; line-height: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"> on the all-time RBI list.</span></span><span class="credit" style="background-color: white; font-style: italic; line-height: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">(Photo: Noah K. Murray, USA TODAY Sports)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NEW YORK -- The only thing Yankees manager Joe Girardi focused on in regards to pitcher Michael Pineda being successful before Wednesday’s game against Kansas City Royals was that the right-hander’s slider had to be on.<br /><br />“When I look at the last two starts, (Pineda) really hasn’t had a very good (slider), and that’s a key pitch for him,” he said. “I think it’s important to get that back.”<br /><br />In the top of the first inning, Royals first baseman Mike Moustakas crushed a poorly-thrown slider into the second deck of right field that tailed foul. The next pitch, Moustakas sent another weak slider into the bleachers for a solo home run.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />That was the end of Pineda’s struggles for the day — with his slider, or any other pitch.<br /><br />The right-hander fanned eight batters, including Moustakas twice, and walked one across 6 2/3 innings in a 4-2 win at Yankee Stadium to complete a three-game sweep of the reigning American League champions.<br /><br />Chase Headley showed off his gold-glove caliber defense with two spectacular plays at third base to get Pineda out of a hard-hit first inning, but Pineda cruised from there. Pineda gained confidence and a feel for his pitches — particularly his slider — as the game wore on. Pineda got his final four strikeouts with his slider.<br /><br />Alex Rodriguez delivered the game-winning blow in the form of a three-run home run to left field in the third inning. Rodriguez, now with 1,995 RBI, passed Lou Gehrig and moved to within one of Barry Bonds (1,996 career RBI) for third place on the all-time list. He's the all-time American League leader. Hank Aaron (2,297) and Babe Ruth (2,213) rank No. 1 and 2, respectively.<br /><br />RBI became an official statistic in 1920. Due to discrepancies in record keep prior to 1920, overall totals have varied.<br /><br />Rodriguez, who also hit his 665th career home run, moved to within 19 hits of 3,000 for his career.<br /><br />Kansas City scored a run in the top of the eighth after shortstop Didi Gregorius’ backhand throw to first went astray. Gregorius was positioned near second base for a shift.<br /><br />The run, allowed by setup man Dellin Betances, was ruled unearned by the Yankees’ official scorekeeper, extending Betances’ streak of consecutive innings without an earned run this season to 26. Andrew Miller pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 14th save of the season.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>USAToday</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-38672103202136479222015-05-27T13:51:00.000-04:002015-06-05T09:26:04.268-04:00Vintage Clayton Kershaw lifts Dodgers over Braves<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and third baseman </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Justin Turner point at outfielder Andre Ethier</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">after scoring on his two-run double in the fourth inning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>B</b>efore the Dodgers' 8-0 win over the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium, Clayton Kershaw had begun to take over more than just his scheduled start day. His ongoing struggles seemed to acquire their own spot in the rotation.<br /><br />The day before each start, the theories would begin. Was something wrong with Kershaw? The next day he would start and the same question would be asked. The day after that would bring more questions about the imperfections from the previous game.<br /><br />So Tuesday represented Kershaw's latest start day and another chance for theorizing. Manager Don Mattingly offered his latest hypotheses. Hitters were adjusting. Kershaw wasn't putting batters away. He'd gotten bad bounces.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />It had become tedious, so Mattingly asked for calm.<br /><br />"I think by the time the season's over, and we look at Clayton's year, we're all going to go, 'same old Clayton,' " Mattingly said. "If that means wins, ERA, I don't know what all that means. But I think we're going to look at it and say it's the same guy."<br /><br />So what was wrong with Kershaw against the Braves? Well, he did give up four hits. But that was about it. Kershaw broke the cycle with his best start of the season. He struck out 10 batters in seven innings and didn't give up a hit until the fifth inning.<br /><br />"There's stuff wrong, giving up runs," Kershaw said. "But I think it's not 'what's wrong,' it's just minor tweaks here and there."<br /><br />But Kershaw has been so good for so long that his inability to win games early on created a flood of theories.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and third baseman Justin Turner point at outfielder Andre Ethier <br />after scoring on his two-run double in the fourth inning. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">His earned-run average ballooned. That's not good. But his expected fielder-independent pitching, which roughly predicts ERA, and sat right around two. That is good.<br /><br />His strikeouts were higher than ever. Good. His walks were up too. Not good.<br /><br />So was the problem his velocity? No, that was up a fraction. His exit velocity? That tracks how fast each hit leaves the bat, and that wasn't to blame either. His was the third-best in baseball.<br /><br />His pitch location raised red flags, since it crept out toward the middle of the plate and up into a more dangerous zone, according to data from fangraphs.com. That would portend more balls hit hard.<br /><br />He's definitely the best in the league when he's on. That was good to see last night. I also like the way the Dodgers bats responded as soon as the unproductive overpaid 3B was jettisoned.<br /><br />But entering the week, his hard-hit rate ranked fifth in the major leagues at 9% of at bats, according to ESPN Stats and Info.<br /><br />The issue was confounding because Kershaw passed the eye test.<br /><br />"I see him as the same, honestly," Mattingly said. "I think his stuff is still the same."<br /><br />Maybe, then, Kershaw was the victim of bad luck. There was compelling evidence. Entering the game, his batting average on balls in play was .342 — 68 percentage points higher than his career average. Those results were almost certainly unlucky.<br /><br /><br />But the six home runs he'd given up this year, compared to nine all of last season — almost certainly not because of luck.<br /><br />"It seems like when he had to make that one pitch to get out of an inning or get out of a jam, there's been games when we weren't able to do that," Mattingly said.<br /><br />The scrutiny has been exhaustive and exhausting. Kershaw has shown as much irritation with himself as anyone. After one game, he requested that an interview be cut short because he couldn't stand to dissect his performance any longer.<br /><br />"People are going to have opinions I guess, and that's great," Kershaw said. "And I guess people have high expectations for me too, which is great. But at the end of the day, I only care about what my teammates and my coaches think."<br /><br />But when Tuesday's game started, Kershaw dominated. He struck out the first batter, then the third, Freddie Freeman, on a 75-mph curveball. He had no walks, and seven balls left the infield all game.<br /><br />For the night, at least, it was the same old Kershaw</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>LATimes</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-51039093435043654532015-05-26T08:57:00.001-04:002015-05-29T19:22:34.719-04:00MLB Power Rankings: Struggling Yankees, Mets in free-fall mode<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">After a brilliant start to the season, the Mets have </span></h2>
<h2 class="a-caption" itemprop="description" style="-webkit-padding-start: 0px; -webkit-transition: color 300ms ease-in-out; background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 5px 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: start; transition: color 300ms ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: 100;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small; font-weight: normal;">seemingly forgotten how to win.</span></h2>
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After a brilliant start to the season, the Mets have seemingly forgotten how to win.</h2>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Memorial Day is one of baseball's traditional measuring points and we don't like what we see from the locals lately. Both the Mets and Yankees are sputtering and tumbling in our Daily News MLB Power Rankings.<br /><br />The recent poor play also has us wondering if New York's baseball season is going to end before October. Yikes!<br /><br />The Yankees have lost six in a row and 10 of 11. The six consecutive losses is the longest single-season losing streak since 2011. Yes, the team made the playoffs that year. No, it doesn't look good this year, at least so far.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />The Mets, meanwhile, changed the aerodynamics of the Pittsburgh area over the weekend - that breeze wasn't coming off the Monongahela, Allegheny or Ohio Rivers, it was from all those Met hitters swinging and missing in that Whiff-A-Thon of a series. They have the second-worst on-base percentage (.286) and have scored the second-fewest runs (65) in baseball this month. Ugh.<br /><br />The Royals, who many thought would fade after their World Series run last October (who, us?), have moved into our top spot, just in time for a visit to the Bronx. We've also seen some surges into mediocrity from some of the perennial bottom-dwellers, making our rankings seem a bit crowded and making us wonder again:<br /><br />What will we see by the next traditional yardstick - July 4?<br /><br />To the numbers!<br /><br />1. Kansas City Royals (28-15, last week No. 4): Their run differential of plus-65 is tops in baseball, which is part of the reason they're here. Plus, they just took a series from the team one spot down.<br /><br />2. St. Louis Cardinals (28-16, last week No. 1): You might have forgotten about Michael Wacha, but we didn't. He's 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA. Nifty.<br /><br />3. Houston Astros (29-16, last week No. 3): As soon as we figure out who some of these Astros are, we're going to start touting them. Promise.<br /><br />4. Los Angeles Dodgers (26-17, last week No. 2): They already have Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. How is it fair that they've come up with Mike Bolsinger, too?<br /><br />5. Washington Nationals (26-18, last week No. 8): Bryce Harper has an OPS of 1.198. We get him. You get everybody else. We win.<br /><br />6. Minnesota Twins (25-18, last week No. 9): Yeah, we're not sure what's happening here, either. But they keep playing well.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Completely lifeless of late, the Yankees are putting their own players to sleep.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7. Detroit Tigers (26-19, last week No. 5): They're in third place in the AL Central? New powerhouse division, we guess.<br /><br />8. Chicago Cubs (24-19, last week No. 11): Let's rename Wrigley Field Bryant Park, shall we?<br /><br />9. San Francisco Giants (25-20, last week No. 12): Madison Bumgarner sparkles in the post-season, makes commercials, homers off Clayton Kershaw. What's next, leaping a tall building in a single bound?<br /><br />10. Tampa Bay Rays (24-21, last week No. 10): Yeah, we're not sure what's happening here, either. But they keep playing well.<br /><br />11. New York Mets (24-21, last week No. 7): They're losing contender credibility rapidly. They simply must beat up on the Phillies at the beginning of this week.<br /><br />12. Atlanta Braves (22-21, last week No. 17): Reliever Jason Grilli must be a headline writer's dream. How about "Grilli Cheese: Jason's Fastball Buries Mets" or "Braves Fire Up Grilli for Saves"?<br /><br />13. Los Angeles Angels (22-22, last week No. 13): Halos have scored three or fewer runs in 24 of 44 games, only two behind the Mets. That's how you know it's serious.<br /><br />14. New York Yankees (22-22, last week No. 6): Could the dignitaries in the folding chairs honoring Bernie Williams have suited up and beaten the real Yankees Sunday night? Maybe.<br /><br />15. Pittsburgh Pirates (21-22, last week No. 16): A.J. Burnett is your Major League ERA leader, people. He's at 1.37.<br /><br />16. Arizona Diamondbacks (21-22, last week No. 25): Paul Goldschmidt. Say it again: Paul Goldschmidt. He's got a 1.072 OPS.<br /><br />17. Texas Rangers (21-23, last week No. 24): Guess who leads the majors in runs this month? The Rangers! Helps that they just pummeled Yankee pitching at the Stadium.<br /><br />18. Boston Red Sox (21-23, last week No. 20): Accentuate the Positive Department: Maligned Red Sox rotation has nine quality starts in last 11 games after having only eight in the previous 26. Progress!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Royals are sitting pretty in first place in this week's power rankings.</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">19. San Diego Padres (21-24, last week No. 15): James Shields leads the NL in strikeouts with 82 in 62.1 innings. Not bad.<br /><br />20. Cleveland Indians (20-23, last week No. 27): Corey Kluber leads the majors in strikeouts with 83 in 69.2 innings. Pretty good.<br /><br />21. Seattle Mariners (20-23, last week No. 19): Robinson Cano stat check: .247 average, .290 on-base, .333 slugging, one homer, 11 RBI. Helps explain why Mariners are down here.<br /><br />22. Chicago White Sox (19-22, last week No. 14): Just when we thought they were up to something, they go 2-5 on a homestand. Tsk.<br /><br />23. Baltimore Orioles (19-22, last week No. 21): Read up on Jimmy Paredes - he's having a terrific year.<br /><br />24. Toronto Blue Jays (20-26, last week No. 22): They're getting Jose Reyes back, which makes them more watchable.<br /><br />25. Cincinnati Reds (18-25, last week No. 18): Manager Bryan Price has certainly had an interesting season, hasn't he?<br /><br />26. Philadelphia Phillies (19-27, last week No. 26): Aaron Harang is what we like to call a nifty pickup: 1.93 ERA, 1.03 WHIP in 10 starts.<br /><br />27. Miami Marlins (18-27, last week No. 23): "Phelpsie" is 2-1 with a 3.21 ERA in South Beach. Nice work, David Phelps.<br /><br />28. Colorado Rockies (17-25, last week No. 28): They are tied for 16th in runs. Isn't Coors Field supposed to inflate offensive numbers? Or - yikes - has it inflated the Rox's stats?<br /><br />29. Oakland A's (16-30, last week No. 29): The X-rays on Sonny Gray's ankle were negative. That could've been a nightmare.<br /><br />30. Milwaukee Brewers (16-29, last week No. 30): Whatever you think of batting average as a statistic, .227 is not good. In fact, Brewers' mark is the worst in baseball.</span></div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-88327678621423897762015-05-26T08:48:00.001-04:002015-05-26T08:49:59.610-04:00Major League Baseball roundup<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Brian Matusz was suspended eight games by Major League Baseball</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>May 25 (The Sports Xchange) - Baltimore Orioles left-handed reliever Brian Matusz was suspended eight games by Major League Baseball on Monday for having a foreign substance on his arm during Saturday's game.</b><br /><br />Matusz has appealed the decision and was available to pitch for the Orioles in Monday's game against the Houston Astros.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tampa Bay Rays placed first baseman James Loney on the 15-day disabled list.<br /><br />Loney suffered a fractured middle finger on his left hand Sunday against the Oakland Athletics.<a name='more'></a><br /><br /><br />Milwaukee Brewers right-handed pitcher Wily Peralta was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained oblique.<br /><br />Peralta left his Friday start after just four innings with tightness in his left side. Peralta, 26, is 1-5 with a 4.00 ERA through nine starts this season.<br /><br /><br />Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton was activated off the disabled list and made his 2014 debut with the Rangers on Monday, batting fifth and playing left field.<br /><br /><br />Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Jose Reyes was back in the Blue Jays' lineup after being on the disabled list since April 28 with a cracked rib.<br /><br /><br />Oakland Athletics utility man Ben Zobrist was activated after being on the disabled list with a knee injury. He is scheduled to start Tuesday's game.<br /><br /><br />The Kansas City Royals placed left-hander Danny Duffy on the 15-day disabled list with left biceps tendinitis. The move is retroactive to May 17.<br /><br /><br />New York Yankees outfielder Carlos Beltran missed his second straight game with flu-like symptoms.<br /><br /><br />Colorado Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez was scratched from Monday's starting lineup due to illness.<br /><br /><br />The Cincinnati Reds placed catcher Devin Mesoraco on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Thursday, because of a hip injury. The team also reinstated left-hander Manny Parra from the disabled list.<br /><br /><br />The New York Mets recalled infielder Danny Muno from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned C Johnny Monell to the same affiliate. Muno, who started at third base Monday, went 1-for-6 in four games in April for the Mets.<br /><br /><br />St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Jon Jay will start a rehab assignment Tuesday at Class A Peoria. Jay, who has been on the 15-day disabled list since May 11 with a left wrist injury, could be back with the team as soon as this weekend.<br /><br /><br />The Detroit Tigers called up shortstop Dixon Machado from Triple-A Toledo and he made his major league debut batting ninth in the Tigers' order.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Eurosport</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-67005541627325757392015-05-25T09:19:00.000-04:002015-05-25T09:19:24.525-04:00Bernie Williams, an Improbable Star in Center Field, Is Immortalized Just Beyond It<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBwWBVd2_2zdOgFfH8bxJfUBtVqXV__9g2SC_yTEXXmkIUgDnIyo9dRC9tHNpO6G_3iVowCbfoeu6U80FSkf1H-Wt5fcoRtQt4txsZ2jn0pQHtRBGIxwKGh7LRVgpFEWuIi-f9cHVAuAI/s1600/Bernie+Williams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bernie Williams, who won four World Series titles with the Yankees, with catcher Brian McCann after throwing a ceremonial pitch in the Bronx on Sunday." border="0" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaBwWBVd2_2zdOgFfH8bxJfUBtVqXV__9g2SC_yTEXXmkIUgDnIyo9dRC9tHNpO6G_3iVowCbfoeu6U80FSkf1H-Wt5fcoRtQt4txsZ2jn0pQHtRBGIxwKGh7LRVgpFEWuIi-f9cHVAuAI/s320/Bernie+Williams.jpg" title="Bernie Williams" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span class="caption-text" style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;">Bernie Williams, who won four World Series titles with the Yankees, <br />with catcher Brian McCann after throwing a ceremonial pitch<br /> in the Bronx on Sunday.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;"> </span><span class="credit" itemprop="copyrightHolder" style="background-color: white; color: #999999; display: inline-block; line-height: 1rem; text-align: start;"><span class="visually-hidden" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: 0px; clip: rect(0px 0px 0px 0px); height: 1px; margin: -1px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 1px;">Credit</span>Bill Kostroun/Associated Press</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On July 5, 1991, Cal Ripken Jr. drove a pitch from the Yankees’ Tim Leary to the center-field wall at the old Yankee Stadium. Roberto Kelly chased after it, crashed into the fence and sprained his right wrist. Two days later, Bernie Williams was roaming center field in the Bronx.<br /><br />This is how it often happens, an emergency leading to the realization of a dream. Williams’s career unfolded in ways he never could have imagined, with four championships, five All-Star selections and $103 million in career earnings. He never left the Yankees, and on Sunday, the team retired his No. 51.<br /><br />“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that a skinny little 17-year-old kid from Puerto Rico could be here this day, in this celebration,” Williams said in his speech, before the Yankees fell to Texas, 5-2, for their 10th loss in 11 games. “I am overwhelmed.”<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Williams thanked George M. Steinbrenner, the principal owner who died in 2010, for making him a Yankee and keeping him here. Hal Steinbrenner presented Williams with a custom-made ring, No. 51 surrounded by diamonds on the face.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">The Monument Park ceremony honoring Williams, right, was attended by many former Yankee greats,<br /> including Mariano Rivera, left, and Derek Jeter. CreditAl Bello/Getty Images</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is one for the thumb for a player who helped the Yankees win four championship rings from 1996 through 2000. Seven of his teammates in those seasons — Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Andy Pettitte, Jorge Posada, Paul O’Neill, Tino Martinez and David Cone — came back for the night.<br /><br />“I don’t think we appreciated or realized it,” Pettitte said when asked if they recognized, at the time, the majesty of their run. “I don’t know if it was because we were so young and we were winning from the get-go; you didn’t know anything else, you didn’t expect that there would ever be times where it would be that difficult, like it was from 2003 to 2009, the drought that we had, to get to the World Series.<br /><br />“I think that’s why you saw it be so special for us in 2009 when we were able to win it again, because then you realized it. Then you realized how hard it was, what we were doing, and how precious it was, and what a great core group of players that was.”<br /><br />A few of the 2009 champions remain, that season validating their Yankees tenure while burdening them with expectations of doing it again. The Yankees have won just two games beyond the division series since Robinson Cano fielded the grounder that clinched their last title.<br /><br />Cano was a homegrown Yankee and was so inspired by Williams that he wore his No. 51 in the minors; it was still stitched on Cano’s glove when he arrived in the majors in 2005. The Yankees wisely avoided a 10-year commitment to Cano in free agency, but losing him to Seattle in December 2013 reflected the new market reality.<br /><br />Premier free agents really can sign with almost any team. Nearly everyone has the cash to make a reasonable extension offer to keep players before they get to the open market. The Yankees’ financial advantage is not as meaningful as it once was. They need elite players from their farm system.<br /><br />“It’s really essential going forward,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “With the price of free agency and the length of years free-agent contracts are, I think it’s extremely important that you’re able to call on your minor leagues and get production. You think about the long run that took place here, there were kids that came up from the minor leagues that were really successful and filled in with other players — free agents that came over, and trades. It was a great mixture, and you have to have that.”<br /><br />In recent days, the Yankees have added some higher-profile prospects to the major league roster. Like Williams, the rookies were summoned mostly because of circumstance.<br /><br />Jacob Lindgren, a left-handed reliever selected in the second round of the draft last June, got into town Saturday night — his first time ever in New York — because the Yankees needed bullpen help after allowing 25 runs in two games. Garrett Jones, an outfielder, mopped up Saturday’s mess.<br /><br />Asked where he was a year ago at this time, Lindgren pointed to the clubhouse television, which was showing the Southeastern Conference tournament from Hoover, Ala.<br /><br />“I was probably there,” said Lindgren, who pitched at Mississippi State. “Probably at Hoover.”<br /><br />Now he was in the Bronx, a few lockers from outfielder Slade Heathcott, whose winding path to the Yankees included serious injuries and an alcohol diversion program. Heathcott was a first-round pick in 2009, chosen just four spots after Mike Trout.<br /><br />“I was a really big fan of Josh Hamilton, his story,” Heathcott said, referring to the troubled Texas outfielder who will rejoin the Rangers on Monday. “Obviously, my background is nowhere close to the degree of that, but I liked his story of how he came back and didn’t let anything stand in his way.”<br /><br />Heathcott is here because the incumbent center fielder, Jacoby Ellsbury, is out indefinitely after spraining his right knee last week when his spikes caught in the dirt on a swing. Ellsbury’s absence is troubling to a team that relied on him as a catalyst at the top of the order.<br /><br />The ace of the rotation is out, too, with Masahiro Tanaka working his way back from his latest elbow scare. C. C. Sabathia has a 5.47 earned run average; Michael Pineda has had two shaky starts since his 16-strikeout masterpiece; and the middle infield has been weak.<br /><br />The Yankees are standing in second place in the American League East, but they are standing wobbly, close to the lead only because the division is so thin. To win it, General Manager Brian Cashman probably needs to find the kind of solid reinforcements on the trade market that he did last July.<br /><br />Two intriguing prospects now have their chance to make an impact. Another homegrown player, though, is more comfortable strumming than swinging. Williams’s reluctant retirement is finally official with a plaque and a disc in Monument Park.<br /><br />“You don’t want the 2015 version of Bernie Williams,” he said. “This one is more suited for a guitar than a bat.”</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>NYTimes</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-695876234844116432015-05-25T09:07:00.002-04:002015-05-25T09:08:19.491-04:00Daily Dose: Wacha, Wacha<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZZdniRKZoHWV-I10vQfpPXO-2FC4IpzN5OFyIODGW71vNnJsC7kOuiZinMOGf61VY0k5J0wOeV3XCe2d1QE7Qz3ZN6GZf9Hz7SDfzuXLbbYITCjacoQMXpVxGfuSZ4uJIzquFUmsLo50/s1600/MLB_Wacha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Michael Wacha has rung the bell, becoming the National League’s first seven-win starter of the year on Sunday" border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZZdniRKZoHWV-I10vQfpPXO-2FC4IpzN5OFyIODGW71vNnJsC7kOuiZinMOGf61VY0k5J0wOeV3XCe2d1QE7Qz3ZN6GZf9Hz7SDfzuXLbbYITCjacoQMXpVxGfuSZ4uJIzquFUmsLo50/s320/MLB_Wacha.jpg" title="Michael Wacha" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Wacha</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cardinals needed someone to step up following <b>Adam Wainwright</b>’s Achilles injury. <b>Michael Wacha</b> has rung the bell, becoming the National League’s first seven-win starter of the year on Sunday after allowing one unearned run on five hits in seven innings against the AL-leading Royals. Wacha has clearly become the Cardinals’ de facto ace, with a 1.87 ERA and the team winning all nine of his starts this season.<br /><br />It’s been a nice ride for Wacha owners to this point, with the youngster bouncing back to complete health after a rollercoaster 2014 season. Still, there’s reason to be nervous about his ability to maintain his ace-like performance.<br /><br />While Wacha’s velocity looks strong, averaging better than 93 mph on his fastball, he’s having trouble missing bats at his previous rate. Wacha has a mediocre 5.5 K/9 and K/BB ratio of only 2.50 as a result. Prior to 2015, Wacha had a career 8.3 K/9 in 171.2 innings. The discrepancy in strikeouts isn’t something that a couple great starts can’t fix, but it’s notable that his great results have held some luck with a sub-.240 BABIP.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />It would be a stretch to say that Wacha owners should sell high and run for cover. However, if someone is willing to pay for a top 10 starting pitcher price for Wacha, that would sound like a profitable scenario, especially considering the recency of his shoulder ailment late last season.<br /><br /><b>Napoli on Fire</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The frustrated fantasy owners who gave up on <b>Mike Napoli</b> in April are probably crawling back after his terrific weekend. Napoli went 2-for-3 with one homer and four RBI on Sunday, giving him four homers in three games and five long balls in the last week.<br /><br />Napoli’s stock was low coming into this season after a down 2014 season caused by finger issues. He hit only .162-1-4 during April, so there’s no blaming frustrated fantasy owners for pulling the plug early on. However, Napoli has managed to hit at least 16 home runs eight times in his nine-year career coming into 2015, so we knew he had plenty of power to provide.<br /><br />While Napoli is hitting an ugly .203 after Sunday’s performance, his batting average has climbed nearly 40 points since May 14. Now on pace for 29 homers and 77 RBI, Napoli is back to being a strong play in most leagues and providing the struggling Red Sox some much-needed power in the middle of the order.<br /><br /><b>Upton Keeps Raking</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br />Justin Upton</b> has been a savior for the Padres this season, ranking tied for second in homers (12) and fourth in RBI (35) among NL hitters for a lineup that has a mediocre .673 OPS this season. He had another monster day on Sunday, going 2-for-4 with one home run and six RBI.<br /><br />On pace for career numbers in his walk year, Upton is in line to hit .284-43-126 and is also 9-for-9 stealing bases. While Upton has been relatively consistent during his career, he’s reached 30 home runs only once prior to 2015.<br /><br />Fantasy owners are all too familiar with Upton’s hot streaks, particularly after he had 13 home runs and 33 RBI through the first two months of 2014 and failed to keep up his pace. Of course, he has the added motivation of his pending free agency, for what it’s worth. It’s also impressive how well he’s hit at pitcher haven PETCO Park, with a .349-9-22 line through 83 at-bats. That level of production in a pitcher’s park alone should earn him some extra dollars and cents this offseason, even if his overall pace falls off.<br /><br />American League Quick Hits:<b> Josh Hamilton</b>’s (shoulder) long awaited return will happen Monday. He’s expected to start in left field for the Rangers … <b>Jose Reyes</b> will come off the DL for the Jays on Monday … <b>Steven Souza </b>will be reevaluated on Monday after leaving Sunday with a left wrist injury … <b>Jose Bautista</b> was out of Sunday’s lineup after taking a cortisone shot for his sore right shoulder. The issue has nagged him for much of the season thus far … The injury woes for <b>Shane Victorino</b> continue, with the outfielder being placed on the DL with a strained calf …<b>Sonny Gray</b> isn’t expected to miss his next turn in the rotation after leaving Sunday’s start with an ankle injury …<b>Asdrubal Cabrera</b> is day-to-day after suffering a mild groin strain … <b>James Loney </b>will be re-evaluated on Monday after suffering a sprained finger … <b>Alex Rios</b> (hand) began a minor league rehab assignment at Triple-A Omaha on Sunday. He should be ready to return in early June … <b>Buck Farmer</b> will take <b>Kyle Lobstein</b>’s spot in the rotation after the lefty was placed on the 15-day DL with shoulder inflammation …<b> Brock Holt</b> is day-to-day after getting struck in the arm by a line drive on Sunday … <b>Matt Harrison</b> (back) is still eyeing a mid-June return, and is scheduled to make his second start at extended spring training on Thursday … <b>Jose Iglesias</b> had X-rays, which revealed a right knee contusion … <b>Brian McCann</b> left Sunday’s game with a cramp in his foot and calf … <b>Collin Cowgill</b> was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with back tightness … The Rangers signed <b>Jared Burton</b> is a minor league contract on Sunday … <b>Maicer Izturis</b> injured his right shoulder during his rehab assignment on Saturday. The severity of the injury isn’t known yet … Angels reliever <b>Mike Morin</b> was placed on the 15-day DL with a left oblique strain … The LA Times reports the Dodgers and A’s discussed a trade involving <b>Jesse Chavez</b> in the offseason. It’s a connection to keep in mind considering Oakland’s struggles early this season.<br /><br />National League Quick Hits: The Reds will decide whether <b>Devin Mesoraco</b> will undergo season-ending surgery on his left hip on Monday after experiencing renewed soreness on Friday … Nolan Arenado came just a double short of the cycle on Sunday, going 4-for-5 … The Giants designated <b>Casey McGehee</b> for assignment on Sunday, making <b>Matt Duffy</b> the unquestioned starting third baseman …. <b>Juan Lagares</b> was scratched from Sunday’s lineup with elbow and pectoral soreness … Mets manager Terry Collins said the team’s starters, including <b>Matt Harvey</b>, could be going through a dead arm phase. Harvey had his worst start of the season on Saturday. The team is expected to have a six-man rotation when <b>Dillon Gee</b> returns, but the right-hander will have one more rehab start …<b>Rafael Montero</b> (shoulder) hasn’t made progress from his rotator cuff inflammation and remains out indefinitely …<b>Ruben Tejada</b> is expected to see multiple starts at third base. It’s a consideration for NL-only owners … <b>Jean Segura</b> (finger) could be activated from the DL as early as Friday, while teammate <b>Jonathan Lucroy</b> (toe) could be activated next weekend … <b>Matt Holliday</b> was scratched from Sunday’s game with a left arm contusion, and <b>Jason Heyward</b> also remained out of the lineup with a hip injury … <b>Yasmani Grandal</b> (concussion) will serve as a DH for Triple-A Oklahoma City this week. It sounds like he will return when eligible on Saturday… <b>Jayson Werth</b>’s wrist is too swollen to resume baseball activities, so his absence could be more lengthy than anticipated … <b>Billy Hamilton</b> was out of Sunday’s lineup with shoulder and wrist injuries … <b>Bobby Parnell</b> (elbow) threw a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance. It’s unclear when he will be ready to return, but he’s not far away … <b>Jake Peavy</b> (back) will make a minor league rehab start at Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday … <b>Matt Stites</b> (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment at High-A this week, with the hope of returning in June … <b>Jeff Mathis</b> (finger) will began a rehab assignment on Sunday … <b>Yonder Alonso</b> (shoulder) will begin a minor league rehab assignment at High-A Lake Elsinore on Wednesday … <b>Marco Gonzales</b> felt renewed tightness in his pectoral muscle, and will travel to St. Louis to be examined. <b>Jaime Garcia</b> continues to hold down the team’s fifth starter job … <b>Pedro Baez</b> (pectoral) will start a throwing program soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Rotoworld</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-18127130293603859062015-05-24T12:02:00.001-04:002015-05-24T18:26:43.094-04:00MLB Mock Draft 2015: Version 3.0<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjClys7wW-NWifEDPKh6NWZajVHIKZcpRhyRMhD_QxSPixTgnL1szCCyrpFMcpe7jETdHrLWeZgzXGsBq32B-3ovKg_HO5YtyzDekPZwz4DX3MBjvJHEzwQRBhd3Eoj3X6fFWgm6hI8ba/s1600/D.J.-Stewart-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Stewart at the 2013 College Run Herby" border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPjClys7wW-NWifEDPKh6NWZajVHIKZcpRhyRMhD_QxSPixTgnL1szCCyrpFMcpe7jETdHrLWeZgzXGsBq32B-3ovKg_HO5YtyzDekPZwz4DX3MBjvJHEzwQRBhd3Eoj3X6fFWgm6hI8ba/s320/D.J.-Stewart-001.jpg" title="Stewart" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 26px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Stewart at the 2013 College Run Herby. (CollegeHomeRunDerby.com)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #222222;">College conference tournaments dominate much of the draft world this week, with scouts descending on the Southeastern, Atlantic Coast, Big Ten and other conferences for long looks at some of the nation’s top college players.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">That’s provided some fresh info for this week’s Mock Draft, which is somewhat shorter this week but does contain some changes from last week’s edition. The biggest change is at the top, though not because Vanderbilt’s Carson Fulmer gave up a season-high three homers and six runs against Texas A&M.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">It’s because I had the wrong short college pitcher who’s likely to go first overall. Industry sources continue to insist the Diamondbacks want to take a college pitcher first overall, and for most of the year, the two best college starting pitchers have been UC Santa Barbara’s Dillon Tate and Fulmer.<a name='more'></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">But scouts have increasing doubts in Tate’s ability to remain a starter, as his stuff has faded with his innings pitched more than double his career total. Tate’s pitching off his fastball less and off his slider more. Wisely, UC Santa Barbara has chosen to skip his turn this weekend to rest him for regional play, though scouting sources indicate the Gauchos will use him in relief this weekend.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">That could be his role as a pro, and the same is true of Fulmer. While more area scouts and crosscheckers give Fulmer the benefit of the doubt than they did early in the season, I was too strong in my comments last week about the industry’s belief that Fulmer can start. Some scouts believe so much in Fulmer’s makeup that they don’t put it past him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">But his delivery is his delivery; there’s a head whack, a reliever’s tempo and effort and a high elbow in the back of his arm action, all of which give scouts doubts that Fulmer could start and maintain his elite stuff over a full major league season.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The pitcher more scouts seem to believe in than ever is Illinois lefthander Tyler Jay. It is ironic to say the least that it’s the college closer in Jay—who leads the nation in ERA and ranks fifth in strikeout-to-walk ratio—whom most scouts believe can start, and the two starters scouts see as big league impact relievers in Fulmer and Tate.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">“If you’re going to take a short college pitcher,” one scouting director said, “and you compare Jay to Fulmer, Jay does it easier, does it cleaner. He throws as hard (92-96 mph), maybe not as firm as Tate but he’s no slouch. He has as good or better breaking ball (a devastating mid-80s slide piece). He’s shown a good changeup. He’s been extended. He’s as athletic. And he’s lefthanded.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Other college pitchers making sharp moves up draft boards include Cal State Fullertons’ Thomas Eshelman, who may creep into the top of the second round if not the compensation round, and Virginia righthander Josh Sborz, who’s receiving second-round consideration. Louisville righthander Kyle Funkhouser, tagged with a loss against Clemson </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1319510847" style="color: #222222;" tabindex="0">on Thursday</span><span style="color: #222222;"> in the ACC Tournament in Durham, continues to lose steam.</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">1. Diamondbacks</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_diamondbacks20.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_diamondbacks20" class="alignright size-full wp-image-68519" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_diamondbacks20.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">In the print edition of Baseball America, I went with Arizona making a deal here and gave it Georgia prep catcher Tyler Stephenson, after having one front-office evaluator compare him to Wil Myers. But we’re sticking with a college pitcher; we’re just changing the pitcher. Jay has had six-inning outings, he’s had weekends with multiple appearances, and he built a strong track record last summer with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. He would be an unusual No. 1 overall pick, but this is an unusual draft class.</span><br />
<strong><br style="color: #222222;" />Selection</strong>: Tyler Jay, lhp, Illinois</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>2. Astros</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HoustonAstros.png" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="HoustonAstros" class="alignright size-full wp-image-77466" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HoustonAstros.png" height="87" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">No real change here. Vanderbilt’s Dansby Swanson continues to separate himself with his athleticism but also </span><span style="color: #222222;">his developing bat. He’s hit three home runs in the SEC tournament, pushing him to 12 on the season.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Dansby Swanson, ss, Vanderbilt</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>3. Rockies</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Colorado is in on Jay, and likely would scoop him up if he falls here. The Rockies have seen Tate good and not as good. It’s not as clear how firm their interest is in the draft’s bats, but we’re sticking with the consensus top prospect on the board in Florida prep infielder Brendan Rodgers. If Swanson is available, the Rockies likely would pounce, having selected him out of high school (38th round, 2012)</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Brendan Rodgers, ss, Lake Mary (Fla.) HS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>4. Rangers</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">As we wrote last week, Texas is evaluating the college shortstops such as Swanson and LSU’s Alex Bregman. However, the presence of Tate is expected to be too much to pass up.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Dillon Tate, rhp, UC Santa Barbara</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">5. Astros</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HoustonAstros.png" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="HoustonAstros" class="alignright size-full wp-image-77466" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/HoustonAstros.png" height="87" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Houston is closely tied by industry sources to both Fulmer and Plant (Fla.) High outfielder Kyle Tucker. What the Astros actually will do . . . well, they haven’t decided, and besides, the rest of the industry won’t know until it actually happens. The Astros don’t spread rumors and don’t tip their hand. As one scouting director said, “You find out 30 seconds before they make their pick, at best.”</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Kyle Tucker, of, Plant (Fla.) HS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>6. Twins</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_twins81.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_twins81" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69320" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_twins81.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Minnesota has gone all in on college relievers of late, from Mason Melotakis and J.T Chargois to Nick Burdi, Michael Cederoth, Sam Clay and Jake Reed last year. Unless they consider Fulmer a starter, they’d likely pass on him, though if Cameron is gone he could make a fine consolation prize.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Daz Cameron, of, Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy, McDonough, Ga.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>7. Red Sox</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_redsox85.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_redsox85" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69307" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_redsox85.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Boston had GM Ben Cherington in to see many of the SEC’s top players, from Fulmer earlier to Swasnson and Alex Bregman. We’ve tied them to Bregman previously and continue to do so.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Alex Bregman, ss, LSU</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>8. White Sox</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_whitesox84.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_whitesox84" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69286" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_whitesox84.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">All the natural selections for the White Sox no longer make sense, because Jay will be off the board and eight is suddenly too high to take Kyle Funkhouser. They have seen Fulmer at his best and are believed to be in on him if he’s available, which he is in this scenario. It would not be a surprise, however, if the White Sox tried to address their glaring need for catching by drafting Stephenson, the consensus top backstop on the board.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Carson Fulmer, rhp, Vanderbilt</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">9. Cubs</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_cubs75.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_cubs75" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69077" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_cubs75.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The most volatile player in the draft remains Andrew Benintendi, the Arkansas outfielder who was SEC player of the year in a year of high-end talent in the conference. Benintendi pressed in Hoover, though he homered in his second game, sandwiched around two 0-fer performances. He’s being scrutinized like never before, and while Ohio’s prep hit king has had a monster sophomore-eligible season, he’s an unusual prospect with a short track record who hit .275 with one homer as a freshman.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">“Who’s the comp for him?” one director said this week. “There’s no one like him in the major leagues. He didn’t play Team USA, he didn’t go to the Cape (Cod League). I just don’t know that we know what he can be.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">We gave Benintendi to the Cubs last week and they would prefer a strong college performer, which describes the Razorbacks center fielder. But his poor week in Hoover may have cost him some of his previous high stock.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Jon Harris, rhp, Missouri State</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>10. Phillies</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_phillies79.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_phillies79" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69169" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_phillies79.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Industry chatter continues to have the Phillies interested in college performers, but last year’s draft was as college-heavy as any in recent memory. Instead, look for the Phillies to go for impact with a prep pick.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Garrett Whitley, Niskayuna (N.Y.) HS</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">11. Reds</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_reds82.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_reds82" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69281" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_reds82.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Benintendi makes sense for the Reds, as he’s a Cincinnati kid that the organization has seen since his prep days. If any organization can dig into his background in a short span of time, it’s Cincinnati. And if there are doubts about his defense in center field, he should be able to handle it in cozy Great American Ballpark.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Andrew Benintendi, of, Arkansas</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">12. Marlins</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1027.png" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Miami Marlins" class="alignright size-full wp-image-77785" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/1027.png" height="92" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">At this time last year, Dan Jennings was sitting on top picks in the SEC tournament. Now he’s managing the big league Marlins. This is a crazy game.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Trenton Clark, of, Richland Hills HS, North Richland Hills, Texas</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>13. Rays</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_rays5.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_rays5" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69492" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_rays5.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a></div>
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We’ve connected the Rays with Whitley previously, but the organization’s pitching depth has taken a hit and they could pounce on the right college arm. They’ve been connected to Harris, if he’s available, as well as Funkhouser and Vanderbilt’s Walker Buehler, who’s had an erratic spring but is buoyed by his strong Cape Cod League performance.</div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Walker Buehler, rhp, Vanderbilt</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">14. Braves</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_braves79.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_braves79" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69151" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_braves79.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Atlanta would absolutely love for Stephenson to fall this far. He’s another volatile stock, likely in consideration for many teams earlier than this for the right price. He shall not pass this spot.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Tyler Stephenson, c, Kennesaw (Ga.) Mountain High</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>15. Brewers</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_brewers79.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_brewers79" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69319" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_brewers79.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">The Brewers have had plenty of evaluators in Durham to see Funkhouser and other ACC prospects such as Florida State outfielder DJ Stewart, who had a modest game </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1319510848" style="color: #222222;" tabindex="0">Thursday</span><span style="color: #222222;"> with two strikeouts and a weak throw from left field. Funkhouser was worse early in the day. The Brewers have long trusted their Southern California connections (late scouting director Bruce Seid was once their area scout there) and could be tempted by injured prep lefty Kolby Allard, but they’re thought to be leaning more toward college arms.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Kyle Funkhouser, rhp, Louisville</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>16. Yankees</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_yankees77.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_yankees77" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69026" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_yankees77.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">No change here. The Yankees (a) like Long Beach Wilson High catcher Chris Betts, but (b) have been better at developing pitching than hitting of late. Look for a struggle between taking the polish of UCLA’s James Kaprielian versus the upside of prep arms such as Mike Nikorak, Ashe Russell or Donny Everett.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: James Kaprielian, rhp, UCLA</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">17. Indians</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_indians79.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_indians79" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69197" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_indians79.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Seeking impact arms, Cleveland is in on the top prep players, though Allard may prove too risky. This is another potential landing spot for Betts, but more likely the Indians go for an arm. Last Thursday, Russell and Nikorak pitched on the same day, and while Russell consistently pitched at 92 mph, Nikorak’s velocity continued to be somewhat erratic, with reports all over the board. Russell holds his velocity better and has a better present breaking ball; both have more projection than Tennessee prep Everett, but Everett has the best arm of the trio.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Donny Everett, rhp, Clarksville (Tenn.) HS</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">18. Giants</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_giants83.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_giants83" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69296" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_giants83.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">San Francisco’s success with drafting prep pitching should be rewarded with several choices this June. Allard lacks the physicality of the Giants’ homegrown arms such as Madison Bumgarner or Matt Cain or the electricity of Tim Lincecum. That’s not true of Nikorak, whose fastball has bowling ball sink.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Mike Nikorak, rhp, Stroudsburg (Pa.) HS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>19. Pirates</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_pirates77.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_pirates77" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69172" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_pirates77.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">It’s a high school pitching run. The Pirates aren’t afraid of risk, just undue risk. Allard is back training, running and now throwing off flat ground, progressing from 60 to 70 feet. It’s possible he could be ready for a pre-draft workout but it’s unclear how much a team would get out of such a workout. He’s a polished prep lefty without great size but with track record, and he’d be a good fit for PNC Park.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Kolby Allard, lhp, San Clemente (Calif.) HS</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>20. Athletics</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_athletics78.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_athletics78" class="alignright size-full wp-image-69260" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_athletics78.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Oakland had a sizable contingent in to see the Squat God of Walks, DJ Stewart. That seems to indicate their interest in a college position player such as Stewart, Cincinnati’s Ian Happ or North Florida’s Donnie Dewees, another player with helium, is strong. The value is greater with Happ, particularly if he can play the infield.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Ian Happ, of/2b, Cincinnati</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">21. Royals</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_royals29.jpg" style="color: #056a9b; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="3ds_royals29" class="alignright size-full wp-image-70123" src="http://cdn.baseballamerica.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/3ds_royals29.jpg" height="88" style="border: 0px; float: right !important; height: auto; margin: 10px 0px 10px 10px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="88" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">Kansas City remains tied to Cornelius Randolph, despite his potentially difficult signability. His bat remains one of the best in the prep class.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Cornelius Randolph, ss, Griffin (Ga.) HS</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">22. Tigers</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The Tigers were in heavy in Durham to see Funkhouser, with assistant GM David Chadd in the house </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1319510849" style="color: #222222;" tabindex="0">Thursday</span><span style="color: #222222;"> as Funkhouser continued his inconsistent finish. If Funkhouser falls here, the Tigers still likely will take him; the same goes for Everett. (Both pitchers share the same adviser, coincidentally.) We’ll still give them JC of Southern Nevada’s Phil Bickford, who reportedly was throwing 90 percent fastballs for most of his starts this season but still racked up 17.2 strikeouts per nine innings.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Phil Bickford, rhp, JC of Southern Nevada</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">23. Cardinals</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Speaking of unchanged . . . This just feels like the right fit, even though Arizona shortstop Kevin Newman struggled mightily in Pacific-12 Conference play.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Kevin Newman, ss, Arizona</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>24. Dodgers</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">No one really knows who’s going to take any of the injury-plagued players, but the Dodgers are a good guess for lefthander Brady Aiken. They have the resources to ameliorate risk, and as my former colleague Jim Callis of MLB.com pointed out, Aiken played travel ball with fellow 2015 draft prospect Drew Finley, whose father David is a Dodgers scout.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Brady Aiken, lhp, IMG Academy (post-graduate)</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>25. Orioles</strong></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Baltimore is looking for college talent to boost a thin farm system. Virginia has come on late, and the Cavaliers were hoping to get lefthander Nathan Kirby back for regional play. His lat strain is not a long-term issue like Tommy John surgery, so that shouldn’t scare off the O’s.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: Nathan Kirby, lhp, Virginia</div>
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<strong><span style="font-size: 12pt;">26. Angels</span></strong><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The Angels are said to be high on Cal Poly Pomona righty Cody Ponce and Anaheim native Josh Staumont, now at another Division II school, Azusa Pacific. They also like Betts, and while they’ve taken physical power arms atop the draft of late, they’re said to be leaning toward bats such as Betts or Stewart.</span></div>
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<strong>Selection</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Chris Betts, c, Wilson HS, Long Beach</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Compensation Picks</strong></span></div>
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These teams remain the most likely landing spots for injured pitchers because they have multiple picks, with the exception of the Blue Jays, who have their first pick at 29, and the Yankees.</div>
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<strong>27. Rockies</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">This is probably too low on Russell, whose fastball has excellent sink and sat around 92 mph in his last start. <strong>Selection</strong>: Ashe Russell, rhp, Cathedral Catholic HS, Indianapolis</span></div>
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<strong>28. Braves</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">It’s time for Atlanta to build a wall around Georgia again. </span><span style="color: #222222;"><strong>Selection</strong>: Dakota Chalmers, rhp, North Forsyth HS, Cumming, Ga.</span></div>
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<strong>29. Blue Jays</strong>:<span style="color: #222222;"> This would be a good spot for Dewees as well, as North Florida coach Smoke Laval previously scouted for Toronto. <strong>Selection</strong>: </span><span style="color: #222222;">Richie Martin, ss, Florida. This </span></div>
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<strong>30. Yankees:</strong> <span style="color: #222222;">DJ Stewart, of, Florida State. This would be a re-draft—the Yankees took Stewart in the 28th round in 2012 out of high school.</span></div>
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<strong>31. Giants</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Nick Plummer, of, Brother Rice HS, Bloomfield, Mich.</span></div>
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<strong>32. Pirates</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Chris Shaw, 1b/of, Boston College</span></div>
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<strong>33. Royals</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Alex Young, lhp, Texas Christian</span></div>
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<strong>34. Tigers</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Michael Matuella, rhp, Duke</span></div>
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<strong>35. Dodgers</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Cody Ponce, rhp, Cal Poly Pomona</span></div>
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<strong>36. Orioles</strong>: <span style="color: #222222;">Donnie Dewees, of, North Florida</span></div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Liberation Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><i>Baseballamerica</i></span></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-30136517540296581562015-05-24T10:09:00.001-04:002015-05-24T18:23:17.301-04:00Brian Matusz 2nd MLB pitcher this week ejected for foreign substance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<img alt="ESPNAPI_IMG_NO_ALTEXT_Value" src="http://a.abcnews.com/images/Sports/espnapi_dm_150524_BBTN_Spotlight_Marlins_Orioles_wmain.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MIAMI -- The Baltimore Orioles' bullpen was already stretched thin in the 12th inning when left-hander Brian Matusz was ejected for using a sticky substance that was on his right arm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />His replacement, T.J. McFarland, then gave up the game-winning single to Martin Prado in the 13th, and the Orioles lost to the Miami Marlins 1-0 Saturday.<br /><br />Orioles manager Buck Showalter shrugged off the impact of the ejection, saying Matusz would have faced only one more hitter anyway.<br /><br />"He wouldn't have pitched the next inning," Showalter said.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />Matusz might not pitch again for a while. The Brewers' Will Smith was suspended for eight games Friday by Major League Baseball for having a foreign substance on his arm in a loss to the Braves.<br /><br />Matusz entered the game in the 12th with the score 0-0 and retired the first two batters before new Marlins manager Dan Jennings approached home plate umpire Jordan Baker. Baker and crew chief Paul Emmel then went to the mound to inspect Matusz's arm.<br /><br />"I went out there and told the pitcher I was going to touch his right forearm," Emmel said. "That's where he was touching before he went to the ball. I detected a foreign substance, so the pitcher was ejected."<br /><br />Showalter joined the conversation with no argument.<br /><br />Matusz declined to say much about it.<br /><br />"We're not going to address the issue right now," he said. "Obviously I have my own personal opinions about the issue, but right now with emotions running high we're going to let this settle and address questions at a later time."<br /><br />Jennings said the Marlins noticed Matusz using a suspicious substance.<br /><br />"We saw something shiny on his arm," Jennings said. "We watched a couple of pitches to make sure he went to it. By their opinion there was a foreign substance there, they made their decision."<br /><br />The Marlins broke an eight-game losing streak and improved to 1-8 on their homestand. Jennings earned his first career victory in six games as a manager, then received a dunking from his players in the nightclub swimming pool adjacent to the clubhouse.<br /><br />Jennings was unable to pinpoint who dunked him in the pool.<br /><br />"No, the shaving cream pretty well blocked my vision," he said with a laugh. "It's the best, dirtiest bath I've ever had."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ABCNews</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-5310314438423924812015-05-24T09:40:00.000-04:002015-05-24T09:40:23.364-04:00Michigan eliminates Illinois from Big Ten baseball tournament<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Illinois' David Kerian celebrates a home run against Michigan during the sixth inning of the teams' Big Ten tournament college baseball game Saturday in Minneapolis." height="225" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-55611d3b/turbine/chi-2illinois0523-wre0028944938-20150523/750/750x422" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="David Kerian" width="400" /></td></tr>
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Illinois' David Kerian celebrates a home run against Michigan during the sixth inning of the teams' Big Ten tournament college baseball game Saturday in Minneapolis. Michigan won 5-3 to advance to the championship game.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 17px; text-align: start;"> (Hannah Foslien, AP)</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MINNEAPOLIS — Jacob Cronenworth had three hits, drove in three runs and earned his seventh save to help Michigan beat Illinois 5-3 on Saturday to advance to the Big Ten championship game.<br /><br />Third-seeded Michigan (36-23) will face fourth-seeded Maryland on Sunday. The Terrapins (39-20) beat Indiana 4-2 on Saturday.</span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/bal-maryland-indiana-baseball-big-ten-tournament-20150523-story.html" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img height="180" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5560c219/turbine/bal-maryland-indiana-baseball-big-ten-tournament-20150523/300/300x169" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maryland baseball reaches Big Ten title game with 4-2 win vs. Indiana</span></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trailing 3-2, the Wolverines were aided by two Illinois errors to load the bases with no outs in the sixth. Johnny Slater was hit by a pitch, a run scored on a double play and Cronenworth slid headfirst into first base for an RBI infield single. Cronenworth had a two-run single in the second.<br /><br />David Kerian hit his team-leading 14th home run in the top of the sixth for Illinois (47-8-1).<br /><br />Rob McDonne 11 (7-2) took the loss, allowing five unearned runs in five innings.<br /><br />Bryan Pall (2-0) pitched 2-2/3 innings of one-hit relief for the win. Cronenworth pitched the final 1-2/3 innings.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Chicago Tribune</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-25364524745671262162015-05-23T18:29:00.002-04:002015-05-25T09:20:37.876-04:00Confident Jeff Samardzija dominates for White Sox<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8NHjtMuK2Gg3yijD73n00S2SjB8f8e4Ev_1UC5BbkSNRMBaGZ1oauEbiTOOZQryFpLISlqe8WkDG6Iy5M_vnrkevMjxW09yc2BicYZbKuB1RzeT3TzArPW0USFs8RBQwd_36VsBkMDFn/s1600/Jeff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija not only retired 17 consecutive batters at one point Friday, he also set down 21 of the last 22 Twins batters he faced. " border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf8NHjtMuK2Gg3yijD73n00S2SjB8f8e4Ev_1UC5BbkSNRMBaGZ1oauEbiTOOZQryFpLISlqe8WkDG6Iy5M_vnrkevMjxW09yc2BicYZbKuB1RzeT3TzArPW0USFs8RBQwd_36VsBkMDFn/s400/Jeff.jpg" title="Jeff Samardzija " width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 16px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija not only retired 17 consecutive batters at one point Friday,<br /> he also set down 21 of the last 22 Twins batters he faced. </span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CHICAGO -- If Jeff Samardzija's pitches did not tell the story of how well he was performing Saturday night, the body language of the Chicago White Sox starter certainly did.<img src="" /><br /><br />After a somewhat slow start when he gave up two first-inning runs and went to a three-ball count on five of the first six batters, Samardzija settled into a groove and delivered the kind of outing the White Sox hoped they would get from the right-hander.<br /><br />He not only retired 17 consecutive batters at one point, the most from a White Sox pitcher this season, but he also set down 21 of the last 22 batters he faced, throwing 118 pitches and lasting long enough for the White Sox's offense to put up a late run and earn him a victory in the team's 3-2 triumph over the Minnesota Twins.<a name='more'></a><br /><br />"I have always known as long as I've been pitching you gotta get into that first inning and get out of there unscathed," Samardzija said. "Those things happen. They had a couple hits, found some grass and we got out of it with two and went from there. With this offense we have I know I have to battle every inning and we're gonna have a chance to win."<br /><br />Samardzija's season has been all over the place. He had a rocky White Sox debut on Opening Day at Kansas City, and a brutal time at Baltimore on April 29, the game best known for the fact that no fans were in attendance.<br /><br />Around those two clunkers, Samardzija has put together nice outings, like the back-to-back starts in April against the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians when he gave up one combined run over 14 innings -- getting a victory and a no-decision to show for it.<br /><br />His last two starts topped that, starting with his previous outing last weekend at Oakland when he went eight innings, giving up three runs on eight hits. That was only a prelude to an outing Friday that was truly dominating once he finally settled in during the second inning.<br /><br />"He just seemed to get stronger both games, really, as he went through it," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "I think that's what you kind of start to expect out of him. I think as the game goes along, he just seemed to be locating better, throwing harder, sharper stuff. You feel pretty comfortable, even with him up around 100 pitches, you're still feeling really good about him."<br /><br />On his 118th and final pitch, Samardzija not only recorded his ninth strikeout when he fanned Brian Dozier, but he also hit 96 mph on the stadium radar gun. His brisk walk back to the dugout with his shoulders back and his head held high was a telling end to a solid night's work.<br /><br />"Yeah, the last two times out I felt really good," Samardzija said when asked if his energy was building as he started to take control of the game. "Me and [pitching coach Don Cooper] made some adjustments in what we're doing and just trying to keep me back and not so aggressive all the time. Understand when you need to add and understand when you need to subtract. I feel good, my pitches are in the zone, which is the most important thing."<br /><br />When Samardzija pitched well Sunday at Oakland, he was able to hand the ball off to Chris Sale, who followed with a solid outing of his own Monday against the Indians. That was the only game the White Sox won in that four-game series.<br /><br />Now Samardzija hands the ball off to Sale again after dispatching a three-game losing streak with what appeared to be his best outing of the season.<br /><br />"We have great guys to watch every time out," Samardzija said. "With me throwing before him I gotta make sure I have a good day, and If you get two in a row you have something going, like we did earlier in the week. We know what we're gonna get out of Chris. He's gonna do his thing and hopefully we can get a few more runs [Saturday]."<br /><br />Following Sale is Jose Quintana, with Samardzija, Sale and Quintana forming the trio the White Sox hoped would set them apart in the American League Central. While all three have delivered solid outings at times, none have been consistently strong at the same time.<br /><br />Only in their last turn through the rotation did they finally deliver three consecutive quality starts. Samardzija's outing Friday starts then down the road of doing it again.<br /><br />"I think he feels better about the way he's going out there and competing right now," Ventura said of Samardzija. "The game in Oakland he was strong, and for him, I know he feels he wants to go eight, nine [innings] every night. That's the kind of guy you want going out there."<br /><br />Indeed, Samardzija would have been just fine with taking the ball in the ninth inning Friday, even with 118 pitches already in the bank. It's just how he's programmed.<br /><br />"I love to throw a lot, I throw a lot in bullpens, warming up," Samardzija said. "That's what we do, we throw. To put a limit on how much we throw seems a little contradictory."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>ESPN</i></span></div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-39345331992445617282015-04-16T17:00:00.000-04:002015-05-25T09:21:23.754-04:00Schneider sidesteps whether Seahawks would keep Wilson from playing baseball<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Apart from the question of whether the Seahawks and quarterback Russell Wilson can work out a new contract is the question of whether Wilson will try to play baseball and football. Embedded within that question is the question of whether the Seahawks would let him.<br />
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“That’s not something I’d get into right now,” G.M. John Schneider told KIRO radio on Wednesday regarding whether the Seahawks would contractually stop Wilson from playing baseball.<br />
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The Standard Player Contract provides that an NFL player cannot “engage in any activity other than football which may involve a significant risk of personal injury.” It’s unclear whether baseball falls within the category of activities that involves a significant risk of personal injury. There’s risk of injury from a baseball (especially when thrown at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour), the bat, and the spikes, but how “significant” is it?<a name='more'></a><br />
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Regardless, a lot of damage would have to be done to the relationship before the Seahawks would actually be developing arguments to present in court regarding the nature of the risks of playing baseball. And the possibility of Wilson playing baseball would have to be something more tangible than the musings of a young man who thinks he can do anything. Which is all it may be at this point.<br />
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“I think one of the primary things that really attracted Russell to us — I know me in particular — was the confidence he has in himself and the goals, dreams, aspirations,” Schneider said. “He’s off the charts in terms of his confidence level and the way he views himself, so it doesn’t surprise me that he would think that way. Quite frankly, I haven’t thought much about the baseball aspect of it. Based on the position that he plays in football, I think it would be difficult. But the way he attacks everything, I don’t think you could put anything past him.”<br />
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So anything can happen when it comes to Wilson playing baseball. And anything can happen when it comes to the future of Wilson playing quarterback for the Seahawks. While it remains unlikely that he won’t be playing quarterback for the Seahawks, every day that passes without the two sides doing a new deal puts them a day closer to a potential divorce.<br />
PFT</div>
NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2106513099300864482.post-22867238692630944112015-04-16T16:56:00.001-04:002015-05-25T09:21:56.821-04:00Derek Jeter Claims He Doesn't Miss Baseball 'At All'<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Retired New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter apparently has no regrets about walking away from Major League Baseball after an accomplished career that spanned 20 seasons.<br />
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FoxSports.com's Jimmy Traina relayed what Jeter had to say during a radio interview Wednesday about his lack of desire to play and his ambivalence toward what's gone on at the dawn of the 2015MLB campaign:<br />
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Jeter, 40, was the Yankees' longtime captain, a 14-time All-Star and a member of five World Series champions for the historic Bronx Bombers.<br />
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To play such a significant role for pro baseball's most recognizable franchise for as long as he did, there's little more Jeter could have hoped to accomplish. Fans will continue to adore him, and Jeter will likely continue enjoying the rest of his life away from the game with few regrets, if any at all.<br />
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Chris Cwik of Yahoo Sports' Big League Stew put it well: "With baseball behind him, Jeter can now enjoy a life filled with money, supermodels and pretty much whatever he wants. When you put it that way, it's hard to believe Jeter waited this long."<br />
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There's still a chance Jeter may become involved as a coach or in an alternative MLB role someday. At least for now, he seems perfectly content with his life away from baseball in this early stage of retirement.<br />
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Bleacher Report</div>
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NODJ2011http://www.blogger.com/profile/14943830641751214941noreply@blogger.com0