Reel in the Big Fish

So some crazy stuff has went down in baseball. Trades, free agent signing, etc. Lets start covering all of it.

The Giants resigned center fielder Angel Pagan to a 4 year $40 MM deal. A good move for San Francisco to keep a popular player.

The Texas Rangers sign right handed relief pitcher Joakim Soria to a 2 year $8 MM deal. They lost a lot this off season, so maybe a good bullpen arm will help the Rangers out.

A big surprise came from the Nationals signing starting pitcher Dan Haren to a 1 year $13 MM deal. Haren is a great pitcher coming off a sub par year. Haren in undoubtedly better than Edwin Jackson, and I think Haren is one of the most under rated pitchers in the MLB. He joins the strongest rotation in the MLB with Strausburg, Gonzalez, and Zimmerman.

The Red Sox signed switch hitting outfielder Shane Victorino for 3 years $37 MM. Some say that Victorino signing with the Red Sox may be a sign that they are trying to move Ellsbury. It would be a stupid decision to move Ellsbury. He has a great combo of speed and power. If anything, see how far into the season you get, then trade him.

The San Francisco Giants strike again by signing Post Season hero Marco Scuttaro to a 3 year $20 MM deal. He will man second base and is also a fan favorite in San Francisco. A good move for the Giants.

The White Sox signed infielder Jeff Keppinger to a 3 year $12 MM contract. He is coming off a year where he hit .325/ .367 /.439 in 418 plate appearances for the Tampa Bay Rays. Probably an  improvement over Kevin Youkilis.

The Cardinals signed left handed reliever Randy Choate to a 3 year $7.5 MM deal.

The Angels signed left handed reliever Sean Burnett to a 2 year $8 MM deal. A good pick up for the Angels.

The Phillies traded pitcher Vance Worley and Trevor May to the Twins for center fielder Ben Revere. The speed demon will be a good fit in Philly. He is good on defense and can hit for average. The downside, he has yet to hit a home run at the MLB. The Twins acquire two young starters who have bright futures.

The Red Sox continued the free agent shopping by Signing Koji Uehara to a 1 year $4.25 MM deal. He will be good at the end of games along side Andrew Bailey, the closer.

The Diamond Backs signed starting pitcher Brandon McCarthy to a 2 year $15.5 MM deal. McCarthy took a line drive to the head in the regular season and had to have season ending brain surgery. He is fine now and has reportedly began to throw again. He posted a 3.24 ERA in 2012 and really should have gotten more attention this off season.

The Phillies worked another trade out, this time with the Texas Rangers. They acquired infielder Michael Young in exchange for Josh Lindbolm and a minor league player. The Rangers are eating $10 MM of the $16 MM owed to Young. The Rangers really have been mistreating a player that has been with the franchise for so long. I believe that is why Young was willing to waive his no trade clause.

One of the Big Fish, Zack Geinke signed the largest contract ever for a pitcher with the Los Angeles Dodgers. A 6 year $147 MM contract will be paid out the Greinke who will join a rotation with Clayton Kershaw and Josh Beckett. Lets see if Greinke lives up to the contract.

The Cleveland Indians signed 1B/3B Mark Reynolds to a 1 year $6 MM contact. The power hitter will most likely play first base most of the season.

The Royals acquired starting pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis in exchange for super outfield prospect Wil Myers, starting pitcher Mike Montgomery, pitcher Jake Odorozzi, and third baseman Patrick Leonard. The Royals' rotation is beginning to look very respectable. James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana, Wade Davis, and Bruce Chen can contend in the AL Central.

The Pirates resigned relief pitcher Jason Grilli to a 2 year $6.75 MM deal. Grilli posted a 2.91 ERA from 2011-2012. He is a good set up man for closer Joel Hanrahan.

The Dodgers also agreed to sign left handed Korean super star Ryu. He signed for 6 years $36 MM. He is untested, but will be pitching in a big park with good defenders.

The Twins signed starting pitcher Kevin Correia to a 2 year $10 MM contract. With Correia, who posted a 4.21 ERA in 2012, the Twins' rotation is looking respectable for seasons to come.

The Royals lost Joakim Soria, but signed George Sherril and Dan Wheeler to minor league deals. Both are question marks, but could be a good addition to the bullpen for the Royals.

Kevin Youkilis joined the dark side according to many Red Sox fans. The Yankees signed the third baseman to a 1 year $12 MM contract. He will be filling in the injured Alex Rodriguez, who is having hip surgery in the near future.

The Reds acquired Shin-Soo Choo in a three team trade with the Diamond Backs and the Indians. Super pitching prospect Trevor Bauer will go to the Indians in exchange for a bundle of prospects. Choo is going to play center field for the Reds. I don't think he is a center fielder, but we'll see how this works out.

The Dodgers traded for second baseman Skip Schumaker in exchanged for a short stop prospect. He will join the stacked Dodger lineup.

The Yankees signed fan favorite Ichiro Suzuki to a 2 year $13 MM deal. Ichiro really wanted to return to the Yankees and rejected a greater deal from the Phillies. Depending on what the Yankees do in trades and the free agent market, Ichiro will play right field.

The biggest surprise of the off season, the other Big Fish, Josh Hamilton signed with the Angels for a mega deal for 5 years $125 MM. The Angels are stacked, they have 20 year old super star Mike Trout, multi-time MVP Albert Pujols, homer happy Mark Trumbo, powerful Kendrys Morales and now Josh Hamilton. Expect the Angels to not have a repeat of last season, especially with a deflated Rangers ball club.

The Red Sox signed starting pitcher Ryan Dempster to a 2 year $26.5 MM contract. He is a good fit in Boston. He is the starting pitcher they need along side Jon Lester, the Red Sox are back in it for 2013.

The Tigers resigned Anibal Sanchez to a 5 year $80 MM deal. He went into the off season seeking a 4 year $60 MM deal, but I guess the Tigers really wanted him. He is a good pitcher and still young. The Tigers will be contending with the Royals in 2013.

Winter Meetings

The Winter Meetings have begun, but before all of that action there was some other action.

The Pirates sign catcher Russell Martin to a 2 year $17 Million contract. He will be a good fit there, becuase he can change a pitching staff. He is great defensively and can hit for power.

The Yankees lost Martin, but resigned Mariano Rivera. The deal is for $10 Million plus incentives. Rivera had a torn ACL and missed almost all of 2012. He will be back in 2013 and be a major help if Rafael Soriano signs elsewhere.

The Mets extended David Wright to a monsterous contract. The extension is worth 8 years and $138 Million. I think because of this deal the Mets will make it to the World Series at least once within the next 8 years. Wright is a leader and he is being paid to be one with this cntract. The Mets haven't had a real leader since Mike Piazza.

The Chicago Cubs signed 32 year old Japanese reliever Kyuji Fujikawa to a $9.2 Million deal over 2 years. The days of suffering through the 9th inning with Carlos Marmol are over.

The first big news of the Winter Meetings was the signing of Mike Napoli. The Red Sox signed the catcher to a 3 year $39 Million deal. He will provide some power in a deflated team.

Rumors about trades arecandidates : James Shields, Mike Morse, Justin Upton, Jeremy Hellickson, and many other less notable players are stirring up. 

Idiotic Move

Aroldis Chapman is one of my favorite players. He comes in to the game and adds electricity to the crowd. He is fun to watch and exciting to see. Every pitch he throws can eclipse 100 miles per hour. If the Reds convert him into a starter, it would be their biggest mistake since getting rid of Josh Hamilton.

Lets be honest. Even to a true baseball fan, the end of games can be very boring. With all the pitching changes and the left handed and right handed match ups, the games can also feel very elongated. Chapman will come in the 9th or even the 8th and work his magic. The crowd's electricty will return. In tie ball games he can pitch the 9th and 10th inning to get through those innings. 

The Reds already have a nice rotation. Cueto, Latos, Leake, Arroyo, and Bailey is a solid 5. They can still add another pitcher. Greinke, Dempster, Lohse, Jackson, and Dan Haren are still available and are probably affordable for the Reds. 

Chapman has reached 106 miles per hour on his fast ball and that is the kind of thing that drives fans crazy. If he is a starter, you can bet that he may reach 100 miles per hour only a few times in a start. You can also bet that he won't pitch for more than 5 innings very often. So think about it. Would you rather have 5 innings and 3 runs every 5 days or 4 innings, 4 saves, and 0 runs every 5 days. 

Also like Kerry Wood and Joba Chamberlain, a flame throwing starter is definitly high risk of injury.

With Broxton resigning with the Reds and Chapman remaining as the closer, the opposing team won't be able to take the heat at the end of the game. 

Recent Signings

I haven't been keeping up with this site as much as I should, but there have been some free agents who have found new homes and some who are returning to their old ones. In no particular order here are some of the players to get new contracts or extensions.

Hiroki Kuroda - Yankees - 1 Year $15 Million
Andy Pettitte - Yankees - 1 Year $12 Million
Evan Longoria - Rays - 6 Year $100 Million extension
Ryan Madson - Angels - 1 Year $8 Million
Jonathon Broxton - Reds - 3 Years $21 Million
BJ Upton - Braves - 5 Years $75.25 Million
Melky Cabrera - Blue Jays - 2 Years $16 Million

The two big fish, Josh Hamilton and Zach Greinke, are still on the market. If BJ Upton got $15 Mill/Year Hamilton will eclipse that amount by a significant margin.

The Reds have announced that Aroldis Chapman will become a starter. I will make a post about that in the future. It will not be positive.

The Birds and the Fish?

The huge trade between the Blue Jays and the Marlins is complete. The Blue Jays will get Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Emilio Bonifacio, and John Buck. The Marlins will get Yunel Escobar, Adeiny Hechavarria, Henderson Alvarez, Jeff Mathis, Anthony DeSclafani, Justin Nicolino, and Jake Marisnick. 4 Million Dollars will go to the Blue Jays.

This trade is obviously in favor of the Blue Jays. They get two speed demons, one who is a great hitter, one great pitcher and one good pitcher, and a decent catcher.  The Marlins are dropping their payroll and reconstructing their team.

The way I would construct the lineup for the Blue Jays in the following:

Jose Reyes, Emilio Bonifacio, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, Colby Rasmus, Brett Larwrie, Adam Lind, John Buck, Rajai Davis.  

But the Pitching Rotation is even better. Josh Johnson, Mark Buehrle, Brandon Morrow, Ricky Romero are a sold four starters although Romero was just terrible this past season.

In other news, Today the Tigers signed right fielder Torii Hunter. He signed a 2 year $26 Mill contract with the Tigers. He will be playing with some of the best and probably play right field and bat 5th or 6th. The projected lineup is the following:

Edwin Jackson, Victor Martinez, Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Torii Hunter, Jhonny Peralta, Alex Avila, Andy Dirks, Omar Infante.

Not to shabby for these two American League Teams.  

MVP Race

Before I preach about MVP candidates I'll let you know about the Silver Slugger Awards and the Gold Glove Awards.

2012 AL & NL Silver Slugger Awards :
C: Pierzynski , Posey
1B: Fielder , Laroche
2B: Cano , Hill
3B: Cabrera , Headley

SS: Jeter , Desmond
OF: Trout/Willingham/Hamilton , Braun/Mccutchen/Bruce
DH: Butler
P: Strasburg

2012 AL & NL Gold Glove Awards Awards

C: Wieters, Molina 

1B: Teixeira, LaRoche

2B: Cano, Barney 

3B: Beltre, Headly 

SS: Hardy, Rollins 

LF: Gordon, Gonzalez

CF: Jones, McCutchen 

RF: Reddick, Heyward

P: Hellickson/Peavy, Buehrle 

All players were deserving, but Mike Trout was absolutely robbed for the Gold Glove for center fielders.

Okay speaking of Trout, should he or Miguel Cabrera win the MVP award. Lets break this down into a few categories: at the plate, on the bases, in the field, value to team and overall value. 

Let the best man win. 

At the Plate

At the plate Miguel Cabrera wins hands down. He had a .330 batting average, .393 on base percentage, .606 slugging percentage, 44 home runs, 139 runs batted in, and 109 runs scored.  

Mike Trout at the plate wasn't far off from Cabrera, but he did not win the triple crown. He had a .326 batting average, .399 on base percentage, .564 slugging percentage, 30 home runs, 83 runs batted in, and 129 runs scored 

As you can see Miguel Cabrera was either better or really close to Trout in all the categories. Cabrera wins this category.

On the Bases

I don't even know why i'm writing this. Mike Trout is a fantastic base runner and Miguel Cabrera is not, never was, or never will be a good base runner. Trout had 49 stolen bases and 8 triples. Cabrera had 4 stolen bases and 0 triples.  

Guess who won this category, Trout. 

In the Field

Miguel Cabrera moved from first base to third base this season which isn't easy to do. In 2012 he was a below average third baseman. He ranked 17/30 among third basemen in defense. He made 13 errors and had a .966 fielding percentage. His defensive runs saved was -4. meaning he cost the Tigers 4 runs. 

Mike Trout made highlight reels every night. He had a .988 fielding percentage and made just 4 errors. In the runs saved department, Trout saved 21 runs. 21 runs can be the difference between a win and a loss in 21 games. Out of center fielders he ranked 1/30. 

Mike Trout wins in this category. 

Value to Team

Mike Trout's combination of speed, power, and defense puts him in his own category. He is a five tool player. Holding down center field with Hunter in right and covering ground for the unsteady left fielder Mark Trumbo, Trout's defense is a huge asset to the Angels. Trout also grounded into a  double play just 7 times the entire season. He doesn't kill rallies, he makes them. He turned a single or a double into a double or a triple 49 times by stealing bases. 

The Tigers obviously had to sacrifice some defense to have the best 3-4 combo in baseball with Cabrera-Fielder, but with another defensive nightmare at short stop Cabrera's poor defense is magnified. Cabrera also grounded into a double play 28 times and that led all of baseball in the category. He stole just 4 bases so he didn't create rallies on the bases, he killed them 28 times. He did make up for them by hitting 44 homers and driving in 139, but he could done even more damage, because he had the chance. 

People argue that the Tigers made it to the playoffs and the Angels did not. I'll inform you that Miguel Cabrera had nothing to do with the White Sox falling apart at the end of the season. In fact the Angels actually won 1 more game than the Tigers did! If the Angels were in the central division they would have won the division. 

This category goes to Trout. 

Overall Value

Miguel Cabrera is a veteran, a World Series champion, a leader and boy could he hit. He is the type of player you want on you team. Mike Trout is a rookie you don't have a large sample size of what he could do. 

Miguel Cabrera won the triple crown. A feat that is so rare in baseball it is the first time since 1967. The Overall value of the historical circumstance is huge. 

This category goes to Miguel Cabrera. 

Conclusion

Trout won 3 out of the 5 categories so that means he should win the MVP. With an additional fact that Trout faced better pitchers more often in the AL West it just adds onto his case. I used the word should, because this is a special case. The historical circumstances overwhelm the other circumstances. There have been times where the triple crown winner did not win the MVP, that should not happen this year. I think Miguel Cabrera should win the MVP award because he has accomplished something that few have ever accomplished.  

Royalty

Ervin Santana shall hereby be referred to as the heir de home run. Ervin Santana was traded to the Kansas City Royals yesterday for Minor League player Brandon Sisk.

Santana lead the American League by allowing 39 home runs. Although he does eat some innings he had a 5.16 ERA in 2012, but has shown success in the past. In 2010 and 2011 he posted a sub 4.00 ERA. Pitching in a weaker division Santana may find more success with the Royals.

For the Royals this is a great trade. They didn't give up much and obtained a pitcher who can be considered an ace. For the Royals he is their ace. The Royals also obtained Jeremy Guthrie this past season and he would be a good number two starter for a team that wants to get its name back.

The rotation for the Royals next season as of now looks to be the following:

1. Ervin Santana    R
2. Jeremy Guthrie  R
3. Bruce Chen       L
4. Luke Hochaver R
5. Danny Duffy      L

Post Season

The Kung-Fu Panda, Pablo Sandoval, won World Series MVP
and contributed to the sweep of the Detroit Tigers. This is
him holding a broom he used to sweep the Tigers with. 

The San Francisco Giants are World Series Champions for the 2012 season. They came back in the NLDS and the NLCS and then completed a sweep of the Detroit Tigers in the World Series. Now that the World Series is completed the off season has begun.

Teams can negotiate with their own players and trade with other teams freely. Soon teams will be allowed to negotiate with free agents from other teams. Here are some notable free agents and what teams I predict will sign them.

Catchers

A.J. Pierzynski: Texas Rangers
Russel Martin: New York Yankees
Mike Napoli: Los Angeles Dodgers

First Basemen

Lance Berkman: Retirement
Jason Giambi: Retirement
Aubrey Huff: Houston Astros (DH)
Carlos Lee: Miami Marlins
James Loney: Seattle Mariners
Carlos Pena: Tampa Bay Rays

Second Basemen

Jeff Keppinger: Tampa Bay Rays
Freddy Sanchez: Toronto Blue Jays
Marco Scutaro: San Francisco Giants

Third Basemen

Eric Chavez: New York Yankees
Scott Rolen: Retirement
Kevin Youkilis: Chicago White Sox
Placido Polanco: Minnesota Twins

Shortstops

Stephan Drew: New York Mets

Left Fielders:

Melky Cabrera: San Francisco Giants
Andruw Jones: Atlanta Braves
Juan Pierre: Philadelphia Phillies
Cody Ross: Boston Red Sox
Shane Victorino: Baltimore Orioles

Center Fielders

Michael Bourne: Atlanta Braves
Josh Hamilton: Milwaukee Brewers
Angel Pagan: San Francisco Giants
Grady Sizemore: Arizona Diamond Backs
BJ Upton: Boston Red Sox

Right Fielders

Torii Hunter: Texas Rangers
Nick Swisher: New York Yankees
Ichiro Suzuki: New York Yankees

Designated Hitters

David Ortiz: Boston Red Sox
Raul Ibanez: New York Yankees
Delmon Young: Detroit Tigers

Starting Pitchers

Zack Grienke: Los Angeles Angels
Edwin Jackson: Washington Nationals
Hiroki Kuroda: New York Yankees
Derek Lowe: Houston Astros
Carlos Zambrano: Miami Marlins
Jeremy Guthrie: Kansas City Royals
Jonathon Sanchez: Baltimore Orioles

Closers

Jonathon Broxton: Cincinnati Reds
Brandon League: Texas Rangers
Jose Valverde: New York Mets

Right Handed Relief Pitchers

Mike Adams: New York Yankees
Luis Ayala: Baltimore Orioles
Francisco Rodriguez: Detroit Tigers
Koji Uehara: Texas Rangers

Left Handed Relief Pitchers

Jeremy Afeldt: San Francisco Giants
Randy Choate: Texas Rangers
Brian Fuentes: Los Angeles Dodgers
JP Howell: Philadelphia Phillies
Oliver Perez: Tampa Bay Rays

Keys to the Championship

After the historic game one of the World Series last night, the Giants seem to be the dominant team. Pablo Sandoval made history becoming the forth player ever (5th time) to hit 3 home runs in a world series game. He joins Babe Ruth (1926 and 1928), Reggie Jackson (1977) and Albert Pujols (2011) as the only players to hit 3 home runs in a world series game.

Each team cannot win without key players. One controversy heading into the playoffs was putting Tim Lincecum into the bullpen. A two time Cy Young award winner pitching out of the bullpen. It sounds crazy, but is it really?

The Giants took a shot to their team when Brian Wilson had to get surgery, their bullpen was weakened. Santiago Cassilla and Sergio Romo took over the role as closer and did a great job at it. The problem now is who will take their spot? Bruce Bochy primarily mixed and match for the 6th and 7th innings, but now he has a first class pitcher to fill the gap.

Last night Barry Zito was dealing, but he faced some adversity in the 6th inning.  Not wanting the lead to shrink further Bochy called to his secret weapon, Tim Lincecum. The All Star game out of the bullpen, faced Peralta and struck him out to get the final out in the 6th. Lincecum then went on to face 6 more batters and retired each one of them, not allowing a single batter to reach base in 2.1 innings. He struck out 5 of the 7 batters faced.

Being able to use this weapon out of the bullpen once every 2 games is something every manager wishes he could have in the World Series. As soon as the starting pitcher gets into some trouble, Bochy will call on Lincecum and pitch through the 7th inning to get the ball to Cassilla and Affeldt to mix and match for the 8th. Romo will be there to close the door in 9th.

Sandoval is as hot as they can be, Scuttaro is getting on base like no tomorrow, Blanco is making stellar catches every night and the starters are pitching fantastic. If this continues you can bet the Giants will be the 2012 World Series Champions.

World Series Preview

The Giants are back in the World Series

We have made it through spring training, 162 games, the Division Series, and the Championship Series, now only one thing remains, the World Series. The Tigers and the Giants will battle it out for the right to be called the best team in 2012.

Both teams have a Cy Young Award candidate and both teams have an MVP candidate. Lets compare them.

Miguel Cabrera won the triple crown in the American League. .330 AVG, .393 OBP, 44 HR and 139 RBI.

The Tigers are roaring through the playoffs

Buster Posey lead the MLB with a .336 AVG. He also had a .408 OBP, 24 HR, and 103 RBI.

Justin Verlander had another great season. 17 wins, a 2.64 ERA, 239 K and 238 IP.
Matt Cain started the All Star game for the National League. 16 wins, a 2.79 ERA, 193 K and 219 IP.

Verlander will start game 1 in San Francisco and it look as if it will be Madison Bumgarner to start that game for the Giants. Game 2 will also be in San Francisco, the Tigers will start Doug Fister and the Giants may start either Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito, or Ryan Vogelsong on short rest. Game 3 for the Tigers will be Anibal Sanchez on the mound and Matt Cain for the Giants. In Game 4 the Tigers' Max Scherzer will pitch for the Tigers and the Giants will pitch one of the two who didn't pitch game 2.

The Giants can be called the come back kids. They came back in the NLDS after being down 2-0 in the series and they came back in the NLCS after being down 3-1 in the series. So if the Tigers get a lead in the series don't count the Giants out.

The Tigers had plenty of time to rest their players after they swept the Yankees in 4 games, but that could be bad for a team. The Giants have momentum on their side, a winning streak can carry into the World Series.

It will be an interesting World Series. All games can be seen on FOX at 8 PM eastern time.

First Trades

Well I have been caught up in the post season like many others. It has been exciting and who would have thought that the Giants and Cardinals would be battling it out in the NLCS. In the American League playoffs the team with the least wins is going to the World Series. Well the post season for many teams has begun and that means trades.

John Farrel was the manager of the Blue Jays, but now he will be managing the Boston Red Sox. In the trade Mike Aviles will go to Toronto in exchange for right handed pitcher David Carpenter.

The big trade involved the Diamond Backs, Marlins and Athletics. The Diamond Backs will receive veteran reliever Heath Bell, SS/2B Cliff Pennington, and cash. The Marlins will receive Prospect Yordy Cabrera from Oakland. The Athletics will get center fielder Chris Young.

The Diamond Backs seem like they will be buyers this off season. Bolstering their bullpen with a veteran looking for a rebound from a terrible season was a good idea. Bell has success in the NL West and will obviously look for more. The A's look as if they will let Coco Crisp walk as they won't have a spot for him. Cespedes, Young, and Reddick will occupy the outfield for the A's. Finally after the Marlins were the big spenders they are rebuilding yet again.

Play Off Predictions

NLWC: Cardinals vs Braves.  Braves

NLDS:  Giants vs Reds. Giants 

NLDS: Braves vs Nationals. Braves

NLCS: Braves vs Giants. Braves

ALWC: Orioles vs Rangers. Rangers

ALDS: Tigers vs Athletics. Tigers

ALDS: Rangers vs Yankees. Yankees

ALCS: Yankees vs Tigers. Yankees

WORLD SERIES: Yankees vs Braves. Yankees

But Wait! There's More!

This season has been nothing less than amazing. So many great stories, historic events, fantastic games, and breakout seasons. The season is not over yet, the play offs need to be played.

Speaking of the playoffs, if you told me the Athletics would win the American League West, beating both the Rangers and the Angels I would call you crazy. Yesterday the Athletics beat the Rangers to complete a sweep and end the season on a high note. The reason why they won the AL West is because everyone said they couldn't. Congratulations to the Athletics on a successful season.

R.A. Dickey was a fantastic story this year. The 37 year old knuckleballer pitched his way to a Cy Young quality season. He admitted after his last start that he has been pitching the entire season injured. Yup, he dominated the National League with a strained abdominal muscle. He said he'll have surgery in October.

The Orioles made it back to the post season for the first time since 1997. The Orioles under Buck Showalter are a different ball club. They hustle, they play hard, and they win. The Orioles will play the Rangers in Texas in the wild card game to earn the right to play the Yankees in the ALDS.

Adam Greenberg was hit in the head during his first at bat with the Cubs in 2005. Ever since that day Greenberg would never get another at bat at the Major League level. He played in the independent league for a while, until a movement started to get him just one more at bat. The Marlins took on the task and signed him to a one day contract. In his one at bat, he faced the  toughest pitcher in the National League, R.A. Dickey. In his only at bat Greenberg struck out on three pitches. Dickey said after the game that part of the experience for Greenberg was for Dickey to treat Greenberg like any other Major League player. At least Greenberg finally got his at bat.

The Nationals are in the post season with the best record in the National League. With the best pitching staff in the Major Leagues they dominated the Major Leagues and dominated the opposition. With help from Bryce Harper and Adam Laroche the Nationals were a well rounded team that could be anyone. They will test their young roster in the NLDS playing the winner of the wild card game. Also on the last game of the season Teddy Roosevelt won his first ever race in DC.

This season there were some huge trades. Ichiro went to the Yankees, Youkilis went to the White Sox, Ramirez went to the Dodgers, Dempster went to the Rangers, Pence went to the Giants, Victorino went to the Dodgers and of course the biggest trade of the season Gonzalez, Beckett, Crawford, and Punto going to the Dodgers.

Chipper Jones announced that this would be his last season and will retire after the season. He is one of the most loved players in the Major Leagues and his opponents made it noticed. Where ever he went this season the opposing team gave him something to depart with. Chipper will be put to the test in the wild card game against the Cardinals.

There were 7 no hitters this season, tying the all time high for a single season. Phillip Humber, Jered Weaver, Homer Bailey, Matt Cain, Felix Hernandez, Johan Santana, and a combined no hitter by the Seattle Mariners. Pitching really did have the upper hand in 2012.

There were several rookies who came on the scene this season. Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Manny Machado, Yoennis Cespedes, Yu Darvish, Todd Fraizer, Jesus Montero, Matt Moore, Brett Lawrie, Matt Harvey, Trevor Bauer, and Quintin Berry are rookies who had a major effect on their teams this season.

Finally Miguel Cabrera made a mockery out of the opposing pitching by winning the first triple crown since  Carl Yastrzemski did it in 1967. Cabrera had 44 home runs, a .330 batting average, and 139 RBI's. It was a historic season for Cabrera and he led the Tigers down the stretch to win the AL Central.

No Hit Homer Bailey

On Friday night there was not a single homer as his name implies or a single hit. Homer Bailey pitched the 7th no hitter of the 2012 season. Facing the Pirates, Bailey entered the game knowing that it doesn't matter if the Reds win or lose, because they had already clinched. Bailey was cruising through the Pirates lineup. Walking just one, striking out 10, and not allowing a hit. Congratulations to Homer Bailey.

An Update

So these teams paid heavy loads of money and prospects to acquire impact players at the trade deadline. So how have they been performing for their new teams?

Hunter Pence was traded to the San Francisco Giants from the Philadelphia Phillies at the deadline and has not performed to his potential. For the Giants he has a .233 AVG and a .295 OBP. On the other hand he has driven in 37 runners in 52 games, but his numbers aren't up to par. The biggest part of this trade for Pence was that he will still be on the Giants in 2013. So even though Pence isn't performing now, the Giants have an All Star Right Fielder for 2013.

Shane Victorino, an ex-teammate of Pence was also traded at the deadline to the Dodgers. Believe it or not, but Victorino has not come through either. With a .227/.302/.304 slash line (AVG/OBP/SLG) Victorino has been ineffective.

Zack Greinke has been a big success in Anaheim. Pitching to a  3.40 ERA over 82 innings Greinke has been everything the Angels wanted for a number 2 starter. Although the Angels' playoff picture isn't looking the brightest, It is safe to say it was not Greinke's fault.

When the Yankees traded for Ichiro, it shocked all of baseball. No one heard any rumors about it and an iconic player was switching teams. Ichiro has a .328/.351/.472 slash line as a Yankee including 12 stolen bases and 5 home runs. He provides a spark on the base pads and an energy that was lacking in the Yankee Clubhouse.

The trade that was done right before the deadline was over has not been good. Ryan Dempster has not played well for the Rangers. Holding a 4.48 ERA over 60 innings pitched is not what the Rangers expected. The Rangers needed a pitcher to shut down the opposing offense every time he pitched. With Darvish in a slump, probably due to fatigue the teams division lead may be in jeopardy to the Oakland Athletics.

The Races

The races for the division and wild card are getting hot. Both the Giants and the Reds clinched their respected divisions yesterday. All three American League divisions are still very interesting and the Wildcard races is the most interesting of them all.

The things I can find on the internet. And yes that is Vin Scully
for the Dodgers

The American League East has come to the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees. The Yankees lead the division by one game and the Orioles currently have possession of the first wild card spot. Last night both teams won in extra innings. This may come down to the end.

The White Sox have just a half game lead over the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers have Cy Young Award candidate Justin Verlander and probable MVP Miguel Cabrera who is chasing the triple crown. For the White Sox and Tigers it is win the division or go home, because they are both out for wild card contention.

The Oakland Athletics are just four games behind the division leading Rangers in the West. The A's just won't quit. The Rangers have been slumping and the back to back American League Champions may be in trouble.

The Nationals have a five and half game lead over the Braves in the National League East and have already clinched the a Wild Card spot, but the winning the division also looks very possible.

The Reds clinched the Nationals League Central yesterday. Aroldis Chapman closed the door, Brandon Phillips showed some power and defense, and Matt Latos came through with a great pitching performance.

The Giants clinched the National League West yesterday. Their pitching has been strong and Tim Lincecum has showed signs of the two time Cy Young Award winner he is. MVP candidate Buster Posey and the Kung-Fu Panda carried the team offensively.

The Baltimore Orioles have a two game lead in the wild card and the Oakland Athletics have a two and half game lead over The Los Angeles Angels for the second Wild Card. The Angels, The Rays, and The Tigers are still within five game of the second Wild Card spot.

The Atlanta Braves have a six game lead over The Cardinals in the wild card race. The Cardinals have a two and a half game over the Brewers for the second wild card spot, but The Brewers, The Dodgers, The Phillies and The Diamond Backs are within five games of the second wild card.

These final ten games will be very interesting.

He's As Hot As They Come

It seems like everything Ichiro hits he is going to be safe on. In his past 4 games he is 11 for his last 15. Lets not forget the 5 stolen bases he has over those 4 games as well. On Wednesday, in the night cap of a double header he had the go ahead hit that scored Curtis Granderson. On Thursday night's game he had a home run and a go ahead 2 run run double.

Yesterday Ichiro went 2 for 3 and didn't have any important hits, but they were comical. The first one was hit right back up the middle and went into the shirt of starting pitcher Jarred Parker. The second was a ball that looked foul but just continued to stay fair and landed in shallow left field. I guess when you're hot, these things happen to you.

When the Yankees traded for Ichiro, they knew they were getting an all star and he has performed like one. With the Yankees he is hitting .321, with 4 home runs, 22 RBI, and 10 stolen bases.

Passing Willie

In case you haven't heard, on Friday Derek Jeter passed Willie Mays on the all time hit list. Jeter now holds 10th place on the list. It must be a huge honor to be compared to a great such as Willie Mays.

Records are meant to be broken. When a rookie comes up for his first at bat, it is the first step to success. He can only hope to one day be compared to a legend. In 1995 Derek Jeter got an infield single for his first hit and in 2012 he got an infield single to pass Willie Mays for his 3284th hit.

Baseball has been around for over 120 years and to be in the top 10 of anything is just a huge  accomplishment. It is kind of difficult to fathom, but Derek Jeter could pass MLB all time hit leader Pete Rose one day.

2013 Schedules

In 2013 the Astros will move to the American League West. That made some difficulty in the schedules. Now there are 15 teams in each league and 5 teams in each division. Think about it... 15 teams in one league and they each have to play each other, that means one team is not playing. So scheduled inter league games are unavoidable throughout the whole season. For example The Yankees play The Diamond Backs April 16-18 and The Giants September 20-22.

With the new schedule a team will play 76 games against their own division (19 games against each rival), 66 games against other teams in their league, and 20 inter league games.

The schedule makes division races more intense, while allowing fans to see other teams in the MLB. The schedule works out nicely and 2013 looks like a promising season. To see your team's schedule for 2013 click HERE.

The 2013 All Star Game will be at the home of the New York Mets, Citi Field.

Jerry Meals

It's not often that an umpire would get so much attention, but Jerry Meals is the most hated man in New York today. Last night Jerry Meals was the umpire at first base for the Yankees-Orioles game. If the Orioles won the game, the two teams would be tied for first. If the Yankees won, they would have a two game lead over the Orioles and a three game lead over the Rays.

The game came down to the top of the 9th inning. The Yankees were finally rallying and they got to a point where it was 5-4 with runners on first and third with one out. Mark Teixeira was back in the game since straining his calf and wasn't running all that well. The Yankees' first baseman hits a ground ball to second and the Orioles record the out at second and then the throw to first. Teixeira slid into first base and was obviously safe. Click Here to view the play.

A still shot of the play

It is true that umpires can't get the plays right all the time, but that play he has to get right. Umpires are just like players. They can make 999 great calls and then 1 bad call in a big situation. In 1986 Bill Buckner had a .989 fielding percentage and missed one ball in the playoffs. That one botched play will now leave Buckner associated with terrible fielding forever, even though he is one of the best first baseman ever.

The same can be said for umpires. Jim Joyce is one of the game's best umpires. He blew one call in the famous "Imperfect Game." Now the veteran umpire is associated with umpires making terrible calls. People just have to realize that players aren't perfect and the same goes for umpires.

Then there is the ongoing debate about instant replay. If instant replay was added to the game, the game would be extended to probably 4 hours. The managers would want to abuse it, on every close call the instant replay would be used. I recommend that there be a 5th umpire (7th in playoff games). This umpire would sit in the video room and review every play to make sure that it was the right call. If a manager protests a call, 3 out of the 4 umpires on the field (4 out of 6 in play off games) would have to agree to review it. The 5th umpire would then be notified and then review the call. A phone similar to the phone to the bullpen would be installed in every home dugout and that is how the on field umpires would contact the review umpire. The review umpire would then reveal his call via telephone and the call will remain the same of be changed.

He's Back!

Tim Lincecum is back. The two time Cy Young Award winner is once again pitching like he used to. Before the All Star Break Lincecum's ERA was 6.42 and now it is down to 5.11. It may not seem like a big jump, but the more game you pitch the harder it is to lower a stat. Since the All Star Break Lincecum has a 3.22 ERA, but has come up big in important games. He pitched in both games that were a must win against the Dodgers. The end result was not necessarily a win for Lincecum, but a win for the Giants.

The Giants no longer allow Buster Posey to be the catcher in games that Lincecum pitches. I stated this in one of my previous posts, but I don't like to brag. This system works well for everybody. Lincecum pitches better, Sanchez gets some playing time, and Posey moves to first base to get his bat in the lineup more often.

Lincecum's next start is in Colorado. Now you know where to go, to see the Tim Lincecum Show.

The Beast in the East

Who will win the American League East?

Will the Rays put the arrow in the Yankees?

The New York Yankees have been injury plagued, but reinforcements may not be far away. The Orioles are flying high with the best record since the start of August. And The Rays are still shining, just 1.5 games out of first place.

The Blue Jays and the Red Sox are still respectable ball clubs, even though they are far out of competition. They can play playoff spoiler for the three teams competing to be the Beast in the East.

It will be fun to watch these three teams battle it out and the possibility of a game 163 is still eminent. Just think about the possibility of a team losing the tie breaker game 163 and then winning the wild card playoff game and going on to win the World Series. It would be incredibly difficult, but definitely possible.

Vote in the poll on the right side of the page.

The GranderDunn Effect

It is a familiar sight in baseball. At least one player every year is a victim of the GranderDunn effect. The effect can be explained as a fast player who stops utilizing their speed once they begin to hit home runs.

Granderson (Left) and Dunn (Right) at the 2012 All Star Game

Curtis Granderson has stolen 20 or more bases in a season in three different seasons. When Granderson was traded to the Yankees he took advantage of the short porch in right field. In 2010 Granderson hit 24 home runs and stole 12 bases. In 2011 he played a full season, and was rather successful, hitting 41 home runs and stealing 25 bases. The 2012 season is where the GranderDunn effect enters play. Granderson is now known as a power hitter and he hit 34 home runs over 131 games in 2012, but has stolen just 8 bases.

Granderson has not only given up his speed to the power of home runs, but also his batting average. In 2012 he has a career low .235 batting average. Curtis Granderson is slowly becoming Adam Dunn.

This can also be seen in players such as Grady Seizmore, Corey Hart, and Alfonso Soriano. Andrew McCutchen may also be sacrificing stolen bases for home runs to the GranderDunn effect in seasons to come.




Thanks and credit to Mark Suleymanov for contributing the witty name .

Boston Goes Hollywood

With the completion of the colossal trade four great players on the Red Sox will head to Los Angeles to play for the Dodgers. The Dodgers will receive right handed starting pitcher Josh Beckett, left handed hitting first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, switch hitting utility player Nick Punto and the currently injured left handed speed demon Carl Crawford. The Dodgers will absorb $258M out of the total $270M.

Carl Crawford had Tommy John Surgery just this week and will not be able to play until next season. Crawford is clearly a long term replacement for the Dodgers' trade deadline acquisition Shane Victorino. Adrian Gonzalez is also a long term stay at first base. Gonzalez has multiple gold gloves and multiple All Star Game appearances. Beckett is having a down year with a 5.23 ERA, but his ERA over his career is 3.93 and in Dodger Stadium that will be much lower.

The Red Sox will get first baseman James Loney and a bundle of prospects. Those prospects are right handed pitcher Allen Webster, infielder Ivan De Jesus, OF/1B Jerry Sands and right handed pitcher Rubby De La Rosa. All are top prospects in the Dodgers organization.

Earlier in the season the Dodgers traded for Hanley Ramirez, Randy Choate, Brandon League, Shane Victorino, and Joe Blanton. They have a great combination of power and speed in their lineup and a powerful pitching rotation.

Dee Gordon is expected back soon, so lets check out the lineup followed by the players slash line (AVG/OBP/SLG)

SS - Dee Gordon - .229/.280/.282
LF - Shane Victorino - .256/.318/.389
CF - Matt Kemp - .333/.398/ .588
1B - Adrian Gonzalez - .300/.343/.469
3B - Hanley Ramirez - .261/.331/.457
RF - Andre Ethier - .284/ .352/.453
C   -  AJ Ellis - .281/.387/.426
2B - Adam Kennedy - .261/.339/.344
P

The pitching rotation followed by the pitchers' ERA

L. Clayton Kershaw 2.87 ERA
R. Chad Billingsley 3.55 ERA
L. Chris Capuano 3.38 ERA
R. Joe Blanton 5.02 ERA
R. Josh Beckett 5.23 ERA

Don't forget about the bullpen anchored by closer Kenley Jansen (1.93 ERA), Elbert (2.23 ERA), and lefty specialist Randy Choate (3.86 ERA).

The Dodgers a force to be reckoned with this season and seasons to come. While the Red Sox have offically entered rebuilding.




Thanks to Mark Sulymanov for contributing the title of this article.

Houston, We Have a Problem

A rocket may be returning to Earth. No, this isn't astronomy class. I'm talking about a possible comeback from the The Rocket, Roger Clemens. The 354 game winner recently won his court case in which he was previously charged with perjury for pleading innocent when accused of using performance enhancing drugs.

The Rocket was one of my favorite players and to be I honest I was really upset when I heard he took steroids. Well anyway he signed with an Independent League and worked out for the team. Reports say he hit 87 MPH on the radar gun. He is 50 years old a possible comeback would be fun to watch.

It was also stated that the scout for the Astros was at the workout.  If the Astros sign Clemens, he will probably come cheap and will definitively put people in their seats to see the Rocket one more time.  

Big News

Yesterday Felix Hernandez became the first Mariners pitcher to throw a perfect game and the 23rd all time. King Felix did not allow a single Ray to reach base in a 1-0 win. Hernandez struck out 12 batters in that game and was overall just masterful. His record improved to 11-5 and his ERA was lowed to 2.60 on the season. You can consider him a Cy Young Award candidate. Congrats to Felix Hernandez. Felix Hernandez is 26 years old and has won a Cy Young Award, been an All-Star multiple times, and now has pitched a perfect game. He has collected 96 wins with a struggling offense over an 8 year career with a 3.17 ERA. Most importantly Hernandez has avoided major injuries. In 2015 King Felix will be a free agent and he can expect a mega contract.

Also in the news yesterday was Melky Cabrera being suspended for 50 games. Melky tested positive for a PED (Performance Enhancing Drug.) The substance was later classified as testosrone. Melky has been a major part of the success of the Giants this season. Melky has set career highs in batting average (.346), on base percentage (.390), and slugging percentage (.516). It is a shame that players try to get around the drug testing.

You're My HIRO-ki

Hiroki Kuroda was the hero of New York City last night as he pitched a complete game shutout against the Texas Rangers. He also flirted with a no hitter through 6 innings. The Texas Rangers have been shutout only two times prior this season. Once on June 6 by Bartolo Colon and on July 14 by Felix Hernandez. The Rangers' offense is one of the most deadly in all of baseball. With big bats in the middle of lineup such as Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre and speed at the top of lineup like Elvis Andrus.

Kuroda has been a huge signing for the Yankees this season. In the off season Kuroda joined the team after signing a 1 year deal worth $10 Million. The Yankees' rotation has been struggling and injury contaminated the entire season, but Kuroda has shown he can pitch in both the American and National League. The 37 year old has a 3.06 ERA over 159 innings pitched earning him 11 wins and picking up 121 strikeouts over that span.

Kuroda was hitting in the low to mid 90's on the radar gun last night and was doing it with accuracy. He contemplated retirement in the off season, but I think he can pitch for many more years.  

Rest In Peace Johnny Pesky

At the age of 92 another beloved baseball player passes away. He served in World War II and had a successful baseball career. He was a hero on and off the field. Pesky's number is retired by the Boston Red Sox and is the only Red Sox's retired number not to be in the Hall of Fame. He wasn't just named Pesky, he was a pesky hitter. Johnny held a career .307 batting average and a .389 on base percentage over his wartime shortened 10 year career.

In Fenway Park the right field foul pole is closer than any other field due to the park's odd dimensions. That pole was named after Johnny Pesky because people who saw him play said that was the only spot he could hit a home run. In 1270 games played the infielder hit a total of 17 home runs, but made his presence seen while on the diamond.

RIP Johnny Pesky 1919-2012

You will be remembered.

MLB Trade Rumors Widget

The new addition to Hayes Craze Baseball can be seen on the right hand side of the page. For every move happening in and around major league baseball you can check the updated feed on MLB Trade Rumors.

One Third

There is only one third of the season remaining on the schedule for most teams around baseball. The wild card and division races are close and may come down to the 162nd game once again. So which players put their team in the position they are now?

The Monarchy Reins Over Detroit

The Tigers of course have ridiculous amounts of production from Miguel Cabrera (.326 AVG,  29 HR, .592 SLG, 95 RBI) and Prince Fielder (.310 AVG, 19 HR, .514 SLG, 80 RBI), but the reason for their success has been Austin Jackson. The lead off batter has a .405 on base percentage and is 10/15 in stolen base attempts this season. If Jackson wasn't on base. The King Cabrera and Prince Fielder combo would all be solo homers.  

The Angels have the most dangerous core group of players in the MLB. In the rotation Jered Weaver, CJ Wilson and Zack Greinke are a force to be reckoned with. In the lineup Mike Trout (.346 AVG, 20 HR, .601 SLG, 60 RBI, 36/39 SB), Mark Trumbo (.289 AVG, 28 HR, .568 SLG, 72 RBI), and Albert Pujols (.285 AVG, 24 HR, .527 SLG, 76 RBI). The Angels are getting a lot of production from the rotation and the lineup if they can keep it up in the final third they will make the playoffs.

The Nationals have been heavily relying on pitching. Strasburg (2.97 ERA), Zimmerman (2.45 ERA), Gonzalez (3.34 ERA), Jackson (3.56) and Detwiler (2.99 ERA) anchor the team. The key to this team is to be successful after Strasburg is shut down. Strasburg is just 40 innings away from his innings limit. When he is shut down how will that effect the rest of the rotation? The Nationals might give some way to the Braves.

Batting Average

We have passed the days when a guy can hit .400 in a season, but high batting averages are still present. In 2012 the highest batting averages are .369 by Andrew McCutchen, .354 by Melky Cabrera, and .348 by Mike Trout.

A lot of people today think on base percentage is more important that batting average and in some ways it is. If a guy is on base more often than the average player his team has a better chance of scoring a run than the other team. But if a player gets hits instead of walks, runs are more likely to score, because runners on base can advance more than one base at a time. The top on base percentages are .465 by Joey Votto, .429 by Andrew McCutchen, and .420 by David Wright.

A player with a high on base percentage but a generally low batting average can be valuable as a lead off hitter, while a player with a high batting average but low on base percentage can be more valuable as a number three hitter.

The general threshold between a good and an excellent batting average is .300. So far this season there are 27 players with a batting average of .300 or greater. In 2011 there was only 25 players over the threshold, in 2010 just 23, but in 2009 there were 42 players with a .300 or greater batting average. The reason for the sudden drop in contact hitters? A new era of the pitcher.    

This season there are 44 starting pitchers with a batting average against of just .250. That means they are allowing just one hit per inning pitched. In 2011 the number of starting pitchers with a batting average against lower than .250 was 42. In 2010 it was 45 and in 2009 it was just 33.

Over the past 3 seasons the shift between hitting an pitching has changed. The pitchers dominate the game and won't allow as many hits as they used to. With a new age of lights out relievers hits are less likely to come late in ball games. You can bet that the players with a .300+ batting average next year will be lower.

Ted Williams vs Aroldis Chapman

It would most certainly be a historic at bat. A dominant flame throwing left handed pitcher from Cuba vs the left handed hitting American War hero Ted Williams.

Ted Williams played from 1939-1960, but had to sacrifice the prime of his career to fight in World War II. Williams held a career batting average of .344 and hit .406 in 1941. With over 2600 hits in his career Ted Williams is considered one of the best players ever. The picture to the left is a display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. It displays the batting average of Ted Williams if a pitch is thrown in a specific location. Click on the photo to enlarge it to see the numbers better. Ted Williams worst location is down and in at .230. National's outfielder Rick Ankiel has an overall batting average of .228 in 2012 and is getting paid $1.25 Million. You can now put into perspective how valuable Ted Williams would be today.

Aroldis Chapman is only in the third year of his Major League career. His fastball has clocked in at 106 miles per hour and on average is over 100 miles per hour. The video to the above explains why he throws so hard and is so dominant. 88% of the time his blistering fast ball is going to come over the plate. Against left handed hitter Aroldis Chapman's fast ball lands most often in the upper right hand quadrant of the strike zone. Now Chapman also throws his slider 12% of the time you must take that into consideration. The slider wasn't use very much in the 1940's, but is virtually used by every pitcher today. I'll handicap the experiments and use only Chapman's fast ball in the at bats.

This season against Chapman left handed batters have a .109 batting average against him. In 1941 they didn't keep statistics for batting average against left handed pitching, but Ted Williams had success against 1941 all star left hander Thorton Lee. I don't think Williams was neutralized by left handed pitching.  Chapman is still dominate vs all batters with an over .126 batting average against.

In 1976 the fastest pitch ever record was clocked at 100.0 miles per hour by J.C. Richard. So until 1976 there had never been a pitch faster than 100 miles per hour. It's safe to say that Ted Williams never faced a pitcher throwing that hard in 1941. Ted Williams did face pitchers who doctored the baseball (Using illegal substances to enhance the pitch.)

There are so many intangibles and unavailable statistics involved in this experiment. Its safe to say it is close to impossible to determine if in four at bats Aroldis Chapman can get Ted Williams, but I am not going to leave you without giving you a number. In 1941 Ted Williams was on track to get 406 hits in 1,000 at bats, so his chances of getting a hit can be represented by the fraction 406/1,000. So far in 2012 Aroldis Chapman gives up a hit 126 times out of 1000 at bats. That can be represented by the fraction 126/1000. By multiplying the two fractions together you can get the probability of a hit in one at bat. This results in 51,156/1,000,000. This can be represented as 5.1%.

In one at bat against Aroldis Chapman Ted Williams will have a 5.1% chance of getting a hit, but the bet was in 4 at bats. In 4 at bats the percentage increases to 20.4%, but in 19 at bats the percentage increases to 96.9%. In 8 at bats the percentage would be 40.8% and his batting average in 1941 was 40.6%.

To put this in perspective in 4 at bats Ted Williams will have a 20.4% chance of getting a hit. In 20 at bats it is safe to say he will defiantly have a hit. Remember there are a lot of intangibles and unavailable statistics. Vote in the poll to your left on whether you think the same of differently

Brotherly Love

The City of Brotherly Love made another move yesterday. Starting pitcher Joe Blanton was traded to the Dodgers for cash or a player to be named later. The Dodgers missed on trading for Ryan Dempster, so they downgraded a bit and got Joe Blanton. Blanton hasn't been terrible in 2012, holding a 4.59 ERA over 133.1 innings pitched. The Dodgers also claimed Cliff Lee off of waivers. The Phillies will have to withdraw Lee from waivers or he and his contract will be taken by the Dodgers.

Another story about brotherly love involves two brothers in baseball. Both Justin and BJ Upton hit a home run last night. Their homers were significant because for both of them it was the 100th of their career. Justin Upton plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks and is 24 years old. BJ Upton plays for the Tampa Bay Rays and is 27 years old. What a coincidence that two bothers playing for different teams will hit their 100th home run on the same day. Congrats to both of them.

The West is the Best

The power shifted to West Coast teams at the trade deadline today. Players with a big impact have moved to teams in the Western divisions. It was an entertaining trade deadline and plenty of teams made changes. Lets cover all of them in chronological order.

 The Rangers acquired catcher Giovanni Soto from the Chicago Cubs for minor league pitcher Jake Brigham. That wasn't the only move the Rangers would make before the deadline.

The Braves we're a very sneaky team after they were out of the Ryan Dempster trade talks. They acquired outfielder Reed Johnson and and starting pitcher Paul Maholm. Maholm has a 3.74 ERA in 120.1 innings this year and Johnson has a .307/.361/.452 slashline this season. The Braves only gave up pitchers Jaye Chapman and Arodys Vizcaino.

The Blue Jays and Pirates swap outfielder Travis Snider and reliever Brad Lincoln. Snider hasn't performed well this year in his short time in the big leagues and hasn't been great in his career. Lincoln has a 2.73 ERA this season out of the bullpen for the Pirates.

The Dodgers traded for right handed reliever Brandon League of the Mariners. League will take his 3.63 ERA to the Dodgers in exchange for prospects Leon Landry and Logan Bawcom.

The Dodgers weren't done there. They woke up in the morning and acquired gold glove outfielder Shane Victorino. Victorino is 31 years old and is in the last year of his contract. Victorino will help the Dodgers at the top of the lineup and be on base for when Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier come up to bat. Victorino brings his speed and .324 on base percentage to the Dodgers in exchange for pitching prospect Ethan Martin and major league reliever Matt Lindbolm.

To counteract the trade for Victorino and to boost their own lineup the Giants traded for right fielder Hunter Pence. Pence is still under team control for next year and has been effective for the Phillies, but will bring his talents to the Giants. Pence is 29 years old and in 2012 he has a .336 on base percentage and 17 home runs. Nate Schierholtz, minor league pitcher Seth Rosin and catcher Tommy Joeseph will go to Philadelphia.

The Cardinals will bolster their bullpen with Edward Mujica. Mujica has a 4.38 ERA in 2012 with the Marlins. He will be a definite help down the line. Third base prospect Zack Cox will go to the Marlins.

The Red Sox showed that they are not out of competition for the American League Wild Card. They held onto all aspects of their team and added a reliever. Lefty Craig Breslow will go to Boston in exchange for pitcher Matt Albers and outfielder Scott Podsednik. Breslow has a 2.70 ERA this season with the Arizona Diamond Backs.

After getting Snider the Pirates were not done. They added struggling first baseman Gaby Sanchez from the Miami Marlins. Sanchez lost his job due to the acquisition of Carlos Lee. Sanchez is hitting just .202/.250/.306 this season, but he has done much better in his career. Pitcher Kaminska will also go to Pittsburgh in exchange for Gorkys Hernandez and a future draft pick.

The Reds were unsuccessful in getting a lead off hitter, but they did strengthen their already fantastic bullpen. They added Jonathon Broxton. Broxton will head to Cincinatti for pitchers Donnie Joseph and J.C. Sulbaran. Broxton has a 2.27 ERA this season with the Kansas City Royals and will set up for Aroldis Chapman.

Back to the Rangers. They traded for starting pitcher Ryan Dempster. Dempster was the biggest fish on the market coming into the last day before the deadline. He has pitched 104 innings with a 2.25 ERA in 2012. The Rangers gave up minor league third baseman Christian Villanueva and pitcher Kyle Kendricks. The deal was completed with seconds remaining before the deadline.

The final acquisition of the day was completed by the New York Yankees. With Alex Rodriguez heading to the DL the Yankees needed a part time third baseman. The two teams exchanged reliever Chad Qualls and third baseman Casey McGehee. McGehee has history of success and will have a chance to prove it in New York. The Yankees won't miss Qualls because Joba Chamerlain is back on the team from an injury.

Teams can still make trades with players who pass through waivers. Possible players to move are bench players, relievers, and players with big salaries.

The biggest winners of the day were the Giants and Dodgers. They will be in competition with each other down the line and both made moves to beat each other.

The South Side Strikes Back

After the Tigers acquired Anibal Sanchez and Omar Infante it was clear that the White Sox needed to make another move. With an already strengthened bullpen and a legitimate starting lineup the White Sox needed to add a starting pitcher. Fransisco Liriano joined the pitching staff today after being traded from the Minnesota Twins for infielder Eduardo Escobar and pitcher Pedro Hernandez.

Liriano was the second choice for the White Sox, after they couldn't get Zach Greinke. Greinke was traded to the Angels, but the White Sox were heavily pursuing him. Liriano has a lot of success in the past, but in recent years he hasn't performed well. With a 5.31 ERA over 100 inning in 2012 Liriano has been struggling. Maybe with a new team the left hander can turn things around. Liriano will join a rotation anchored by Chris Sale and Jake Peavy.  


On an additional note the Arizona Diamond Backs have acquired third baseman Chris Johnson from the Astros in exchange for outfielders Marc Krauss and Bobby Borchering. The D-Backs recently traded their starting third baseman Ryan Roberts to the Rays.

Come and Get Your Halo

Zach Greinke will be pitching for the Angels for at least the rest of 2012. The Angels sent top infield prospect Jean Segura and pitchers Ariel Pena and John Hellweg to the Brewers in exchange for Greinke. The Angels will make the their rotation even stronger than it already was.

With the addition of Greinke the rotation for the Angels will look just like the following:

Weaver: 13-1, 2.26 ERA, 89 K, 115 IP
Wilson: 9-6, 2.89 ERA, 108 K, 131 IP
Greinke: 9-3, 3.44 ERA, 122 K, 123 IP
Haren: 7-8, 4.76 ERA, 89 K, 109 IP
Richards/Santana

Greinke has never pitched in a big market. The Royals and the Brewers don't pack stadiums and don't put too much pressure on the players. Greinke will be put on the spot and will have to perform. He may be working for a possible extension with the Angels if he performs well. He won't be the ace of the staff in Anaheim, so the pressure may not be all on him. With more run support and the excitement of a playoff race i expect Greinke to shine with the sun in Anaheim.