The Cincinnati Reds reached an agreement with All-Star second basemen Brandon Phillips on Tuesday. The deal is for six-years, $72.5 million dollars. In 2017 Phillips will make $14 million dollars. Continue reading “MLB Season 2012: Brandon Phillips, Reds Reach Six-Year Deal”
“I respect Fidel Castro. You know why? A lot of people have wanted to kill Fidel Castro for the last 60 years, but that (SOB) is still here.” – Ozzie Guillen, Miami Marlins manager
Well that didn’t take long. Continue reading “MLB Season 2012: Ozzie Guillen Needs To Learn A Valuable Lesson In Silence”
Week one of my weekly power rankings. After the first week we see some teams (Rays, Cardinals and Tigers) are better than even we could advertise. While others (Yankees, Braves and Red Sox) need to get it together quickly. I’ll have to try and figure out when the last time those three franchises were swept the first three games of the season at the same time. I’m also fully prepared for the backlash from Orioles fans. Continue reading “MLB 2012: Week One Power Rankings”
Joey Votto and Matt Cain are signs of the times in Major League Baseball.
While other sports might be battling for shares and pieces of pies for the players or more control for the owners, baseball is playing by, what seems to be, a completely different set of rules. Continue reading “MLB 2012: Joey Votto, Matt Cain Deals Show Baseball’s New Way Of Business”
In the National League, I don’t think the phrase “Senior Circuit” is as applicable as it once was.
Sure, there are no designated hitters, stadiums are generally larger and more accommodating to pitchers, the double-switch is as common as a Wrigley Field seventh inning stretch sung to “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” and yes the league does have Jamie Moyer.
Jokes aside, even with the exodus of Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder to the American League, the talent is as young and hungry as ever. Continue reading “MLB 2012 Predictions: National League Landscape Shaped By Young Talent”
In middle school, I read a book written by Orel Hershiser called Out Of The Blue. In it described a pitcher who, in 1988 and at top of the pitching world, was able to put together one of the finest seasons in recent baseball memory because he knew the importance of a regimen, focus, and not worrying about the outside influences that don’t involve the game of baseball.
In 2012, the Los Angeles Dodgers look to put some of the lessons from that book into play. Continue reading “MLB 2012 Preview: Los Angeles Dodgers’ Fortunes Changing In A Big Way”
Lets be honest, everyone wants Tim Lincecum on their team. No one who plays fantasy baseball is immune to not wanting one of Philadelphia’s “big three” of Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, or Cliff Lee.
Reality check: there are only so many of those guys before you realize you’re gonna need a plan “B, C, D and E.” Continue reading “MLB Fantasy Baseball 2012: Three Sleeper Starters Who Bring Value After The “Aces””
“There were times when I could have went out on the free-agent market and see if the grass was greener but I really didn’t think that it was, I never wanted to play [anywhere else]. I’m a southern kid. I wanted to play in a southern town where I felt comfortable and I felt comfortable from day one in the Braves organization. I bleed red, white and blue.” -Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves, In front of media announcing his retirement after 2012 baseball season Continue reading “Major League Baseball 2012: Chipper Jones, As Always, Makes The Right Call At The Right Time”
In 2011 the National League East truly began to show us something. Continue reading “MLB 2012 Season Preview: National League East Division Race A Test Of Endurance, Player Development”