Merry Christmas, Oakland A’s fans, you can finally say goodbye to that dumpy green impostor of a baseball field.
According to Bob Nightengale at USA Today, MLB has assured A’s owner Lew Wolff that he will in fact be given permission to move the franchise 40 miles south to San Jose.
The move is long overdue. The Oakland Coliseum (what are they calling it now?) was already an obsolete stadium just after the Oakland Athletics moved there in 1968. Then when Al Davis and his Oakland Raiders were allowed to return from their 13-year stay in southern California, the football team took precedence over the baseball team. Read more... (380 words, 2 images, estimated 1:31 mins reading time)
It is just a little over 2 months until Spring Training begins and already the focus is narrowing onto several teams that made some big moves in the off season so far.
The main focus will of course be on the Marlins who made the most noise this off season and everyone will be watching to see how their gamble has paid off. Everyone wants to know just how Pujols will do in south Florida. Everyone wants to see how the team’s chemistry will mesh. Everyone wants to see if the Marlins can give the perennial NL East Phillies a run for their money both in players and on the field. Read more... (482 words, 1 image, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)
Here’s what I would like in my baseball stocking. I really do wish the Yankees and or Mets would do something of some positive significance this off season. I can believe the Mets let Reyes go and frankly I can deal with that. I guess the Mets figure they aren’t going to be contending for a few years so they might as well keep their young talent. Hopefully the core of Duda, Davis, Tejada and Murphy can mature into a winning formula. Hopefully before David Wright gets too old. So I have come to terms with the Mets not doing anything. I don’t think Santa will bring me anything in the form of a Mets upgrade. Read more... (354 words, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)
The Texas Rangers may have lost their ace in C.J. Wilson to the rival Los Angeles Angeles, but the Rangers have plans to fill that void with arguably one of the most talented Japanese pitching prospects in quite some time—Yu Darvish.
It was announced Monday night that the Rangers were the highest bidders for Darvish. However, sources say that it cost the team $51.7 million, but that was just for the right to sign Darvish. The club has 30 days to negotiate with Darvish and his representatives, meaning that the total investment for the Rangers will easily top $100 million. Read more... (290 words, estimated 1:10 mins reading time)
The baseball off season remains in full swing and signings and trade news and rumors coming out on a daily basis.
Just in the last little while, the news that the Reds had sent right-hander Edinson Volquez and 3 of it’s top 10 prospects to the Padres for right-hander Matt Latos. Word also came out today that the Phillies have signed Jimmy Rollins to a new 3 year deal with a 4th year vesting option. Read more... (370 words, 1 image, estimated 1:29 mins reading time)
The Rockies have agreed to a 3 year $31.5 million contract (pending a physical next week, with 32-year-old outfielder Michael Cuddyer. But when he puts on a Rockies uniform he will be much more than just a left fielder.
Cuddyer is one of those rare players who can contribute to a team on multiple levels. He can play both corners of the outfield but he can also play first and third base. With the Rockies giving veteran first baseman Todd Helton days off to rest at the end of his career, Cuddyer fits in well as a replacement on those days when Helton doesn’t play. He also can fit into the lineup in several spots as well. The Rockies could use him at #5 behind shortstop Troy Tulowitzki or at #6 if the Rockies want the left-handed-hitting Helton to continue to bat behind Tulowitzki. Read more... (431 words, 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)
The 2011 Gibby Award winners were announced Friday night handing out trophies to big name players and World Series champions alike.
The Gibby Awards determined through a comprehensive six-week voting process that was weighted 25 percent apiece to national and local media members; front-office personnel; former players; and fan balloting at MLB.com. In the last 4 years, fans have cast more than 40 million votes in 19 online categories.
This year, player of the year honors went to the Dodgers Matt Kemp who finished the season with 39 homers, a .326 batting average, 126 RBIs, and 40 stolen bases. Kemp garnered 33.2% of the vote followed by Blue Jays Jose Bautista, Detroit‘s Miguel Cabrera and the Brewers Ryan Braun. Read more... (445 words, 1 image, estimated 1:47 mins reading time)
The latest mlb trade rumors have the Mets now in on A’s young ace Gio Gonzalez. (Whose name somehow reminds me of a character on Laverne and Shirley, no idea why…) But back to the point, the Mets are interested in acquiring another young stud pitcher. Gonza is only 26, lefty who over the last two years he’s won 15 and 16 games on a A’s team that was just as bad as the Mets. Over those last two years his whip has been 1.311 and 1.317. Can you say consistent? He’s pitched 200 innings over each of those years. He tends to be a bit wild (91 and 92 walks) but hey you’re not going to be perfect at 26. (And if he was, the Mets wouldn’t have the chips to trade for him.) His WAR has been 4.2 and 5.0. Best of all for the Mets who have suddenly become a small market team his salary is a mere $420,000. Read more... (330 words, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)
I’ve pretty much all but given up on the Mets doing anything exciting this off season. The Mets are now in wait for our talent to mature mode. Hopefully they will be fun to watch. They should certainly pose interesting to watch.
Now as for the “if we don’t win the World Series we are a failure” Yankees they need to do something. They have so far for all intents and purposes stayed with the team they had last year. Good news that team won 97 games. Bad news, it wasn’t enough to get them out of the first round of the playoffs. More bad news, the Angels are a now suddenly a whole lot better. Potentially bad news, Granderson and Nova had really good years last year, a career year for Grandy and an awesome rookie start for Nova. You can’t bet on them repeating those. Nova is still not a known commodity and Grandy well he can’t do that every year. So what will the Yanks do? Read more... (507 words, estimated 2:02 mins reading time)
Baseball has once again disappointed me. Between Ryan Braun’s positive test for PEDs and the reinstatement of 2 time offender Manny Ramirez, baseball has once again been diminished.
Everyone talks about the steroids era. They talk about it as if all steroid usage was concentrated to just those years. That outside of that and due to the fact that MLB thinks they have taken some kind of action against steroid usage, that it is no longer an issue. That no one playing now or outside of the steroid era is using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs). Maybe someone needs to check MLB execs for drug usage because that’s just ignorant. Read more... (605 words, 1 image, estimated 2:25 mins reading time)
