MLB Off-Season

Now that Spring Training has begun it’s time to get...

obitoftheday — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 13:30:00 -0500

Now that Spring Training has begun it’s time to get excited about the upcoming season. And we’re going to take a moment here to look forward to some of the milestones that some of game’s legends can surpass. Now most sites would bring your the traditional hits, HRs, wins, strikeouts, but with baseballreference.com’s Milestone Watch, that’s too easy. So instead let’s take a look at…

2012’s Mediocre Milestones

Jim Thome - Yes, the great Phillies slugger will surpass Sammy Sosa this year for 7th place on the all-time home run list but he could become the all-time leader in another category: strikeouts. Thome needs to whiff 110 more times to surpass the great Reggie Jackson. Needless to say, this record will probably garner Thome as much attention as he received when he hit homer #600 last season.

Ivan Rodriguez - One of the game’s greatest catchers (and alleged steroid user), Pudge is just about 150 hits away from 3,000. However, he’s only 13 groundballs away from becoming baseball’s all-time leader in grounded into double plays (GIDP). So let’s keep an eye on that. (The current all-time leader? Cal Ripken, Jr.)

Juan Pierre - Pierre signed a minor league deal with Thome’s Phillies this off-season giving the speedster a chance to reach the top five in caught stealing. Pierre is currently 8th, just behind HOFer Eddie Collins. If Pierre can average his normal 18 CS per season he will end the season tied with Dodger great Maury Wills. Good luck Juan!

Omar Vizquel - Just when you thought a 44-year-old couldn’t play anymore Vizquel signs a minor league deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. Vizquel, who has played 23 seasons, has a chance to move up the Outs Made board passing Brooks Robinson for 9th, and depending on whether he can get back to 300+ ABs, maybe Robin Yount. Fingers crossed.

So there you have it. Some baseball legends reaching for records they never wanted or didn’t know they had. Once again proving the greatness of our National Pastime.

-ə

(Image of Omar Vizquel is copyright of Harry How/Getty Images and courtesy of zimbio.com. Image of “Pudge” Rodriguez is copyright Al Bello/Getty Images and courtesy of zimbio.com. Image of Jim Thome is courtesy of thesportsbank.net. Image of Juan Pierre is courtesy of artofthepalehose.mlbblogs.com)

Ryan Braun wins appeal of drug violation, will not be suspended...

sugashane — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:35:00 -0500

Ryan Braun wins appeal of drug violation, will not be suspended via Larry Brown Sports.

Here’s what Larry Brown writes about Braun successfully appealing his PED test results:

Reigning NL MVP Ryan Braun has beaten the system. The Brewers outfielder will not be suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball for a violation of the league’s drug policy, according to Tom Haudricourt of theMilwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Haudricourt writes “Someone familiar with the decision said the appeal went Braun’s way not so much on contesting the result of the test but the testing process itself, some kind of technicality.”

Braun reportedly tested positive for elevated levels of synthetic testosterone during the playoffs. He accepted his MVP award and the MLB writers had no plans to re-vote on the award.

Braun is expected to report to spring training on Friday. He was the first of 13 players to successfully appeal a drug suspension case.

LBS goes on to give more details about the appeal and the MLB’s reaction, but the only real important news is that Braun successfully appealed the test results and his 50-game suspension and he will be eligible to play at the start of the season.

Fantasy geeks, set up your draft boards accordingly.

@Suga_Shane

“Like I say, I haven’t talked to them, but I prefer...

dangerghost — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 12:04:54 -0500

“Like I say, I haven’t talked to them, but I prefer not to use [El Hombre]. I still have the same respect for him as I had, not just for what he’s done in baseball but for what he did for his country. That’s something you have to appreciate.”

- Albert Pujols on being marketed with Stan “The Man” Musial’s Spanish moniker.

(Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times / February 22, 2012)

siphotos: Members of the media are reflected in the sunglasses...

winstonwolfe — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:15:09 -0500

siphotos:

Members of the media are reflected in the sunglasses of Red Sox pitcher Daniel Bard as he speaks during a news conference on Tuesday. Bard is moving from the bullpen to the starting rotation this season. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

LEMIRE: Valentine making big impression in first days with Red Sox
DIVISION PREVIEWS: AL East | AL Central | AL West | NL East | NL Central | NL West

kaityminaj: Had to be done. I’m just about all in on...

winstonwolfe — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:20:01 -0500

kaityminaj:

Had to be done.

I’m just about all in on the fact that the Bobby V. era is going to be a lot of fuckin’ fun.

badspringtrainingtwitpics: “OOOOH LOOGIT ME I INSTAGRAMMED IT!”...

dangerghost — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:20:37 -0500

badspringtrainingtwitpics:

“OOOOH LOOGIT ME I INSTAGRAMMED IT!” You’ll never guess which market Jaymee Sire covers. Thanks for that grainy wrinkle, Jaymee!

We can get down with Bad Spring Training Twitpics.

mrbrnmkg: Casey Stengel, wearing sunglasses, while playing...

winstonwolfe — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:28:58 -0500

mrbrnmkg:

Casey Stengel, wearing sunglasses, while playing outfield for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

“Cool attitude, bro.”

byronic: Hooray for spring training! via @MLB...

winstonwolfe — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 17:14:00 -0500

byronic:

Hooray for spring training!
via @MLB twitter

Busta Bust!

fuckyeahrays: battingcleanup: Baseball not only brings people...

waxandmilk — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 16:42:11 -0500

fuckyeahrays:

battingcleanup:

Baseball not only brings people together, but cats and dogs, too. (via Rays Facebook)

Picture of the day here.

The Rays are already leading the pre-season in “adorable”

thehappyrecap: Derek Jeter doing some early work Jeter...

winstonwolfe — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 11:48:43 -0500

thehappyrecap:

Derek Jeter doing some early work

Jeter displaying a range of about 16 inches to either side. Impressive.

New York remembers Gary Carter

deceptacle — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:02:44 -0500

New York remembers Gary Carter

Old Time Family Baseball: Tim Wakefield Retires, the Sun is Less Bright, the Sky is Less Blue

winstonwolfe — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 17:44:55 -0500

Old Time Family Baseball: Tim Wakefield Retires, the Sun is Less Bright, the Sky is Less Blue:

oldtimefamilybaseball:

In 2012, there will be one less knuckleballer in the Major Leagues; one less weirdo who doesn’t even need a full wind-up and relies on tricks and witches brews to get outs; one less pitcher whose fastball is that in name only. The mighty Tim Wakefield has retired.

I like to imagine that…

lambosaquarium: RIP

winstonwolfe — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:47:31 -0500

lambosaquarium:

RIP

siphotos: Gary Carter passed away this afternoon at age 57. The...

dangerghost — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 17:15:12 -0500

siphotos:

Gary Carter passed away this afternoon at age 57. The catcher played for four teams during his 19-year career (Expos, Mets, Giants, Dodgers) and made the all-star team 11 times. (Andrew C. Bernstein/Getty Images)

GALLERY: Rare Photos of Gary Carter

SHUT IT DOWN: BEST. MASCOT. EVER.

waxandmilk — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 19:09:00 -0500

SHUT IT DOWN: BEST. MASCOT. EVER.

Countdown to Opening Day!

sugashane — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 14:15:16 -0500

Countdown to Opening Day!

Happy Valentine’s Day, from Oliver Perez -KJ

deceptacle — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:47:58 -0500

Happy Valentine’s Day, from Oliver Perez

-KJ

Cuban defector and five-tool outfielder Yoenis (or Yoennis?...

obitoftheday — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:17:00 -0500

Cuban defector and five-tool outfielder Yoenis (or Yoennis? thoughts on that Topps?) Cespedes signed with the Oakland A’s for 4 years and $36 million. Although he’s a free agent at the end of the contract, it caught some folks by surprize. It shouldn’t have:

Cespedes, tired of the haggling just decided to go in alphabetical order by team nickname. (Unfortunately for the Angels his list had “A’s” and not “Athletics.”)
Before he defected to the Dominican Republic Cuba was showing the 1988 MLB season - without explaining it wasn’t live. Cespedes is excited to become the 3rd Bash Brother
In a misunderstanding Cespedes thought the A’s had Cocoa Krispies in the clubhouse. Awkward.
Cespedes loves elephants; especially white ones.
Moneyball was released in Cuba in 2011. He is jazzed to play with Jason Giambi, Kevin Youkilis and Scott Hatteberg.
He googled “reasons to move to Oakland.” Found this site. Deal cinched.
Cespedes hobby is the development of semi-conductors and nanotechnology. Excited about the A’s move to San Jose.
Wants to exert his tremendous political and social influence in helping to re-ignite the Occupy Oakland movement. He also hates Mayor Jean Quan.

So let’s back off. The Yoenis Cespedes era begins this spring in Oakland and he’s darn happy about it.

(Image is copyright of Topps Co. and courtesy of beckett.com)

-ə

Red Sox Truck Day! (Steve Silva / Globe Staff)

winstonwolfe — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:10:00 -0500

Red Sox Truck Day!

(Steve Silva / Globe Staff)

Will Carroll's Rndm Crap: Developing Pitchers

winstonwolfe — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:24:33 -0500

Will Carroll's Rndm Crap: Developing Pitchers: Pitchers & Catchers are just 10 days away. Start stretching out your brain with some good ol’ fashioned, nuts & bolts baseball talk.

willcarroll:

Since the dawn of the free agency era when pitching became scarcer and more expensive, teams have stopped treating pitchers like a fungible, replaceable commodity. Unfortunately, their strategies for keeping their pitchers straddling that mythical line between healthy and effective have been, at…