Baseball Blogs Weigh In

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Manny, Phillies

By Mike Axisa | September 10, 2010 at 11:45am CDT

On this date in 1969, the Mets moved into sole possession of first place for the first time in franchise history. They swept the Expos in a doubleheader to move ahead of the Cubs by a full game in the NL East. The Miracle Mets went on to defeat the Orioles in the Fall Classic for the first World Championship in their history, more than eight years after they played their first ever game.

Let's take a look at some links from around the baseball netweb…

Yankeeist chatted with Alex Langsam, a Baseball Operations Assistant in the Pirates' front office who reports directly to GM Neal Huntington.
The Sports Virus interviewed Huston Street about the topic of pitching injuries, an unavoidable evil.
1 Blue Jays Way spoke with Luis Rivera, manager of the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, a Blue Jays minor league affiliate.
Play A Hard Nine examines Colby Rasmus' trade value following his fall-out with the Cardinals.
Meanwhile, Capitol Avenue Club tries to figure out what it would take for the Braves to acquire Rasmus.
The Hardball Times projects Manny Ramirez's performance for the White Sox.
Crashburn Alley wonders if the Phillies' offense is just inconsistent, or if their core players are in decline.
River Ave. Blues says that after searching all winter, the Yankees found their left fielder in Brett Gardner.
Cubs Pack looks at Chicago's 2011 rotation, which MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith did just yesterday.
DRays Bay muses about the responsibility of the baseball media.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Francoeur, Lilly, Loney

By Mike Axisa | September 3, 2010 at 11:54am CDT

On this date two years ago, instant replay was used for the first time in baseball history, resolving a fair or foul call on an Alex Rodriguez home run against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Third base umpire Brian Runge originally called the ball a homer, and that call stood upon further review. Numerous umpire gaffes have some clamoring for expanded use of instant replay, but so far Major League Baseball hasn't budged.

Here's a look at what's been written around the baseball blogosphere…

Amazin' Avenue looks at the illogicality of the Jeff Francoeur trade.
Meanwhile, Baseball Time In Arlington recaps the last trade of the season.
North And South Of Royal Brougham suggests Ted Lilly for the 2011 Mariners.
The Process Report explains how the Rays used Jose Lobaton to manipulate their potential playoff roster.
Cubs Pack provides Jim Hendry with an offseason to-do list.
True Blue LA wonders what the Dodgers should do with James Loney.
Capitol Avenue Club hands out some Braves minor league awards.
Disciples of Uecker compares Yovani Gallardo's contract to those of some other great young pitchers.
Saber By The Bay has some good news for Tigers fans looking ahead to next season.
Midwest Sports Fans builds a roster of players who played for the Indians and White Sox, a la Manny Ramirez.
The Nats Blog thinks it's time for Nyjer Morgan to go.
MLB Depth Charts created the Tommy John Surgery Tracker in the wake of Stephen Strasburg's injury.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Lee, Feliz, Braves, Kershaw

By Mike Axisa | August 20, 2010 at 9:33am CDT

On this date two years ago, umpires agreed to the use of instant replay to help determine boundary calls, such as fair or foul, on home runs. Expanded use of instant replay remains a hot topic in baseball, and even though Commissioner Bud Selig continues to dance around the subject, more replay feels inevitable at this point.

Here are a bunch of links from around the baseball blogosphere…

Mike Ashmore's Thunder Thoughts interviews players and team personnel about minor league life, touching on everything from salary to housing to food, the whole nine. It's a long, but truly great read.
Capitol Avenue Club analyzes the Derrek Lee trade.
Pine Tar and Pocket Protectors says that Pedro Feliz is not the answer for the Cardinals.
Beyond The Box Score looks at which teams are building the best bullpens on the cheap.
Amazin' Avenue tries to figure out who should close for the Mets with Francisco Rodriguez out for the season.
Royals Review questions whether or not Kansas City has something in Bryan Bullington.
The Few, The Proud, The Brave looks ahead to Atlanta's offseason as well as the 2011 season.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. tries to figure out if the Pirates should start spending this offseason.
The Process Report lists the Rays' farmhands eligible for this year's Rule 5 Draft.
SD Sports Net wonders if the Padres whiffed by failing to sign first rounder Karsten Whitson.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness uses Ricky Romero's new contract as a basis for a Clayton Kershaw contract extension.
Baseball Time In Arlington examines the hidden value of Cliff Lee.
Camden Crazies wonders if Brad Bergesen is back to being an effective pitcher.
1 Blue Jays Way introduces us to Toronto's prospects.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Royals, Rays, Burrell

By Mike Axisa | August 13, 2010 at 11:00am CDT

On this date 41 years ago, Major League owners unanimously elected Bowie Kuhn to a seven-year term as commissioner. It was under Kuhn that the reserve clause was eliminated, paving the way for free agency as we know it.

We've got a lot of links to get to, so let's dive right in…

Joe Posnanski tries to determine who the worst everyday player in baseball is.
Royals Review breaks down all the changes the Royals have gone through since the start of last season.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness congratulates Garret Anderson on the worst offensive season in Dodgers history.
Bright House Sports Network looks at the Rays' history of waiver trades, plus some names they might target this month.
The Process Report wonders if this season will be Dan Wheeler's last stand in Tampa.
DRays Bay tries to figure out if Gabe Kapler should be designated for assignment.
Disciples of Uecker thinks the Jim Edmonds–Chris Dickerson trade was the best for everyone.
Around The Majors posted a two part series looking at the events that have brought Andres Torres' career back from the dead (parts one & two).
Meanwhile, Joe Pawlikowski at FanGraphs examines Pat Burrell's resurgence since joining the Giants.
The Nats Blog breaks down Stephen Strasburg's first bump in the road.
Red Sox Beacon re-introduces us to Carlos Delgado.
U.S.S. Mariner looks at the job security of Major League managers, or the lack thereof.
Camden Crazies explains the Buck Showalter magic going on in Baltimore.
Randall On Baseball revisits the trade that sent Brandon Morrow to the Blue Jays for Brandon League.
Baseball 101 looks at a different way of valuing relievers based on the work of Bill James.
Baseball Analysts analyzed the Rule 5 Draft.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Park, Garza, Wieters

By Mike Axisa | August 6, 2010 at 5:30pm CDT

On this date four years ago, the Mets locked up franchise cornerstone David Wright to a six-year deal worth $55MM guaranteed. A club option for 2013 could put another $15MM in his pocket, and he's already earned an extra $300K in award based incentives. Wright, just 23 at the time and now a .307/.387/.517 career hitter, would have become a free agent after this season had he not opted for the long-term security. Can't say I blame him.

Here's a look at what's being written in the baseball corner of the blogging universe…

Mets Paradise hosts a post-trade deadline roundtable discussion with fellow Mets bloggers.
1 Blue Jays Way interviews Toronto prospect Danny Farquhar.
NPB Tracker recaps the deals made on the July 31st trade deadline in Japan.
River Ave. Blues wonders what would have happened if Alex Rodriguez hadn't opted out of his contract after the 2007 season.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. defends the Pirates' Chan Ho Park pick-up.
Bright House Sports Network thinks Matt Garza's time with the Rays may soon come to an end.
Camden Crazies looks at what's wrong with Matt Wieters.
SD Sports Net deciphers the Padres' deadline deals.
More Hardball breaks down the young players the Pirates have coming up through the system.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Berkman, Dunn, Dodgers

By Mike Axisa | July 30, 2010 at 9:23am CDT

On this date two years ago, Ichiro Suzuki picked up his 3,000th career hit with a first inning single against the Rangers. The hit was his 1,722nd in the big leagues, which came after he racked up 1,278 hits with the Orix Blue Wave in Japan's Pacific League. Including the postseason, the 36-year-old Ichiro has 3,456 career base hits to his credit, a staggering number no matter how you look at it.

Here is the latest from around the baseball blogosphere, a day before the non-waiver trade deadline…

Phoul Ballz spoke to Lakewood Blue Claws manager Mark Parent about Jonathan Villar's inclusion in the Roy Oswalt deal. Parent managed Villar this season.
Pale Hose Pariah looks at the trade value of Lance Berkman and Brad Hawpe.
River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yankees swing a trade for Berkman to be the team's designated hitter.
1 Blue Jays Way breaks down to the Anthony Gose–Brett Wallace swap.
The Process Report tackles the Adam Dunn to the Rays rumor.
Meanwhile, SD Sports Net wants to see the Padres trade for Dunn.
Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness explains why the Dodgers shouldn't add a starter before the deadline.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. calculates Paul Maholm's trade value.
Scouting The Sally compares the trade value of top prospects Jesus Montero and Wilmer Flores.
Blogging From The Bleachers breaks down the various Cliff Lee hauls.
Bleacher GM steps into Dave Dombrowski's shoes for a little while.
More Hardball looks back at some terrible trades from the 1990's.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Gillies, Oswalt, Hart, Lilly

By Mike Axisa | July 23, 2010 at 12:06pm CDT

On this date ten years ago, a 36-year-old Barry Larkin signed a three-year contract extension with the Reds worth $27MM. This came a day after Larkin invoked his ten-and-five rights to block a trade to the Mets, who agreed to send then-top prospect Alex Escobar and two others to Cincinnati. New York dealt Melvin Mora and three other players to Baltimore for Mike Bordick five days later, filling their shortstop hole. Larkin, the first 30-30 shortstop in baseball history, hit just .257/.328/.372 during the life of the extension.

Here are some links with the trade deadline seemingly right around the corner…

Phoul Ballz interviews Phillies' prospect Tyson Gillies, who was acquired in the Cliff Lee trade this winter.
Crawfish Boxes lists the players they would want if Roy Oswalt is traded to the Cardinals.
Ghost of Moonlight Graham looks at the trade market for Corey Hart.
Disciples of Uecker explains how the Brewers screwed up the J.J. Hardy trade.
Twinkie Town reviews the Twins' trade deadline action from 2007-2009.
Monkey With A Halo provides a full-proof plan to fix the Angels in the second half.
The Baseball Opinion speculates about a Ted Lilly to the Mets trade.
The Friarhood looks at some ways to improve the Padres' outfield situation.
Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke? has some fun with a rumor involving Neftali Feliz.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Giants, Fielder, Lee

By Mike Axisa | July 16, 2010 at 9:38am CDT

On this date in 2001, Fred McGriff invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him from the last place Devil Rays to the first place Cubs. The Crime Dog was born and raised in Tampa, but he relented and agreed to the deal 11 days later. Tampa Bay received Manny Aybar and Jason Smith in return for McGriff, who was unquestionably the greatest player in franchise history at the time.

Hear are some links with the deadline rapidly approaching…

Mike Scioscia's Tragic Illness scouts the starting pitcher and relief pitcher market for the Dodgers.
Bleacher Report says the Giants would be filling one hole and creating another if they trade for Corey Hart.
Disciples of Uecker feels it is unrealistic to expect the Brewers to retain Prince Fielder long-term.
1 Blue Jays Way chimes in on the Yunel Escobar–Alex Gonzalez swap.
Meanwhile, Beyond the Box Score wonders how much Yunel Escobar's bad attitude cost the Braves.
Royals Review takes a quick look at the trade history between the Royals and Yankees.
El Lefty Malo tries to nail down Jonathan Sanchez's trade value.
Yankeeist looks at some solutions for the Yankees' DH vacancy.
Gear Up For Twins Baseball has some suggestions to help improve the Twins.
River Ave. Blues wants to see the Yanks go for the kill and acquire Adam Dunn.
Sports: A Game of Inches analyzes the Cliff Lee non-trade to the Yanks and his eventual move to the Rangers in a four part series (parts one, two, three, four).

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Mets, Red Sox, Meek, Giants

By Mike Axisa | July 9, 2010 at 7:32pm CDT

On this date eight years ago, Major League Baseball's 73rd All Star Game ended after 11 innings in a 7-7 tie when both sides ran out of pitchers. Shortly thereafter, commissioner Bud Selig ruled that the All Star Game will determine home field advantage in the World Series, a still unpopular decision. The American League has won every Midsummer Classic since then, and 12 of the last 13 overall (the tie being the one exception).

This year's All Star Game is still four days away, so here are some links to keep you occupied until then…

Mets Paradise examines some trade scenarios for the Mets involving Ted Lilly and Octavio Dotel.
The Bottom Line finds some relievers on the trade market that could entice the Red Sox.
MLB Depth Charts lists (almost) every club's nearly big league-ready trade chips.
Pittsburgh Lumber Co. looks at the possibility of the Pirates turning Evan Meek, an All Star, into a starting pitcher.
The Dugout Report wonders if the Bengie Molina trade means the Giants are going for it, or packing it in.
Meanwhile, More Hardball catches up with the three Molina brothers.
River Ave. Blues lays out the case for the Yankees to acquire Kerry Wood.
Examiner looks at the consequences of Jake Peavy's injury for the White Sox.
The Baseball Opinion reviews the Mark Mulder trade following the lefty's retirement.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dawson, Ahrens, Rays, Lee

By Mike Axisa | July 2, 2010 at 1:11pm CDT

On this date in 1995, Dodgers right-hander Hideo Nomo became the first Japanese-born player in Major League history to be selected for the All Star Game. Nomo, then a 26-year-old rookie, took the big leagues by storm with his tornado windup and by posting a 1.99 ERA and 11.9 K/9 in 13 first half starts. The All-Star Game was just the tip of the iceberg for Nomo, who went on to win the Rookie of the Year award and finish fourth in the NL Cy Young voting.

Nomo's big league career spanned a dozen seasons with seven teams, and he retired with a 4.24 ERA and two no-hitters to his credit. He's credited with paving the way for Japanese players to permanently relocate to MLB.

Here are a few links from around the baseball blogosphere…

Phoul Ballz interviewed Hall of Famer Andre Dawson.
1 Blue Jays Way interviewed Toronto prospect Kevin Ahrens.
Bullpen Banter offers up a mid-season review of players who showed up to camp in the best shape of their lives.
DRaysBay puts together a wish list of players they really want the Rays to acquire.
Prospect Insider runs down the top prospects of the contenders in the Cliff Lee sweepstakes.
Feeling Dodger Blue says the time has come for Los Angeles to trade Matt Kemp and Russell Martin.
Mets Paradise wonders if the Mets would be interested in acquiring Carlos Zambrano.
Double Bobby Jones doesn't think Jerry Manuel should feel too comfortable despite the Mets' winning ways.

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

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