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2012 MLB Power Rankings – Week 2

Posted by on 20 April 2012, 1:26 am
The 2012 MLB season is still so young and you can bet that these rankings will look a lot different come June.

So far, in just two weeks this season is already surpassing baseball fans expectations as the competition is at an all time high.

Here are how things are looking at the end of Week 2…..wonder where your team ranked?

Enjoy!!

And feel free to disagree….

RANKS TEAM COMMENTS LAST
1 Texas Rangers Won 6 in a row; 9-1 in last 10. 5
2 Detroit Tigers Close second. 1
3 St. Louis Cardinals Who needs Albert when you got Freese? 3
4 Los Angeles Dodgers Owners brought some Magic, literally. 9
5 New York Yankees Yanks are just warming up. 4
6 Arizona Diamondbacks Ian Kennedy is the real deal. 6
7 Tampa Bay Rays Sweeping of Yanks finally wearing off. 2
8 Washington Nationals Marlins & Dodgers are coming…oh my. 11
9 Toronto Blue Jays Kyle Drabek looking a little like Roy Halladay. 10
10 Atlanta Braves Jones returns and team gets chipper. 22
11 New York Mets Mets fans feeling amazin’ again, watch out. 16
12 Philadelphia Phillies WANTED Ryan Howard, we are behind the Mets. 8
13 Los Angeles Angels Still waiting to click as a team. 7
14 Boston Red Sox Valentine’s Day is not a holiday in Beantown. 13
15 Milwaukee Brewers Bats are doing well but sloppy defense is unacceptable. 17
16 Miami Marlins Drama is settling…back to baseball again. 20
17 Baltimore Orioles Halos will test if the O’s are for real. 18
18 Chicago White Sox Finding themselves but tested Tigers. 23
19 Cincinnati Reds Is the little red machine breaking broken? Mediocrity doesn’t win games. 12
20 Seattle Mariners Thank you Yankees, we love your prospects. 19
21 San Francisco Giants Things have gone from freaky to scary. 14
22 Minnesota Twins M & M boys have played for two weeks with no DL stint. 27
23 Colorado Rockies Age before beauty. 26
24 Oakland A’s Yoenis Cespedes could really help a good team. 28
25 Cleveland Indians 1-4 at home?? Come on boys… 21
26 Kansas City Royals Falling fast in their own house. Regretting Zack Greinke trade now…?? 15
27 Pittsburgh Pirates Waiting for Burnett to revive them…with his bat. 24
28 Houston Astros Imagine this team in the AL? 2013…yikes! 29
29 Chicago Cubs Still rebuilding, is Epstein the messiah? 25
30 San Diego Padres You have to hit the ball in baseball. 30

Continue reading ‘2012 MLB Power Rankings – Week 2’ »

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New York Yankees: Losing But Not The Losers

Posted by on 29 September 2011, 4:01 am

No baseball fan could dream up a better finish to the regular season that is unless you are a Boston Red Sox, or Atlanta Braves fan.

Over the last month we saw the mighty Red Sox go from leading the AL East to destination unknown. It was hard to watch, even as a Yankee fan because truthfully I felt bad, the same way I did for the Mets in 2007.

This was the Red Sox team that Sports Illustrated proclaimed would win 100 games, on route to winning another World Series Championship in the magazine’s annual Baseball Preview issue.

Just try to conceive the mutiny that must be going on at ESPN?

ESPN is the sports equivalent of CNN, and minus my favorite expert Skip Bayless, the kitten caboodle made up of ex-players and the game’s most respected analysts must be in shock. Just Gordon Edes’ bold predictions alone are enough for any network to hang their heads in shame.

And let’s not forget about ESPN’s predicting machine that simulates a full season of 162 games, for all 30 teams and it picked the Red Sox too. Just read my preseason article, ESPN’s Baseball Machine Even Hates The Yankees to see exactly what a robot that was MADE IN BEANTOWN forecasted for this 2011 MLB season.

Truthfully, at the start of this historical Wednesday all my pity and heartfelt sentiments for my Yankees hated rivals had still not completely out the window.  The real moment it did was at the top of the 2nd inning; with two outs on the board and the bases loaded, Mark Teixeira had to go to hit a grand slam of ace David Price. And suddenly the scoreboard read 5-0; and I wanted the Yankees to lose.

Call me whatever you want because I deserve it. Anyone with a brain knows that the Yankees would be better off in the ALCS playing a team who went 7-20 in September, over a hot team like Tampa Bay who went 17-10 respectively; but during this game I did not care. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees: Losing But Not The Losers’ »

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MLB Trade Rumors: Could The Yankees New Pitching Project Be Scott Kazmir

Posted by on 17 June 2011, 4:08 am
Scott Kazmir

Image by essny via Flickr

MLB Trade Rumors is reporting that New York Yankees GM Brian Cashman is planning to take a look at Los Angeles Angels outcast and ex-Tampa Bay Ray pitcher Scott Kazmir.

On June 16 2011, Kazmir was officially released by the Halos following a disastrous start in Tripe-A where he was 0-5, with an ERA north of 17.

Kazmir only made one start for the club this season before being demoted to Triple-A, but since arriving in Anaheim via trade back in 2009, Kazmir has been on a steady decline.

He first surfaced back in 2004 as part of the Devil Rays where he remained until the Angels traded for him in 2009.

In his five plus seasons in Tampa Bay, Kazmir had a 55-44 record, posting a 3.92 ERA in 144 starts. Kazmir was good, named to two All-Star Teams in 2006 and 2008; and in 2007 he lead the majors in strikeouts, fanning 239 batters that season.

Since the beginning, Kazmir had continuously agonized from strains in his elbow and shoulder due to lacking a consistent release point. My guess is the Angels thought his mechanics were fixable, as Kazmir was only 6 feet tall, short by MLB pitching standards but easier to tweak. Also, being 25-years old at the time and a lefty didn’t hurt either.

Well, the relationship between Kazmir and the Halos resembled an arranged marriage that seemed doomed from the start.

Incoming with hurt feelings that the Rays let him go, Kazmir hasn’t been able to recover and has been so ineffective it is mind-boggling.

First Kazmir’s velocity went south; then he lost total command of his pitches and was accused for his lack of work ethic.

Who really knows, but fact remains that in 2010 things got ugly. As Kazmir finished with a 9-15 record in 28 starts, posting a 5.94 ERA, giving up a career high 99 earned runs, 25 home-runs and he only pitched 150 innings in total.

This season, the Halos gave him another shot to get it together. Kazmir imploded in his first outing and was sent down to Triple-A immediately, where he as been up until a few days ago.

Kazmir is now only 27-year-old, and without question has exhibited consistent dominance for long enough periods that will leave him with options, but it is now or never.

So, presumably you can bet the Yankees are not the only team thinking about inking him to minor league deal.

Dan Martin from the NY Post reports the New York Mets have shown interest, ironically the team drafted Kazmir before handing him over to the Devil Rays. Maybe a welcome homecoming of familiarity would work?

No doubt all the factors of a good comeback story are certainly here.

Whether Kazmir wants to pitch for the remainder of 2011 on a Minor League contract is what no one can verify. The Halos still owe him a $9 million dollar paycheck for the remainder of the season, so if he does sign somewhere it is not cause he needs the money.

As for what I think regarding the Yankees signing Kazmir on as their new project?

Well, whether Kazmir can get better depends on whether he can turn his bitterness into motivation.

So, my opinion is that I don’t really care because Kazmir would only be seen in the Bronx if he righted himself, and who doesn’t love a good bargain buy.

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New York Yankees Vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Vazquez Faces Garza

Posted by on 31 July 2010, 12:08 am

The New York Yankees Javier Vazquez will face Tampa Bay Rays Matt Garza on Saturday night at Tropicana Field.

Let’s take a look at game two’s match-up:

Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Garza (11-5)

Fresh off throwing the franchiser’s first no-hitter in its 13-year history, SP Matt Garza’s overall outlook doesn’t change much. Garza is still trying to get back to his 2008 form.

Garza likes pitching at home, even if home is Tropicana Field. At the Trop Garza has a .230  OBA against batters with runners in scoring position.

This season Garza has a 4.06 ERA in 128 innings. He has allowed 118 hits, 58 earned runs, giving up 18 homeruns and 41 walks. Four of the homeruns were given up on July 20 against the worst team in baseball, the Baltimore Orioles. Garza has also thrown two complete games and a no-hitter.

Garza relies a lot on his fastball, as he threw it 99 out 120 pitches during his historic no-hitter. Well, why stop what seems to be working as in his last three starts Garza 2-0, going 21 innings, with a 2.95 ERA with 13 strikeouts and only walking two batters.

Garza might not find success against a hot Yankees line-up, who tend to hit fastballs out of the park. Garza needs to throw a variety of pitches to keep the Bombers on their toes, or it will be ugly.

New York Yankees: Javier Vazquez (9-7)

Javier Vazquez has turned his season around after a horrible April. Finally, Vazquez is that durable pitcher the Yankees wanted in the rotation.

Vazquez’s 4.54 ERA for the season is not reflective of how he is currently pitching. He has pitched 107 innings, giving up 92 hits, 54 earned runs, 118 homers and 41 walks. Vazquez and Garza are well matched looking at stats only. Continue reading ‘New York Yankees Vs. Tampa Bay Rays: Vazquez Faces Garza’ »

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ESPN: Every Sports Prejudice News

Posted by on 3 May 2010, 9:00 am

The Tampa Bay Rays are the best team in baseball, and it is the best start in the franchise’s history.

The above is the media buzz of the baseball field now. Thanks to ESPN, who has convinced every expert into thinking the Rays are the best team in baseball.

You want sunglasses to shield BBT because it is all Rays right now.

This makes perfect sense, right….please read the ESPN mock outlook below:

How many teams would not call for that tone after missing the playoffs in 2009. Do not forget the Rays also broke a 12 year-long franchise record for the best April ever.

Four whole weeks is plenty of time for a team to overcome a decade long of below .500 baseball.

Let’s not belittle the Rays did losing the World Series in 2008 and the first-time the ball-club ever made the postseason in the organization’s history. Can everyone read R-E-C-O-R-D, again?

The Rays loss, to the obviously better Philadelphia Phillies, in 2008, did open a door for them to make a clear statement from day one the following season as a team in contention. A company that was about to stay and that the AL East was now a three-team division.

The fact is reputations get formed in reverse, for the Rays or any other team. This is when a player’s real feelings, spirit and attitude get most vulnerable, so not giving up gets respect.

The dome is the Rays home, known as the Trop, short for Tropicana Field. The Trop is just an annoying bubble to play any sport inside.

Let’s give credit to the swarms of fans who live in Tampa Bay, Florida who pack the Trop when the Red Sox, Mets or Yankees are in town. Continue reading ‘ESPN: Every Sports Prejudice News’ »

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