Pair of Triple Crown candidates duel it out posted by David

Albert Pujols and Joey Votto are having monster seasons.  Not only are the sluggers leading their teams in the playoff hunt – the Cardinals are 1.5 games back in the Wild Card race while the Reds lead the NL Central – but Pujols (.321, 34 HR, 93 RBI) and Votto (.326, 31 HR, 90 RBI) are the top two National Leaguers in each of the Triple Crown categories.  Both have strong cases for the MVP award, but if either one wins the first Triple Crown since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, it would be awfully hard for the voters not to choose him as the league’s Most Valuable Player.

How ‘bout that?

How about Billy Wagner?  The 39-year-old anchor of the Atlanta bullpen has saved 30 games, holds a 1.68 ERA and a 0.88 WHIP, and did not give up a run in the entire month of June (11.1 innings, six hits, five walks, 17 strikeouts).  Wagner plans to retire at season’s end, and with the Braves currently leading the NL East, he’s looking for his first crack at the World Series and the opportunity to go out on top.

How about Carlos Gonzalez?  The Venezuelan outfielder is enjoying a fine year in his first full season as a big leaguer, hitting .320 with 26 homers, 84 RBI’s, and 20 stolen bases.  His batting average, .569 slugging percentage, and .922 OPS put him behind only Pujols and Votto in the National League.  Rockies fans can look forward to many years of watching Gonzalez display his talents at Coors Field.  At 24, he has a very promising career ahead of him.

How about the Twins?  Despite almost getting no-hit and losing three of four to the Rangers earlier this week, the Twinkies are 27-13 since the All-Star break, and hold a three-and-a-half game lead over the White Sox in the AL Central.  After losing cleanup man Justin Morneau to injury the week before the All-Star break, several Minnesota players have stepped up to the plate.  Since the break, birthday boy Jim Thome (now 40) is slugging .651, Delmon Young and Jason Kubel have driven in 33 and 32 runs, respectively, in 39 games, and Joe Mauer has raked to a line of .399/.476/.594 with 32 RBI’s in 36 games.

Nationals handle Strasburg’s schedule with brilliance posted by David

The hype over Washington Nationals’ phenom Stephen Strasburg has been followed by terrific pitching from the young right-hander, but the Nats’ front office also deserves a lot of credit.  In his first three starts, Strasburg has faced the Pirates, the Indians, and the White Sox, all of whom rank near the bottom offensively.  While I think Strasburg has a tremendous amount of talent and is going to be a great pitcher for quite some time, I’d like to see how he fares against the heavy-hitting lineups of the Yankees, Reds, and Red Sox.

How ‘bout that?

How about Mike Leake?  The Reds’ rookie pitcher finally took his first loss of the season this week, but still boasts a 3.02 ERA to go with his 5-1 record.  His most impressive stat, however, is that he has gone at least six innings in 12 of his 13 starts.  In addition to his contribution on the mound, Leake is hitting .385 – more than 100 points higher than the batting average of the hitters he has faced (.270).  Leake has been Cincinnati’s most consistent – and best – pitcher in 2010.

How about Carlos Peña?  After hitting just .120/.233./.250 with three home runs in the month of May, Peña homered in six straight games last week and is slugging .667 so far in June.  For a guy hitting just .197 on the season, Peña has been awfully productive.  The Rays’ first baseman leads his team in home runs (15), and his 46 RBIs are second only to Evan Longoria’s 51.

How about the Braves?  Atlanta won only nine of 23 games in April but is 31-14 since the beginning of May and leads the NL East by a half-game over the Mets, who have won eight in a row.  The Braves have been particularly strong at home, evidenced by a 22-7 record at Turner Field.

Jamie Moyer: baseball's new Ageless Wonder posted by David

Julio Franco may be the oldest player in Major League history to hit a home run (he also holds a number of other oldest player records), but Jamie Moyer has established himself as the game’s new Ageless Wonder.  In throwing a two-hitter against the Braves on May 7th, the 47-year-old became the oldest player to throw a complete game shutout.

A perfect Mother’s Day

In case you missed it, Dallas Braden guaranteed his place in the record books earlier this month by throwing the 19th perfect game in Major League history.  A perfect game is always difficult to achieve, but throwing one against the Rays – the best team in baseball – is that much more impressive.  What’s also worth noting is that this was the first Complete Game of Braden’s career.  That said, the most perfect aspect about the achievement was that it occurred on Mother’s Day, with Braden’s grandmother, who raised him after his mother died of skin cancer, in the stands.

How ‘bout that?

How about Andre Ethier?  Leading all three Triple Crown categories (.392 AVG, 11 HR, 38 RBI’s) in the National League as of a week ago, Ethier is the most feared hitter in the Dodger lineup (even more than Manny Ramirez), but will spend at least the next couple weeks on the Disabled List with a broken bone in his pinky finger.  His injury is bad news for the Dodgers.

How about Ty Wigginton?  After hitting 11 home runs all of last season, Wigginton is tied for second in the majors with 12 homers and still has a week and a half left to play in the month of May!  The Oriole infielder slugged just .400 in 2009 but boasts a .617 slugging percentage through the first eight weeks of 2010.

Cano’s a go to stay at the #5 spot posted by Cesar Valverde

After a long hiatus, it’s great to be back blogging about the greatest sports franchise on the planet. Since my last blog entry, the New York Yankees have won the World Series (coincidentally on this blogger’s birthday last year. SWEET!) and got some good quality talent during the offseason, namely Curtis Granderson from the Tigers, Nick Johnson from the Marlins, and Javier Vasquez from the Braves, among others. They’ve gotten off to an awesome start, winning every series this year so far except this past weekend when they lost 2 out 3 in Anaheim against the Angels. Bringing up Javi Vasquez leads me to discuss Robinson Cano because the Yanks gave up his seemingly inseparable buddy Melky Cabrera to get him. The 2 were like brothers. They lived together. They visited each other’s family. They supported each other, helping each other during slumps. Their antics at times were the life of the clubhouse and highlight reels. But now that is over. Robinson is now on his own outside his comfort zone minus Melky. Manager Joe Girardi took a gamble and put Cano to bat behind Alex Rodriguez in the #5 spot and, boy, did it pay dividends. “You want to take care of your veterans, but all we’ve got is veterans. I consider Robbie a veteran player, “ Girardi said in an interview during spring training. In 18 games so far this season, he’s already had 1 multi-homer game & is hitting .368 with an on base percentage of .416.  He has 5 HRs, 14 RBIs and is going into tonight’s game hitting safely in 8 out of his last 10 games. He’s been clutch since the beginning of the season. He’s had to. The #5 spot last year was occupied by Mr. Clutch himself, Hideki Matsui, who is now with the LA Angels of Anaheim. Those are some heavy shoes to fill especially considering Godzilla was the World Series MVP last year. With more focus and less distractions, Yankee fans, expect another career year from Robinson Cano this season. I admit he’s nowhere near as clutch as Matsui, but he’s do a pretty job so far.

Jason Heyward: Instant Hit posted by David

When the Atlanta Braves announced during the last week of spring training that Jason Heyward had made the big league roster, it made headlines in part because both Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman were being assigned to the minors.  However, after winning the starting right fielder’s job in Atlanta, the 20-year-old phenom wasted no time before impressing the baseball world by launching a three-run home run in his very first major league at-bat.  Batting seventh in the lineup behind Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, and others has limited the pressure on the 14th overall pick in the 2007 draft, but before long, you can expect to see Heyward taking his hacks in the cleanup spot.

How ‘bout that?

How about Albert Pujols?  Picking up where he left off at the end of the 2009 season, Pujols collected four hits – including two home runs – on Opening Day.  The Cardinals slugger has been nothing but superhuman in the batter’s box; unless he suffers an injury, he will likely win his third straight (and fourth overall) Most Valuable Player Award.

How about Vernon Wells?  Looking to bounce back from a disappointing season (.260/.311/.400), Wells has already hit four home runs and boasts a .600 batting average.  The centerfielder became the first Blue Jay in history to homer in the team’s first three games of the year and played a major role in Toronto winning its first series of 2010 over Texas.

How about the Giants?  Led by shortstop Edgar Renteria’s .727 batting average (eight hits in 11 at-bats), San Francisco has continued to play well, sweeping a three-game series in Houston following a 23-12 record in spring training.  Not only are the Giants the only team yet to lose a regular season game, they have not even trailed at any point.  Though it is far too early to call a winner, the Giants will hope their fast start is a sign of things to come as they eye their first division title since 2003.

"The Braves will Pose a Tougher Test for the Giants this weekend" posted by Michael McGauley

AT LAST, regular season baseball to discuss! I wasn't too shocked by the final roster moves, and like the veteran additions to the bull pen with Mota, and to the starting staff with Wellemeyer. More on that in a minute. Not to bring up a sore point right out of the box, but I saw that Brad Penny pitched very well (seven strong innings and a no decision) in his St.Louis debut Thursday -- a 2-1 loss to the Reds. Hey, nice start for the Giants in Houston, and a rock-solid start for Lincecum, Zito, and (almost) Cain. The "Cainer" got burned by a couple of bad breaks Wednesday, and pitched better than the final stat line may indicate (notice zero walks in the stat line). Timmy and Barry though were quite good. I expected as much from the two-time defending Cy Young winner (seven shutout innings), but Zito has been consistently bad in the early stages of the season, only to finish with a flurish. He leaves us wanting more through a long off-season only to disappoint all over again in April. Well, at least for one start, we as fans definitely got some pleasure with five k's and just three hits allowed in six shutout innings. The Astros are wounded without Lance Berkman in the middle of that line-up, and the Giants needed to and did take advantage. However, they also beat a pair of top-notch starters in Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez with just enough offense.  The Giants were putting rallies together in the first couple of games that make a baseball geek like me excited. Sustained rallies, advancing the runner, taking some walksContinue reading ""The Braves will Pose a Tougher Test ..."

The most promising time of the year posted by David

Today’s post is brought to you from Toledo, Ohio.  With Spring Training wrapping up in just over a week, every team has reason to be hopeful that this will be their year.  Though it is widely accepted that exhibition games are meaningless, the Giants should feel good about their 18-7 record this spring, and the Indians are certainly pleased that they have won 13 of their first 19 games.  The reigning World Series champion Yankees, meanwhile, can shake off their 9-12 record as rustiness.  It may not have the excitement of October, but April is when everyone’s glass is half full; no one has ground to make up or nagging injuries to play through.  Every team has a share of first place, and that’s what makes it the most promising time of the year.

How ‘bout that?

How about Joe Nathan?  Coming off a strong 2009 (47 saves, 2.10 E.R.A and 0.932 WHIP), the Twins closer will miss the entire season following Tommy John surgery.  The back end of the Twins bullpen is now up for grabs, and the AL Central is anyone’s for the taking.  Three different teams (Twins, White Sox, and Indians) have won the division the last three years, and each of the last two has been decided by a one-game playoff.  Detroit and Chicago, the Twins’ main competition in 2009, will benefit most from Minnesota’s loss.

How about John Smoltz?  The veteran right-hander will begin the season in the broadcast booth rather than on the mound, working as a color analyst for TBS.  Smoltz did some commentating back in 2008 while on Atlanta’s Disabled List.  If Smoltz is truly finished as a player, he combines with former teammates (and fellow retirees) Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine for 873 career wins and 154 saves.  Not surprisingly, both Maddux and Glavine will remain in the game in some capacity, the former serving as an assistant to Cubs GM Jim Hendry, and the latter as a special assistant to Braves President John Schuerholz.

The Big Unit hangs ‘em up posted by David

Big news from the Big Unit: 46-year-old Randy Johnson announced his retirement, concluding his career with a record of 303-166, a 3.29 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP.  His five Cy Young Awards – one with the Mariners and four in a row with the Diamondbacks – rank him behind only Roger Clemens, and his 4,875 career strikeouts are second only to Nolan Ryan.  He was a 10-time All-Star, starting the Midsummer Classic four times – twice for each league. Johnson made history in 2004 when he became the oldest player – at 40 – to throw a perfect game.

Johnson was a crucial member of his Diamondbacks team in the 2001 playoffs: after pitching well but losing his only start in the first round, he went 2-0 with 1.12 E.R.A. in the National League Championship Series against the Braves, including a 2-0 complete game shutout against Greg Maddux.  Then in the World Series, Johnson shut down the three-time defending champions from the Bronx with absolute dominance.  He picked up three wins, including a complete game shutout in Game 1 and back-to-back victories in Games 6 and 7, to end the Yankee Dynasty.  He surrendered only nine hits and three walks in 17.1 innings for a remarkable 0.692 WHIP to go along with a 1.04 E.R.A.  For his extraordinary performance, he was named co-MVP of the Series.  A fan attraction everywhere he went, Randy Johnson will surely be missed.

How ‘bout that?

How about Matt Holliday?  Christmas came late for the biggest name on the free agent market this offseason, as Holliday was rewarded for his huge numbers (.353/.419/.604) after his arrival in St. Louis with a very big payday – $120 million over the next seven years.  Though it was painful to watch as it happened, Holliday has been forgiven for his costly error in Game 2 of the NLDS against the Dodgers.  The slugging outfielder hopes to lead his team back to the playoffs in 2010, and with Albert Pujols, Chris Carpenter, and Adam Wainwright working together, expectations will be high once again for the Cardinals.

A vote for Alomar posted by David

Should Roberto Alomar be elected to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility?  The spitting incident with umpire John Hirschbeck does not help his case, but it really has nothing to do with his success on the field.  Fans may also remember that Alomar’s career ended with a couple of mediocre seasons, but when you look at his statistics, it’s a no-brainer.

Alomar won 10 Gold Gloves, compiled a .300 lifetime batting average, stole 474 bases, and was a 12-time All-Star.  He represented four different teams over 12 consecutive years in the Midsummer Classic and was named All-Star Game MVP in 1998.  Alomar was also the 1992 ALCS MVP and had a monster World Series in 1993 (.480/.519/.640, six RBI and four stolen bases).  He would have been named MVP of the ’93 Fall Classic had it not been for teammate Paul Molitor, who was even better (.500/.571/1.000, two home runs, eight RBI and 10 runs scored).  Roberto Alomar was the best second baseman – both offensively and defensively – of the nineties, and should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

How ‘bout that?

How about Albert Pujols’s dominance in the NL MVP balloting?  Not only did he win by a wide margin, but Pujols claimed the award by unanimous decision – 32 first-place votes.  His numbers speak for themselves: .327 batting average, 47 home runs, and 135 RBI’s, good for third, first, and third, respectively, in the National League.  As if he weren’t contributing enough with the bat, Pujols helped his team on the bases, stealing 16 while being caught just four times.  He led the majors in intentional walks (with 44) and had twice as many as the nearest competition, Adrian Gonzalez, who finished with 22.  Around the majors, Pujols is both feared and respected.

Twins-Tigers game was exactly what I wanted posted by David

The 12-inning thriller that was the last regular season game ever played at the Metrodome was exactly what I wanted to see.  When the Twins and Tigers played a four-game series in Detroit last week, I found myself rooting for the Twins to close the gap in order to create an exciting finish to the regular season – ideally a one-game playoff.  When that happened, I decided it would be great for the city of Detroit to send their team to the playoffs, but what I wanted most was to see a great game.  My wish came true when the two teams played a nail-biter that could have gone either way, but eventually sent Minnesota to the postseason.  Props to both teams for giving the fans what they deserved.

How ‘bout that?

How about Jason Kubel?  The Twins slugger hit a pair of three-run home runs in his team’s must-win game against Kansas City just to force Game 163, and added a solo shot in the game against the Tigers that decided the AL Central.  For the season, Kubel hit .300 with 28 home runs, 103 RBI’s, and a .907 OPS – all career highs.  Additionally, since taking over in right field when Justin Morneau went on the disabled list and Michael Cuddyer moved to first base, Kubel has not made a single error, giving Manager Ron Gardenhire confidence in his team despite the loss of one of his best players.

How about John Lackey?  With history on their opponent’s side, the Angels were not expected to beat the Red Sox in their American League Division Series, but after Lackey’s performance last night the Halos have to be feeling good about their chances.  In the series opener, Lackey threw 7.1 innings of scoreless baseball, giving up only four hits and walking just one, leading the team to a 5-0 victory over the Sox, who had beaten the Angels in their last three postseason series (2004, 2007, 2008) while losing a single game out of 10.  If the Angels send the Sox packing early, it will be news to the remaining teams that there’s a new player on the block.

Rockies' huge comeback shocks Braves

The Colorado Rockies overcame a nine-run deficit, matching thebiggest rally in team history and stunning the Atlanta Braves 12-10Thursday on Troy Tulowitzki's go-ahead single in the eighthinning. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Cubs hang on to beat Braves

Aramis Ramirez had three hits and two RBIs, Tom Gorzelannypitched seven strong innings and the Chicago Cubs held on to beatthe Atlanta Braves 5-4 on Saturday. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Braves rally in 9th to beat Cubs

Derrek Lee struggled in his first game with the Atlanta Bravesand still had a good time. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Chipper Jones has surgery to repair ACL

The Atlanta Braves say Chipper Jones' surgery to repair the tornanterior cruciate ligament in his left knee was a success. [read full article]

From FOXSports.com News for MLB

Houston capture series advantage

Houston Astros beat Atlanta Braves 7-3 to take a 2-1 lead in the series. [read full article]

From BBC Sport