Tanner Murphy: Trying to Catch on with the Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles may appear to be set at catcher for the foreseeable future with Matt Wieters behind the plate, but in baseball it’s never a good idea to plan too far ahead. Like any smart team, Baltimore continues to cultivate catching prospects, with Tanner Murphy being one of the young players they are most […]

Baseball Notes for March 31, 2013

Major League Baseball’s 2013 Opening Day is finally here! With another season comes the return of Baseball Notes. Without a single regular season game having yet been played, there is already plenty to talk about. ***One of the worst-kept secrets in baseball has been revealed to the public. Boston Red Sox rookie outfielder Jackie Bradley […]

Kevin Pillar: How the Toronto Blue Jays’ Prospect is Raking His Way Through the Minor Leagues

The Toronto Blue Jays traded a significant amount of their minor league talent to the Miami Marlins this past offseason in a huge trade that netted Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson among others. Despite the deal, their cupboard is far from bare. Outfielder Kevin Pillar is one of the organization’s best young players […]

Boston Red Sox Pitching Prospect Matt Spalding is Looking to Make His Mark

The more advanced prospects of the Boston Red Sox have received a lot of attention this spring. While it is certainly an impressive group, the team also has a lot of valuable young players in the lower levels of their minor league system. One of those rising players is right-handed pitcher Matt Spalding, who just […]

Cole Frenzel: Seeking His Opportunity with the New York Mets

The New York Mets face a bleak situation with their offense as the 2013 season nears. Other than third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis, they lack any above-average bats, but hope that help may be on the way courtesy of their minor league system. One player who could be in the mix […]

An Interview with Sports Illustrated’s Steve Rushin

Nationally known sportswriters can become voices of generations if they ply their craft with enough skill and passion. Grantland Rice, Red Smith and Bob Ryan represent just a few of the scribes who captivated readers during their careers.  Even though shifting media trends have driven writers to be more versatile and knowledgeable on a variety […]

Kurt Heyer: Seeking to Go from College World Series Champ to the Majors

The St. Louis Cardinals have received recognition in recent seasons because of the excellent pitching prospects that have been winding their way through their minor league system. Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal and Lance Lynn have all received a lot of attention and varying levels of success and exposure at the major league level. It appears […]

Catching Up With Bill Mueller

The impact of becoming a beloved player for the Boston Red Sox can’t be personified any better than Bill Mueller. Mueller, a switch-hitting third baseman, is a native of Missouri. He attended Southwest Missouri State and graduated as perhaps their best player of all time, leaving as the school leader in hits, runs and stolen […]

Random Questions with Former Phillies Catcher Dave Watkins

Many baseball players have the singular goal of doing whatever it takes to reach the major leagues. Even after a lot of work and time, it only pays off for a small percentage. While it didn’t last long, Dave Watkins was one of the lucky few who got to reach baseball’s summit. Watkins, a catcher […]

The Sam Crane Redemption

Many people assume that professional baseball players lead charmed lives because of the privilege they experienced of playing a game for a living. Unfortunately that is often far from the truth and many tragedies have been experienced and even caused by the hand of former players. One of the worst cases was Sam “Red” Crane, […]

Texas Rangers Pitching Prospect Jimmy Reyes Will Find Making the Majors a Relief

Earlier this year Baseball America named the Texas Rangers as having the best minor league system in baseball. Their impressive ranking comes in part because of the prospect depth they have across various positions, particularly pitching. Reliever Jimmy Reyes is one of the of those pitchers, and if he continues performing the way he has […]

Bruce Maxwell: The Oakland A’s Next Big Catching Prospect

The Oakland A’s have a veritable collection of young catching prospects (Max Stassi, Petey Paramore, Nick Rickles and Derek Norris among others). However, the organization added another young backstop they are excited about to the fold last year, when they made Bruce Maxwell one of their top draft picks. Maxwell is the rare left-handed hitting […]

Seattle Mariners’ Prospect Scott DeCecco Talks Baseball

The Seattle Mariners have done well in recent years developing young pitchers, with Felix Hernandez, Doug Fister and Blake Beavan among those who have come up through their system. One of the pitchers from last year’s draft they hope can do the same is left-hander Scott DeCecco. DeCecco was dominant at Middle Township High School […]

Baseball Notes for January 21, 2013

With just three weeks until pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training locations, the baseball offseason is winding down, but it’s not ending with a whimper. This has been one of the more eventful offseasons in recent memory, with constant activity, surprises, and even some quality free agents like Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn […]

Dennis Bennett: The Quintessential Left-Handed Pitcher

Over time, left-handed pitchers have acquired the stereotype of being an eccentric bunch. From quirky exploits on the field to adventures off the field, southpaws are a breed unto themselves. One of the best was Dennis Bennett, who sadly passed away last year. Bennett signed with the Philadelphia Phillies out of Shasta Junior College (California) […]

Willie Mays Aikens: Hard Living, Hard Times and Hard-Cover Books

Willie Mays Aikens once had a promising major league baseball career that came to a premature end in 1985 because of his personal demons. Although his problems robbed him of his career and led to serving a 14-year prison sentence, he pushed through and is finally back on track after a detour that lasted more […]

Cincinnati Reds’ Pitching Prospect Dan Langfield Bursts on to the Scene

The Cincinnati Reds have had success cultivating young pitchers in recent years, with Aroldis Chapman, Homer Bailey and Johnny Cueto all making major contributions to the big league team. This bodes well for one of the Reds’ most recent draft picks, right-hander Dan Langfield. Langfield was a high school star in Somerset, Massachusetts. He was […]

Baseball Notes for December 31, 2012

The holiday season slowed down the hectic MLB offseason, which had operated on full blast for more than a month. Although many free agents have signed with new teams, there is still a lot going on around baseball as 2012 comes to an end. ***It may be the week after Christmas, but it’s never too […]

Ray Peters: The Modern Moonlight Graham

“Moonlight” Graham, best remembered as the tragic figure in the movie Field of Dreams, was a real baseball player, who really did get into only one major league game in his entire career without recording an at-bat. Unfortunately he is just one of many players whose major league career was measured in hours instead of […]

Another Sip of A Bitter Cup of Coffee

In 2010, Douglas Gladstone wrote A Bitter Cup of Coffee: How MLB and the Players Association Threw 974 Retirees a Curve (ISBN: 978-1-59571-512-8). It’s a book outlining the plight of former major league players who lack the service time to qualify for a pension. He brought immediate attention to a subject that has been swept […]

Baseball Notes for December 10, 2012

If you happen to follow many baseball writers on Twitter, chances are your timeline was blowing up this past week. With MLB’s winter meetings taking place in Nashville, Tennessee, there was a lot of activity, as more free agents were taken off the market. Heck, there was even some trading going on. It was all […]

Michael Ynoa: High Expectations, 40-Man Rosters, and the Agonizing Burden of Waiting for Greatness

The legend of right-handed pitcher Michael Ynoa began the moment he signed a then-record $4.25 million contract with the Oakland A’s in 2008 as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic. Because of recurring injuries, he has pitched only a total of 39.2 innings in the five seasons since landing that landmark deal, assuming the identity […]

Baseball Notes For November 26, 2012

More moves and rumors are starting to come in now that the baseball offseason is in full-swing. It’s always interesting to see the jostling that takes place, as teams seek to set their 2013 rosters, while battling other teams for resources. Despite Thanksgiving dominating this past week, there was still a flurry of activity that […]

Chatting With St. Louis Cardinals Pitching Prospect Nick Greenwood

It’s hard enough to succeed as a professional baseball player, but imagine if it’s not even your favorite/best sport. That’s what faced St. Louis Cardinals left-handed pitching prospect Nick Greenwood, who grew up loving soccer and baseball before finally having to choose one sport. Greenwood was a soccer star for Xavier High School in Middletown, […]

Any Way You Look At It, Mike Trout Is The 2012 AL MVP

WAR, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing; at least within the confines of this article. While they aren’t the end-all, be-all, I am a major proponent of advanced baseball stats because I believe they greatly enhance the understanding of many components of the game. Not everyone agrees, and traditionalists prefer more time-honored metrics like batting average, […]

Baseball Notes for November 12, 2012

*** To say I loved the Red Sox signing catcher David Ross to a two year, $6.2 million free agent would be an understatement. He brings the kind of leadership, experience and defensive presence the Sox have lacked behind the plate for years. Although he won’t be a full-time starter he could play a significant […]

How Stan Musial Gave Dickey Kerr of the Chicago Black Sox His White Picket Fence

The Chicago “Black Sox” (White Sox) are the most infamous team in the annals of baseball. In 1919, led by the likes of Shoeless Joe Jackson and Eddie Cicotte, the team roared into the World Series and shocked the country by losing to the underdog Cincinnati Reds. It subsequently came out that eight players on […]

Red Sox Prospect Steven Wright: Continuing Baseball’s Knuckleball Tradition

Successful knuckleball pitchers are about as common in baseball as a Triple Crown winner, and they are always in danger of going extinct. R.A. Dickey is the only current major league pitcher regularly throwing the pitch, but he could soon have a fellow adherent if Boston Red Sox prospect Steven Wright has anything to say […]

An Interview with Greg Hibbard

There are untold numbers of baseball players who had promising careers derailed by injuries; a sad reality in a sport so connected with the fulfillment of dreams. Pitcher Greg Hibbard, who once won 50 games in a four year period was one of those players, and saw his playing career come to an end by […]

Playing Matchmaker for Some of the Top Free Agents This Offseason

Even with the playoff action at a fever pitch, it’s not too early to look ahead at the free agent class of 2013 and how they might impact teams next season. Ultimately the number of zeroes on the checks will determine where the players sign, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean that they will go where […]

How A-Rod Has Derailed His Yankee Career and Defined His Legacy

Alex Rodriguez’s alarming inability to make contact during the playoffs leads many to believe that the clock is about to strike midnight on his immensely talented but polarizing career. The Yankees are likely to find the 5 years and $114 million he is due after this season to be an unpalatable mouthful to swallow, making […]

Terry Doyle: Minor League Pitcher Circling the Globe to Get His Major League Shot

Projections are an increasingly important part of baseball; particularly young player development. With myriad statistics and tools of evaluation, teams often look past players who can’t be defined by criteria like how hard they throw a ball or their physical measurables. It’s a safe approach that allows teams to move quickly through an ever-surging tide […]

Picking the 2012 MLB Award Winners

With the focus in baseball being on the fantastic matchups being waged in the playoffs, the intense debate about the end-of-season awards has been tempered for the time being. It’s a temporary lull that will heat up again once the announcement of the award winners near, as many will try to get in their opinions […]

Some Completely Useless But Fun Numbers From The 2012 MLB Regular Season

The 2012 baseball regular season was one of excitement and surprises. Only part of the story is what was seen from game to game, and taking a closer look at numbers can bring even more richness to what transpired over the past six months. I love statistics, particularly when they are within the context of […]

Why the Red Sox Should Beware of John Farrell

Bobby Valentine’s run as manager of the Boston Red Sox came to a merciful end yesterday afternoon. By going 69-93 (the team’s worst record since 1965) and serving as a lightning rod with his blunt outspoken manner, Valentine ended his tenure as ignominiously as Nero, who allegedly plucked his fiddle as Rome burned around him. […]

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