Yardbarker: Emil Brown

The Road to 17: 1997

Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:12:02 -0500

The Road to 17 is a longer-form look at each losing season that the Pirates have had since their last playoff appearance in 1992. The object is not to wallow in the misery of the Pirates, but instead remember just what it is that makes us Pirate fans in the first place. Every team has their ...

A Quiet Winter in Philadelphia

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:43:22 -0500

A Quiet Winter in Philadelphia

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:34:49 -0500

From my loft just north of Center City I can hear the crickets chirping at Citizen's Bank Park. The celebrations have ended, the confetti's been cleaned up, and now Phillies fans have to wait another 14 weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Clearwater. That's when the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies (doesn't that have a nice ring to it?), will begin their defense of their World Series title. If you're a baseball fan like I am, you understand that baseball really is a 12 month sport. Although players are only active from March-October, the offseason is a season of its own. Fans look for up to the minute news and rumors about who might be added to their favorite club in hopes to improve the team for the next season. Well it's going to be a long 14 weeks for Phillies fans, as not much is expected to happen. Sure the rumors will swirl about Pat Burrell possibly returning, as Jamie Moyer, but if you're looking for a big splash this offseason, say Manny Ramirez or CC Sabathia, don't hold your breath. It's simply not going to happen. You'll hear about Ryan Dempster re-signing with the Cubs. You'll hear how every closer on the market is Flushing bound. You'll hear how much the Braves love Jake Peavy. You'll also hear how Hank Steinbrenner is going to spend money and overpay for every free agent available, but you will not hear the Phillies mentioned in the same breath as any big name free agents. There are a couple of reasons for this. First you have to look at this Phillies team. Being lucky enough to having only six free agents (two of which, Tom Gordon and So Taguchi, will not return), the core of this team is intact. The entire infield will be back, as well as two of the three starting outfielders. Should they resign Burrell, the outfield is also in check. Where does that leave the Phillies offensively? Possibly an upgrade at catcher? With a thin free agent crop behind the plate, and Lou Marson waiting in the wings, Carlos Ruiz is a fine stopgap (he also showed what he's capable of offensively this October). As far as the pitching staff goes, three of the five starters in the rotation will be back. If Moyer re-signs, the first four spots in the rotation are set. That leaves the fifth spot open for a Spring Training battle between J.A. Happ, Kyle Kendrick, Carlos Carrasco, and dare I say it, Adam Eaton. With the rotation being set, what about the bullpen? Chad Durbin, Clay Condrey, J.C. Romero, Scott Eyre (who recently re-signed), Ryan Madson, and Brad Lidge will all be in red pinstripes next season. With Gordon and possibly Rudy Seanez departing you can see another right-handed arm out of the bullpen, but when you think offseason splash, you don't think of middle relief. The Phillies don't have the glaring holes like the Mets, Yankees, Braves, & Cardinals do. Therefore they don't need to sign a congregate of players. Another thing to look at would be money. Yeah, how could we forget money? Anytime the Phillies pass on a big name free agent, it's because of money (at least that's what some think). Well money is a big factor. Especially when the Phillies have many players up for arbitration, including Jayson Werth, Shane Victorino, Cole Hamels, and Ryan Howard. I don't know about you, but I'd rather see these guys happy and under contract then a former Dodger, who can be the best player in baseball when he wants to be, in left field (with the "when he wants to be" being the big concern). I always laugh when it comes to fans and the money issue. Look at the guys who were cogs in the 2008 Phillies - Shane Victorino, Greg Dobbs, and Jayson Werth. These guys all made minimal money, yet if not for them, there would have been no parade down Broad Street. The biggest names and contracts don't win World Championships. If that was the case, the Cubs wouldn't be going on 101 years without a championship, and the Mets and Yankees would be perennial foes in the Fall Classic. What will we see this winter? The primary focus is going to be on Moyer, and whether or not the Phillies and his agent can come to terms on a contract. Should they not be able to, look for the Phillies to look to add another starter. By another starter, I don't mean Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Derek Lowe, or Ben Sheets. It'll be more like a Paul Byrd, Josh Fogg, or Braden Looper. Once the rotation is set that's when the attention will return to the outfield. Should Burrell not re-sign, the Phillies aren't going to get a full time left fielder. With Geoff Jenkins rotting on the bench, they'll probably end up searching for a platoon partner. The names here won't be too glamorous either. It'll be someone like Emil Brown, Rocco Baldelli, or Juan Rivera. Once the starters are complete, that's most likely when we'll see the bullpen addressed (Juan Cruz anyone?), and right-handed bat off the bench. I'm talking about someone comparable to Eric Bruntlett. If there's any surprises, it'll be more in the form of reclamation projects. A Brad Penny or Mark Mulder could be a diamond in the rough, at a minimal price. This someone like Kris Benson, with the intention that he actually might be able to contribute. So be patient Phillies fans. The rumors will be few and far between this winter. That's not a bad thing. It means the needs for this club aren't as serious as a lot of other clubs out there. Just sit back, monitor the rumors and speculation, and enjoy that fact that your Philadelphia Phillies are World Champions.

Mets searching for right handed bat....

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:10:33 -0500

The Mets are looking for a right handed bat, preferably one who can play the corner outfield. But the two best free agent options are going to be expensive and require a bidding war, something that will make them unappealing to the Mets. While I believe they'd like Fernando Tatis to be more of ...

The Road to 17: 1997

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:08:11 -0500

Blue Jays First Base Platoon Spinners

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:38:59 -0500

We compare spinners of platoon candidates for the Toronto Blue Jays first base platoon of 2009. The combined result ends up being comparable to a current Jays star.

As of 12:01am ET, MLB Free Agency Season Arrives. Here's the Complete List

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:09:46 -0500

As of 12:01am ET, clubs may now negotiate with the 171 players that filed for free agency this year. Big revenue making clubs will undoubtedly throw huge sums of cash at the likes of Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixeira, C.C. Sabathia, and Francisco Rodriguez.Clubs with the most players that filed for FA? For the American League, it's Boston with 9. For the National League, it's 11 for the Mets.Here is your complete listing of all those who filed between Thursday, October 30, and Thursday, November 13, pursuant to Article XX B (2) of the Basic Agreement. The last two that filed on Thursday should be familiar: Randy Johnson of the Diamondbacks, and A.J. Burnett of the Blue Jays.AMERICAN LEAGUEBALTIMORE (4) -- Juan Castro, ss; Alex Cintron, ss; Kevin Millar, 1b; Jay Payton, of.BOSTON (9) -- Paul Byrd, rhp; Sean Casey, 1b; Bartolo Colon, rhp; Alex Cora, ss; Mark Kotsay, of; David Ross, c; Curt Schilling, rhp; Mike Timlin, rhp; Jason Varitek, c.CHICAGO (6) -- Orlando Cabrera, ss; Joe Crede, 3b; Ken Griffey Jr., of; Toby Hall, c; Horacio Ramirez, lhp; Juan Uribe, 3b.CLEVELAND (4) -- Brendan Donnelly, rhp; Scott Elarton, rhp; Sal Fasano, c; Juan Rincon, rhp.DETROIT (7) -- Kyle Farnsworth, rhp; Casey Fossum, lhp; Freddy Garcia, rhp; Todd Jones, rhp; Edgar Renteria, ss; Kenny Rogers, lhp; Vance Wilson, c.KANSAS CITY (1) -- Mark Grudzielanek, 2b.LOS ANGELES (6) -- Garret Anderson, of; Jon Garland, rhp; Darren Oliver, lhp; Juan Rivera, of; Francisco Rodriguez, rhp; Mark Teixeira, 1b.MINNESOTA (4) -- Adam Everett, ss; Eddie Guardado, lhp; Nick Punto, ss; Dennys Reyes, lhp.NEW YORK (8) -- Bobby Abreu, of; Jason Giambi, 1b; Chad Moeller, c; Mike Mussina, rhp; Carl Pavano, rhp; Andy Pettitte, lhp; Sidney Ponson, rhp; Ivan Rodriguez, c.OAKLAND (4) -- Emil Brown, of; Alan Embree, lhp; Keith Foulke, rhp; Frank Thomas, dh.SEATTLE (3) -- Willie Bloomquist, of; Miguel Cairo, inf; Raul Ibanez, of.TAMPA BAY (4) -- Rocco Baldelli, dh; Cliff Floyd, dh; Eric Hinske, of; Trever Miller, lhp.TEXAS (4) -- Milton Bradley, dh; Jason Jennings, rhp; Ramon Vazquez, 3b; Jamey Wright, rhp.TORONTO (4) -- A.J. Burnett, rhp; John Parrish, lhp; Brad Wilkerson, of; Gregg Zaun, c.NATIONAL LEAGUEARIZONA (7) -- Tony Clark, 1b; Juan Cruz, rhp; Adam Dunn, of; David Eckstein, ss; Orlando Hudson, 2b; Randy Johnson, lhp; Brandon Lyon, rhp.ATLANTA (8) -- Elmer Dessens, rhp; Tom Glavine, lhp; Mike Hampton, lhp; Jorge Julio, rhp; Greg Norton, of; Will Ohman, lhp; John Smoltz, rhp; Julian Tavarez, rhp.CHICAGO (8) -- Henry Blanco, c; Ryan Dempster, rhp; Jim Edmonds, of; Chad Fox, rhp; Bob Howry, rhp; Jon Lieber, rhp; Daryle Ward, 1b; Kerry Wood, rhp.CINCINNATI (9) -- Jeremy Affeldt, lhp; Paul Bako, c; Josh Fogg, rhp; Jerry Hairston Jr., of; Mike Lincoln, rhp; Kent Mercker, lhp; Corey Patterson, of; Javier Valentin, c; David Weathers, rhp.COLORADO (6) -- Brian Fuentes, lhp; Matt Herges, rhp; Livan Hernandez, rhp; Adam Melhuse, c; Scott Podsednik, of; Glendon Rusch, lhp.FLORIDA (4) -- Luis Gonzalez, of; Mark Hendrickson, lhp; Paul Lo Duca, c; Arthur Rhodes, lhp,HOUSTON (4) -- Brad Ausmus, c; Doug Brocail, rhp; Mark Loretta, 2b; Randy Wolf, lhp.LOS ANGELES (14) -- Joe Beimel, lhp; Gary Bennett, c; Casey Blake, 3b; Rafael Furcal, ss; Nomar Garciaparra, ss; Jason Johnson, rhp; Jeff Kent, 2b; Derek Lowe, rhp; Greg Maddux, rhp; Pablo Ozuna; Chan Ho Park, rhp; Brad Penny, rhp; Manny Ramirez, of; Mark Sweeney, 1b.MILWAUKEE (10) -- Russell Branyan, 3b; Craig Counsell, 3b; Ray Durham, 2b; Eric Gagne, rhp; Gabe Kapler, of; Mike Lamb, 3b; Guillermo Mota, rhp; CC Sabathia, lhp; Ben Sheets, rhp; Brian Shouse, lhp.NEW YORK (11) -- Moises Alou, of; Tony Armas Jr., rhp; Luis Ayala, rhp; Damion Easley, 2b; Orlando Hernandez, rhp; Pedro Martinez, rhp; Ramon Martinez, 2b; Trot Nixon, of; Oliver Perez, lhp; Ricardo Rincon, lhp; Matt Wise, rhp.PHILADELPHIA (4) -- Pat Burrell, of; Tom Gordon, rhp; Jamie Moyer, lhp; Rudy Seanez, rhp.PITTSBURGH (4) -- Chris Gomez, 3b; Jason Michaels, of; Doug Mientkiewicz, 1b; Luis Rivas, ss..ST. LOUIS (8) -- Juan Encarnacion, of; Jason Isringhausen, rhp; Cesar Izturis, ss; Braden Looper, rhp; Felipe Lopez, 2b; Mark Mulder, lhp; Russ Springer, rhp; Ron Villone, lhp.SAN DIEGO (2) -- Trevor Hoffman, rhp; Mark Prior, rhp.SAN FRANCISCO (2) -- Rich Aurilia, 1b; Omar Vizquel, ss.WASHINGTON (2) -- Aaron Boone, 1b; Odalis Perez, lhp. lhpSource: MLBPA Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network.Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see.

The Breakdown: Contract Riders...

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:51:44 -0500

Now we all know the story of the so called rock 'n' rolla whom has demanded only brown M & M's. And of course that's true. But didja know that ballplayers have their own wacky demands? IT'S TRUE!

Because I typed it in all caps. So shall we look at the facts? Yes. Let's look at the facts.

Catchers
Br... ...

The Mets have a left fielder.....

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 17:30:12 -0500

Maybe I've been looking at this all wrong, expecting Omar and the Wilpon's to go out spending like drunken sailors to fill every perceived hole on the club. But could it be that this team will significantly improve with basically the same positional roster it started last year with, after all they were the second best offense in the National league. But after two disappointing seasons how could that be ?

Because this team never truly played any stretch of the season as a whole. When Church and Pagan were on fire, Tatis wasn't even with the club and Delgado was hitting .200. By the time Tatis arrived and Delgado got hot the other two were gone. And just forget about Alou who never contributed at all but his numbers for most of the year were replaced by Tatis.

Angel Pagan is an absolutely forgotten man when it comes to discussing the Mets plans for left field next year. The guy didn't dog it, he was injured diving into the stands giving everything he's got for the team. His hottest streak came when his former manager was discounting his production and minimzing his abilities.

You are going to be hard pressed to find a 26 y/o switch hitter with the speed to be a base stealing threat, who has decent range in the outfield and a solid arm, in a trade or from free agency. In fact maybe Angel Pagan is our best bet in Left field and we already have him for three more years.....

Last year in 31 games he hit .275 with a Slg. pct. .374, an OBP .346 and .275 with RISP ( .333 in Mar and Apr). He won a spot on the team in spring training by hitting almost .400 for the entire time at Port St. Lucie.

As a switch hitter most scouts say he looks better from the left side but he says he's more comfortable from the right. This tells me that as he matures as a switch hitter he'll only get better. In fact each year his BA has improved and the same could be said for his Slg. pct. except for the small pool from last year.....

2006- BA .247, Slg. .394 in 77 gms.

2007- BA .264, Slg. .439 in 71 gms.

2008- BA .275, Slg. .374 in 31 gms.

Pagan is a fiery competitor with youthful enthusiam who was considered a good clubhouse presence. He was initially a Met farm hand and it appears that being shuffled back and forth between the Cubs and Mets has given him something to prove. But with a healthy Pagan and Church to go along with Beltran we could have a very good outfield, Tatis could be the power off the bench and Endy the defensive replacement. Add in a versatile guy like Murphy while signing a Willie Bloomquist and you have a stellar positional player roster. They could still explore a Delgado trade with Dunn replacing him at first, as I mentioned yesterday if they find the right deal. If Pagan is in the mix they have a long term youth movement in the outfield with F-Mart on his way either mid-season this year of next.

In fact in Jerry Manuel's small ball, Keep the line moving offense, Pagan might be the best available player. I'm not considering Manny in this discussion, of course he blows away all others offensively what the Mets need to consider with him is the cost and the impact on the clubhouse. The most mentioned player has been Juan Rivera who is a right handed batter, four years older and coming off an year with a .246 BA in only 89 gms. Another is Casey Blake is 35 y/o and only hitting .264 lifetime. Here's a list of the most mentioned left field candidates along with their age and free agency type......

Bobby Abreu-(35) Type A
Garrett Anderson- (37) Type B
Casey Blake-(35) Type B
Milton Bradley- (31) Type A
Emil Brown-(34)
Pat Burrell-(32) Type A
Ken Griffey Jr.-(39) Type B
Raul Ibanez-(37) Type A
Gabe Kapler-(33)
Kevin Mench-(31)
Corey Patterson-(29)
Jay Payton-(36)
Juan Rivera-(30)
Brad Wilkerson-(32)

Taking a look at the 2009 Free Agent Market..

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:34:49 -0500

Here is the complete list from MLBTRADERUMORS.COM :

Catchers
Brad Ausmus (40)
Paul Bako (37)
Rod Barajas (33) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Josh Bard (31)
Michael Barrett (32)
Henry Blanco (37) - $3MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Johnny Estrada (33)
Toby Hall (33) - $2.25MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Jason LaRue (35)
Paul Lo Duca (37)
Miguel Olivo (30) - $2.7MM mutual option for '09 with a $0.1MM buyout
Ivan Rodriguez (37)
David Ross (32)
Javier Valentin (33)
Jason Varitek (37)
Gregg Zaun (38)
First basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Sean Casey (34)
Tony Clark (37)
Carlos Delgado (37) - $12MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with a $5MM buyout
Eric Hinske (31)
Doug Mientkiewicz (35)
Kevin Millar (37)
Richie Sexson (34)
Mark Teixeira (29)
Daryle Ward (34)
Second basemen
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Jamey Carroll (35) - $2.5MM club option for '09 with a $0.15MM buyout
Craig Counsell (38)
Ray Durham (37)
Damion Easley (39)
David Eckstein (34)
Mark Ellis (32)
Mark Grudzielanek (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Orlando Hudson (31)
Tadahito Iguchi (34)
Jeff Kent (41)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Mark Loretta (37)
Nick Punto (31)
Shortstops
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Orlando Cabrera (34)
Alex Cintron (30)
Alex Cora (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
David Eckstein (34)
Adam Everett (32)
Rafael Furcal (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Cesar Izturis (29)
Felipe Lopez (29)
Edgar Renteria (33)
Juan Uribe (30)
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Omar Vizquel (42) - $5.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Third basemen
Rich Aurilia (37)
Casey Blake (35)
Hank Blalock (28) - $6.2MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Aaron Boone (36)
Russell Branyan (33)
Craig Counsell (38)
Joe Crede (31)
Nomar Garciaparra (35)
Mark Loretta (37)
Fernando Tatis (34)
Ramon Vazquez (32)
Left fielders
Moises Alou (42)
Garret Anderson (37) - $14MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Milton Bradley (31)
Emil Brown (34)
Pat Burrell (32)
Carl Crawford (27) - $8.25MM club option for '09 with a $2.5MM buyout
Adam Dunn (29)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Luis Gonzalez (41)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Raul Ibanez (37)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Kevin Mench (31)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Craig Monroe (32)
Greg Norton (36)
Jay Payton (36)
Wily Mo Pena (27) - $5MM club option or $2MM player option for '09
Manny Ramirez (37)
Juan Rivera (30)
Fernando Tatis (34)
Center fielders
Rocco Baldelli (27)
Willie Bloomquist (31)
Mike Cameron (36) - $10MM club option for '09 with a $750K buyout
Jim Edmonds (39)
Jerry Hairston Jr. (33)
Gabe Kapler (33)
Mark Kotsay (33)
Corey Patterson (29)
Scott Podsednik (33)
Right fielders
Bobby Abreu (35)
Casey Blake (35)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Brian Giles (38) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Ken Griffey Jr. (39) - $16.5MM club option for '09 with a $4MM buyout
Vladimir Guerrero (33) - $15MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Gabe Kapler (33)
Jason Michaels (33) - $2.6MM club option for '09
Fernando Tatis (34)
Brad Wilkerson (32)
DHs
Milton Bradley (31)
Pat Burrell (32)
Adam Dunn (29)
Cliff Floyd (36) - $2.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Jason Giambi (38) - $22MM club option for '09 with $5MM buyout
Vladimir Guerrero (33) - $15MM club option for '09 with a $3MM buyout
Raul Ibanez (37)
Manny Ramirez (37)
Juan Rivera (30)
Mike Sweeney (35)
Frank Thomas (41)
Jose Vidro (34)
Starting pitchers
Kris Benson (33)
A.J. Burnett (32) - can opt out after '08 season
Paul Byrd (38)
Roger Clemens (46)
Matt Clement (33)
Bartolo Colon (36)
Ryan Dempster (32)
Shawn Estes (36)
Josh Fogg (32)
Freddy Garcia (33)
Jon Garland (29)
Tom Glavine (43)
Mike Hampton (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Livan Hernandez (34)
Orlando Hernandez (43)
Jason Jennings (30)
Randy Johnson (45)
John Lackey (30) - $9MM club option for '09 with a $0.5MM buyout
Jon Lieber (39)
Braden Looper (34)
Rodrigo Lopez (33) - club option for '09
Derek Lowe (36)
Greg Maddux (43)
Pedro Martinez (37)
Sergio Mitre (28)
Jamie Moyer (46)
Mark Mulder (31) - $11MM club option for '09 with a $1.5MM buyout
Mike Mussina (40)
Carl Pavano (33) - $13MM club option for '09 with a $1.95MM buyout
Brad Penny (31) - $8.75MM club option for '09 with a $2MM buyout
Odalis Perez (32)
Oliver Perez (27)
Andy Pettitte (37)
Sidney Ponson (32)
Mark Prior (27)
Kenny Rogers (44)
Glendon Rusch (34)
C.C. Sabathia (28)
Curt Schilling (42)
Ben Sheets (30)
John Smoltz (42)
Tim Wakefield (42) - perpetual $4MM club option
Kip Wells (32)
Randy Wolf (32)
Closers
Brian Fuentes (33)
Eric Gagne (33)
Eddie Guardado (38)
Trevor Hoffman (41)
Jason Isringhausen (36)
Brandon Lyon (29)
Francisco Rodriguez (27)
Salomon Torres (37) - $3.75MM club option for '09 with a $0.3MM buyout
Kerry Wood (32)
Middle relievers
Jeremy Affeldt (30)
Luis Ayala (31)
Joe Beimel (32)
Joe Borowski (38)
Doug Brocail (42)
Shawn Chacon (31)
Juan Cruz (30)
Alan Embree (39) - $3MM club option for '09
Scott Eyre (37)
Kyle Farnsworth (33)
Casey Fossum (31)
Keith Foulke (35)
Tom Gordon (41) - $4.5MM club option for '09 with a $1MM buyout
LaTroy Hawkins (36)
Mark Hendrickson (35)
Matt Herges (39)
Bob Howry (35)
Jon Lieber (39)
Jason Johnson (35)
Damaso Marte (34) - $6MM club option for '09 with a $0.25MM buyout
Trever Miller (36) - $2MM club option for '09 with a $0.4MM buyout
Guillermo Mota (35)
Will Ohman (31)
Darren Oliver (38)
Chan Ho Park (36)
Horacio Ramirez (29)
Al Reyes (38)
Dennys Reyes (32)
Arthur Rhodes (39)
Juan Rincon (30)
Glendon Rusch (34)
Rudy Seanez (40)
Brian Shouse (40)
Russ Springer (40)
Mike Timlin (43)
Ron Villone (39)
David Weathers (39)
Kip Wells (32)
Matt Wise (33)
Jamey Wright (34)

Thanks to Tim Dierkes for Compiling this list...

Oakland Athletics: Red Sox rally all game long to embarrass the A's

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:56:05 -0500

Momma said there'd be days like this. That doesn't make it any easier to swallow though. By the end of the first inning, the A's would need to score more than five runs to have a chance to win the game, a feat that they've accomplished only five games over the past 26, well now 27...

Ziegler extends record, Ellis ties one: A's still swept by Royals

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 20:05:00 -0500

Even when things seem to go right for the A's lately, something goes terribly wrong and they add to their mounting deficit of games that they trail the Angels and the Red Sox. Records were broken and tied Wednesday, reports about Frank Thomas coming back this week along with Keith Foulke's eminent return would seem to bode well for this struggling team, but it turns out to be all for naught...at least on Wednesday...

The MVPs of the day July 10th

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:56:28 -0500

These are the best performers in the MLB today and they are not in any order. -3B/OF Fernando Tatis: game winning two run homer against the Giants -1B Ryan Howard: two homers against the Cardinals -OF Emil Brown: walk-off homerun against the Mariners in 11th inning -1B Justin Morneau: went 5 for 5 against the Tigers in a Twins win in the 11th -2B Howie Kendrick: had his first HR of the season and had two HR in the an Angels win in the 11th

Problems in seventh bring losing streak to six

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 10:08:01 -0500

With bases loaded in the seventh, Carlos Ruiz grounded into an inning-ending double play, while Jamie Moyer, who'd been sharp, hit a wall in the bottom half when Emil Brown tagged a hanging change. Phils lost 5-2. If you read Pat Burrell's quotes in today's Inquirer, it sounds like they're pressing. I've read that excuse often in relation to certain players and believe it's probably happening now to every Phillie who picks up a baseball bat. It happened because they...

The Daily Whine: Waive goodbye to my team

Wed, 14 May 2008 10:33:28 -0500

There's a new breed of fantasy demon haunting me: The Guy Who I Almost Picked Up. Usually I wait until the very last second and change my mind. Then someone else grabs him and he's amazing. A few fellers fall into that category in the early going.