LATEST STORIES FROM THE OUTSIDE CORNER
Dugout Digest - the return
Because there were no games all week (aside from the All-Star Game, but I digress), this isn't going to be your typical Dugout Digest. I'm not going to go through every game of the season to find the best one...but here are some of the best pitching and hitting performances of the year, and a look at Friday's schedule.
Pitching Lines of the Half-Year: Matt...
Red Sox to activate Ellsbury from DL
The Boston Red Sox will be activating Jacoby Ellsbury from the 60-day DL tomorrow, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. Ellsbury hasn't played since the middle of April due to a dislocated shoulder that he suffered sliding into second base in a game against the Rays at Fenway Park.
It has been an absolute chore for the Red Sox this season without Ellsbury in center. Boston...
TOC Midseason Review: NL MVP
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
The National League MVP award race right now comes down to three men, all of whom are playing for contenders....
TOC Midseason Review: AL MVP
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
The MVP awards every year are usually the most hotly contested awards. Yet in our balloting, we had a unanimous...
Blue Jays give Edwin Encarnacion a three-year extension
The Toronto Blue Jays seemingly pulled one of the best hitters off of the trade market today by giving DH Edwin Encarnacion a three-year, $27 million extension. The deal also has a $10 million option for 2016.
Encarnacion is having one of the best years of his career so far in 2012, homering 23 times with a .947 OPS. Encarnacion has primarily been Toronto's DH this...
Five storylines to watch in MLB's second half
1. The AL West Showdown - How many articles will be written this year with the title "How the West was won". And really, you gotta wonder, how will it be won? Where we sit now, the Texas Rangers hold a four game lead over the Wild Card leading Los Angeles Angels. But can they hold it? No one will question Texas' offensive ability, but it is fair to wonder if they...
Second Half Preview: AL East
Baltimore Orioles What Went Right: Most everything? Adam Jones had a first half worthy of MVP votes, Matt Wieters has been one of the better backstops in baseball (as usual). Jason Hammel has been a huge surprise after being brought over from the Rockies this winter. Wei-Yin Chen has been remarkably good since coming over from Japan in the offseason. The bullpen has been phenomenal...
Second Half Preview: NL East
Atlanta Braves
What Went Right: Atlanta's outfield of Martin Prado, Michael Bourn, and Jason Heyward has been the best in baseball, combining for 11.8 fWAR in the first half while missing just five games among the trio. Andrelton Simmons was a vacuum at shortstop after getting called up at the beginning of June, putting up defensive numbers that haven't been seen in...
TOC Midseason Review: NL Cy Young
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
The National League's Cy Young race is dominated by one pitcher, with a host of others filling out the rest...
TOC Midseason Review: AL Cy Young
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
It's been a very interesting year for AL pitchers. There hasn't been a dominant force like last...
Ben Sheets to start for Braves on Sunday
CBS's Jon Heyman is reporting that Ben Sheets will start on Sunday for the Braves. Sheets officially signed with the team two weekends ago, and made a pair of rehab starts for AA Mississippi. In those two starts, Sheets allowed six earned runs in 10 2/3 innings, but struck out ten while walking just one, and he didn't allow a homer.
One concerning note from Sheets...
TOC Midseason Review: NL Rookie of the Year
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
The National League Rookie of the Year award is going to be a very polarizing award. Of our seven voters, we had...
CURSE THE DAY
Announcer's profanity-laden tirade on Mets OF
Warning: the above audio clip is vulgar, and not safe for work.
Most Phillies fans I know really prefer the radio crew of Scott Franzke and Larry Anderson to the abysmal TV crew of Tom McCarthy and the rotating duo of Chris Wheeler and Gary Matthews. The above clip is a brief illustration why, as between innings, Franzke goes off on Scott Hairston of the Mets, a bench player who...
TOC Midseason Review: AL Rookie of the Year
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
The AL Rookie of the Year award really isn't much of a race right now. In fact, our winner was unanimous....
The good, the bad and the ugly of reliever to starter conversions
Entering this season, several teams took the risk of transitioning a young, dominant reliever from the bullpen to the rotation. To put it mildly, the results have been mixed, ranging from smashing success to unmitigated disaster even thought he season is only halfway done.
The high profile nature of these pitcher conversions are sure to draw the attention of other front...
TOC Midseason Review: most disappointing teams
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
While there have been our share of impressive teams this year, there have been a few teams that looked like they...
TOC Midseason Review: most surprising teams
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
There are a few teams this year that are contending, and no one picked them to finish where they're currently at...
TOC Midseason Review: most disappointing players
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
Next up in today's "unofficial" awards: the most disappointing player of the MLB season. A lot of...
TOC Midseason Review: most surprising players
The All-Star Break is upon us, and until game action starts up again on Friday, we're going to do a brief season in review of the 2012 MLB season thusfar. Our staff has voted on a variety of awards, and we're going to roll them out over the next four days.
Today, we're going to go with "unofficial" awards, and first, we're going to look at the most...
Prospect corner: first half observations from the Cal League
For the past three-plus months, I’ve been able to see a lot of California League action. Now, at the halfway point in the season, there is a good enough sample size to begin to match the stats with the observations that I have been noting along the way. Here are some quick notes on some of baseball’s top prospects that I’ve seen with my own eyes.
Billy Hamilton, SS,...
Dugout Digest - the break
We've reached the unofficial midpoint of the MLB season: the All-Star Break. No games will be played for the next four days, and the only events going on will be the Home Run Derby today, and the All-Star Game tomorrow. It's been a pretty crazy season so far, and here are some of the highlights
-The New York Yankees going from 27-23 after May to 52-33 (an insane...
Trade Deadline Primer: Available relief pitchers
The trade deadline is a few weeks away, so the rumor mill is about to heat up. To prep you for the coming trade season, we're providing a primer on who the top available trade targets could be as get closer to July 31st.
Who doesn't need relief help at the deadline, right? Over the next few weeks, general managers will fall all over themselves to overpay for a...
Trade Deadline Primer: Available starting pitchers
The trade deadline is a few weeks away, so the rumor mill is about to heat up. To prep you for the coming trade season, we're providing a primer on who the top available trade targets could be as get closer to July 31st.
There is no shortage of big name starting pitching on the trade market this month, but how many, if any will actually get moved? Who can the teams...
Dugout Digest - diminishing stars
The Braves beat the Phillies 6-3 last night (and I was there, which is why this DD is coming so late), but it wasn't the result that was surprising...it was the Phillies set of struggles since their two stars have returned. Ryan Howard came back to the team on Friday, and despite not playing yesterday, the Phillies are 0-2 with him on the active roster. Chase Utley was...
Trade Deadline Primer: Available right fielders
The trade deadline is a few weeks away, so the rumor mill is about to heat up. To prep you for the coming trade season, we're providing a primer on who the top available trade targets could be as get closer to July 31st.
Ah, right fielders....the primary arbiters of SMASHY SMASHY! I'm not sure if there's going to be much of an impact player moved at the...
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