More Signings and Contracts...

The New York Yankees have agreed to terms on a contract with free-agent catcher Russell Martin, just this past week. New York beat out Boston and Toronto to obtain Martin, who belonged to the Dodgers this past season. Russell Martin is deemed among the best catchers in the National League from 2007 to 2008, when he was a back-to-back All-Star while compiling a .286 batting average, .380 on-base percentage and 32 homeruns. But after a down year in 2009, when he compiled a .250 batting average, Martin played 97 games in 2010 and then missed the rest of the season with a broken right hip. The Yankees expect Martin to be in the best of shape before the next season starts because they are depending on him, as well as the rest of the team, to perform to the best of their capabilities.

Angels Gain Back Matsui?

The Los Angeles Angels and free agent Hideki Matsui neared completion of a one-year contract on Sunday, sending the all-star back to where he came from. Matsui, a 36-year-old left-handed hitter, would be expected to serve as the club's designated hitter. Although no decision was made at the time, the deal will develop over this weekend and could be finalized as early as today, Monday. Matsui spent last season as the Angels' designated hitter, his first season on the West Coast after seven years with the Yankees. He has 161 home runs and a .290 average in his career. He was the Most Valuable Player of the 2009 World Series, won by New York over Philadelphia.

Minnesota "Renovates"

The Minnesota Twins have said throughout the offseason that one of their goals has been to add speed to their lineup, and the one area where they felt they could do that was in the middle infield. The Twins' desire to go in that direction became clear when it posted the winning bid for exclusive negotiating rights with speedy Japanese infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka last month. And the Twins solidified that thought on Thursday when they closed out the Winter Meetings by trading shortstop J.J. Hardy to the Orioles. The deal sent Hardy, infielder Brendan Harris and $500,000 cash to Baltimore in exchange for two right-handed Minor League pitchers, Brett Jacobson and Jim Hoey. The trade didn't come as a surprise considering that Hardy's future had been up in the air ever since the Twins had placed the winning bid for Nishioka. In addition to working to bring the speedy, switching-hitting infielder to Minnesota, the Twins had said that they would like to give Alexi Casilla a chance at a starting job in the middle infield. Hopefully, the Twins can prepare their newly renovated team before the start of the next season.

Konerko Sticks with the Sox

Paul Konerko recently received an offer to remain with the Chicago White Sox for a three-year, $37.5 million deal. Konerko, 35, will acquire $12 million in 2011 and 2012 and $13.5 million in 2013. Of that $13.5 million, Paul Konerko will receive $6.5 million in 2013 and the remaining $7 million will be deferred ($1 million per year from 2014-2020). Although the man known as "King" was fully expected to continue his Southern reign in Chicago to what will total to around 15 years, this deal looked to have hit a major snag. White Sox general manager Ken Williams told the media how his level of optimism wasn't nearly as high as when he arrived in Florida for Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings with the number one concern of bringing back Konerko. Paul Konerko is a well-rounded player that the Sox would suffer without, so gaining him back will most definitely benefit the team as a whole.

White Sox Gain Adam Dunn

One of the offseason priorities for the White Sox soon could be fulfilled through the free-agent signing of Adam Dunn, who agreed to a four-year deal worth $56 million, pending a physical. Dunn had expressed a desire to do more than simply serve as designated hitter, but Dunn also could see time at first base for the White Sox, even if free agent Paul Konerko returns. Adam Dunn, reportedly was looking for a four-year, $60 million deal, and with the White Sox already committed to $81 million through 13 players, (not to mention arbitration increases due to John Danks, Carlos Quentin and Tony Pena) bringing in Dunn seemed less likely at that asking price.

Jeter's Status: Unsigned

Derek Jeter never wanted to enter the free-agent process, but now that he is there, the shortstop's negotiations with the New York Yankees might as well go on a little bit longer. As of now, the infamous shortstop remains unsigned with any team, but the Yanks aren't looking to drop him anytime soon. Re-signing Jeter remains a priority for the Yankees, who have offered a three-year, $45 million contract that was not immediately accepted.

According to multiple reports, Jeter is looking for something more along the lines of a four- or five-year deal worth about $23 million per season. Jeter just completed a 10-year, $189 million deal, and despite the sizable gap between the two sides, most industry insiders expect that Jeter and the Yankees will eventually work out an agreement.

Phillies' Future Looking Bright

The Philadelphia Phillies have recently signed right-hander Jose Contreras to a two-year, $5.5 million contract this week. They also signed their share of Minor League free agents, including corner infielder Jeff Larish, who played last season with the Oakland A's. But Philadelphia is not believed to be close with any other free agents who are expected to make an impact on the big league roster. Additionally, the Phillies have talked with agent Scott Boras about free-agent right fielder Jayson Werth and other Boras clients. It is believed Boras will seek a contract similar to the seven-year, $120 million contract Matt Holliday signed last winter with the Cardinals. Philadelphia will not approach those numbers, though it is possible it could offer him a three-year or four-year deal. With their roster's new additions, they hope to have a successful season next year, and can't wait for the opening game.

Posey Picks Up R.O.Y. Award

Buster Posey, who contributed mightily to the San Francisco Giants' World Series win, accomplished yet another goal Monday when he was named the National League's Rookie of the Year. Posey, 23, became the first Giant to win the award since right-hander John Montefusco in 1975. Additionally, the catcher was the first Giants position player to secure the honor since left fielder Gary Matthews did so in 1973. Posey's triumph thus mirrored the success of the Giants, who captured the World Series for the first time since 1954.
Posey compiled a .305 batting average, the best among NL rookies who played at least 100 games and the league's eighth-best overall after his May 29 promotion from the Triple-A Fresno team. Posey added on to that a grand total of 18 home runs (tied for fifth among NL rookies), 67 RBIs (fourth), a .505 slugging percentage (second) and a .357 on-base percentage (third). He also batted a team-high .312 with runners in scoring position. These truly recognizable stats make him one of the best the Giants have ever seen, and a great contributor to the ultimate win of the World Series. Click here for a link with all the giants' stats, comparing Posey to the rest of his teammates.
 

Three Reds Hogging the Gold Gloves

The Cincinnati Reds were the defensive stars of the National League on Wednesday, when three of their players won Rawlings NL Gold Glove Awards. And for the second year running, there was a batch of fresh faces earning baseball's highest defensive honor. Cincinnati third baseman Scott Rolen won his eighth Gold Glove Award, while two teammates, second baseman Brandon Phillips and right-handed pitcher Bronson Arroyo, were also honored. Phillips' award was his second, Arroyo's his first.

"When we built the team for this year, one of the things we emphasized was improving our defense," Reds general manager Walt Jocketty said. "I think the result was very positive, the accomplishment by the team as a whole, but in particular the three guys honored today. As an organization, we are very pleased and also very proud of these guys."

MLB Honors the Veterans

Today is Veterans Day, and Major League Baseball and its clubs are taking this occasion to solemnly remember those veterans who paid the ultimate sacrifice for their country, and to pay heed to those who have served and share in tributes today.

During an MLB visit to a Dallas health care facility on the morning of Game 4, John Campbell, deputy undersecretary of defense for Wounded Warrior Care and Transition Policy, said it is about "getting the country to understand just how valuable these young men and women are. I think other sports should do the same thing. Major League Baseball is kind of leading the way in doing this, so hat's off to them."

Overall, the players within the league of MLB are all honoring an respecting the soldiers who have fought, and are still fighting overseas, for the United States of America. Today is a day we should all honor the soldiers and their hard work, and the MLB organization is making this happen too.

Red Sox All Over "Big Papi"

The Boston Red Sox did not like the idea of David Ortiz becoming a free agent, so they made sure it didn't happen. Instead, the club exercised the $12.5 million option on the star slugger, who has reached iconic status during his eight years in Boston. Ortiz has said in several interviews in recent months that a multiyear extension would be more to his liking than the one-year option. Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein said the sides discussed multiyear packages earlier this week, but that common ground was not reached. He added that Ortiz responded well to the option being picked up. "Well, first of all, we're very happy to get this resolved today in a manner that was ultimately acceptable to both parties," Epstein said. "That was important to us, to be honest with you. I don't think we were that interested in picking up an option if it was going to be seen as burdensome to the player or unfair to the player."

Celebration Following the Giants' Win

The City by the Bay, in San Francisco, was teeming with proud and routy fans after the Giants' first World Series win since 1958. Celebrations were prominent throughout the city, and the team took part in the town celebrations as well.

Wednesday's parade followed the same route up Montgomery and down Market to City Hall that the 1958 team's parade did, with Giants legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays, who was there in 1958, and Mayor Gavin Newsom leading the way underneath an orange banner that said "World Series Champions" on one side and "Congratulations, Giants" on the other.Newsom presented Giants managing general partner Bill Neukom with the key to the city, declared it "San Francisco Giants Day" in San Francisco and kicked off an hour-long celebration for a team that mixed tremendous homegrown talent with a band of misfits to concoct a World Series team more than a half-century in the making.

Current State of the Union

ALCS (American League Championship Series):
Texas Rangers lead the series with 2 wins, and the New York Yankees have only 1 win.

NLCS (National League Championship Series):
Series tied with the Philadelphia Phillies with 1 win, and the San Francisco Giants with 1 win.

My predictions:
I predict that the San Francisco Giants win today's game, on October 19th, because of their recent success with their offensive leader Cody Ross. Ross stands in the series comfortably with 3 homeruns, proving himself to be worthy of his relatively new team, the Giants. In the ALCS, I believe the New York Yankees will take a win because they are looking for revenge after last night's humiliating loss at home to the Rangers. With a newfound positive outlook, the Yankees should be able to come back, playing in their home stadium again, and win the next game of the ALCS.

Phillies becoming superstitious?

Players of the Philadelphia Phillies are approaching the remaining games of the NCLS (National League Championship Series) as they had in the first game. More specifically, the Phillies are looking at the same offensive lineup in order to produce winning results like they had on Sunday.

"The key is taking batting practice the same here as we do at home," said Phillies' hitting coach Greg Gross. "Theoretically, we're trying to hit low line drives in the gaps and get carry. In our ballpark, when you do that, a lot of balls are going to go in the seats. Here, hopefully they'll equate into balls in the gaps and extra-base hits."

AT&T Park, where the Phillies face the San Francisco Giants for the series title, measures 339 feet down the left-field line and 309 down the line to right, which makes outfielders play deeper for left-handed pull hitters. Right-handed hitters can reach the seats to a 382-foot power alley in left-center field, but lefties will have a more difficult time pulling the ball out to right. The deepest part of the park is in right-center field, 421 feet from home plate under a wall that rises at least 18 feet.

Offensively, the Phillies will play Game 3 of the series the same as they had previously, and hope for the best. Click here for a link to the Philadelphia Phillies current rankings and standings in the NLCS.

                                        AT&T Park

Linecum vs. Phillies

Tim Lincecum of the San Francisco Giants is entirely focused on opening the National League Championship Series on Saturday, October 16th. As he prepares to meet the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay in a widely anticipated matchup in Game 1 of the NLCS in Philadelphia, Lincecum knows what kind of series is at hand. "This is the Year of the Pitcher, and it's still continuing," Lincecum said Wednesday as he left the field following the Giants' workout at AT&T Park. While the battle of Cy Young Award winners demands headlines, Lincecum won't be facing Halladay, but the number 9 hitter in a dangerous Phillies lineup that presents a challenge to this starting pitcher. "You've just got to make your pitches," Lincecum said of facing the daunting Phillies lineup. "I know they've got a lot of guys that can hurt you with the long ball, but we play great defense and we pitch to it as well as anybody has, so if we just continue that, we should be fine." I believe that with Tim Linecum starting for the San Francisco Giants for the first game of the series, the Giants most definitely have a fighting chance to take this title.

While the Season is Winding Down...

The American League and National League Championships are both arriving relatively soon, starting October 15th and 16th. The ALCS (American League Championship Series) is set to be October 15th between the New York Yankees and Texas Rangers. The Texas Rangers have been doing surprisingly well the last couple of weeks, and with making it all the way to the ALCS they have come a very long way. The NLCS (National League Championship Series) begins the day after, October 16th, between the San Francisco Giants and the Philadelphia Phillies. Overall, the Phillies have a strong offense and defense that will be difficult to defeat in the NLCS, so the Giants are up for a challenge. The two winners out of these series will be set to play in the World Series starting October 27th. All of the teams participating in both of the series are overwhelmingly talented and it will be a rough couple of games.

Rangers Future Looks Promising

The Texas Rangers are one win away from going to the American League Championship Series (ALCS) for the first time in franchise history. The Rangers hold a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series as they fly back to Texas for the next two games on their home turf. Game 3 is scheduled on Saturday at the ballpark in Arlington with Colby Lewis pitching for the Rangers against Matt Garza. Tommy Hunter, if necessary, will pitch in Game 4 on Sunday. The Rangers need to win only one of those two games to advance to the ALCS against the Yankees-Twins winner. If the Yankees win that series, the Rangers will have home-field advantage for the ALCS, which is truly beneficial for them. So far, the ALCS title is looking good for the Texas Rangers, and soon enough, it could very well be the World Series title next. Click here for a link to the Texas Rangers website hosting their current standings and rankings in the MLB.

PLAYOFFS!

Division Series:

                          

               

Tampa Bay Rays        vs.        Texas Rangers

                                

Philadelphia Phillies           vs.       Cincinnati Reds  

Minnesota Twins              vs.                New York Yankees

          

San Francisco Giants                vs.                    Atlanta Braves

Personal Prediction: I believe the Tampa Bay Rays are going to win the World Series this year. Offensively and defensively, they have been a very strong team, and are definitely going to make it far in the playoffs. Other teams that have a chance of making it to the championship consist of the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves. Both teams have a few all-star players such as Albert Pujols and Jason Heyward, providing them with a decent chance in possibly making it to the World Series along with the Tampa Bay Rays. Despite the fact that the New York Yankees made it in the playoffs with a Wild Card, they have a pretty good chance of advancing far into the playoffs as well.

MLB: 3 billion to this day

The national organization of Major League Baseball has come to serve 3 billion fans, as of September 28, 2010. Dating back to 1901, MLB and its stadiums have hosted now 3 billion fans, which is truly a milestone for the league altogether. This momentous occurrence happened when the 3 billionth fan entered the Coors Field gate to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies game. It took 75 years to reach the first billion fans, in 1976, and in 1997, finally reached over 2 billion. From this point on, and 13 years later, MLB has had attendances to their games of over 3 billion. Baseball is a basic principle of American culture and will continue to be so, even after its hosting of its 3 billionth fan. The organization will always flourish from the support of its fans, no matter what.

"Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world." - Babe Ruth

"I owe the public just one thing -- a good performance." - Bob Gibson

With the Playoffs and World Series soon approaching...

Both the playoffs and World Series of Major League Baseball are quickly approaching, and I would like to provide my readers with some of the standings of the leagues and some of my personal predictions as well.

Playoff predictions for the National League:
1. Atlanta Braves
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Philadelphia Phillies
4. Cincinnati Reds

Playoff predictions for the American League:
1. New York Yankees
2. Tampa Bay Rays
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Texas Rangers

My general prediction for the World Series is just a guess, but based on the winning percentages of the currently ranked teams:
New York Yankees versus Philadelphia Phillies, with a Phillies WIN

Click here for an awesome video on some of the major highlights of MLB's 2010 season. Let me know your feedback, thanks.

Done for the Season?

Hanley Ramirez, shortstop of the Florida Marlins, may possibly be ending the season early due to an elbow injury that occurred recently. Ramirez is receiving treatment for a sore left elbow, and has not been doing well the past couple of days. Manager Edwin Rodriguez is keeping a close eye on Ramirez to assure that he has a successful recovery, and relatively quickly as well.

Ramirez told his manager that he felt worse after playing on Tuesday night following a four-game absence. Rodriguez says that isn't a good sign for the 26-year-old star to return with 11 games left in the season.
The Marlins would rather have Ramirez sit the bench, or maybe even pinch run, but they collectively would not want to worsen his injury by any means. Hopefully, Hanley Ramirez will recover from this elbow injury and be able to join the team next season. Click here for a link that displays plenty of information about Ramirez and his stats.

Paul Konerko: MVP-worthy season?

Paul Konerko, member of the Chicago White Sox, has recently been recognized for his positive attitude both on the field and off. His teammates and coaches respect him as one of the most inspirational players of the game today, and for these very reasons he is being considered to be an MVP of the 2010 season of Major League Baseball.

As his batting coach Greg Walker described Konerko, "He has been the most unselfish player I've ever been around. Maybe the game paid him back for doing it the right way. But if the MVP voters had been here to see what our staff and manager has seen him do, he'd win it hands down." This present season, Konerko has both offensively and defensively been performing extremely well, with a .318 batting average and ranking second in the American League with 37 homeruns and 105 RBIs.

Although there are several other acknowledgeable players being considered for the MVP title, Paul Konerko deserves the award, in my opinion, for his hardwork and dedication to the sport of baseball.

Nationals' Nyger Morgan on Suspension for "Charging the Mound"

Center fielder Nyger Morgan, a member of the Washington Nationals, recently began an 8 game suspension for a multiple of reasons. Some of his altercations included:
1. Hitting a fan with a ball at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia
2. Trying to knock down Cardinals' catcher Bryan Anderson
3. Using innapropriate language with fans at Sun Life Stadium, and physically attacking Marlins' right-handed pitcher Chris Volstad
Morgan is also being fined $15,000 by the Major League Baseball league office. Morgan's response to his steep consequence was, "I don't think the fine should of been that much, but I still respect MLB's decision. Now I can move on and finish the season on a positive note." Before finishing the season, however, Nyger Morgan will have to finish his game suspension first.
In my opinion, Nyger Morgan should be kicked out of the organization of Major League Baseball altogehter because he has violated numerous rules multiple times. He does not set a good example for people watching baseball on tv, and therefore, this serious but fair precaution should be taken, to prevent any further altercations from occurring. Give me your opinions on this. Thanks.

Cardinals' Albert Pujols On The Bench?

St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols has recently been "warming the bench," as some would say due to a possibly severe elbow injury that occurred August 25, in a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He primarily injured his elbow by diving for a foul ball in the game against Pittsburgh, but further aggregated his elbow the following days in Washington.

Albert Pujols is known to be a 'tough guy", says fellow teammates and manager Tony La Russa, and is known for having a lot of tolerance for pain. Shortly after the occurrance of the injury, Pujols was qustioned whether he would take a break or continue platying, and he answered he would "play through the pain."

From my personal viewpoint, Albert Pujols is one of the most talented Major League Baseball players in the league, and it does not surprise me that he basically worsened the injury by his decision to continue playing in spite of the pain.

Arizona D-backs: New Addition to the Team

The Arizona Diamondbacks have recently acquired pitcher Matt Gorgen from the Tampa Bay Rays, completing a trade consisting of pitching reliever Chad Qualls being sent to the Rays as well. Matt Gorgen, a 23 year old right-handed pitcher, has a 1.65 ERA (for all you non-baseball fans, ERA means Averae Earned Runs, and 1.65 is an incredibly good average), and an upcoming star pitcher for all of the MLB to watch out for. Currently tied for first in the Southern League, he has 22 saves with 47 strikeouts and 21 walks in all of 42 appearances. The D-backs plan to do very well with their newly gained pitcher, and hope to finish of the season with plenty more wins.

Intro to MLB Blog

Baseball: America's favorite pastime sport. Throughout the country, baseball, specifically the United States' professional league, Major League Baseball, is a well-respected organization today. Watched as well as played by its fans, baseball has been around before much of us truly realize. The sport was founded in 1869, to be precise. Without its existence, America as a whole, would certainly not be where it is at today.

Major League Baseball is divided into two divisions, the National League and American League. With 14 professional teams in the American League and 16 in the National, the players drafted for these teams are top-of-the-line and hardworking men. They are looked at by many as influential role models, and even heroes by some.

My personal favorite team, the Florida Marlins, are part of the National League, and are currently ranked 8.5 games back as of September 7, 2010. My all-time favorite player in MLB is Hanley Ramirez. He plays shortstop for the Marlins, bats a .303 and currently has 75 RBI's under his belt. Click here for a link to the Florida Marlins website for more information regarding the team.