Welcome to Miami (Bienvenido a Miami)

Well Blog followers, by now you are thinking, is this blog only about the Miami Marlins. It's starting to look that way, but the Marlins are making the biggest "splash" this offseason. But as stated in the title, and elaborately stated by Mr. Will Smith, "Welcome To Miami." Today, approximately 10 minutes ago at 12:15 PM, the Miami Marlins formally announced their signing of Jose Reyes. "The contract is a 6-year, $106MM deal today.  The deal does not include a no-trade clause.  Reyes will receive $102MM over the first six years of his contract, and has a $4MM buyout on a seventh year option worth $22MM." Jeffrey Loria says Jose Reyes will have cut his hair. "everybody has to follow the rules ." This is big for the Marlins because they now need to figure out many problems that can/will pan out during this offseason. The first problem's name is: Hanley Ramirez. The All-Star shortstop is not happy about the Marlins signing Reyes, simple because: it's his position. Ramirez is none too happy about the possibility of relocating to either center field or third base. Ramirez has even been reported saying that he would prefer being traded then moved to third. BUT, BUT, BUT, the Marlins stated today in the press conference that Hanley is now the starting third baseman. 

The second problem the Marlins face are finances. A new stadium, two very big signings worth approximately $133 million, and the other finances that are normally dealt with such as other contracts on the team. Apparently Jeffrey Loria's idol is George Steinbrenner, and Loria wants what Steinbrenner had. He wants championships, he wants money, and he wants to use that money on big names in baseball. But unfortunately, the Marlins are not the Yankees. The Marlins do not quite have the fan base to bring in the money that the Yankees have, but Loria is trying to change all of that with the new image of the "Miami Marlins." And if this doesn't work, the Marlins have a little trick up their sleeve. All of the new contracts and signings they have been offering do not have no-trade clauses. Meaning, if the Marlins are starting to go into the "red" they can trade away Jose Reyes and another team can pay his contract. Genius.

The last problem the Marlins face is Albert Pujols. The fact that the two teams that are leading the way to obtain Albert Pujols are the Marlins and the Cardinals just amazes me. But since both the Yankees and the Red Sox already have great first baseman, I guess the market is a little slim. Pujols has been receiving offers from both the Cardinals and the Marlins that are 10-years and over $200 million. I don't know about you, but having Albert Pujols in the NL East for 10 years really scares me. "The Machine" playing at least 18 games against the Phillies, that's a game changer. If the Marlins do obtain Pujols, their payroll will be enormous, bigger than it has been in years combined. If the Marlins do not obtain Pujols, they will still be in a position where they are lacking some offense. Jose Reyes is a leadoff hitter, not a 3 hole batter, nor a cleanup batter. Plus Reyes is only one person. Can one person make a difference? I think so. Can two players make a difference? Definitely. Good luck Marlins, I'm really excited to see you play in 2012.

Back to the Marlins: Part II

A bit of my own "creativity

There have been many rumors about the Miami Marlins in the past few weeks. It was November 11th when they became the Miami Marlins and things have been heating up in the recently nicknamed: "The City of the Future." So what have those crazy fish from the south been up to? Yesterday the Marlins officially signed closer Heath Bell to a 3-year $27 million contract with a fourth year vesting option wroth $9 million. The Marlins front office stated they wanted a dominant closer, a pitcher (so that Josh Johnson isn't their only hope), and new offensive power. Well, they can check one of those off! Bell has made the All Star team the past three years and had at least 42 saves each season since 2009. That kind of pitching dominance in the 9th inning will really help the Marlins win more games! As a Phillies fan, I don't want to see them win too many games, but finishing last is something that no team wants to do. Moving towards the pitching end of the spectrum, the Marlins are still "fishing" around for CJ Wilson, but NL East rival Washington Nationals are also pursuing the left-hander. Mark Buehrle has also been linked to the Marlins, but nothing has come from that. Last but not least: Jose Reyes. Apparently the market for Reyes is not as open as many would thought it would be. So far the Mets and the Marlins are the frontrunners for Reyes, but the Tigers and Brewers appear to be "iffy" in the market. The only thing that would really stop Reyes from not signing with the Mets is that they refuse to offer a 6th year. The Marlins on the other hand, are offering a 6th year, but initially offered less money. The Marlins are willing to bump it up a bit, but who knows? But it does appear that it will be very unlikely that Reyes leaves the NL East. I heard of rumors that Jose Reyes was seen in Philadelphia, but what are the chances the Phillies will sign Reyes? Highly unlikely. Would I love to see it? Yes. (Back to the Marlins: Part III soon to come, as soon as something happens)

Bobby Valentine: No Longer Giving Obvious Statements on BBTN

Don't get me wrong, I love Bobby Valentine. I find him to be a very likable guy, he's comical, and has been involved with MLB for quite some time now. But I have to say, he gives the most obvious statements on television ever. Things along the lines of, "If you want to win games, you have to score runs." Well, Duh! So now Bobby V. is in the AL East, one of the most competitive divisions in baseball. Going against some serious managing like: Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon, Joe Girardi, and that Canadian guy (John Farrell). Taking on a team that is similar to last year's squad (without Papelbon and possibly without Ortiz), Valentine will hopefully take the Red Sox to a new level. Or at least make sure they can into the playoffs. Boston was tied with the 8th best record in baseball in the 2011 season which is nothing to shake a stick at, but they still ended up losing the last game of the season to the Orioles to allow the Rays into the playoffs. In the end, it really doesn't matter because the Cardinals won anyway.... But back to my original point, Bobby Valentine will give the AL East a bit of a shakeup. With a stacked team, Valentine will look to enhance his lifetime managing record of 1117-1072, a .510 winning percentage, and one pennant. I mean he doesn't have the winning percentage of Girardi, the hair of Maddon, the Canadian-ness of Farrell(?), and the true character of Buck Showalter. But he does have a good smile, so good luck Bobby V!

Justin Verlander: Legend Amongst Men

To do what Justin Verlander has accomplished in the 2011 season is just amazing. Verlander was a sure lock-in for the AL Cy Young award but there was still speculation of who would win the AL MVP. The last pitcher to win the MVP award was in 1992, and the last starting pitcher to win was Rodger Clemens in 1986. It can be difficult to comprehend just what Verlander has done. He doesn't believe it himself: "If you had told me at the beginning of the year I would be a shoo-in for the Cy Young, I would have been excited and ecstatic. I would've never even thought about the MVP." Statistically, Justin Verlander was 24-5, and in a 162 game season, Verlander won 25% of the Tigers 95 wins. In other words, Wow. It's simply amazing in that Verlander can make such an impact on his team that he beat Jacoby Ellsbury, Jose Bautista, and Curtis Granderson. In my opinion, I was pulling for either Ellsbury or Granderson because of their surges in homerun hitting, but unfortunately, I don't get to vote for such things. I could continue to give stats about Verlander's 2011 season but I feel as though that it is simply redundant. The man won both the Cy Young and the AL MVP. It's simply amazing.

Light up the Hot Stove!

What is a Hot Stove? Well regardless of what it is, it's heating up! Once again those foolish fish from Florida are offering Albert Pujols a 9-year $225 million contract. Good luck with that one! Pujols turned down deals from the Cardinals before the 2011 season started and they were around 9 years, and over $225 million, so why would Pujols agree to this deal? Pujols toured the Marlins new ballpark and was reported to have had a good trip. It wasn't a great trip, it wasn't a fantastic trip, it was a good trip. Albert has no affiliations with the Marlins, and he just won a World Series Title with the Cardinals, so in my opinion, I do not see him signing with the Marlins. The other big, literally, first baseman free agent this off season is Prince Fielder. Fielder is the pride and joy of Milwaukee, but where will he go? How many games do you think Prince Fielder has missed in the past 6 seasons? Well, one season in 162 games, and with days given off and all that stuff, one would expect somewhere along the lines of 60 games? That's 10 games a season, which is relatively low. He's missed 13 games in SIX SEASONS! WOW. Wherever Fielder goes, that team will know that they get durability and their money's worth with this contract. Fielder will want somewhere along the lines of a "Ryan Howard contract" but he's thrown out a number like $180 million. The teams that can afford that, like the Red Sox or Yankees, already have first baseman. Teams being thrown around for possible fits for Fielder are the Dodgers, Angels, Rangers, and there are preliminary talks with the Brewers as of this week. These two first baseman free agents are the biggest of the big, and will shape the offseason into something truly special.

Oh and Justin Verlander won the AL Cy Young in unanimous vote.

Miami Marlins: Who the Hell do they think they are?

Yes ladies and gentleman, the blog is back for the offseason. I know that I stated before that I would bring it back during the summer, but I feel as though I am only giving game recaps that you can easily watch on ESPN or Baseball Tonight at 30 second intervals. Who likes reading anyway? But in this time of NBA lockouts, college football, the NFL, and the NHL, all dominating the airwaves, baseball is somewhat on the back burner. But let's get down to business. On Friday November 11, 2011 a "new" team was unveiled and they are known as the "Miami Marlins." They used to be the Florida Marlins, but bygone there is another team in Florida! Floridians don't seem to know this because no one goes to the games, and they have to give out free tickets, but there are the Tampa Bay Rays! (I think they may have been in the playoffs the past few years?) Anyway, there are some new things that come with the Miami Marlins: a new stadium, new uniforms, and a new mentality(?). And on a sidenote, it's about time the Marlins got a new stadium, and one with a retractable roof? That means no more rain delays! Woo!

It appears that Jeffrey Loria is trying to get fans in the seats by possibly getting big ticket free agents like: Albert Pujols, Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, and Ryan Madson. Why don't they try to get Prince Fielder while they are at it, Pujols can play 3B. If they get Jose Reyes so what? He's been in the division for years. Plus Hanley Ramirez has stated that he does not want to move his position of SS to CF, and where does that leave the Marlins? Plus they only offered Reyes a 6-year $90 million contract. Reyes wants a guaranteed $100 million. But with this, you must realize the Marlins history. They won a World Series in their 5th season as an MLB team in 1997, and then again in 2003! But afterwards it was: scrap all players, save on payroll, see what happens. The Marlins highest payroll was just over $66 million, and now they want to offer Jose Reyes money? What about Albert Pujols? He wants $30 million a year! The Marlins have stated that they have $35 million just lying around and that money is burning a hole in their pocket. Let's see what happens in the end. I'm sorry to say Marlins fans, but I highly doubt that the Marlins will win the NL East, mainly because they have never done it before. Both times they won the World Series, they did it as the NL Wildcard team. In my opinion, I say good luck to the Marlins.

PS. I like the new look and the new logo. Tell me what you think.

Not Posting for Long Periods of Time

I once again apologize blog fans, but I feel as though I have let you down by not posting for some time. I'm trying to get pack to posting at least 3-4 times again, and hopefully that will happen. Last Tuesday I attended my very first Brewers game at Miller Park in Milwaukee, and it was quite a show. The Brewers faced the Tampa Bay Rays in interleague play and it was an amazing experience. I sat two rows from the field and was able to see the game like I've never seen one before. Zack Greinke took the mound for the Brew Crew, and fanned down 10 throughout the game (6 swinging, 4 looking). What was Kansas City thinking when they let him go?!?!?! But in that game, I was able to get an autograph from both Casey McGehee and Corey Hart. Not only that but in the first inning, Even Longoria grounded out to Casey McGehee to Rickie Weeks. Weeks then proceeded to throw the ball into the crowd and I was fortunate enough to catch it. My very first game ball. A ball that has touched the hands of Zack Greinke, Casey McGehee, and Rickie Weeks. Wow. Other than that, the roof and the back of the stadium closed due to severe storms in Milwaukee, which the roof closed in less than 10 minutes.

But enough of my own personal experience, baseball is taking shape as we near the All-Star break. The Phillies are now 20 games over .500! And as a Phillies fan, I still feel as though they could be playing better. Not one player is batting over .300 with disappoints me. Shane Victorino is closest with a .291 average, but even that isn't that great. It used to be that the Phillies wouldn't bat for average, but would hit 30 homers, and now that's not even the case. The Phils need to stop relying on their pitching, although it is amazing, and realize that pitching only gets you so far. In wrapping up, please continue to read, and go Phillies!

Why MLB.TV is awesome/sucks

Hey blog fans, I wanted to take some time to talk to you about MLB.TV and what it's all about. I recently moved to a different location where I am unable to watch the Phillies. So if I want to know anything about their games, and get more than the highlights, I watch MLB Gameday, and listen to the audio. I looked into MLB.TV and saw that it had some blackout restrictions but thought, "What the Hell? I love baseball enough that I'll watch all the games." And that statement is true, I was able to watch a Phillies game by moving my computer's proxy around, but that does not always work. At the same time, I have not missed one Texas Rangers' game, or any games that I just find to be interesting. I follow my fantasy players around, and even hooked MLB.TV to my PS3 to watch it from my Tv. Anyway, if you are interested or want to know more, please feel free to comment below with any questions. It's always interesting to hear the other side of the commentating booth. With the Phillies, you always have a somewhat bias towards the Phillies and when the Phillies are on ESPN or FOX, there is always a bias against the Phillies. (Especially with one Joe Buck). I really do enjoy MLB.TV, and if you are a big enough baseball fan, and have the money, I would suggest that you purchase it because I enjoy it. EVEN THOUGH I STILL DON'T REALLY GET TO WATCH THE PHILLIES! But if you like the Texas Rangers, the Seattle Mariners, the Milwaukee Brewers, the LA Dodgers, or even the New York Yankees, get it, I highly suggest it.

Where Have You Been?

"Guess who's back, back again, Taylor's back, tell a friend." First and foremost, I apologize for not posting since April 26th, 2011, but finals, work, and other activities took over my life and I was unable to keep up with blogging. A lot has happened since Jered Weaver became 6-0, but I do not believe I cannot sum it all up in one blog. What should I blog about after being away for over a month? I'm not quite sure, so I'm going to blog about the one thing I know I always can talk about: The Phillies. The Phillies right now have the best record in the National League with a record of 34-22. And to look at the past week the past three series, they have played the Reds, the Mets, and the Nationals. Those series included a 19-inning stretch, which you probably know that Wilson Valdez got the win for. His hat was later sent to the Hall of Fame. I saw on Facebook the status of: "Jo-Jo Reyes 0-28, Wilson Valdez 1-0." Very amusing. The Phils have somewhat disappointed me because I was expecting this spectacular performance from both the offense and the defense. We all knew that Chase Utley's return would take awhile, and now that he is back for the most part, the Phillies are closer to what I call the "2010 Opening Day Lineup." That lineup goes as follows: Rollins, Polanco, Utley, Howard, Werth (Now Francisco/Brown), Ibanez, Victorino, Ruiz, Halladay. With Ruiz being shaky, Utley not playing everyday and Victorino now on the DL, the Phillies lineup fluctuates from the A-Team (minus Mr. T) and the B-Team. Any day I see Michael Martinez, Pete Orr, and Sardinha all playing, I say, "Oh it's one of those days." And by the way, do the Phillies REALLY need Michael Martinez that badly? Do they not want the Nationals to get him that badly that they have to keep his crappy bat on the roster? Right now, the Phillies are in a good position in the National League, and can maintain their spot atop the NL East. On a better note, I was happy to see Vance Worley return to the Phillies lineup, and was heartbroken to see him go. His outing against the Mets can be summed up by poor fielding by the Phillies as well as some questionable calls by the THREE umpires.

Jered Weaver: 6-0

Jered Weaver recorded his 6th consecutive win last night for the Angels. Weaver threw nine shutout innings with 7 hits, 1 walk, and struck out 10. He nows leads the majors in wins (6), strikeouts (49), and ERA (0.99). Boo-yah! The Angels are 13-10, and Jered Weaver has 6 of them? But with a record of 6-0, Jered Weaver is among 3 others who have started the season 6-0, the last being Brandon Webb in 2008 with the Diamondbacks, and Randy Johnson has gone 6-0 twice. This win came as a surprise to me because Weaver is 1-11 against the A's and is known to struggle against them. Plus this was Weavers second complete game in his last two starts, and Weaver now has six in his entire career. Not to mention Weaver has an ERA of 0.99, which he owes much of his 6 wins to, because the Angels average just under 4 runs per game. With this kind of start, what record will Weaver have at the end of the 2011 season? Where will Weaver finish in the AL Cy Young voting? Where will his team finish in the AL West? I would imagine that the Angels can finish near the top, if not at the top of the AL West due to the lack of teams and competition. The only other real threat in the AL West are the Texas Rangers. Regardless of what the team does, I find it to be an amazing feat to do, to start of perfect through 6 strong starts. Weaver not only leads in wins but has the pitching Triple Crown in wins, k's, and ERA, something very hard to maintain with so many aces in the majors. I wish Jered Weaver luck in the rest of the 2011 season and hope that he can continue and go to 7-0.

MLB Takes Control of the Dodgers

This Picture is a New Favorite

I know this story is about 2 days late, but I wanted to make sure that I got all the details that I would like to write about it. The whole idea of Major League Baseball having to take control over the Dodgers because of a messy divorce seems like a good idea, because the once prosperous club has been on the decline since Jamie McCourt filed for divorce in October 2009. In all honesty, I'm not sure what could come from this, there have been many rumors of relocation, or new ownership. No one is quite sure what is going to happen in this situation, but as of right now, the Dodgers are 10-10, making them third in the NL West. There is a reason that they are able to be in this position now, and that is that they had to borrow approximately $30 million in the off season to be able to make their payroll. This situation is very similar to what the Mets are going through, but they borrowed $25 million from MLB. Mets owner Fred Wilpon has something that the McCourt's do not, and that is a close personal friendship with Bud Selig. The only good thing that really can come from this whole ordeal is that the Dodgers ball club is not affected by this in any way. I really don't think that anyone would want the LA Dodgers to change location, because they have become an important part to the community. Yes the fans show up in the 3rd inning and leave in the 7th, but that is one of the key things that the Dodgers are all about. And don't forget, if they Dodgers leave Dodger Stadium, the announcers will not be able to talk about the large amounts of foul territory that are/were in Dodger Stadium. What will they talk about!?!? I wish the LA Dodgers luck in this very difficult situation and hope for the best for the organization.

The Official Message from Bud Selig is as follows:

“Pursuant to my authority as Commissioner, I informed Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt today that I will appoint a representative to oversee all aspects of the business and the day-to-day operations of the Club.  I have taken this action because of my deep concerns regarding the finances and operations of the Dodgers and to protect the best interests of the Club, its great fans and all of Major League Baseball. My office will continue its thorough investigation into the operations and finances of the Dodgers and related entities during the period of Mr. McCourt's ownership.  I will announce the name of my representative in the next several days.   

“The Dodgers have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of sports, and we owe it to their legion of loyal fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future.”

Phils Lose in Extra Innings

First and foremost, I find it to be very funny/interesting that MLB.com has game wrap ups for both teams in the game that was played. One article always has an uplifting and happy tone, while the other seems to be somewhat sad and ready for the next game. This is exactly what the Brewers/Phillies recaps are like, the Brewers have the victorious tone of how they overcame and won, while the Phillies recap expresses their disappointment of losing. But that's exactly how the fans, and the players feel about last night's game. The Phillies had scattered a total of 9 singles throughout the game, which leaves fans asking, "Where are the homeruns from 2008?" Charlie Manuel doesn't know, nor do the players. The 9th inning for the Phils was very exciting, tying the game to force the game into extra innings, or "Free Baseball" as the announcers like to call it. But after pretty standard 10th and 11th innings, the 12th inning can be wrapped up in one sentence, written by Todd Zolecki. "Five batters, one single, one wild pitch, one hit batter, one intentional walk and two sacrifice flies later, the Brewers had a three-run lead." That's exactly what happened. Excuses were made about Kendrick's poor performance, like he hasn't pitched in 10 days. I'm sorry Kyle, but pitching is your job. I understand that you can walk a batter, but on four pitches? Or what about the awful throw to first? You're telling me that 10 days off causes you to wildly throw to first? Fundamentals are fundamentals, regardless of how many days you've had off. It seems as though losing the first game of every series is what the Phillies are doing, but as long as they win the next two, that's fine by me. I will be at the game tonight watching Roy Halladay and former Phillie Randy Wolf pitch. Be sure to look for me along the first base line. Lastly, I wish the Phillies luck in the rest of the series against the Brewers.

CC Sabathia, Winless in 4 Starts

The Yankees "workhorse" CC Sabathia is winless in four starts. The biggest question is why? CC, a Cy Young winner, stats are as follows: 0-1, 4 games started, 25 innings pitched, 25 hits, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 23 SO, and an ERA of 2.52. Pretty good numbers overall, not not necessarily for the Yanks #1 starter. So what has gotten into CC? I really think that he is pulled at the right time, and the Yankees score at the wrong time. Look at Opening Day, CC pitched 6 strong innings, giving up 3 runs, but the game was tied when he was lifted from the mound. The Yankees then scored in the 7th, giving Joba Chamberlain the win. Sabathia's next start against the Twins was once again a let down. CC pitched 7 shut-out innings, only allowing 2 hits and 1 walk. The Yankees were winning 4 nothing at the bottom of the 7th, but Rafael Soriano gave up 4 runs in the top of the 8th, giving CC a no-decision. Last Sunday, Sabathia received his first loss of the season, after giving up 1 run in 5 2/3 innings. Sabathia was in a pitching duel with Josh Beckett, but was out-pitched. Last night, Sabathia was pulled after 6 1/3 innings, giving up 4 runs, 8 hits, 2 walks, and 6 strikeouts in his weakest outing. I honestly think that CC has bad timing as well as an offense that likes to produce in the later innings. CC has proved himself time after time and in four starts has only given up 7 runs, which is pretty impressive. Other than R2C2 +J, CC Sabathia is my favorite pitcher, not to mention he's an amazing left-handed pitcher. I wish CC luck in getting his first win, eating more Captain Crunch, and another Cy Young.

"Werth" Getting Rid Of

When I think of Jayson Werth, I think of the outfielder who shared games in right field with Geoff Jenkins in 2007. Then I think of the 2008 Jayson Werth and what he meant to the Phillies World Series win. Then I think of 2009 when he once again helped the Phillies reach the post season. In 2010, after he yelled at my girlfriend and his horrendous hermit picture. In the 2010 off season, Werth proceeded to talk trash on the Phillies, which a recap can be found here. So far in the 2011 season, Werth has not produced for the Nationals as much as they thought he would. And you're thinking, "Taylor, he has reached base safely in all 10 games, and hit a double and a homerun against the Phillies yesterday." Don't you think I already know that? I saw all of the headlines: "Werth Signing," "Jayson proves his Werth as Nats win," "Werth Haunts former team as Nats win." Ok, we get it, Jayson Werth's last name can be used in phrases that are puns and play on words. Werth had a double and a homerun in last nights game and all stories asked the question of whether or not the Phillies should have signed him. No they shouldn't have. Last night's game was Werth's first game with more than one hit, and yes, it just so happened to be against the Phillies. Let's look at Werth's stats for the year: .238 BA, 8 BB, 1 SB, 2 RBI, 2 HR, 4 2B. The only Phillie to have a batting average lower than Werth is Raul Ibanez with a .233, Werth's replacement Ben Francisco is batting .279. Sorry Jayson, Cliff Lee is "Werth" more than you are. I do not hate Jayson Werth for leaving Philadelphia, a friend told me that "Baseball is his job, and he took the best offer he got, just like you would take the best offer you would get." My only beef is with the media and that they made such a huge deal just because he had two extra base hits against his former team. NEWS FLASH: He will be doing that for the next 7 years, get used to it. Good luck Jayson Werth, keep up the good work.

Sliding Head First

Base runners have specific instructions on how and when to slide. Most follow the rule of: if returning to the base on a pick-off attempt, slide head first. And when stealing or other base running efforts, slide feet first. Unfortunately, Josh Hamilton goes by his own rules. Or in this case, the suggestion by third base coach Dave Anderson. Hamilton is actually blaming Anderson because of his injury for sending him in the first place. But Anderson advises no head first slides, especially at home, because of the catchers equipment. So who here is to blame? The injury prone Josh Hamilton for risking the head first slide, or Anderson for sending him in the first place. If you ask Jim Leyland or Ron Washington (Tigers/Rangers' managers), Anderson made the right call to send Hamilton home, because there was no one covering home. In 12 Major League Baseball games yesterday, there were a total of 4 head first slides, and only one resulted in injury. Buster Olney has been posting nonstop on Twitter about players who slide headfirst and those who don't. Pete Rose was a player who was notorious for sliding head first at any base, but Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Jackie Robinson, and Ty Cobb were not known for sliding head first. Whatever your style is on the base paths, make sure you are safe (both in the context of injuries and on base). My feelings on the matter are, slide feet first, especially if you are injury prone *Josh Hamilton*. But there are exceptions to every rule and the play at the plate can change everything. I hope Josh Hamilton has a quick and easy recovery, mainly because I need him back on my fantasy team. I also wish him luck in the rest of the 2011 season.

Monday Night Baseball: Rays vs. Red Sox 4/11

There a few things that I have noticed while watching the Rays, Red Sox game on ESPN. One of them being that there are very few teams represented on ESPN's Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday Night Baseball. Many of their games feature either the Yankees, Red Sox, Rays, Phillies, Rangers, Tigers, and a few others, depending on the matchup. Another thing I noticed in this game specifically is that Manny Ramirez's name has been mentioned almost every half inning, whether it be about his performances in Boston, short performance with the Rays, time with Johnny Damon, and whether or not he will be voted in the the Hall of Fame. But going by the commentators, he will not be in the Hall of Fame, and I for one am glad that I heard it ten times. Lastly, what will happen to the Rays and the Red Sox at the end of the series, or even the end of the season. Granted, the game is not yet over, but the Rays are winning 16-4 in the top of the 9th, so the Red Sox chances of winning are slim. So if the Rays do end up winning, both teams will be 2-8, and at a tie for last in the AL East. Lucky them. As of right now, the Rays have 19 hits, 9 of them extra base hits. I for one am having trouble understanding how a team scores 20 runs in 9 games, but then proceeds to score 12 in one game, with virtually the same lineup. Maybe it's the fact the that Red Sox's pitching staff has an ERA of over 7.30. I'm not quite sure if it's the Rays' bats finally coming alive or the Red Sox continuing their struggles. I honestly thought the Red Sox were back on track after last night's win over the Yankees, but I guess I was wrong. Lastly, Sam Fuld had a chance for the cycle, but in the top of the 9th extended his single into a double giving him 2 doubles, a triple, and a homerun. Good luck to the Red Sox in their 9th inning rally to win, otherwise, good luck to both teams on rising from the bottom of the AL East.

Manny Ramirez Retires

I don't know what to say. One of my favorite players, has retired. Yes, I know what you're thinking, "You posted a blog stating why Manny Ramirez is no longer important."But at that time, Manny wasn't in the best position as a free agent, and I felt as though he would go unsigned for awhile. Now I realize how important Manny Ramirez actually is. At work today, I was on the computer and read on Twitter that Manny was retiring, and instantly I was at a loss for words. He would face a 100 game suspension for performance enhancing drugs in Spring Training. I immediately thought, he'll never get 600 homeruns. Many thought that Manny would achieve the 600 mark in the next two seasons, but he will always be stuck at the 555 homeruns. Who could forget "Manny being Manny," "Mannywood," or my personal favorite, "ManRam." His antics in left field at Boston were great, like being on his phone while in the Green Monster, as well as his fielding, and his sportsmanship. As you may remember from my previous blog about Manny, my favorite memory of him was when he slapped hands with a fan in left field when he played for the Red Sox. When the Phillies played the Dodgers in the post season in 2008 and 2009, there was no other player I was more scared of than Manny Ramirez. Manny was with the Red Sox when they won in both 2004 and 2007, he was also a 12-time All-Star. Hopefully this incident does not taint Manny's chances of making the Hall of Fame, because he truly is a Hall of Famer. If you would like, please post your favorite Manny memory below, good or bad. I wish Manny luck in whatever he does, I will miss him. I will be getting a "Manny" shirt in his honor, because it truly was an experience watching him play.

You'll Be Missed

World Series Champions(?)

Big Papi's Face Says It All

At the beginning of the season, many different sources predicted the Red Sox to win the World Series in 2011. Does anyone still think that? Boston is now 0-5 and if they lose tomorrow, they will be tied with a franchise record of a starting the season 0-6. As I am currently watching the recap of the Red Sox, Indians game, I can only wonder what is wrong with this team. They were swept by the Rangers in the first series of the year and are on the verge of being swept by the Indians. My opinion, the Red Sox can bring it back, but there are so many problems that they facing right now that they need to address. One of the problems being Carl Crawford. After signing a 7-year, $142 million contract in the offseason, Crawford is batting anywhere from the 1st to 7th position because he is 4-19 with two walks. Another problem the Red Sox are facing is the fact that their team ERA is 9.30, which hasn't been that low since the early 1900s. There has not been a quality start by any of Boston's starting pitchers and they are facing many difficulties if this continues. Luckily, Jon Lester starts for the Red Sox tomorrow, and is hoping to give the team a new start to the season. First baseman Adrian Gonzalez did hit a homerun in tonight's game, so maybe Boston's bats will start coming alive. And with a team batting average of .186, they need to produce some offense. There is a silver lining in this dark cloud, and that is that the Red Sox are not alone at the bottom of the AL East. Tampa Bay has also started the season 0-5, but they did not spend near as much money as the Red Sox did. Regardless of their start, I wish the Red Sox luck in the rest of the 2011 season and hope they win tomorrow!

Gallardo Gives Brewers First Win

After the Brewers started the season 0-4, they have finally recorded a win, thanks to Yovani Gallardo. With Cy Young winner Zack Greinke on the DL, Gallardo has reclaimed his position as the Brewers ace. And with that responsibility, Gallardo "flipped the switch" and threw a two-hitter. Across 9 innings, Gallardo gave up 2 hits, 2 walks, and struck out 2. History was made in this game, and that is:

• Gallardo is the first pitcher in Brewers history to pitch a shutout and score the game's only run. He's the first pitcher to do this in MLB since Pete Harnisch did it with the Astros on June 25, 1991.
• Gallardo is also the first Brewers pitcher to throw a shutout in the team's first five games of the season since Chris Bosio in 1989. He is the first in MLB to throw a shutout with two or fewer hits this early in the season since "King Felix" did it in 2007 with the Mariners.
• This was the 36th complete game in the Brewers' 43 seasons where the pitcher allowed two or fewer hits. The last game was on August 31, 2008, when CC Sabathia threw a one-hitter in Pittsburgh.

And don't forget that Gallardo scored the only run for the Brewers. In the bottom of the 3rd inning, Gallardo single and was then moved to second by Nyjer Morgan. Yovani then scored after Ryan Braun's single deflected off Chipper Jones' glove and the ball moved into the outfield. Pitchers seem to forget that Gallardo is the reigning NL Silver Slugger. Gallardo was almost pulled at the end of the 8th inning when his pitch count was at 98, because with Zack Greinke gone, and Shaun Marcum experiencing stiffness in his shoulder, manager Ron Roenicke was hesitant. Gallardo stated that it was his game to finish and ended up throwing approximately 110 pitches. Lastly this was Ron Roenicke's first win as Major League Manager and was the last of 12 new managers to get a win. He later received his beer shower for the team. I wish the Brewers luck in the rest of the 2011 campaign in the NL Central.

Undefeated Teams: When Will They Lose?

There are four teams right now who have not lost a game, those teams are the: Orioles, Rangers, Phillies, and Reds. The Rangers and the Orioles each have 4 wins and no losses, while the Phillies and Reds have 3 wins and no losses. The longest streak to start off the season is 13 which was done by both the Atlanta Braves in 1982 and Milwaukee Brewers in 1987. Can any of these teams tie or break this record? The way the Texas Rangers are playing, they just might do it. Baseball Tonight said there must be something in the water at Arlington because the Rangers have a combined 13 HRs. Nelson Cruz is responsible for 4 of them, and now is alongside Mark McGwire and Willie Mays. These three are the only three to hit 4 homeruns in the first four games of the season (one in each game). Straying away from the Rangers, the Orioles are still alone at the top of the AL East. Buck Showalter has led the Orioles to victory, but credits the wins to the healthiness of the players. He says with Brian Roberts back, the team can function properly, and today Roberts hit a 3-run blast to give the Birds the lead. One Oriole who is feeling under the weather is pitcher Jeremy Guthrie, he stated on Twitter, "Initially thought I had BieberFever but turns out I have pneumonia.Feeling better but got myself an overnight stay at hospital. Go #Orioles." What a guy. Other than that, Wieters, Markakis, and Jones have stepped up their game to contend among one of most difficult divisions in baseball. Honestly, the Reds have been playing great baseball and were fortunate to win on Opening Day with a walk-off win from Ramon Hernandez. Other than that, their team is healthy and full of talent, giving them the edge in the NL Central. And who could forget the Phillies? I think we all know what happened, but since I have not recapped Sunday game that Roy Oswalt pitched, I should do that now. Oswalt got the win for the Phils, which was a game full of excitement. Howard hit a 3-run homer, and Hunter Pence blasted one into right field for the Astros. I wish all 4 teams luck in keeping their winning streaks alive, and hope that they get to at least 4/5 wins.

Opening Series Finished. Where does your team stand?

Opening weekend is just about over, but where does your team stand? I know where the Phillies are, and if you've read previous blogs, you know where they stand as well. The Phillies are atop the NL East with a 3-0 record, with the Braves/Mets behind them, both at 2-1. But what about other teams? What are they up to? They go as follows:

• NL East - 1. PHI 2. ATL 3. NYM. 4. FLA 5. WSH. Since you probably already know about the Phillies. I would specifically like to talk about the Marlins and the Nationals
• Nationals - The Nationals lost their home opener to the Braves. Which in the Philadelphia Inquirer, there was a lengthy article about Jayson Werth and how appreciated he is in D.C. Apparently Werth was cheered beyond belief as his scraggly picture was placed on their scoreboard. At every half-inning, his picture or highlights of his performances on the scoreboard. Even though Werth went 1-4, he was seen as a hero for taking so many pitches in each at-bat. And he also made sliding/diving catches in the outfield. But I'm sure the Nationals would like to reassure that their decision was a good one.
• Marlins - The Marlins Opening Day was a great win. Pitching ace Josh Johnson was on the mound for the Marlins and came through with the win, pitching 6.2 innings with 2 earned runs. Catcher John Buck hit a grand slam, which is the first time a catcher hit a grand slam on Opening Day since 1900. Unfortunately, the Marlins dropped the next two games to the Mets, placing them in a tie for last with the Nationals. 
• NL Central - 1. CIN 2. PIT 3. CHC 4. STL 5. HOU 6. MIL. No surprise that the Reds are at the top of the NL Central, but some shakeups within the rest of the division. 
• Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh has won 5 straight Opening Day games in a row, but why is it that they finish in the bottom of the division each year? Regardless, Neil Walker hit a grand slam on Opening Day, and the last time that happened within the Pirates organization was by Roberto Clemente. In todays game, Neil Walker also dashed from 2nd all the way to home to help score 2 runs in the top of the 9th to beat the Cubs, 5-4. 
• NL West - 1. LAD 2. SD 3. COL 4. ARI 5. SF. Wait what? The 2010 World Series Champs are at the bottom of the NL West?
• Dodgers - The Dodgers have been slamming the Giants in a 4 game series. After beating them 2-1 on Opening Day, where Tim Lincecum got the loss after pitching 7 innings, no earned runs. Broxton has been on a roll by gaining 3 saves. The Dodgers only downfall: allowing 2 HRs to Pat Burrell.
• San Diego - San Diego is apparently doing fine without Adrian Gonzalez.
• Postponement due to snow: The last game of the Colorado, Arizona series was postponed due to snow. It would be a safe assumption to say that the two previous games were played in Colorado.
• AL West - 1. TEX 2. SEA 3. OAK 4. LAA. Nothing really special going on in the AL West.
• Texas - The Rangers swept the Red Sox, and were able to set some records along the way. Ian Kinsler was the first player to lead off the first inning with homers in the first two games. And Nelson Cruz is only the second right-handed player to hit a homerun into right field's upper deck. So far Kinsler/Cruz each have 3 HRs and Napoli has 2 HRs
• Seattle - Seattle isn't looking too bad at the start of the season. On April 2, Ichiro celebrated his 10th anniversary of his Major League debut in Seattle where he went 2-5 with a run scored. Ichiro is now 37 and shows no signs of slowing down.
• AL Central - 1. KC 2. CHW 3. CLE 4. DET 5. MIN. There is a little bit of a shakeup in the AL Central in that, Kansas City is at the top of the AL Central.
• Kansas City - After playing 4 games, Kansas City is at a 3-1 record after playing a 4 game series with the Angels. This series included a walk-off homerun by Kila Ka'aihue on Friday, as well as a win today which the Royals won in the bottom of the 13th inning with a walk-off homerun from Matt Treanor. (8 homeruns in that game total)
• Chicago White Sox - One player has really contributed to the White Sox, and that player is Adam Dunn. As a DH, Dunn has 5 RBIs, 1 HR, and a .400 BA. Good pick up White Sox.
• AL East - 1. BAL 2. NYY 3. TOR 4. BOS 5. TB. This division makes no sense to me, but let's break down some performances by the teams in the AL East.
• Baltimore - A sweep over the Rays puts them atop the AL East. The Orioles beefed up team beat the Rays dismantled and then reassembled team. Johnny Damon made a valiant effort in the outfield, but came up short with a very amusing play.
• New York Yankees - All I can say is that Mark Teixeira has hit 3 HRs and will hopefully stop his poor starts to every season. A homerun the first, second, and third game of the season really has Tex fans happy. Tex fans like myself.
• Boston - Big Papi hit a homerun and is off to a great start, which is unusual, because he is also known for his slow starts to the season. Boston was swept by the Rangers in some very exciting games, especially the Opening Day game, which they unfortunately lost to the "long ball."
• Toronto - Jose Bautista has hit two homeruns. That's about it.
• Rays - ManRam hasn't done anything. Rays stink.

And that is about it. Let me know if I have forgotten anything. Yes I realize I did not cover each and every team, but this was a long blog nonetheless, so I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Cliff Lee's Return to Philadelphia

Yes I know, I stated in January that this would not be an all Phillies blog, but the past two days have been pretty exciting in Philadelphia. Cliff Lee returned Philadelphia last night for the first time since the 2009 World Series, and pitched a great game. I would know I was there to witness the game. Lee pitched 7 innings, 4 hits, allowing 3 earned runs (1 homerun), and struck out 11. Before the game, Citizens Bank Park erupted, and all 45,455 fans that were there were on their feet applauding. Something that I truly admire about Cliff Lee is that he is always the first one out onto the field, preparing himself for the next batters. Then after he retired the first three batters, 1, 2, 3, Lee was the first to run off the field. Other than Yankee fans, who doesn't love Cliff Lee? I can distinctly recall the 2009 World Series, where Lee dominated Yankees and on one play, stuck out his glove to catch a pop-up. The Cy Young winner knows what it's like to pitch in the World Series, but unfortunately does not know what it's like to have a ring. Lee pitched in both the 2009 and 2010 World Series, only to lose both times. After losing to San Francisco, Cliff Lee was still itching to get a ring and as we all know, Lee then decided to take less money to come back to Philly to be apart of R2C2. The "worst" part of coming back to Philadelphia was seeing that Roy Halladay had taken his jersey number "34." Lee settled for 33, the number he used in Texas, and is 1-0 with the Phillies in the 2011 season. So Cliff Lee fans, break out your Cliff Lee 34 jerseys and shirts if you bought them the first time he came around, or go out and by a 33 jersey today to show support. The gentleman next to me at the Phillies game referred to Lee as a "sexy-beast" and I find this to be very fitting. I wish Cliff Lee good luck in the 2011 season, and hope he continues to pitch well for the Phillies in the next 5 years.

Walk-Off Win In Philadelphia

Phillies Fans, that was a great game right? Other baseball fans, if you have not heard the news, there was a huge rally in Philadelphia today as the Phillies beat the Astros 5-4. Opening Day in Philadelphia was a somewhat "gray" day, but was full of excitement. Roy Halladay got the start for the Phillies and now has 9 consecutive Opening Day starts, beating Roy Oswalt's streak of 8 (which ended today). Halladay started in his true fashion by retiring the first 8 batters, and then Brett Myers made contact for an infield single (I know?!). Through 6-innings, Halladay posted 1 earned run, 5 hits, and 6 strikeouts. As I anticipated, Brett Myers dominated the Phillies, and did just what he said he would in 2009 and "Stick it to the Phillies." But after a long time in the dugout, Myers came out stiff and gave up two runs. And by the way, Myers has an average of 1.000 while Michael Bourn has an average of .250, c'mon Bourn, step up your game. Charlie Manuel commented on Myers great performance, "I think that his days of throwing 95 [mph] have come and gone, I think that's he's a better pitcher now. He mixes up his pitches. He threw some hooks, cutters, fastballs. He threw a few changeups. He kept us off balance. He made us make outs. It wasn't like he was overpowering. He pitched." Which is 100% true, this is the fourth time in five years the Brett Myers started at Citizens Bank Park. In the bottom of the 9th, Brandon Lyon was sent in to retired the Phillies 1, 2, 3, just as his duty of a closer entails. Some background information about Lyon against the Phillies, his ERA was 7.71, before today. His ERA after today for the 2011 season is 84, go figure. Lyon allowed 6 straight singles, and only recorded one out. John Mayberry Jr. hit the 6th single on a 2-2 count to win the game for the Phillies. And this has not been the only walk-off win in the past 24 hours. The Reds won against the Brewers on a walk-off 3-run homerun by Ramon Hernandez, and the Royals won against the Angels on a walk-off homerun by Kila Ka'aihue. Talk about some Hawaiian Punch! And incase you did not know, Ka'aihue is from Hawaii. Regardless of those to wins, the Phillies walk-off win is closer to home. I cheered and watched in amazement as the Phillies won. As Jimmy Rollins said, only 99 or 115 more to go. Good luck Phillies on your race to 100 or to beat the Mariners season record of 116 wins.

(Gotta show some love for Brett Myers)

Opening Day 2011 at a Glance

Opening Day for the 2011 Major League Baseball season is over, but it was full of excitement. There were a total of 16 homeruns hit today in the six games, all of which were very exciting. Rickie Weeks and Carlos Gomez hit back to back homeruns in the first two at bats. This feat has not happened on Opening Day since 1969 by Pete Rose and Bobby Tolen, which was 42 years ago. Also in the Brewers-Reds game, Ramon Hernandez hit a 3-run walk-off homerun to beat the Brewers 7-6. Another powerful homerun was hit by Mark Teixeira, who is notoriously known for slow starts, who blasted a 3-run homerun off Justin Verlander. Going into that at-bat, Teixeira had a walk and carried a .059 batting average against Verlander. Pat "The Bat" Burrell hit a homerun off Jonathan Broxton in the top of the 9th, showing that Broxton "Has never been the same since Matt Stairs' blast in '08." The last "special/exciting" homerun that I would like to talk about was Jason Heyward's homerun, making his first at-bats in both the 2010/2011 seasons homeruns. Let's check on Heyward in 2012's first at-bat, just to see what happens. 

Other things happened on Opening Day other than homeruns:

• C.C. Sabathia did not have the strongest outing on Opening Day, something that he always struggles with, but gave up 3 runs in 6 innings. Joba Chamberlain got the win for the Yankees, Rivera had the save. 
• The Angels won against the Kansas City Royals, allowing the Angels to go 7 and 8 on Opening Day in the past 8 seasons. 
• Tim Lincecum pitched 7 innings with 0 ER, with 5 hits. Kershaw got the win with 7 innings, 4 hits, 1 BB, 0 ER. Broxton with the SV
• Nationals lost....big surprise and Jayson Werth had a hit. (That's about it)
• The Padres and Cardinals went to the extra innings, with the Padres winning 5-3 in the 11th. Albert Pujols had a record setting day: Grounding into 3 Double Plays. Wow.
• As stated above, the Brewers lost to the Reds on a walkoff homerun. Joey Votto picked up where he left off in 2010, he also hit a homerun. There were a total of 6 HRs hit in that game.

(And Pete Rose was wearing what is pictured above)

Baseball 2011 is A Go

Thinking about what I was going to post for this blog is difficult, 30 Teams in 30 Days is over and tomorrow is Opening Day. Yes I could write about an exhibition game, or something along those lines, but I really don't know what to write about. There's something about Opening Day, that allows fans everywhere to feel a pulse throughout their body. Many great things have happened on Opening Day, like Jackie Robinson playing for the first time, Babe Ruth hitting a homerun in old Yankee Stadium, or even last year's amazing flip by Mark Buehrle to Paul Konerko. Regardless of the time period, the date, the weather, or even the team, Opening Day is something that only happens once a year, making it a holiday for baseball fans. I went to Opening Day last year in Washington, against the Phillies, and it was electrifying. All the players were there, and snipers were there as well (to protect the president). But you could just tell that it was going to be a special day, which it was. This year Opening Day is broken up into two different days, between the 6 games going on tomorrow, and others on Friday. I don't necessarily agree with this, because it separates the atmosphere that normally comes with Opening Day. In my opinion, it will either give MLB more publicity or can blow up in their face. I know that I will be kicking back at my house watching Roy Halladay dominate over Brett Myers and the Astros. In all seriousness, I am also going to Opening Night at Citizens Bank Park to watch Cliff Lee and the Phillies take on the Astros once again. I hope all teams good luck in the 2011 season, and wish all Opening Day starters good luck on their first outing.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Philadelphia Phillies (Day 30)

What do you mean 30 Teams in 30 Days is over? It seems like it was just yesterday when I started writing about the Baltimore Orioles, and it seems like I strategically planned it so that the Phillies would be the last team covered, mainly because I did. But anyway, 30 Teams in 30 Days wraps up with the Philadelphia Phillies who finished the season with 97 wins and 65 losses. This record was the best in Major League Baseball, and the Phillies managed to clinch the NL East Pennant for the 4th straight year. And can 2011 be the 5th season to clinch the NL East? In my opinion as a fan, and as an MLB blogger, I say yes. Phillies off season major signings and losses can be summed up into this equation: 2011 Phillies = (2010 Phillies - Jayson Werth) + Cliff Lee. Bam. Other than that, the Phillies lost Chad Durbin, gained Luis Castillo, placed Ben Francisco in right field, and have made some bench changes. Philadelphia is facing some major problems going into the 2011 season with injuries. Chase Utley has no timetable on his return, Brad Lidge is out 3-6 weeks on the DL, and Dominic Brown is out with a broken hand. Luckily ManRam's line drive to Roy Oswalt's neck was not serious, because he pitched tonight and threw four-plus innings, gave up 5 hits, 5 earned runs, with 4 walks and 4 strikeouts. Jimmy Rollins, the Phillies, Phillies fans, and I are all looking for him to have great season, whether it be for personal merit, a new contract, or even fantasy points. Who doesn't love J-Roll (and is it J-Roll or J-Rol, please let me know)? I will be at Opening Night this year, which is Saturday April 2, so be sure to look for me on Tv. I wish the Phillies luck in the 2011 season, both as a blogger and as a diehard fan.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Atlanta Braves (Day 29)

After this post there is only one more post of 30 Teams in 30 Days and this post covers the Atlanta Braves. The Braves finished 2nd in the NL East and won the NL Wildcard, but then lost to San Francisco in the first round of the playoffs. Regardless of that, Atlanta got to that position by having the best home record in Major League Baseball with a record of 56-25. As a Phillies fan, this is hard to say, but what is stopping the Braves from winning the Wildcard or the NL East Division? Where the Braves lost players, they gained better ones. Dan Uggla is an immense upgrade at 2nd base, and with Uggla there, Martin Prado will be moving into the outfield. Also in the outfield is Jason Heyward who is looking to have a full season after last year's thumb injury. Nate McLouth hopes to become "Pittsburgh Nate," the nickname given to him to so he can regain what he once had with the Pirates. In the infield Freddi Freeman at first, Uggla at second, Alex Gonzalez still at shortstop, and Chipper Jones will return to third after tearing his ACL in the 2010 season. Catching as usual will be slugger, Brian McCann. With these fielders and pitchers like: Tim Hudson, Derek Lowe, Tommy Hanson, and unknown lefty Eric O'Flaherty (look him up), Atlanta will definitely be a contender. Another newcomer to the Braves is manager Freddi Gonzalez, who looks to take the Braves to another level. I wish the Braves luck in the 2011 season and hope for their organization to stay healthy.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Florida Marlins (Day 28)

30 Teams in 30 Days team for the day is the Florida Marlins. The Marlins finished 3rd in the NL East, one game above the Mets with 80 wins and 82 losses, one game under .500. But the question is, where will the Marlins finish in the NL East in their last season in Sun Life Stadium? And where will the Marlins finish as their last season as the "Florida Marlins"? That's right, if you have not heard, the Marlins will be called the Miami Marlins at the beginning of the 2012 season, which naturally comes with new uniforms and especially exciting, a new hat! With the new name, new stadium, new uniform, and same players, I'm sorry to say Marlins' fans, but the team can probably finish anywhere from 1st to 5th in the NL East. The notable players that Florida lost this off season were Dan Uggla and Cameron Maybin. They gained few in John Buck, Javier Vazquez, Omar Infante, and Randy Choate. They also signed Greg Dobbs to a minor league deal, and extended Ricky Nolasco to a 3-year, $26.5 million contract. The Marlins also have a new manager with Edwin Rodriguez leading the way. With returning Marlins like: Gabby Sanchez, Wes Helms, Chris Coghlan, Mike Stanton, and All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez, the Marlins have a bright outlook in 2011. And don't forget starting pitcher Josh Johnson leading the rotation, so the Marlins should have a win once every 5 days, pending their offense. I wish the Marlins luck in the 2011 season, and I am glad that they are getting a new stadium, because watching games at Sun Life looks empty and depressing.

30 Teams in 30 Days: New York Mets (Day 27)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues today after being halted, once again by faulty wifi in hotels. I hope you are not too upset, but today there will be two posts between today's blog and tomorrow's. But this blog features the New York Mets, who finished 4th in the National League East. The Mets won 79 games in the 2010 season, and are facing quite a predicament this season. If you are unaware, the Mets are facing a $1 billion lawsuit due to their involvement with Bernie Madoff, and with that, they were also loaned $25 million from Major League Baseball. I was talking to a Mets fan about the 2011 season and my thoughts on how they would play. They stated, "Before the lawsuit, they will be in first place, and afterwards.....it will not be good." My thoughts exactly, a lawsuit will be very distracting for the ball club, and if they lose, there is a chance that their payroll will be nonexistent. The Mets recently released Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez, Castillo went to the Phillies, and Perez to the Nationals. New York did not do much signing over the off season but still retain the players that got them to 79 wins like: Jason Bay, David Wright, Ike Davis, Carlos Beltran, Angel Pagan, K-Rod, and my favorite, Jose Reyes. Reyes will be a free agent at the end of the season and hopefully the Mets will trade him to another team so I can wear his t-shirt and not look like a Mets fan (Fingers crossed). And to go with my hats, I am purchasing shirts, (at a slower rate), to show my love for the sport, and my favorite player on each team. But I wish the Mets luck in 2011 and wish Jose Reyes luck wherever he goes.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Washington Nationals (Day 26)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues by starting coverage of the National League East. It feels so good for me to be back "home" within my own favorite division. At the bottom of the NL East in the 2010 season was the Washington Nationals, who won 69 games. That may not be impressive for some, but they won 59 in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons. I know that at Opening Day 2010 in Washington, they handed out pamphlets which described how the Nationals wanted to finish at or above .500, meaning they need to win 81 games. They fell short of this goal, but after this off season, combined with wins from last season, they might have a chance. People everywhere know that Jayson "Teen Wolf" Werth signed with the Nationals for a 7-year, $126 million contract. And there is a blog about Werth if you did not already read it. Other Nationals' pickups were Rick Ankiel, and personsal favorite: Adam LaRoche. The two veterans will add to the young club in D.C. Former Phillie Matt Stairs is also trying out for the team, and his Spring Training performances may get him on the roster as bench player. Most importantly, Bryce Harper has been practicing with the team. The "Lebron James" of baseball has been adapting to and learning the outfield position, but still manages to talk to "Pudge" Rodriguez about catching. The Nationals will be missing Stephen Strasburg for part of the season, depending on recovery from his Tommy John surgery. With players such as Ryan Zimmerman, Pudge, Jordan Zimmermann, John Lannan, Tyler Clippard, and Ian Desmond returning with the team, the Nationals should have a better chance at 81 games. I wish the Nationals luck in the 2011 season, and hope that they finish 4th in the NL East. And on a side note, Nationals Park is a very nice stadium where you can attend a game for only $5, so if you would like to go down for a day, I recommend it.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Cincinnati Reds (Day 25)

30 Teams in 30 Days is still going on! But we are winding down on day 25 with the Cincinnati Reds, who were atop the National League Central for the first time since 1995, when the NL Central only had 5 teams. Regardless of that fact, the Reds proved themselves by winning 91 games in the regular season, but were swept by the Phillies. Maybe it was because the Reds were rusty in the post season, or the large amounts of errors they committed. The Reds seemed like nothing could stop them, with NL MVP Joey Votto leading the team, hard throwing Aroldis Chapman, and the rest of the Reds' lineup behind them, I don't see why the Reds didn't do better. The Reds resigned several of their players to extensions that are both long and short, they include: Joey Votto, Johnny Cueto, Jay Bruce, and Bronson Arroyo. Aroldis Chapman was signed in January of the 2010 season and left behind his entire family to come play for the Reds. MLB did an interview with him today, and he stated that he is more confident than ever. If a guy that can throw consistently over 100-mph is confident, I would not want to be the batter. In other news, the Reds have returning faces that did not play often in the 2010 season, such as: Drew Stubbs, Scott Rolen, Jay Bruce, Ramon Hernandez, Brandon Phillips, and Joey Votto. I am currently following Brandon Phillips on Twitter and he has some interesting stuff to say. Check it out. Once again, I love the steamboat at the Great American Ballpark, and I wish the Reds luck in 2011.

30 Teams in 30 Days: St. Louis Cardinals (Day 24)

30 Teams in 30 Days is still going with the St. Louis Cardinals, here on day 24. The Cardinals finished second in the National League Central. St. Louis finished with 86 wins and 76 losses which is over .500, which is more than 4 out of the 6 teams in the NL Central can say. The 2010 season with the Cardinals reflected the playing of Albert Pujols. Pujols ONLY posted a .312 batting average with 42 homeruns and 118 RBIs. But compared to other seasons, this was a "slumping" year for the 3-time NL MVP. Another Cardinals/Pujols related story was that the Cardinals and Pujols did not sign a contract extension before Spring Training started. Pujols did not want to be a distraction throughout the season and stated that all contract negotiations will be dealt with at the end of the season when he hits free agency. Other bad news for the Cardinals in 2011 is that they will not have pitcher Adam Wainwright due to Tommy John surgery. More news in St. Louis' off season was that they acquired Lance "Big Puma" Berkman with a one-year, $8 million contract. Berkman will play in right field, and is playing outfield fulltime for the first time since 2004. Ryan Theriot also joins the Cardinals in the 2011 season; Theriot was acquired from the Cubs. But with Chris Carpenter, Colby Rasmus, Matt Holliday, Yadier Molina, and Albert Pujols still on the team, the Cardinals are going to try and knock of the Reds from the top of the NL Central. I wish the St. Louis luck in the 2011 season and if Tony La Russa still bats the pitcher 8th, the Cardinals should be fine.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Milwaukee Brewers (Day 23)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with a personal favorite, the Milwaukee Brewers. If I did not like the Phillies, the Brewers would be my next team. Ryan Braun is my favorite player in Major League Baseball ever since he was Rookie of the Year in 2007. But back to the team, the finished 3rd in the NL Central but were only one game ahead of the Astros, and two games ahead of the Cubs. And if you've been reading the past few days, that means that they only won 77 games and lost 85. The Brewers really stepped up their game this off season by resigning Corey Hart, Yovani Gallardo, and Rickie Weeks. They also were able to acquire: Zack Greinke, Shawn Marcum, Yuniesky Betancourt, and as of today, Brett Carroll. Unfortunately for Brewers fans, Greinke cracked a rib playing basketball and will not be starting until mid-April. With that, the Brewers will have a 4 man rotation starting off the year. The Brew Crew really would like to get to the playoffs in 2011, especially with their highly upgraded pitching staff and stacked offense. Prince Fielder, their powerful first baseman, will be playing for a new contract this year, because he will be a free agent at the end of the 2011 season. Depending on the Brewers situation mid-season, they could opt to trade him. And depending on how well Fielder plays this season, he may have a "Ryan Howard-like" contract, or even a contract similar to Miguel Cabrera's. The Brewers should have no problem keeping their 3rd place position in the 2011 season, but beating Cincinnati and St. Louis could be difficult. I wish the Brewers good luck in the 2011 season and especially wish Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder good luck.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Houston Astros (Day 22)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with Houston Astros. They also happen to be my latest addition to my hat collection, and it looks great. The Astros finished 4th in the NL Central, one game above the Cubs. They also finished below .500 with 76 wins and 86 losses. No one saw Houston finishing this well after starting the season off so poorly. But let's look into what the Astros did in the 2010 off season to prepare for the 2011 season. The Astros picked up: Bill Hall, Brett Wallace, and Mark Melancon. Not to mention the players they got in the 2010 season from the Phillies, such as Nelson Figueroa and J.A. Happ. But Opening Day pitcher Brett Myers and center fielder Michael Bourn are the true stars of the Astros that came from Philadelphia. The Astros have a very young bullpen with a handful of relief pitchers that have never pitched a full season in the majors. This could work for the Astros, because they have several hard-throwing pitchers, but there is also a lack of experience. The Astros are not doing very well in Spring Training going 10-17, but there is no definite answer of where to place the blame. Is it the lack of experience? The lack of leadership or talent? I'm not quite sure because the Astros do have talent in: Michael Bourn, Hunter Pence, Carlos Lee, and Brett Myers. The Astros or as my dad refers to them as, "Philadelphia's Farm Team" have been struggling, but hopefully can find a groove in the 2011 season. I wish them luck duking it out against among the other five teams in the NL Central.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Chicago Cubs (Day 21)

30 Teams in 30 Days is more than 2/3 done, and today will cover the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs finished 5th in the National League Central, which isn't very hard to do when the Pirates win 57 games. The Cubs finished with 75 wins and 87 losses in 2010, which is actually bad for the Cubs in recent years. In 2009 they finished with 83 wins, and in 2008 they had 97 wins. What do you do when you have a bad season? That's right, come back the next season with a better team. Chicago signed new players to a few different positions. Blake DeWitt, Carlos Pena, and Matt Garza were the three largest names acquired by the Cubs in the 2010 off season. Pena can bring the long ball to Chicago, but he is also known to strike out. Matt Garza will add to the depth within the Cubs rotation, but Chicago newspapers did not know what Garza looked like. It was after Garza was acquired by the Cubs that The Chicago Sun-Times placed a picture Joaquin Benoit on the front page of their paper with "Big G" on the cover. Some call it stereotyping, others call it lazy editing. I just find it funny. The outfield for the Cubs is the same as in 2010 with Soriano, Byrd, and Fukudome. Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto have had off seasons in recent years, but are looking to return to their former glory. Carlos Zambrano is also looking to do that. Zambrano is known for pitching well and being a bad teammate. But regardless of that fact, Zambrano is back in the starting rotation for good, and is pitching behind Garza. I wish the Cubs luck in the 2011 season.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Pittsburgh Pirates (Day 20)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with coverage of the National League Central, and at the bottom of the NL Central was the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates finished the season 57-105, and on August 20, 2010, the Pirates were able to clinch 18 consecutive losing seasons. But somehow the Pirates were able to take 3 out of 4 games against the Phillies over 4th of July weekend. I would know, I was there for a Phillies win and loss. PNC Park is a really nice park within Pittsburgh and I would recommend it to anyone. Unfortunately for the Pirates, they had the worst road record in all of Major League Baseball going 17-64. Hometown fans did not see that bad of a home record, going 40-41, but they were very generous to their hosts. In the off season, the Pirates were able to make some decent pickups. Among those pickups were: Matt Diaz, Joel Hanrahan, Chris Synder, and Lyle Overbay. Pittsburgh still held onto Garrett Jones, Andrew McCutchen, Ronney Cedeno, and Pedro Alvarez. The Pirates also kept National League All-Star relief pitcher, Evan Meek. Ross Ohlendorf won in arbitration against the Pirates in the off season and Ryan Doumit will be the backup catcher and possible outfielder. I really think that the Pirates will win more than 60 games this season. If you have three digit totals in the the win or loss column, you're either really good or really bad. But in the only division with 6 teams, the Pirates are already at a disadvantage. I wish the Pirates luck in the 2011 season because it would good to restore some of the former glory that baseball in Pittsburgh had.

30 Teams in 30 Days: San Francisco Giants (Day 19)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with the 2010 World Series Champions, the San Francisco Giants. It was on the last game of the season that the Giants clenched the NL West over the Padres. But really, what does it take to win a World Series? A world renowned pitching staff? An amazing offense? Great management? None of the above. It takes one man to win a World Series, and his name is Pat Burrell. How many World Series rings does he have? Two. How many rings does All-Star first baseman Albert Pujols have? One. So who is the better player? Pat Burrell. But regardless of how much I love in Pat Burrell, the Giants did win the World Series in 2010 over the Texas Rangers. It was the Rangers first time in franchise history to the World Series, and it was the Giants first win as the Giants on the West Coast. With a team including: Aubrey Huff, Juan Uribe, Pablo Sandoval, Cody Ross, and Rookie of the Year Buster Posey. Posey started in May and just kept the ball rolling ever since. With almost the same team, the Giants look to repeat what they did in 2010. But that will be difficult after several already good teams "beefed" up their teams which will hurt the Giants in the long run. The Giants kept almost their entire pitching staff by retaining Jonathan Sanchez, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, and closer Brian Wilson. As long as Wilson retains his beard, the Giants will be fine, and I really liked his shoes from the All-Star game. I wish the Giants luck in the 2011 season, and more importantly, I wish Pat Burrell good luck in the 2011 season.

30 Teams in 30 Days: San Diego Padres (Day 18)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with the San Diego Padres. I would like this 30/30 to be kind of a recap of what happened to the Padres, what they did in the off season, and how that can change their 2011 season, rather than the normal format (but that is very similar to what it already is, this I know). San Diego finished second in the NL West after losing the last game of the season and were also unable to make the playoffs. This situation was very similar to the Mets end of the season in 2007. Kind of stinks doesn't it? The Padres signed Jason Bartlett to an $11 million, 2-year deal, with an optional $1.5 million buy out in 2013. Unknown to most, Jason Bartlett was originally drafted in the 13th round by the Padres back in 2001, so this will be a nice homecoming for Bartlett. Orlando Hudson, or "O-Dog" as I refer to him, also signed with the Padres. O-Dog is a personal favorite of mine, don't ask me why, but he truly is great. The Padres suffered a devastating end of the season, missing the playoffs and allowing the Giants to coast into a World Series victory. Fans everywhere are saying, "Thanks a lot San Diego...." With Chase Headley stepping up this season, and the Padres acquiring Ryan Ludwick in the 2010 season, the Padres were looking to be a top-notch team. Heath Bell is also another name being tossed around within the Padres front office, because he will be a free agent at the end of this year. He was quoted saying that he would take a pay cut to play with the Padres further on in his career. Bell had 47 saves in the 2010 season, and is one of the best closers in the game, and only making $4 million. The Padres have suffered an offensive blow this offseason but hopefully they do not retain the bad taste of last year's season in their mouth at the beginning of this one. Almost a completely new infield will start for the Padres this year, and a new first baseman will start for San Diego, since the Fryers signed Brad Hawpe in early January. I wish the Padres luck in the 2011 season, and they will need it without their All-Star first baseman.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Colorado Rockies (Day 17)

30 Teams in 30 Days continues with the Colorado Rockies. They finished 3rd in the NL West with 83 wins and a winning percentage of .512. It's very surprising that a team with that much talent could only win 83 wins. Look at the starting nine for the Rockies (On every fifth day): Miguel Olivo, Todd Helton, Clint Barnes, Troy Tulowitzki, Ian Stewart, Dexter Fowler, Carlos Gonzalez, Brad Hawpe, and Ubaldo Jimenez. I'm not necessarily surprised that they did not make the playoffs, but only win 83 games? Carlos Gonzalez was in contention for the Triple Crown of Baseball and NL MVP. Ubaldo Jimenez was in the running for NL Cy Young, with the stats from the first half of the season anyway, but did not not produce solid starts at the end of the season. Yes, Jimenez did pitch a no-hitter, but Dallas Braden threw a perfect game, step it up Ubaldo. Troy Tulowizki was the best short stop in the best shortstop in the league, outdoing Hanley Ramirez in every category except stolen bases. That was even with a season full of injuries. Everyday starters to the Rockies organization this off season are Jose Lopez, Chris Iannetta, and Seth Smith. Smith is back after sharing time with Dexter Fowler, but now that Fowler is no longer a starter, Smith will be the the primary right fielder. With "Tulo" and "Cargo" being signed to long-term deals, Colorado is putting a lot of their eggs in one basket. I wish the Rockies luck in the 2011 season and hope that their off season signings pay off for them in the end, and they now have a special place on my hat rack because their hat is one of them I now own.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Los Angeles Dodgers (Day 16)

30 Teams in 30 Days moves up the National League West by covering the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers finished 4th in the NL West with 80 wins and 82 losses. The 2010 season was a "down" season for the Dodgers but baseball analysts don't know where to place the blame. They had 95 wins in the 2009 season, and even went to the post season, only to lose to Philadelphia once again in the NLCS. The Dodgers this year will have their work cut out for them because they lost one of their biggest assets: Joe Torre. Whether you love Joe Torre or hate Joe Torre, you have to respect the man and what he has done for baseball. Torre has 4 World Series Titles and 6 Pennants under his belt, and a winning percentage of .538, so the Dodgers will have their hands full with someone other than Torre. In the off season, the Dodgers acquired Juan Uribe from the Giants, and is a much better player than people credit him. The Dodgers lost Russell Martin and Ronnie Belliard to the Yankees, what a shame. They still have great players on the field such as: Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Rafael Furcal, James Lonely, Casey Blake, and Rod Barajas(?). Nah, I'll pass on Barajas. Jonathan Broxton is still the Dodgers closer, meaning the 300 lb, 6'4" hurler will remain one of the best closers in the game, and in the NL West along with Heath Bell. And be sure to listen to all broadcasters talk about the vast amounts of foul territory that used to be at Dodger Stadium, the always talk about it. I know that Chris Wheeler and "Sarge" were able to talk about it for about two innings. But regardless of the large amounts of foul territory, I wish the Dodgers good luck in the 2011 season, mainly because they are my favorite team in the NL West.

30 Teams in 30 Days: Arizona Diamondbacks (Day 15)

30 Teams in 30 Days starts coverage of the National League, Today! At the end of the 2010 season, the Arizona Diamondbacks finished last in the National League West. The Diamondbacks finished the season with 65 wins and 97 losses. The Diamondbacks set an MLB record in the 2010 season, but it is a record that teams normally do not try to break. That record is the most strikeouts by an entire team, almost a sixth of them coming from Mark Reynolds alone. Other than that, the Diamondbacks did not have the best season, or even the best off season. Mark Reynolds, Dan Haren, Adam LaRoche and Brandon Webb were the four best players who left Arizona to go to other teams. In my opinion, the largest acquisition they made in the 2010 off season was signing closer J.J. Putz. Arizona still has players such as: Chris Young, Justin Upton, Kelly Johnson, Miguel Montero, and Stephen Drew. With LaRoche and Reynolds gone from the infield, and the lineup, the D'backs will have some troubles in the 2011 season. Another thing happening in Arizona this season is that the All-Star game will be held in Arizona. It was scheduled to be played there for the 2010 All-Star game, but due to political pressures and protests, the game was held in Anaheim. It will be tough for the Diamondbacks to move out of fifth place in the 2011 season, but I know they will give it their all. I wish the Diamondbacks luck in the 2011 season, as a blogger, and because they are a fun team to watch.