How many player press conferences have you seen in the past several years called to address a very bad mistake they made? How many major league players have made the rounds with a shocked reaction to a positive drug test? You’ve likely lost count of the minor league players who will be starting the season serving a 50-game suspension after testing positive for PED’s.

There was also a public apology in a press room by then-Phillies (now Astros) pitcher Brett Meyers for a physical altercation with his wife on a street. And, earlier this week, Rangers Josh Hamilton took no questions but gave plenty of answers in a press conference to explain a relapse in a bar.

These are not the days when a player can hide. They can’t get away with trying to get an edge with performance enhancers and if they’re caught, excuses are a waste of time. Should they screw up at all they will be called on to the carpet to explain themselves and be subjected to a social media firestorm.

On one hand, nothing is private even when it should be.  What is so painful can only be more painful with a white-hot spotlight fixed on your fall.

On the other hand, class is in.

That spotlight creates pressure that is unfair, but also helpful. Young players developing in the minors are seeing the exact consequences of developing a nasty habit or if they fail to respect their opportunity.  That spotlight encourages discipline.

Hamilton’s situation encourages something just as important, inspiration. Every step of his recovery process, rise from the ashes, and missteps along the way have been followed, covered, and his success cheered. For any young player struggling with the burden of addiction or tempted by too much partying, they can look into Hamilton’s eyes and see a way out. And, if they fail, they can believe in redemption if they try hard enough to come back.

Prospects are receiving increased exposure with social media, particularly Twitter. There are multiple sites dedicated to prospects and following their careers. Gone are the days when it was harder to connect with the top prospect in your favorite team’s organization. Fans are seeing them in the earliest stages of their professional growth, and even earlier, with college players also joining the ranks & sharing their draft day experience. It’s not a glimpse, but a jumbo screen look at the lives and careers of young players.

All of that attention might seem a bit much on a nineteen-year old kid, but this is the state of the game they’re entering. Many eyes are upon them. And if they’re paying attention to those tense press conferences, they’re learning that no player is protected by a baseball-approved cloak of mystery anymore.

That discipline could make them better players, but more importantly, better men.

Five Questions With…Yankees Austin Krum

Outfielder Austin Krum will enter his fifth year of professional baseball this season and is almost certain to start with the the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees. In 2011 he split time between Double-A Trenton and Triple-A, finishing the year hitting .251, with 43 RBI and 59 walks.

Here’s what he had to say recently:

BD:  Have you had discussions with the Yankees about the new season?

I actually haven’t spoken with the Yankees about any plans or the upcoming season.  They usually stay pretty busy, as you can imagine, but I will absolutely be ready to go whenever they call for me to.

BD: Do you think you’ll start the season back at Trenton or with the SWB Yankees?

If there is one thing I have learned in my baseball life it is to never guess or hypothesize where or when I will be playing anywhere.  While Triple A would be nice to start, I am coming in this spring with zero expectations or assumptions from outside forces.  The only thing I am focusing on is what I expect from myself and my personal aspirations.

I have a very good routine for my off-season training and it is one of the things I pride myself upon.  The one thing, if anything, that I may have done differently this off-season is start hitting much sooner and taking many more reps.  I usually start my speed training and lifting around the same time every year but my hitting did start much sooner and I am taking many more reps than I ever have.  Hopefully it will pay off.

My horse going into the playoffs was the Denver Broncos. I was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and the 303 (area code) will be in my blood for the rest of my life, so naturally, I was pulling for the Broncos.  Once they were eliminated I didn’t really have a favorite but I was rooting for the Giants.  I am glad Eli got a second ring.  And Victor Cruz quickly became one of my favorite players this year.

I change my walkout music every season for a fresh start.  I still haven’t selected one song, but I have a few in mind.

Mickey Mantle was the one before him. The above was said about Mantle many times. Mantle’s power separated him from everyone else in the game. Nobody struck a baseball like Mantle. There may have been better players, but not even Willie Mays could hit a baseball with the sheer force that Mantle did. Today’s game has another player with that type of power. Not since Mantle has a player’s power far surpassed the rest of the league. Now, there is that player who, despite his flaws and constant struggle, continues to draw us in because of his potential to astound us.
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There are times in life when nothing seems to make sense. The very foundation of who you are and what you thought your world would be disappears into the clutches of reality. Life, the thing that happens when you are making plans, working to pay your bills, and hoping to have a better day, has a way of being the ultimate reality check. As sweet as life can be, it can also be ugly. It can be cruel and it can leave you with a feeling of emptiness that you never thought you could feel. It seems that the older we get, we get farther away from the innocent feeling of the days when your parents told you that everything would be alright and that if you worked hard enough, happiness is around the corner.

Then, of course, there is the other side. It is the side that love, success, triumph, and redemption can be found. When we cross to this side–the ideal side–we fight with every fiber of our being to stay there. This side is what makes life worth living.

But, most know that life isn’t the idealized version of what we dreamt at night before waking up to the smell of breakfast cooking and the sound of a house in motion. We all started out that way. Fewer end that way. For some of us, Baseball was one of our great pleasures. It was our outlet and our way of passing the day while dreaming of being the starting shortstop for the New York Yankees. Some of us got to play beyond Little League; even fewer moved on to college. And, that lucky few got to live out the dreams that the billions of us had and probably still hold.

Often, those few are very hard to root for. They complain about the long season and their million dollar contracts. They complain about not being respected as they walk by the six year old seeking a scribble across their baseball card. Reality sometimes stinks.
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There are some, of course, who make it easy to root for. Albert Pujols, Derek Jeter, and host of other genuinely good people make it look easy every day. They rarely say or do anything wrong. They are those few, just like in the real world, who have it. It came to them easily and they have sustained their gifts. Obviously, they’ve worked hard to get to their place in life, but rarely has anything come close to compromising their careers, their baseball lives. They offer the rest of us hope, but in a way that is almost unattainable. They aren’t us. We can admire them (and we should), but they aren’t the same as us.

But, he is. Every time he comes to the plate, he gives us hope that comebacks are possible. He gives us hope that in spite of all of the ugliness and no matter how bad life beats you, you can come back. “He”, of course, is Josh Hamilton, the Most Valuable Player of the 2010 season. He, despite one of the ugliest addictions a person can have, has made it back. He’s made it back to exactly the place that was foretold for him. And, despite recent reports and admissions, he is still right where he belongs.
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Hamilton’s story has been well documented. He was a Baseball prodigy, a teenager who could do anything on the field. He could hit, hit for power, play defense, throw out runners, and run. He was going to be better than Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, and Babe Ruth. He was going to be the one to lead the Tampa Bay Devil Rays out of basement all by himself. He was the first pick of the 1999 draft. He was the number one prospect in Baseball. He was the one.

Then, the addiction took over. It took over in ways that most can’t even imagine. He gave glimpses of his talent, but something was off. He got in trouble, and by 2002, he was out of Baseball. He would serve as the cautionary tale of what happens when an athlete is given too much, too soon. His name would be thrown around as the example of a great player never realizing his talent because he got caught up in drugs. High School coaches all over America lectured their players about the dangers of life and how Josh Hamilton threw it all away. Mantle may have struggled with alcohol and it may have stunted his growth as a player, but it never took him off of the field. Hamilton’s addiction almost cost him everything. Hamilton’s addiction looks like it will always haunt him.
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Some look at addiction as weakness. Addiction has nothing to do with weakness. It is a disease just like other killers–cancer, AIDS, heart disease. Addiction doesn’t kill because people are weak. It kills because there is something inside of a person that controls all rational thought. It controls you. It takes everything in your life and warps it into a quest of self-destruction. It makes you loathe who you are and what you do. Most importantly, it takes away your ability to function with your family and to realize who you are meant to be.
Josh Hamilton was there.

Addiction cost him time. It cost him money. It almost cost him his life. Hamilton describes his struggle quite movingly in his book. He describes his road back in gruesome detail.  While still teetering on the brink, Hamilton, with the support of his wife and family, came back to Baseball. He started his second chance at his professional career right where he began his first one, in upstate New York as a member of the Hudson Valley Renegades, the New York Penn League affiliate of the Tampa Rays. Four years after playing his last game, the 25 year old was back playing in a league consisting of freshly drafted players and players whose careers stalled out before they began. He would only make 55 plate appearances for the Renegades, but he was back in the game when no one thought he was capable of being there.
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I got to witness three of those 55 appearances one night. He looked different than everyone else. He was bigger, his bat speed was quicker, and his presence loomed larger than everyone else’s. He didn’t do anything special that night. He walked, popped out to second, and hit a long flyball out to centerfield. He left the game soon after. There was a buzz in the stands when he came up. It wasn’t that same buzz like the 2008 Homerun Derby or any one of his at bats from the past two seasons. Instead, there were whispers. People felt saddened that a once great talent was trying to come back. He wasted his shot and now he is desperate because he has nothing else in his life. Little did everyone know. In fairness, these comebacks rarely worked out. Great athletes who became addicts or ruined their careers never made it back. The buzz of sadness permeated the crowd even while the Renegades management team was trying to entertain the fans every inning with games, prizes, and contests. He wouldn’t make it.

So we thought…
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He did make it back. First, he was a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He appeared in just 90 games that season as a 26 year old rookie, playing back up to Ken Griffey, Adam Dunn, Jeff Conine, Norris Hopper, and Ryan Freel. In those 90 games, he gave an indication that he belonged, belting 17 doubles and 19 homeruns in 298 at bats. He hit .292/.368/.544 and yet all we thought was “at least he made it back”. He was good, but he probably wouldn’t get to where he was supposed to be. Nobody believed that.

Jon Daniels believed in him. He believed in him so much that he sent promising young right hander Edinson Volquez to the Reds for Hamilton. At the time, Daniels was questioned because the Rangers always had offense and always lacked pitching. It seemed to be the exact opposite of what they really needed. Everyone couldn’t believe that Daniels was giving away a young pitcher for a 27 year old with a checkered past, a terrible addiction, and seemingly little prime left. But, Daniels knew that he was getting a special player who had made the real, necessary adjustments in his life.

2008 was the season Hamilton had promised 10 years before. He played in 156 games and batted .304/.372/.530 with 35 doubles, 5 triples, 32 homeruns, and 130 RBI. There was that July night in Yankee Stadium where New Yorkers were chanting his name as he hit homerun after homerun. Then came the book, all of the brutal honesty, and all of the hope he offered people.

2009 almost ruined all of that. Hamilton struggled to stay healthy and played in just 89 games, struggling to a .741 OPS. Everyone had an opinion. His addiction had broken his body. He would be tragic. He would be like everyone else who struggles to realize his dream. He would meet everyone else in the pool of disappointment, broken dreams, and a fractured reality. Once again, we had nobody to turn to.
Like the phoenix, Hamilton had another rebirth in him. This time, he came back with every bit of promise he exuded as a teenager. He finally became Mickey Mantle. The MVP hit .359/.411/.633. He pounded 40 doubles, 32 homeruns, and 100 RBI. Like Mantle, Hamilton is that someone who commands our attention every time he is in the batter’s box. We wait for Hamilton to hit that prodigious shot. We wait for him to hit a ball harder than we ever saw hit. We wait for him to amaze. This year, he delivered that to us. Also like Mantle, Hamilton’s domination was challenged by injury, this time cracked ribs. But, like everything else, Hamilton came back.

He struggled in the Division Series after playing just three games in the final weekend of the regular season. He played in just five games in the final month of the season. But, the 2010 ALCS gave Hamilton the stage that Mantle had so many times in his tortured career. Hamilton hit 4 homeruns, drove in 7 runs, and has even stole 3 bases. That series encapsulated all that Hamilton had become. He is the batter that the all teams fear. He is the batter that continues to swat homeruns against all pitchers. He was the best player in that series. That is saying something considering he shared the field with more than a few future Hall of Famers.

The battle and climb continued for Hamilton in 2011. He again struggled with injuries, separating his shoulder on Opening Day. He would play in just 123 games, but he would hit .298/.346/.536 with 31 doubles, 5 triples, 25 homeruns, 94 RBI, and 8 stolen bases. He would struggle in the playoffs, but injuries had clearly taken their toll on Hamilton. But, he never missed a game and clearly played in pain.
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Most of the talk this offseason related about Hamilton’s future in Texas. How much would Texas invest in their star player? Would they be willing to make a commitment? As Yu Darvish signed with the Rangers and as Prince Fielder did not, the Hamilton extension was clearly the next big issue for Daniels and the Rangers. Then the news broke about Hamilton drinking last week. Now, there is a certain amount of uncertainty about the Rangers signing their best hitter to a long term deal. That talk seems premature. Yes, Hamilton drank. No, he should not have. Yes, it looks bad. But, he has been so open about his struggle that any slip seems like the end. It isn’t. He may have hit a bump, but it doesn’t mean the end. Other players who have hid their addictions continue to struggle in private. Hamilton’s struggle has been in the public. His inevitable troubles will seem larger than they really are. The latest incident should have no bearing on whether or not the Rangers sign him to a long-term contract.

At 29 years old, Josh Hamilton has found the place where he seemed destined to be a decade ago. Not many get a second chance. Even fewer find the path that they were once on. Redemption isn’t found all that often. Usually, people get stuck in their failed lives; they become the ones who didn’t come close to matching the once optimistic expectations that emanated from childhood. We normal people can get trapped; that’s why we fear failure so much. We know that redemption isn’t easy. But, every time Josh Hamilton digs into the box, he reminds us of the possibility for each of us. Maybe, just maybe, we can dig ourselves out and get back to where we belong. He did it against great odds. Now, he is one of the few special players in the game.
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He still battles his addiction; he won’t even participate in champagne celebrations. He continues to battle as last week showed. But, he took responsibility and has been quite open with his struggles. In that, he has separated himself from Mantle, whose addiction wasn’t really revealed until the end of his life. Hamilton is living it every day. Now, we watch his every move as he amazes us with his superior skills. Sometimes reality isn’t permanent. Josh Hamilton changed his reality even when every urge in him tells him otherwise. This generation’s Mantle shows us that even though there is a dark side to life, a person can overcome it with the proper support and determination.

Life may not always be ideal, but it can still be good. Despite Hamilton’s addiction and recent struggle with alcohol, it is important to keep in perspective just how much he has overcome.

Texeira was honored along with Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, Mets ace R.A. Dickey, Mets infielder Daniel Murphy, Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin and collegiate and NBA star Dikembe Mutombo at the 32nd annual dinner benefiting AHRC, a not-for-profit organization that supports programs enabling children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead richer, more productive lives, including programs of AHRC New York City.

Question: At what point does the off-season turn off and you start to get ready for the year?
Mark Teixeira: I do get antsy once February hits, so this is the last day I can relax.

Q: We understand that you work out at Bobby Valentine’s facility in Connecticut.  Has he changed the locks or anything?
MT: He didn’t change the locks, but it’s funny I had been hiting there for two years, I had bought a machine for the facility, so when I am around there I can use the pitching machine.  It’s been throwing great, and everything was fine, I was getting all my work in.  As soon as he gets the Red Sox job, I go in the next morning, the first ball out of the machine — right at my head.  I don’t know if it was a bad ball, I don’t know if the gears jammed, whatever happened we had to get a technician in there to fix it.

Q: Other than that, how has the offseason gone?
MT: It’s been great, you know, just recharging the batteries, and looking forward to a great season.  We basically have the same team back, got a couple of key additions on the pitching staff, which is going to be great, and so we’re excited.

Q: Were you surprised about the trade of Jesus Montero?
MT: Never surprised in baseball, this business, I’ve been traded twice, a lot of great players have been traded, and Montero might be really, really good.  He’s got a chance to be special.  But so does [Michael] Pineda, and I think that’s what we’re banking on. We’re banking on Pineda being a top tier starter and someone that can really be a force for a long time.

BBD: You only faced him in, I believe, three at bats, and you have a home run and, I think, a strikeout. From that small sample size, what do u remember
MT: Explosive fastball.  Really good slider.  He’s so big — any pitcher that is that big, that can throw that hard, his margin of error is going to be a lot bigger than everyone else’s.  He can not have his best stuff, but when you’re 6-7 and thrown 97, you’re going to get outs.

BBD: Curtis Granderson has said that Pineda didn’t seem intimidated by the Yankees lineup.  Do you see that in him?
MT: Yes, it’s mound presence and you see it with the best pitchers in baseball.  They have that presence on the mound. And as a young guy, to be able to go out there and have no fear and go after everybody — I think I hit a 3-1 fastball or 3-2 fastball.  I get a lot of sliders or changeups on 3-2.  He went right after me. I got lucky on that pitch, but it just shows his confidence that he’s going to go after people.

BBD: You tweeted that you lost 14 pounds in the offseason.  Why did you feel like you needed to?
MT: I didn’t feel like I needed to, but I’m always trying to get better.  I know that the older I get, the more important nutrition is, and any chance I get to make myself lighter, faster, more energy, its going to be better for my game.  It just kind of happened.  I started changing my diet a little bit, started drinking a lot of raw juice and it really helped.

BBD: C.C. Sabathia talked about eliminating Cap’n Crunch last year; did you do anything like that?
MT: I can’t say I eat a lot of Cap’n Crunch.  I’ve really eaten pretty well the last few years, but this year I think really fine-tuning. I’m always trying to find that little edge to help myself physically, mentally, energy-wise, and I think those little things can help me over a long season and hopefully a long career.

BBD: There has been talk of the Yankees picking up another bat in a trade with some of their surplus pitching.  What do you think of the Yankees lineup as it stands now?
MT: We basically have the lineup we had last year.  Rotating a DH wouldn’t be bad, but if you can pick up a guy who can come in and give some pop off the bench or be a DH every now and then, we’re  not going to say no to that because we can use all the help we can get.

BBD: One of the areas you said you would like to improve is getting on base. Do you and hitting coach Kevin Long have a plan in place for that?
MT: I do. One thing I really noticed is that my average with no men on base was really, really good, and with men on base it wasn’t.  When no one is on base, and they’re playing a big shift, I might lay down some bunts this year.  I’ve been so against it my entire career, but I may lay down a few bunts.  If I can beat the shift that way, that’s important.  And also, not trying to hook the ball so much left handed. So when you have a 1-2 pitch, instead of trying to drive the ball in the gap and drive in the runs, you know take that single to left.  It’s [harder] than it sounds, but one hit a week really adds up.

Thurman Munson plaque at Monument Park at old Yankee Stadium. Photo credit: The Guy With The Glasses

BBD: What does Thurman Munson and the Munson Award mean to you?
MT: A Yankee legend.  Someone who did the right things on and off the field, someone whose legacy has continued to grow, because of the great things he’s done in the community, with the foundation, his family and his wife Diana have done so many great things in the community, so the Munson name is very special to the Yankees.

BBD: How did you get started working with Harlem RBI?
MT: Harlem RBI is an organization I started working with two years ago.  I knew the great work they were doing with kids in Harlem, with education.  Education has always been very important to me, and so to be able to work with those kids, you know it serves over 1000 kids, was just a natural fit for me.

The unveiling of the MLB.com Top 100 prospects has become an annual ceremonial event. At least for those wrapped up in that sort of thing. For baseball people, fans, players and scribes alike, there is much excitement and conversation leading up to the day.

We probably can’t appreciate the amount of work that goes into such an effort by Jonathan Mayo and yet there’s always intense criticism. He’s gone on record with ‘High Heels On Field’ (a blog by yours truly), as well as written about the process to help readers better understand what it entails, but there’s still bound to be a backlash.

This year’s list wasn’t full of surprises, particularly in the top ten. Bryce Harper came in the second spot, with LHP Matt Moore ranking first overall. Moore was a revelation for many in 2011 when he made his major league debut with the Tampa Rays. His development has seen an improvement in a number of key areas and he projects as a front of the rotation starter. For a system full of exciting talent, Moore is the shining star of the highly anticipated crop coming up now.

Two Royals outfielders, Wil Myers and Bubba Starling, ranked 17th and 19th, respectively. Myers had a particularly challenging 2011 season, but with a recent spring training invite from the big club he’s got an early chance to make an impression in 2012. Royals have a ton of depth in the outfield and Myers is an integral part of the picture.
Also released this week was Project Prospect’s Top 100, an independent site infamous for their sharp and informative prospect reports. The site, founded by Adam Foster, has become  popular among prospect diehards. The list usually goes a bit against convention and often varies from other top prospect lists. For PP, Moore ranks third, and Angels Mike Trout, #1 on MLB.com in 2011, takes the top slot.

For an alternative view on prospects, Project Prospect continues to rise above the various prospect lists that seem to multiply every year.

Don’t worry…the answer is no. Not ever.

Brewers Logan Schafer, Caleb Gindi Might See Big League Time

While Ryan Braun’s 50 game suspension would create a number of questions for the Milwaukee Brewers, there could be an opportunity for outfield prospects Logan Schafer and/or Caleb Gindi.

Schafer’s health is a bit of a question (wrist injury), but the reports have been positive. He or Gindi could very well be getting some work off the bench, though the Brewers have a number of options. Despite what might be a limited amount of time to show their stuff, it’s an experience worth having. They also earned it in the minors in 2011. And, for Shafer, even earned it in a couple of plate appearances during the Brewers playoff run.

Schafer hit well splitting time between two levels,  .Double-A where he hit .302 and  Triple-A hitting .331.

Gindi hit .307 at Triple-A for the season, playing in 126 games.

But, breaking through that traditional belief can be difficult. After all, who really wants to see things like VORP, BABIP or WAR on a screen while watching a game? It just doesn’t quite feel right. Because statistics like ERA and won-loss record are continually used, they become a ingrained and form a perception about a player. That’s why a pitcher with a 10-11 record along with a 4.72 ERA is thought of as nothing more than, at best, a league average pitcher.

The Toronto Blue Jays, however, decided to give their 27 year old starting pitcher Brandon Morrow a two year contract worth $20 million. Morrow is guaranteed $4 million for 2012 and $8 million in 2013 and 2014. The Blue Jays hold a club option for $10 million in 2015. Morrow, the starter turned reliever turned back to starter again, is that pitcher with the 10-11 record and 4.72 ERA. The Blue Jays would never be confused with the Yankees or other big market teams. While the organization has systematically locked up their talent such as Jose Bautista and Rickey Romero, the idea of throwing $20 million to a pitcher who has some injury history and hasn’t produced anything more than league average results seems a bit of a stretch.

Except, that it really isn’t.

The Toronto Blue Jays may just be getting themselves quite a bargain. Brandon Morrow will enter his age 27 season and just his third season as a full-time starting pitcher. Once the Seattle Mariners’ top prospect, Morrow was used out of the bullpen during his first two seasons, even closing games during the 2008 season. The Mariners were a bit scared of his injury trouble during the 2009 season. The organization evidently refused to admit that shifting pitching roles multiple times with a such a young pitcher is dangerous business. They shipped him to Toronto in exchange for reliever Brandon League. League did prove valuable as a reliever, but the Blue Jays have reaped the benefits of making Morrow a full-time starter and continuing to give him the ball.

Morrow compiled a record of 10-7 during the 2009 season in 26 starts. He was shut down in late September to preserve his innings count. In 146.1 innings, he allowed just 8.5 H/9, 4.1 BB/9, and 10.6 K/9. Had Morrow pitched enough innings to be considered a league leader, his 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings would’ve led all of Major League Baseball. He was the only pitcher to average over 10 strikeouts per nine. His walk total was obviously too high, but he made up for it by eliciting swings and misses closes to 15 percent of the time on pitches within the strike zone. In other words, he might put himself into stressful situations, but he is more than capable of getting out of them. While he is not a ground ball pitcher, he did compile a 0.97 ground ball to fly ball ratio.

The strikeouts were impressive, as was the August 8th 1 hit shutout of the Tampa Bay Rays during which he struck out 17 batters. But, that 4.49 ERA screamed mediocrity. That’s where the advanced metrics come in to give a more complete picture. His 2010 BABIP was .342. That’s indication of some bad luck. With the league average hovering around .315, it means that when batters did make contact in 2010, a few more balls found holes in the defense. Then, one can look at his 3.16 FIP, a measure of how well a pitcher succeeds when defense is taken out of the equation. The difference between his ERA and FIP are great, meaning that his defense really hurt him. The 2010 Blue Jays defense certainly wasn’t good. They ranked 9th in the American League in terms of UZR at minus-2.5. That coincides with Morrow’s high BABIP.

2011 was quite similar for Morrow. While building his innings count, Morrow compiled that 10-11 record with the 4.72 ERA. In 179.1 innings, he allowed 8.1 H/9,  1.1 HR/9, 3.5 BB/9, and 10.2 K/9. Obviously, there are quite a few positives. First, he built his innings appropriately. The Blue Jays have been careful with him after having many of their young pitchers go down with injuries in the past decade. He cut his walk total while not sacrificing his strikeouts. His 10.2 strikeouts per nine led all American League starters and trailed only Zack Greinke for the Major League lead.

But, that ERA got worse. His BABIP even fell back down to a more normal .299 so even luck couldn’t be a cause. One cause is that his homerun rate did jump from 0.68 in 2010 to 1.05 in 2011. That will cause an ERA spike. But, his FIP was a more than solid 3.64 for season. That is still a huge disparity. But, then, you look at the defense and it starts to make sense again. The Blue Jays ranked 10th in the American League with a minus-10.4 UZR, meaning their ground covered was less than the season before. And, unlike 2010 when the defense didn’t make many errors, the 2011 club had the fourth highest total in the league with 110 errors. While those errors don’t add to the ERA, they do indicate a terrible defensive team that didn’t get to many balls and didn’t handle them well either.

ERA aside, Brandon Morrow has put together two very credible seasons befitting of a number two or three pitcher. His team has hurt him in terms of the traditional statistics. But, given his improved walk rate, his elite level strikeout rate, and that the Blue Jays are handling him properly, there is every reason to believe that Morrow can be one of the top pitchers in the sport. Even more exciting is that Morrow has compiled those numbers in the American League East, the most offensive division in the sport. The Red Sox knocked him around in four starts, but Morrow dominated the Yankees (2-1, 1.74 ERA with 22 strikeouts in 20 innings) and the Rays (2-2 3.38 ERA with 31 strikeouts in 24 innings). In two starts against the American League Champion Rangers, Morrow struck out 17 batters in 13 innings along with a 2.77 ERA.

There are still obstacles in front of Morrow as he heads into the 2012 season. His flyball rate cannot increase, especially when he pitches in the East. He will have to continue to decrease his walk total to avoid those possible bad luck scenarios. And, he will have to hope that the Blue Jays are a better defensive club in 2012. With essentially the same club returning, that may prove difficult. But, the stuff is there and it has been succeeding for the past two seasons. With some improved luck, improved command, and an improved defense, Morrow may just turn out to be the most surprising pitcher of 2012.

He has been a secret over the past two seasons for a couple of reasons. First, he is playing in Toronto which has really experiences Jose Bautista mania. Secondly, his traditional statistics aren’t all that special. But, hiding under the Bautista frenzy and the elevated ERA is a pitcher who has the stuff to dominate. Entering his third year as a full-time starter, it may just be time for Brandon Morrow to show just how dominant he can be.

The Buehrles, animal lovers and supporters of Best Friends Animal Society, started the petition on Change.org after learning that they would be unable to move to the Miami Marlins’ hometown due to breed-specific animal restrictions in the county. Instead, the Buehrle family, along with their pet pit bull Slater, moved to neighboring Broward County.

“Every day that I look at my sweet-natured, certified Canine Good Citizen pit bull, I can’t imagine having to give him up, or even worse, having Slater taken from me based solely on the way he looks,” said Jamie Buehrle, who launched the campaign on Change.org. “Let’s start making owners responsible for their pets regardless of their breed and celebrating all breeds including pit bulls. I am so happy with the response to my petition on Change.org and the thousands of people helping to change the breed discrimination law in Miami-Dade.”

Mark and Jamie Buehrle

News of the online petition campaign’s success is drawing national attention to HB 997 and SB 1322, which would repeal the only county-wide breed specific legislation in Florida. The Buehrles are encouraging baseball fans and dog lovers sign their petition campaign on Change.org, the world’s fastest growing platform for social change.

“Within the first week, thousands of people have already joined the Buehrles’ campaign,” said Change.org Director of Organizing Stephanie Feldstein. “The Buehrle family was affected by Miami-Dade County’s pit bull ban, and even though they were able to keep Slater safe, they decided to start a petition to help other families and their pets stay together. That’s what Change.org is all about – empowering anyone, anywhere to demand action on the issues that matter to them.”

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

Gotham Baseball covers the past, present and future of New York baseball, and in this latest issue, which features a pair of aces; New York Yankees left-hander CC Sabathia and New York Mets southpaw Johan Santana. Gary Armida profiles Sabathia’s return in “The Big Man is Back”, while Healey opines that for the Mets, “The Ace is The Whole”.

Also in the issue:

The Catcher Says Bye – Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is retiring. Armida takes a look at his great career.

The Magic is Back? – Joseph M. Lara tries to make some sense of the current Mets by looking at the past Mets.

Reading By The Hot Stove – Jerry Milani reviews some of his top choices for offseason reading.

The issue also includes a comprehensive guide to the three-day event, which will once again feature some of the world’s top baseball instructors in a range of settings, including new Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine, New York Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long, pitching guru Rick Peterson and softball star Jennie Finch.

Baseball Digest’s online editor Mark Healey, who is the founder of Gotham Baseball, will also be in attendance, manning BD affiliate Gotham Baseball’s booth with GB Co-Publisher Joseph M. Lara.

The Winter Issue and Convention Guide is available for FREE download here:

http://gothambaseball.com/GB006_WINTER2011.pdf

For more info visit the official site for the event or call 860.674.1500

New York Yankees at Boston, not suprisingly, accounts for two of those, on April 22 and July 8, from Fenway Park.  The Yankees have one other Sunday Night appearance, April 15 vs. the Angels.  The two-time defending American League Champion Texas Rangers host Chicago in the April 8 SNB opener.

The World Series Champion Cardinals also have three appearances (May 20 and July 15, in addition to Opening Night April 4).

ESPN’s first seven Sunday Night games will feature at least one playoff team and several of MLB’s biggest stars will be on display, including the Angels’ Pujols; the Yankees’ Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano; Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia and Jacoby Ellsbury; Texas’ Josh Hamilton; Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria; Philadelphia’s Ryan Howard and Chase Utley; St. Louis’ Matt Holliday and Lance Berkman; Dodgers slugger Matt Kemp; Atlanta’s Chipper Jones and Brian McCann; Chicago’s Paul Konerko; and Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman.

This season will also mark the debut of analyst Terry Francona, who joins play-by-play commentator Dan Shulman and analyst Orel Hershiser in the Sunday Night Baseball booth. Sunday Night games are also available via ESPN Radio, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3 and ESPN Mobile TV.

ESPN Radio’s Sunday Night Baseball broadcast team will again be play-by-play commentator Jon Sciambi and analyst Chris Singleton.  ESPN Radio, entering its 15th season of MLB coverage, will also broadcast a game of the week each Saturday during the regular season, the State Farm Home Run Derby and All-Star Game, and every Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series game.

The Sunday Night Baseball schedule as selected to date follows (all telecasts begin at 8 p.m. ET).  Game selections for the remainder of the season will be made three weeks (June and July 1, 22 and 29) or two weeks (August and September) in advance.

ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball Schedule
Date     Teams (all telecasts at 8 p.m. ET)
April 8     Chicago White Sox at Texas
April 15     L.A. Angels at N.Y. Yankees
April 22     Yankees at Boston
April 29     Tampa Bay at Texas
May 6     Philadelphia at Washington
May 13     Angels at Texas
May 20     St. Louis at L.A. Dodgers
May 27     Washington at Atlanta
June 3-July 1     TBD
July 8     Yankees at Boston
July 15     St. Louis at Cincinnati
July 22-Sept 23     TBD

On second reaction, no, not really.

Not only do the Yankees have an impressive pool of catching prospects to pick from over the next several years, they never seemed to shy away from the possibility of trading Montero.  The Yankees reportedly considered letting Montero go on several occasions, but only for high quality starting pitching. The deal had to give the Yankees what they most desperately needed. Ultimately, they needed a proven starter far more than they needed the unproven right-handed power bat of Jesus Montero. His potential aside, the decision was made based on most pressing need. It was simple, really.

Along with Montero, pitching prospect Hector Noesi was also traded. Noesi pitched 30 innings for the Yankees last season, mostly working out of the bullpen. The Yankees received Michael Pineda, a star of the 2011 season for his dazzling rookie performance.   Also impressive was their acquisition of RHP Jose Campos. At nineteen he led the Northwest League with 85 strikeouts in 81 innings. In addition, they signed pitcher Hiroki Kuroda, a veteran who spent the last four years pitching for the Dodgers. He capped 2011 with a 3.45 ERA.

For the offensive-minded, trading a prospect of Montero’s caliber is a ridiculous risk. Why would you part with a bat that developed, who hasn’t even reached his potential?  Montero’s talent cannot be undercut in comparison to the other catchers in the Yankees system.  There’s no denying that the Yankees gave up quite the hitter and possibly only Gary Sanchez will come close to Montero’s power.

And then we’re back to pitching. If you’re pitching-minded in this squabble, then you’re looking at the Yankees starting rotation, firmly grasping exactly why the trade made sense in January, only months away from opening day. You don’t need to worry much about that bullpen. But questions about the Yankees rotation were far too difficult to answer without a big move.

We can dig deeper. And perhaps this doesn’t count for much right now, but there’s an issue worth exploring if the rumors are correct that Seattle plans on continuing to develop Montero as a catcher.

Buried beneath the discussions of Montero’s extraordinary talent, struggles at the plate, and reports on his development behind the dish at Triple-A Scranton, there was the matter of behavioral issues.

In 2010 Montero was benched for failing to run out a grounder. The general feeling was that it was an indication he might be getting too comfortable with his uber prospect status. While these moments pop up even with major league players, alarm bells sounded. The incident didn’t become an ongoing problem, at least not according to any published reports. Mentioning it might seem pointless. But this is a player who, for all his offensive talent, doesn’t figure to be at the position he was drafted. A lack of discipline would kill his chances at developing at the position, which most don’t believe he’ll play for his career.

Discipline might not be a huge issue, but if the Mariners continue the Montero catching experiment, that discipline is crucial.

During Montero’s exciting run with the Double-A Trenton Thunder, what he lacked, he really lacked, but what he excelled at, he mastered. The difficulty in considering his future was how to get past the defensive question. The answer, of course, was as a pure designated hitter for the future- an Edgar Martinez or David Ortiz for the next generation. For a generation of Yankees fans facing the impending retirement of Jorge Posada, the possibility of a new leader behind the plate seemed a nice passing of the torch. But that didn’t appear realistic. Yankees fans heard the votes of confidence from GM Brian Cashman and other front office people, but as much effort was being put into it, the reality became clearer. So, there was a puzzle. Where did he fit in? Where did more defensively skilled catching prospect Austin Romine fit in? What about Russell Martin? And in a couple of years, what’s the solution to Gary Sanchez?

The pieces were being shifted, but there was one missing. Giving up on Jesus Montero meant getting the piece that helped complete the overall team picture. The catching part of the picture suddenly makes more sense.

At the end of the 2012 baseball season, there will be plenty of opinion on whether the sacrifice benefitted the Yankees enough.  And there will be plenty of opinion on Montero’s impact and if he can develop into a good enough catcher.

Montero came with questions in the Yankees system.  He takes all the same ones to Seattle.

There’ll be no ‘Five Questions With…’ this week, but next week a Pirates prospect steps into the spotlight.

Similar reactions may have been heard on the left coast when Seattle Mariners fans found out their young stud pitcher Michael Pineda was headed east. The Yankees and Mariners have reportedly completed a four player exchange with their young studs as the centerpieces.

As first reported by the Seattle Times’ Larry Stone, the Yankees sent Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to the Mariners for Pineda and pitcher Jose Campos. Noesi was one of the Yankees promising young starters on the rise, and showed some of his mettle as a reliever at the Major League level last season. Campos is a 19-yr old right-hander with potential (Evaluator John Sickels rated him as the #5 M’s prospect for 2012 and had this to say, “Grade B: We need to see him at higher levels and his secondary stuff needs refinement, but his upside is very high, he throws hard, and already throws strikes.”), but will not have an impact for quite some time.

Clearly this deal was about the Yankees need to boost their starting rotation and the Mariners need for a big bat. After being rebuffed in their attempt to acquire Felix Hernandez, the Yankees went after his young teammate (Pineda will be 23 next week).

Pineda’s rookie season of 2011 saw him finish 9-10, 3.74 with a 1.10 WHIP and 173 strikeouts in 171 innings.  The 6’7″, 260 pound native of the Dominican Republic limited AL hitters to a .211 batting average and gave up just 133 hits. He also held right-handed hitters to a .587 OPS with a torrid fastball and nasty slider. According to Fangraphs.com, Pineda averaged 94.7 mph on his fastball, the fourth best mark in the AL.

Pineda dominated in pitcher-friendly Safeco Field (2.92 ERA in 12 starts) and was much better in the first half before tiring down the stretch. In fact, the Mariners limited his innings per start over the final two months of the season.

With the Yankees lacking pop from the right side, Montero got the call to the bigs in August and produced a .996 OPS in 69 plate appearances.  Among Montero’s 17 hits were four home runs and four doubles, and he drove in 17 runs.  Montero has good power to the opposite field and averaged 18 home runs in his first four full seasons in the minor leagues.  He was nearly dealt to the Mariners at the 2010 trade deadline for Cliff Lee, but Seattle opted to obtain Justin Smoak from Texas instead.

In Montero, the Mariners get a player with 30 home run potential, even if their ballpark is not suited to a hitter’s needs. There were mixed feelings within the Yankees organization as to whether or not the 6’4″ Montero could make it in the Major Leagues as a catcher and that certainly played into the decision to deal him. With 1st base occupied (Mark Teixeira) and the DH slot needed to give the Yankees aging stars (Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, etc.) a rest, there wasn’t much room for Montero to flourish. With Seattle, he’ll get that chance.

Brian Cashman told the Bergen Record’s Bob Klapisch that he believes he took a big gamble.  ”I gave up a ton (for Pineda). To me, Montero is Mike Piazza. He’s Miguel Cabrera.” He may have taken a risk, but this deal appears to be a “win-win”, with both teams profiting. It also puts the Yankees back on top as the favorite in the AL East.

Cashman wasn’t done dealing on Friday night though. A short time after the trade was reported, word came that the Yankees and free agent pitcher Hiroki Kuroda had agreed to a one year contract, pending a physical, worth $10-11MM. Kuroda was thought to be seeking a $13MM deal.

Kuroda, who turns 36 in February, came over from Japan in 2008 and was 41-46 in four seasons with the LA Dodgers, despite a 3.46 ERA. He’s coming off a 13-16 season with a career low 3.07 ERA and a 3.7 WAR, also tops in his four seasons.

With the two acquisitions, the landscape of the Yankees’ starting rotation changed drastically. Prior to Friday evening, the Yankees five man squad was made up of ace CC Sabathia, 2nd year man Ivan Nova, the erratic A.J. Burnett, Phil Hughes, and surprise 2011 stand out, Freddy Garcia. Hughes’ immediate future is now up in the air and he could be used as trade bait to bring back a bat. The Yankees would most certainly rather trade Burnett, but the $33MM owed to him is an albatross around Cashman’s neck.

The Yankees would be looking for a short term, low salaried player. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman reported tonight that Carlos Pena was among the bats that were piquing the Yankees interest.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. will give the keynote address at the Hutch Award Luncheon and presentation on Feb. 1 at Safeco Field in Seattle, Fred Hutchinson’s hometown. The event raises funds to benefit early cancer detection research at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.

Butler, a 25-year-old native of Orange Park , Fla., made his major league debut with the team in 2007, having been selected by the Royals right out of high school in the first round of the 2004 draft.  In his rookie season Butler batted .292 with eight home runs and 52 RBIs; two years later he achieved a .301 batting average while surpassing 500 at bats.

Despite his desire to play on the field, Butler was given full-time duty as the Royals’ designated hitter in 2011; he turned the assignment into an opportunity to become one of the best, most consistent hitters in the American League, finishing the season with a .291 batting average, 44 doubles, 95 RBIs and 19 home runs.

Off the field, Butler is known for his selfless attitude and desire to help others. In 2008, Butler and his wife, Katie, started the Hit-It-A-Ton campaign to help feed disadvantaged families in the Kansas City area. Through the program, $250 is donated for each home run Butler hits (and $125 for each double). In its first three years, the campaign raised more than $200,000, providing more than 960 tons of food through two food banks and a community kitchen run by Kansas City ’s Bishop Sullivan Center .

When Butler comes to Seattle to receive his Hutch Award, he will visit cancer research labs at the Hutchinson Center as well as the Hutch School, a unique K – 12 accredited education program that serves young cancer patients and school-age family members of patients.

The Hutch Award recipient is selected annually through a vote of all surviving former awardees. A total of 46 players have been honored since 1965, when Mickey Mantle accepted the inaugural award. Baseball Hall of Famers Sandy Koufax, Carl Yastrzemski, Willie McCovey and Lou Brock all received the Hutch Award; in more recent years Jamie Moyer, Craig Biggio, Jon Lester, Mark Teahen and Tim Hudson have joined their ranks.

The first baseman has begun again in a new organization after being traded by the Red Sox to the Padres, when Hoyer and Epstein were still the Red Sox Assistant GM and GM. Rizzo’s time with the Padres was short-lived, but the Padres are doing plenty right in stocking up on young talent this off-season.

They are intertwined with the Padres and Red Sox in a chip-trading bonanza that has changed each organization in significant ways.

Padres
91 losses – that’s how the Padres ended their 2011 regular season. But they ended the year and began 2012 winning in off-season acquisitions & loading up on top young talent.  That doesn’t mean instant success, but does give them a big jump in the reconstruction of the club.

The Padres parted with RHP Mat Latos, giving the Reds the righty starter they needed, and the Padres acquired two prospects in a four-player package, infielder/outfielder Yonder Alonso and catcher Yasmani Grandal, ranked 3^rd and 4^th in the Reds system by Baseball America.

If projections are correct, Alonso, already an advanced hitter, despite some struggles developing more power should be in the Padres lineup in the next two to three years. He spent 2011 with Triple-A  Louisville hitting .296 with 56 RBI. The Reds called him up in July after he’d made his MLB debut in 2011, getting a September call. The Reds desire to get him to the big leagues and not be blocked by first baseman Joey Votto led to converting him to left field, but that wasn’t a great success. Alonso’s value is in his bat, but the Padres could turn to him to take over first base heading into the future.

Grandal a 23-year old catcher with high upside spent 2011 at three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Louisville hitting .305 overall.  Grandal dealt with injuries in 2011, including a concussion, both during the regular season and in Arizona Fall League, where he was shut down with an injury to his left middle finger. He’s a shoo-in to start the season at Triple-A and needs to put together consistent solid results.

With Austin Hedges also in the system, the Padres best catching prospect, this gives San Diego a couple of excellent options behind the dish. At nineteen Hedges needs a lot more developing and Grandal provides the club with a more seasoned young catcher to bring up if needed. Cory Spangenberg is ahead of him, but having this much catching in the system is a nice problem to have.

Cubs
While the Padres made various flashy moves, the acquisition of first baseman Anthony Rizzo singular power can’t be overstated.

Rizzo blazed his way through Triple-A pitching in 2011, hitting .331 in 356 at bats and collecting 101 RBI along the way.

The Padres AGAIN acquired a top prospect, with the Cubs giving up a lot AGAIN in singular form – pitching prospect Andrew Cashner couldn’t have been easy to deal. Cashner had shoulder issues last season, but he’s not on the high risk side.  The twenty-five year old has a 4.29 ERA in 60 appearances. If he goes to the bullpen, he adds a bit more depth to an area in need of improvement. Along with Cashner they also traded minor league outfielder Kyung-Min Na.

Rizzo could be a difference maker for a team that seems determined to build a farm system that will produce major league success.

Red Sox
The Red Sox have taken their hits. Looking at what they’ve lost over the past two seasons – Rizzo, as well as pitcher Casey Kelly to (a pattern here) the Padres – you could say that hurt them deeply in the future talent department. But that’s not the case.  In 2010, when the Red Sox gave up Kelly and Rizzo, as well as Reymond Fuentes and Eric Patterson, they got first baseman Adrian Gonzalez, one of the best in the game. They also signed Carl Crawford. Those two moves upgraded their lineup. At the end of 2011, when they fell to pieces in historical fashion, they looked like hard-luck losers in a game of failure.

But they have some excellent talent in the pipeline.  Pitching wise, Anthony Ranaudo is their top righty in the wings. He passed a big part of the test in his professional debut in 2011, pitching 127 innings between two levels (Low and High A), completing the season with a 3.97 ERA and 117 strikeouts. He needs a full season at High-A Salem, or possibly split-time between there and Double-A. But he’s going in the direction the Red Sox need.

Third baseman Will Middlebrooks is the Sox best prospect and proved himself between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2011. The Red Sox will surely start him in Triple-A Pawtucket, where he can get more at-bats, with the majority of them coming at Portland, with 356. In terms of major league readiness he’s close.

Their current rotation- a work in progress- has the ability to succeed with the benefit of good health, a bounce-back performance from Jon Lester, as well as a successful transition of Daniel Bard to starter, to right the ship. Their lineup is a force.

The three teams have made each other interesting now and a few years down the line, when all this acquiring and sacrificing will show who really won the trading game.

Five Questions With Yankees Brad Meyers
The Yankees picked up pitcher Brad Meyers in the Rule 5 Draft, nabbing him from the Nationals. In four years with Washington, the 26-year old pitched at every level, ending 2011 with Triple-A Syracuse going 6-5 in 92 innings, and a 3.48 ERA. The righty agreed to the ‘To The Farm’ five…

Jessica Quiroli: You pitched a lot at the Double-A level the last couple of years, but saw some time in Triple-A last season. What was the biggest difference in facing Double-A and Triple-A hitters?

Brad Meyers:  The biggest difference is that triple A hitters make adjustments pitch to pitch rather than at bat to at bat.  They recognize pitching patterns a lot quicker and will exploit them.  Triple A hitters play more off the weaknesses of a pitcher as opposed to double A hitters who will wait a couple of at bats to get the pitch they are looking for.  Also, triple A was the first time that I had to throw balls intentionally instead of strikes.  I never thought I could throw too many strikes, but there is definitely a balance between walking people and giving up more hits.

 Quiroli:  Is there a pitch you still struggle with that you are continuously trying to improve?

Meyers:  My slider can be inconsistent at times.  I would like to add some depth to it without dropping off too much velocity.

Quiroli:  What did you improve most in 2011?

Meyers: Last year was the biggest jump for me from double A to triple A.  I learned a lot about the type of pitcher that I am, what hitters are trying to do against you in certain counts/situations, and really did a better job at controlling the running game.

Quiroli: Switching gears. Do you have a horse in the football playoffs?

Meyers: I’m not a big football guy, but I do enjoy Sunday fun-day every couple weeks.  I got into a playoff pool and…

Quiroli: A team you’re rooting for to be in the Super Bowl?

Meyers: I have the Saints beating the Pats in the super bowl.  Tough to go against Rodgers, but I’ve liked what I’ve seen from the Saints offense all year.

Due to overwhelming response, here is an extended list, 11-20 top MILB players to follow.

A few things. A lot of these guys were considered for the top ten. The selection process is difficult because, whether you know it or not, there are numerous minor league players using Twitter. That led to adding an Honorable Ten list.

Reminder about how this was decided: frequency, interaction, humor, overall just compelling feed. Interacting with their fans/followers was big in deciding. Tweet frequency counted a lot as well. Humor matters. Every single guy that made these lists had a way with a joke or making fun of themselves. When their personalities shine through, the flow of the content is fun and interesting to read. For guys trying to make it to the big leagues, they experience a lot of transition and adversity. Every player named in the Twitter Ten and Next Ten shares a fascinating look into the unique life of baseball.

Starting with #11, a player whose use of Twitter gives him an important connection to fans. After being so protected by his team, that connection has been meaningful.

11. Bryce Harper @BHarper3407 – Washington Nationals
12. Cody Decker @Decker6 – San Diego Padres
13. Tyson Gillies @TysonGillies21 – Philadephia Phillies
14. Thomas Neal @TdaddyNeal – Cleveland Indians
15. Will Middlebrooks @16WMBrooks- Boston Red Sox
16. Mike Trout @Trouty20 – Anaheim Angels
17. LV Ware @LV_Ware – Atlanta Braves
18. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire – Toronto Blue Jays
19. Ryan Tatusko @RyanTatusko – Nationals
20. Michael Crouse @_crouse_ – Blue Jays

Honorable Ten Mentions:

1.Bryan Harper @BHarp45 – Nationals
2. Chris Swauger @cswag8 – St. Louis Cardinals
3. Matt den Dekker @UpperDekker – New York Mets
4. Bryan Longpre @BryanLongpre- Blue Jays
5. Jack Murphy @JackMurphy219 – Blue Jays
6. Justin Fitgerald @jfitgerald31 – Giants
7. Trent Mummey @trentmummey7 – Baltimore Orioles
8. C.J. Cron @CCron24 – Angels
9. Jordan Comadena @Funky2414 – Houston Astros
10. Kellin Deglan @keldegs – Texas Rangers

The greatness and prestige begins with Cornelius McGillicuddy, Sr, who after spending more than a decade as a player in the National League,  managed the minor-league Milwaukee Brewers for four seasons. With the advent of the American League in 1901, “Connie Mack” became manager, treasurer, and part owner of the new Philadelphia Athletics. He would go on to win – and lose – more games than any manager in major league history. Mack would also build, break down, and rebuild World Series-winning teams before settling into a nearly two-decade long routine of losing games and cashing dividend checks. A team that got off to a good start, but finished fourth, he once said, would be the best kind of team to have.

“A team like that will draw well enough during the first part of the season to show a profit for the year, and you don’t have to give the players raises when they don’t win.” – Connie Mack

Still, Mack won. From 1901-1914, the A’s won three World Series, six pennants, posted two second place finishes and had just one losing season. After getting swept 4-0 in the 1914 World Series, by the “Miracle” Boston Braves, an angry Mack dealt or sold away all of his best players. After a decade of losing, the franchise enjoyed another remarkable stretch from 1925-1933, including two World Series titles, three AL pennants and four second place finishes.

Sadly, the Mack club would never again rise to prominence after 1933, and would only post two seasons with winning records (1949-50) before the club was sold to Arnold Johnson in 1954 and he moved it to Kansas City.

The team’s shift from Philadelphia is long forgotten for most of today’s baseball fans, and predated the Dodgers and Giants shift from New York to the West Coast by three years. There have been no songs, books or poetry written to mourn the loss of the Philadelphia A’s, so we won’t attempt to do so here. However, despite all of the years that they occupied the second division of the AL, Connie Mack’s White Elephants also fielded some of the best nines ever to play the game.

Despite efforts to keep the club in the City of Brother Love, the Mack heirs finally sold the club to Arnold Johnson who would move the A’s to Kansas City to serve as a glorified farm team to the New York Yankees. It would be an insurance salesman named Charlie O’ Finley who would move the franchise to Oakland, change the A’s forever.

As defacto GM, O’Finley would build baseball’s last “real” dynasty. He would also open the door to a baseball future that would drive him from the game.  Finley finally got out in August of 1980, selling the club to Walter J. Haas, who controlled the Levi-Strauss empire. The club had finished 54-108 in 1979, so Finley had hired Billy Martin to run the whole operation. At first, the move was genius. Martin, the Oakland native, was 83-79 in his initial season, and followed it up by winning a share of the division title in the strike-shortened 1981 season. But the winning came with a price, because as the returning hero, Martin filled his front office and scouting department with cronies rather then the best people he could find. The result was chaos, and the new ownership group started giving more and more responsibility to young executive Sandy Alderson, a Dartmouth grad and ex-Marine.

When the bubble burst after a 68-94 season in 1982, Alderson would take over in 1983. It had been a three-year roller-coaster ride with Martin, who was also the club’s GM for the 1981 and 1982 seasons, but there was more to come.

Alderson would preside over four straight losing seasons while he rebuilt the A’s, finish at exactly .500 in 1987, and would win three pennants and one World Series during 1988-1990. Five losing seasons would follow before he gave way to his young assistant, who would become of the most talked about GMs in baseball history.

Billy Beane’s “Moneyball” fame has led to a change in the game of baseball we see being played today, surely, but for all of the praise, Hollywood treatment and near-Messiah status among the new baseball intelligencia, the pennants and World Series titles are non-existent. The franchise may eventually move to San Jose, a move that many feel would create the kind of revenue streams that would allow Beane to finally build a winner. But until that happens, to mention Beane in the same sentence as Connie Mack, Charlie Finley – or even Sandy Alderson – isn’t remotely fair.

And now, here are the All-Time Athletics:

Franchise Player – Rickey Henderson

“The only thing I wish I could figure out is how I got misunderstood regarding the type of person I really am and what I accomplished … Just because I believed in what I was doing on the field and dedicated myself to playing the game, does that mean I’m cocky? Does that mean I’m arrogant? People who played against me called me cocky, but my teammates didn’t.  I brought attention, fear.” — Rickey Henderson, Baseball Digest (Feb. 2003)

Let’s put a couple of things in perspective in regards to Rickey Henderson. Yes, he could be churlish and indifferent, a showboat whose “snatch catches” drove managers and teammates insane. But he was the best leadoff hitter in baseball history and a lethal weapon for nearly every one of the 3081 career games he played in. He was the last of Finley’s great players, signed as a high schooler from the Oakland streets, and made his debut in 1979. From 1979-1984, he stole over 100 bases three times, scored more than 100 runs four times, and did not have a an OBP lower than .398 in any of those seasons, save for his rookie year. He would return after a stint for the Yankees, where would score almost 300 runs in his first two seasons there, and arrived back in Oakland in time to help them win the 1989 World Series against the Giants. Of his 25 seasons, Henderson would play 14 of them in an Oakland uniform. He is the franchise leader in walks, runs scored and stolen bases. Only Bert Campaneris has more hits and games played in team history.

1B – Jimmy Foxx

Like Henderson, economics caused the exile of this homegrown HOFer to Boston in 1934, but before he left, “Double-X” proved he was the best first sacker in A’s history. He played 11 years for the Philadelphia A’s, in a town where the Phillies were an afterthought. From 1925-27, he would have three unremarkable cups of coffee with the big club, if you consider getting big-league at-bats at the ages of 17, 18, 19 unremarkable. As a 20-year old in 1928, he hit .328 with 13 Home runs and 79 RBIs with a .416 OBP in a little over 400 at-bats. The next year, he would hit at least 30 homers, drive in at least 130 runs and hit over .300 every year except 1931. Some of the seasons contained within that stretch are some of the most incredible years ever put together by a single player.

2B – Eddie Collins

As a GM, Eddie Collins helped delay the breaking of baseball’s color barrier in Boston. As a player with the 1919 “Black Sox”, he is best-known among today’s fans as they player who “ratted” out the eight men who would ultimately be banned for life by Judge Landis. But in 13 years as an Athletic, Collins would hit .337 with a .423 OBP. Though he made more than his fair share of errors, he also posted impressive fielding numbers during his career, and is considered more than just a passbale defensive player. Comparatively, when the Oakland A’s website decided to put together it’s All-Time “Oakland A’s” team, the best 2B they could come up with was Mark Ellis, who hit .265 with a .331 OBP in his A’s career.

3B – Sal Bando

Carney Lansford (10 seasons, .288/.343/.404 with 201 HRs and 548 RBIs) is a popular pick among many contemporary A’s fans, and if we cared about being contemporary, we might have picked him over Bando. But Bando (.259/.359/.418 with 212 HRs and 796 RBIs) was the captain of the team that won three straight World Series. Arguably, As far as the postseason goes, Bando’s numbers are remarkably similar to his career numbers, as are Lansford’s, with the former hitting more postseason home runs and the latter hiting for a higher average. Still, while Lansford was a very good player, and often underestimated, there are no ties in baseball, our pick is Bando.

SS- Bert Campenaris

“Dagoberto” is the all-time franchise leader in games played and hits. Bruce Markusen writes an excellent quick bio here. In an era where we judge players by their size and/or by the numbers that they post, “Campy” might not even get a chance to play at the minor league level, least of all the bigs. Traditional scouts would probably look at the 150-160 pound frame he carried throught his career as far too frail, but he stole a lot of bases, and scored a lot of runs and played on three straight World Series winners. Miguel Tejada will get some votes here as well, but like Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire, Tejada’s Oakland career — while worth discussing — can’t truly be considered as “All-Time” player until evidence of PEDs can be truly measured. Outside of Tejada, Mike Bordick had some decent years in Oakland, and Chick Galloway did as well in Philadelphia from 1919-1927, but we’ll take Bert.

C- Mickey Cochrane

When people talk about the best catchers of all time, Yogi Berra, Roy Campenella and Johnny Bench are often the most mentioned, and rightfully so. All three are Hall of Famers, World Series champions and won multiple MVPs. Mickey Cochrane is as well known for being the player that Mutt Mantle named his son for as he is for winning the AL MVP in 1934 for Detroit in 1934. Yet when you look at his nine seasons in Philadelphia, wjere he hit .321/.412/.490 with an OPS of .902, he has to be in the conversation.  Terry Steinbach, despite a few good offensive years in Oakland, is just not the player Cochrane was.

LF- See Henderson, Rickey

CF- Dwayne Murphy

Unlike many of our picks here, Murphy did not play for a winner. His lone appearance in the postseason was 1981, and he subsequently played for losing teams thereafter. For his A’s career, spanning 10 seasons, he hit .247 with 153 homers, 563 RBIs and played a very good defensive CF as well. In 1984 he hit 33 homers with 88 RBI, his best season ever.

RF – Reggie Jackson

Most fans think of Reggie Jackson as “Mr. October” of the “Bronx is Burning” Yankees and his wars with Billy Martin. But Reggie was another of Charlie Finley’s HOFers who played nine seasons for the A’s before playing his five-year stints at New York and California. During those nine-years, he fought with hks teammates, won three World Series, including winning both the AL MVP and World Series MVP in 1973. That year, he hit .310 with six RBIs against the Mets, who should have selected him in the 1966 MLB draft, but according to rumors, declined to pick him because he was dating a white woman. Instead, Charlie Finley picked him, and a Hall of Fame career started. His A’s totals are 269 HRs and 776 RBIs over 10 seasons. His final season, fittingly, was played in Oakland, in which he still managed to hit 13 homers and 43 RBIs.

RHSP – Chief Bender

Tim Hudson has pitched longer for the Atlanta Braves now then he did for the Oakland A’s, and as much as we’d like to put him or Catfish Hunter into this spot, it’s hard to argue that anyone but Bender would be the top right-handed starter for any All-Time A’s club. His 38.1 WAR is higher than either Hudson or Hunter, and while Eddie Rommell and Rube Waddell’s WAR numbers are higher than Bender’s, he was a more valuable pitcher to the A’s during his career than Rommell. Waddell only pitched six years in an A’s uniform, and Bender — who was the right-handed complement to Eddie Plank — ranks only behind Plank and Lefty Grove in all-timer wins by an A’s pitcher.

LHSP – Lefty Grove

This is perhaps the hardest decision on the list; Eddie Plank or Lefty Grove? Plank is the franchise leader in WAR, post a 63.9 mark over 3860.2 innings and posting a 284-162 record with a 2.39 ERA. Grove (195-79, 2.88 ERA) is second all-time in WAR among A’s starters, a 59.6 mark over 2401 IP. Each won a pair of World Series with the A’s, and each was sent packing by Connie Mack once their prices went up. Ultimately, the decison comes down to this; Grove, in our opinion, was more dominant during his career. He didn’t pitch as long, but had better individual seasons against his peers than Plank.

Closer – Dennis Eckersley

“Eck”  is in the Hall of Fame because he revolutionized the closer position, aided and abetted of course by Tony La Russa and Dave Duncan. His ridiculous numbers are evidence alone. In 1989 he threw 57.7 innings, struck out 55, walked only 3.  The next year, he posts a 0.60 ERA over 73.3 innings, 72 strikeouts ant issues just 4 walks.  Sure, Rollie Fingers pitched more innings in his A’s career, and won three World Series with the “Swingin’ A’s” and gets major points for that, but Eck was more than just dominant, he was virtually unhittable for a few years.

Manager – Connie Mack

For of his faults, and he had many, Mack simply was better at his job than any other A’s manager. He beat Yankees teams that had Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, and he beat Red Sox teams that had dominated the AL for years. Had he been a tad more visionary, could have begun another dynasty that would have saved AL baseball in Philadelphia, but that reality doen’t obscure his accomplishments. Dick Williams was incredible, but couldn’t work for Finley. Perhaps if he had stayed, maybe the A’s win four straight titles instead of three. As impressive as La Russa’s run as A’s manager was, his teams should have won more. Losing to the 1988 Dodgers and the 1990 Reds while boasting the array of talent he had at his disposal hurts his case.

The Brew Crew’s biggest masher has averaged 40 home runs and 113 RBI over the past five seasons and has a .929 career OPS. In the final season of his contract, which paid him $15.5MM last year, Fielder hit 38 taters, drove in 120 runs, and scored 95 more  as the Brewers captured their first division title since the 1980′s. Milwaukee would love to have him back, especially with the black eye it’s currently sporting courtesy of Ryan Braun, but their not likely to retain their former first round draft pick (2002) unless he gives them a hometown discount. So far, there’s been no hint of that from Fielder or his agent Scott Boras, who most definitely does not believe in discounts.

SI’s Jon Heyman reported back in mid-November that Fielder was seeking a deal in the neighborhood of eight years and $200MM. Thus far, he has found no takers. For no particular rhyme or reason, it’s been repeatedly reported that the Seattle Mariners are the front-runners for Fielder’s services. Rumors are that he prefers the east coast, but money said, why would Fielder want to bat in a pitcher’s ballpark like Safeco Field?

The Brewers’ divisional rivals, the Chicago Cubs, were early favorites to sign Fielder, but the Cubs reportedly are not interested in spending the type of dollars it would take to put Fielder in Wrigley Field. ESPN’s Buster Olney expects the Washington Nationals to make a big play for Fielder, but thus far the team has maintained that Adam LaRoche will be their 1st baseman in 2012.

The Baltimore Orioles always have an interest in any free agent, but have shied away from the big money free agents in recent years. The Florida Marlins certainly have the desire to spend big bucks as they have already proven this off-season, but FoxSports’ Ken Rosenthal reported the Fish aren’t interested in Fielder. Rumor has it that the Marlins are expected to go hard after Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes, who would be a draw to the large Cuban population in Miami.

So where does the “Prince of Home Runs” end up? My money is still on the Texas Rangers, even if they are able to sign Yu Darvish. Texas has the money and the desire, and believes you can never have enough offense.

Other than the unknown commodity that is Cespedes, the most intriguing player still available (after Fielder), is LA Dodgers’ pitcher Hiroki Kuroda. The soon-to-be 37 year old right-hander was 13-16 last season despite a 3.05 ERA. The AL East’s big spenders, Boston and New York, are said to be in hot pursuit, though ESPN New York’s Wallace Matthews believes the Yankees interest is merely to drive up Kuroda’s asking price. The strategy was successful last off-season when Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman feigned interest in free agent outfielder Carl Crawford.

Then there is the case of veteran Roy Oswalt. When the Philadelphia Phillies acquired Oswalt during the 2010 season and then added Cliff Lee to a rotation that already boasted Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, most observers though a World Series title in Philadelphia was a done deal. But not so fast; Oswalt threw just 139 mediocre innings in 2011, which included the second lowest strikeout to walk ratio in his 11 year career. Oswalt is seeking just a one year deal, and that is what is making him so attractive to prospective buyers, who hope he can do a suitable job as a fourth or fifth starter.

Then there are players whose best days are behind them, but could still add some value to a team. Raul Ibanez, Hideki Matsui, Carlos Pena, and Cody Ross are among those still looking for work.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes. ]]> http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/27/prince-of-the-home-runs/feed/ 0 http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/20/yu-cant-be-serious/ http://www.baseballdigest.com/2011/12/20/yu-cant-be-serious/#comments Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:12:58 +0000 Drew Sarver http://www.baseballdigest.com/?p=10987 It was announced Monday that the Texas Rangers had won the posting bid on Japanese free agent pitcher Yu Darvish. The winning bid was an astonishing $51.7MM dollars, the highest posting bid in MLB history ($.6MM more than the Boston Red Sox bid on Daisuke Matsuzaka prior to the 2007 season), just for the rights to negotiate a contract with the Hikkaido Nippon-Ham Fighting star.  If no deal is struck, the Rangers will owe no money for the posting fee. However if the two sides come to an agreement, the Rangers stand to invest somewhere in the neighborhood of a $100MM for the 25-yr old.

The Rangers’ bid is a desperation move for a team that won two straight American League pennants, but failed to capture their first World Championship. They lost Cliff Lee, one of the top five pitchers in all of baseball, to free agency after the 2010 season, and this year lost one of the top free agent prizes in fellow left-hander C.J. Wilson. The Rangers signed closer Joe Nathan earlier this month and plan to move current closer Neftali Feliz into the starting rotation. Texas’ plans for Feliz are not expected to change if they ink Darvish to a deal.

Texas’ bid also shows that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Baseball fans constantly hear owners bemoaning the fact that they are losing money, that there are haves and have-nots, that the Yankees are spending like crazy, and teams need to tighten their purse strings.  While the true small market teams (Pittsburgh, KC) tend not to spend money earned from the luxury tax, there are plenty of other teams, not just the Yankees, who are more than willing to open their checkbooks.

With bad feelings still lingering from the 1994 player’s strike, Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf infuriated most of his fellow owners when he signed then free agent Albert Belle to a five year, $55MM deal in November, 1996. At the time, the contract was the first to average more than $10MM per season.

Things have escalated since then; Alex Rodriguez signed not one, but two outrageous contracts in excess of $250MM. The first was with the Texas Rangers in December, 2000, and then A-Rod topped that with a new deal with the New York Yankees seven years later. Since 2000, more than 30 contracts have been signed in excess of $100MM in total. Boston used to consider itself a small market team, but it can no longer say that after the franchise doled out $142MM to free agent Carl Crawford last off-season and gave trade acquisition Adrian Gonzalez a $154MM extension.  One year earlier they shelled out $82.5MM for John Lackey, whose best days were behind him.

Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria cried poverty, but got a new stadium and suddenly had the cash to pay out over $191MM this off-season for free agents Heath Bell, Jose Reyes, and Mark Buehrle. Angels owner Arte Moreno did not land Crawford in 2010 as many expected him to, but perhaps he was waiting to reel in the biggest catch this off-season. Albert Pujols pulled in the second richest contract – $254MM - in baseball history when he signed with the Angels earlier this month. He was joined by Wilson, who bolted the Rangers for a five year deal in excess of $77MM.

There is still one more large payout to be handed out this winter, to free agent 1st baseman Prince Fielder. The Rangers are among those expected to court the Milwaukee Brewers’ standout. A team that was on the verge of bankruptcy a short time ago could very well join the nearly dozen teams with a $100MM or greater payroll. And as the salaries go up, so do the tickets, hot dogs, parking, and beer.

Considering that Matt Kemp, Matt Cain, Zack Greinke, James Loney, Howie Kendrick, Josh Hamilton, and Andre Ethier are among next year’s potential free agents, the “spend trend” will certainly continue.

Update – As a reader astutely pointed out, Matt Kemp recently signed a new mega deal. One must be careful when mixing cold medicine and writing.

Drew Sarver is a senior writer  for BaseballDigest.com.  You can also read his work at his blog, My Pinstripes. He can be contacted at mypinstripes@gmail.com and can be followed on Twitter at @BD_Sarver and @MyPinstripes.

Consistency – Like their game on the field, this was of the highest importance. Consistent, fairly frequent content…

Content – Sharing updates and engaging with followers is what baseball fans are looking for from their team’s rising stars.

Humor – All the guys chosen get high marks in that area.

Finally, Personable – Sounds silly, but I see plenty of guys completely ignore compliments, recommendations, and questions. That’s not good Twitter etiquette.

These ten players utilize the social media tool to reach baseball fans, relating their unique experiences, and making even more of a name for themselves off the baseball field.

I also decided to include independent baseball players, despite not being affiliated with the major leagues, indy league has become more important to major league teams. And certainly more popular. And had I not allowed them, I would’ve had to omit the number one pick. And that would’ve been impossible.

1. Michael Schlact @michael_schlact Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (Atlantic League)

2. Ryan Westmoreland @RWesty25 Boston Red Sox

3. Deck McGuire @deckmcguire Toronto Blue Jays

4. Jiwan James @jiwan23 Philadelphia Phillies

5. Justin Jackson @JaxChillinONE Toronto Blue Jays

6. Richard Giannotti @JustMeGee Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

7. Brandon Douglas @BrandonDouglas5 Detroit Tigers

8. Ian Kadish @BearJew36 Toronto Blue Jays

9. Zack Wheeler @WheelerPro45 New York Mets

10. Kevin Rath @KRath702 Chicago White Sox

Twitter has been a source of controversy and debate in connection with athletes, but those ten players have successfully reached baseball fans on social media. It’s an interesting concept. Athletes, particularly young ones, are hotly protected by their teams and agents. But there’s a way to be themselves and socialize, as well as increasing their visibility, without embarrassing themselves or those invested in them.

In the future, more minor league players will surely join with the hope of creating a following before they’ve made it to the majors. They can look to these ten to know exactly how it’s done and the value of the experience.

All players were listed with team they were with in 2011. Free agency wasn’t taken into account.

With the departure of Pujols, Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds, Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers (currently a free agent) and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies are clearly the cream of the crop among NL first basemen; however, Fielder is a free agent and could possibly leave the NL and Howard is currently out with an achilles tendon injury.  Nevertheless, there are promising first basemen in the NL for 2012.  Here are some first basemen to keep an eye on:

Michael Morse

Morse is a classic example of a late bloomer.  Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2000, Morse made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners in 2005.  Morse appeared in 98 games in the 2010 season with the Washington Nationals before finally winning a full-time starting job in 2011.

At the age of 29 in 2011, Morse hit .303 with 31 home runs and 95 RBIs.  He reached on base at a .360 clip while slugging .550 with a .910 OPS.  Although his 126 strikeouts and 36 walks may be a cause for concern to fantasy managers, his overall body of work in the 2011 season was impressive and cannot be ignored.  Morse is at an age where he may be in his athletic prime; therefore, the chances of him staying healthy and improving are too tempting not to pursue.

Lance Berkman

Berkman’s fantasy relevance experienced a revival in the 2011 season.  Over the past few seasons, the concern with Berkman has been his health.  When healthy, Berkman is still a productive fantasy hitter; however, he had not played in 140-plus games since 2008.

Despite playing mostly in the outfield in 2011, Berkman appeared in 145 games and hit .301 with 31 home runs and 94 RBIs.  This was Berkman’s first season of 30 or more home runs since 2007.  Berkman also reached on base at a .412 clip while posting a .959 OPS.  The results of Berkman’s marvelous season led to him finishing seventh in the NL MVP vote.

With the departure of Pujols, Berkman should be the Cardinals’ full-time first basemen in 2012.  While playing first base rather than the outfield should conceivably help Berkman stay healthier, nothing is guaranteed.  Health permitting, Berkman should have another great season for the Cardinals.  As was the case the past few years, the potential for injury is the only thing that possibly deflates Berkman’s fantasy value.  If you draft Berkman in 2012, be sure to have a backup plan.

Freddie Freeman

At the young age of 21, Freeman had an excellent 2011 season with the Atlanta Braves.  Freeman hit .282 with 21 home runs and 76 RBIs while also hitting 32 doubles.  Freeman hit .274 in his first 88 games and .292 in his last 69 games of the 2011 season.

In addition to more experience in 2012, Freeman’s numbers can also improve if teammates Dan Uggla and Jason Heyward return to form.  Heyward hit only .227 while struggling with injuries in the 2011 season.  Uggla hit .233 in 2011, but struggled with a .185 AVG at the All-Star break.  Uggla and Heyward can have a positive effect on Freeman’s numbers in 2012 and will play important roles in helping the Braves contend with the Phillies in the NL East.

Ike Davis

Although there is the possibility that the New York Mets may trade Davis, he is still a Met and still in the NL at this time.  Davis appeared in only 36 games in 2011, but he hit .302 with seven home runs and 25 RBIs.  If that pace were to be maintained over 162 games, it would amount to 31 home runs and 112 RBIs.

Granted, the 36-game sample size is too small to evaluate a player’s season; however, those who have seen Davis play know the quality of his talent.  I believe it would be very foolish of the Mets to trade Davis (unless they receive an offer they cannot refuse), and I believe Davis has the tools to be one of the best first basemen in baseball and in fantasy baseball.

Jim Thome

Berkman revived his fantasy relevance in 2011 with the Cardinals; Thome may have that same opportunity with the Phillies in 2012.  Despite receiving limited playing time in the past few seasons, Thome hit 23 home runs (362 at-bats) in 2009, 25 home runs (276 at-bats) in 2010 and 15 home runs (277 at-bats) in 2011.

In the 2008 season, Thome hit 34 home runs in 149 games (503 at-bats) with the Chicago White Sox.  Health permitting, it may be reasonable to project anywhere from 20 to 30 home runs for Thome in 2012.  There are several factors that work against Thome’s fantasy relevance in 2012, however.  First of all, Thome is in the twilight of his career and health is always a concern with an older player.  Secondly, how much playing time Thome receives is pure speculation at this point.

I believe Thome will see significant playing time because the Phillies signed him before they acquired Ty Wigginton.  I believe the Phillies acquired Thome first because they have plans to use him in the lineup.  Much of Thome’s fantasy value in 2012 will rest on the achilles tendon of Ryan Howard.  If Howard makes a healthy recovery and regains the starting job, Thome’s fantasy value will be shot.  If Howard suffers setbacks at all in his recovery, Thome could have a Berkman-like revival in 2012.

You should not gamble on Thome being your first base savior for your fantasy teams in 2012; however, drafting him late may be an opportunistic cheap source of home runs for your team.

Anthony Rizzo

It is not often you see praise written for a hitter who hit below the Mendoza line in 40-plus games of experience; however, Rizzo is a very promising hitter.  San Diego Padres fans who remember the sting of losing Adrian Gonzalez to free agency will feel much better if Rizzo plays to his potential.

In 2011 with the Tucson Padres (AAA) of the Pacific Coast League, Rizzo hit .331 with 26 home runs and 101 RBIs.  Rizzo reached base at a .404 clip while slugging .652 with a 1.056 OPS.  Although his MLB numbers were unimpressive in 2011, Rizzo hit the ball hard and just had the misfortune of hitting the ball to defensive players too frequently.  With some more experience in 2012 and a larger sample size of games, Rizzo should conceivably improve his numbers dramatically and play an important role in the Padres’ lineup.

Brandon Belt

Belt is a promising young first baseman who should see plenty of playing time with the San Francisco Giants.  In 2011, Belt and Aubrey Huff shared time at first base and in the outfield.  Whether playing at first base or in the outfield, Belt should see playing time in 2012; furthermore, Belt should have first base eligibility in your 2012 fantasy leagues (he played 26 games at first base in 2011).

Belt has already shown flashes of his potential at the MLB level; he merely needs more experience and consistency.  In 31 losses last season, Belt struggled with a .128 AVG, one home run and four RBIs; in 32 wins, Belt hit .323 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs.  If Belt can maintain some semblance of consistency in 2012, a .280 AVG and 20-plus home runs may be reasonable.

In addition to the six first basemen discussed here, there are others in the NL worth keeping an eye on.  The six discussed here are those who may have the best value for their average draft position (ADP) in 2012 if their stars are aligned (metaphorically speaking).  Pujols signing with the Angels should have no effect on how you view the talent pool at first base in mixed leagues or NL-only leagues.

Those of you in NL-only leagues should not hit the panic button and realize that there is plenty of promise at first base outside of Votto, Fielder and Howard.  Address as many needs as you can in your fantasy drafts and pay attention to news updates on first basemen.

Last, but not least:  on behalf of all of us at Baseball Digest, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

Christopher Wenrich is a senior fantasy baseball contributor for BaseballDigest.com and can be reached atphilliesmuse@yahoo.com.  You can follow him on Twitter @DuggerSports.

With this week’s acquisition of Mat Latos from the San Diego Padres, Jocketty was able to add a top of the rotation starter in exchange for a package built around prospects Yonder Alonso and Yasmani Grandal and disappointing starter Edinson Volquez.

Latos, who went 9-14 with a 3.47 ERA for the Padres last season, is a shining example of a pitcher whose won-loss record reflects little on how well he pitched a year ago. According to Dave Camewron at Fangraphs.com, not only did Latos have an impressive 2011, but for the last two seasons “has been one of the better pitchers in baseball.”

There aren’t that many pitchers in the sport who can miss bats with the frequency that Latos has established while also pounding the strike zone with regularity. Guys who can live in the zone and still avoid contact are generally the best pitchers in the game. This is the one skillset you want in a pitcher more than any other.

According to the Associated Press, the talent given up to acquire Latos was significant:

Alonso, the seventh overall pick in 2008, didn’t have a place to play with Joey Votto a mainstay at first base. The Reds moved him to left field briefly last season, but he struggled defensively. The 24-year-old Alonso batted .330 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 47 games. Byrnes said he’ll be a leading contender for the starting job.

Volquez was coming off a disappointing season, going 5-7 with a 5.71 ERA. The Reds got him from Texas in the trade for Josh Hamilton in December 2007. Volquez went 17-6 with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, when both he and Hamilton made the All-Star teams. Volquez needed reconstructive elbow surgery the following year and has never gotten back into form.

Grandal, the 12th overall pick in 2010, batted .305 with 14 homers and 68 RBIs at Class A, Double-A and Triple-A last season, making a quick rise through the farm system. He was slotted behind catcher Devin Mesoraco, a first-round pick in 2007 who made it to the majors last season and played in 18 games.

Jocketty said Reds were willing to trade Alonso and Grandal because they were stuck behind other players at their positions.

The Reds also gave up right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger, who went 2-4 with 11 saves and a 2.03 ERA last season at Double-A and Triple-A. Jocketty said Boxberger was the final piece in finishing the deal.

“It was very tough giving him up,” Jocketty said. “We feel he was really starting to come into his own in the second half of the year. I don’t think we would have been able to make the deal if he wasn’t part of it.”

On paper, this appears to be a deal that will assist both teams. The Reds traded what Fangraph’s Cameron classified as “redundant prospects” a reclamation project and a RP with some upside for one of the most valuable commodities in all of baseball.

Padres GM Josh Byrnes has taken a huge gamble in trading away a top of the the rotation starter who is just 24 years old, but as San Diego appears to be in yet another rebuilding phase, spreading around depth makes more sense at the moment.

“It was a tough trade to make,” Byrnes told Dan Hayes of the North County Times, “but if you put it (with the trades of Adrian Gonzalez and Mike Adams) we have a huge chunk of talent we have put in the system the last couple of years, and ultimately I think that’s our best path to success.”

The Reds still need a closer, and how they acquire one will bear watching.

***

Not really sure what the Milwaukee Brewers are up to these days.

On one hand, there’s no way I’m giving $200 million bucks to Prince Fielder, especially when I have several holes to fill. On the other, giving $36 million to 33-year old Aramis Ramirez?

Ramirez is a very good offensive player, batting .306 with 26 home runs and 93 RBIs in 149 games for the Cubs last season. and is of the top five third baseman in the game. But’s 33, and might be an even worse defensive third baseman than Casey McGehee. The Brewers are also talking about making him their cleanup hitter, and with the possibility of Ryan Braun missing the first 50 games of the season to start 2012, makes this signing a very “all in” type of move. For a team that’s going to lose it’s marquee player, it seems a strange way to go.

***

Jennie Finch is best known for being one of the legends of women’s softball, and is also a tiress advocate for worthy charities like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  She recently sent all of us here at BD a holiday greeting.

Happy Holidays to you and yours as well, Jenny. For more info on Finch, her charity work and more, please visit JennieFinch.com

***

The Miami Marlins have an MVP-caliber shortstop in Hanley Ramirez. They liked him so much at short that they went out gave $106 million to Jose Reyes. The question I have is this; did the Marlins speak to Ramirez before going after Reyes? If they didn’t, that’s pretty foolish. If they did, then Ramirez is being pretty selfish.

As for Reyes?

“As soon as I have the opportunity, I’m going to talk to (Ramirez), because we are very good friends,” Reyes said. “We’re both here for one reason — to win the World Series. It doesn’t matter where I’m going to play or where he’s going to play.” – AP

Reyes is ok with playing third base? Or second? As for the former, Alex Rodriguez, a superior talent in every way to Derek Jeter, moved to third rather than displace the incumbent Jeter in 2004. As for the latter, moving to second to accommodate Kaz Matsui didn’t exactly work out too well for Reyes. Some people are saying that Reyes should call Hanley and “work things out.”

Greg Stoda, who covers the Marlins for the Palm Beach Post, says that it “absolutely should be up to Reyes, a Marlins free-agent newcomer displacing Ramirez at shortstop, to make the initial contact.”

It’d be a gesture of goodwill, if nothing else. The club certainly shouldn’t have to back-channel things.
It’s understandable if Ramirez, who’ll switch to third base, doesn’t want to make the first move even though it would demonstrate a heretofore lacking leadership quality should he simply reach out to Reyes and welcome him to the team.

Reyes, however, by now should have made the effort to speak to Ramirez, which he hadn’t done as of Friday morning.

I couldn’t disagree more. As the “team leader”, Ramirez should be calling Reyes to welcome him to the team, and quelling any media speculation that he isn’t happy with the acquisition of Reyes, who is a far superior defensive player. His silence is deafening, and another churlish example of how selfish Ramirez has been his entire career.

As for Reyes, c’mon Jose. You haven’t had the “opportunity” to call your “very good friend” for a week or more? You’re not doing yourself any favors with those kinds of quotes.