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.

After finishing the 1984 season second only to the Chicago Cubs in the NL East, the Mets front office felt that a veteran catcher who could hit as well as he performed behind the plate was in order. That’s where Carter stepped in. Frank Cashen, the general manager of the Mets at the time, was convinced that Carter would be the missing piece for a franchise anxious to return to the glory days of the late nineteen-sixties and early seventies. In Cashen’s mind, acquiring an All-Star catcher with a million-dollar smile would be the solution that would knock some of the rust off his team caused by a near-decade of irrelevance.

In Carter’s first game as a Met, on April 9, 1985, he hit a tenth inning walk-off home run on Opening Day against, none other than, Neil Allen. Maybe Cashen and the Mets were on to something, I thought. Frankly, as a young Mets fan, I probably didn’t even realize the ramifications of what Carter had just accomplished. At nine, the only thing I’d check the newspaper for was the box score not what had actually gone on during the game. Understanding the dramatics of baseball had not quite sunken in for me yet. Really, I passed out during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. Don’t worry I was lucky enough to wake up in time to see the ball go through Bill Buckner’s legs.

Oh, those were the days when Carter’s bushy red-orange locks would be bouncing up-and-down as he rumbled into second base standing up, clapping his hands after smacking an RBI double. “Great days, indeed,” if you don’t mind me stealing a line from John Lennon. And I was just a bright-eyed little kid back then in Queens, NY, who was proud to call the Mets, his team to beat. I thought these guys would live forever. Carter as well as other players during that amazing World Series run of 1986 will always be immortalized in the minds of Mets fans. There’s no denying that. Carter was definitely an integral part if not the catalyst for the team’s success that year. However, believing that now pains me to read of the unfortunate turn that Carter’s health has taken of late. Being such a well-liked player in his day, then as a coach, it does not seem fair.

I’ve been reading Kimmy Carter’s blog, Gary’s daughter. The situation has gone from bad to worse. I’m hoping for the best for him. But however her father comes out of this, as Mets fans, we will always remember those fond memories of the mid-eighties. How her father’s enthusiasm and passion not only led his team into baseball’s record books but ignited a city in the process. There has been a lot of debate among Mets fans on whether the Mets organization should retire Carter’s uniform number eight. If they do decide to go for it, they’d better get cracking. I believe they should. It’s the least they could do to appease what has become a very disgusted fan base. I think it may bring Mets fans together in a positive light.

Here’s to you Gary, the Expos’ greatest Met. Wish you well and hope you get better soon.

AC – Mets Public Record

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

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

RHP’s Brad Peacock and A.J. Cole, catcher Derek Norris, and LHP Tom Milone – all top ten ranked in the Nationals system – were traded to Oakland in exchange for starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez.

Most of the focus has been on the considerable loss of Milone and Peacock. Cole has the least amount of minor league service time, and is still extremely young and unproven at 19. But he was a top five prospect in the Nationals system, spending 2011 in Class-A Hagerstown, and finishing with a 4.04 ERA. His journey has just begun and with Oakland, but the fallout can still be felt in Washington. Nationals fans have a heck of a lot to look forward to, with Bryce Harper on the horizon and Stephen Strasburg still waiting to achieve his full potential.

The Nationals get points for fearlessly pursuing the future, by trading guys thought to be a certain part of that future.

Note: The Nationals also received righty pitching prospect Robert Gilliam.

Five Questions With…

Phillies Brian Gump

Brian Gump spent 2011 with the Clearwater Threshers, his second stint with the Phillies Class-A affiliate. The outfielder finished the season hitting .286 in a career high 86 games.

He’s in the spotlight in the first installment of ‘Five Questions With…’

1. This will be your **third year at the pro level. What is your focus, what would you like to improve going into spring training?

I’m always trying to improve on my game across the board, inch by inch. This off season though, I was really focused on gaining strength as opposed to just being in really good shape. On top of that, getting more consistent with a few things in the hitting department that Mizerock and Hendu worked with me on last year. Mainly, finishing lower to stay through the ball/zone longer (which I would go in and out of and saw great results when I was consistent with it which is very promising) and working on shifting my approach to less of an opposite field approach first and more of a go ahead and be aggressive and pull the ball first mindset.

2. You had a strong 2011 at Clearwater. Did you make any adjustments or changes in your approach?

Although not being an everyday player is presents its own set of challenges and difficulties, in my mind that’s a generous assessment of my 2011 season if you’re looking strictly at batting statistics. With that being said, last season I feel like I matured the most as a ball player and as a man than I have in a while. **It was my first real full season because my initial full season I missed a chunk when I broke my arm. I learned a lot both physically and even more so mentally about the day in and day out approach you need to bring to the field and the importance of controlling your thoughts in game and off the field. Your mind can be your best weapon or your worst enemy, especially for a 4th outfielder type like I was last year where your last at bat can simmer in your head for a few days before you get another one. I did a good job at times and other times I admittedly did not do a good job of filtering my thoughts and using it for my benefit. Baseball is a game of failure so controlling your thoughts and attitude in the face of failure is paramount to a professional baseball players success.

Physically, I worked on pulling the ball a bit more (and still am) and felt I was much better about identifying and laying off changeups and other off speed pitches. I was also able to start to pick up on what the battery was trying to do each game to our offense as a whole and to myself personally.

3. Best advice you’ve gotten from someone within the Phillies organization?

That’s a tough one to isolate. As players in the Phillies system, we are pretty damn lucky to have so many high quality instructors around us on a daily basis helping us develop as ball players and men. I’ve received countless bits of wisdom and advice across the board so its tough to really pick one out. I guess the first thing that flashed in my head when I read the question though was from [Chase] Utley. Its strange how sometimes the smallest things resonate in your head. He told us in my first spring when he was talking to the hitters, “you hit a great off speed pitch by hitting the fastball that’s thrown before it”. There is nothing more true in baseball than that.

4. A little fun. What is your favorite baseball movie character and why?

Ah man, its got to be between Crash Davis and Nuke LaLoosh. I love Bull Durham. Both of those characters are classic.

5. And, finally, what’s your favorite winter sport? A team you root for?

Football and then Basketball. I grew up a 49ers fan so this has been a really exciting season for me to see them finally getting back to being an elite team. Basketball wise, again, born and raised a Lakers fan. This year is going to be an interesting one for them after the CP3 fiasco. I’m really bummed to see Odom go like he did, but my man Kobe always has some tricks up his sleeves, and by sleeves I mean legs, even if those legs ARE starting to get older.

METS GCL TEAM FOLDS

The 23-year old Gulf Coast Mets have closed their clubhouse doors after the big club decided to not continue fielding a team in that league. While the move might seem small, there’s no mistaking that the decision is part of the bigger plan. The Mets need to cut costs in order to build a better club and this is a small step in that direction.

The bigger picture also includes an improved farm system, something the Mets are putting their efforts into. Shutting down one of their affiliates might seem counter-productive, but the focus shouldn’t be in question. Guys such as Zack Wheeler,  Matt Harvey, and Jeurys Familia – all RHP’s- are close to major league ready. There’s young pitching at the higher levels waiting to be plucked for a big league debut, and their development, though not without bumps, has gone very well. Wilmer Flores and Reese Havens are still question marks. And the Mets don’t have a young catcher in the wings. But the system is in overhaul.  Cutting the team could prove helpful in reorganizing a slowly improving system. Even more important is a front office that might be willing to spend more in the June Draft.

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.

Diana Munson, Thurman’s widow, will attend her 32nd straight benefit, having been involved since its inception, raising nearly $10 million to assist children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Thurman Munson Awards are presented for success on the fields of play and philanthropic works off the field

The AHRC New York City Foundation is 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.  AHRC New York City is one of the largest organizations of its kind, serving 11,000 children and adults who have intellectual and developmental disabilities, including autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.

photo courtesy Yogi Berra Museum

The  list of notable athletes to previously receive the Munson Award reads like a sports “Who’s Who,” and includes: Yankees – Yogi Berra, Don Mattingly, Mariano Rivera, Willie Randolph, Alex Rodriguez, Jorge Posada, Robbie Cano, Bernie Williams, Bobby Murcer, Joe Torre, Joe Girardi and Nick Swisher; Mets – Tom Seaver, John Franco, Darryl Strawberry, Mike Piazza, Ron Darling, David Wright, Carlos Beltran,  Keith Hernandez, Rusty Staub and Gary Carter;  Basketball – Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Dave DeBusschere,  Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, “Dr. J”  Julius Erving, Sen. Bill Bradley, Mark Jackson, Charles Oakley, Allan Houston and John Starks.

The Legend Award has been presented periodically and its previous recipients have included: Ralph Branca and Bobby Thomson (2001) in celebration of the 50th anniversary of “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”; former Mets ace relief pitcher and native New Yorker John Franco (2004) in recognition of his community service in his hometown; and former Yankee and Thurman teammate Lou Piniella (2010) upon the 30th Anniversary of the Munson Dinner.

“New York baseball is feeling a swirl of emotions as Jose Reyes heads south this winter,  We’re giving Mets fans a chance to drown their sorrows — or celebrate — and bid adios to Jose, one of the best and most popular Mets players ever,” said Shaun Clancy, owner of Foley’s, which features 2,500 autographed balls, bats and other baseball memorabilia.  “By doing this, we can have a little fun and donate to clothing drives for people who are less fortunate.”

Our featured bloggers that provided us with the in depth Report Card series that has just concluded are back to give everyone an in depth look at what the off season holds for the major league teams they cover.  A look at what each team needs, what each team has already gained and lost, and some of the youth in each team’s system will be examined in these articles.  You can find all of the author’s information at the bottom of the article.

As a Mets fan, if you had to guess what my worst fear this off-season is, you’d probably say, the possibility of losing Jose Reyes to free agency, without a doubt. But you’d be wrong – it’s not. My biggest fear would be to come to find out that Reyes wasn’t even given a fair offer due to financial instability of the Mets owners. It’s no secret that the NY Mets are hard-up for cash. After failing to sell a large stake of their ballclub this past season, the Mets principal owners, the Wilpons, have opted to sell off their most-coveted asset, piece by piece. If that approach somehow manages to be successful, there may still be some hope for Mets fans that the organization could generate enough capital to keep their home-grown superstar from fleeing elsewhere.

Realistically though, with a projected payroll for this upcoming season significantly reduced from last year’s and a general manager like Sandy Alderson who believes that a fertile farm system wins championships, common sense would tell you that Reyes is on his way out. Under that scenario, the Mets roster could likely resemble a much slower, cheaper, and not so stronger squad heading into 2012. Now I know what you’re thinking, it can’t all be that bad. There are still plenty of high expectations even if the All-Star shortstop is nowhere to be found in the Mets clubhouse come Opening Day.

For a second, why not put the up-to-the-minute Reyes coverage on hold and take a deep breath? Savor the possibility of a full season with Ruben Tejada at shortstop and Ike Davis at first. Add in David Wright, if he doesn’t get traded, at third base, and you may have something there. Sprinkle in a little Lucas Duda in right to complement veterans JasonBayand Angel Pagan in left and center and things don’t seem half bad. Almost looking up, you could say? Plus, if the front office decides to move either Bay or Pagan next year, they do have options in their farm system to plug that hole. Kirk Nieuwenhuis (pronounced New-en-hoos), a 24-year-old center fielder who has made a steady climb in the Mets farm system since he was drafted in 2008, has shown a propensity to get on base in addition to extra-base power. Although, like most young hitters, he’s had more then his fair share of swings and misses.

Of course, there is a catch. The Mets need pitching and the word on the street is that with Johan Santana’s status still up-in-the-air, the current starting staff is nothing more than a bunch of back-of-the-rotation arms. To make matters worse, one of the few promising bright spots in the rotation last year actually did better than expected and is now demanding a multi-year contract. Left-hander Chris Capuano, who was considered low-risk, high-reward before the 2011 campaign, finished the season hitting all his benchmarks, in good health and eligible to re-sign with another club. Alderson’s confidence has wavered when asked if he’s capable of committing the 33-year-old left-hander to anything more that a one-year deal. But that should be the least of Mets fans’ worries.

In desperate need of improvement is the Mets bullpen which doesn’t even have a closer at this point. It’s safe to say that they could benefit from a little spending in this department. Unlike starting pitching, the free agent market for relievers is bursting at the seams. Viable candidates to close out games such as Joe Nathan, Matt Capps, Brad Lidge or Frank Francisco would all command an asking price that is way above what Alderson had in mind. So with all this talk of reducing payroll, where does this leave Mets fans who are trying to remain optimistic even when all signs point elsewhere?  The division that their team plays in, the NL East has and will continue to remain competitive on and off the field.

To quell some of these concerns, the Mets do have some strong young arms on the horizon. Zack Wheeler, who was acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade, is considered a top-flight pitcher with great mechanics at High-A Port Lucie, but Mets fans will probably not see the 21-year-old right-hander until 2013. An even better upside is another right-hander, 22-year-old Jeurys Familia, who is sure to start the 2012 season at Triple-A Buffalo, and could be seen in a big-league uniform sooner rather than later. Familia’s stuff has been compared to that ofSeattle’s Michael Pineda. September call-up, anyone?

If I had to give advice to Mets fans this off-season, I would tell them to proceed with caution as they evaluate the team for the upcoming season. There are still a whole lot of ‘what ifs’ left to answer. Until then, Mets fans will have to continue in a holding pattern and wait. To help pass the time, I suggest trying to combine the phrases, “payroll flexibility” and “largest media market” in the same sentence. I still haven’t been able to wrap my head around that one.

Check out my baseball podcast, Mets Public Record
AC Wayne
Mets Public Record

These report cards were written by twenty nine talented individuals across the internet that keep a close eye on the team they cover.  It was the first of our “Featured Blogger” series.  The second part, an Off-Season Outlook, will be brought to you the remainder of this week.  The same writers will return in the Spring to provide a 2012 Season Preview about the teams.

This year’s Featured Bloggers are listed below along with their website and the link to their Report Card:

American League East
Baltimore Orioles - Austin Gisriel, Seamheads
Boston Red Sox – Michael Lynch, Seamheads
New York Yankees – William Tasker, The Flagrant Fan
Tampa Bay Rays – Yossi Feins, The Rays Rant
Toronto Blue Jays – Peter DeMarco, Some Thoughts On Baseball

American League Central
Chicago White Sox – Terry Keshner, Planet Back
Cleveland Indians – David Henderson, Tribe Cards
Detroit Tigers – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Kansas City Royals – Todd Fertig, I-70 Baseball
Minnesota Twins – Von Hendry, Seamheads

American League West
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – Bryan Grosnick, Roto Hardball
Oakland As – Jason Leary, Junk Ball
Seattle Mariners – Nick Waddell, Seamheads
Texas Rangers – Dan Edmonson, Chicken Fried Baseball

National League East
Atlanta Braves – Andrew Martin, Baseball Historian
Florida Marlins – Eddie Gilley, Eddie Gilley Blogspot
New York Mets – AC Wayne, Mets Public Record
Philadelphia Phillies – Matthew Buesing, Fire And Ice Sports
Washington Nationals – Aaron Somers , District On Deck

National League Central
Chicago Cubs – Robert Harris, Blue Batting Helmet
Cincinnati Reds – Gary Schatz, Full Of Schatz
Houston Astros – Michael Barr, Fan Graphs
Milwaukee Brewers – Paul Heinz, Paul Heinz.com
Pittsburgh Pirates – Ryan Sendek, Analysis Around The Horn
St. Louis Cardinals – Daniel Shoptaw , C70 At The Bat

National League West
Arizona Diamondbacks – Patrick Lagreid, Baseball On My Brain
Colorado Rockies – Michelle Hoag, Rockies Woman
Los Angeles Dodgers – Paul F Sullivan, Sully Baseball
San Diego Padres – Michael Metzger, Padres Trail
San Francisco Giants – Julian Levine, Giants Nirvana

Bill Ivie is the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com and the founder of i70baseball.com, an official Baseball Digest website covering the Cardinals and Royals.

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His history with the Mets makes him a meaningful candidate for a future big league managerial job, but he’s also clocking plenty of experience in the bus leagues. His familiarity with many of the players gives him a keen understanding of their tendencies and growth. Binghamton finished 2011 with a 65-76 record. Backman has been a consistent part of the organization, beginning his road back with the Class-A (short season) Brooklyn Cyclones in 2010. He led that club to a historical 51-24 finish.

Backman also dealt directly with the difficulty of top prospect Reese Havens development. He’d been forthcoming and encouraging when it came to Havens. While saying last year that Havens will likely always struggle with injuries, he also championed the infielder’s potential. There is also a strong possibility Havens will join his Binghamton manager in Buffalo.

Backman’s loyalty to the Mets was displayed recently, when he rejected an offer to join the Nationals coaching staff. Whatever disappointment Backman harbored being passed up to manage the Mets, he’s clearly staying the course.

If he’s not earned a job with the big club just yet, he’s certainly earned a promotion to the Bisons.

John Gibbons Mission to Accomplish
John Gibbons joins a San Antonio Missions club that won the Texas League in 2011. But the team’s new manager has plenty of developmental league experience to draw from.

The 49-year old spent twelve seasons in the Mets system in several roles. That includes managing four Mets teams to league titles.

Required of Gibbons is to simply continue the crucial development of the Padres best young talent. Last year’s team included terrific performances by Casey Kelly and reliever Juan Oramas. The Padres history at the developmental level is filled with missteps, but through trades they’ve greatly improved. While the team doesn’t have all the pieces they need to be highly competitive at the major league level, they’re putting needed emphasis on developing talent. Kelly is an important part of that. The acquisition of the power pitcher righty was important, but at 22, he may not have all the needed seasoning. He is also not likely to be in Gibbons starting rotation. Kelly has spent the last two seasons at the Double-A level (with the Red Sox and Padres) and despite growing pains, he’s on tap for a promotion. His growth has been considerable from his first year in Double-A , when he often struggled with control.

Gibbons could be seeing the Padres top prospect Rymer Liriano in 2012. The 20-year old outfielder split 2011 between Low-A and Advanced-A, finishing with career high numbers in RBI (68), walks (53), stolen bases (66), and home runs (12).

BaseballDigest.com aims to keep up that tradition.  This season, we bring you a Report Card on each team in Major League Baseball from writers that cover that team directly.  At the bottom of each write up, you will find the writer’s name, website, and any other pertinent information.  

For Mets fans alike, labeling the 2011 season long and arduous would be an understatement. The organization reassured all those who bled orange and blue at the beginning of the year that the Mets were going to be competitive. That even with the impending financial fallout, they had accrued enough funds to compete on the main stage. But Mets fans were duped. They had been had. After witnessing a solid month of June that saw their record hover around five hundred, the ballclub sent veteran players like Carlos Beltran and Francisco Rodriguez packing. On the positive side though, they did add a new manager and exacerbated any last demons incurred with the release of Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo.

Rotation: B-
How many wins the Mets rotation earned this season does not tell the whole story. Durability is more like it. R.A. Dickey, Mike Pelfrey, and Chris Capuano were each able to take the mound more than thirty times during the 2011 season and gave the Mets some stability in the back-end of their rotation. Let’s just hope help is on the way with the addition of a healthy Johan Santana and a rested Jonathon Niese to shore up the front-end for 2012.

Bullpen: F
This grade to me was a no-brainer. After shipping out their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, the Mets bullpen became its own worst enemy. A closer by committee ensued with the end result being a very serviceable Manny Acosta. All kidding aside, right-hander Bobby Parnell overcame his bouts with poor circulation, Ryota Igarashi was shown the door while young lefty Danny Herrera, all 5’6”, 165 lbs. of him proved that it doesn’t take much to be invited to the MLB Fan Cave. This area of the Mets roster was one disaster after another, beginning with the signing of D.J. Carrasco to the lack of a set-up man. Even if K-Rod had stayed, chances are slim that he would’ve been capable of exercising his highly-publicized option with this crew.

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Catchers: C
Honestly, I gave the Mets catchers a “C” because the word, catcher, starts with C, meaning there’s not much to get excited about in this department. I’ll admit the signing of Ronny Paulino did raise the grade. However, Josh Thole’s bat was as unspectacular as his glove which isn’t saying much and the reason he was able to stay on the roster was due to his ability to catch the knuckleball.

Infield: C+
If there was such a grade as “I” (I for infield, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) the Mets infielders would’ve earned it. But in this case, the letter “I” would be for inconsistency. Correct me if I’m wrong, but at one point in the season, all four of the Mets Opening Day starters, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Daniel Murphy, and Ike Davis, were either on the DL or unable to perform on a daily basis. However, there is a silver lining in all of this and it goes by the name of shortstop Ruben Tejada, the Mets version of a blue-chip prospect on the rise.

Outfield: B-For this category, you could accuse me of judging lightly. Coupled with an underperformingJasonBayand Angel Pagan (who further exemplified the injury woes that still plague this Mets team) and the Carlos Beltran trade, you could grade this category lower than it actually is. The saving grace, you ask? A budding star in Lucas Duda whom Mets fans anticipate will fill the void left by the departed Beltran and give the ball club some desperately-needed power.

Best Offensive Player
If ever there was a player who could define the phrase “limitless potential”, it would be Jose Reyes. In addition to his speed, Reyes was able to bring home the franchise’s first NL Batting title. Owner of the fan-favorite chant, “Jose, Jose, Jose,” Reyes was the star attraction the entire season, whether it was on the field, singing reggaeton, or nursing a very temperamental hamstring.

Top Pitcher
Dillon Gee. I know what you’re thinking, Gee is just a rookie and of course, it would be unfair to compare his rookie season with that of say, Hall of Famer Tom Seaver’s, but you have to be pleased with the competitiveness he showed on the mound. His ability to effectively change speeds and give MLB hitters different looks at the plate earned him an above-average first full season.

In summation, the Mets need bullpen help, bad!

Check out my baseball podcast, Mets Public Record

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Epstein fired manager Mike Quade on Wednesday after just a little over one season in Chicago. The Sun-Times has the story.

Dodgers fans are ecstatic that the McCourts are selling. The LA Times has the full story.

The Detroit Tigers’ Justin Verlander was the most dominant pitcher in the game en route to 24 wins. Jose Bautista didn’t match his 54 home runs of a year ago, but had another 40+ home run season. Lance Berkman looked like his career was done in 2010, but he hit 30 home runs this season and is an NL MVP candidate. Jacoby Ellsbury was the king of the AL DL a year ago, but this season was a candidate for both the comeback player of the year and AL MVP awards.

Curtis Granderson had a bust out season, topping 40 home runs for the first time in his career. Teammate Derek Jeter picked up his 3,000th hit, while another, Mariano Rivera, broke the all-time record for career saves. Across town, Jose Reyes won his first batting title in what might be his last year as a Met.  Albert Pujols had an “off” year and still hit 35 dingers and Matt Kemp met and exceeded all expectations.  With all of that in mind, the finalists for the individual awards in each league should look something like this…

AL MVP – Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (NY), Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Jose Bautista (TOR), Justin Verlander (DET)

AL Cy Young – Justin Verlander (Det)

AL Rookie of the Year – Jeremy Hellickson (TB), Ivan Nova (NY), Eric Hosmer (KC), Mark Trumbo (LA), J.P. Arencibia (TOR)

AL Manager of the Year – Manny Acta (CLE), Jim Leyland (DET), Ron Washington (TEX), Joe Girardi (NY)

AL Comeback Player of the Year – Jacoby Ellsbury (BOS), Melky Cabrera (KC)

NL MVP – Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder (MIL), Matt Kemp (LA), Lance Berkman (STL), Justin Upton (AZ)

NL Cy Young – Ian Kennedy (AZ), Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee (PHI), Clayton Kershaw (LA)

NL Manager of the Year – Kirk Gibson (AZ), Ron Roenicke (MIL), Clint Hurdle (PIT), Charlie Manuel (PHI)

NL Rookie of the Year – Freddie Freeman and Craig Kimbrel (ATL), Danny Espinosa (WAS), Javy Guerra (LA)

NL Comeback Player of the Year – Carlos Beltran (NY,SF), Lance Berkman (STL)

But baseball isn’t about the individual, it’s about the teams.

Early on the Indians, Royals, and Pirates played beyond expectation. In fact the Indians held first place in the AL Central for 85 days. The three teams would eventually fade, but the Arizona Diamondbacks did just the opposite. They were six games under .500 in mid-May, but played at a torrid pace the rest of the season to win the division title. Meanwhile Boston and Atlanta entered the final month of the season as virtual locks to make the post-season only to be eliminated on the final night of the season.

The LA Dodgers and the Mets had ownership and money issues, the Colorado Rockies and Cincinnati Reds were huge disappointments, and the Baltimore Orioles, despite much promise, finished last in the AL East for the fourth straight year. In the end the Yankees, Tigers, Rangers, Phillies, Brewers, and Diamondbacks captured their divisions while the Rays and Cardinals entered the playoffs as wild card entries.

What’s that? How did the Baseball Digest team do at predicting the post-season teams? Let’s take a look.

Well it appears, ahem, one person knew what they were talking about with the AL East. Yes, that would be me. Michael Maher, likewise, was the only one of our bunch who had the insight to pick the Tigers in the AL Central. He was also the only one to pick the Rays to win the AL wild card. Four out of seven dentist, er writers, chose the Rangers correctly in the AL West, while none of us had the Diamondbacks sniffing a title in the NL West.

Bill Ivie stuck his neck out picking the Braves to win the NL East, while everyone else selected the Phillies. Needless to say, his neck hurts. Bill’s beloved Cardinals didn’t win the NL Central as he had selected, but he was brought joy on the night of Game 162 when they made the post-season. Meanwhile Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb, Kirk Verner, and Matt Wilson all correctly chose the Brewers for the Central crown, but just like the NL West, no one got the NL wild card correct either. So the finally tally of correct predictions..drum roll please…four writers with 3 right each. Meanwhile Josh Landsburg, Mark Healey, and Bill Ivie…um, better luck next year. (In fairness, Bill did get 2 playoff teams correct, just in the wrong spots)

Michael Maher 3
Drew Sarver 3
Simon Sharkey-Gottlieb 3
Matt Wilson 3
Shai Kushner 2
Kirk Verner 2
Josh Landsburg 1
Mark Healey 1
Bill Ivie 0

Please check back after the league championship series for updated standings, and be sure to bookmark Baseball Digest to view all of our post-season coverage.

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.

At the “Going to Bat for B.A.T. Fundraising Dinner,” fans are given the opportunity to interact with Baseball Hall of Famers, and former and current Major League Baseball players while raising money to assist members of the Baseball Family who have fallen on hard times. The night’s festivities include a cocktail hour in which attendees have the opportunity to meet and obtain autographs from players. Players are seated with guests at each table during the dinner and all proceeds go to B.A.T.

“The New York Mets brought National League baseball back to New York in 1962, and since then, have won two championships and created some of baseball’s most indelible moments,” said B.A.T. Executive Director Joseph Grippo. “The organization has been an incredible supporter of B.A.T. over the years, and we are thankful for their generosity in helping members of the Baseball Family. The Mets have one of the most passionate followings in the game, and we are happy to give those fans an opportunity to rub elbows with some of their baseball heroes while raising money for B.A.T.”

“We are honored that the Baseball Assistance Team is saluting the Mets 50th anniversary,” said Dave Howard, Mets Executive Vice President, Business Operations. “This will be an Amazin’ experience for our fans to meet some of the greatest players in our history and raise money for B.A.T.’s mission of helping members of the Baseball Family in need.”

Special awards are presented at the Dinner each year: the Big BAT/Frank Slocum Award, which goes to an individual who provides financial support and generosity to the B.A.T. organization; the Bart Giamatti Award, which goes to the individual who displays a dedication to giving back to the community; and the Bobby Murcer Award, which is presented to the team in both the American League and National League whose players contribute the most amount of money to B.A.T. through the B.A.T. Payroll Deduction Program that previous year.

B.A.T. was founded by former Commissioner Peter Ueberroth, a group of former players and Major League Baseball. In addition to assisting former Major League players, B.A.T. also offers support to former Major League managers, coaches, scouts, umpires, athletic trainers, front office personnel, Minor League players, Negro League players, players from the Women’s Professional Baseball League, and spouses and children. All aid provided by B.A.T. is strictly confidential allowing those in the need to receive help discreetly.

Entering its 27th year, B.A.T. is a unique organization within the sports industry dedicated to assisting members of the Baseball Family who are in need. Through charitable contributions from corporations, foundations and individuals, B.A.T. strives to provide a means of support to people with financial, medical or psychological burdens. B.A.T. is a 501-(c) 3 charitable organization.

For more information about B.A.T., to purchase tickets for the Dinner or to make a donation please call 212-931-7821 or visit http://www.baseballassistanceteam.com.

This season has certainly had its share of surprises: the Diamondbacks dominance in the west, Adam Dunn’s struggles just to get a glimpse of the Mendoza line and Jose Bautista proving that 2010 wasn’t a fluke, just to name a few.  On the other hand, some things have gone as expected: The Yankees and Red Sox will make the postseason, Mariano Rivera is still a dominant closer and Ozzie Guillen’s anger management classes haven’t had much of an effect, just to name a few.  Least surprising of all, though, may be the performance of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Most preseason predictions had the Phillies winning the NL East and it was easy to see why.  The group of starting pitchers was given all sorts of nicknames before even showing up to spring training.  The last time this happened was with the 1995 Mets and Generation K (which we all know didn’t go so well).  The question never seemed to be “would they win” but “how many would they win”.  So it’s easy to understand the lack of noise surrounding the team’s success so far this year.  A situation living up to expectations is rarely newsworthy.  What is surprising, however, is how little noise is being made about how good this team has actually been.

For starters (pun unfortunately intended), four members of the Phillies rotation boast ERA’s under 3 (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Vance Worley).  Halladay and Lee have also amassed over 200 strikeouts already.  Worley is 11-1 with a 2.85 ERA and he’s just a rookie.  Hamels is 14-7 with a 2.60 ERA and also has a WHIP under 1, yet he’s almost an after-thought…a very dangerous after-thought.  So even though veteran Roy Oswalt may not have lived up to what some had hoped for him, the team doesn’t seem to be all that affected.

The bullpen, a seemingly weak area for the Phillies coming into this season, has found a couple truly dependable arms.  Ryan Madson has been an effective closer, saving 29 of his 31 opportunities (through Friday, September 9).  Meanwhile, lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo has gone from specialist to just plain special in his first full major league season.  Bastardo has an ERA under 2, a 0.81 WHIP, 66 K’s in 54.1 innings and has kept opponents to a .119 batting average.

The Phillies are on their way to the best record in franchise history.  After Friday night’s win (their 5th straight) the Phillies have 93 wins, 8 short of the franchise best 101 (1976 & 1977) and there are still 21 games to go.  In other words, the Phillies have never been this dominant in the franchise’s 122 seasons (129 if you include their time as the Philadelphia Quakers).

Perhaps what’s most impressive about this accomplishment is that they’ve done it when virtually every offensive player (not named Shane Victorino) is having an down season.  Furthermore, many important pieces of this team have spent significant time on the disabled list at various points in the season.  Still, the Phillies have been able to sustain their dominance since April.  Credit their pitching.  Credit their manager, Charlie Manuel.  Credit their GM, Ruben Amaro, for making some key moves prior to, and during, the season.  Really though, credit the team as a whole, as they find ways to win on a daily basis.

Once October begins, the Phillies regular season accomplishments will cease to mean a whole lot.  Many teams have coasted through the regular season only to make a quick trip back home to join their lesser counterparts.  All season long though, something special has been going on in Philadelphia and it shouldn’t be ignored.

Around the Division:

Atlanta Braves -  Brandon Beachy’s 142 strikeouts give him the most ever by a Braves rookie pitcher.  Jair Jurrjens was the previous record-holder with 139 K’s in 2008.  More impressively, rookie closer Craig Kimbrel notched his 41st save on 8/31, breaking Neftali Feliz’s record (40) set just last season, for most saves by a rookie.

New York Mets - Johan Santana is getting closer to making an appearance for the Mets this season, just to prove to fans that he does still exist.  Second-year first baseman Ike Davis will not need ankle surgery after all, however Jay Horwitz, the team’s long standing VP of Media Relations, is out indefinitely with a broken ankle of his own (and that WILL require surgery).  Horwitz has been the Mets PR guy for over 30 years, has only missed 3 games during that time and hadn’t missed a game in 21 years.

Washington Nationals - On September 3, rookie Tom Milone became the first pitcher to hit a home run on the first major league pitch he faced since Adam Wainwright did it for the Cardinals in 2006.  Stephen Strasburg looked sensational in dominating the Los Angeles Dodgers in his first major league start since last year’s Tommy John surgery.  Strasburg’s next start is Sunday, 9/11 against the Astros.

Florida Marlins - Hanley Ramirez will be out for the remainder of the season, closing the books on the young shortstop’s most disappointing season to date.  Ramirez will have surgery next week.  According to Larry Beinfest, the Marlins president of Baseball Operations, the surgery will be performed by Dr. James Andrews and will start out as arthroscopic surgery with a possibility that open surgery will be necessary.  Ramirez’s recovery time will depend on the type of surgery he ends up having.

Shai Kushner is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com.  Email Shai at: BaseballDigestShai@gmail.com.  Follow Shai on Twitter at: @BD_ShaiKushner.

Most Impressive Team - Omaha Storm Chasers  No longer the Omaha Royals, the 2011 innaugual season of the Storm Chasers is a good ‘ol baseball story. Affiliated with the Royals since it’s inception in 1969, the newly named Pacific Coast League team begins a new era on the right foot as they head back to the playoffs after a twelve year absence. While the development of players is the point of it all, there was one really good reason why the Chasers success would be a sweet victory. 2011 marked Mike Jirschele’s 8th season as the Triple-A club’s manager and his 12th in the Royals system. They had never finished higher than third in his entire tenure, including last season, and when he arrived in 2003 they finished in 11th place with. The fact that the team had not been to the playoffs since 1999, gave young players a little something more to play for. With players like Mike Moustakas, Mike Montgomery, and Eric Hosmer on their roster at some point during the season, fans had many great reasons to support the team.

Most Impressive Manager - Andy Haines, Greensboro Grasshoppers – It was down to the wire for the Grasshoppers. They defeated the Kannapolis Indians in extra innings to become second-half champs of the Northern Division. Haine’s knows he has to help the development of players at a low-level. Excellence is not easily achieved. But the Grasshoppers finished with a 79-60 overall record and spent May and June notching victories. They have been a consistent team with excellent offense. Starting pitchers like James Leverton came through in the final stretch . It is not easy to manage at that level. But Haines understands the job and that’s the key. Now after a twelve-year absence, the Grasshoppers are playoffs bound.

Most Impressive Hitter – Paul Goldschmidt, Mobile BayBears, Southern League, Arizona Diamondbacks – Goldschmidt is exactly what the Diamondbacks need. The first-baseman is providing excitement Arizona baseball fans are lacking. Before his call-up, he was putting together a tremendous season for the Double-A BayBears. He led the minors with 30 home runs and 94 RBI. The twenty-three-year-old also worked an astounding 82 walks. His .626 SLG percentage is the league’s best to end the season.

Most Impressive Starting Pitcher -Matt Moore, Durham Bulls, International League, Tampa Rays – Strikeouts. That is the first word you likely think of when reflecting on Moore’s 2011 season with the Bulls and Double-A Montgomery Biscuits. His 210 K’s led all of minor league baseball. 163 of them were in the Southern League before his promotion. He went 4-0 for Durham with a 1.37 ERA in his final ten starts.

Talent is outstanding, and worth paying a great amount of money for, if one can stay on the field.

It doesn’t matter if your starting rotation consisted of a fantasy list including Sandy Koufax, Cy Young, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson and Greg Maddux in their prime. If those same names spend more time on your DL as opposed to your manager’s lineup cards throughout the year, all you will ultimately get out of them is increased jersey sales revenue. You certainly won’t see anything from them where it really matters.

Concessions? Yes. Box scores? No.

This season many teams have been bit by the injury bug, serving as an insurmountable force in the win-loss column. For example, on paper, the Chicago Cubs should have been a contender in the National League Central for 2011. Despite off the field problems in Flushing, New York, the Mets had a roster that could have competed for the wild card longer than they already have. With an elimination ‘E’ already posted for in the Cubs’ row of the MLB standings and one looming for the Mets (3 games until the Mets reach elimination for 2011), a large reason why they have had the season they’ve had is injuries. The Cubs lost a significant amount of their starting rotation to long term injuries this season and the Mets lost over half their starting lineup to nagging, recurring visits to the DL.

The Chicago Cubs are an aging team and injuries were bound to become a great issue for them at some point. 2007 and 2008 saw the Cubs capture NL Central division titles. 2008 may have been their last true chance to win it all any time soon as the team is getting older and the injuries continue to pile up. The Mets nearly reached the World Series in 2006, had giant collapses in 2007 and 2008 and injuries have haunted them since.

The Cubs are making an effort to test younger talent and hopefully nip this trend in the off-season. The potential spoiling injury bug is one plot line Mets fans are all too familiar with.

I attended Opening Day at Citi Field a couple years ago and the loudest boos were for the athletic trainers in the announcing of the organization members. Not even Luis Castillo received boos at the decibel that the team’s trainers walked out to. Certainly the way key injuries have been handled regarding key star players recently (Reyes and recently traded, Carlos Beltran, especially) has not pleased the Mets faithful. It also may have been a release of frustration after years of watching their promised stars of the future go down with injuries for decades.

Jason Isringhausen, who turns 39 today, is a perfect example. Isringhausen was drafted by the Mets in 1991 and before he even put on a New York Mets uniform, the media hype surround him completely. After Dwight Gooden energized New York City with his performance on the Shea Stadium mound for years, Mets fans were hungry for someone to follow in Dr. K’s dominant footsteps. The New York media responded by putting Isringhausen and fellow minor league pitchers Bill Pulshipher and Paul Wilson in the spotlight as the next great Mets talent on the mound. The trio was labled ‘Generation K’ and the shoes to fill became even larger as fan expectations grew.

Unfortunately for Isringhausen, Wilson and Pulsipher, injuries would prevent them from growing into the three-headed beast fans hoped they would become. Before you knew it, the 1993 and 1994 seasons had come and gone and it wasn’t until 1995 when all three pitchers were healthy enough to start for the Mets. While Isringhausen posted a 9-2 record in his rookie campaign over 14 starts, he would hit a major health speed bump battling injuries such as tuberculosis, a wrist injury and three serious injuries on his pitching arm.

The September 1996 issue of Baseball Digest highlights the disappointing Mets trio in this feature on MLB pitching corps falling short of promise.

Isringhausen wouldn’t see action for the Mets again until 1999. Time in between appearances became longer as did his walk to the mound. It was no longer the distance from the dugout to center stage. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, here are your 1999 New York Mets’ was no longer the back drop to his introduction. His trip to the mound would be a jog in from the outfield wall from here on out for the Mets as he was moved to the bullpen to start the 1999 season. 1999 provided a dramatic playoff run for the Mets, full of story book moments. Isringhausen would experience none of them however, as he would be shipped to the Oakland Athletics at the trading deadline that July.

It was with Oakland that Isringhausen embraced his new closer role and made a name for himself among the elite of the game. His late-game impact was felt immediately as he reached his first All-Star game (2000) and Oakland made the playoffs in 2000 and 2001. This gave him much-needed playoff experience for when he would reach the post-season the four out of the next five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Isringhausen had his best years with the Cardinals, sharing the thrill of capturing division titles in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006, making it to the World Series in 2004 and 2006. The Red Sox spoiled his first trip in 2004 with their miracle sweep of the last four games of the ALCS and the World Series. It was a bittersweet ending to a season where Isringhausen led closers with 47 saves. In 2006, he looked to follow up a strong 2005 where he finished second among closers in ERA at 2.14 and made the All-Star team. Isringhausen was successful in his bid, helping lead the Cardinals to the post-season despite having one of his poorest statistical outings that year. Isringhausen was out with a hip injury throughout the team’s efforts that fall and rookie Adam Wainwright had to take over his duties as the team’s closer.

Since that championship season in 2006, Isringhausen has spent time with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cincinnati Reds.

This year, he found his way back full circle to his original MLB home, the New York Mets. The 2011 Mets have been desperate for some ‘good-news headlines’ and Isringhausen has been a bright spot in a season full of dark times for the ballclub. On August 15, 2011, he saved a 5-4 decision against the Padres, earning his 300th save and a place in MLB history along 22 other pitchers to notch 300 saves in their careers.

Two All-Star appearances, a World Series ring, big-city-rotation-star hype and a place in the MLB history books among the great closers in the game. His road has been a long one, collecting nearly 800 strike outs along the way. Unlike Pulsipher and Wilson who couldn’t live up to their share of the ‘Generation K’ hype, Isringhausen took his time and found a way to make an impact on the game after all. In his fifteenth year of major league service, it will be interesting to see if his career ends full circle in Flushing, NY, or if a new chapter is in the wings waiting to begin.

Also Born Today:

Darren Bragg turns 42 today. The MLB journeyman and Waterbury, Connecticut native played for nine different teams over his ten years as a major league player (Mariners, Red Sox, Cardinals, Rockies, Mets, Yankees, Braves, Padres, Reds). A .255 lifetime hitter, Bragg found himself coaching players in his post-MLB career. In 2007, he was the hitting coach for the Dayton Dragons, the A-ball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Bragg currently runs a company called ‘The Hit Club’ where he dispenses his major league level knowledge of the art of hitting to high school baseball players.

Joe Rudi turns 65 today. A left fielder from Modesto, California, Rudi played fifteen years in the league, spending most of his time with the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics. Rudi helped lead the A’s to a championship three-peat from 1972-1974 and had a career best 181 hits in 1972.

Ryan Maloney is a staff writer for BaseballDigest.com, author of the popular Chicago Cubs blog titled ’Prose and Ivy, and a contributing writer to MLB.com.

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In this installment, we check in with Collin McHugh, a pitcher for the Double-A Binghamton Mets.  McHugh writes refreshingly about his experience on the mound at Fenway Park for the 6^th annual Futures at Fenway game.  Click on the link below for the full article, and check back with BaseballDigest.com for more insight in the future.

Fenway Park: Futures at Fenway Game

It’s not every day that you get to pitch a game at historic, Fenway Park. Actually, it’s never for most people. Until the other day, I was “most people”. I had never pitched in front of more than 9,000 people (Brooklyn opening day, 2009) in my life, and I assumed that pitching in a big league park was reserved for…well, big leaguers. Yet somehow, in the craziness of this season, I was given the opportunity to pitch the Futures at Fenway game.

Every year, two of the Boston Red Sox affiliates (usually AA Portland and AAA Pawtucket) play a game at Fenway Park as a treat for Red Sox nation to see their future Sox and for the players to get a taste of the Bigs. This year the B-Mets drew the game against Portland. Exciting! I realized that this game would be a good opportunity for Ashley to visit friends in Boston and to catch a game at Fenway, even if I wasn’t going to be pitching. You see, I made the assumption that in a starting rotation stacked with 2 former Big League pitchers and 3 other top prospects, I would be at the end of the queue for this rare opportunity. Plans were set in place anyway. Ashley would be in Boston for that weekend, and I would be at Fenway. Again, exciting!

Click here for the full article.

Shai Kushner is a Senior Writer for BaseballDigest.com.  Email Shai at: BaseballDigestShai@gmail.com.  Follow Shai on Twitter at: @BD_ShaiKushner.

It also often helps them determine which name they’d like to put on the back of a customized jersey.

To put on a Major League uniform for the first time and make an impact is one thing. To do it in a foreign land, amid culture shock on top of the always present obstacles for rookies is another. Hideo Nomo is one of those players to accomplish the feat and was the first Japanese player to ever relocate permanently in order to play in MLB.

Aside from his ROY honors, when you hear the name Hideo Nomo, the first thing that comes to mind is his unique wind up motion. In the Nippon Professional Baseball league, Nomo was a coveted talent racking up over 1,200 strike outs from 1990-1994 for the Kintetsu Buffaloes. Earning the nickname ‘The Tornado’, after media and opponents witnessed his unique back-to-the-plate delivery, early on Nomo gained national attention in his debut season with the Buffaloes striking out 287 hitters in 235 innings. His stats earned him the 1990 Pacific League MVP and Rookie of The Year honors.

Fans and members of the media were more appreciative of the results Nomo produced than the Buffaloes however. After the 1994 season, wrapping up a stretch within the first four years where he compiled 17 or 18 wins per season, Nomo demanded a multi-year contract.

What was the Buffaloes’ loss, turned out to be the Los Angeles Dodgers’ gain.

After retiring from Japanese baseball in order to get out of his contract with the Buffaloes, Nomo found a new opportunity in Los Angeles. His career in the States started off oddly enough, very similar to the way his career began in Japan. Due in large part to his unique delivery, batters were unable to solve the pitching mystery Nomo presented every five days in each start and he ended up leading the league in strike outs with 236, finished second in ERA at 2.54. Along the way, he broke Koufax’s team record of strike outs per nine innings with 11.101 to Koufax’s 10.546, started the All-Star Game and won the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Many would argue that a professional ballplayer with years of experience in Japan should not be up for MLB Rookie of The Year voting consideration. I understand that mentality, however, a player’s first year in the league is just that, no matter where their prior experience comes from. Also, it can be argued that the player coming in from Japan or some other international location is up against much more than the rookie of the year contender that is from the United States. The language, culture, nuances, and comfort are not the same as they were in their other league. The player from the international league has to figure out how to survive on the playing field as well as within their new surroundings off the field. The argument could certainly be made that an outstanding rookie campaign by an international star is much more difficult. That argument was made in 1995 and the pro-Nomo side won. Future star, Chipper Jones, finished second in the NL Rookie of the Year race that year as voters gave the advantage to Nomo. Or perhaps I should say, disadvantage.

Baseball Digest’s John Kuenster highlighted Hideo Nomo’s performance as one of the bright spots of the 1995 season. An interesting read about one of the great young pitchers to wear the Dodgers’ uniform.

Like other great puzzles that are tough to figure out such as the Rubik’s Cube, Sudoku or ‘what happened to Tony Soprano at the end of ‘The Sopranos’?', eventually the answer is found and they get a little easier to figure out. (Ok, perhaps that Sopranos one is still left up in the air). NL batters finally got used to seeing an opposing pitcher’s back before the release of a pitch and Nomo’s efficiency lacked as his stats became less impressive. Despite finishing as the only other pitcher to strike out at least 200 batters in each of his first three seasons, the early years of his MLB career are definitely the most impressive.

There must be something in the water at Dodger Stadium. When Nomo won the NL Rookie of the Year, he became one of 13 Dodger debuts to earn the honor, the most of any team in the National League. Dating back to 1952, the team has had a rookie win the award in back-to-back seasons three times. The most recent time coming in a stretch where Nomo was one of those rookies as the team won the award in five consecutive years (Eric Karros, 1992; Mike Piazza, 1993; Raul Mondesi, 1994; Nomo, 1995; Todd Hollandsworth, 1996). In recent years the Florida Marlins have dominated the category however, for a stretch, it was the Dodgers system producing the best young talent in the league, Nomo included.

One stand out highlight of Nomo’s latte portion of his career came on April 4, 2011. It was Nomo’s first start as a member of the Boston Red Sox and he would once again come out of the gates quickly with his new team. The Orioles were the team he would face that day and they would provide Nomo with a no-no as the team was unable to muster up a single hit against Beantown’s new star pitcher. In doing so, Nomo became the fourth pitcher in the history of the game to throw a no-hitter in both the American and National Leagues. After a couple more productive years after returning to his first major league home in America from 2002-2003, Nomo started to fade.

His career path led to signing with the Kansas City Royals, who ultimately released him on April 29, 2008. Nomo retired from MLB that same July. Nomo was both a journeyman and a pioneer in his time as a professional baseball player. In MLB, he would go on to spend time displaying his unique ‘tornado’ wind up for fans across the country, proudly wearing the uniform of the Dodgers, Mets, Brewers, Tigers, Red Sox, Devil Rays and Royals.

Out of curiosity, I looked up the meaning of the name ‘Hideo’. Turns out it means ‘excelling man’. After analyzing Nomo’s career, you’ll realize he compiled over 3,100 strike outs in his time between the NPB and MLB competition. Excelling man? Sounds about right to me.

Hideo Nomo turns 43 today.

Also Born Today

Frank Robinson turns 76 today. Robinson’s career saw him spend time  playing with the Reds, Orioles, Dodgers, Angels and Indians. He managed the Indians, Giants, Orioles and Expos/Nationals. At the end, it all added up to a plaque in Cooperstown. Robinson is the only player to win MVP honors in both the American and National Leagues and finished his career with a batting average of .294, 586 home runs, 2,943 hits and 1,812 RBI. Robinson won the World Series with the 1966 and 1970 Orioles, winning MVP honors in 1966. Other career highlights include NL Rookie of the Year (1956), 14 All-Star appearances (MVP in 1971), AL Manager of the Year (1989) and he had his number retired by both the Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles.

Eddie Plank was born on this day in 1875. Plank pitched for the Philadelphia Athletics, St. Louis Terriers and the St. Louis Browns. Eight times, Plank finished a season with twenty or more wins. He has the 13th most wins in MLB history, led the American League in shutouts twice and has more career shutouts by a left-hander than anyone in MLB history (66). Plank’s win-loss record of 326-194 matched with his career ERA of 2.35 and 2,246 strike outs earned him induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame by vote of the Veteran’s Committee in 1946.

Ryan Maloney is a staff writer for BaseballDigest.com, author of the popular Chicago Cubs blog titled ’Prose and Ivy, and a contributing writer to MLB.com.

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