Conor Gillaspie’s bases-loaded single to left drove in the winning run in the 10th as the Giants overcame a rough outing by Tim Lincecum to drop Seattle, 8-7. Aubrey Huff, who will probably be somewhere in the Giants' starting lineup when the regular season opens, smacked a home run and drove in two. Huff, a ten-year veteran with Tampa Bay and Baltimore, will try to make a go of it in the National League with the Giants.
MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox
As usual, the Red Sox will be geared up to beat the Yankees and capture the AL East title after finishing in second with the wild card last season. But, like last season, it's a tall order. The Yanks are loaded again and Boston is in the midst of major changes.
The Sox let Jason Bay go to the Mets, after he did a swell job replacing Manny Ramirez, but Boston didn't seek out another power hitter, which could make David Ortiz a little less ferocious in his usual cleanup or #3 slot in the batting order. Instead, the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre to take over at third base and Mike Cameron to patrol center field, shifting Jacoby Ellsbury over to left, though still in the leadoff spot.
John Lackey joins a solid rotation. Boston signed him as a free agent from the Angels, and he's a good fit for Fenway. A power pitcher who seldom makes major mistakes, Lackey will give the Red Sox plenty of innings. With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester ahead of him in the rotation, he'll be in good company. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz will likely take the #4 and 5 slots.
The Red Sox will not be as explosive offensively as they've been in the past and the bottom of the lineup - Beltre, Cameron and shortstop Marco Scutaro - may turn out to be their Achille's heel. Of course, they do have one of the best closers in the league, Jonathan Papelbon, who will probably see more save opportunities than he did last year.
Overall, the prospects for the 2010 Red Sox are not that great. They've put together a National league-style team, relying on pitching and defense, in one of the most offensive-minded divisions in baseball. But they do have plenty of experience in players like Kevin Youkilis, Victor Martinez and Dustin Pedroia to rely on through the long season.
Vegas has Boston at 5-1 or 6-1 to win the World Series, though that seems a bit short for a team without major power strokers. Red Sox nation may be longing for the days of Ramirez and Ortiz before the all-star break. Boston will be lucky to grab the wild card as Baltimore will be improved and Tampa Bay could bounce back to challenge the Yankees. A finish at third or even fourth place in the division is a possibility.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Huff Debuts in Style with Giants; Hughes' 4 RBI Lead O's
Players of the Day for Wednesday, March 3, 2010
American League
Rhyne Hughes blasted a pair of two-run homers as the Baltimore Orioles cranked six balls out of the park in the first Spring Training game, a 12-2 win over Tampa Bay.
Hughes, a rookie looking to catch on with the O's at first base, got a little revenge over his former team. He spent 2008 and 2009 in the Rays' organization, but only got into 2 games and was 0-for-3 at the plate with Tampa Bay.
National League
Conor Gillaspie’s bases-loaded single to left drove in the winning run in the 10th as the Giants overcame a rough outing by Tim Lincecum to drop Seattle, 8-7. Aubrey Huff, who will probably be somewhere in the Giants' starting lineup when the regular season opens, smacked a home run and drove in two. Huff, a ten-year veteran with Tampa Bay and Baltimore, will try to make a go of it in the National League with the Giants.
MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox
As usual, the Red Sox will be geared up to beat the Yankees and capture the AL East title after finishing in second with the wild card last season. But, like last season, it's a tall order. The Yanks are loaded again and Boston is in the midst of major changes.
The Sox let Jason Bay go to the Mets, after he did a swell job replacing Manny Ramirez, but Boston didn't seek out another power hitter, which could make David Ortiz a little less ferocious in his usual cleanup or #3 slot in the batting order. Instead, the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre to take over at third base and Mike Cameron to patrol center field, shifting Jacoby Ellsbury over to left, though still in the leadoff spot.
John Lackey joins a solid rotation. Boston signed him as a free agent from the Angels, and he's a good fit for Fenway. A power pitcher who seldom makes major mistakes, Lackey will give the Red Sox plenty of innings. With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester ahead of him in the rotation, he'll be in good company. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz will likely take the #4 and 5 slots.
The Red Sox will not be as explosive offensively as they've been in the past and the bottom of the lineup - Beltre, Cameron and shortstop Marco Scutaro - may turn out to be their Achille's heel. Of course, they do have one of the best closers in the league, Jonathan Papelbon, who will probably see more save opportunities than he did last year.
Overall, the prospects for the 2010 Red Sox are not that great. They've put together a National league-style team, relying on pitching and defense, in one of the most offensive-minded divisions in baseball. But they do have plenty of experience in players like Kevin Youkilis, Victor Martinez and Dustin Pedroia to rely on through the long season.
Vegas has Boston at 5-1 or 6-1 to win the World Series, though that seems a bit short for a team without major power strokers. Red Sox nation may be longing for the days of Ramirez and Ortiz before the all-star break. Boston will be lucky to grab the wild card as Baltimore will be improved and Tampa Bay could bounce back to challenge the Yankees. A finish at third or even fourth place in the division is a possibility.
Conor Gillaspie’s bases-loaded single to left drove in the winning run in the 10th as the Giants overcame a rough outing by Tim Lincecum to drop Seattle, 8-7. Aubrey Huff, who will probably be somewhere in the Giants' starting lineup when the regular season opens, smacked a home run and drove in two. Huff, a ten-year veteran with Tampa Bay and Baltimore, will try to make a go of it in the National League with the Giants.
MLB Preview: Boston Red Sox
As usual, the Red Sox will be geared up to beat the Yankees and capture the AL East title after finishing in second with the wild card last season. But, like last season, it's a tall order. The Yanks are loaded again and Boston is in the midst of major changes.
The Sox let Jason Bay go to the Mets, after he did a swell job replacing Manny Ramirez, but Boston didn't seek out another power hitter, which could make David Ortiz a little less ferocious in his usual cleanup or #3 slot in the batting order. Instead, the Red Sox signed Adrian Beltre to take over at third base and Mike Cameron to patrol center field, shifting Jacoby Ellsbury over to left, though still in the leadoff spot.
John Lackey joins a solid rotation. Boston signed him as a free agent from the Angels, and he's a good fit for Fenway. A power pitcher who seldom makes major mistakes, Lackey will give the Red Sox plenty of innings. With Josh Beckett and Jon Lester ahead of him in the rotation, he'll be in good company. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Clay Buchholz will likely take the #4 and 5 slots.
The Red Sox will not be as explosive offensively as they've been in the past and the bottom of the lineup - Beltre, Cameron and shortstop Marco Scutaro - may turn out to be their Achille's heel. Of course, they do have one of the best closers in the league, Jonathan Papelbon, who will probably see more save opportunities than he did last year.
Overall, the prospects for the 2010 Red Sox are not that great. They've put together a National league-style team, relying on pitching and defense, in one of the most offensive-minded divisions in baseball. But they do have plenty of experience in players like Kevin Youkilis, Victor Martinez and Dustin Pedroia to rely on through the long season.
Vegas has Boston at 5-1 or 6-1 to win the World Series, though that seems a bit short for a team without major power strokers. Red Sox nation may be longing for the days of Ramirez and Ortiz before the all-star break. Boston will be lucky to grab the wild card as Baltimore will be improved and Tampa Bay could bounce back to challenge the Yankees. A finish at third or even fourth place in the division is a possibility.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Mets Win Spring Training Opener; NY Yankees Preview
Players of the Day for March 2, 2010
National League
Just in case you didn't notice, major league teams began playing actual exhibition games on Tuesday. Actually, the only two teams participating were the Mets and Braves, with the Amazin's coming out on top of a 4-2 score.
Mets' reliever Bobby Livingston, who underwent surgery in the off-season to repair a partially torn labrum, worked 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, striking out 4 Atlanta batters while walking two.
After Livingston finished off the Braves in the top of the 5th, the Mets struck for three runs in the bottom frame, earning him the win. Leadoff batter Jesus Feliciano, Jason Pridie and Ruben Tejada each drove in a run in the decisive fifth.
Expected to fight for a spot on the Mats' bullpen roster, Livingston hasn't thrown in the major leagues since 2007, when he went 3-3 with the Cincinnati Reds.
MLB Preview: NY Yankees:
The World Champion Yankees should be a force to contend with in the AL East once again. In fact, they may be even better than last year's squad as they have added outfielder Curtis Granderson (from Detroit) and Javier Vazquez to the rotation.
Though the Yanks shipped off veterans Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, their replacements should fill in more than adequately. Melky Cabrera was also traded, so the outfield is going to have a younger, new look, with Granderson likely starting in left and Brett Gardner in center. Right field is an open position, with the departure of Matsui, though Nick Swisher and Randy Winn (anothr off-season addition) are probably going to platoon, depending on the situation. Both are switch hitters, so manager joe Girardi has options.
Question marks remain concerning the starting rotation, which, after C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Vazquez, is in need of a fifth starter. The obvious choice is Joba Chamberlain, but he was inconsistent last season and will be pushed by Chad Gaudin and Phil Hughes, both of whom did double duty last season in spot starts and as middle relievers.
The infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez may be the best in baseball. There's power up and down the lineup, but, with Granderson and Winn, the Yankees have added the element of speed to the offensive mix.
New York should finish no worse than second in the AL East, though the likelihood of capturing the division crown again seems a pretty solid bet. Barring injuries, the Yankees should dominate the league again and could produce well over 100 wins. A return trip to the World Series is a distinct possibility.
At 3-1, the Yankees are the odds-on favorite to win the 2010 World Series, according to the future book in Las Vegas.
Mets' reliever Bobby Livingston, who underwent surgery in the off-season to repair a partially torn labrum, worked 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the win, striking out 4 Atlanta batters while walking two.
After Livingston finished off the Braves in the top of the 5th, the Mets struck for three runs in the bottom frame, earning him the win. Leadoff batter Jesus Feliciano, Jason Pridie and Ruben Tejada each drove in a run in the decisive fifth.
Expected to fight for a spot on the Mats' bullpen roster, Livingston hasn't thrown in the major leagues since 2007, when he went 3-3 with the Cincinnati Reds.
MLB Preview: NY Yankees:
The World Champion Yankees should be a force to contend with in the AL East once again. In fact, they may be even better than last year's squad as they have added outfielder Curtis Granderson (from Detroit) and Javier Vazquez to the rotation.
Though the Yanks shipped off veterans Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, their replacements should fill in more than adequately. Melky Cabrera was also traded, so the outfield is going to have a younger, new look, with Granderson likely starting in left and Brett Gardner in center. Right field is an open position, with the departure of Matsui, though Nick Swisher and Randy Winn (anothr off-season addition) are probably going to platoon, depending on the situation. Both are switch hitters, so manager joe Girardi has options.
Question marks remain concerning the starting rotation, which, after C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte and Vazquez, is in need of a fifth starter. The obvious choice is Joba Chamberlain, but he was inconsistent last season and will be pushed by Chad Gaudin and Phil Hughes, both of whom did double duty last season in spot starts and as middle relievers.
The infield of Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez may be the best in baseball. There's power up and down the lineup, but, with Granderson and Winn, the Yankees have added the element of speed to the offensive mix.
New York should finish no worse than second in the AL East, though the likelihood of capturing the division crown again seems a pretty solid bet. Barring injuries, the Yankees should dominate the league again and could produce well over 100 wins. A return trip to the World Series is a distinct possibility.
At 3-1, the Yankees are the odds-on favorite to win the 2010 World Series, according to the future book in Las Vegas.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Schedule of Posts for Feb. and March
With Spring Training well underway, it's time to start thinking about the 2010 season in earnest. The two leagues - Grapefruit in Florida and Cactus in Arizona - don't begin actual games until March 2 and 3, respectively.
At that time, Baseball on Deck will begin awarding Player of the Day in each League through the end of Spring Training and then switch to AL and NL POTD on opening day, April 5.
Beginning March 2, we'll offer individual team breakdowns in addition to POTD reports, so by April 1, we'll have covered all 31 MLB teams.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Baseball is Back! Well, almost...
It's a Whole New Ball Game
Players Report in One Week!
For die-hard baseball fans, here are the current and upcoming key dates:
Feb. 1-21: Arbitration hearings
Feb. 18-March 2: Players report to spring training
March 2: Spring training games begin
April 4: Regular season opens: Yankees-Red Sox
Maybe it's the kid in all of us, but there's something magical about baseball, Springtime, robins chirping and furry rodents peeking out from beneath their hibernation burrows. As the Yankee Clipper, Joe DiMaggio once said about opening day,
You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen.Of course, Joltin' Joe hit the nail right on the head. Something wonderful does happen. Grumpy old men smile. Ladies who could care less about any other sport become enthralled with the physique of a home run hitter. Little kids gape in awe of their heroes. Some of us even cry, the sport brings back memories of friends long gone, splendid days of youth. Baseball makes us all young again. Whether we hate the Yankees or love the Red Sox, our team is our pride. The joy and agony (for Cubs fans, that is) endures wars, famines, technology, politics and even Facebook. It lifts our spirits and transcends the day-to-day. It has, over the span of many years, become a permanent fixture in the culture of America. It is love and poetry and chaos and drama all rolled into a lazy summer afternoon. It is the best we have, even in the worst of times. Here's to another great season. Play Ball! Soon!
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