Tuesday, December 30, 2014

The New York Jets win their final game to end a miserable 4-12 season



The New York Jets won their final game of the season in Miami.  They had a dreadful season finishing it at 4-12.  The Jets didn't waste any time firing their head coach Rex Ryan who had a good run and changed the franchise to some degree with his brash style.  John Idzik the GM didn't survive either as he has been fired from the team.  The most amazing thing about this season is that Geno Smith finished the game with a perfect passer rating.  Maybe there is hope for him and the Jets after all.  He was benched earlier this season in favor of veteran Michael Vick who really didn't do much either in his time with the team.  The Jets just didn't have enough talent and they went to Vick too late in the season for it to mean anything anyway.  The Jets need to find a quarterback and I don't know if they will trade for one, draft one or sign a veteran free agent, we will see but they need to do something. 

The final score was 37-24 and this game took place in Miami.  Geno Smith was 20-25 for 358 yards and three touchdowns.  Chris Ivory led the rushing attack with 13 carries for 29 yards.  Owusu had one carry for 23 yards and it was a touchdown.  Eric Decker led the receivers with 10 catches for 221 yards  and a touchdown.  Sudfeld had two catches for 44 yards.  Chris Johnson had 10 carries for 20 yards rushing.  Nick Folk made three of four field goals and all four extra points. 

Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins was 23-39 for 259 yards and a touchdown.  Miller had 19 carries for 178 yards and a touchdown.  Hartline had five catches for 94 yards, Landry had five catches for 55 yards and Clay had five for 45 yards. 

Harris had 2 1/2 sacks for the Jets, Coples had two, Davis and Richardson each had one and Wilkerson had 1/2 a sack.   The Jets had a miserable season and it came to an end on a positive.  The team will not be the same at all as the head coach and GM will be different and I am sure they will be trying to find a new quarterback at the very least to challenge Smith. 

The New York Giants end their season with a loss



The New York Giants finished their 2014 season with a loss at home to the Philadelphia Eagles.  They finished the season at 6-10 but after losing seven straight, they were able to win three straight before losing this final game.  There were positives to take out of the season like Eli Manning having a very good year and rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. becoming one of the best receivers in the league.  The defense wasn't very good at all this season and they weren't very good in this final game.  Jason Pierre-Paul had a good season and will want to be paid but it remains to be seen if the Giants will bring him back.  Antrelle Rolle is also a free agent but he had a poor season and I don't see him coming back.  Tom Coughlin will be coming back after all with more changes expected on his staff.  If I had to guess I would think they fire Perry Fewell the defensive coordinator and keep the tandem of Coughlin and McAdoo together as the offense grew this season and are heading into the offseason feeling very good about themselves and what they can do in the future. 

The final score was 34-26, Eli Manning was 28-53 for 429 yards and a touchdown.  Andre Williams had 43 yards rushing on 15 carries and Rashad Jennings had 33 yards rushing on 10 carries.  Beckham led the receivers once again.  He had 12 catches for 185 yards  and a touchdown.  Ruben Randle had six catches for 158 yards and it is easy to see why they are excited with Victor Cruz coming back next year to pair with these two. 

Mark Sanchez for the Eagles was 23-36 for 292 yards and two touchdowns.  McCoy had 99 yards rushing on 17 carries and Polk had 38 rushing yards on seven carries.  Matthews had eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown. 

Pierre-Paul had two sacks for the Giants, Herzlich had a sack along with Kuhn.  Harris had an interception.  Josh Brown the kicker was 4-4 on field goals and made both extra points as well. 

The Giants lost their first two games of the season and then won three straight to be 3-2 on the season.   They then lost seven straight before winning three straight coming into this game.  Their head coach and GM have been on the hot seat but it appears that both will be staying.  The Giants are going to need to turn it around next year though and make the playoffs or else I could see both of them not returning. 

Saturday, December 20, 2014

The New York Yankees and Miami Marlins hook up in a five player trade



The New York Yankees made a surprising trade with the Miami Marlins on Friday afternoon.  They traded versatile infielder Martin Prado and pitcher David Phelps for pitcher Eovaldi, first baseman Garrett Jones and a minor league pitcher.  It is surprising because the Yankees really liked Prado and had him penciled in at second base and he could also provide backup to third base and the outfield.  The Yankees needed pitching though and they really never had a spot for Phelps.  Phelps was bounced around between the rotation and the bullpen with the Yankees never fully knowing what they wanted to do with him.  Eovaldi is a 24 year old pitcher with a lot of upside.  He threw about 200 innings last season which is important to the Yankees but they also like that he is young and cheap.  He is one of the hardest throwers in baseball and the Yankees feel they can work with him to make him a better pitcher. 

The most interesting part of this deal for me is Jones.  He is definitely the backup first baseman to fragile Mark Teixeira which will assure that Headley only has to play third base and further marginalizes Alex Rodriguez.  Rodriguez was going to be the backup to third and first and the full-time DH.  I would say maybe he is the backup at third now and a part time DH.  He will be the DH against leftie and won't play the field unless there is an emergency.  Jones has a left power swing which is perfect for Yankee Stadium.  He has hit 15+ homeruns in six straight years and the Yankees figure that number will go up with the short porch in right field.  He is a guy that if he plays enough should hit 20/25 homeruns and provide much needed left handed power to the team.  He can also backup RF which is important to the Yankees with Beltran also being a little bit fragile. 

The other part of this equation is second base is wide open now.  It looks like the Yankees will have a spring training battle between two youngsters Rob Refsnyer who is 23 years old and Jose Pirela who is a little bit older.  Pirela is also a younger cheaper version of Prado so it is possible he could be a bench player who backups multiple positions.  He may also be at AAA ready to step up if anything happens with Refsnyder as the second baseman which I think the Yankees and most of the fans want.  It is also possible the Yankees don't risk this at all and they sign a veteran such as Stephen Drew or Asdrubal Cabrera to play second base.  The Yankees now have their rotation set with Eovaldi slotting in behind Masahiro Tanaka, Michael Pineda, CC Sabathia.  The fifth starter job right now looks like it belongs to Chris Capuano but by May or June Ivan Nova should be returning from Tommy John and figures to slot in the rotation as well.  The Yankees bullpen seems set as well with Betances and Miller at the backend and Shawn Kelley, Justin Wilson and Adam Warren in front of them.  They also have Esmil Rogers who can serve as the longman and there could be a battle for the last spot between recent pickup German from the Mets and youngster Jacob Lindgren. 

The Yankees have clearly gone the youth rout this offseason.  They could have a double play combination that is 25 and 23 years old and have them for years to come if it works out.  They are also clearly setting up 1B and RF for the next couple of years to be taken over by youngsters Aaron Judge and Greg Bird and Headley although not a youth is in his prime and signed for four years.  They have McCann and a young backup behind him who could take over when McCann is ready to go.  Gardner and Ellsbury in the outfield are also in their prime and most importantly to them is the pitching with four of their five starters being under 30 when Nova comes back and their bullpen also filled with young guys and more coming behind them.  We will see how this all works out but the Yankees have decided to change business and go the way that they built their late 90s dynasty.  They will go with homegrown talent and then the right trade or free agent signing that won't kill them. 

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

The New York Giants win second game in a row



The New York Giants won their second game in a row on Sunday afternoon.  They defeated the Washington Redskins 24-13 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  The Giants started the year losing two in a row and then won three in a row before losing seven in a row.  They are now on a modest two game winning streak with two games left to play.  Eli Manning had a good game and Odell Beckham Jr. continues to be a beast as he caught three touchdown passes.  The defense was better then it has been as well. 

Eli Manning was 23-34 for three touchdowns and no interceptions.  He had 250 yards passing and a rating of 118.5 which was his second highest of the season.  Beckham caught 12 passes for 143 yards and had all three of the Giants touchdowns.  The 12 receptions were the most ever by a Giants rookie.  The other seven Giants to catch passes totaled 11. 

The running game had trouble once again which they have most of the season.  The Giants offensive line needs to improve if they are going to improve next season.  Williams had 18 carries for 44 yards and Jennings had one carry and left with an ankle injury. 

The defense was much better.  Jason Pierre-Paul and Jonathan Hankins each had 2.5 sacks to lead the defense.  Cullen Jenkins had a sack and Damontre Moore and Devon Kennard had a 1/2 sack each.  The Giants have 41 sacks this season which surpasses last year when they only had 34.  They have two games remaining so they are well ahead of last season. 

Pierre-Paul leads the team with 9.5 sacks this season and Hankins is second with seven sacks.  The Giants have won two in a row and have two games remaining.  They will play in St. Louis on Sunday late afternoon and then return home for their final game on December 28th against the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Saturday, December 13, 2014

MLB Winter Meetings Recap



It was a wild and very busy four days at the annual baseball winter meetings in San Diego, California.  The local New York teams stayed quiet but the rest of the league didn't.  It used to be just the big spending big market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs etc would make noise but not anymore.  The Oakland Athletics have been very buys, the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins were very busy this week, the Red Sox and Cubs were active also. 

The Chicago White Sox signed David Robertson to be their closer.  He got a four year deal for around 46million.   They also traded for starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija from the Oakland Athletics.  The actual trade was RHP Chris Bassitt, C Josh Phegley, 1B Rangel Ravelo and IF Marcus Semien for Samardzija and RHP Michael Ynoa. 

The Cleveland Indians acquired OF/1B Brandon Moss from the Oakland Athletics for minor league second baseman Joe Wendle.  The Athletics were very busy but it appears they are in rebuild mode although Billy Beane doesn't see it that way. 

The Chicago Cubs signed Jason Hammel to a two year deal and then they signed Jon Lester to a six year deal.  The Arizona Diamondbacks finalized their six year deal with cuban Yasmany Thomas.  The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed RHP Josh Lindblom off of waivers from the Oakland Athletics.  The Toronto Blue Jays claimed 1B/OF Chris Colabello off of waivers from the Minnesota Twins.  The Chicago White Sox claimed C Rob Brantly off of waivers from the Miami Marlins.  The Texas Rangers claimed LHP Scott Barnes off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates resigned pitcher Francisco Liriano to a three year deal.  He had a very good year last year and has stabilized their rotation.  The Chicago Cubs acquired catcher Miguel Montero from the Arizona Diamondbacks for RHP Jeferson Mejia and RHP Zack Godley.  The Anaheim Angels acquired C Drew Butera from the Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations or a player to be named later. 

The Miami Marlins acquired second baseman Dee Gordon, RHP Dan Haren and IF Miguel Rojas from the Los Angeles Dodgers for LHP Andrew Heaney, IF/OF Enrique Hernandez, RHP Chris Hatcher and C/IF Austin Barnes.  The Dodgers then acquired second baseman Howie Kendrick from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for LHP Andrew Heaney.  The Angels acquired infielder Josh Rutledge from the Colorado Rockies for RHP Jairo Diaz. 

The Houston Astros signed reliever Luke Gregerson to a three year deal and reliever Pat Neshek to a two year deal.  The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired left handed pitcher/reliever Antonio Bastardo from the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league pitcher Joely Rodriguez. 

The meetings finished with a flurry on the last day.  The San Diego Padres acquired outfielder Matt Kemp and C Tim Federowicz from the San Diego Padres in exchange for catcher Yasmani Grandal, pitcher Joe Wieland and minor league pitcher Zach Eflin. 

The Detroit Tigers acquired outfielder Yoenis Cespedes from the Boston Red Sox for pitcher Rick Porcello.  They also received RHP Alex Wilson and LHP Gabe Speier.  The Miami Marlins acquired Mat Latos from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Anthony DeSclafani and C Chad Wallach. 

The Minnesota Twins signed pitcher Ervin Santana to a four year deal.  The Kansas City Royals signed 1B/DH Kendrys Morales to a two year deal.  The Detroit Tigers acquired Alfredo Simon a pitcher from the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for RHP Jonathan Crawford and infielder Eugenio Suarez.  The Boston Red Sox signed pitcher Justin Masterson to a one year deal. 

The Texas Rangers acquired pitcher Ross Detwiler from the Washington Nationals in exchange for two minor leaguers.  The Miami Marlins acquired RHP Andre Rienzo from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for LHP Dan Jennings.  The New York Mets signed outfielder/1B John Mayberry Jr. to a one year deal. 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

MLB Winter Meetings 2014



The MLB winter meetings began officially on Monday although a lot of people got into town Sunday night.  They are being held in San Diego, California this year.  The big news so far is that David Robertson signed with the Chicago White Sox and the White Sox also traded for pitcher Jeff Samardzija.  There have been lots of Jon Lester rumors but nothing as of yet.  First it was reported it was down to the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants but not they are saying there may still be four teams involved.  A decision is expected soon but we will see. 

The Diamondbacks traded catcher Miguel Montero to the Chicago Cubs for a couple of minor leaguers.  The two players are pitchers Jeferson Mejia and Zack Godley. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates resigned left handed starting pitcher Francisco Liriano for three years and 39 millions which is the largest free agent contract in team history.  The Jeff Samardzija trade was also minor league pitcher Michael Ynoa going to the White Sox in the deal and the Athletics getting back infielder Marcus Semien, right hander Chris Bassitt, catcher Josh Phegley and first baseman Rangel Ravelo. 

We learned that the Yankees never even offered Robertson a contract.  Once they signed Miller they were out on Robertson never considering having two high priced relievers.  They feel that with Miller and Betances in the back end they are fine and that they also have Justin Wilson, Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren if he isn't in the rotation.  The Yankees also have lefty first round pick from last year Jacob Lindgren just about ready to contribute.  They may still sign a traditional closer for a year or two who costs less then Robertson but if not may just mix and match with Betances and Miller at the end of games. 

 

Saturday, December 6, 2014

The New York Yankees become very active on a Friday



The New York Yankees had completed a minor trade and made a couple of small signing so far this off-season.  Well with all the fanbase and media kind of waiting and yelling for the Yankees to do something they woke up on a Friday.  The Yankees made a three team trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers to land their shortstop and they also signed the top reliever on the market in Andrew Miller.  David Robertson who is their own closer and the top one on the board no doubt but Miller had a better year last year as a setup man.  The Yankees aren't out on Robertson yet though even though it would seem that way. 

I will start with the three way trade first.  The Yankees acquired Didi Gregorius who is 24 years old and under team control until 2020 and making around 500,000.  They gave up Shane Greene who went to the Detroit Tigers and the Tigers traded a pitcher to the Diamondbacks.  Gregorius is known for his glove which is plus but not so much for his hitting.  He does have some pop and should be able to hit 10+ homeruns with the short porch in Yankee Stadium.  He has a very high hard hit ball rate which would indicate his average last year was some bad luck.  He also may have needed a change of scenery  with the Diamondbacks not playing him every day as they had some other good shortstop prospects.  He may sit against some tough lefties early on but could end up as the full time shortstop very quickly.  Brendan Ryan is the backup and he could see some time against lefties but we will see. 

Andrew Miller has been dominant in the bullpen over the last three years.  He was a big prospect who signed with the Detroit Tigers but was a failed starter.  He is basically the left handed version of Dellin Betances and that is pretty scary stuff.  The Yankees are still talking to their closer David Robertson but if they do lose him they would have Miller and Betances for the last 6-9 outs and they still have Shawn Kelley, Justin Wilson and Adam Warren if he isn't in the rotation.  Jacob Lindgren is a lefty prospect who they also love who could be pitching in the majors this year also.  If the Yankees do sign Robertson though also they will have a super pen with he, Miller and Betances to lock down the final three or four innings.  It appears the Yankees strategy this winter is run prevention and they see that by getting better defensively at short and also by pitching especially in the bullpen.  The Yankees figure that if they are going to get better offensively it will be by the players they signed last year in Brian McCann and Carlos Beltran and also from Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and a full year of Martin Prado.  They also are very high on prospects Jose Pirela and Rob Refsnyer who could be competing for the starting second base job. 

Thursday, December 4, 2014

MLB hot stove news and notes



The Baltimore Orioles lost Nelson Cruz to the Seattle Mariners just the other day.  They have now lost long time right fielder Nick Markakis.  He signed with the Atlanta Braves for four years and around 45 million dollars.  Nelson Cruz signed with the Mariners for four years and 58 million.  The trade front has been pretty active and will be more active next week during the Winter meetings in San Diego, California.   The Toronto Blue Jays who have been very busy this off-season continue to be.  They traded pitcher J.A. Happ to the Seattle Mariners for Michael Saunders.  Saunders is a 28 year old outfielder who played in only 78 games last season.  He batted 273 with a 791 OPS and eight homeruns.  He has battled injuries over the past three seasons.  Happ is 32 years old and went 11-11 last season with a 4.22 ERA in 28 starts. 

The Jon Lester sweepstakes have really heated up and appear close to coming to an end.  The Los Angeles Dodgers have become a very late entrant and may be pushing hard for him.  The Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox are believed to be the two other front runners although there are other teams in the mix as well.  There were reports that this should get done this week but now today they are saying not until the winter meetings next week most likely.  There hasn't been much talk about the other top pitcher Max Scherzer, there were some rumors about the Yankees the other day but nothing has come out of that. 

The other big pitcher that has been getting the spotlight the last couple of days is lefty reliever Andrew Miller.  It looks like it is down to just a couple of teams with the New York Yankees and Houston Astros appearing to be the favorites.  There have been conflicting reports about the Astros and Red Sox being out of it though.  I am guessing the Yankees do end up signing him.  He may get four years and around 40 million though and most believe the Yankees don't want to go to four years but maybe three and an option year.  I also wonder if this would put them out with David Robertson or if they are trying to sign both and have a super bullpen.  Can you imagine if they have Robertson, Miller, Betances and then have the next  tier like Justin Wilson, Shawn Kelley and Adam Warren.  That would be a pretty sick bullpen and shorten games to six innings and take stress off of their injury plagued starters. 

How about the Atlanta Braves and Justin Upton??  He appears likely to be traded and maybe the Seattle Mariners are a team that would match up.  They are looking for another bat to put with Robinson Cano and Cruz.  There were reports today that the Detroit Tigers are shopping David Price and Rick Porcello so stay tuned for that next week also.  The Yankees may be talking to teams about trading for a shortstop so also look for that.  Chase Headley reportedly has a four year and 65 million dollar deal in hand from a mystery team.  If that is true he will be gone from the Yankees and they will have Martin Prado as their third baseman and two rookies battling for second in Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela. 

I would expect a flurry of trades next week during the winter meetings.  I also forgot about a big trade that happened during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.  Josh Donaldson was traded to the Blue Jays for Brett Lawrie and three prospects.  The Jays have some lineup now with Russell Martin, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Donaldson and now Michael Saunders also.  There was a report that Donaldson and GM Billy Beane were at war by the end of the year and that may be a big reason he traded him. 

The New York Giants losing streak hits seven games



The New York Giants had been playing miserable football most of the season.  They did play well against Dallas though in the last game and were looking forward to a so called softer schedule for the final few weeks.  They went into Jacksonville and lost to the 1 win Jaguars by a score of 25-24.  The Giants had scored on their first three possessions and held a 21-0 lead.  They were winning 21-3 at halftime but the second half was a different story.  The Giants statistically pretty much dominated the game but they fumbled the ball in the end zone and then later in the game they fumbled and the Jaguars returned it 41 yards for a touchdown.  The offense didn't play so well in the second half and the turnovers cost them dearly. 

Eli Manning was 24-34 for 247 yards and a touchdown.  Rashad Jenning led the rushing attack with 26 carries and 91 yards.  He also had two rushing touchdowns.  Odell Beckham Jr. led the receivers with seven catches for 90 yards. 

The difference in this game was the turnovers with the Giants have three of them and the Jaguars none.  The Giants defense was pretty good in this game, they had seven sacks.  They haven't been able to get much pressure on the quarterback all year. 

The Giants have now lost seven straight games after actually being 3-2 after five games.  This was their low point though as the Jaguars had one win coming into this game.  The Giants in some of these games though have played a very good first half and then never seem to make any adjustments while the other teams do and are able to win the game in the second half.  The Giants are not going anywhere and the only positive could be a high draft pick.  They will most likely change the coaching staff now and maybe even the general manager.  The big question will be what happens to first year offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo.  The Giants will head to Tennessee next week to take on the Titans. 

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

The baseball world has another big hot stove Monday



The Boston Red Sox who just a couple years ago proclaimed that the other teams such as their archrivals who spend big can keep doing that but they do business differently now.  Well look how quickly things change, they finished in last place for the second time in three years.  The year in between the two last place finishes did produce a world championship.  They went out and signed Hanley Ramirez who was their property to begin with at the beginning of his career and they also signed Pablo Sandoval.  They spend approximately 190 million on two guys.  Ramirez it appears will be moving to left field where he has never played before other then the winter leagues.  Sandoval is coming off a world championship with the San Francisco Giants and will be the third baseman. 

There is reason to be happy if you are part of Red Sox Nation but I would also be cautious.  Ramirez is always hurt and he isn't known as a great clubhouse guy either.  Sandoval is a very good player who becomes great in the postseason but they are paying him to be great all the time.  There is always a concern with his weight and also his OPS has gone down in three straight seasons.  The Red Sox also need pitching which they appear that they may be getting in free agency or a big trade.  They also have a logjam of players right now. 

The rumors are that they are talking to the Phillies about Cole Hamels and they are also talking to Jon Lester about a reunion although to me that seems less likely.  They really need two starters at the moment as they have Clay Bucholz, Joe Kelly and a bunch of unknown quantities.  The last time the Red Sox did this it didn't work and they tore it apart by trading guys to the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Will this time be different, will it bring short term results but long term problems?  Will the New York Yankees react or are they going to act like the Red Sox were pledging to act just a couple of years ago.  There are a lot of questions right now but we will see how this all plays out the rest of the winter into spring training and then the regular season.  The Red Sox are very active right now and people like action just remember though world championships aren't won on paper or in the off-season, they are won from April-October. 

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

The MLB Hot stove is burning on a Monday



The Hot Stove really started burning on Monday.  The Miami Marlins extension with Giancarlo Stanton was announced.  The St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves made a trade involving Jayson Heyward and Shelby Miller and the Toronto Blue Jays signed Russell Martin.  What could be in store for Tuesday?

I will start with the Marlins and Stanton.  He signed a 13 year deal for 325 million dollars.  This is with a team that has been known to blow things up quickly and not spend money.  It will be interesting to see now if they surround him with some more talent.  They were up and coming last year and had a pretty good year, let's see what happens.  Stanton did get a no trade clause and an opt out after five or six years. 

The trade between the Cardinals and the Braves was Jayson Heyward and Jordan Walden to the Cardinals for Shelby Miller and a minor leaguer.  Heyward is a solid player especially defensively but has never put up the power numbers that the Braves had thought he would.  He batted 271 last season with 11 homeruns and 58 RBI.  He had 20 stolen bases and won his second gold glove.  Miller was 10-9 with a 3.74 for the Cardinals last season.  He was 15-9 with a 3.06 ERA in his rookie season of 2013. 

The Blue Jays gave Martin five  years and 82 million.  They definitely overpaid for a guy who had a career year last season.  He did bat 290 last season with 11 homeruns and 67 RBI.  He also had a 402 OBP and had a caught stealing percentage of 38.5 which was fourth best in the majors.  He has a 259 career average and is known to be a leader.  He has been to four straight postseasons with three different teams. 

I don't know what is going to happen the rest of this week but it has gotten off to a hot start in the hot stove league. 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

New York Yankees news and notes



The New York Yankees have been pretty quiet so far this offseason.  They did sign Chris Young to a one year 2.5 million dollar deal before last week GM meetings took place.  David Robertson did turn down the qualifying offer last Monday as expected.  He seems to have a lot of suitors but it doesn't mean he won't return to the Yankees.  I would still bet on that happening although I didn't think Robinson Cano would leave last year either. 

The Yankees did make a minor trade last week and also signed a very minor player also last week.  They traded fan favorite Francisco Cervelli to the Pittsburgh Pirates for left handed reliever Justin Wilson.  I think this was a good move because they had a surplus of catchers and Cervelli is a career backup with a big injury history.  They are very high on their minor league catchers such as John Ryan Murphy and Austin Romine and then Gary Sanchez is considered their number one prospect and this should open up the AAA starting catcher spot for him.  Romine and Murphy will battle it out for backup catcher in spring training although Romine is out of options.  It appears that Murphy has the edge for the spot but we will have to wait and see.  As for Wilson he has very good stuff and is young and controllable right now.  The Yankees do have some left handed relievers in the minors they are very high on.  Wilson though is more of a proven commodity, I wouldn't rule out Jacob Lindgren making the team along with Wilson.  Wilson was 3-4 with a 4.20 ERA 70 appearances last season with the Pirates.  He is 6'2  and in three major league seasons is 9-5 with a 2.99 ERA. 

The other minor move that they made was picking up Jose De Paula on a one year split contract.  He will receive 510,000 if he appears in the majors and 175,000 in the minors.  He was with AAA Fresno in the San Francisco Giants organization last season.  De Paula went 4-3 with a 4.21 ERA.  He has never appeared in the majors but the Yankees like his stuff and he will have a chance to compete for a starting spot.  If not he will be AAA insurance.  This is one of those moves that can't hurt, if it works out great and if not then you didn't lost much. 

The Yankees are talking with Robertson and they have made offers to Chase Headley and Brandon McCarthy from what I understand but they are in wait and see mode.  It appears that if Headley doesn't resign with them then Martin Prado will be their third baseman with Rob Refsnyder and Jose Pirela battling it out for second base.  If no McCarthy the Yankees could look at other middle tier alternatives such as Jason Hammell. 

Friday, November 14, 2014

The New York Mets signing of Michael Cuddyer



The Mets signed outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a two year and 21 million dollar deal.  They were the first ones to make a big splash.  Cuddyer is a sign that the Mets are ready to compete and done with their rebuilding mode.  He turned down the one year/15.3 million dollar qualifying offer from the Colorado Rockies.  The Rockies will get a compensation pick from the Mets which will be the number 15 pick in the draft. 

Cuddyer is 35 and a two time all-star.  He was the 2013 National League batting champion.  He is a veteran of 14 seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Colorado Rockies.  He owns a career 279 average and has played in 1,419 games.  He hits and throws right handed.  He played 49 games last season with the Rockies batting 332 with 10 homeruns and 31 RBI.  He made three trips to the disabled list with a left shoulder strain and a left hamstring strain. 

"We talk a lot about not giving up picks.  In this case, we looked at it, did the analysis and decided this player was worth it.  We had a pretty good sense of what was out there.  We're pretty happy that we addressed one of our biggest needs and, although we sacrificed a draft pick, didn't give up any of our current talent," Ricco said.  "We're still in a great position to have a productive meeting at the GM meetings and see how else we can improve the team.  "Certainly we value our draft picks and would like to hold onto them.  But, at the same time, we're looking to win.  So in this case, we decided that the value of Michael Cuddyer was worth it." 

They said that they looked at the injuries and there was nothing too concerning.  They feel he will be a good player for them.  They said the age is the age and their is risk with any signing but this is one they were willing to take.  I think this is a good move for the Mets as long as they add at least a shortstop with it.  I believe they are going to do that and then they are on their way.  They are too close to contending now to not take some risk and spend some money.  He will be a good veteran bat in the middle of their lineup.  It also signals to the fans and the rest of the baseball world that they aren't fooling around anymore and that the Mets are for real now. 

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

The New York Rnagers win 5-0 over the Pittsburgh Penguins



The New York Rangers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Madison Square Garden and the final score was 5-0.  The Rangers had a bad weekend and came out like a team on a mission.  Henrik Lundqvist was great in goal and they had contributions from a lot of guys.  All of the goals were scored by a different player.  Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis, Kevin Klein, Derick Brassard and Mats Zucarello scored the goals. 

Lundqvist made 33 saves as the Rangers got back over 500 at 7-6-2.   They will now face off against the Colorado Avalanche at home on Thursday night.  The Rangers jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period.  Zuccarello, St. Louis and Klein scored the first period goals.  Brassard scored a power play goal in the second period and Nash scored a shorthanded goal in the third period to complete the scoring. 

Lundqvist earned his third shutout of the season and Marc-Andre Fleury took only his third loss of the season.  The Rangers and Penguins met for the first time this season after the Rangers rallied in the postseason last year to defeat them. 

MLB GM Meetings in Phoenix, Arizona



The MLB GM meetings began on Monday and will be finishing up on Wednesday.  This is usually a time where not much action occurs but a lot of groundwork laying does happen.  This year it does seem to be more active than in the past though.  What have we learned so far, let me take you through that. 

The Yankees signed Chris Young to a one year 2.5 million dollar deal with incentives.  That actually occured before the meetings.  GM Brian Cashman has said he is set in the outfield with him being the fourth outfielder.  They are looking at several options at SS and the two latest rumored names are Elvis Andrus from the Texas Rangers and Jimmy Rollins of the Philadelphia Phillies.  They would have to be acquired in a trade.  There is risk with both, Andrus is young which is good for the Yankees but he has an 8 year 120 million dollar contract ready to kick in next year.  Rollins is older and declining although he is still capable of putting up decent numbers.  I am kind of leaning towards resigning Stephen Drew on this one.  Cashman has said that he will be talking to him and his agent and will see what happens there.  Troy Tulowitzki is a sexy name but he is always hurt, costs a lot of money and will cost a lot of prospects. 

The Mets made the first big splash of the offseason by signing Michael Cuddyer to a two year/ 21 million dollar deal.  He will be their RF with Curtis Granderson moving over to left field.  I think this was a good move for them, they will forfeit the number 15 pick in the draft.  I say who cares though, they are close to contending and they need a veteran bat in their lineup.  If they aren't done and he isn't the only signing then it is a really good move. 

The Red Sox are said to be all in on Pablo Sandoval.  I find it hard to believe he will leave San Francisco but we shall see.  There were some minor moves such as Zoilo Almonte signing a major league deal with the Atlanta Braves and Chien Ming Wang signing with the Braves also but to a minor league contract and an invite to spring training. 

There are talks that the Seattle Mariners want to sign a big bat so they will push also for Sandoval or maybe Victor Martinez.  They feel they are close to getting over the top and after spending a lot on Cano last year they aren't done yet. 

My take on the Yankees and Mets needing shortstops is they will find them through trades most likely.  I think the Mets definitely will and I think the Yankees will if Stephen Drew and them can't come to an agreement.  I do think the most likely is for that to happen as they really seem to want to protect their best prospects and start using them in the majors very soon. 

The winter meetings will begin in a little under a month and that is where the hot stove will really heat up and a lot of movement will happen.  Until then most of this is just speculation and the start to a busy off-season.   

Monday, November 10, 2014

The New York Giants lose their fourth straight game as they are trounced in Seattle



The New York Giants were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks by the score of 38-17 on Sunday evening.  The game took place in Seattle, Washington.  The New York Giants were competitive for most of the game on Sunday evening.  The final score though wouldn't indicate that as they lost in Seattle by the score of 38-17.  Eli Manning was good and Odell Beckham Jr. looks to be the real deal.  The Giants can't run the ball at all though and their defense is really bad as they gave up over 300 yards rushing. 

Eli Manning was 29-44 for 283 yards and one touchdown.  He also was intercepted once.  Andre Williams rushed the ball for 33 yards on 13 carries and Beckham had one carry for 11 yards.  Beckham led the receivers with seven catches for 108 yards and Preston Parker also had seven catches for 79 yards. 

Russell Wilson was 10-17 for 172 yards and no touchdowns.  Marshawn Lynch had 140 yards rushing on 21 carries and Wilson had 107 yards rushing on 14 carries.  Kearse was the leading receiver with three catches for 70 yards. 

The Giants defense statistically is the worst they have ever had.  They came in to the game allowing around 27 points per game.  They have given up 5 300 rushing yard games which is pretty hard to do.  It was the most rushing yards that any team in the NFL has allowed in five years. 

The Giants are now 3-6 and on a four game losing streak.  They most certainly will finish under 500 for the second straight season and miss the playoffs for the third straight season.  They will now face the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys in back to back weeks at home.  It is looking more and more like the Giants will make major changes to their coaching staff after this season especially if they can't turn it around even a little bit. 

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Madison Bumgarner leads the San Francisco Giants to their third title in five years



The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 3-2.  Tim Hudson started for the Giants but the story was Madison Bumgarner who pitched five innings in relief on two days rest.  Jeremy Guthrie started for the Royals and pitched pretty well, their big guys in the bullpen also came in to the game early.  Pablo Sandoval led the Giants offense once again. 

Hudson pitched 1 2/3 innings giving up three hits and two runs.  He walked one and struck out one.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched 2 1/3 innings giving up a hit and Bumgarner pitched five innings giving up two hits and no runs with four strikeouts.  He earned his third win of the World Series and is 5-0 career in the World Series. 

Guthrie lost the game pitching 3 1/3 innings and giving up four hits and three runs.  He walked none and struck out three.  Kelvin Herrera pitched 2 2/3 innings giving up three hits and he struck out four, Wade Davis pitched two innings giving up a hit and struck out three and Greg Holland pitched an inning and he struck out two. 

Sandoval had three hits, Hunter Pence had two hits and Brandon Belt had two hits.  Michael Morse had  ahit and two RBI, Brandon Crawford had an RBI and Sandoval hit a double.  The Giants were 2-6 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.  Blanco committed an error. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit, Nori Aoki drew a walk and Lorenzo Cain had a hit.  Billy Butler had a hit, Alex Gordon had two hits and an RBI and Omar Infante had a hit and an RBI.  Gordon hit a double and the Royals were 0-5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base. 

In the second Morse hit a sacrifice fly to give the Giants a 1-0 lead and then Crawford hit a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.  In the bottom of the second Gordon hit an RBI double to make it a 2-1 game.  Infante hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at two.  Morse hit an RBI single in the fourth to make it 3-2 Giants and that would be the final score.  The San Francisco Giants won their third World Series in five years and the MVP was Bumgarner. 

The Kansas City Royals win game six to force a game seven



The Kansas City Royals defeated the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 10-0.  The series is even at three games each with game seven to be played on Wednesday night.  Jake Peavy started for the Giants and he wasn't good at all, Yordano Ventura started for the Royals and was very good.  Every player in the Royals starting lineup had a hit and six of them had two hits. 

Peavy pitched 1 1/3 innings giving up six hits and five runs with a walk and two strikeouts.  He lost his second game of the series.  Yusmeiro Petit pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up three hits and two runs, Jean Machi pitched three innings giving up five hits and two runs with a walk and two strikeouts and Hunter Strickland pitched two innings giving up one hit and one run with a walk.  Ryan Vogelsong pitched an inning with a walk and a strikeout. 

Ventura picked up the win and pitched seven innings giving up three hits and no runs.  He walked five and struck out four.  Jason Frasor pitched an inning giving up two hits and no runs with a strikeout and Tim Collins pitched an inning giving up a hit and struck out two. 

Gregor Blanco drew a walk, Joe Panik had a hit and drew a walk and Pablo Sandoval had a hit and drew a walk.  Hunter Pence had a hit, Brandon Belt had a hit and Travis Ishikawa drew a walk.  Juan Perez had a hit, Brandon Crawford had a hit and drew a walk and Pence hit a double.  The Giants were 0-6 with runners in scoring position and left ten men on base. 

Alcides Escobar had two hits and an RBI, Nori Aoki had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Lorenzo Cain had two hits, three RBI and drew two walks.  Eric Hosmer had two hits and two RBI, Billy Butler had a hit, an RBI and drew a walk and Alex Gordon had a hit.  Salvador Perez had two hits, Mike Moustakas had two hits and two RBI and Omar Infante had two hits.  Moustakas, Hosmer, Butler, Infante, Cain and Escobar each hit a double.  Moustakas hit a homerun and the Royals were 7-16 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. 

The Royals scored seven runs in the second inning.  Moustakas hit an RBI double, Aoki hit an RBI single, Cain hit a two run single and Hosmer hit a two run double.  The inning was capped off with a Butler RBI double.  In the third Cain hit an RBI double to make it 8-0 Royals.  Escobar hit an RBI double in the fifth to make it 9-0 and they capped off the scoring with a run in the seventh.  Moustakas hit a solo homerun.  The series is tied 3-3 and the Royals have the game at home in game seven on Wednesday night. 

Sunday, October 26, 2014

The San Francisco Giants even the World Series with a 11-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals



The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals 11-4 on Saturday night.  The game took place at AT+T Park in San Francisco, California.  Ryan Vogelson started for the Giants and wasn't very good and Jason Vargas was ok but not great either for the Royals.  Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval and Joe Panik led the Giants offensive attack.  Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez led the Royals with three hits each. 

Vogelson pitched 2 2/3 innings for the Giants giving up seven hits and four runs with a walk and two strikeouts.  Jean Machi pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a walk and a strikeout, Yusmeiro Petit pitched three innings giving up two hits and struck out two and earned the win.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched an inning giving up a hit, Sergio Romo pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out one and Hunter Strickland pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out one. 

Vargas pitched four innings giving up six hits and three runs.  He walked two and struck out three.  Jason Frasor pitched 1/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a run, Danny Duffy pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit and a walk with a strikeout and Brandon Finnegan took the loss pitching an inning and giving up five hits and five runs.  He walked two batters and Tim Collins pitched two innings giving up three hits and two runs with a walk and two strikeouts. 

Gregor Blanco had two hits and drew a walk, Panik had two hits and two RBI and Buster Posey had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks.  Pence had three hits and three RBI, Sandoval had two hits and two RBI and Brandon Belt had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks.  Juan Perez had a hit and an RBI, Brandon Crawford had a hit and Duffy had a hit.  Petit had a hit, Arias had a hit and Michael Morse drew a walk.  Panik hit two doubles and Pence hit a double.  The Giants were 7-19 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.  Blanco had a stolen base. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit, Alex Gordon had a hit and Lorenzo Cain had two hits.  Hosmer had three hits and an RBI, Mike Moustakas drew a walk and Omar Infante had a hit and two RBI.  Perez had three hits and an RBI, Jarrod Dyson had a hit and drew a walk and Hosmer and Gordon each hit a double.  The Royals were 4-11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Gordon had a stolen base and Collins committed an error. 
In the first Pence grounded into a forceout scoring a run and giving the Giants a 1-0 lead.  In the third Hosmer hit an RBI single, Infante hit a two run single and Perez hit an RBI single.  The Royals took a 4-1 lead.  Posey hit an RBI single in the third to cut the lead to 4-2.  In the fifth Pence hit an RBI single and Perez hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four.  In the sixth Sandoval hit a two run single and Belt hit an RBI single giving the Giants a 7-4 lead.  In the seventh Blanco hit an RBI bunt single, Panik hit a two run double and Pence hit an RBI double.  The Giants had a 11-4 lead and that was the final score.  The World Series is tied at two games each with game five on Sunday night in San Francisco.  Game six will be Tuesday in Kansas City and if they need a game seven it will be on Wednesday night in Kansas City

Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Kansas City Royals even the World Series with a 7-2 win



The Kansas City Royals defeated the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 7-2.  Jake Peavy started for the Giants and was ok and Yordano Ventura started for the Royals and was also ok, he was better than Peavy though.  The Royals offense had one big inning which carried them.  The Giants offense had nine hits but no player had more than one hit. 

Peavy pitched five innings giving up six hits and four runs.  He walked two and struck out one.  Jean Machi pitched and didn't record an out.  He gave up a hit and a run, Javier Lopez pitched to one batter and retired him, Hunter Strickland didn't record an out and gave up two hits and two runs.  Jeremy Affeldt pitched 2/3 of an inning giving up a hit, Tim Lincecum pitched 1 2/3 innings and struck out two and Santiago Casilla pitched to one batter and struck him out. 

Ventura pitched 5 1/3 innings giving up eight hits and two runs with two strikeouts.  Kelvin Herrera pitched 1 2/3 innings and picked up the win.  He walked two and struck out one, Wade Davis pitched a perfect inning with a couple of strikeouts and Greg Holland pitched an inning giving up a hit and striking out the sides. 

Gregor Blanco had a hit and an RBI and drew a walk, Joe Panik had a hit and Buster Posey had a hit.  Pablo Sandoval had a hit, Hunter Pence had a hit and Brandon Belt had a hit and an RBI.  Michael Morse had a hit, Travis Ishikawa had a hit, Brandon Crawford had a hit and drew a walk and Sandoval and Belt each hit a double.  Blanco hit a homerun and the Giants were 1-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. 

Alcides Escobar had two hits and an RBI, Lorenzo Cain had two hits and Eric Hosmer drew two walks.  Billy Butler had two hits and two RBI, Salvador Perez had a hit and two RBI and Omar Infante had two hits and two RBI.  Mike Moustakas had a hit, Cain, Infante, Escobar and Perez each hit a double and Infante hit a homerun.  The Royals were 5-9 with runners in scoring position and left three men on base.  Escobar was caught stealing. 

In the first Blanco led off the game with a solo homerun to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.  The Royals tied the game in the bottom of the first.  Butler hit an RBI single and Escobar hit an RBI double in the second to give the Royals a 2-1 lead.  Belt hit an RBI double in the fourth to tie the game at two.  In the sixth the Royals opened up the game with five runs to take a 7-2 lead and that would be the final score.  Butler hit an RBI single, Perez hit a two run double and Infante hit a two run homerun.  The series is now even at one game each as the series shifts to San Francisco for the next three games.   

World Series Game One goes to the San Francisco Giants



The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals in game one of the World Series on Tuesday night.  The game took place at Kaufmann Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri and the final score was 7-1.  Madison Bumgarner started for the Giants and was great as usual and James Shields was not very good for the Royals.  Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence led the Giants offense. 

Bumgarner pitched seven innings giving up three hits and one run.  He walked one and struck out five.  Javier Lopez pitched an inning giving up a hit and Strickland pitched an inning with two strikeouts. 

James Shields pitched three innings giving up seven hits and five runs.  He walked one and struck out one.  Danny Duffy pitched three innings giving up a hit and two runs with three walks and three strikeouts, Tim Collins pitched two innings giving up two hits and a walk and he struck out two and Jason Frasor pitched an inning with a walk and a strikeout. 

Gregor Blanco had a hit, an RBI and drew two walks, Joe Panik had a hit and an RBI and Buster Posey had a hit.  Sandoval had two hits and two RBI, Pence had two hits, two RBI and drew two walks and Brandon Belt had a hit and drew a walk.  Michael Morse had a hit and an RBI and Brandon Crawford had a hit and drew a walk.  Sandoval and Pence each hit a double, Panik hit a triple and Pence hit a homerun.  The Giants were 5-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.  Crawford committed an error. 

Alcides Escobar had a hit, Lorenzo Cain drew a walk and Billy Butler had a hit.  Salvador Perez had a hit and an RBI, Mike Moustakas had a hit which was a double and Perez hit a homerun.  The Royals were 0-3 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.  Moustakas committed an error and Aoki had an outfield assist. 

In the first Sandoval hit an RBI double and Pence hit a two run homerun to give the Giants a 3-0 lead.  In the fourth they increased the lead to 5-0.  Morse hit an RBI single, Blanco had an RBI walk.  In the seventh the Giants scored two more runs to make it 7-0.  Panik hit an RBI triple, Sandoval hit an RBI single.  In the seventh the Royals scored their only run on a Perez solo homerun.  The final score was 7-1 and game two of the series will be on Wednesday night. 

Monday, October 20, 2014

New York Yankees very early offseason notes



The New York Yankees are looking for a new hitting coach while undergoing some changes in the administration.  Brian Cashman is back as the GM for three more years but there are changes in the staff.  They have a new VP of baseball operations in Gary Denbo.  He was most recently in a scouting role with the Yankees.  He has been a long time hitting coach and coordinator throughout the organization.  He worked with Derek Jeter back in 2011 when he snapped out of a big slump.  Pat Roessler will not be back as the director of player development according to Mark Feinsand of the NY Daily News. 

Chili Davis is the new Boston Red Sox hitting coach.  He interviewed with the Yankees and also today Dave Magaden was told by the Yankees that he did not get the job.  He is currently the Texas Rangers hitting coach and is now seen as a possible leading candidate to take over for Davis in Oakland.  James Rowson who has been a minor league hitting instructor and Marcus Thames who was the AA hitting coach have been mentioned as possible other candidates.  Last week the Yankees were basically saying there could be a decision by Tuesday but we will have to wait and see.  Another name that has been mentioned has been long time friend of Joe Girardi, Dante Bichette.  We will have to see if any of those names pan out or is it someone we didn't even hear about. 

Trey Hillman who was serving as a special assistant with the Yankees is now going to Houston to become the bench coach under new manager A.J. Hinch.  There are rumors out there that the Yankees have discussed Omar Minaya becoming part of the Yankees staff in some capacity but up to this point it is just a rumor.  The Yankees have a bunch of players in winter ball. 

Greg Bird is a minor league first baseman who had a really good  year in AA and is off to a great start in the Arizona Fall League.  He leads the league with four homeruns at this point.  Aaron Judge who many consider to be their best prospect is also playing well in Arizona. 

The World Series begins on Tuesday night


The World Series features two opposite teams although they were both wild cards.  It seems like two unlikely teams but I see it different.  It is kind of David vs. Goliath although not exactly.  The San Francisco Giants surprised a lot of people by winning the National League as a wild card team.  The thing about them is though they have had a lot of success in recent years.  The Giants are now in their third World Series in the last five years and they have won two of them.  The Giants won it all in 2010 and also in 2012 which bodes well for them since this is an even year as well.  The Kansas City Royals haven't even made the playoffs since 1985 when they won their last World Championship. 
The Royals are the hottest team, they played great baseball after the All Star Break and then came back from a 7-3 deficit in the wild card game and haven't lost a game.  They swept through the Anaheim Angels and the Baltimore Orioles and are 8-0 in the postseason.  They are a young, athletic team that is acting like they have been here before.  The Royals play great defense and have a great bullpen. 
The San Francisco Giants have very good pitching from top to bottom.  They have more experience and maybe a little better offense.  There isn't really too much difference on paper between the two teams.  The biggest thing in my estimation would be the experience of the Giants.  The Royals do have the home field advantage though.  I see this being a very good and evenly matched series.  I think it will be along one but I think the Giants will come out winning their third title in five years.  I am going to pick the Giants in six to win it.  If you are a baseball fan buckle up as this should be a good one.  If you aren't you may want to check this out as everyone has been drawn into the story of the Royals.  It all begins on Tuesday night. 

Saturday, October 11, 2014

The San Francisco Giants eliminate the Washington Nationals in four games



The San Francisco Giants defeated the Washington Nationals in four games to advance to the NLCS again.  They won the World Series in 2010 and 2012 so if that streak continues they will win it again in 2014.  They are in the NLCS to face the only other team that has represented the NL in the World Series since 2009.  It is amazing how dominant the Giants and Cardinals have been.  The Giants continued to rely on their pitching especially ace Madison Bumgarner.  They were close games, the Giants never have the best hitting but they have enough of it to win. 

There was a marathon 18 inning game that the Giants were able to win.  The Giants have a winning pedigree and have been in this position so much that they don't get rattled and they know how to win.  The Giants have a winning pedigree.  They have to continue to rely on their pitching in the next series.  Bumgarner, Peavy, Tim Hudson and their bullpen.  They do have Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey to carry the offense.  Brandon Belt has provided some good offensive moments and Brandon Crawford had some postseason success as well.  It should be a very good series with the Cardinals as they have a similar winning pedigree and anything can happen in October.  It is pretty much two evenly matched teams and it should be a lot of fun in the NLDS.   

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to advance to NLCS



The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in four games to advance to their fourth straight NLCS.  It is the first time a team has appeared in four straight LCS since the 1998-2001 New York Yankees.  The St. Louis Cardinals don't seem to have the best team but they are always there.  The Cardinals have a great business model though.  They have a lot of young guys that are inexpensive that they work in mainly through their own system.  The Cardinals of course sign some free agents like Matt Holliday but he even comparably isn't that bad of a contract. 

The Cardinals won this series though mainly for one reason.  I give them credit and lots of it for never panicking, for coming back in the late innings.  Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers though blew two games.  He is the best pitcher in baseball, he had an incredible year but he had a 6-1 lead in game one of the series and blew that in a horrendous seventh inning and then in game four he had a 2-0 lead and was cruising along and blew that in the seventh inning.  The worst part is that he gave up the game winning three run homer to Matt Adams.  He hasn't given up a homerun to a left handed batter in two years and never off of his curveball.  Adams also wasn't hitting that great this season but he had his big moment in game four. 

The Dodgers also had no one to trust out of the bullpen other than their closer.  Jansen though the closer only got into one game.  It was a contrast of styles as the Dodgers are a free spending big time organization and then there are the Cardinals who don't spend that much money but keep on turning up in the NLCS.  It is amazing that the biggest spenders this year didn't make it out of the first round if they made it to the postseason at all.  The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox both missed the playoffs.  The Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Dodgers were all bounced in the first round.  What does this teach us?  The Cardinals are a team to be modeled after and the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles who will meet in the ALCS are more teams like the Cardinals then the biggest spending teams.  It will be interesting going forward if more and more teams act like the Cardinals.  It will be really interesting to see if the big spenders act more like them or if they keep doing what they know which is to spend more money and hope for a different outcome next season.  The Cardinals will meet up with the San Francisco Giants who have won the World Series twice in the last four years.  This would be their third time in five years if they end up winning it all this year. 
 

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