Results tagged ‘ Baseball ’
Jeter & Rivera Make 2013 Debuts; Rivera to Retire
The baseball world spent most of Saturday focused on the New York Yankees; more specifically, on Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera. Both played in their first official games since being injured last season–Jeter with a broken ankle, Rivera with a torn ACL–and, not all that shockingly, both had great Spring Training debuts. A good sign for the Yankees. 
But the big news of the day wasn’t the debuts of two veteran Yankees, but rather the announcement by all time saves leader, Mariano Rivera, that the 2013 season would be his last.
“Now is the time”, stated the 43-year-old Rivera, in an early morning press conference. “I have given everything, and the time is almost ending. The thing that I have, the little gas I have left is everything for this year. After that, I’ll empty everything. There’s nothing left. I did everything, and I’m proud of it. That’s why it’s time.”
The time would have come at the end of the 2012 season, had Rivera not have suffered from a torn ACL. An injury which occurred while Rivera was shagging fly balls–his normal pregame routine–during batting practice in Kansas City. But, as expected, Rivera didn’t want to go out like that.
No, not Mariano Rivera. Wanting to go out on his own terms, he has far greater plans.
“The last game, I hope, will be throwing the last pitch in the World Series”, said Rivera. “That’s how I envision to be my last game of my last pitch on the mound. Winning the World Series, that would be my ambition.”
A great ambition indeed, but one that will be somewhat hard to pull off, in my opinion. As although I foresee the Yankees barely making the playoffs this year, with all of the injuries the team currently suffers, I’m not so sure they can make a deep playoff run.
For Mariano Rivera’s sake, I sure hope I’m wrong.
Having already broken a number of MLB records in his 18 seasons, all spent with the Yankees, the 12-time All-Star already has a resume to go out as one of the games’ greats, but a sixth World Series ring would obviously be icing on the cake.
It would truly make for a storybook ending to a storybook career.
2013 Final MLB Standings Predictions
We’re quickly approaching Opening Day, and so starts the predictions of where each team will finish in the coming year. Most of the time there’s always a team or two that comes along and completely throws off your predictions, but that’s what makes it fun. I’m going to be doing a seperate blog post on my predictions for how I feel each team will fare this season, in the next week or two, but for now I want to hear what you all think.
Cast your vote below for which team you feel is most likely to win each division in 2013:
The 2013 MLB regular season has begun, and the polls are now closed. Thanks for voting.
2013 Durham Bulls Fan Fest
About a year ago, I made the statement that I’d love to take batting practice and play catch on a professional baseball field, should the opportunity ever present itself. Little did I know that there was a way to make my wish a reality, as the local Triple-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, the Durham Bulls, hold a fan fest twice a year, giving fans the chance to participate in both of the activities I was looking to take part in.
When I first learned that there was such a thing as fan fest, in October of last year, I already had a vacation planned with my family, so I unfortunately couldn’t attend. Therefore, when it was announced that they were holding another one in March, I made sure to mark the date on my calendar.
I wasn’t going to miss it this time around.
Accompanied by my dad, I arrived at fan fest at 12:30, right at an hour and a half after the gates first opened:
The line you see extending from the batting cage is (obviously) the line of fans waiting for their chance to hit.
With the line being so long (continuing further out of the frame in the picture above), we decided to go ahead and play catch first. So we made our way down the steps, and into the outfield:
All of the balls were being used when we first arrived–we weren’t told to bring our own, though I think most people did–however, a couple of kids were nice enough to let the both of us play catch with them, in a square formation, of sorts.
After the four of us played catch for around 30 minutes, the plan was to head to the batting cage, to take some hacks, but after watching a few people take their turn, it came to my attention that you only received five swings. Knowing that I would more than likely swing and miss on every pitch, I figured it wasn’t worth it. So after a stop in the Bulls’ dugout….
….I decided to take a trek around the outfield warning track:
Here’s what it looked like from straight away center field:
From where I was standing, it’s exactly 400 feet to home plate.
I continued my walk, ending up over by the blue monster….
….where I had my picture taken, just before my dad and I made our way out of the ballpark:
I had a great time at Bulls fan fest. It’s something I’d recommend to anyone, if you’re ever in the area when they hold it. But then again, it’s hard not to have fun anytime baseball is involved.
All of the pictures were taken on my phone, so if they seem a bit blurry, that’s why.
Q and A With Adam Greenberg
Adam Greenberg was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 9th round of the 2002 draft. In the years following the draft, Greenberg averaged .284 a season, with an OBP near .400, over the course of four seasons (347 games) in the minor leagues, before receiving a call up to the Cubs, in July of 2005.
Making his MLB debut on July 9, 2005, Greenberg was beamed in the head by a pitch from Marlins’ pitcher Valerio de los Santos, which resulted in a mild concussion. Greenberg returned to the field for the Cubs’ AA minor league affiliate, a few weeks later, with the intention of rejoining the major league club, however, effects of the concussion still lingered. Effects that would end up keeping Greenberg from ever playing for the Cubs again.
Greenberg went on to play several more seasons in the minor leagues, but a second chance at an MLB at-bat wouldn’t come until 2012, when a fan-made petition allowed Greenberg the chance for one at-bat with the Miami Marlins. The at-bat came on October 2, 2012, against R.A. Dickey, with Greenberg striking out on three pitches. Despite striking out, Greenberg finally received his long awaited major league at-bat.
The Orioles have signed Greenberg to a minor league contract for the coming season, giving him yet another shot at making it back to the majors. You can be sure that Greenberg is going to do his absolute best to make it back, as he has a great work ethic, and a lot of people rooting for him. I, for one, hope he gets many more than one more at-bat in the majors.
Adam Greenberg–minor leaguer in the Orioles organization–took the time recently to answer some of my questions:
1.) At what age did you first become interested in baseball? Who was your biggest baseball influence growing up?
As far back as I can remember I had a bat and ball in my hand. Between family members, coaches and teammates, I had many baseball influences growing up.
2.) Who was your favorite baseball player growing up? Why?
Don Mattingly, because of the way he carried himself on and off the field.
3.) You’re one of only six dozen, or so, Jewish players to ever make it all the way to the bigs. What does that mean to you, to be in such an elite category of players?
It is an honor to be included with such great company.
4.) Had you have gotten a career at-bat before being plunked in the head, do you feel things would’ve gone differently?
Yes, I think things would have turned out a lot differently.
5.) Cubs fan, Matt Liston, played a huge role in getting you your at-bat with the Marlins, as he formed a petition and was able to get thousands of fans to sign it. What did it mean to you to know that you had that kind of support from complete strangers?
The human spirit is amazing! To see such a great reception was amazing. Matt had reached out to me through a mutual contact that I trusted and I was surprised at the momentum he brought. I am very thankful for Matt, my fans and Miami for providing me with the opportunity to get back. A dream come true again.
6.) Would it have meant slightly more for you to have received your one at-bat in 2012 with the Cubs, as they were the team you made your MLB debut for, back in 2005?
I was thankful to be in a Major League uniform again and to have Miami sign me was amazing.
7.) Once it was made official that the Marlins were going to give you the one at-bat, what kind of thoughts were running through your mind?
I was excited to be there. My thoughts were to get on base and help contribute.
8.) On October 2, 2012, you came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the sixth inning, against R.A. Dickey. How did you prepare to face Dickey? Did anyone give you any kind of advice as to how to face him, being that he’s a knuckleball pitcher?
There’s not a whole lot you can do to prepare for a knuckle-ball of his caliber. Prior to the at-bat I took a lot of flips and had few teammates toss me some knuckleballs. The advice I received from a lot of people was if it’s ‘high let it fly’….if it’s ‘low let it go!’
9.) Unfortunately, you struck out against Dickey, on three pitches, however you received a standing ovation from the crowd. What kind of emotions were you feeling during that moment, that although you struck out, the fans cheered you on as if you had blasted a home run?
I had mixed emotions. The excitement from the fans was electric. Regardless of the outcome it was still a win having that at-bat and being back in the Major Leagues.
10.) The Orioles signed you to a minor league contract in December, giving you another shot at making it back to the big leagues. What are your plans going forward? What are your goals once the season begins?
I continue to train hard. My goal for this season is to get back to the big leagues, contribute to Baltimore’s success by winning games and helping them get to a World Series.
11.) Favorite food? Favorite TV show?
Seafood….all of it! Seinfeld.
12.) Lastly, what advice would you give to kids who are just starting out that dream of playing professional baseball one day?
Have fun, stay within yourself and don’t ever give up.
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Big thanks to Adam Greenberg for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can follow him on twitter: @adamgreenberg10
Best Players Going Into 2013–By Age
The first players reported to Spring Training nearly two weeks ago, however, the first official games are taking place today. The Tigers are set to take on the Braves at 1:05 EST, with the Reds-Indians, Royals-Rangers and Padres-Mariners games all beginning at 3:05 EST. The remaining teams are all playing their first game on Saturday.
With the first official baseball games of the season starting up, I wanted to take the time to post a “top players” list, of sorts, but instead of making my own version of a top 10 list, or whatever, I decided to make a list of the top player for each year of age throughout Major League Baseball. Meaning, of the 20 year olds in MLB, I’ll list the player I feel is the overall best of them all. With the same holding true for the players age 21, 22, 23, 24, and so on.
The range of ages runs from 20 years old, with Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, etc., all the way up to age 43, with Mariano Rivera. Just so you know, I’m going by the age each player will be to start the season. Therefore, a few players will be listed a year older than they currently are, due to them having a birthday between now and April 1st.
With there being SO many names, I’m not going to be listing my reasoning behind each pick; just a general list with players’ names. The player I feel is the best for their age category can be either a position player, or a pitcher:
20 years old: Bryce Harper
21 years old: Mike Trout
22 years old: Shelby Miller
23 years old: Giancarlo Stanton
24 years old: Stephen Strasburg
25 years old: Clayton Kershaw
26 years old: Felix Hernandez
27 years old: Evan Longoria
28 years old: Prince Fielder
29 years old: Miguel Cabrera
30 years old: Justin Verlander
31 years old: Josh Hamilton
32 years old: C.C. Sabathia
33 years old: Albert Pujols
34 years old: Cliff Lee
35 years old: Roy Halladay
36 years old: Michael Young
37 years old: David Ortiz
38 years old: Derek Jeter
39 years old: Ichiro Suzuki
40 years old: Andy Pettitte
41 years old: Henry Blanco
42 years old: Jason Giambi
43 years old: Mariano Rivera
So, there you have it. The best players by age, in my opinion, from 20 through 43, going into the 2013 season. Do you agree with my picks? If not, who would you pick to replace the name(s) you disagree with? Let me know in the comments section below.
President’s Day: Presidential First Pitches
With today being President’s Day, I thought I’d commemorate the occasion by putting a baseball spin onto things, and covering an abbreviated history of United States Presidents who have thrown out a first pitch at a Major League Baseball game.
The inaugural presidential first pitch came back on April 14, 1910, when William Howard Taft (seen above) threw out the first pitch to Walter Johnson, on Opening Day for the Washington Senators, at National Park. Taft did so from his seat in the stands, not the pitchers mound, as would be the tradition for many years to follow.
Since Taft, every president has thrown out at least one ceremonial first pitch, with Franklin Roosevelt having thrown out the most first pitches, with eleven. Roosevelt also holds the distinction of being the first president to throw out the first pitch of an All-Star game.
Every president that has thrown out a first pitch has done so on at least Opening Day, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, whose only first pitch came before game 7 of the 1979 World Series. Once again, Franklin Roosevelt makes his mark in the history books as the only president thus far to have thrown out the first pitch of an Opening Day, All-Star game and World Series game. (That guy really liked his baseball.)
Historically, not including the All-Star games, the win-loss record for the home team in games when a president throws out the first pitch is nearly equal, standing at 39-37. Leading to the conclusion that there’s no real advantage or disadvantage of having a president throwing out the first pitch.
Woodrow Wilson became the first president to throw out the first pitch of a World Series game, when he did so on October 9, 1915. Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush are the only other presidents to have 
thrown out a World Series first pitch since Wilson, however, Bush’s first pitch is probably the most memorable and meaningful pitch of them all; perhaps the most significant pitch in the 100 year tradition.
Coming a mere 48 days after the September 11th attacks, President George W. Bush threw out the first pitch before game 3 of the 2001 World Series, in front of a sold out Yankee Stadium. Bush gave a quick thumbs-up to the crowd, as if to say “we’ll get through this, together”, before throwing a strike down the center of the plate. The Yankees would win the game, however, they would go on to lose the World Series to the D-back’s in game 7.
The most recent presidential first pitch came from current President Barack Obama at National’s Park, on Opening day in 2010. Having been elected in November to a second term, odds are that Obama will throw out another first pitch; the only question being when and where. If Obama can schedule out a World Series first pitch, he will join Franklin Roosevelt as the only other president to have ever thrown out an Opening Day, All-Star game and World Series first pitch.
If I were Obama, I’d figure out a way to make it happen.
Should Wil Myers Begin 2013 In the Minor Leagues?
Although Spring Training games have yet to begin, the current speculation is that Rays’ phenom Wil Myers will start 2013 with AAA Durham, instead of with the big league club, down in Tampa, regardless of how he performs over the course of the next month. This leaves many people 
(myself included) to ask the question: Is this the right decision for Myers?
I’m not 100 percent sold on the idea.
This past season, before getting traded from the Royals to the Rays, in December, Myers batted .314 with 37 home runs and 109 RBI’s, between AA North West Arkansas and AAA Omaha. The expectation was for Myers to receive a September call up from the Royals, however, that didn’t end up happening. Leaving many people scratching their heads.
In response to not calling up Myers, the Royals made the statement that they didn’t feel he was big league ready. While that might be true, I still don’t understand why they didn’t give him a shot for the last few games of the season, especially with them not being in play off contention; just as I’m not fully understanding the Rays’ logic with Wil Myers, going into the 2013 season.
According to Rays’ manager Joe Maddon, the decision to keep Myers down in the minors, to begin the season, is merely a “baseball decision”, that would give Myers a greater chance of success once he makes the transition to the major league level, sometime this season. Maddon is known for preferring this type of strategy, as his recent comments would suggest:
“I just think that it’s easier for a player with that kind of expectation level to get some time under his belt on a Minor League level, get it rolling, get the feel going, when you know it’s going well, then walk into a big league situation. Not as difficult as opposed to leaving a camp with all this expectation, all this hype then having to match up to that on a Major League level right out of the chute.”
I sort of understand where Maddon is coming from, though I still have to disagree.
While it’s vastly debated as to whether or not Maddon’s approach with Myers is the correct one, there’s no argument when it comes to if Myers has enough natural talent, and potential, to perform at the big league level. Anyone can see that, just by watching the guy play. No one more so than Rays’ hitting coach, Derek Shelton, who, after day one of Rays Spring Training, had this to say about Myers, and his talent level:
“The thing that’s the most impressive is the bat speed. The way the ball comes off his bat….You don’t see very many people who generate that kind of bat speed….It’s loud. It’s a different sound….You don’t hear many guys that can create that sound….it’s exciting to see.”
After reading all of what Shelton had to say, combined with my personal observations of Wil Myers’, and his stats from 2012, if it were up to me, I’d choose to let him loose to see what he can do at the major league level. Worst-case scenario, Myers doesn’t produce, and the Rays could then decide to either work through it or send him back down to the minors. But there’s always the possibility that Myers could hold his own, picking up where he left off in 2012, absolutely tearing it up out of the gate.
To me, the mere chance that Myers could be an impact player for the Rays to begin the season is enough to give him a shot. Playing in the somewhat difficult American League East, if the Rays want a chance to win their division, I’m not sure they can afford even a few weeks without Myers.
Pitchers & Catchers Report; Autograph Requests
Today marks the official reporting date for pitchers and catchers to Spring Training, and therefore, after nearly four months since the Giants won the 2012 World Series, it’s officially time for baseball once again. For die-hard baseball fans, like myself, this long awaited day couldn’t have come sooner.
The Red Sox, Rockies, Cubs and Indians had their pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on Sunday, however, the majority of pitchers and catchers are set to report to camp sometime over the course of the next 48 hours: The D-back’s, Braves, Reds, Tigers, Astros, Royals, Marlins, Mets, 
Athletics and Pirates reporting date is today, with the Orioles, White Sox, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, Twins, Yankees, Cardinals, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Rays, Rangers, Blue Jays and Nationals set to report tomorrow. (The Phillies’ pitchers and catchers report on Wednesday.)
Once all of the pitchers and catchers have reported, on Wednesday, there will be a mere 45 days until the first official game of the 2013 MLB regular season, which begins on March 31st, with the Houston Astros taking on the Texas Rangers.
But I’m not quite ready to jump ahead to the start of the regular season, just yet, as I still have a lot I want to talk about in the coming weeks. Therefore, for the time being, I’d like to take a minute to discuss something I love to do this time of year (besides watch Spring Training games on TV.) Every Spring Training, for the past two or three years, I’ve sent out a handful of through the mail (TTM) autograph requests to different players around the league. This year, I’m going to be sending out a dozen, or so, TTM’s, with the best player being Mariano Rivera.
Rivera is known to be one of the better TTM autograph signers (as far as big name players go), if you send to him during Spring Training, 
however, I’ve failed to get back an auto from Rivera in either of the past two years that I’ve sent to him. This year, I’m hoping to have better luck, as with this (more than likely) being Rivera’s final season, it’s basically my final shot.
While Rivera is the player that I’m most hoping to receive back, he’s not the only well known player that I’m hoping to obtain a signature from. In addition to Rivera, I’m sending out requests to guys like Jason Motte, Adam Jones, Justin Masterson, etc., who, according to what I’ve read, are decent signers through the mail.
I’m also planning to send to a few minor league players, who received an invitation to big league Spring Training, including Danny Hultzen, Casey Kelly and Stefen Romero, who are all supposed to be great about signing.
As stated, my overall TTM autograph history is a short one; I’ve only been doing it for the past few years. In that short time, however, I’ve acquired a few decent players’ autographs. My best ever success, which coincidentally was my first success, came from Mark McGwire, back in March of 2011. Apparently, McGwire doesn’t sign TTM all that often, but for some reason he decided to do so for a few weeks during Spring Training. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to get that one back.
I’m planning to post a blog entry for every autograph I receive back from the players I’m sending TTM requests to during Spring Training. Hopefully, it won’t be all that terribly long before I start getting them back (maybe a few weeks?). So be sure to check back for that, over the course of the next few months….
Wrigley Field 100 Year Logo Contest
Wrigley Field doesn’t turn 100 years old until 2014, but that’s not stopping the Cubs from planning ahead. Recently announcing a rather intriguing contest, the Cubs are looking for a logo, designed by the fans, to commemorate the 100th year of baseball at Wrigley Field.
Basically, the Cubs are searching for logo submissions that somehow incorporate the 100th anniversary of Wrigley Field; how you choose to design the logo is up to you. The eligible logos received by the deadline, o
n February 28th, will be judged on overall appearance, originality, creativity, style and quality of the design, with the finalists being announced next month.
The decision for which logo will be used will then be left up to the fans, as the finalists’ logo designs will be voted on throughout the entire months of March and April, with the winner being notified by April 30th.
The winning designer and a guest will receive a flight and accommodations in Chicago to be honored during a logo unveiling event before a late-summer home game at Wrigley Field. The winner will also receive two tickets to the game, as well as a personalized 2014 jersey. (This coming word for word from the contest’s details.)
Not a bad deal, for merely designing a logo.
If you’d like the chance to have your ’Wrigley Field 100 Year’ logo featured by the Cubs throughout the 2014 season–showing up all over the place, including the possibility of a patch on the players’ jerseys–make sure to enter by the deadline, which, as stated, falls on the 28th.
I entered the logo contest earlier today, but, although I spent a couple of hours on it, my design, in my opinion, isn’t all that professional looking (I have no photoshop talent, whatsoever), so I’m not going to be posting a picture of the design on here. If it makes it past the initial judging round, and subsequently gets posted on the Cubs’ website to be voted on, then I’ll obviously write an article on it. But I really don’t see that happening.
On a much different note, I added a countdown calendar to the sidebar, on the right (below ‘Recent Posts’). At the moment it’s counting down to when pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training, however, I’m planning to change it throughout all of 2013. So if ever you’re unsure of how long it is until an upcoming major MLB related event, you can check back with the countdown on the sidebar.
Q and A With Jake Hager
Jake Hager was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 1st round of the 2011 draft. Since the draft, Hager has played in a total of 161 games, over 
the course of two successful seasons, batting a combined .277 with 14 home runs and 89 RBI’s.
Last season alone, Hager batted .281 with 10 home runs and 72 RBI’s, including an OBP of .345, with Single-A Bowling Green. In addition to his consistency at the plate, Hager stole a total of 17 bases, showing his ability to steal a base if necessary–speed being one of the main things Hager plans to work on in the coming season.
If Hager can continue to produce the same kind of numbers, combined with his incredible work ethic, he should be able to make it to the major leagues fairly quickly. He certainly has the talent, but it will come down to whether he can keep up the performance at the plate, over the next few years. However, looking back at Hager’s professional career thus far, and even into High School, that shouldn’t be a problem, as posting great stats seems to be his specialty.
Jake Hager–prospect in the Rays organization–took the time recently to answer some of my questions:
1.) At what age did you first become interested in baseball? Who was your biggest baseball influence growing up?
I started playing ball when I was about 5 years [old]. My dad inspired to me to play the game. He always brought me outside to play catch or swing the bat. Once we started tee ball I loved it ever since. Best decision I have ever made.
2.) Who was your favorite player growing up? Why?
My favorite player growing was Cal Ripken Jr. He was my favorite player because of how humble he was and how much he loved to play the game. He was a great all around player and really fun to watch.
3.) You were drafted by the Rays in the 1st round of the 2011 draft. What was that process like for you? Where were you when you first found out? Initial thoughts?
The draft process was amazing. Seeing all the scouts from each team come to your house and talk about your future was a lot of fun. The Rays ending up taking [me] which I had a great feeling they were because they were scouting me pretty heavy. Then on draft day–I was at my house with all of my friends and family–they called me before the draft started and said they were going to take me at 31. Then at the 30th pick they called my dad saying they were taking me at 32. We all went crazy and then once Bud [Selig] said my name it was the greatest feeling in the world.
4.) Being drafted out of high school, what’s the biggest difference you noticed between that and pro ball in your first few games, in 2011?
The biggest difference for me was the speed of the game–ten times faster than high school ball. Seeing 90-94 everyday was a huge difference, and the ball coming off every bat was just way different!
5.) What do you feel went well in 2012? What do you feel you need to work on for 2013?
Once I got my swing and my new stance down, everything started going great from there. Seeing the ball a lot better and swinging at better pitches helped me out a lot. I feel like [for] 2013 I just need to work on my speed more than anything. I am always working on my swing and defense, but I’m going to concentrate more on my speed.
6.) Is there any player you model your game after, or do you just try to do your own thing?
I honestly just try to do my own thing. I don’t worry about who I should be like or anything, I just want to be the player I can be.
7.) When’s the first time someone asked for your autograph? Oddest thing you’ve ever signed?
The first time somebody asked for my autograph was my best friend’s little cousin, when I was high school. That was the first ever ball I had signed. The oddest thing I have ever signed is [a] drawn picture of me in a Rays outfit!
8.) Favorite food?
My favorite would have to be grilled chicken right off the grill.
9.) Favorite TV show?
My favorite TV show is ‘Dexter’.
10.) Lastly, what advice would you give to kids who are just starting out that dream of playing professional baseball one day?
To always work hard and don’t let anybody get in the way of your dream. Stay humble and work for your dream.
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Big thanks to Jake Hager for taking the time to answer my questions.
You can follow him on twitter: @JakeHager1
Matt Huddleston
