With a 1962 New York Mets-esque 13-33 record, the Houston Astros have a lot of holes they will need to fill if they want to have any chance of respectability in the future. Fortunately, they have thrown themselves into rebuilding through player development, and have a number of young prospects who are looking like they will be major pieces in the coming years. Among the team’s top young pitchers is Mike Foltynewicz, who is getting closer and closer to a spot in the major league starting rotation.

The big right-handed Foltynewicz was drafted in 2010 by the Astros in the first round (19^th overall selection) out of Minooka High School in Illinois. The Astros zeroed in on him after a senior season that saw him go 9-1 with a 0.38 ERA. He had previously signed a letter of intent to play collegiately at the University of Texas, but turned pro after his high draft selection.

At the time, the scouting report on the youngster praised him for his mid-90s fastball and excellent changeup, but noted his need to develop a more consistent breaking pitch. As he has progressed through the Houston system, he has tightened up his stuff and become a more complete pitcher.

Foltynewicz was just a combined 5-14 with 4.74 ERA in his first two professional seasons, but truly blossomed last year. Playing for Single-A Lexington, he went 14-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 125 strikeouts in 27 starts, and was named the Astros’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year.

He began the 2013 season with High-A Lancaster, but was promoted to Double-A Corpus Christie after the first month. He is off to another excellent start, going a combined 1-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 11 games (seven starts). He is also striking out an impressive 9.86 batters per nine innings, which is the highest mark of his career.

The Astros may be a total mess as things stand today. However, it won’t always be that way, and young players like Foltynewicz will be the reason why the franchise is on its way to turning things around.

Mike Foltynewicz Interview: 

Who was your favorite player when you were growing up, and why?: I have to say my favorite players growing up were Mark McGwire, Scott Rolen, and Jim Edmonds. My parents were always Cardinals fans, so I really liked all three of those guys.

How close did you come to attending college and how did you decide to sign with Houston?: I was pretty close to attending college because the University of Texas was my dream school, and me getting a scholarship to go there was amazing. But going higher than I expected in the draft, and wanting to get my professional career started right away, my decision was easy.

Can you describe what your draft day experience was like?: My draft day experience was pretty awesome. We were playing our sectional championship game in Bloomington and we lost a tough game. We were all sad and emotional on the bus ride home, but about 30 minutes into the bus ride I got the call that Houston wanted to take me 19th overall, and I said ‘absolutely.’ All the sadness turned into happiness and laughter and joy. It was an amazing day overall.

How difficult is it to adapt to pitching under pitch counts, constant coach/instructor scrutiny, and attention from Houston fans and front office?: It’s difficult to pitch under pitch counts because I’m used to going all the way in high school and having a 120 pitch count maybe in a game. I’m really competitive and love to compete, but I also understand why they are doing it and what’s best for me.  The constant coach instructing doesn’t bother me at all. They are always finding ways to make me better so I like it. All the attention from the fans doesn’t bother me much. Everyone will have their opinions, either negative or positive, so I just try to go out and pitch the best I can every time and let people think what they want. I know and all the coaches know what I’m capable of.

Which pitches do you throw, and which is your best and which do you believe needs the most work?: I throw a four-seam, two-seam, changeup and curveball. I believe my four-seam is my best pitch, maybe my two-seam also. My two-seam gets a lot of ground ball outs and swing and misses or foul tips and I can throw that in any count. My changeup is coming along great and so is my curveball. But I think my curveball needs the most work, but there is always work for improvement for all my pitches (command).

Have you noticed many changes in the Astros organization since GM Jeff Luhnow took over?: Luhnow has done a great job so far coming in. He’s showing that he is not afraid to make moves, and he’s confident in what he is doing.

What was the most difficult thing to get used to in pro ball other than the travel?: The most difficult thing getting used to in pro ball is playing 140 games, throwing every day, and only having one off-day a month. A full season takes a big toll on your body and your mental toughness. I feel like I have come a long ways and matured a lot from the day I got drafted till now.

When on a road trip, what is your go-to meal of choice?: I don’t really have a go-to place to eat after games; just whatever is open is good enough for me!

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

I had such a good time going over baseball history links last week that I decided to do it again! Here’s hoping this can become a regular feature, as the cool nuggets just continue to pile up. I’ll try to continue bringing a blend of topics to keep it fresh and interesting. As usual, thanks for reading!

***Baseball has had a lot of mascots over the years, ranging from obnoxious to downright entertaining. But none were more buxom or lascivious than Morganna, the Kissing Bandit.

The well-endowed exotic dancer became an unofficial mascot of sorts after she jumped from the stands at Riverfront Stadium in 1970 and kissed Cincinnati Reds’ star Pete Rose. Over the next several decades, she repeated her act numerous times at baseball games and other sporting events, earning nicknames, admirers and citations from local police.

Recently, a wonderful short film was produced telling the true story of the grand dame of field rushers. Among the most famous MLB recipients of her smooches included Nolan Ryan, Johnny Bench and Cal Ripken Jr. Love her or simply lust for her, she was unlike anything baseball has ever seen, before or since.

***Earlier this month, NBA player Jason Collins publicly came out as a gay man and was recognized as the first professional athlete to do so. With their always being an emphasis on identifying who was the first to do what in our society, the stories of those who simply tried can often be left by the wayside. That appears to be the case with gay athletes.

ESPN.com’s Rick Reilly recently wrote a terrific article about how former major league outfielder Glenn Burke tried to come out during his career, but was unceremoniously stuffed back into the closet.

During a four-year major league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Oakland A’s in the late 1970s, Burke openly lived as a gay man. Unfortunately, as time went on, intolerance grew from other players and team management. The Dodgers even reportedly offered him $75,000 to marry a woman; and offer Burke left on the table.

Burke, who died in 1995 of AIDS, never saw the kind of acceptance Collins is currently receiving. However, as Reilly demonstrates, it’s important to remember his legacy and the path he started to pave for those who have and will go after him.

***In a random bit of baseball history, check out this clip of Vladimir Guerrero’s first major league home run. The blast came on September 21, 1996 against Mark Wohlers and the Atlanta Braves. It was a quintessential home run for Guerrero, who was playing for the Montreal Expos at the time. He golfed a pitch that was low and outside over the fence in right field. Everything, from the pitch location to the wild wind-up swing, is classic Guerrero and representative of his style at the plate.

Guerrero has played in the majors for all or parts of 16 seasons, and hit 449 home runs during that time. Although he hasn’t been on a major league roster since 2011, he may not be done quite yet, as he recently signed to play independent ball. Even if he hits another home run, it’s hard to imagine it will beat the feeling he must have had with his first.

***The Jackie Robinson biopic 42 has earned rave reviews at the box office, but not everyone is happy with the content of the film. Sherrill Duessterhaus, the daughter of former major league pitcher Fred Ostermueller is outraged about how her father is portrayed in the movie.

Ostermueller is shown taunting Robinson before throwing a pitch at his head, which causes a brawl to break out. While there was an instance in 1947 when he did hit Robinson with a pitch, there is no evidence to suggest the theatrics shown in the movie.

Hollywood enhances “true stories” all the time for dramatic effect, but when it comes making such negative depictions, the onus should be on the filmmakers to make sure they can back up their version of events.

***Talk about nosebleed seats! Take a gander at this amazing picture of college students looking down on a game of the 1960 World Series at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh between the Pirates and the New York Yankees. While they may have missed out on seeing the intricacies of the game, at least the seats were free.

***Hall of Famer Honus Wagner wasn’t only one of the greatest shortstops of all time; he was also a pretty intimidating lawman. CBSSports.com’s Dayn Parry wrote about how Wagner became the deputy sheriff of Allegheny County in Pennsylvania in 1942, when the former player was 68.

The article not only is a great tidbit of history about one of baseball’s iconic players, but also includes a pretty amazing photo of Wagner doing his best Dirty Harry impression; 30 years before there was a Dirty Harry.

***Bo Jackson is one of the best athletes to ever step on a field. When he was a student at Auburn University, he played baseball in addition to the Heisman Trophy-worthy work he did on the gridiron.

The Kansas City Royals made Jackson a fourth-round draft pick in 1986 despite his proclivity for football. His selection was made in part because of this scouting report from April, 1985, which left the evaluator nearly at a loss for adjectives when trying to describe the youngster’s ability.

Jackson had a good, but not great baseball career. However, he never dedicated himself to the game full-time until after he was severely injured playing football, making him one of baseball’s great what-if questions.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

Baseball teams come to be defined by their players as much as the successes or failures they have with their win/loss records. In particular, the Boston Red Sox have a rich tradition of players who have left indelible marks on the franchise and its fans. One player who is surely in that category is Troy O’Leary, who came to Boston under humble circumstances, but left as a tremendous success.

The left-handed O’Leary was a 13th-round draft choice of the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987. He was a .300 hitter in the minors, but could never crack the team’s big league roster beyond brief stints in 1993 and 1994.

Shortly after the start of the 1995 season, O’Leary was released, but was quickly snapped up by the Red Sox, who had a big hole in right field. It turned out to be a brilliant maneuver, as he went on to hit .308 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI in 112 games, and the Red Sox won the American League East.

O’Leary wound up having a productive seven-year career with the Red Sox, playing both right field and left. His best season came in 1999, when he hit .280 with 28 home runs and 103 RBI in 157 games.

His defining moment came that same year in the ALDS in the deciding Game 5 against the Cleveland Indians. Behind his two home runs (including a grand slam) and seven RBI, the Red Sox rallied from an early deficit to take the series and advance to the ALCS against the New York Yankees.

While they team failed to make the World Series in 1999, the heroics of O’Leary became a permanent part of Red Sox lore.

His final season in Boston came in 2001 when he appeared in 104 games, but hit just .240 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI.

Following the season, he signed as a free agent with the Montreal Expos. After one season there, he finished his major league career with the Chicago Cubs in 2003. He also played in Korea in 2004, and in Mexico in 2005 before calling it a career.

During his 11 seasons in the majors, he hit a combined .274 with 127 home runs and 591 RBI. He was often overshadowed in Boston by bigger names like Nomar Garciaparra, Pedro Martinez and Mo Vaughn, but the once lightly-regarded player carved out a very nice career and niche for himself in team history.

Other than trying to jumpstart a baseball reality show, O’Leary has remained out of the spotlight in retirement. But that shouldn’t come as a surprise, given the way he quietly became one of the most consistent players in Red Sox history.

I had the opportunity to exchange messages with O’Leary and ask him a few questions about his career. Check out what he had to say!

Troy O’Leary Questionnaire:

Who was your favorite coach or manager?: Kevin Kennedy.

What was the strangest thing you ever saw as a player?: A routine ground ball and a person ran on the field naked.

Who was the toughest pitcher you ever faced?: Randy Johnson.

If you could do anything differently about your career, what would that be?: Not go to Korea.

Baseball in just about any context is a good thing. During the regular season, the attention of fans is typically riveted to the on-field action, but there are many fascinating nuggets of baseball awesomeness hidden all over in the form of its history. You just have to know where to look to find them. To help you on your way to discovering some of the delights from baseball’s past, I have dug up some items that should both engross and entertain.

Baseball is a game that can be enjoyed as much in the moment as it can be in projecting its future and discovering its past. Without further ado, let’s see how well I can do at putting the historian in “Baseball Historian.”

***Hall of Famer Steve Carlton is one of the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time. Unfortunately, he is also known for his controversial opinions. He developed this reputation after a 1994 article by Pat Jordan for Philadelphia Magazine portrayed the southpaw in a less than favorable light. The piece was meant to be a “where are they now” type of article, but it developed into much more than that. Carlton came across as paranoid and self-centered, setting the tone for his post-career legacy.

Carlton later refuted how he was portrayed, but has never been able to erase the stain from his image. He has receded into the shadows since that interview, but it’s worth giving a second look because it provides such unique insight into one of baseball’s all-time greats.

***It’s always interesting to find out what scouts thought of all-time great players before they became stars. Check out this scouting report from 1987, profiling outfielder Ken Griffey Jr.

The scout, Steve Vrablik, obviously knew what he was doing, as he designated Griffey as a five-tool player and recommended him for a maximum signing bonus of $175,000-$200,000.

Perhaps the funniest part of the report was the reference to Griffey’s “solid thighs and buttocks.” There isn’t further elaboration on whether that was in regards to lower-body strength or trying to figure out how he would look in baseball pants.

***In the unfortunate news story of last week, former outfielder Otis Nixon was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop in Georgia. The 54-year-old was found with crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia in his car, and was initially held in jail on a nearly $12,000 bond.

Nixon was known for his speed during a 17-year major league career with nine teams, including the Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox. Although he had just 180 total extra-base hits, he stole 620 bases, which currently ranks 16^th all-time.

He struggled with drug abuse during his playing career, running afoul of the law and earning a 60-game suspension in 1991 for a failed drug test.

Although Nixon got sober late in his career, it appears that his decades-long battle his demons continue. Hopefully, he can turn things around once and for all and be better known as the player who stole 72 bases in 124 games in 1991 instead of what has put his name in the headlines for so long.

***Sportspressnw.com’s David Eskenazi has been putting out some truly amazing articles featuring some of the best baseball players from the past that the West Coast has ever seen. One of his recent featured players was “Buffalo” Bill Schuster, one of the greatest shortstops in the history of the Pacific Coast League

Schuster played in 123 major league games over parts of five seasons, but combined for just a .234 batting average with one home run and 17 RBI. Fortunately, he found much greater success in the PCL.

Also known as “Screwball,” Schuster was as well known for his unpredictable behavior as he was his play on the field. One brilliant scouting report described him thusly: “Schuster is a big league shortstop with a bush brain. He is noisy and offensive and probably the last person in the world to be wrecked with on a desert island. Yet he hits well and fields brilliantly, which is why he is always around.”

With 2,168 hits in 16 minor league seasons added to his reputation as a character, Schuster is one old-timer who shouldn’t be forgotten.

***With few exceptions, baseball stadiums are among the most beautiful architectural achievements in the world. Fenway Park in Boston is not only the oldest major league stadium still in use, but is also one of the most aesthetically pleasing. To see what I mean, check out this fantastic photo of the “Fens.”

***Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson became the first hired  African-American manager in major league history when he assumed leadership of the Cleveland Indians in 1975. However, as the Washington Examiners’ Thom Loverro recently pointed out, Robinson was not technically the majors’ first black manager.

In 1973, Chicago Cubs coach Ernie Banks (like Robinson, also a Hall of Fame player) was forced into service as a manager, after Cubs’ manager Whitey Lockman was ejected late in a tight game against the San Diego Padres. Thanks in part to a few strategic moves on Banks’ part, the Cubs went on to win in 12 innings.

Although Banks never got a full-time gig as a manager in the major leagues, his historic turn as a skipper is an important part of baseball history and a key moment of his career.

***Finishing up this week’s post is a little moment of Zen brought to you by none other than the immortal Scott Bakula.

The Quantum Leap actor took the microphone before a game in the 1993 World Series between the Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays, and belted out a pretty respectable version of the National Anthem. Enjoy!

Cheating has a long and interesting history in baseball. From sharpened cleats, corked bats, banned substances and doctored pitches, players and teams are seemingly always in search of an edge. As former Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Mark Grace once famously said, “If you’re not cheating, you’re not trying.”

That being said, there can be a fine line between what is cheating and what is simply gaining an edge. When something questionable is identified, there is typically a race to classify it as legitimate or cheating. Hardly a year passes without at least one instance of a player being caught or being accused of nefarious actions. This year is no exception.

***Following seven shutout innings of work by Clay Buchholz, Toronto Blue Jays radio announcer Dirk Hayhurst accused the Boston Red Sox pitcher of doctoring his pitches by using an unknown substance on his arm. The allegations were then taken up by Jack Morris, another Toronto announcer and winner of 254 major league games himself. Both Toronto guys cited unnatural pitch movement and the improvement in Buchholz’s results this year as the crux of their arguments.

Buchholz denied cheating. He said he does have substances on his arm and uniform, but they are rosin and water, which are both legal.

Baseball Prospectus’ Dan Rozenson effectively squashed the speculation by proving there has been nothing unnatural or out of the ordinary with Buchholz’s stuff this year. If anything, his early-season success (6-0, 1.01 ERA) can be attributed to better pitch location.

To say the Toronto announcers may be driven by ulterior motives would be an understatement. The Blue Jays have floundered to an 11-21 start after being early favorites for a playoff spot after a busy offseason. Deflecting attention isn’t out of the question.

Morris just completed his 14th consecutive unsuccessful year on the Hall of Fame ballot. He has one more chance in 2014 for enshrinement before his name comes off the ballot and his fate is left to the Veteran’s Committee down the road.

Hayhurst, who had a cup of coffee in the majors as a pitcher, is also an author. He has used the media scrutiny this week to shill his books and essentially turned the fiasco into a tour of self-promotion.

There is no proof that Buchholz has done anything wrong. No Toronto players or coaches complained or made insinuations during or after the game. In the absence of evidence, it’s a shame to besmirch a player who is enjoying such a wonderful start to the season. Hayhurst and Morris would be better off adhering to the old chestnut that media needs to stick to reporting the news instead of making it themselves.

***Speaking of cheating, it looks like one of baseball’s all-time greats just got caught. New York Yankees legendary outfielder Mickey Mantle, who has been deceased since 1995, was recently outed for having used corked bats.

One of the Hall of Famer’s game-used bats from 1964 was X-rayed prior to going to auction this month and was found to have been tampered with and filled with cork.

This will swirl around the media for a few days, but ultimately be filed away in the annals of baseball’s irascible cheaters; much like Gaylord Perry’s Vaseline ball and Hank Aaron’s admitted use of amphetamines.

*** Tampa Bar Rays’ ace David Price is struggling mightily this year. After a loss Saturday night, his record stands at 1-3 with a 6.25 ERA. The most concerning part of the southpaw’s disappointing start has been the nearly 3 mph he has lost on his average fastball velocity from last year, according to FanGraphs.com.

If the 26-year-old continues his lethargic pitching, it could be costly to both him and his team. Although he won the American League Cy Young last year, he isn’t eligible for free agency until 2016. He won’t get one of the fat contracts being dealt to top-of-the-line starting pitchers without a solid track record of success and production leading up to his appearance on the open market.

A subpar Price also obviously impacts Tampa Bay. With one the weakest offenses in baseball, they depend on defense and pitching to win games. He is their best pitcher, and the team will only go as far as he takes them.

***Reports of the demise of pitcher Chris Carpenter’s career may have been greatly exaggerated. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss is reporting that the right shoulder injury that caused the St. Louis Cardinals to place the 37-year-old veteran on the 60-day disabled list and fueled speculation that his career was over may have been premature. Carpenter has begun a tentative throwing program, and if all goes well, could return to the team in relief sometime later this season.

Carpenter is in his 20^th professional season and has always been a starter. However, shorter outings may reduce stress on his shoulder and could also give the Cardinals’ bullpen a boost in light of closer Jason Motte being lost for the year because of Tommy John surgery. All the best to Carpenter in this comeback attempt!

***Atlanta Braves starter Tim Hudson hit a major milestone last week when he picked up his 200^th career win in a game against the Washington Nationals. Not wanting to leave the outcome in doubt, Hudson also hit a home run in the game, joining Hall of Famer Bob Lemon as the only other pitcher to have hit a home run in their 200^th career victory.

The 36-year-old Hudson has been the model of consistency during his 15-year major league career. Entering this season, he had won at least 11 games in every one of his first 14 seasons except 2009, when he appeared in just seven games because of injury. He joins Andy Pettitte (248) and Roy Halladay (201) as the only active pitchers with at least 200 wins.

For good measure, Hudson added his 201^st win on Sunday.

Now owning a career record of 201-105 with a 3.42 ERA, and showing few signs of slowing down, let the talk begin about Hudson’s potential worthiness as a Hall of Fame candidate.

***If you are seeking baseball-related Zen, look no further than former player turned minor league manager Wally Backman.

Backman, who currently helms the New York Mets’ Triple-A team in Las Vegas, has become a bit of an internet sensation. There are his epic meltdowns (caution for strong language), his motivational speeches (again caution for strong language), his thoughtful conversations with announcers (strong language…) and his love for ballpark sausage dogs (and more strong language…).

A baseball ambassador may be too strong a word to use to describe Backman, but the man sure is one of the more entertaining managers in the game.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

The Boston Red Sox have some of the better-known pitching prospects in baseball with Rubby De La Rosa, Allen Webster and Matt Barnes all leading most peoples’ lists. It turns out that they are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Boston’s farm system, as there are a number of other promising young arms being developed, including last year’s fifth-round draft choice, Mike Augliera.

The 22-year-old right-hander attended Old Bridge High School in New Jersey. He later became a college star at Binghamton University, where he is the all-time leader in wins (23) and innings (298.1). As a senior, he led the NCAA with an 83/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, showing his excellent control.

According to an article by MLB.com’s Evan Drellich, even Tim Sinicki, Augliera’s college coach, is amazed by the type of pitcher the Red Sox prospect became: “The evolution over the past four years has been remarkable, and he really is very deserving of this opportunity. I thought he was going to be a good college pitcher. He had a decent fastball in the kind of mid-80s range, decent secondary stuff. [I] really kind of thought if he developed and worked like he did, he’d turn into a really good college pitcher. I’d be lying if I said my crystal ball told me he’d be a fifth-rounder. He’s just gone way above and beyond his expectations, and it’s all because of his hard work.”

SoxProspects.com describes Augliera’s arsenal as including a high-80s fastball, an outstanding curveball and a promising slider. However, his fastball velocity has crept into the low 90s and only made him that more dangerous on the mound. In addition to his talent, Boston coveted Augliera in the fifth round because of his signability as a college senior, which allowed them greater flexibility to sign some of their other picks, like fourth-round pick, pitcher Ty Buttrey, who had the option of attending college if he didn’t like Boston’s signing bonus offer.

Augliera had a 4.42 ERA in 15 games at short-season Lowell during his inaugural pro season last year, but did strike out 10 batters per nine innings. He has started 2013 with high Single-A Salem and is off to an excellent start, going 3-0 with a 4.24 ERA in four starts. His strikeouts have been cut to 5.4 per nine innings, but he is certainly making adjustments to playing at a new level.

During a recent off-day due to a rainout, Augliera was kind enough to answer some questions about his baseball career. Check out what the Boston prospect had to say.

Mike Augliera Interview:

If you could sit down and pick the brain of any pitcher, current or former, who would that be and why?: I would probably pick Greg Maddux. I loved the way he pitched. He didn’t throw the hardest, but he seemed to have a plan for every batter and was fun to watch pitch. I would enjoy receiving some tips from him on the finer things of getting hitters out.

Leading up to the 2012 MLB Draft, what kind of contact and recruiting were you getting from different teams?: I was in contact with a bunch of teams; some more interested than others. I would receive general information letters, emails and phone calls from different teams. I didn’t have much leverage being a senior, so I was just happy to be getting any kind of contact.

Can you run through what your draft experience was like?: It was an amazing experience; something that I try to relive in my head a lot. From the contact with scouts at games, to the phone calls leading up to the draft, it was all a very enjoyable time for me and family. On Day 2 of the draft, my family and friends were over as we watched on the tv. There is no explanation for the variety of emotions I felt that day. We were all anxious, excited, nervous, and in the end it couldn’t have played out any better.

What pitches do you throw and which one do you hope to improve the most?: I throw a two-seam and four-seam fastballs, circle changeup and a slider. I am always trying to improve all of my pitches, but the one that I have spent the most time on since the season started is my slider.

Minnesota Twins’ pitcher Scott Diamond is the only MLBer to come from your alma mater Binghamton. Have you had any contact or advice from him?: Yes, I met Scott before he got called up to Minnesota a few times when he would come back and work out at Binghamton. With the Red Sox and Twins facilities both being in Fort Myers, Florida, we were able to grab dinner one night in spring training.

What do you believe sets you apart from other pitching prospects in the Red Sox organization?: With all of the very good pitching prospects that are in the Red Sox organization, it is tough to set yourself apart. I do believe that with my combination of command and work ethic I will continue to get better each time out there. Being a college senior helps me in terms of having some more experience.

Have you connected with any other Boston prospects since joining the organization?: Yes, I have made a lot of good friends in the organization since I signed last June. I have met a lot of good people in my short time so far with the Red Sox.

What has been the most difficult part of adapting to life as a professional player?: Probably getting used to the daily grind of traveling, games and getting yourself ready to play. It’s a big difference from college when you throw on weekends and have the weekdays off. We don’t get many off days, so there is a lot of work to make sure that your body is able to recover for each game or start.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

“Who’s on first. What’s on second. I Don’t Know’s on third.” This classic comedy routine by Golden Age comedians, Abbott and Costello has been illustrated by artist John Martz in a book. This sketch is well known and loved by baseball fans alike and I make no exception for myself. What got me excited about this book was reading it to my five year old son, who’s just starting to take an interest in learning more about baseball. We play catch and hit balls fairly often and he’s really taking a shine to doing that.

This book is a really great way of turning this hilarious sketch into a way that younger children can relate to by associating the pictures to the story. The concept of having a name like “Who” or “What” is a little too abstract of a concept for younger kids, so it took going through a few times for my son to understand what was going on in the story. I would recommend ages six to seven are a great place to start with your children with this book. Once he able to understand why the bunny manager was confused by the names of his players, he was able to start enjoying the book a whole lot more. It is now a fixture in our night time reading routine, and is often selected by him for to be read.

The key to this book are the illustrations. They’re bright, vibrant and easy for younger kids to relate to and enjoy with them being animals, and they complement the story greatly. I highly recommend this book to people with younger kids that have taken an interest in sports. It exposes them to a Golden Age of comedy, and should never be lost from today’s society. It give me a good trip down memory lane when I read this book with him. There are a lot of easy “sight words” in the book too, so even my son is able to now read most of the story by himself now.

My son is often saying “I don’t give a hoot! Oh, that’s our shortstop”. He also loves to help me finish the phrase “I don’t know. Third base!”, while we’re reading the book together.

The length of a baseball team’s disabled list can have such a strong impact on the outcome of their season. Injuries not only deprive teams of talented players, but alter the chemistry that was so carefully constructed during the offseason and spring training.

The ability of backup players, minor league prospects and the length of time needed for the injured to come back healthy can all determine whether or not a season will be derailed. Just a month into the 2013 season, a number of major league teams have felt the pinch of losing players to the DL. The scrambling has already begun for some to overcome a fractured roster.

***Perhaps no team has been quite so devastated by injuries this season than the New York Yankees. They were already missing the bulk of their starting lineup, with Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Curtis Granderson all sidelined for significant periods of time, when they lost a couple more players last week. They placed starting catcher Francisco Cervelli with a broken hand and starting pitcher Ivan Nova with triceps inflammation on the 15-day disabled list.

Considered to have some of the deepest pockets of any franchise in baseball, even the Yankees are struggling to cobble together a competitive team in light of all the injuries. Young Austin Romine, who has all of 19 major league at-bats, will fill in for Cervelli (himself no star player), while David Phelps, the team’s long man will likely take Nova’s spot in the rotation.

New York has jumped out with an early winning record but their ability to maintain that success has to be in doubt with so many high-impact players on the shelf. In the meantime, they must be hoping to staunch the bleeding and avoid any further injuries.

***The Los Angeles Dodgers is the other high-profile team that has been devastated by injuries this season. They have already had to use nine different starting pitchers through their first 24 games because of 3/5 of their Opening Day starting rotation currently residing on the disabled list.

Although it won’t help their pitching, the team did get some good news when shortstop Hanley Ramirez started a minor league rehab assignment. The veteran tore a thumb ligament in March while playing in the World Baseball Classic for his native Dominican Republic. It was originally anticipated he could be out as long as late May or early June, but he has made a remarkably quick recovery and could be back in the next week or so. His return can’t come soon enough because his replacement, Justin Sellers, has hit a punchless .224, while struggling in the field.

***At the opposite end of the health spectrum is Conrad “Connie” Marrero, the major league’s oldest living former player. A native of Cuba, the former pitcher recently turned 102, and talked about his career in an excellent article by ESPN Deports’ Damian L. Delgado-Averhoff.

Living in Havana, the centurion is still a national hero and possesses an excellent memory of his time in baseball. Despite being just 5’5” and 158 pounds, he was an effective right-handed pitcher, who got his first shot at the major leagues with the Washington Senators in 1950 at the age of 39. He went on to go 39-40 with a 3.67 ERA in 118 games over five seasons. He went 11-9 in 1951, and at the age of 40, became the oldest first-time All-Star when he was named to that year’s mid-summer classic (although he didn’t appear in the game).

Still enjoying the occasional cigar, Marrero keeps plugging away. Despite his 102 years, he is still going strong and enjoying the game that he made his career.

***Detroit Tigers’ right-handed start Anibal Sanchez had the most impressive start of the young season, striking out a team record 17 batters in a 10-0 victory against the Atlanta Braves last week. The 17 punch outs bested the team’s previous high mark of 16, set by left-hander Mickey Lolich twice in 1969.

Sanchez was removed after the eighth inning because his pitch count had risen to 121. Having already thrown a no-hitter in 2006 while a member of the Florida Marlins, he is no stranger to strong pitching performances.

SI.com’s Jay Jaffe broke down Sanchez’s dominance against the Braves, which included throwing 27 pitches that elicited swings and misses.

Signing with Detroit this past offseason to an $80 million deal, Sanchez has gotten off quickly, going 3-1 with a 1.34 ERA in his first five starts. With Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer ahead of him in the rotation, it may be tempting to view Sanchez as a mid-rotation starter, but the 29-year-old is serving notice that he may be an ace in his own right.

***Last week’s lighter moment definitely belongs to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett. In a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, the right-hander didn’t realize his catcher Russell Martin was trying to throw out John Jay, who was attempting to steal second base. The humorous misunderstanding became apparent in a very unusual play.

*** This week there is an additional bonus of lighter fare. Players have a wide variety of habits to keep them focused in the field, from chewing gum to scratching initials in the dirt. Cleveland Indians’ second baseman Jason Kipnis is no different in his own unique way. This clip from 2012 may be a bit old, but check out how he channels the singer Adele while manning his position in the field.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

When star outfielder Josh Hamilton left the Texas Rangers to sign with the divisional rival Los Angeles Angels this past offseason, it was believed the team would struggle to find his replacement. After all, the former MVP has 162 game averages of .320 with 35 home runs and 120 RBI during his career.

While it may take a little time, the Rangers may already have Hamilton’s replacement in their system. His name is Lewis Brinson, and he is one of the best young players in the minor leagues. 

He was a star for Coral Springs High School in Florida. According to an article by MLB.com’s T.R Sullivan, he hit .394 as a senior with four home runs, 21 RBI and 11 stolen bases. 

The slender right-handed passed on a scholarship to the University of Florida when the Rangers made him their first-round choice (29^th overall selection) in last year’s draft. 

A.J. Preller, the Rangers director of player development gushed to Sullivan about the team’s find. “I definitely think in Lou Brinson, we have a tremendous body. A 6-foot-4, 190-pound center fielder that’s a plus run, plus throw. We think he’s going to stay in the middle of the field. We really think we have a five-tool type talent with a chance to hit and hit with some power.”

Brinson started his professional career in fine fashion. After signing, he was assigned to Texas’ rookie league team in Airzona. He appeared in 54 game, hitting .283 with seven home runs, 42 RBI, 22 doubles, seven triples and 14 stolen bases. 

Before this season, ESPN.com’s Keith Law named Brinson as the Rangers’ fifth-best prospect in one of his Insider features. He was particularly impressed with the work the youngster had put in since being drafted:

“I was blown away by the changes Lewis Brinson made to his swing over the summer, setting up his hands a little lower and further back while shortening his stride, significantly improving his bat speed through the zone without any loss of power. His pitch recognition needs work, but he’s got easy power from his hand strength, and as a plus runner who covers a lot of territory in center, he has star potential if he can show some mastery over the strike zone.”

Still just 18, Brinson was aggressively assigned to Single-A to start the 2013 season. While he has had some struggles, the talent is very obvious. He has played in 18 games and hit .231 with two home runs, eight RBI and four steals. On the down side, he has also struck out 30 times in 78 at-bats, offering proof that he is still adapting to the higher level of competition.

Brinson has a ways to go, but is clearly in the future plans of the Rangers. Replacing a player of Hamilton’s caliber can be a tall order, but the prospect looks like he could be up to the task. 

This past offseason, Brinson graciously took the time to answer some of my questions. Continue reading to find out more about this exciting young player. 

Lewis Brinson Interview:

Who was your favorite player when you were growing up, and why?: My favorite player growing up was Juan Pierre, mostly because he played my position and at the time played for my favorite team, the Marlins. Really, he just stood out to me with his amazing speed.   

You carry the label of a five-tool player; prior to the draft which of those tools did scouts/teams seem most interested in?: Scouts mostly were interested in my speed. I mean obviously other things stood out to them, but my mostly my speed.  

How difficult was your decision to not attend the University of Florida?: Very difficult. I mean they are ranked number one in the country, who wouldn’t want to go there and play for a great coach like coach Sully? It wasn’t an easy decision, but I knew what my ultimate goal was, so pro ball was the way to go. 

Your dad passed away when you were younger, how much influence did your mom have on your baseball development?: Like I tell everybody that ever asks me that question, she’s my biggest fan. Without her there is no way I would be where I’m at today. She has been unbelievable. 

Can you describe what your 2012 draft day experience was like?: Wow is all I can say to describe draft day. It was probably the best day of my life thus far. I was speechless that night.  

What were the biggest challenges you faced during your first professional season?: The biggest challenges were probably getting used to playing every day for three months straight and getting adjusted to speed of the game from high school. 

How difficult was your transition from metal to wooden bats?: Umm, not difficult at all. I loved hitting with wood bats. I actually asked my coach in high school if I could use wood during the season. He wasn’t buying into the idea though, haha. 

If you could do one thing differently from this past season, what would that be and why?: That’s a easy one. I would worry more about the things that I could control instead of worrying about things that I couldn’t control.

You can check out more of Andrew Martin’s work at The Baseball Historian and be sure to follow him on twitter @HistorianAndrew.

St. Louis Cardinals’ starting pitcher Adam Wainwright almost won the Cy Young Award in 2010 when he posted a 2.42 ERA and 2.86 FIP over 230.1 innings pitched. This was his follow-up to a very similar season in 2009 and marked the second straight season Wainwright topped 230 innings pitched. Then, in February of 2011, Wainwright had Tommy John surgery and missed the entire 2011 season.

Wainwright rehabbed and, after a short stint on the disabled list in the beginning of April, started 32 games last season spanning 198.2 innings. He was back to his old form and posted a career best K/9 and his second best K%. On top of the good strikeout numbers, Wainwright posted a career high GB/FB ratio of 1.93. Wainwright also added a cutter to his repertoire this year as his slider started to diminish and become a liability.

Wainwright looked to be back to his norm but a close look at his month-by-month velocity charts showed a decrease, not increase, as the season progressed. For me, this was not a good sign but what do I know because Wainwright could very well could be on his way towards a career year as he is off to a hot start that has him sitting with a 1.93 ERA and 1.11 FIP through the first five starts of the season and luck has very little to do with it.

This time last year, Wainwright was averaged just over 90 mph on his fastball and sinker but he is averaging over 91 mph on the combo this year. It’s not just his fastball and sinker that are faster but all of his pitches are up in velocity from the same time last year.

In addition to the uptick in velocity, Wainwright has completely ditched the slider (which was worth -3.4 runs last year) and added the cutter which has been his best weapon this April at +3.0 runs. The added velocity and the new cutter could be the reason he is at a personal high 11.1% swinging-strike rate.

Wainwright, who has always been stingy with the walks and home runs allowed, is currently on another planet with his rates in the early going. He has walked on batter (Bryce Harper) out of the 144 he has faced and not a single one has homered off of him. His 0.7% walk rate and 0.24 BB/9 are so insanely good that, obviously, he cannot keep them up. In fact, no one has ever posted a BB/9 that low since the 1800s.

Wainwright is keeping the ball on the ground with a GB/FB ratio of 2.81 and a groundball rate of 56.7%.

Wainwright is also taking advantage of aggressive hitters, getting nearly a 50% swing rate and a ridiculously high 39.3% out-of-the-zone swing rate all while throwing a first-pitch strike to nearly 62% of the batters he has faced.

It’s not as if Wainwright has faced bad competition, either. His current opponents have been: Arizona, San Francisco, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Washington. Only one of his five starts have been at home. Oh, and he has allowed a .340 BABIP which is .051 points higher than the league average.

It is still very early and we are working with small sample sizes. Wainwright is highly unlikely to keep his current rates in tact through the end of the season but he is doing everything a pitcher can do to limit damage. He is constantly ahead of hitters in the count. He gets them to regularly swing out of the zone. He gets them to swing and miss at a personal best rate. His velocity is up. And he gets them, when they do make contact, to hit it on the ground.

Wainwright has mastered his craft and if he can hold up his velocity and stay healthy we could see the best season of his career.

-Jonathan C. Mitchell can also be found writing about Football at FieldRush, the Tampa Bay Rays atDRaysBay, and many different topics at State-Lines. You can follow him on twitter at@FigureFilbert.