Baseball Notes for May 13, 2013

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Andrew Martin

Ken Griffey Jr.#24

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.” (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Baseball Notes for May 6, 2013

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Andrew Martin

Clay

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. (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Mike Augliera: Boston Red Sox Pitching Prospect Talks Baseball

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Andrew Martin

Augliera

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. (more…)

Filed under: Down and Dirty - Interviews, On the Farm - Prospects | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Baseball Notes for April 22, 2013

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Andrew Martin

OrtizUSA

Other sports like football and basketball may have infringed on the popularity of baseball over the years, but make no mistake about it, the game is still America’s National Pastime. Baseball personifies Amercianism and is often seen as an example of what is right and good in the country. While that may be a Pollyanna way of viewing the sport, it is a unifying force in society that cannot be claimed in the same way by the NFL, NBA or NHL.

Any baseball game can provide people with a positive reminder of what it is to be an American, or how much the game can infiltrate everyday life. However, there are also those special moments that spring up out of nowhere that leaves little doubt about the influence of baseball on our culture. Some of those moments showed up this week… (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Baseball Notes for March 31, 2013

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Andrew Martin

JoseFern

Major League Baseball’s 2013 Opening Day is finally here! With another season comes the return of Baseball Notes. Without a single regular season game having yet been played, there is already plenty to talk about. (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Boston Red Sox Pitching Prospect Matt Spalding is Looking to Make His Mark

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Andrew Martin
Dale Zanine/US Presswire

Dale Zanine/US Presswire

The more advanced prospects of the Boston Red Sox have received a lot of attention this spring. While it is certainly an impressive group, the team also has a lot of valuable young players in the lower levels of their minor league system. One of those rising players is right-handed pitcher Matt Spalding, who just started his professional career in 2012. (more…)

Filed under: Down and Dirty - Interviews, On the Farm - Prospects | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

2013 Boston Red Sox Top 16 Prospects

Posted on March 12, 2013 by mlbdirtstaff

Xander

After seeing their farm system, once seen as a precious commodity, decline in recent years, Boston’s prospect pool is starting to rebound. Through the draft and trades, the Red Sox have accumulated a nice blend of young position players and pitchers, who populate every level of their system. Although the team lacks the type of top-end talent of some teams, they are incredibly deep with players whose ceilings are potentially high but still unclear. It appears that some of these prospects could start debuting at Fenway as soon as this season, so fans will start getting an opportunity to see the kind of talent Boston really has. -Andrew Martin

Below are our top 16 prospects with 2013 opening day age, position, and comments on each player. Below the top 16 is a small list of additional notable names. Enjoy.

(more…)

Filed under: On the Farm - Prospects | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

How Little-Known Bill Mueller Became a Beloved Player for the Boston Red Sox

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Andrew Martin

Mueller

The impact of becoming a beloved player for the Boston Red Sox can’t be personified any better than Bill Mueller.

Mueller, a switch-hitting third baseman, is a native of Missouri. He attended Southwest Missouri State and graduated as perhaps their best player of all time, leaving as the school leader in hits, runs and stolen bases among a number of categories. He played both third and shortstop during his tenure and was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2004. (more…)

Filed under: Baseball History, Down and Dirty - Interviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

AL East Players To Watch

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Daniel Marino

WMyers

Dan Marino is trekking through each division in the major leagues and giving you one player he thinks is the: Rookie to Watch, Breakthrough Player, The Party’s Over, Non-Roster Invitee Most Likely to Stick, and Just Not Seeing it.

In part one of six he brings you the American League East:

(more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments »

Baseball Notes for January 21, 2013

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Andrew Martin

HartGamel

With just three weeks until pitchers and catchers start reporting to spring training locations, the baseball offseason is winding down, but it’s not ending with a whimper. This has been one of the more eventful offseasons in recent memory, with constant activity, surprises, and even some quality free agents like Kyle Lohse and Michael Bourn still available at this late date.

If the 2013 season can be half as eventful as this winter has been, fans should be in for quite a treat.

Unfortunately, this past week ended with some truly sad news about two baseball legends; considerably darkening this installment of notes. (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 1,664 other followers