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 »

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 »

Cole Frenzel: Seeking His Opportunity with the New York Mets

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Andrew Martin

Frenzel

The New York Mets face a bleak situation with their offense as the 2013 season nears. Other than third baseman David Wright and first baseman Ike Davis, they lack any above-average bats, but hope that help may be on the way courtesy of their minor league system. One player who could be in the mix for the New York lineup of the future is first baseman Cole Frenzel. (more…)

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

Advice For The Mets

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Daniel Marino

Mets

The Mets Should Target Soriano

If the Mets were considering bringing Michael Bourn into the fold at $12 million per season, then perhaps they should target Alfonso Soriano.  The Cubs are in total rebuild mode, and they are more than willing to deal Soriano.  If the Mets are willing to pay about $7 million of his $18 million annual contract, the Cubs would be willing to deal him.  His defense is suspect, but his bat still has plenty of life left in it.  And the Mets certainly have a need for right-handed power.  The Mets would only be on the hook for two more seasons, and at $7 million per season, they could manage that contract, and he would provide more pop than Bourn would have supplied.  Mike Baxter could come in and play defense late in games.  It’s a move that makes baseball and financial sense for the Mets…as well as the Cubs.

Similarities Between These Mets and the 83’ Mets (more…)

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

NL East Players To Watch

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Daniel Marino

Turner

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.

He has already given us his AL East Players to Watch. Now, in part two of six, he brings you the National League East: (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments »

Hall of Fame Voters Make A Point at Piazza’s Expense

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Daniel Marino

Piazza

What kind of baseball world do we live in today? Aaron Sele, Steve Finley, and Julio Franco all received Hall of Fame votes. Franco actually received 6 votes. Six “sports” writers gave Franco a Hall of Fame vote. But the true disservice of this year’s HOF vote was seeing Mike Piazza not receiving the 75% of votes needed to gain entry into the Hall of Fame (Craig Biggio also has a case).

Numbers don’t lie.  If we compare Piazza’s stats against Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, and Gary Carter‘s, Piazza should have been a slam dunk for the HOF. Piazza has the least amount of at-bats, yet led the other three players in homeruns. He trailed only Johnny Bench in RBI, but he had 700 fewer at-bats than Bench. (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis, Hall of Fame | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Mets Throw in the Towel for 2013

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Daniel Marino

Dickey

By trading R.A. Dickey to the Toronto Blue Jays, Sandy Alderson has officially conceded that the Mets will be in a major rebuild mode and will not contend for the postseason in 2013. By dealing Dickey for a group that includes highly touted players Travis d’Arnaud, and right-hander Noah Syndergaard, Sandy Alderson did well in securing two potential impact players.

Despite not wanting to see Dickey dealt, I have to admit the deal makes sense from a baseball standpoint. But in the process, he traded away 15-20 wins that the 2013 Mets will not be able to recoup. Alderson is conceding the 2013 season, despite his assertion that the Mets are still wanting to win in 2013. Alderson has gone “old school rebuild” with the Mets, and is stockpiling young talent. The question we have to ask is: when will enough be enough, and when will the Mets start complimenting the young talent with major league players? (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 3 Comments »

Baseball Notes for December 17, 2012

Posted on December 17, 2012 by Andrew Martin

jham

The baseball offseason is a busy time. Really, no further introduction is needed for the notes from this past week.

***The hyperbole machine has been revved up to a fevered pitch now that the 2013 National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot has gone out and people have started debating the merits of various candidates. I will surely go into who I would vote for at a later time, but for now can offer up these thoughts: (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Sandy Alderson Forgetting an Important Factor

Posted on December 11, 2012 by Daniel Marino

SandyA

With catcher and pitchers two months away from reporting to Spring Training, Mets GM, Sandy Alderson, is forgetting an important factor….PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TO SPRING TRAINING IN TWO MONTHS!  In other words….do something!  The Mets outfield right now consists of Lucas Duda, and no one in particular.  The Mets bullpen consists of Frank Francisco, Bobby Parnell, and no one in particular.  Granted, signing David Wright to an extension was paramount, but there is still work to do.  Is the Dickey situation consuming all of Alderson’s time?  Can he not do two things at one time? (more…)

Filed under: Digging Deep - Analysis | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Baseball Notes for December 3, 2012

Posted on December 3, 2012 by Andrew Martin

Marvin Miller

So much went on in baseball this past week that this could easily be a 10,000 word article. I will spare you that and try to limit myself to touching base on only the stories I found to be the most urgent and interesting in the week that was. This will probably be just a precursor to even more action this week, as the Winter Meetings are now underway down in Tennessee. Buckle your seatbelts, kids.

***Former MLB union head and labor pioneer Marvin Miller died last Tuesday at the age of 95. Miller helped found the Players Association in 1966 and guided them through legal battles and obstacles, which ultimately led to free agency and exploding player salaries. His 16-year tenure as head of the union was easily the most productive of any of his colleagues in baseball or other sports. (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