Category: Baseball

  • Will Juan Soto Play the Cliff Lee Card?

    Will Juan Soto Play the Cliff Lee Card?

    Juan Soto has been compared to the great Ted Williams. Soto will however have to decide between a different team.

    Williams played for the Red Sox and he accomplished that for the majority of his career between 1939 and 1960. Days were different then.

    Now much is varying between Steinbrenner, Cohen, Middleton, Johnson ownership group, and cash.

    Cash might define the outcome of where Soto lands but what if it was said in a story, the mega star alongside currently Aaron Judge landed in Philadelphia and joined the Phillies.

    He would play with another MVP in Bryce Harper and have a good time playing in Citizens Bank Park which is 20 years old.

    The former Veterans Stadium is now exterminated and there is no better place to come out to the ball park and watch Soto and a lineup that played very consistent throughout 2024.

    The only problem was their postseason. Their postseason ran out of gas fuel similar to last year when the Phillies blew out their tires on the 2023 NL winning Arizona Diamondbacks.

    Soto came from a sketchy situation west in San Diego and managed to still post great numbers for the New York Yankees and lead them to a World Series in 15 years with a nicer smile than Jersey Mike deli post boy Anthony Volpe who did not prevail from last year’s gold glove to this year.

    Although, Soto needs to know. Cliff Lee was a sparkling legend and rest Doc Roy Halladay but his partner in crime also deserves honors in the baseball Hall of Fame.

    The New York Mets are the big fish, obviously, but there is reason to believe Soto becomes a Philadelphia Phillie for the right reason.

    It is for NBC Sports Philadelphia play-by-play Tom McCarthy to call the action like he has whether it has been Schwarbombs to opposite fields, Harper blowing others stare eyed and Soto gripping the bat like Williams and smacking one to the beginning of deep right field of Philadelphia Phillies Citizens Bank Park.

  • Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal Win 2024 CY Young

    Chris Sale, Tarik Skubal Win 2024 CY Young

    Tarik Skubal won unanimously wile Chris Sale happened to win with a marvelous Atlanta Braves comeback season. The Braves took a risk on him with Spencer Strider, Max Fried and company and changed things. Unfortunately, Sale won under the pressure of without Strider and executing over Philadelphia and New York but he accomplished the feat of the CY Young for the flack he receives.

    Skubal, as said on Baseball Waters, was an unknown player interviewed of Foul Territory that turned into record stone numbers with the Detroit Tigers and former Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch. They stuck it to the AL Central, the media and played excellent baseball throughout to knuckle in the AL CY Young Award.

  • Hernandez

    Hernandez

    There are multiple Hernandez in baseball. Livan, Orlando, Jose Hernandez who played and represented the name. However, Teoscar Hernandez is coming up on a new contract and all signs point to him staying with the Los Angeles Dodgers but what is there to learn about the captivating Hernandez.

    Well, Teoscar started to play his career in Toronto but then transitioned to Seattle for one short year. He made his way to Los Angeles, hit a .272 average, and became a sensational All-Star. So much so he even starred in the Home Run Derby.

    Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and Mookie Betts are the Big Three. Meanwhile, Teoscar owns up to the small money and plays mellow. He is a class act. Unlike, Livan Hernandez, Teoscar smiles back and he usually does.

    Teoscar is rolling through obstacles at age 32 and there is no defying what he does on the baseball diamond as a proud Hernandez. He like many other Hernandez redefine the history books and prove just a minuscule part of success.

    Teoscar is a single representation. What goes is different compared to Livan and Orlando more recently on the mound for example but the tone is free agency.

    Where will Teoscar land? The Dodgers are legitimately a spot but the wheel spins until the cherries do not fall on top any longer. Things could get interesting.

  • No Dodging L.A.

    No Dodging L.A.

    The Los Angeles Dodgers are leading 3-0 in the World Series and they have a lot to feel excited about. They have shut down Mr. MVP Aaron Judge and seen the only success come from Juan Soto and Gian Carlo Stanton.

    The Yankees have been struggling and even from a managerial standpoint, Fox analyst Derek Jeter argued that primed starter Gerrit Cole should have remained in the game longer by Aaron Boone but there has been no dodging Los Angeles.

    During Game 3, Freddie Freeman hit a long shot out to the Judge row for a two-run home run. He has been a huge difference maker as well as Walker Buehler.

    Teams that lead 2-0 are 44-10 in these dire situations so watch out for what happens in Game 4 now as a hobbled Freeman in Game 1 hit a grand slam to even the odds.

  • The Meaning of Topper

    The Meaning of Topper

    What is the meaning of topper? Simply, Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson but what does it also mean to be him?

    Well, nobody has gone exclusively inside the mind of Thomson but for one, he likes to devote all his time and energy to the players.

    What is a topper anyway? But, sounds cool for a coach that has become the winningest manager in Phillies history in three short seasons with a .575 win percentage and there have been many great managers such as Dallas Green, Larry Bowa, and Charlie Manuel.

    Topper is a genius with his cards. He goes to work and now has led Philadelphia to three consecutive postseason appearances. And every time he returns, Thomson comes fierce like a shark but with an iota.

    This year, the Philadelphia Phillies had to get pegged down an iota from the postseason but Thomson, with his contract restored beyond 2025, will indeed have plans to fish in huge.

  • The Greatness of Mike Trout

    The Greatness of Mike Trout

    Anaheim Angels Mike Trout is like thinking of a superhero figure walking in the northern hemisphere of Planet Earth. The guy can hit, amuse, fist bump his chest and still look good. These are the qualities that make or break Trout.

    Greatness is defined as being great, distinguished, or eminent, and none of those sometimes exemplify Trout. Trout, for example, did not adore commercials, an undesirable way to catapult to the top. Eminence was not on his mind all the time, even though there were choices.

    Trout would also be hit by a significant of lows marginalizing to highs as a loyal cast member of the Angels for the last thirteen years of his full career. Meaning, if it was one top play after the other or a walk-off moment that solidified absolutely everything.

    It was a telling moment, however, when Shohei Ohtani struck out his Angels teammate Mike Trout in the 2023 World Baseball Classic and put aside talk that the kid from Millville, NJ could come up clutch for Team USA.

    The real talk is Trout still has some years left of baseball in him but his career greatness of .299 BA and .991 OPS cannot be overshadowed to go along with his excellent fielding jinx, of course.

  • Abe..rr..hm

    Abe..rr..hm

    Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams has been demoted to AAA. Why? Nobody really understands except Abrams was spotted at a Chicago area casino only hours before a day game.

    This is arguably inexcusable when Abrams was a former all=star and presented the team in the fashion he did. GM Mike Rizzo will not disclose what happened to Abrams but demote him and keep things ‘in-house.’

    Losing catches up to any player but for it to spoil Abram’s career is not good. In the second half of this season, he hit 203 with a .586 OPS. He will report to the team’s spring training facility.

  • Outwitt and Be the Judge

    Outwitt and Be the Judge

    Bobby Witt Jr has stormed the baseball universe. Aaron Judge, meanwhile, electrifies it. These two are in a race for AL MVP and there is no misjudging based on Judge’s pathed trail of home runs (51), record-high OPS (1.141), and succinct 9.5 WAR. WAR was exceptionally better in 2022 but also in that year, Judge rose to 55 home runs through that period of September

    OPS is far much better for Judge today but do not be outwitted by Bobby Witt Jr.’s outstanding performances soon become the first Kansas City Royal since George Brett in 1993 to win a batting title. Brett was a sensational hitter that eventually matured into 3,154 career hits lifetime.

    Witt has replicated the same formula by becoming a challenging hitter and working on his all-around craft. This year, he has amounted to 40 doubles, 30 homers, 30 steals, and 10 triples and he is only 24 years old to go along with Gunnar Henderson who is another league of his own.

    The race might feel classy but what this means for Witt can only be judged.

  • Molinaless Winemixer

    Molinaless Winemixer

    Yadier Molina was born in PR and then migrated to play for the St. Louis Cardinals which lasted 18 MLB seasons as a backstop. He is truly respected by every figure across the league. Fast forward to today, there is a shift being substituted in Molina’s place. It is called the Molinaless winemixer.

    Something in simple terms where liquors are mixed but the caveat is this year’s ball club. The 2024 St. Louis Cardinals are currently five games back of a wild card berth but lack some talent including Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, Brandon Crawford, and now catcher Wilson Contreras.

    Contreras has easily been St. Louis’ biggest star this year with a .849 OPS despite missing seven weeks and now likely the remainder of 2024 due to a hit pitch by Pablo Lopez. It has not bode healthy for St. Louis ever since Molina left as a non-manager especially.

    Jobs are at stake including Oliver Marmol, John Mozeliak, and others who have played a part behind the scenes. St. Louis fans can only retort a bit of vitriol at the moment and strive with new catcher Ivan Herrera who was originally graded as the Cards’ sixth top-rated prospect.

  • Seattle Strong

    Seattle Strong

    Mr. Wilson is standing tall for Seattle and this does not imply talking about the days he stood next to Randy Johnson as a catcher. He is standing so to represent the team, days removed from Scott Servais’ long awaited firing.

    Servals was not as abysmal with a .514 winning percentage and one playoff appearance but that did not suffice the purpose of ultimately reigniting good times known as the ‘glory days’ of Seattle.

    Servais is gone. Dan Wilson in. There is no exceptional way of calculating it. Wilson has never served as a upper level coaching staff member but as fondly connected Servais’ exiting letter was to the Seattle community, Wilson is casted the same.

    Wilson is beloved by Seattle fans, execs, co-workers to erase the five lead deficit currently in the division and accomplish: one or two things.

    Try and definitively improve the offense that is heeding off a major league best 3.26 rotation ERA and prove that glory days are still on the horizon for a Seattle ball club within reach time in and out.