2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

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Cards injuries just keep commin......garcia out for 2 months, carpenter may not come back at all, berkman still iffy..bullpen out of sync.........

looking forward to the second half already.......
 
Just listening to ESPN radio while I was in the shower...

In over 2000 plate appearances, Joey Votto has only hit 3 infield pop-ups...
sick.gif
What?!
 
Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Just listening to ESPN radio while I was in the shower...

In over 2000 plate appearances, Joey Votto has only hit 3 infield pop-ups...
sick.gif
What?!
Click to expand...

Pujols averages about 8/week

indifferent.gif
 
Aroldis is human after all. Dusty has managed this game horribly. There's no reason Homer shouldn't have been left in with Cabrera up in the 7th. 
 
Originally Posted by jdcurt2

Aroldis is human after all. Dusty has managed this game horribly. There's no reason Homer shouldn't have been left in with Cabrera up in the 7th. 
Click to expand...


'Oh God what happened? They were up 6-2. Last I checked Homer was doing fine.
 
Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Just listening to ESPN radio while I was in the shower...

In over 2000 plate appearances, Joey Votto has only hit 3 infield pop-ups...
sick.gif
What?!
Click to expand...


He has pulled only a single batted ball foul into the stands in his career.
 
Originally Posted by frankbink5

Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Just listening to ESPN radio while I was in the shower...

In over 2000 plate appearances, Joey Votto has only hit 3 infield pop-ups...
sick.gif
What?!
Click to expand...


He has pulled only a single batted ball foul into the stands in his career.
Click to expand...

The guy can swing a stick. 
pimp.gif
 
A turning point for the Tigers.

Spoiler [+]
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- Jim Leyland's Sunday began with his medical folks telling him that Brennan Boesch's ankle was too injured for him to start, and that Doug Fister -- who had felt good on Saturday after a bullpen session -- was sore and won't be able to return to the rotation Wednesday, as they had hoped.

Now Fister might not be able to come back until Saturday, but Leyland doesn't care about the maybes and might-be's and could-be's at a time when the Detroit Tigers are desperately trying to stop free-falling.

"I can't worry about injured players," Leyland explained before Sunday's game. "A lot of teams have injuries." When he gets reports that a pitcher is throwing on flat ground from 120 feet, or a player is at 80 percent, Leyland said, he really doesn't pay attention to it.

"Just tell me when he can play," he said.

The Tigers have been grinding through an early-season slump because even the healthy players haven't played well. There's been too much inconsistency, some unexpected struggles from some of their complementary hitters and the loss of Fister has really hurt.

Detroit had pulled out a nice win Saturday, but early on Sunday Night Baseball, the Tigers had another injury -- a massive blister that popped up on the finger of starter Drew Smyly. So yet again, Leyland and the Tigers were short-handed and behind. The Cincinnati Reds led 6-3. Another tough day for Detroit, it appeared.

But Homer Bailey was pulled in the seventh inning, and in the eighth the Tigers got a couple of guys on base. With six outs left in the game, Dusty Baker emerged from Cincinnati dugout and called for the most unhittable reliever in baseball, Aroldis Chapman. As the lefty jogged into the game (and by the way, Chapman is such a good athlete that Baker believes a race between center fielder Drew Stubbs and Chapman would be close), opposing hitters were 9-for-100 against him this season with 54 strikeouts.

The numbers for left-handed hitters against Chapman were even more acute: 22 strikeouts and three singles in 34 at-bats. The ailing Boesch, a left-handed hitter, was in the on-deck circle preparing to pinch hit when Chapman came into the game, and he looked at the Tigers dugout and smiled. Under normal circumstances, Leyland might've considered inserting a right-handed hitter, but he was so short-handed that Boesch had to stay in the game.

When Boesch pulled a single through the right side of the infield, the Tigers fans who had made the trek to Cincinnati roared. Two batters later, with the score 6-4, Austin Jackson came to bat with the bases loaded. "I wanted to see a pitch, to see if it was as fast as it looked," Jackson said later, smiling. "And it was."

But Jackson got on top of a pitch and mashed a two-run double down the right-field line. Chapman then bounced a wild pitch, and incredibly, improbably, the Tigers would win 7-6.

If Detroit goes on to make the playoffs, we will look back at this weekend as a turning point for the Tigers.

This is a step in the right direction, Jim Leyland said afterward.

Chapman returned to earth, writes Tom Groeschen.
[h3]The first-place Pirates[/h3]
So this morning, your standings show the Pittsburgh Pirates tied for the lead in the NL Central. Remember, the Pirates opened the season with easily the most difficult schedule in the majors -- but they slogged through that with a 14-18 record, and since then Pittsburgh is 18-9. The No. 1 team in ERA is the Washington Nationals, who lead the NL East. No. 2 is the Los Angeles Dodgers, who lead the NL West. No. 3? The Pirates, who lead the NL Central.

As A.J. Burnett walked off the mound Sunday, he got a rousing ovation and responded, writes Ron Cook.

Derrek Lee spurned the Pirates in the offseason, and Dejan Kovacevic writes an open letter to the first baseman.
[h3]Cincinnati notes[/h3]
• The legend of Billy Hamilton grows. The Reds' minor leaguer -- a second-round pick in 2009 -- has 70 stolen bases in 84 attempts for Single-A Bakersfield, and he's increased his on-base percentage this year from .340 to .401. Walt Jocketty, the Reds' general manager, has asked his player development folks about the nature of Hamilton's stolen bases, and he has been assured that this is not a case of a baserunner piling up numbers without discretion in empty moments. "He's running in the right situations," Jocketty said.

Chris Buckley, the Reds' amateur scouting director, wrote in an email that Cincinnati "first started scouting him in 11th grade. Our scouts raved about his speed and athleticism. He reminded me of a guy I grew up admiring and played with as a young guy -- Willie Wilson." Hamilton was a four-sport athlete, and the more he plays, Buckley wrote, the better he's gotten.

Hamilton is a shortstop, but the Reds have the smooth-fielding Zack Cozart in the big leagues and Didi Gregorius in Double-A, and at some point in the upcoming offseason, Cincinnati may decide to shift Hamilton to another position.

• Todd Frazier of the Reds seems a lot like Sean Casey: Loves playing baseball, always has a smile and is a positive force. In his 79th game in the big leagues Sunday night, he mashed an opposite-field homer -- and when the ball cleared the right field wall, a huge smile formed on his face. Nothing showy and certainly not an effort to show anybody up; it was just pure joy.

And you have to like the fact that the New Jersey native walks up to Sinatra music for each of his at-bats; Tyler Jett wrote about this last summer.
[h3]Elsewhere[/h3]
• Modern technology in Miami on Sunday was something like the Pony Express.
[h3]By The Numbers[/h3]
From ESPN Stats and Info

9: Consecutive road wins by the Angels this season, tied for the longest streak in MLB and two shy of their franchise record.
12: Wins by the Orioles in their last at-bat this season, the most in baseball.
16: Consecutive home games without a home run by the Giants, longest streak by the franchise since 1918.
66: Brett Lawrie homered on a 66-mph curveball, the slowest pitch anyone has homered on this season.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. As agent Barry Praver has talked to teams about outfield prospect Jorge Soler, he has asked teams if they are looking for "Soler Power." And apparently they are ready to pay a lot for that alternative energy, because Praver said Sunday the bidding has been "aggressive." He asked teams to forward their final bids on Soler by Sunday night.

The New York Yankees are said to be in heavy in the bidding, and the Dodgers are viewed by some club officials as a sleeper because of their effort to re-establish themselves in the international market. The Chicago Cubs have been viewed as the favorite all along, with some executives predicting that the winning bid will fall somewhere in the range of $25 million to $35 million for the 19-year-old.

The Yankees are trying very hard to sign him, Dan Martin writes. The Cubs will soon know if they've landed Soler, Paul Sullivan writes.

2. Mark Melancon was recalled by the Boston Red Sox.

3. As planned, Andrew Cashner was sent to Double-A.

4. The Minnesota Twins are close to a deal with their No. 1 pick.

5. The Seattle Mariners are working to get Brandon League back into the closer role.

6. It looks like Alexi Ogando is headed to the disabled list and could be replaced by Robbie Ross, who is 6-0.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Brian Roberts is expected to be back from the disabled list on Tuesday. It'll be interesting to see what he adds.

2. Andy Pettitte was OK after barehanding a ball.

3. Brent Morel is doing all he can to avoid surgery.

4. Scott Rolen and Drew Stubbs could be back soon.

5. Matt Holliday sat out again.

6. The Kansas City Royals may carry three catchers when Salvy Perez comes back.
[h3]Sunday's games[/h3]
1. The Arizona Diamondbacks are back to .500, as Nick Piecoro writes, and now they're headed out on a tough road trip.

2. Bobby Valentine aimed a lot of words at the umpires after the Red Sox were swept.

3. The Baltimore Orioles got yet another victory in their final at-bat.

4. Russell Martin got dog-piled, writes Marc Carig. He backed off, and now he's back, as Joel Sherman writes.

[h4]Strikeout Andy[/h4]
Highest strikeout rate among AL starting pitchers this season (minimum 500 pitches).
[table][tr][th=""]
Pitcher
[/th][th=""]
Team
[/th][th=""]
K Rate
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Max Scherzer
[/td][td]
DET
[/td][td]
27.4%
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Chris Sale
[/td][td]
CHW
[/td][td]
26.3%
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Justin Verlander
[/td][td]
DET
[/td][td]
25.6%
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Felipe Paulino
[/td][td]
KC
[/td][td]
25.0%
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Andy Pettitte
[/td][td]
NYY
[/td][td]
24.7%
[/td][/tr][/table]

From ESPN Stats and Info: A few months ago, we were talking about whether Pettitte would have anything left in the tank. Six starts into his return to the Bronx, he is posting one of the highest strikeout rates among AL starting pitchers.

5. The New York Mets had some late-inning mishaps, as Andy McCullough writes.

6. Rockies hitters killed it this weekend, but they got swept. The Rockies' rotation needs a remedy and fast.

7. Ubaldo Jimenez had a good day in the Indians' win before Jason Kipnis clubbed a decisive home run.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Jimenez pitched:

A) Jimenez didn't walk a batter for the first time since June 7 last season, snapping a streak of 32 straight starts with a walk, the sixth-longest active streak in baseball.
B) Jimenez's fastball averaged 93.9 mph, his fastest since his second start this season. He threw a season-high 72 percent of his fastballs for strikes.
C) Jimenez had three strikeouts on his splitter; he had only five all season entering Sunday.

8. Tim Lincecum's struggles continued Sunday. It's time for the San Francisco Giants to consider other options, writes Tim Kawakami. Scott Ostler wonders how much more of this the Giants can take.

The Giants went homerless again.

From Elias Sports Bureau: The Giants have not hit a home run in their past 16 home games. That is the longest homerless streak at home by a Giants team since the team moved to San Francisco in 1958, and the longest by the franchise since a 21-game streak in 1918 when they were the New York Giants. The last MLB team to have a streak of at least 16 home games without a HR was the 1990 Astros, who also had a 16-game streak. Looking ahead (next home game is Tuesday), the last MLB team with a homerless streak longer than 16 home games was the 1983 Indians, who had a 17-game streak.

9. The Toronto Blue Jays battled back to avoid a sweep.

10. The Milwaukee Brewers battled back from a ninth-inning meltdown.

11. Philip Humber was put on notice after his latest ugly outing.

12. The Jays closed out a really nice road trip.

13. The Dodgers just keep on winning.

14. Mark Trumbo is crushing the ball, and the Los Angeles Angels never lose anymore.

15. The Mariners' bats were silent.

16. The Houston Astros mashed some home runs.

17. The Philadelphia Phillies lost again, and it's time for them to face facts, writes Phil Sheridan.

18. It was supposed to be a day of rest for Bryce Harper, but instead, he helped the Nationals finish off the Red Sox. The Nats have arrived, writes Thomas Boswell.

Picking Home Run Derby dream teams.

Spoiler [+]
CINCINNATI -- Prince Fielder was on his way to the cage for batting practice Saturday afternoon, and he didn't pause when asked, hypothetically, whether he would participate in the Home Run Derby in Kansas City on July 9.

"Yeah, I'd do that," he said, smiling, before adding the usual qualifier that he needs to actually be invited, as part of the All-Star team.

Robinson Cano and Matt Kemp were named Derby captains earlier this week, and so the question is: Who would you want to see them pick for their teams?

Cano indicated that he would offer a spot to teammate Curtis Granderson.

For the sake of picking dream teams, we'll pick from all players, rather than only those who are likely to get selected to the midsummer classic.
[h3]American League[/h3]
1. Cano, New York Yankees

2. Fielder, Detroit Tigers: He showed during the All-Star Game last year what kind of lasers he is capable of hitting.

3. Adam Dunn, Chicago White Sox: He hit another homer Saturday and is on pace to hit 52 home runs and drive in 124 runs. Dunn would be fun to watch in this kind of competition because his home runs are skyscrapers.

4. Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels: This spot would've gone to Josh Hamilton, but he has already said he won't participate, because he's worried about getting hurt, and as the most prominent prospective free-agent position player, you can't really blame him. So our fourth invite would go to Trumbo, who, like Dunn, is capable of moonshots.
[h3]National League[/h3]
1. Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers

2. Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins: Look, I don't know how you make sure you get him there (maybe offering a stake in a Kansas City steakhouse establishment). But it's got to happen, because he's the most dynamic long-ball hitter in the sport right now. A derby without Stanton now is like a dunk contest in the mid-80s without Michael Jordan.

3. Dan Uggla, Atlanta Braves: Some guys aren't fit for this because they have to alter their swings for the Derby. Uggla is a living, breathing Home Run Derby; every swing he takes is a Home Run Derby swing.

4. Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals: He leads the NL in homers, but it seems unlikely that he'd accept. Ryan Braun would be a great choice, and if he could find a batting practice pitcher who could consistently throw the ball into his happy zone -- inner half, thigh high -- you could see him getting on a Lance Berkman roll.

But this event seems designed for Bryce Harper and his intensity and his powerful swing. Major League Baseball needs to find a way to get Harper and Mike Trout to Kansas City, one way or another, and this would be a perfect ticket for Harper.

By the way: Harper has been killing left-handed pitching, Adam Kilgore writes.

Fielder and the Tigers are facing Joey Votto and the Cincinnati Reds tonight on "Sunday Night Baseball." Homer Bailey pitches for the Reds, and he remains defiant, Jay Morrison writes.
[h3]Observing Votto[/h3]
When Votto bats and Zack Cozart is in the dugout, Cozart blocks out the pitcher and focuses on his teammate, as he stands at the plate, and he marvels at how calm Votto's actions are. "He makes everything look so easy," said Cozart.

Recently, Cozart recalled, Votto faced Henry Rodriguez of the Washington Nationals, a pitcher whose fastball can reach 100 mph. Typically, a hitter facing a pitcher who throws that hard will be more unstable in his actions, jerking his hands or his shoulders in order to get the bat started more quickly in response to the fastball.

Judging by Votto's body language, Cozart recalled, you would've thought he was facing an average pitcher with an average fastball. Everything in what Votto did -- planting his front foot, the movement of his hands -- was just the same.

Votto is like a musician who always joins in at precisely the right moment, no matter the tempo -- never too soon, never too late.

Said teammate Jay Bruce: "He's always on time."

Votto got on base three times on Saturday, with two walks and a double. He's got 72 hits and 48 walks and is on pace to reach base 335 times.

The Reds lost on Saturday, although Bronson Arroyo went toe-to-toe with Justin Verlander.
[h3]More Reds notes[/h3]
• Scott Rolen is hopeful of trying to play this week, and he says he feels good.

• When Aroldis Chapman is pitching to right-handed hitters, Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan likes to set up farther inside than he usually does, because it makes it less likely for him to have a pitch bust in on the thumb of his glove hand -- and he feels it gives him a better chance to reach for the pitch over the plate. But his approach, he said with a chuckle, sometimes leaves the umpires feeling as though their body parts are more exposed to Chapman's 100 mph fastball. Hanigan assures them that this actually helps their odds of staying out of the line of fire.

Hanigan believes that Chapman's unusual two-part delivery -- first he gathers himself, cocooning the ball, before exploding toward the plate -- makes him very deceptive and difficult to time, especially because hitters often see him only once or twice in a series.
[h3]Elsewhere[/h3]
• Danny Hultzen, the Mariners' first pick in the 2011 draft, is dominating in Double-A, posting a 1.28 ERA in his first 12 starts. But Seattle has no plans to bring him up anytime soon, despite some injuries at the big league level. The Mariners want him to continue his development in the minors.

• Before Saturday's game here, some Tigers players mentioned that they just needed to find a foothold to begin a turnaround. "We've got the right guy throwing," said one veteran pitcher, referring to Verlander.

Maybe they found that foothold, with a lot of help from Brennan Boesch and Verlander.

[h4]A consistent Verlander[/h4]
Most consecutive starts with at least six innings pitched (in expansion era).
[table][tr][th=""]
Pitcher
[/th][th=""]
Starts
[/th][th=""]
Seasons
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Bob Gibson
[/td][td]
78
[/td][td]
1967-70
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Steve Carlton
[/td][td]
69
[/td][td]
1979-82
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Catfish Hunter
[/td][td]
61
[/td][td]
1975-76
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Justin Verlander
[/td][td]
55
[/td][td]
2010-12
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Bob Gibson
[/td][td]
54
[/td][td]
1965-66
[/td][/tr][/table]

From ESPN Stats and Information: Verlander extended his streak of consecutive starts of least six innings to 55 Saturday, even though he needed 113 pitches to get through the first five innings. He hadn't thrown that many pitches in the first five innings of a start since the last time he failed to make it through six. He finished with 127 pitches in six innings.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Verlander pitched in his no-decision against the Reds:

A. The Reds fouled off 54 percent of their swings against Verlander (35 of 65), the highest percentage against Verlander by any team in more than two years.
B. With all the foul balls they hit, the Reds averaged 4.9 pitches per plate appearance against Verlander, the highest by any team against him this season.
C. Four hitters reached base against Verlander after an 0-2 count; only eight hitters had done that against Verlander all season entering Saturday.
D. The Reds had five plate appearances of at least eight pitches against Verlander, the most against him in the past four seasons.
E. Four of the five plate appearances of at least eight pitches came after Verlander got ahead 0-2. He had only three such plate appearances this season entering Saturday.

Here's more good news for the Tigers: Doug Fister is on track to come back this week, Tom Gage writes.

• Mike Trout went 3-for-5 on Saturday, building his case for Rookie of the Year day by day; he is even beginning to creep into the early MVP conversation.

[h4]Hitting to all fields[/h4]
Percentage of Mike Trout's hits by location in the last two seasons.
[table][tr][th=""]
Location
[/th][th=""]
2011
[/th][th=""]
2012
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Left field
[/td][td]
70.4
[/td][td]
50.9
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Center field
[/td][td]
18.5
[/td][td]
24.5
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Right field
[/td][td]
11.1
[/td][td]
24.5
[/td][/tr][/table]

From ESPN Stats and Info: Trout singled and came around to score three times in the Angels' 11-5 win against the Rockies on Saturday. Much of Trout's improved performance can be attributed to going up the middle and the other way for hits. Saturday, one of Trout's singles was up the middle, giving him 26 hits to center or right field this season. He had eight such hits a year ago.

As Dan Haren says in this Bill Plunkett story, Trout is playing a high caliber of baseball. From Bill Plunkett's story:
  • "He's played just about as well as anybody in the league, really since he was called up," said Angels starter Dan Haren, the beneficiary of Trout's catalytic properties Saturday. "Even the little things he's doing -- the bases he's stealing (13 in 16 attempts), the way he runs the bases, his defense. He's done it all.
  • "He's been a big reason we've gone from eight games under .500 (6-14 when he was promoted) to over .500 (31-29). He's been a huge reason."
• With the help of a bizarre inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates are now one game out of first place.

• Pablo Sandoval got a stern message from his manager about conditioning, writes Henry Schulman.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Brett Gardner suffered a setback and isn't coming back for awhile, Sean Brennan writes.

2. Carl Crawford has been getting instruction from the Boston assistant pitching coach.

3. Salvy Perez keeps making progress.

4. Jaime Garcia hopes he won't need shoulder surgery.

5. Stephen Drew gave his side of the story.

6. Carlos Zambrano was having back issues in the Marlins' latest loss.

7. Evan Longoria was pleased with his hamstring test.

8. Fernando Martinez is headed to the DL.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Philadelphia Phillies are looking for relief help, as mentioned within this Jim Salisbury notebook.

2. The Boston Red Sox need a starting pitcher, writes Nick Cafardo. It's interesting that a lot of executives privately believe that the Chicago Cubs and Red Sox wouldn't be able to complete a trade for Matt Garza because of the lingering anger about the Theo Epstein compensation issue. If it were left to just Epstein and Boston GM Ben Cherington to make a deal, I'd bet it could happen.

3. The Tigers made a solid offer to Roy Oswalt, writes John Lowe.

4. Frank Robinson is in line for a big job with MLB, alongside Joe Torre, writes Phil Rogers.

5. The Milwaukee Brewers signed their first-round picks.

6. The Toronto Blue Jays had a distinct draft strategy, Bob Elliott writes.

7. Bob Melvin is going with a closer-by-committee approach.
[h3]By The Numbers[/h3]From ESPN Stats and Info
3: Home runs for Adam Jones in the 12th inning or later this season after his walk-off home run Saturday; no player in the past 40 seasons has had more such home runs in one season.
10: Consecutive wins for the Dodgers on Saturdays this season; they're 10-0 on the year.
14: Hits for the Dodgers, most by a team in a game after being no-hit since the Twins had 15 against the Tigers in 1998 after David Wells' perfect game against them.
[h3]Saturday's games[/h3]
1. The White Sox added to their lead in the AL Central.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Chris Sale beat the Astros:

A. Sale threw a season-high 25 changeups, and he struck out a season-high three hitters with the pitch.
B. Sale's fastball and changeup had a velocity difference of 9.7 mph, his largest differential this season.
C. He went to a season-low two three-ball counts, walking none.
D. More than 61 percent of Sale's pitches were outside, his highest percentage of the season. Astros hitters were 2-for-19 with six strikeouts in at-bats ending with an outside pitch from Sale. Astros righties were 2-for-17 with five strikeouts against Sale's outside pitches.

2. Adam Jones did his thing again, hitting a walk-off homer.

3. It feels like a statement series for the Washington Nationals this weekend in Boston, and the message from Gio Gonzalez was loud and clear.

4. The Phillies were sloppy, writes Matt Gelb.

5. The Yankees used power to take down the New York Mets. Along the way, Derek Jeter passed Ted Williams in one offensive category. By the end of the year, it's possible that Jeter will rank 12th all time in runs scored; he is 495 away from Rickey Henderson's record.

6. Kyle Lohse was The Man for the Cardinals.

7. The Cleveland Indians were shut out for the first time.

8. The Minnesota Twins have heated up, La Velle Neal writes. Scott Diamond might be here to stay.

9. The Mariners struck out a lot the day after their no-hitter.

10. Ryan Vogelsong shut down the Rangers.

11. Here come the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have now won four straight.

12. The Colorado Rockies hit five homers and lost.

13. The Dodgers' season has a 1988 feel to it, with a whole bunch of role players kicking in. On Saturday, it was Jerry Hairston, who drove in five runs.

14. Andrew Cashner started, and the Padres won. In keeping with San Diego's plans, Cashner will now be sent to the minors to extend his pitch count.

15. Ben Zobrist did a lot of damage on behalf of Matt Moore, writes Roy Cummings.

16. Andrelton Simmons keeps doing amazing things for the Braves, writes David O'Brien. Chipper Jones may be back today.

17. The Rangers made some errors and lost.

Jarrod Parker off to a fast start.

Spoiler [+]
It took 23 batters for the Texas Rangers to get their first hit against Jarrod Parker five days ago, and that took a lot of pressure off Oakland manager Bob Melvin. Parker's pitch count was at 111 after eight innings, and Melvin would've had an awful quandary -- much like Mets manager Terry Collins did three days before, late in Johan Santana's no-hitter -- in trying to decide whether to let the rookie try to finish his gem.

Parker paused when he passed his manager after he was removed from the game. "Don't worry," he drolly told Melvin, "I wasn't going to get you fired."

Parker has so much poise that it's easy to forget that he's 23 years old, and that his near-no-hitter against the Rangers came in just his ninth start in the majors. Parker, who makes his 10th start Saturday against the Diamondbacks, has appeared completely underwhelmed.

Parker has a 2.40 ERA and has allowed just one homer in 48.2 innings, mixing his fastball with a changeup that was a weapon against the Rangers -- and in particular, against Josh Hamilton.

Parker went through an elbow reconstruction that cost him the 2010 season, and it was during that time that he refined his changeup. He had thrown more of what pitchers call a Vulcan-grip changeup, with the ball tucked in between his fingers. But Parker wanted a changeup that would be better disguised -- something that hitters wouldn't be able to see very well. So he began to throw changeups using the same grip that he threw his fastball, but with the ball deeper into his palm.

As he progressed in his elbow rehabilitation, Parker asked hitters on his team what they saw in his changeup, and they confirmed for him that they had an extremely difficult time distinguishing that offspeed pitch from his fastball, because the spin was identical.

It's because of this that Oakland catcher Kurt Suzuki called for the changeup repeatedly against Hamilton. Three in a row, in fact, something rarely done, especially in an at-bat involving a hitter as dangerous as Hamilton. "Coming in, we had a game plan," Parker said in a conversation the other day, "and we said were weren't going to be afraid to throw the changeup, even three or four in a row."

Hamilton walked in his first plate appearance but struck out the second and third times that Parker faced him, each time with a changeup.

From Kenton Wong of ESPN Stats & Info, here's more on how Parker used this pitch: "Of the 15 pitches Hamilton saw from Parker, 10 were changeups, both the most changeups Parker has thrown to a hitter this season and the most Hamilton has seen in a game this year.

"Parker struck out Hamilton twice on changeups; the only other pitcher this season to do that is Justin Verlander. Parker induced seven swings-and-misses on his changeup, tied for his most in his short career. Hamilton missed on five of his six swings against the pitch; all other Rangers missed on two of their eight swings. Parker threw 20 of his 25 changeups out of the strike zone, his highest percentage this season. The Rangers chased 10 of those 20 changeups, including seven of 11 with two strikes. Parker recorded five outs on those seven two-strike changeups, including a double play."

Parker faces the pitcher he was traded for tonight, as Susan Slusser writes.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• Pablo Sandoval will be activated tonight. Melky Cabrera is dealing with a hamstring issue.

• The Mariners, victims of a perfect game earlier this season, generated a no-hitter at Safeco Field with six pitchers, writes Alex Pavolvic. From ESPN Stats & Info, how the Mariners staff kept the no-hitter alive:

• Kevin Millwood pounded the outer part of the plate with his fastball, throwing 41 of 57 away (72 percent). Millwood gained six outs, including two strikeouts in at-bats ending with a fastball away.

-- Only 16 percent of Millwood's pitches were off-speed, but his secondary pitches got him five outs (three strikeouts).

-- Charlie Furbush threw six sliders in 10 pitches, getting two of his three outs with that pitch.

-- Stephen Pryor threw almost all fastballs (14 of 15 pitches) with an average velocity of 94.8 mph. He gained his lone strikeout on a 96 mph fastball.

-- Lucas Luetge threw three sliders to James Loney, forcing a sacrifice bunt out of the lefty.

-- Brandon League worked his splitter down in the zone, getting two outs on six pitches with the splitter.

-- Tom Wilhelmsen worked his fastball inside to get three outs, averaging 96.4 mph with the heater.

-- Relievers threw 63 percent of their pitches for strikes, including 16 of their last 18.

-- The bullpen allowed only two balls to leave the infield: a line out and a fly out.

• One of the hottest teams in the majors: the Pirates, who had the worst early-season schedule in baseball and have now won 16 of their last 26.

• Alfonso Soriano blasted his 11th homer since May 15, as Paul Sullivan writes.

• The D-backs pulled off a huge comeback, with Ryan Roberts getting the decisive hit.

• Reliever David Aardsma is throwing batting practice to hitters now and is feeling good. The Yankees expect that both he and Joba Chamberlain will be back to help the bullpen in the second half of the season.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. Fredi Gonzalez may change the way he uses his bullpen.

2. Logan Morrison was benched.

3. Felix Hernandez is getting extra rest.

4. The Orioles signed their third-round pick.

5. The Jays continued to sign their draft picks.

6. The Twins' negotiations with their No. 1 pick are underway, as Charley Walters writes.
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. Carl Crawford says he feels great as he starts his throwing program, and assuming that all goes well with his rehab, it's hard to imagine it will take him long to be back in the lineup, because he's been swinging a bat and running for a while.

2. Evan Longoria will test his hamstring today.

3. Clayton Kershaw says his sore foot doesn't affect his pitching.

4. Jaime Garcia is out for at least two months.

5. Nick Masset is making progress.

6. Brent Morel is dealing with back issues that are more serious than originally thought, and Orlando Hudson is filling in.

7. Joe Mauer hopes to be back in the lineup today.

8. Freddy Galvis may have a back fracture.

By The Numbers, from ESPN Stats & Info
2: No-hitters thrown at Safeco Field this season and the number of no-hitters with Brian Runge behind the plate (also called Philip Humber's perfect game on April 21).
3: Consecutive HRs hit by Yankees off Santana.
13: Strikeouts by Stephen Strasburg against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.
19-236: Bryce Harper's age on Friday (in years and days), making him the second-youngest visiting player to homer at Fenway Park.
[h3]Friday's games[/h3]
1. Matt Harrison shut down the Giants.

2. Jed Lowrie continues to build a case to be an All-Star; he mashed a three-run homer.

3. The Braves pulled out a one-run game.

4. Jeremy Hellickson was off, but the Rays battled through it and held off the Marlins.

5. It got away from Brian Fuentes in a hurry.

6. The Padres have given up a bunch of homers, writes Bill Center.

7. Torii Hunter, dealing with a lot of challenges these days, drove in six runs.

8. The Tiger were beaten by a bunt, writes John Lowe.

9. The Reds won a thriller.

10. Josh Tomlin got it done.

11. Gavin Floyd got pounded, as Toni Ginnetti writes.

12. The Brewers did a lot of mashing.

13. Strasburg generated a whole lot of ugly swings at Fenway Park.

14. The Phillies, challenged by their manager, posted nine runs.

15. Santana was lit up by the Yankees, and Collins blamed himself. The lefty was rusty, and Collins said it was his fault, as John Harper writes.

16. The Red Sox were rocked by phenoms. From ESPN Stats & Info, how Strasburg dominated:

A) Strasburg kept the ball down, throwing 52 percent (63 of 119) at the knees or below. The righty got a season-high 38 strikes, including 14 swings-and-misses on pitches down.

B) Almost 60 percent of Strasburg's pitches were out of the zone (71 of 119), keeping the Red Sox off balance. They chased a season-high 25 pitches and went 0-for-12 with 10 strikeouts in at-bats ending with a pitch out of the zone.

C) The curveball was again working for Strasburg, who threw it 24 times Friday. The Red Sox went 0-for-6 with six strikeouts, and this season opponents are hitting .127 with 37 strikeouts against Strasburg's curveball.

While we're still several months away from the 2012 NL Cy Young vote, Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez have both done their parts to this point, ranking 1-2 in MLB in strikeout rate among starting pitchers. Rounding out the top five, in order, are Max Scherzer (27.4 percent), Zack Greinke (27.3) and Cliff Lee (27).

Strasburg became only the fourth pitcher to record 13 strikeouts as a visiting pitcher at Fenway Park in the wild-card era, joining Mike Mussina (who did it twice, as a Yankee in 2001 and in 2000 with the Orioles), Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens.

Breaking down Pirates No. 1 pick Appel.

Spoiler [+]
Much ink has been spilled on Stanford righty and Pirates first-round pick Mark Appel since the draft on Monday. Much of it has been centered around how Appel, a contender for the No. 1 overall pick, slipped to eighth overall and how the new collective bargaining agreement's draft values and Appel's perceived bonus demands might have impacted his slide.

The underreported story is that while Appel might have been the consensus top pitcher in the draft, each team's draft board differs greatly and more than a few teams had Appel fourth in a tightly-packed top group of arms including LSU righty Kevin Gausman (fourth overall to Baltimore), USF righty Kyle Zimmer (fifth overall to Kansas City) and California prep lefty Max Fried (seventh overall to San Diego).

I saw Appel's worst outing of the year Friday night, a 17-1 super regional loss at Florida State where he only lasted four innings, but it wasn't just a tough night
 
Cubs sign Jorge Soler. nice pickup. We need to trade Demspter,Garza, and Soranio for Prospects. Maybe i am delusional but i see a bright future for the cubs. I just hope our top draft pick Albert Almora sign with us instead of going to college.
 
They do. Just gotta temper the expectations on what you get for Soriano and on the LaHair/Rizzo combination.
 
Originally Posted by Proshares

How do you mean patient? Contract wise?
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patient as in letting them come up and do their thing instead of spending all that money on albert for a whole 10 years..........
 they they have control over them for what, 2-3 years before they have to PAY them........they didnt need.

Now, #5`s contract will certainly hinder them from signing both of them when that time comes.

they`ll regret it in 5 years, guaranteed.
 
Originally Posted by Proshares

They do. Just gotta temper the expectations on what you get for Soriano and on the LaHair/Rizzo combination.
Click to expand...
I basically would give up Soriano for dirt cheap. I would trade Lahair depending on the development of Brent Jackson, and Scuzur. Once Rizzo gets called up, Lahair gon be traded or move to the outfield. He would be a good DH in the American League.

  
 
This is just crazy to me but in about 20 fewer games, Trout is already THIRD in OF WAR. The kid is at 3.1 already which is unreal to me in only 41 games (compare that to Harper's 1.3 in 40).
 
He's special. Really, really special.

And in 6 years when the Angels are still paying Albert Pujols a billion dollars a year, they'll get to stretch themselves to sign Trout to the biggest deal ever.
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It's just crazy to think about. Harper's feilding takes away a bit but still. He's been "better" than everyone not named Votto, Wright, Hamilton, Bourn (another stunner), Jones and Braun.

I still think Harper's peak years might be slightly better.
 
I'd note that Harper's first 150 ABs > Trout's first 150

Harper's power should make up the difference in fielding ability and then some. I think he'll be better, but they're both generational talents.
 
Anyone have more info behind Ben Badlers tweet? Something along the lines of "big MLB scandal coming. Stay tuned"
 
Harper will hit 35-40 homers a year and be a monster, no doubt...

Trout has a chance to give me 20-25 homers, 40+ stolen bases, 40 doubles and a .400 OBP from a premium defensive CF...

You can't go wrong either way, but I'd take Trout.
 
562:

A son of Enrique Soto, one of the most powerful trainers in the Dominican Republic over the last two decades, used a false age when he signed with the Mariners in 2007, according to multiple sources familiar with the case.

George Soto signed with Seattle for $700,000 in February 2007, presenting himself as a 17-year-old shortstop with a birthdate of Nov. 19, 1989. According to George Soto's new paperwork, he was born Nov. 17, 1985, which would have made him 21 when he signed.

After Major League Baseball initially determined that Soto's age and identity were valid in its original investigation, a subsequent investigation revealed inconsistencies in his documentation. A DNA test also helped MLB catch the deception.

At this point, in fact, MLB does not have an official position on what Soto's age is. Dan Mullin, MLB's senior vice president of investigations, said MLB is satisfied that Soto's identity is accurate but is not confident of his age, based on the documentation available.

"It's just not enough to conclusively say he was born on that date," Mullin said. "We're not saying he wasn't born on that date; we're just not prepared, as MLB, to say that he was."

Soto hit .219/.306/.308 in 261 games over five professional seasons, four of which were spent in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League. The Mariners released him at the end of spring training this year. He never appeared in a Mariners Top 30 Prospects list.

BA reached Enrique Soto by phone on Tuesday, and he declined to comment. The Mariners also declined comment.

Initial Investigation Discredited By DNA Test

MLB's initial investigation was done by Arlina Espaillat Matos, a contract investigator. At the time Soto signed, MLB used contract employees who were paid directly by the team to investigate a player, a system that was scrapped when MLB's department of investigations took over in 2009. In the process of reinvestigating several cases—some at the request of the U.S. Consulate—MLB discovered issues with Soto's documentation.

Mullin said the league finished its investigation in June 2011 after finding several warning signs. Sonia Gardenia Lara, who had been presenting herself as Soto's mother, declared her parentage of Soto when he was 11. In the Dominican Republic, in addition to hospital records of birth that may be available, parents also declare their children with the government, which may not happen until the children are several years old. If parentage is declared at an unusually late age, however, MLB sees that as a cause for suspicion. Hospital records for Soto were inaccurate and school records did not exist.

Sources said the smoking gun came when a DNA test was requested, and Soto's real mother, Melba Antonia Gonzalez, showed up to present a DNA sample, apparently with the hope that nobody would realize she was not the same woman who had originally presented herself as Soto's mother. Instead, a representative from MLB's department of investigations realized what was happening. Lara, it turned out, was Soto's stepmother.

"You'd be surprised how often people agree to take DNA tests and fail them," Mullin said.

Mullin said that MLB believes George Soto knew at the time he signed that he was using a false age and that Lara was not his real mother. Another source with knowledge of the situation said that Enrique Soto played a part in the deception. Mullin declined comment on whether any team employees knew what George Soto's real age was.

George Soto has since gone through the Dominican courts to obtain a new birth certificate with a new age that is four years older, meaning he would now be 26. He used that new age to obtain a visa and travel to Arizona for spring training this year, before the Mariners released him on March 23.

One of George Soto's brothers is Leance Soto, a third baseman who signed with the Blue Jays for $675,000 in April 2005 when he was 19. He spent four years in short-season ball, finishing a career .201/.248/.293 hitter in 149 games before his release after the 2008 season. He later signed with the Rangers on Jan. 19, 2010—the same day the Rangers signed Colombian catcher Jorge Alfaro for $1.3 million out of Enrique Soto's program—before getting released on July 19, 2010, having never played a game for the organization.

Leance Soto's listed date of birth is June 13, 1985, five months apart from George Soto's new date of birth. Sources said that George and Leance are half-brothers who do not have the same mother, though Baseball America could not confirm that. Mullin said the league does not currently have an investigation into Leance Soto.

Enrique Soto has been one of the most powerful people in Dominican baseball. A former scout for the Athletics in the early 1990s, Soto has worked in Bani as a trainer for Miguel Tejada (who used a false age to sign), Erick Aybar and Willy Aybar, among others.

The Mariners have signed several of Soto's most expensive players in recent years, including Jharmidy DeJesus, who signed for $1 million shortly before his 18th birthday in 2007 and is now a first baseman/third baseman with low Class A Clinton. Shortstop Esteilon Peguero, who also trained with Soto, agreed to sign with the Mariners in December 2010 for $2.9 million, which would have been the biggest bonus of the year, until the Mariners reduced his bonus to $1.1 million for unconfirmed reasons.

Soto was arrested in January 2011 when two unnamed brothers he had coached told Dominican authorities that Soto had sexually assaulted them over the course of six months in 2003 when they were 16 and 17. Soto was released on bond in late June 2011. Last July, an investigative report by Alicia Ortega aired on Noticias Sin in the Dominican Republic in which three former players accused Soto of sexually assaulting them. In the report, Soto denied every allegation against him. BA could not verify the current legal status of the charges against Soto in the Dominican Republic.
Click to expand...
 
Originally Posted by Nowitness41Dirk

Harper will hit 35-40 homers a year and be a monster, no doubt...

Trout has a chance to give me 20-25 homers, 40+ stolen bases, 40 doubles and a .400 OBP from a premium defensive CF...

You can't go wrong either way, but I'd take Trout.
Click to expand...

Among those categories I think Trout will likely only be superior in stolen bases and defense. Harper isn't a natural outfielder, but has the tools to be above average in time, and you gotta figure that wOBA will favor Harper. Plus speed will atrophy far sooner than power will. 
I'd take Harper, but I expect people will be comparing the two their entire careers. Come 2018, their rivalry could be a modern version of Williams and DiMaggio, teams and all. 
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