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Re: The MLB Thread
Blue Jays bring back the blue with vintage-themed uniforms
by APhttp://toronto.bluejays.mlb.com/images/ … lAEQNH.jpg
TORONTO (AP)—The Blue Jays are bringing back uniforms with a more vintage look, tweaking its old-school logo, tinkered with the lettering and given the bird head a more stylized look.
Players will wear blue hats and blue shoes for all games next season, the team announced Friday. Black jerseys have been shelved in favor of white uniforms at home, light gray on the road and a royal blue alternate jersey.
The scripted lettering is gone. The uniforms resemble a version of the jerseys worn when the team won consecutive World Series titles in 1992 and 1993.
“Blue Jays” is spelled out on the home and alternate uniforms, while “Toronto” appears on the road jersey.
These uniforms are a lot better looking than the new ones they've been wearing. I never liked the way they made the new Blue Jay logo. It looked like one of those awful mid 1990s NBA logos (like the Raptors).
Good move on going back to the old jerseys/logos.
As you might imagine, Detroit exploded when this was announced yesterday.
They need to add a bat and maybe more bullpen help. But they're close. And I will be rooting for Leyland and company to win it.
Re: The MLB Thread
Detroit needs to try to add LOTS of offensive help. They just aren't there. They're like the Angels in the AL West. A potential division winner, maybe a threat in the ALCS, but not really even a pennant team, let alone a World Champion.
Btw, i'm gonna be posting some old news here in an effort to catch up. Sorry, busy Holiday week.
Re: The MLB Thread
Brewers' Ryan Braun named NL MVP
by Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
MILWAUKEE -- And now, a dose of tradition to follow a day of debate. Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun -- a prolific hitter from a contending team -- is the National League's Most Valuable Player.
Braun outpolled the Dodgers' Matt Kemp to become Milwaukee's first league MVP since Hall of Famer Robin Yount won for the second time in 1989, when the Brewers were still an American League franchise. Braun was nervously waiting on the balcony of his Malibu, Calif., home with his home phone in one hand and his cell in the other, when the happy call finally came Tuesday from the Baseball Writers' Association of America.
"It sounds cliché to say that I'm living the dream, but this really is a dream," Braun said. "This is beyond my wildest dreams, to be in this position at this point in my career. I'm proud."
Braun received 20 of a possible 32 first-place votes -- two BBWAA members in each NL city cast ballots -- for a total of 388 points. Kemp received 10 first-place votes and 332 points. Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, currently a free agent, finished third with one first-place vote and 229 points, giving the Brewers two players in the top five for the first time since Yount won his first AL MVP Award and Cecil Cooper ran fifth in 1982.
D-backs outfielder Justin Upton garnered 214 points, including one first-place vote, to finish fourth. Braun, Kemp, Fielder and Upton were the only players to appear on all 32 ballots.
Career Cardinal Albert Pujols, also a free agent, finished fifth, making this the 11th consecutive year in which he has placed in the top 10 of MVP voting.
"It's going to take a while to come to terms of what this actually means for me," Braun said. "It's an incredibly prestigious award and a special group of guys to be mentioned with. Whenever you win an award like this, forever next to your name it will say, 'MVP.'"
This year's AL MVP was Detroit's Justin Verlander, the first starting pitcher so honored in a quarter century. In the NL, the debate was not about pitchers vs. position players but whether an MVP should come from a winning team. Statistically, Braun and Kemp were nearly dead even, with a nod in most categories to Kemp.
But the Brewers won the NL Central, and the Dodgers finished 11 1/2 games out in the NL West. Braun, who traded text messages Tuesday with runner-up Kemp, figures the Brewers' winning ways made the difference.
"That's probably the one thing that separates us," Braun said "If you honestly assess our seasons individually, his numbers are probably slightly better than mine. I just feel fortunate to have been on the better team."
And that makes a difference to BBWAA voters. Including Verlander and Braun, 16 of the 24 MVPs since 2000 have come from division winners, 19 have come from teams that made the playoffs and 21 -- all but three -- have come from teams that finished the season within 2 1/2 games of first place.
Braun fit the bill, leading the Brewers to a franchise-record 96 wins in the regular season and the NL Central crown, their first since moving to the NL in 1998 and Milwaukee's first division title overall since 1982.
Braun hit .332 with 33 home runs, 111 RBIs and 33 stolen bases. Kemp batted .324 with 39 homers, 126 RBIs and 40 steals for the Dodgers.
Kemp had the edge in homers, RBIs and steals, and he also made 60 more plate appearances than Braun, who finished second in the league in average and led NL players in slugging percentage (.597) and OPS (.994).
"Let everybody know," Kemp said, "I hold no ill will against Mr. MVP. He's the man, he won the award, nobody should take anything away from him. He had an amazing season.
"I'm happy for Braun. I knew it would be close. He had a great season and his team made the playoffs. I'm happy for him. We've got to work harder next year."
The MVP honor capped a dream season for Braun, who turned 28 last week. He signed a record-setting contract extension in April that can keep him with Milwaukee through at least 2020 and positions Braun to be this generation's Yount, a player who spent all 20 of his Hall of Fame seasons in one uniform.
"Ryan Braun is going to have a statue outside Miller Park someday," Brewers principal owner Mark Attanasio said last week.
Braun has already provided some bronze-worthy moments. He hit the home run that clinched the NL Wild Card in 2008, and another that clinched the NL Central this September. By then, Braun was already the Brewers' first player with 30 homers and 30 steals in a season since Tommy Harper in 1970.
Braun was voted by fans to start the All-Star Game for the fourth straight season, though a leg injury kept him out. After the season, he won the Silver Slugger Award for the fourth time.
The Brewers have had four league MVPs in 43 seasons as a franchise. Reliever Rollie Fingers won in 1981 and Yount in '82 and '89. Both are in the Hall of Fame, and their numbers hang, retired, at Miller Park.
"When I made the commitment to the city of Milwaukee, to the Milwaukee Brewers organization and to this fan base, my intent was to spend my whole career in Milwaukee and one day be mentioned alongside names like Robin Yount and Rollie Fingers. It's a process to get there. I think I need to accomplish more to truly be in that conversation."
Braun is the 13th player to win both an NL MVP Award and the NL Rookie of the Year Award, which he was awarded in 2007. That puts him in very good company; the other dual winners are Ryan Howard, Pujols, Jeff Bagwell, Andre Dawson, Johnny Bench, Dick Allen, Pete Rose, Willie McCovey, Orlando Cepeda, Frank Robinson, Willie Mays and Don Newcombe.
"I think it will take a few days to truly grasp what this means," Braun said.
Re: The MLB Thread
Rangers to erect statue of Shannon Stone
by AP
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)—The Rangers are erecting a statue of Shannon Stone, the Texas firefighter who died after falling over an outfield railing at a game in July.
The 39-year-old Stone, a Brownwood Fire Department firefighter, had taken his 6-year-old son Cooper to the ballpark in hopes of catching a ball. The Rangers said Monday the life-size statue will be created by sculptor Bruce Greene, who is based in Norse, Texas, and will be placed outside the home plate gate at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington.
“Bruce Greene is an accomplished sculptor with roots here in Texas,” Rangers president Nolan Ryan said. “He is a most appropriate artist to produce this statue.”
Greene created the Immortal Ten Memorial at Baylor, which honors 10 players, coaches and fans of the school’s basketball team who were killed in a 1927 bus crash.
There currently are statues of Ryan and former Arlington Mayor Tom Vandergriff at the ballpark’s center field plaza.
Re: The MLB Thread
Royals reach deal with former Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton
by Reuters
Nov 29 (Reuters) - The Kansas City Royals have agreed to a one-year contract with former Los Angeles Dodgers closer Jonathan Broxton, the American League team said on Tuesday.
The deal is pending a physical exam of the right-hander, who missed most of the 2011 Major League Baseball season due to bone spurs in his pitching elbow and had arthroscopic surgery in September.
“We are delighted to add someone as talented as Jonathan to our bullpen,” Royals general manager Dayton Moore said in a report posted on the team’s website.
“He will be used in a setup role to closer Joakim Soria and will help solidify what we feel is a young and talented bullpen.”
Broxton, who saved 58 games for the Dodgers in 2009 and 2010 and was an All-Star both seasons, was 1-2 with a 5.68 earned run average in 14 appearances last season. (Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Frank Pingue; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
Re: The MLB Thread
This guy was thought to be the first real deal closer for the Dodgers since prime-era Eric Gagne, but Broxton flamed out.
As if "you're finished" wasn't already penciled across his forehead, signing with Kansas City isn't gonna help.
Him setting up Soria might benefit him, not having the pressure of being closer, but the last couple seasons he's been in a decline phase and he's only 27. That's never a good sign.
Re: The MLB Thread
Waste of cash by Kansas City as usual. They're paying this guy 4 million dollars. If they're smart, they could have waited it out and got a solid bullpen guy for a lot less than 4 million.
Dayton Moore drafts well but is fucking horrible at signing free agents. Although the Melky Cabrera for Jonathan Sanchez trade he pulled off wasn't half bad.
Apparently the Cubs are in on Fielder and Pujols. They won't sign both guys obviously. Fielder is also being pursued by the Mariners. It makes sense since they're fucking offense was putrid last year. They need a LOT of help on offense though even if the Mariners do sign Fielder.
To be honest, I'm more interested in some of the trades that get down this week. There is always one or two trades that you never see coming.
Re: The MLB Thread
All signs point to Bobby Valentine being the next manager for the Red Sox. Lots of people hate the move. While I don't love it, as a Sox fan, I don't think they could have done much better. The list of applicants wasn't exactly mouth watering. Some have suggested that Bobby V is a short term answer until a Joe Maddon or John Ferrell becomes available. I think that's getting ahead a bit. Let's see what Bobby can do with this talented group first.
One thing is for sure. If they wanted to change the culture from Terry Francona's reign, this hiring will surely do it. We'll have to see how the players respond. They didn't seem to fight for Francona's job in the end. Will they play hard for Bobby?
Re: The MLB Thread
Waste of cash by Kansas City as usual. They're paying this guy 4 million dollars. If they're smart, they could have waited it out and got a solid bullpen guy for a lot less than 4 million.
Dayton Moore drafts well but is fucking horrible at signing free agents. Although the Melky Cabrera for Jonathan Sanchez trade he pulled off wasn't half bad.
Apparently the Cubs are in on Fielder and Pujols. They won't sign both guys obviously. Fielder is also being pursued by the Mariners. It makes sense since they're fucking offense was putrid last year. They need a LOT of help on offense though even if the Mariners do sign Fielder.
To be honest, I'm more interested in some of the trades that get down this week. There is always one or two trades that you never see coming.
The Cubs are in on Pujols? I haven't heard anything like that. I've heard rumors, but the more time has went on the less and less i've heard them mentioned.
Supposedly Pujols is finding out that the market for him is just not there at 31 going on 32 years old. Which is stunning to me. Even a 32 year old Pujols is still... Albert freaking Pujols. Probably the best hitter in baseball for how many years now?
I can't believe the market is stale for him right now. Marlins basically matched St. Louis offer, which means he'll just stay in red.
Last I heard the Cubs were showing alot more interest in Fielder, basically citing that he was younger, cheaper, and a left-handed hitter.
I just think it makes bad sense for the Cubbies. I'd go for Pujols. He might cost more, but he's a Gold Glove-caliber fielder, still probably the best hitting 1B in baseball, and when Pujols gets older and fielding ability erodes... you can always plug in into LF or RF, easily, for his twilight years.
Fielder I think is a fluke. He's gonna get older, and even fatter, and the bigger he gets the more "Big Papi/Mo Vaughn" he's gonna get.
The Mariners would do get to grab Fielder. Fielder is DEFINITELY, without doubt gonna need an American League team where he can settle into a DH role as he gets older.
The only case where I think Fielder makes sense for the Cubs, is if the Cubs are able to score like a 6-year deal for Fielder. Gives them an out when he hits the backside in his early 30's.
