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Re: The MLB Thread
I personally think this is a bad business move on his part. The lack of a storied history for the Astros franchise, a go nowhere team currently in the mud and a move to the American League next year...
He's gonna need all the financial traction he can get, and better brand marketing and imaging would help with a nice name change, especially something that might promote the Texas/Houston rivalry that's gonna be surely promoted in the AL West in the coming years.
Or maybe it's just a smoke screen. He's only "saying" this to convince season ticket holders (die hard Astros fans) to not bail, then drop the anvil on them this time next year once they prep to move to the AL.
Re: The MLB Thread
Brewers sign OF Corey Patterson to minor league / spring invite deal
by AP
MILWAUKEE (AP)—The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder Corey Patterson to a minor league contract.
Patterson played 44 games for the St. Louis Cardinals last season, batting .157 with three RBIs.
The 32-year-old Patterson made his major league debut with the Chicago Cubs in 2000 and played for them through the 2005 season. He also has played for Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington and Toronto, along with 11 games for the Brewers in 2009.
Re: The MLB Thread
I cannot for the life of me figure how Corey freaking Patterson still continues to be around, and find someway to make it to the majors despite horrendous play, including getting a ring with the Cards last year after being traded from the Jays.
This guy was a bust in 2005!!!!!!!
It's 2012
Re: The MLB Thread
Orioles legend Brooks Robinson remains hospitalized after fall
by AP
BALTIMORE (AP)—Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson remains hospitalized in Florida with a shoulder injury following a freak fall from a stage.
Robinson fractured his scapula in the fall, which occurred on Friday night during a player reception in Hollywood, Fla. before the annual Joe DiMaggio Legends Game.
The 74-year-old Robinson did not receive a head injury, his representative, Diane Hock, said Monday.
“He’s resting comfortably,” Hock said.
Robinson was sitting at a table on a raised stage that had a curtain behind it. He leaned against the curtain, thinking there was a wall behind it. There was no wall, and Robinson subsequently tumbled backward off the stage and landed awkwardly on his back, the Palm Beach Post reported.
Robinson spent his entire 23-year career with the Baltimore Orioles and lives in Baltimore. He received 16 Gold Gloves, helped the Orioles win two World Series and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1983.
In March 2011, Robinson was hospitalized and received emergency surgery after he developed an infection and fever. He spent two weeks in the hospital.
Robinson was successfully treated for prostate cancer in 2009.
Re: The MLB Thread
I cannot for the life of me figure how Corey freaking Patterson still continues to be around, and find someway to make it to the majors despite horrendous play, including getting a ring with the Cards last year after being traded from the Jays.
This guy was a bust in 2005!!!!!!!
It's 2012
I actually picked him up for a few weeks last year on one of my fantasy teams. Yeah, my team didn't have a very good season. I went from first to about 10th in one years time. Not good. Patterson was actually doing well when I picked him up, but it's NEVER a good sign when you're looking for Corey Patterson to boost your fantasy team.
Re: The MLB Thread
I was ready for the Astros to change their name if a new name was any good, but after hearing names like the Energy and Colt. 45's get thrown around. I'm happy that they're keeping it as the Astros . Actually I lived in the Houston area during their 05' World Series appearance, there is a good fan base down in Houston and im sure that many are happy to hear that the name will stay
Re: The MLB Thread
Signing Roy Oswalt could further complicate already deep Texas rotation
by T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have had their meeting with free-agent pitcher Roy Oswalt. There is no word yet if Texas will actually sign him, as a source said the situation remains ongoing and unresolved.
If the Rangers do sign Oswalt, they will be adding a proven, experienced Major League pitcher to their 40-man roster. They will be a signing a two-time 20-game winner who was clearly a No. 1 starter in his prime.
They will also have unprecedented starting-pitching depth. There were years in the Rangers' history when they would have gladly settled for a rotation consisting of the sixth through the 10th best starters on their current roster. There are teams in the Major Leagues right now who would be thrilled to have that for their current rotation.
That is, assuming the Rangers actually sign Oswalt, which is not yet the case and may not come to pass. If it does, a case could be made that the Rangers would have at least 10 pitchers who could be considered legitimate candidates for a Major League rotation.
Here is at look at those 10:
Colby Lewis
Credentials: He is a durable right-hander who is 26-23 in 64 starts and 401 1/3 innings over the past two years. In eight playoff starts, he is 4-1 with a 2.34 ERA.
Concerns: He doesn't throw as hard as the other starters and relies on pinpoint control and location. He has allowed 56 home runs over the past two years, tied for the fourth most in the Majors.
Outlook: Lewis is scheduled to be the Rangers' Opening Day starter. He is a free agent after the season.
Derek Holland
Credentials: He had a breakthrough season in 2011, going 16-5 with a 3.95 ERA in 32 starts. He was 2-0 with a 3.38 ERA in the postseason. The Rangers see him as pitcher who can dominate with his stuff.
Concerns: He has a tendency to be erratic, but that disappeared in the second half last season, when he went 9-1 with a 3.06 ERA in 14 starts.
Outlook: The Rangers thought highly enough of Holland this winter to discuss a long-term contract with him even though he is not yet eligible for arbitration. The deal did not get done, but the Rangers still think highly enough of him. They are not taking him out of the rotation.
Yu Darvish
Credentials: He was a superstar in Japan and appears to be the best pitcher from that country to make the jump to the United States. He is 25 years old, stands 6-foot-5 and the reports say he has dominating stuff.
Concerns: He has never pitched in the Major Leagues and has a number of adjustments to make. Most notable will be handling the Texas heat.
Outlook: The Rangers did not invest $111 million in him so that he could pitch out of the bullpen.
Matt Harrison
Credentials: He was 14-9 with a 3.39 ERA that ranked as the 15th lowest in the American League last season. He had a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.28 last season. It was the fourth best on the staff but also the seventh best by a qualifying Rangers pitcher since the beginning of the 1994 season.
Concerns: He did not pitch particularly well during the World Series last year. He has probably had more physical issues during his career, especially with his shoulder, than any returning starter on the staff.
Outlook: He would likely be the pitcher who would face the biggest threat from Oswalt.
Alexi Ogando
Credentials: He was an American League All-Star in 2011 in only his second season in the Majors. He ended up 13-8 with a 3.51 ERA.
Concerns: He was 4-5 with a 4.48 ERA in the second half, which suggested opponents caught up with his lack of Major League-caliber secondary pitches.
Outlook: He is likely headed back to the bullpen to make room for Darvish even if the Rangers don't sign Oswalt.
Neftali Feliz
Credentials: He pitched well as a starting pitcher in the Minors until moving to the bullpen at the Major League level. He has been one of the best closers in the game the past two years.
Concerns: He needs to sharpen his secondary pitches and adjust to the increased work load as a starter. He also needs to be more economical with his pitches as a starter.
Outlook: The Rangers are committed to shifting him to the rotation.
Roy Oswalt
Credentials: He is 159-93 with a 3.21 ERA in 329 Major League games, including 326 starts. He won 20 games in both 2004 and '05. He is 5-2 with a 3.73 ERA in 13 postseason appearances.
Concerns: He is 34 and has a history of back issues. He was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA in 23 starts for the Phillies last year.
Outlook: He wants to be a starter, and his agent is making that clear. If the Rangers sign him, it's not because they want him in the bullpen.
Scott Feldman
Credentials: He was the Rangers Pitcher of the Year in 2009, when he went 17-8 with a 4.08 ERA and was their Opening Day starter in 2010.
Concerns: He has spent the past two years recovering from surgery on his right knee.
Outlook: There are clubs that would love to have him in their rotation but most likely he will be the Rangers' middle/long reliever again. Pitched well in that role in the playoffs.
Michael Kirkman
Credentials: Don't forget this guy was the Pacific Coast League Pitcher of the Year in 2010 and was a legitimate candidate for the rotation last spring. If he had pitched better in March, he might have beaten out Ogando for a spot in the rotation after Tommy Hunter went down with an injury.
Concerns: He got out of whack last season and did not pitch well, either at the Major League level or Triple-A Round Rock, where his ERA went from 3.09 in 2010 to 5.05 in '12.
Outlook: His best chance to make the club will be as a left-handed reliever.
Martin Perez
Credentials: He is ranked 29th on MLB.com's list of Top 100 prospects and doesn't turn 21 until April.
Concerns: He was 4-4 with a 6.43 ERA in 10 starts at Triple-A last season. He seems to take time in adjusting to a higher level and better competition.
Outlook:There were so many years where the Rangers would have killed for a pitching prospect of this magnitude and he would have been the biggest story of Spring Training. Now his best shot is making the team as a left-handed reliever and may be better off starting the season back in Triple-A.
Re: The MLB Thread
Pat Burrell calls it a career;
two-time World Series winner with Phillies & Giants
by Joey Nowak / MLB.com
Pat Burrell is retiring after a 12-year Major League career, according to multiple reports that surfaced on Monday afternoon.
Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors first reported that the 35-year-old outfielder was hanging up his cleats, and Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network and FOXSports.com confirmed the report on his Twitter account.
Burrell spent the bulk of his career with the Phillies, winning a World Series in 2008, then most recently with the Giants, where he got his second World Series ring in 2010.
He experienced a renaissance of sorts that season after the Rays released him after 24 games. Burrell signed on with the Giants and batted .266 with 18 homers and 51 RBIs in 341 plate appearances.
Burrell played in 92 games in 2011, batting .230 with 21 RBIs and seven home runs. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1998 First-Year Player Draft, he hit 20 or more homers nine times, finishing his career with 292 home runs.
Re: The MLB Thread
Here's a guy who find some stroke of luck late in his career to get on very good teams. He spent his whole career with the Phillies yet found his final season with them (of which they tried for years to get rid of him) in 2008 when they won the series. Then he goes and flames out in a brief stint with the Rays (still a good ballclub), and is considered finished, and somehow finds his way with a second chance with the Giants, and gets another ring.
The guy was just flat out lucky to find himself getting two rings in his final three seasons of baseball.
Although the guy never turned out to be what Philadelphia thought he'd be, he still was a solid power hitting/high OBP bat in the lineup for years, that for whatever reason completely flatlined offensively after the 2008 Phillies series win.
Re: The MLB Thread
Indians acquire Triple-A MVP utility player Russ Canzler from Rays
by Tom Withers / AP Sports
CLEVELAND (AP)—The Indians have added an MVP to their roster, and a possible replacement at first base.
Cleveland acquired versatile Russ Canzler, the top player in the International League last season, on Tuesday from the Tampa Bay Rays for cash.
The 25-year-old Canzler played four positions—right and left field, third and first base—last season for Triple-A Durham, where he batted .314 with 18 homers and 83 RBIs in 131 games for the Bulls. Canzler made his major league debut for the Rays on Sept. 11 and had one hit in three games.
He was expected to be on Tampa Bay’s roster this season, however, the club re-signed first baseman Carlos Pena and free agent infielder Jeff Keppinger, making Canzler the odd man out. The Rays designated him for assignment last week after signing Keppinger.
Canzler led the International League in doubles (40) and slugging percentage (.530), finished second in runs (78) and third in hits (149). He appeared in 41 games in right field, 33 in left, 40 at third base and 17 at first.
He could be an answer at first for the Indians, who have been deeply disappointed in Matt LaPorta. The two may compete for the starting job at first this spring, and Canzler’s versatility could help him win a utility spot with Cleveland.
The Indians have struck out so far in trying to add a powerful bat to their lineup this winter. Prince Fielder was out of their price range, Carlos Beltran signed with St. Louis after the Cardinals lost Albert Pujols and Pena reportedly turned down a one-year offer from the Indians. Cleveland may still have interest in free agent Casey Kotchman, who batted a career-best .306 in 146 games for the Rays in 2011.
Canzler was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2004 and signed as a minor league free agent by Tampa Bay before last season.
