Is Bryan Price the right fit for the Cincinnati Reds?

Bryan Price was the first name to surface on the rumor mill as to who would replace Dusty Baker as Reds manger. Baker was fired days after the Cincinnati Reds lost in the wild card round of the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Price had been the Reds’ pitching coach since 2009, and he really turned the pitching staff around in Cincinnati, with his staff ranking third and fourth in ERA the past two seasons. He’s known as someone who the players respect and enjoy being around, and he can even speak spanish to communicate with the spanish speaking pitchers such as Aroldis Chapman and Johnny Cueto.

Baker was also known for his ability to get along with the players, and also sometimes was criticized for being more concerned with what his players thought of him than winning ball games. If Price is also a manager who gets along with his players well, then is he really a good fit?
I say yes. Price was the best option the Reds had to fill the shoes of Baker. He is someone who is familiar with this organization and is already aware of what the players on the ball club are capable of.

Baker often pulled pitchers out of games at questionable times, leaving them in for too long or taking them out too early and wearing down the bullpen. However, these problems can be easily avoided with Price, who as the former pitching coach will have a better understanding of how long a pitcher can last and can see the warning signs when it is time to pull them out.

The main problem surrounding this team is their offense, which seemed anemic at times and barely showed up down the stretch of the 2013 regular season and into the playoffs. Some people are wondering how a man who comes from a pitching background and has no managerial experience can come in and fix this offense, but he can not go out and hit for the players. It is on the players to fix their offensive woes themselves. MLB teams have hitting coaches separate of managers for a reason.

Pitcher Tim Lincecum re-signs with San Francisco Giants for $35 million

San Francisco Giants’ pitcher Tim Lincecum decided to re-sign with the MLB club on October 22 rather than test the waters as a free agent during the offseason. The pitching ace and the Giants came to an agreement on a two-year deal worth a total of $35 million. Lincecum has been with the west coast ball club since they drafted him back in 2006 in the first round of the First-Year Player Draft.

The right-handed pitcher just needed to pass his physical to make the deal official.

The Giants were prepared to ante up $14 million in a qualifying offer, which would have allowed the
team to receive draft-pick compensation had Lincecum signed elsewhere as a free agent. Bobby Evans, the assistant general manager and vice president of the Giants, said the team began discussing a new contract with the pitcher before the regular season ended. He said he realized Lincecum would have been one of the best free-agent pitchers available along with Ervin Santana, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Matt Garza.

The Best Part About This Year's World Series: It's Tim McCarver's Last

When the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals meet at Fenway Park for game one of the World Series on Wednesday and on FOX, we'll all be witnessing the end of an era as Tim McCarver calls his final World Series. That means we'll get fewer moments like this.

And it can't come a moment too soon.

Detroit Tigers’ Jim Leyland steps down as manager after 22-year MLB career

Jim Leyland announced on October 21 that he’s stepping down as the manager of the Detroit Tigers.


The 68-year-old said he’ll remain with the American League ball club in a new position that’s yet to
be decided upon. Leyland said he actually came to his decision back on September 7 when his team was blown out by the Kansas City Royals. He then informed his players after the Tigers were eliminated from the  American League Championship Series by the Boston Red Sox on October 19.

Leyland enjoyed a 22-year managerial career in MLB with the last eight of them being in Detroit. He claimed that he didn’t have the same energy and passion for the game anymore and puts that down to his age. He stated that he didn’t think it was fair to the organization and the fans to hang onto the job just for the sake of it. He said the same thing when he resigned from the Colorado Rockies back in 1999, but it’s doubtful he’ll change his mind this time.

Mike Ilitch, the owner of the Tigers, thanked Leyland for all of his hard work with the club and added that he’s been an instrumental person for the franchise both on and off of the ball diamond. Ilitch said there’s still room in the organization for the former Minor League catcher and they’ll soon decide what the best position for him is. Leyland managed in Detroit’s farm system for more than 10 years before getting a break as a Major League coach with the Chicago White Sox early in the 1980s.

Chicago White Sox sign Cuban defector Jose Abreu for $68 million

The Chicago White Sox announced on October 18 that they had signed first baseman Jose Abreu if Cuba to a six-year contract worth a total of $68 million. The right-handed hitting slugger was a free agent and he just has to pass a physical before becoming a member of the American League team. The

Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers were also interested in signing Abreu.

The player defected from his homeland in August and the White Sox figured they needed all the help they could get after losing 99 games this season. Abreu stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 250 lbs and is sure to add some power to the Chicago batting order. North American fans got a taste of what Abreu can do when they saw him play in this year’s World Baseball Classic.

During the six games he played for Cuba, Abreu managed to pound out three home runs and nine RBIs while batting for a .360 average. In the 2010/11 Cuban season he belted 33 home runs and added 93 RBIs while batting .453 in just 66 games and was named the league’s MVP. As the White Sox could see, he has above average power and is a contender to lead the league in batting average.

Ken Williams, the executive vice president of the White Sox headed down to the Dominican Republic earlier in October to watch Abreu work out and was obviously impressed with what he could do.

If Los Angeles Dodgers Put Matt Kemp on Trading Block, New York Yankees Should Inquire This Winter

The New York Yankees are in a serious need of a roster overhaul and need to inject some youthful talent who can make a difference on the team and help them get back to the postseason.

While their main priority in the offseason is re-signing Robinson Cano, the team needs to make serious changes since they only won 85 games and one of the biggest reasons the Yankees didn't get to October was all of the injuries due to the age that is creeping up on the team, thus Brian Cashman needs to figure out how to improve the team.

An idea for the Yankees GM job on a potential blockbuster trade to make before the 2014; trading for Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alright, there will be those who think this is the Yankees just getting richer and a "fantasy baseball, MLB The Show" kind of trade, but in many ways, it makes sense.

First off, the Yankees current outfield is extremely old. As is right now, Alfonso Soriano, Vernon Wells and Ichiro Suzuki, who are all over the age of 35, and Brett Gardner, who is coming off back-to-back seasons where he's suffered a significant injury, this season being a strained oblique which cost him the final couple weeks of the season. The other outfielder, Curtis Granderson, is a free agent and his status is unknown for next season.

So if Granderson, who is one of the team's major power sources on offense isn't back next season, the team needs to figure out how to replace him properly, and neither Suzuki nor Wells are looking like everyday offensive options who will help make the Yankees offense a legitimate contender, so the suggestion for Kemp.

Kansas City Royals fighting to stay alive

For the past decade or so, the Kansas City Royals have, for the most part, been a team that rolls over and plays dead during the last month of the season. They are usually the team that is seen as an easy win for their opponents, but this year the tides have turned. Sitting 2.5 games back of the final wild card spot, the Royals are a team that has the ability to make a legitimate run for it. How could this be?

The answer for this resurgence lies within an offense that has awoken from its slumber, and a consistent pitching staff.

Early on in the year, the Royals were an absolute train wreck on offense. Both prized prospects Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas were not playing anywhere near their potential, and even reliable Billy Butler was having a down start. Alex Gordon was the one that shown through, and helped keep the
Royals relevant.

But it wasn’t just him, for the pitching staff was an even bigger part of keeping hopes alive.

MLB: Expansion of MLB replay a major task

Expanding replay in the MLB figures to be a very costly endeavor.

Story Highlights

Owners will be presented with proposal that would expand replay to every phase of game, besides balls and strikes
If they approve, MLB will being process of negotiating plans with MLBPA and umpires union for 2014
Cameras will have to get set up at every park; cost will start between $25-$40 million, according to MLB executive

Baseball's Collective Action Problem

The following article is a guest contribution by written by Evan Zepfel.  Zepfel is a Portfolio Management Analyst at PAAMCO, is a graduate of Harvard College, was a member of Harvard’s Varsity Water Polo team and served a sports editor for The Harvard Crimson.

Alex Rodriguez will appeal his 211 game suspension.

On Monday, Major League Baseball announced an extended suspension for Alex Rodriguez in accordance with the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (JDA) and the 2012-2016 Basic Agreement (CBA).  The suspension is scheduled to last through the 2014 season (including playoffs), meaning that Rodriguez will be ineligible to compete for more than 200 games and lose over $30 million in salary if the suspension is upheld in the appeals process.  However, MLB based the suspension partially on violations of MLB’s drug policy, giving Rodriguez the ability to appeal the suspension and making him eligible to play until the appeals process is complete.

MLB’s JDA specifically delimits penalties related to usage of prohibited substances.  In this case, Rodriguez’s suspension is clearly greater than the pre-determined suspension for the use of a prohibited substance.  According to section 7(A) of the JDA, a player who “tests positive for a Performance Enhancing Substance, or otherwise violates the Program through the use or possession of a Performance Enhancing Substance” for the first time will be subject to a 50 game suspension. 

The Joy Of Watching Baseball … What Happened?

In the DVR age, there’s a rule of thumb: Be cautious when looking at tickers like ESPN’s bottom line. If you’re recording a game – keeping yourself in the past in a way – you don’t want to transport yourself ahead to the future and ruin the surprise.

As far as Major League Baseball is concerned, I’ve been on pause for the last decade. So when I flipped on Sportscenter the other night it wasn’t a huge surprise at first when I saw this flash across the bottom line: MLB: Ibanez blasts 2 HRs as SEA routs NYY.

It was at this very instant I realized I am nothing more than the most casual of baseball fans nowadays.

The Growing Legend of Baltimore Orioles Third Baseman Manny Machado

By now, you have had to take notice of the 6 foot 2, 180 pound baby faced 20 year old third baseman the Baltimore Orioles have with Manny Machado. If you haven't noticed, or haven't realized what Machado has done thus far, consider this your free wake-up call service.

We all got to see last year what kind of defensive player he was as he dazzled the world with his now famous, pump fake flip back to third, which if for some odd reason you haven't seen that play, it is part of the video below for your viewing pleasure. He hit the ball fairly well last season (.262/ .294/ .445), but many skeptics said most hitters succeed at first, but once they have enough film on you, a hitter comes back to reality.

With all of that information in our minds heading into Machado's first full season in the big leagues, no one out there could have expected to see what we are seeing from Manny so far this season. Machado has the hottest bat in baseball right now and is playing Gold Glove caliber third base with spectacular play after spectacular play.

Who is the next best college bat after Kris Bryant?

At the start of this year, it looked like the best college bat (that being the best all-around run producer) would either be Kris Bryant or DJ Peterson. There were (and are) some concerns about Bryant’s ability to hit for average as a pro, and there were questions about Peterson’s true power potential (for a guy definitely limited to 1st base). North Carolina’s Colin Moran and Stanford’s Austin Wilson were also right in the middle of that conversation.

Fast forward a few quick months, and things haven’t really changed all that much. Kris Bryant has established himself as the best all-around bat with the same skill set that scouts saw last year (just improved with another year of experience). With a great walk rate and plus plus power, he likely has more offensive upside than any other college bat this year. Although that’s not to say his floor isn’t decently high as well.

It’s a bit less clear who the next-best college bat is though. DJ Peterson is hitting a ton again this year for New Mexico, but some have voiced legitimate concern that his home park significantly boosts his offensive numbers. Even still, if you look at his Park and Schedule adjusted numbers on College Splits, Peterson’s numbers are still well above-average. Most seem sold on his power with his ability to make consistent contact or hit for average being a lot less certain.

Dennis Eckersley Rips Jack Morris over Clay Bucholz accusations

The recent noise that has been flung around the league about Clay Bucholz and whether or not he is cheating is getting louder and louder.

As we should expect, it's the loudest in New England, and Red Sox Commentator, and Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley has weighed in with strong criticisms of Jack Morris and other accusors.

Thoughts on Rickey Henderson

Rickey.   By: Josh Johnson

There is only one Rickey Henderson and in my mind he was greatest ever. Yes, he only had 297 career homers and yes his career batting average in only .279. I ?believe however, being a career leadoff hitter, that his batting average is ?somewhat jaded. Listen, we all know that Rickey was clearly a thief on the base path. Anyone ever heard of a Rickey-Rally? It’s when Rickey would leadoff the game by drawing a walk then he’d steal second and third base and score on a sacrifice fly and it’s a 1-0 lead without a the benefit of a hit.

Mr. Henderson also stole 100 bases in a season three times his career, only one other modern day player has done that (Vince Coleman.)

 He also stole at least 70 bases in seven different seasons.

Yes, Rickey might have played too long but at age 39 he lead the league in stolen bases with 66 and in walks (118).

The "Teeth" of Sabermetrics

In honor of opening day and the annual rite that is fantasy baseball, I elected to publish the below submission.  The was originally created by a college student who shared it with me as we are fellow math nerds.

It gives some great insight into some of the more advanced stats, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.


In the sport’s world of today, statistics play a gigantic role in how a player is evaluated by their coaches and by the fans. It is prevalent in football when the quarterback is judged by their passer rating or in an analysis of the running backs yards per carry. In basketball, the athletes are assessed based on their points per game, rebounds per game and assists per game to decide if a player is bad, good or great. Every sport counts a player’s contributions to a game and the players are then evaluated to try and quantify their additions to whichever game. This provides a lot of opportunity for players to be evaluated in their performances because there are multiple things that are counted in the world of baseball.

These counts created a major opportunity for statistics to get involved and make baseball a prime candidate for a statistical evaluation. It is obvious that somebody noticed because baseball statistics have been around since the sport’s beginning in the 1800’s and, with very little exception, remained pretty much the same until the late 1970’s. The first attempt to evolve baseball happened when a man by the name of Bill James stopped and analyzed the sport; he realized that the basic statistics that had been used were insufficient to truly evaluate the players. The next step was for James to create a new set of statistics called sabermetrics which he felt were better constructed to truly evaluate the players. This idea has helped the game evolve slightly because players can be better evaluated using these new techniques. The only real problem with sabermetrics for the longest time was that many general managers of the teams did not put much faith in these new statistics. This remains partially true even to this day but more people accept sabermetrics because of a man named Billy Beane deciding to implement some of the ideas which lead to a story called Moneyball. The real benefit of the statistics, whether or not they are accepted, has allowed for a general fan to get an expectation for a team and a player in any given situations.

Detroit Tigers sign pitcher Justin Verlander to contract extension at $28 million per year

The Detroit Tigers ace pitcher Justin Verlander has let it be known that he’d like to spend the rest of his baseball career with the American League team. On March 29 his wish might have come true as the Tigers announced that they were going to sign him to a five-year contract extension. He’ll now be a member of the Tigers starting pitching rotation until 2019 and perhaps as long as 2020.

The Tigers didn’t officially release any financial terms of the new contract, but ESPN has reported that Verlander will be paid a total of $28 million for each season pitched between 2015 and 2019. There is an option for the 2020 season which is worth $22 million. If Verlander does indeed take home $28 million each year, he’ll become baseball’s best-paid yearly pitcher. Felix Hernandez signed a deal with the Seattle Mariners in February which will see him paid $175 million over seven years, or $25 million each season.

Verlander’s current contract isn’t too shabby either. He’s still got two years left on it which will guarantee him $20 million for both the 2013 and 2014 seasons. These are the last two years on a $79.5 million five-year contract which he signed following the 2009 baseball season. If Verlander makes $22 million in the option year he will be paid $202 million in total over the next seven years.

The 30-year-old had an excellent season in 2012 when he compiled a record of 17-8 to complement his ERA of 2.64 and his 239 strikeouts. Verlander started 33 games last season and led the American League in complete games with six of them. He was also tops in the league in strikeouts and innings pitched at 238 and 1/3. Verlander’s best season personally may have been in 2011 though, when he won the American League’s Cy Young and Most Valuable Player Awards. He became the 10th pitcher in MLB history to capture both of those honors during the same season.

Outfielder Vernon Wells Now Officially A New York Yankee

The New York Yankees have added some outfield depth by acquiring 34-year-old Vernon Wells from the Los Angeles Angels. The trade for Wells had been rumored for some time and it’s now been made official. In return, the Yankees sent a couple of minor league players out west in Kramer Sneed and Exircardo Cayones. The Yankees expect Wells to open the season with them in left field.

Wells said he’s thrilled to be joining such a historic franchise like the Yankees. He said New York is the center of baseball and he can’t think of a better way to end his career. Joe Girardi, the Yankees general manager, said Wells will have the opportunity to play every day in New York. He added that he knows how good of a player Wells is from his days as a Toronto Blue Jay. The GM said Wells has speed and power and is also good defensively.

It took a while for the trade to be worked out since it had to be approved by Major’ League Baseball’s Commissioner's Office. The reason for the delay was the fact that the Angels will still be paying most of Wells salary up until his contract ends after the 2014 season. The paperwork had to be straightened out and it was announced that Los Angeles will be paying most of the $42 million that is left on Wells’ contract. The Yankees will only have to pay about $13 million to the outfielder for the next two years.

Protecting The Players And The Plate

5.25 ounces.  9.25 inches in circumference.  Constructed of a mixture of cowhide, rubber, and thread.  Hardly the description of a lethal object.  Even when hurled at over 90 miles per hour, it is hard to imagine it being able to kill a human being, especially one armored in composite elbow armor and impact resistant helmets.

Yet the evidence is there.  Tony Conigliaro's fractured jaw and cheekbones and eye damage in 1967.  The pitch to the skull that ended derailed Dickie Thon's career in 1985.  Of course there is the fastball from Dennis Martinez that ended Kirby Puckett's Hall of Fame career in 1995.  The major league pitch is as dangerous as any tackle in football or check in hockey.  When that amount of energy is released on such a small impact area, the damage can be extreme.

So many would ask why the brush back pitch is still permitted in baseball.  It seems to be a product of a long forgotten era, when players sharpened their spikes to enhance the damage from their slides, or would plow over a catcher if he happened to be anywhere near the plate.  The era of Ty Cobb and his reckless assault on defending players, or of hyper-competitive Pete Rose's desire to win at any cost, such as running over Ray Fosse during the 1970 All-Star game.  The era of Nolan Ryan warning batters to not crowd the plate or risk a fastball to the dome.  An era before we knew what kind of long term damage concussions could have, before we regularly saw players ending their career looking like they were made of straw and glue.

Blue Jays Jose Bautista Says Canada to Blame for Brawl With Mexico

It’s going to be interesting to see how Canadians react to the Toronto Blue Jays’ best player criticizing the national team.

Last night, during a World Baseball Classic first round game between Canada and Mexico, a bench clearing brawl broke out after Mexican pitcher Arnold Leon beaned Canadian hitter Rene Tosoni after the previous hitter bunted for a hit with a six-run lead.

There’s an unwritten rule in the baseball culture that states that players shouldn’t bunt when their team has a huge lead because it’s seen as an attempt to  run up the score, but in the WBC every run counts so teams try to score as many as possible to aid in advancing to the next round. Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista, who has emerged in the last three years as one of the games best sluggers, doesn’t see it as an excuse

.“I’m not buying the fact that teams are bunting when they’re up by six because of the rules of the WBC,” Bautista told reporters Sunday morning.
“I believe in the unwritten rules of the game. They should be respected. It’s a code amongst players and everybody who plays baseball at a level higher than Little League knows what it is and there’s no excuse.”

Vladimir Guerrero wants to attempt a comeback

You hate to see athletes way past their prime trying to hang on. Some know when to leave (John Elway, Ray Lewis, Marvin Hagler) and there are some who don't know when to say when (Rickey Henderson, Brett Favre). If there is anyone in the world of sports that wants one last shot at glory they should ask Willie Mays or Joe Namath how their last years turned out.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com reported that MLB slugger Vladimir Guerrero is entertaining the thought of a comeback. 

At age 38 he could possibly still have something left in the tank. But injuries have taken their toll on Guerrero and the last time he played in the majors he was a shell of his former self. There are no more out of the strike zone homers. No more shoe top doubles. He can no longer turn on a quality fastball.