Major League Baseball

Detroit Tigers fans are justifiably too excited for words about the Tigers' prospects for the 2012 season.

The Tigers added Prince Fielder to an already-strong core comprised of superstars Justin Verlander and Miguel Cabrera. RF Brennan Boesch is back, and will play right field every day. Up and down the lineup are dangerous, powerful hitters like the aforementioned Boesch, as well as SS Jhonny Peralta, C Alex Avila, LF Delmon Young and even 2B Ryan Raburn- hitters who should do well to complement the explosiveness of Cabrera and Fielder.

Continue reading "This Year's Detroit TIgers Will Not Repeat 2008"

Much like the Designated Hitter, the announced introduction of instant replay to Major League Baseball will likely have calcified supporters and detractors forevermore, and it seems just as inevitable that it will remain. MLB may begin reviewing home run calls this season, possibly as soon as August 1, according to a report in USA Today.

Continue reading "On The Merits of Instant Replay"

Nick Blackburn of the Twins was felled on Sunday by a line drive off the bat of Yankee Bobby Abreu, who's enough of a nice guy to show obvious distress as he ran to first. It's one of the greatest fears of any pitcher, as few have the instincts to get out of the way of a ball traveling 100+ MPH from fifty-five feet away (recall that the pitcher typically lands much closer to the plate than the sixty feet, six inches from the rubber to the plate).

Continue reading "Dangerous Projectiles"

 Our team ERA remains a phenomenal 3.42, placing us at #2 in all of Major League Baseball.  Only Oakland has a better ERA (3.27).  We've given up just 394 hits.  Only the Diamondbacks, A's, and Braves have given up fewer (respectively: 393, 390, 389).  For comparison, the Pirates have given up 524; the Twins, 496; the Tigers, 453; the Royals, 441; and the Indians, 432.  By any measure, the Sox are excellent in this category.  And that trend extends even further, as you might imagine it should.  Our pitchers have allowed a total of just 182 runs.  Again, only the A's have done better, allowing 181.  But wrap your head around this: we've given up just 26 home runs.  That's it.  26!  That's good enough for the best in MLB.  The next-best A's have allowed 32 HR, while the worst-in-this-category Astros have allowed 73.  And yet, the Astros are 29-23, while the White Sox are 26-22.  The difference, of course, is that the Astros have scored 253 runs (fourth in the National League), while the Sox have scored just 218 (ninth in the American League).  

Continue reading "Consistently Inconsistent"

Over the next several weeks I will preview the upcoming Major League Baseball season on division at a time by addressing the key issue each team faces this summer. I’ll wrap it up with my post season picks and predictions for award winners. First up is the National League West.

Continue reading "MLB 2008 Preview Part One: National League West"