Category: MLB (Page 403 of 448)

I know the MLB Draft comes absolutely nowhere near the NFL equivalent in fans’ eyes, but it’s significantly important nonetheless and definitely worth following today.

With the first pick in this years’ draft, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays landed arguably the top lefty in all of the draft, Vanderbilt pitcher David Price. According to several scouting reports, Price has a fastball in the mid 90s, a sharp slider and uses an occasional change. He projects as a #2 starter at the next level.To follow the rest of the draft, check out MLB.com’s live Draft Tracker.

By the way, watching Bud Selig read each pick on ESPN2 makes me long to hear NFL commissioner Roger Goodell or former headman Paul Tagliabue say, “With the first pick in the NFL Draft…” There’s just no comparison between Bud “The Slug” and Tags, although Peter Gammons is easier on the ears than Mel Kiper Jr. as far as analysts go.

Apparently one of the prerequisites of being a minor league baseball coach these days is to go nuts arguing with umpires. It’s not enough to go out and get in the face or kick a little dirt on an umpire, apparently you’ve got to stage a theatrical performance for the ages. Joe Mikulik of the Asheville Tourists and Phillip Wellman of the Mississippi Braves have put on quite a show the past two seasons, as the YouTube.com clips below attest to.

So, who’s got your vote for the craziest minor league coach?

Joe Mikulik, June 25, 2006 vs. the Lexington Legends:

Or Phillip Wellman, most recently on June 1, 2007 vs. Chattanooga Lookouts:

Personally, I think Wellman steals the show by acting like the rosin bag as a grenade and then blowing kisses to the fans as he left, but Mikulik gets points for his face first dive into second base. Talk about trying to sell tickets…

Two weeks ago, I touted baseball’s best young guns on Bullz-Eye.com, the top 24-and-under pitchers in the game.

This week, I move on to the position players, fielding a lineup blessed with average, speed and plenty of power. With Jose Reyes setting the table, this team could play with anyone. Click here to head to Bullz-Eye and check out my top 24-and-under team.

New York Mets starting pitcher Pedro Martinez threw 38 pitches off a mound for the first time since undergoing rotator cuff surgery on his right shoulder. Apparently the session went extremely well.

“I felt right at home,” Martinez said.

“He went into it with an understanding that he wasn’t going to push it,” Mets rehab pitching coach Randy Niemann told Newsday. “He wanted to be free and easy.”

Niemann told the newspaper that as long as Martinez feels good, his next bullpen session could be Friday.

Wow, the Mets already have the third best pitching staff in MLB with a collective 3.35 ERA. Throw in a healthy Martinez and that’s one dangerous club come the second half of the season.

The Chicago Sun Times is reporting the White Sox might be interested in trading outfielder Jermaine Dye to the Yankees for Bobby Abreu. Dye has struggled thus far this season, hitting just .228 with 10 home runs and 29 RBI. He’s also a free agent to be, making any trade rumors involving him viable.

Apparently Sox manager Ozzie Guillen is a good friend of Abreu’s, making this specific rumor worth following. Plus – according to the Sun Times’ article – the Sox feel that Abreu will heat up in the second half of the season considering his track record for being a notorious slow starter (he’s hitting just .244 with 7 home runs and 4 RBI this season). At 25-27, Chicago isn’t panicking by any means, but with both Dye and starting pitcher Mark Buehrle set to become free agents, this team is built to win now and may explore trades in order to make another World Series run.