Category: MLB (Page 42 of 448)

      Five teams that could come up short in 2011

      March 30, 2011 /
      Philadelphia Phillies starter Roy Halladay pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning of a MLB spring training game at Bright House Field in Clearwater, Florida, March 21, 2011. REUTERS/Steve Nesius (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      It’s the start of a new year and you know what that means: Expectations are running high for every club not named the Pirates and Royals. (Or Astros, Cubs, Mariners, Diamondbacks, Nationals or Indians for that matter.)

      But what postseason contenders are most likely to fall short of expectations in 2011? I’ve highlighted five below.

      Philadelphia Phillies
      When a team is hyped for an entire offseason, it almost becomes cliché to say that they’ll fall short of expectations. But in the case of the Phillies, there’s some major concern here. It’s impossible to replace Chase Utley’s production in the lineup and this is an aging roster. Yes, the Halladay/Lee/Oswalt/Hamels/Blanton combination will keep most opposing batters up at night and yes, the Phillies will probably win the NL East. But the Braves aren’t too far behind talent-wise and Philadelphia has become a club that starts off slow only to pick it up in the second half. If Atlanta comes out of the gates hot and the Phillies suffer some early-season hiccups without Utley, the Braves might be able to build a decent lead that they can ride throughout the season. Barring injury to Halladay or Lee, I can’t imagine a scenario in which the Phillies don’t make the playoffs this year. But without Utley, the playing field has definitely been leveled in the National League.

      San Francisco Giants
      This is an easy one. It’s been 10-straight years since the last time any team was able to repeat as World Series champions. And while the G-Men aren’t considered the favorites to win this year’s Fall Classic (that would be the Phillies or Red Sox), many pundits believe that, at the very least, they’ll win the NL West again. A World Series hangover is the Giants’ biggest concern, because this club is better now than it was a year ago. They’ll get a full year out of Buster Posey and Madison Bumgarner, the energetic Andres Torres will serve as the leadoff hitter from Day 1 (instead of the highly unproductive Aaron Rowand), Pablo Sandoval looks like he’s ready for a big bounce back campaign, top prospect Brandon Belt might start the year with the big league club after dominating this spring, and Mark DeRosa, Mike Fontenot and Pat Burrell strengthen the bench. But it’s a different game for the Giants now. They’re going to be the hunted instead of the hunters, at least in the NL West. Can this fun-loving team recapture the same magic it had in September and October last year? Or will all of those extra innings that Bumgarner, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain and Jonathan Sanchez endured in the postseason last year eventually catch up with this team?

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      External Sports, MLB

      Former players expected to testify that they bought steroids from Bonds’ trainer

      March 30, 2011 /
      Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds (L) leaves the federal courthouse following the second day of his perjury trial at the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco, California March 22, 2011. A federal prosecutor charged on Tuesday Bonds used steroids from a lab that was able to attract other athletes because of his involvement. But a defense attorney argued that some witnesses have ulterior motives in testifying against the baseball home run king. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL CRIME LAW)

      The evidence continues to mount against one Barry Lamar Bonds as his perjury trial rolls on.

      On Tuesday, former Giants’ outfielder Marvin Bernard told the jury that he purchased steroids from Bonds’ personnel trainer Greg Anderson – the same Greg Anderson who remains in prison because he refuses to testify. Other former athletes are also expected to testify that they knowingly used steroids supplied by Anderson.

      This, of course, puts another hole in Bonds’ shoddy defense. His lead attorney Allen Ruby is trying to convince a jury that the only reason his client took steroids was because Anderson misled him about what the substances were. Granted, just because Bernard purchased steroids from Anderson doesn’t prove without shadow of a doubt that Bonds knew what his trainer was injecting him with. On the other hand: OH, COME ON. Bernard was buying roids from Bonds’ roid trainer and Bonds didn’t know that his roid trainer was giving him roids, too? Please.

      Bonds is either lying or he’s told himself so many times that he’s innocent that he has actually started to buy into his lies. Either way, it’s still lying. If his lawyer is a practicing magician and somehow gets Bonds out of these perjury charges, so be it. But in the court of public opinion, the former slugger is still a lair.

      External Sports, MLB

      MLB Sleepers: Who will be this year’s Giants, Rangers, Reds, Rays and Padres?

      March 29, 2011 /

      Sleepers can come in a variety of forms. Not all of them win the World Series, or their division, or even make the postseason for that matter. But all sleepers do have one thing in common: They do something unexpected.

      The five sleepers listed below all did something unexpected in 2010. Let’s recap.

      Giants: The team that seemingly came out of nowhere to win the World Series on the strength of their young pitching and a bunch of hitters that got red-hot at the right time.

      Rangers: The team that everyone knew had talent to reach the postseason but were still hesitant about predicting them to win the division.

      Reds: The youngish team that everyone knew would eventually compete, but were surprised to see that “eventually” meant 2010.

      Rays: The team that people knew had the talent to reach the postseason but still stuck them behind the Yankees and even Red Sox in the division.

      Padres: The team that nobody thought would challenge for a postseason berth and would have been the surprise of the year had they not collapsed down the stretch run.

      So who are this year’s Giants, Rangers, Padres, Reds and Rays? I’m glad you asked.

      The 2011 Giants: Oakland A’s
      The strength of Oakland’s club is its young pitching, led by four pitchers in Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Dallas Braden, who are all 27 or younger. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Giants won the World Series last year with four pitchers (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner) who were all 27 or younger. The Giants also had an offense that would hardly keep opposing pitchers up at night but after GM Brian Sabean re-signed Juan Uribe and added guys like Cody Ross and Pat Burrell during the year, it was enough to be dangerous. Just like SF’s offense last year, Oakland’s bats aren’t going to scare anyone but after the offseason additions that Billy Beane made this offseason (Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus) they’re enough to be dangerous. And just like the Giants, if they can reach the postseason (where pitching matters most), the A’s might be able to do some damage.

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      External Sports, MLB

      Time is running out: Beat me in fantasy baseball and have the chance to win $200

      March 28, 2011 /
      Baseballs sit on the infield grass during batting practice at the Minnesota Twins baseball spring training facility in Fort Myers February 23, 2011. REUTERS/Hans Deryk (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      Here’s the deal folks, if you haven’t signed up for the ScoresReport.com $500 Contest at FanDuel.com, you’re a fool. I hate to be harsh, but the truth hurts sometimes.

      As of this post, we have eight entries and seven of those contestants are going to at least quadruple their money, just for playing one day of fantasy baseball. Not a season, not a month, not even a week: ONE DAY. This Friday, April 1st. Are you telling me you don’t have the cojones to take me on in fantasy baseball for the chance to win $200? I don’t care if you play fantasy baseball or not; as of right now you have the chance to turn $5 into $200 all for filling out a lineup so what are you waiting for? Sign up today! (Details are below.)

      What do I have to do to win $200 and stick it to you, Anthony?
      Sign up at FanDuel.com and enter the ScoresReport.com $500 Contest. It’s easy to sign up and the entry fee is only $5. Once you’re signed up, FanDuel will give you the opportunity to select nine players from the following April 1 MLB games (click here for more detailed rules, or see below). If you beat me and fellow TSR members (and longtime fantasy baseball enthusiasts) Jamey Codding and David Medsker, you’ll win $5. If you finish in the top 7, you’ll win even more cash, up to $200.

      What are the rules?
      – Each player has a salary, and you only have $35k to spend.
      – You must pick the following positions: P, C, 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, CF, RF
      – The game starts Fri 1st Apr at 1:05pm EDT so enter before then.
      – Again, if you manage to finish above our three experts you win an extra $5

      How does the scoring work?
      Once you’ve selected your team, they’ll be awarded these points in these categories: Hitters: 1B = 1pt, 2B = 2pts, 3B = pts, HR = 4pts, RBI = 1pt, R = 1pt, BB = 1pt, SB = 2pts, Out = -.25pt Pitchers: W = 7pts, ER = -1pt, SO=1pt, IP = 1pt.

      Can I win a cash prize if I come in second?
      Yes, $100, as well as for third place ($75), fourth place ($50), fifth place ($30), sixth place ($25) and seventh place ($20). So for signing up for a $5 contest, you could win $20 as long as you come in seventh. You can finish in at least seventh place right? Right? Right?!

      What’s the catch?
      No catch. Sign up is easy, the entry fee is only $5 and all you have to do is beat me in fantasy baseball for one day…ah, so there’s the catch. There’s no way you’re beating me in fantasy baseball.

      Sign up for the ScoresReport.com $500 Contest.

      External Sports, Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Bonds’ former mistress to testify that his testicles shrank

      March 28, 2011 /
      Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds (C) arrives before the opening arguments portion of his perjury trial at the Phillip Burton Federal Building in San Francisco, California March 22, 2011. REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASEBALL CRIME LAW)

      Yes, you read that title right and no, I’m not trying to be funny. (Not this time at least.)

      Barry Bonds’ former mistress Kimberly Bell is scheduled to testify this week at his trial. Among some of the topics are that Bonds told her before the 2000 season that he used steroids and that she witnessed physical and mental changes that prosecutors will attribute to performance-enhancing drug use. But among the most controversial topics is whether or not Bell saw Bonds’ testicles shrink (which is a common side effect of steroid use).

      This is usually when I would draw up a mock conversation between a lawyer and Bell talking about Bonds’ marbles, but my mother reads the site and I have to draw the line somewhere. So grow up, people.

      That said, could you imagine what some comedian would do with the transcript from that testimony? Could you imagine what Daniel Tosh would do with it? Or Dave Chappelle? In one of his stand up performances, Dana Carvey managed to make the O.J. Simpson trial hilarious and that was about murder – not steroids, lying and testicles.

      I wish Saturday Night Live were still funny because they could have a field day with this Bonds trial.

      External Sports, MLB

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