Indians send RHP Rogers to Jays for Aviles, Gomes
(Yahoo! Sports)

post from MLB News Blog on 03 November 2012 02:38:42 PM. © MLB News Blog

TORONTO (AP) — The Cleveland Indians have traded right-hander Esmil Rogers to the Toronto Blue Jays for infielders Mike Aviles and Yan Gomes.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.mlbnewsblog.com/2012/11/03/indians-send-rhp-rogers-to-jays-for-aviles-
gomes-yahoo-sports/

Add to del.icio.us

Digg this

Post to Furl

Add to reddit

Add to myYahoo!

Kuroda wants another year in Japan before he
retires

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 03 November 2012 02:07:18 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/11/kuroda-wants-another-year-in-japan-before-h
e-retires/

Digg this

Miller ParkMilwaukee, Wisconsin

post from Corner Lots Baseball on 03 November 2012 02:02:28 PM. © Corner Lots Baseball

As a kid my curiosity was aroused every time I rode past Wrigley Field. Wow! What's inside that huge strange looking building? I thought.

Eventually, I got my big chance. When was 12 I saw the whole thing. A unique baseball field with an infield and real bases. Dugouts. Cool baseball uniforms. And baseballs moving fast over the grass and traveling through the air at record speeds in all directions.

But baseball games at that time were played during the day. That is, until I went to Comiskey Park, and watched the Chicago White Sox play the New York Yankees and later the Detroit Tigers. Wow! More excitement.

Then, when I learned that a new baseball team was being formed in Houston, Texas called the Houston Astros, my attention was again aroused to find out that they played their home games under a roof. I couldn't imagine how a baseball never hit the top of that dome. More questions for a curious mind.

However, my curious mind was satisfied a couple of years later when I saw the Milwaukee Brewers play the Cincinnati Redlegs in Miller Park in Milwaukee. Miller Park has a rotating roof with a gorgeous ball park inside. Now I saw everything. And I can still remember the day it was pouring rain outside with enough water to dredge any other ball park. Meanwhile inside baseball fans were in another world.

Read The Full Article:
http://cornerlotsbaseball.blogspot.com/2012/11/miller-parkmilwaukee-wisconsin.htm
l

Digg this

Yankees may limit CC Sabathias innings going
forward

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 03 November 2012 01:52:30 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://bronxbaseballdaily.com/2012/11/yankees-may-limit-cc-sabathias-innings-goin
g-forward/

Digg this

Frank Robinson 2004 Fleer Greats

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 03 November 2012 01:48:45 PM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Frank Robinson 2004 Fleer Greats It is not often that I see a card like this and it does not immediately make me jump into a minor rant about ‘little league poses’ on big league cards. This card of Frank Robinson … Continue reading →

Read The Full Article:
http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/frank-robinson-2004-fleer-greats-2/

Digg this

Saturday Rockpile: Josh Roenicke, Guillermo
Moscoso Out In Bullpen Shuffle

post from Purple Row - All Posts on 03 November 2012 11:00:43 AM. © Purple Row - All Posts

20120529_kkt_aq2_274

It happens almost every off-season -- the roster crunch created by the end of the 60 day DL combined with the looming Rule 5 draft protection deadline causing teams to outright some of their fringe players from the 40 man roster. In the Rockies' case, they out-righted (at least) 5 players yesterday and 4 of them were claimed on waivers -- Josh Roenicke, Guillermo Moscoso, Zach Putnam, and Tommy Field.Two things can be learned from this:

1. Maybe Colorado has a little more talent than people are giving them credit for. After all, Roenicke threw 88+ innings of solid relief this year and Moscoso had recently been an effective pitcher in Oakland, but Putnam and Field were minimal contributors to the major league squad -- yet all were in demand by teams with relatively high waiver priority.

2. Colorado's talent evaluation doesn't necessarily sync up with the community's. After all, Putnam was a PuRP, Roenicke a solid (and cheap) bullpen piece, Moscoso a one-time effective pitcher, and Field a utility player candidate. Meanwhile, players like Will Harris, Edgmer Escalona, and Matt McBride -- more lightly regarded -- still remain on the 40 man roster (that we know of), while a 28 year-old AA reliever in Josh Sullivan (on nobody's prospect radar) was just added to the 40 man.

It's a confusing time for Rockies fans to see some cheap major league contributors go for (essentially) free, including two younger players that were acquired in trades the previous off-season, two former PuRPs, and the durable Roenicke. In the case of the latter, according to the Denver Post there was an argument on a split (between minor league and major league) contract that was conditional on Roenicke clearing waivers.

While I believe that relievers are extremely fungible and that reliever performance oscillates in a major way from year to year, I do feel as though Roenicke (and Moscoso/Putnam, actually) are better bets to provide more major league value than Sullivan, Harris, or Escalona. To boot, Field would have been a good replacement for the dastardly Jonathan Herrera.

These are confusing moves for Colorado,though only time can bear out whether those that were protected were better choices than those who were not.

Los Links!

Walt Weiss and Jason Giambi interviewed again for the manager job yesterday. And the drama continues.

Todd Helton underwent arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday to repair a torn meniscus. Helton is entering perhaps his final off-season in MLB with the team, and I for one want him to go out with a bang.

Finally, for you ESPN Insiders, Keith Law posted his top 50 free agents yesterday. None of them were Rockies in 2012.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.purplerow.com/2012/11/3/3594640/saturday-rockpile-josh-roenicke-guille
rmo-moscoso-out-in-bullpen

Digg this

Around the NL East: Adam LaRoche hopes to cash
in, Gold Gloves, and New Managers

post from Talking Chop - All Posts on 03 November 2012 11:00:42 AM. © Talking Chop - All Posts

20120904_ajl_aa3_289

If you're still pining for baseball and have an XBOX, download the ESPN app, and watch some South American leagues' baseball games. Never know when you'll see Karim Garcia, Dmitri Young, or the occasional hotshot prospects down there.

Welcome back to the basement.

2012was_medium

Adam LaRoche wins his first Gold Glove - Nats Insider
With perennial GG favorites such as Albert Pujols and Adrian Gonzalez out of the equation this year, the steady-fielding Adam LaRoche didn't really have that much opposition at first base en route to winning his first ever Rawlings Gold Glove award. Despite the fact that this meant our own range-inhibited Freddie Freeman came up short, I'm happy for 'ol Roachy. And this will hopefully help him in his pursuit for a long term deal because...

Adam LaRoche, Sean Burnett decline options, become free agents - MASN
Roachy's turning down a sure $10M for one year with the Nats, and going for a long-term deal, whether or not that comes from the Nats. A smart move for Roachy too, because a monster season capped off with a Gold Glove is a great time to try and cash in, especially in an off-season where competent first basemen are at not flooding the market right now. Sean Burnett on the other hand is a little bit of a surprise, because I would have imagined him to have exercised his option, considering the fact that he's not even a set-up guy, let alone an actual closing option.

Stephen Strasburg's financial situation actually explained - Nationals Journal
Anyone else confused by the $15M deal that Stephen Strasburg signed when he was first drafted besides me? Well, if you were like me, this article actually breaks down the yearly salaries for Strasburg since he was drafted, and the interesting thing is that essentially he was getting paid like a pro from the very beginning, and this is all before he even makes it to arbitration; and if he produces close to what he did last year, then he'll be en route to even more millions and millions when he does hit arbitration.

Nationals' all-time leaderboards - Nats Insider
And for once, this doesn't include any Montreal Expos names at all. But since this is a list that's just seven years old, it's no surprise that pretty much Ryan Zimmerman and Livan Hernandez own these boards.

Bryce Harper's Halloween costume - Nats Enquirer
Could it really have been anything else?

How you know you've made it - Nats Enquirer
The only time I ever see Halloween costumes that involve a Braves jersey, they almost always, include a Kenny Powers wig and mullet.

2012nym_medium

Mets pick up options on both David Wright and R.A. Dickey - NY Times
Considering the slow dance both parties are going to employ when it comes to discussing the terms to extensions, it's no surprise that these options are picked up to ensure that they'll at least start 2013 on the Mets. Kind of a no-brainer.

David Wright probably deserved to win the NL 3B Gold Glove... - ESPN NY
But Chase Headley had more RBI. NO-BRAINER

Mets likely to pass on big-name free agents this winter. Again - MetsBlog
Purportedely, Sandy Alderson wants to have the Mets' payroll at around $100M next season. Despite the fact that just a handful of players, including Jason Bay, will be eating up around $80M of that, with several arbitration raises expected to end up giving the Mets less than $10M to play around with.

Regardless, of all people to have on their radar - NY Post

One NL official summed it up this way: "He was a pretty good player with the Yankees, fat and terrible for Atlanta, very good last year [for Kansas City] and unbelievable this year. Who is the real guy?

I wonder if this unnamed NL official worked for the Braves? I'm betting so. Love all the backhanded compliments about the Giants too. Gotta love the Post.

2012phi_medium

Phillies exercise Carlos Ruiz's option - Phillies Zone
I guess this wasn't a mutual option, and Ruiz could have declined it, because frankly after the season he had, this would be a perfect time for him to try to leverage himself into a fatty payday. It's not like he doesn't deserve at this point. But for a team saddled with horrendous contracts, this is about as good as it comes for the Phillies.

Jimmy Rollins wins yet another Gold Glove - Phillies Nation
It's funny, because it's like every year, there are these slick-fielding shortstops that always make people wonder if finally someone is going to take the Gold Gloves away from J-Roll. Yunel Escobar imploded and went to the AL, Troy Tulowitzki can't stay healthy, and had Andrelton Simmons not gotten hurt and missed so much of the season, who's to say that he wouldn't have put himself in the discussion too?

Placido Polanco really didn't change much from his predecessors - Beerleaguer
I think what really has to sting the most is the veiled jab at the fact that old and brittle as he may have been, Placido Polanco's offensive contributions were barely at best, really superior to the all-glove, no-bat of Pedro Feliz.

Phillies hire Dave Brundage to manage AAA-Lehigh Valley - High Cheese
Why is this notable? Because Dave Brundage is the guy who had been managing the AAA-Richmond/Gwinnett Braves since 2007, meaning the Phillies have taken away from us, one of our own, which always sucks.

2012mia_medium

Marlins hire Mike Redmond as new manager - Palm Beach Post
The former Marlin who spent time with the Fish dating back between 1998 through 2004 has been hired as the new manager for the Miami Marlins. He signed a three-year deal with the terms of the contract still unspecified. The fact that he will likely hardly be the clubhouse distraction that Ozzie Guillen was, the Marlins will probably instantly improve on the field, but their locker room entertainment will diminish quickly.

John Buck makes a ton of presumptuous predictions about how much respect Redmond will get - Fish Bytes
John Buck has boatloads of complementary things to say about Mike Redmond - despite the fact that they've hardly spoken to one another. But apparently through hearsay, Buck is convinced that Redmond is the sun and the moon, and will (seriously) probably do some wacky (crap) like throw naked BP if the team is in a losing streak.

Mark Buehrle wins yet another Gold Glove - Fish Stripes
Fourth consecutive, first one in the National League though. Still not as good as Greg Maddux.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.talkingchop.com/2012/11/3/3591896/around-the-nl-east-adam-laroche-carl
os-ruiz-david-wright-mike-redmond

Digg this

Mike Schmidt 1990 Topps Turn Back The Clock

Mike Schmidt 1990 Topps ‘Turn Back The Clock’ I always liked the old ‘TBTC’ subsets that Topps inserted into their base sets back in the 1980′s. If I recall properly, the ‘TBTC’ set was only issued in the 86, 87, … Continue reading →

Read The Full Article:
http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2012/11/03/mike-schmidt-1990-topps-turn-back-the-
clock/

Digg this

Expect Even More Changes

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers on 03 November 2012 10:01:37 AM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw, Vin Scully, Andre Ethier and the Dodgers

Read The Full Article:
http://www.ladodgertalk.com/2012/11/expect-even-more-changes/

Digg this

Getting Used to No Baseball

It has been almost a week since the Giants won the World Series and live baseball ceased to be on[...]

Read The Full Article:
http://blog.lovemyteam.com/2012/11/03/getting-used-to-no-baseball/

Digg this