Talent and Resolve

post from Oriole Post - Baltimore Orioles Analysis & News; The World of Baseball and Beyond on 06 June 2012 08:01:10 AM. © Oriole Post - Baltimore Orioles Analysis & News; The World of Baseball and Beyond

The Orioles have been struggling. Yes, this is true. AS I write this Jim Johnson has blown his first save of the year on a two-out two-run homer from Jarrod Saltalamachia on a semi-controversial call.

Salty's long fly ball was heading for the top of the monster and it hit off the very top of the wall, above the homerun "line" giving the Red Sox the tie and sending the game to extra innings. The controversy arose with a fan leaning out over the wall with his hat. The ball appears to hit his wrist and then bounce off the top of the wall. The umpires reviewed the hit, and gave the Sox the homer and the runs. I believe that the fan interfered with the ball, altering its trajectory and essentially bringing the ball on top of the wall. The umps obviously felt that the contact was inconsequential and the runs stood.

So the Orioles are playing in extras against the Sox once again.

yes, the Orioles have been struggling as of late, but I am still not too worried. Every team in baseball will hit a rough patch during the season and this team has shown that is has the talent and resolve to win games. As I type that Ronny "Battle-axe" Paulino just gave the Orioles the lead right back with an RBI single in the top of the tenth inning.

Talent and resolve.

This Orioles team is for real, I have stated this before and will continue to believe that until this team tanks in an utterly historic way. This was a team that was not picked to win more than 69 wins and they are already nearly halfway there. Will the Orioles be in the hunt for October? Who knows? I am not fool-hearty enough to make those kind of sweeping proclamations on June fifth. But this team is already so much better than anyone possibly expected them to be.As I type this: Endy Chavez just hit an RBI single to give the Orioles a two-run lead in the top of the tenth.

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Orioles select RHP Kevin Gausman in first round
of draft

I honestly have not followed the draft as closely this year than in the past. I've been on travel the last few days, so I really have not kept abreast of things.

However, the Orioles did go ahead and get another pitcher in this year's MLB First Year Player Draft. This looks like a very solid pick in a draft that many have said does not have a transcendent player.

The draft will go over three days. Rounds 2-15 will take place on Wednesday; meanwhile, rounds 16-40 happen on Thursday.

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Happy Anniversary Eddie Murray!!!

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 06 June 2012 07:30:40 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Happy Anniversary Eddie Murray!!! On this day in 1992, Eddie Murray passed the great Mickey Mantle for the all-time lead in RBI by a switch-hitter. His 1,510th RBI broke the record. Murray finished his stellar career with 1,917 total RBI. … Continue reading →

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Marlins MLB Draft Selections: Rounds 4-10
Analysis

post from Fish Stripes on 06 June 2012 07:01:51 AM. © Fish Stripes

video details and more

Ron Miller Bomb (via JustRake24)

On Tuesday night the Marlins made a few intriguing choices in the MLB Amateur draft. Here's a little background on the players the Marlins drafted in rounds for from ten, and what's in store for them in the future.

Austin Dean, HS, OF, Marlins 4^th Round Selection: Austin Dean is not your typical Marlins draft pick. He’s a high school player with huge power potential, and no real position in the field. Chances are Dean will end up as a corner outfielder or first baseman, even though he played primarily first base (and some second base as well) at his high school outside of Houston Austin Dean has a very unconventional swing that is hard to describe. It’s almost as if Dean is inside a computer game and every swing he takes there is a small glitch. Still, it has worked for him so far so hopefully the coaches he plays for next year don’t try to mess with it too much. I’m not convinced that Dean will ever play in the Marlins organization. He is currently committed to the University of Texas, and even a large signing bonus might not keep Dean away from the college experience. If the Marlins do sign him, they will probably have to give him a signing bonus that is above slot for a fourth-round pick. Overall, this a very nice draft pick by the Marlins because of Dean’s potential as a power-hitting outfielder.

Austin Nola, LSU, SS, Marlins 5^th Round Selection: With their fifth round pick, the Marlins selected their second-straight Austin. However, the similarities stop there. Nola is a senior from Louisiana State University that has started for the Tigers for four straight years. Prior to the 2012 MLB Amateur draft, Nola was also selected by the Rockies in the 48^th round of the 2008 draft, and the Blue Jays in the 31^st round of the 2011 draft. Nola has the frame of a typical shortstop, and hits and throws with his right-hand, like most shortstops tend to do. He’s never going to hit for power, but he does have enough strength to have consistent gap power. His defense is impressive, but his strong arm makes up for a lot of his fielding mistakes. In conclusion, Nola could be a defensive-minded shortstop that could reach the majors not too long from now.

Anthony Gomez, Vanderbilt, SS, Marlins 6^th Round Selection: Gomez is a player that could return to college for his senior season. He plays terrific defense at shortstop, but his bat is probably not ready to handle talented minor league pitching. Gomez is a "gamer" and he should be a valuable contributor on almost any team he plays on. He also has above-average speed, which has led to two All-SEC awards. If I were Gomez, I would stay for my senior season at Vanderbilt. However, if he wants guaranteed money and the chance to play with the top baseball players in the world, he should sign with the Marlins.

Ryan Newell, Shorter University, RHP, Marlins 7^th Round Selection: I know little about Newell, but I do know that he turned some heads this year when he started throwing in the upper 90’s. As a high school player, he was always throwing in the lower 90’s, so the recent news about his velocity surprised me. However, anytime you have a pitcher throwing as hard as Newell is right now, they’ll always have some serious potential. I see Newell as a reliever, but he should overpower hitters in the lower levels of the minors.

Drew Steckenrider, Tennessee, RHP, Marlins 8^th Round Selection: Steckenrider is the only player the Marlins selected in the first ten rounds that is above-average in terms of height and weight. If Steckenrider can never figure things out as a pitcher, the Marlins could possibly move him back to the outfield, where he has enthralling raw power. As a junior, Steckenrider pitched and played outfield for Tennessee. He struck out seventy-nine in sixty-seven innings, and as a hitter, stole twelve bases and drew thirty-nine walks. Steckenrider is a far better pitcher than hitter, so I would be shocked if the Marlins didn’t ask him to try pitching first, assuming he signs.

Nicholas Wittgren, Purdue, RHP, Marlins 9^th Round Selection: Wittgren was the Marlins third consecutive college right-handed pitcher that they drafted. Nick Wittgren has done a fantastic job closing out ballgames for the Boilermakers over the last couple years. Wittgren attended a D-II school before transferring to Purdue, where he quickly became their lights-out ninth inning pitcher. His fastball is in the low 90’s, and none of his other pitches project to be above-average major league out pitches. However, Wittgren could still put together a nice career as a reliever. If Wittgren decides to leave Purdue, he will probably sign with the Marlins for the amount the slot recommends.

Ron Miller, HS, 3B, Marlins 10^th Round Selection: Miller is a chubby high school third baseman out of Gardena, California. He originally attended Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles, but as a sophomore, he transferred to Serra High School. I like that Miller is pretty agile and has power projection. He has participated in the RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) which makes him especially likable for me. Even though Miller has a little baby fat, he is a very strong athlete which may make up for it. He has a simple approach at the plate, but with the right coaching, that could change. Overall, this is one of my favorite Marlins picks. Miller is committed to UNLV. Not

only does selecting a player from the RBI program give other young players hope, but Miller also has a lot of potential to be a power-hitter. Also, Crawfish Boxes, the Astros SB Nation blog, wrote a tremendous piece on Miller

which provides a lot more information on his abilities. Here is the link.

Marlins Rounds 4-10 by the Numbers:

The Marlins selected four high school prospects and six college players from round four to round ten. Of those six college players, five are juniors, and only one is a senior.

Average weight: 192.9 pounds.

Average height: 6’1’’

Pitchers: 3

Position Players: 4

Players from West of Texas: One

Players from East of Texas: Five

Players from Texas: One

Reasons to be Excited: Many

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-10-analysis

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Lekin with Sana Bucha

post from Bronx Bombs News Site on 06 June 2012 06:06:33 AM. © Bronx Bombs News Site

Today,Pakistanhas blessed with strong media. In old days, journalists were not allowed to report any thing factual and real. Many journalists faced many hardships only because they shared real facts regarding a political party or tribal area. However, we observed improvements in the media with the passage of time. Although journalists are still facing problems [...]

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Who are the Worst Position Players in Baseball

post from Beyond the Box Score on 06 June 2012 06:02:54 AM. © Beyond the Box Score

Roughly 850 different Major League Players have stepped into the batter’s box at some point this season. Contributions range from simply otherworldly (See: Texas outfielder Josh Hamilton, who leads the universe in Wins Above Replacement) to[...]

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Leo Nunez 2012 Topps Heritage Short Print

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 06 June 2012 05:30:31 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Leo Nunez 2012 Topps Heritage Short Print With the base team set of the Miami Marlins out of the way, it is time to focus on the more rare short prints. And the first one I was able to bring … Continue reading →

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Dan Uggla Connects For Home Run #200 Of His
Career As Braves Beat Marlins 11-0

post from 30-Year Old Cardboard on 06 June 2012 03:15:55 AM. © 30-Year Old Cardboard

Dan Uggla Connects For Home Run #200 Of His Career As Braves Beat Marlins 11-0 By STEVEN WINE | The Associated Press MIAMI (AP) Dan Uggla hit two homers in his first game at Marlins Park, including a tape-measure blow … Continue reading →

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Terdoslavich Takes Demotion In Stride, Gilmartin
Dazzles, Cunningham Keeps On HItting, And Drury Extends Streak In Tuesday's Atlanta Braves Minor League Action

Joey Terdoslavich didn't pout about his demotion to AA, instead he had a pair of hits and a pair of RBI.

Gwinnett Braves 1, Lehigh Valley 10

Ernesto Mejia 1B 1-3, HR (9), RBI, .319 AVG
Ruben Gotay 3B 1-3, .333 AVG
Todd Redmond 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 9 H, 1 BB, 1 K, 3.52 ERA
Jaye Chapman 1.1 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 B, 1 K, 2.92 ERA

Todd Redmond had his worst start of the season, allowing 7 earned runs without making it out of the fourth inning. He had only allowed 7 earned runs in 33.2 innings over his last 5 starts. The one bright spot for Redmond was that he only allowed 1 walk, and he's shown improved control this year, averaging 2.1 BB/9 and 3.9 K/BB this season after allowing 2.6 BB/9 and 2.8 K/BB in his first three AAA seasons. Gwinnett managed only 2 hits today, with their lone run coming from Ernesto Mejia's ninth homer of the year. In his last 10 games, Mejia is hitting .400 with a .965 OPS, 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBI. He is currently second in the league in batting average (.319) and hits (66), third in RBI (42), tied for third in extra bases (110), tied for fourth in doubles (15), eighth in slugging (.531), and tenth in homers (9) and OPS (.905). Today the Braves acquired Ruben Gotay from the Blue Jays for cash, marking his third time in the organization after playing for Gwinnett last season and Richmond and Atlanta in 2008, hitting .235 with a .665 in 88 games for Atlanta that season. The 29 year old has played for the Braves, Mets, and Royals in the Majors, hitting .255 with a .685 OPS in 811 total plate appearances, and will mostly play third base for Gwinnett. This year with the Las Vegas 51s, he hit .346 with a .819 OPS in 92 plate appearances.

Yohan Flande will face the Iron Pigs tomorrow.

Mississippi Braves 5, Huntsville Stars 1

Phil Gosselin 2B 2-3, BB, SB (9), .266 AVG
Joey Terdoslavich 1B 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, .400 AVG
Todd Cunningham CF 3-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .335 AVG
Sean Gilmartin 8 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 1 BB, 6 K, W (4), 3.16 ERA
Andrew Russell 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, 1.73 ERA

The reason the Braves acquired Gotay to be Gwinnett's third baseman was that they demoted Joey Terdoslavich to Mississippi, and moved him back to first base. Terdo took the demotion in stride, rapping out a pair of hits, including one of his trademark doubles, and driving in a pair of runs. Hopefully, he'll be able to regain his confidence and batting stroke in AA, and possibly find himself back in AAA before the end of the season. Todd Cunningham followed up yesterday's 3 hit performance with another one, going 3-4 with a double and 2 RBI for the second straight day. Over his last 10 games, he's hit .471 with a 1.103 OPS, raising his batting average from .301 to .335 and his OPS from .705 to .791. Phil Gosselin had a 2 hit day, and in his last 10 games he's hitting .314 with a .771 OPS. Sean Gilmartin had an outstanding start, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits and a walk over 8 innings, striking out 6. The lefty, who was the Braves first round selection in last year's draft, has deftly handled the challenges of AA this year, putting up a 3.16 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, 6.8 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, and 3.2 K/BB in 77 innings over 12 starts, tossing 3 complete games in the process. Those 3 complete games lead the league, no one else has thrown 2, and he also leads the league in innings, is sixth in WHIP, and is tied for eighth in strikeouts (58). Andrew Russell made his ninth straight scoreless appearance, and in that span he's struck out 8, walked 2, and allowed 6 hits over 10.2 innings.

David Hale will start the series finale tomorrow.

Lynchburg Hillcats 4, Myrtle Beach Pelicans 5

Adam Milligan DH 1-4, 2B, BB, .266 AVG
Chris Garcia 1B 1-3, BB, .332 AVG
David Rohm RF 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, .265 AVG
Braeden Schlehuber C 1-4, HR (6), 2 RBI, .267 AVG
Gus Schlosser 6 IP, 4 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 8 K, 4.20 ERA
Chasen Shrever 3 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 1.76 ERA

Braeden Schlehuber set a new career high with his sixth homer of the year, and over his last 3 games, he's gone 3-11 with a triple, a homer, and 2 RBI. David Rohm drove in the team's other 2 runs with a double, though he's struggled since returning from the DL, going 4-23 with 2 doubles, 2 RBI, and 10 strikeouts in 9 games. Adam Milligan doubled today, but he also struck out 3 times in the game, giving him 27 in 64 at bats with Lynchburg. He's striking out in 42% of his at bats with the Hillcats, which is an increase over the already high 37% he was striking out with Mississippi before his demotion. Gus Schlosser struck out 8 in 6 innings of work, but he also allowed 4 earned runs. He's allowed 8 earned runs in 11 innings in his last 2 starts, after allowing 3 earned runs in 21 innings over his previous 3 starts. Chasen Shreve struck out 4 over 3 scoreless innings, his sixth straight scoreless appearance. Over that span he's struck out 10, walked 4, and allowed 7 hits in 9.2 innings.

The Hillcats have now lost 8 games in a row. With 14 games to go before the end of the first half, including a pair of doubleheaders this weekend, they have a half game lead over Wilmington in the Northern Division. Dimasther Delgado will start tomorrow, hoping to get the Cats back in the win column.

Rome Braves 5, Greenville Braves 3

Tony Mueller CF 3-4, 2 RBI, 2 SB (12, 13), .241 AVG
Sergio Miranda 2B 1-3, 3B, BB, .200 AVG
Kyle Kubitza DH 1-2, RBI, 2 BB, .238 AVG
Will Skinner RF 1-4, HR (5), RBI, .266 AVG
Brandon Drury 3B 2-4, HR (2), RBI, .181 AVG
Rafael Briceno 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 6 H, 1 BB, 4 K, W (3), 5.90 ERA
Jarrett Miller 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 2 K, 4.32 ERA
Ryne Harper 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 3 K, SV (5), 4.32 ERA

Tony Mueller had a great day at the plate, rapping out 3 singles, driving in a pair of runs and stealing a pair of bases. Over his last 10 games, he's hit .333 with a .778 OPS. The right handed hitter has excelled against lefties this year, hitting .361 with a .828 OPS in 36 at bats, but has struggled against righties, hitting just .200 with a .479 OPS in 105 at bats. Brandon Drury had a pair of hits, including his second homer of the year, extending his hitting streak to 5 games, going 6-22 with 2 doubles, a homer, and 3 RBI in that span. Will Skinner hit his fifth homer of the year, and in his last 7 games he's gone 9-28 with 3 doubles, a homer, and 6 RBI. Kyle Kubitza drove in a run and reached base 3 times, improving his season OBP to .364. Rafael Briceno had an awful May, going 0-4 with a 8.26 ERA and a 2.08 WHIP in 28.1 innings over 6 starts, but he started June strong today with a quality start, striking out 4 while allowing 3 runs, 2 earned, in 6 innings. Jarrett Miller struck out 2 in 2 scoreless innings, and in his last 2 appearances he's struck out 8 over 6 scoreless innings. Ryne Harper picked up his fifth save of the year by striking out all 3 batters he faced in the ninth, a nice comeback after allowing 6 earned runs in 4.1 innings over his last 2 appearances. For the year, the 23 year old has struck out 41 in 25 innings, a 14.8 K/9 rate.

David Filak and Navery Moore were named to the South Atlantic League All-Star game. Moore has a 3-2 record, a 3.25 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP in 52.2 innings over 11 appearances, 9 starts. Filak is 2-5 with a 4.58 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP in 55 innings over 11 starts, though through his first 9 starts he was 2-3 with a 2.08 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP in 47.2 innings.

Filak will start against Greenville tomorrow.

Moore and Filak All-Stars

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-gilmartin-dazzles-cunningham

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New York Yankees: Whom should Cano choose for
home-run derby

New York Yankees slugger Robinson Cano was officially named captain of the 2012 AL Home Run Derby team, and LA Dodgers Matt Kemp the captain of the NL squad. Cano and Mr. Cano?s performance in the 2011 HR Derby was one for the history books, as it[...]

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