Show #212: Our Interview with Braves Legend David
Justice

David talks about the early ’90′s, the real story of his comments before Game 6 and being traded in 1997.  David also shares his experiences with Fox’s Spring Training for the Troops.[...]

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http://www.atlantabaseballtalk.com/show-212-our-interview-with-braves-legend-davi
d-justice/

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Teixeira Feeling Good About the Team and His
Health

From Mark Feinsand:

"I really feel good about our team this year," Teixeira said. "It's actually fun when everyone else counts you out because it kind of makes guys want it a little bit more. Every year we want it, but this year especially, it's going to be even more of a challenge. I think that's going to make it more exciting as the year goes on."

...

"All you hear about is the Blue Jays; that's good," Teixeira said. "They had a heck of an offseason and it's a very good team. We have five quality teams in our division. It used to be that you had to worry about maybe one or two teams and you hoped to win two out of three or sweep the bottom teams. That's not going to happen this year. Every single game in our division is going to be tough."

Tex seems to like embracing the Yankees "underdog" status, after all he did the same thing in Spring Training of 2011. That said, this time around they really are underdogs, which is surprising and sad considering they're going to outspend 28 out of the 29 other teams in baseball. Moving on...

Teixeira has been working out for several weeks, getting himself ready to play for Joe Torre's Team USA in next month's World Baseball Classic. After missing 39 of the final 43 games last season with a calf injury, Teixeira tried to alter his offseason program to give him the best chance of staying healthy.

"Nothing real major, just being smarter about certain things," said Teixeira, who cut back on the amount of weightlifting he does. "When you have a season where you get injured with the calf, it's 'Why did I get injured?' Really addressing those type of things, I had a great offseason. I feel really good and I'm excited about spring training starting."

...

"There's really no reason for me at this point in my career to try to start doing things differently," Teixeira said. "I've had such a successful career playing to my strengths. Now that being said, I want to be the best at what I do well, and that's hitting home runs, driving in runs and playing Gold Glove defense. I know if I do those three things I'm going to help my team win because at the end of the day that's why I'm here.?

One problem that Tex seems to have as a Yankees is that he's far too pull happy, and I'd like to see he had said he's going to try and use the whole feels more often as opposed to "hitting home runs". If he continues to want to do nothing but pull the ball I think we're looking at another .250 year for Tex.

Anyway, if you're feeling like Teixeira and want to buy Yankees tickets, check out TiqIQ.com.



Read The Full Article:
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SlidingIntoHome/~3/HPjp3g19HZI/teixeira-feeling-go
od-about-team-and.html

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Jeter Press Conference Video

Here's some video from today's press conference:


Also, here is another video from ESPN of Buster Olney talking about how important his health is to this year's Yankees:


For more highlights from today's presser, check out this post from Chad Jennings.

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/SlidingIntoHome/~3/PoTMH02ootU/jeter-press-confere
nce-video.html

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Attention 2013 Topps Set Builders And Team
Collectors, I Can Help You!!!

Attention 2013 Topps Set Builders And Team Collectors, I Can Help You!!! The title of this post says it all.  I have amassed a pretty healthy stack of 2013 Topps Series 1 baseball cards that maybe able to help you … Continue reading →

Read The Full Article:
http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/attention-2013-topps-set-builders-and-
team-collectors-i-can-help-you/

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The Minnesota Twins: "This year we got something
to prove"

[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheTenthInningStretch/~3/z4VAKwukLio/the-minnesota
-twins-this-year-we-got.html

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Remembering the last Twins' winning team...

[...]

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http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheTenthInningStretch/~3/NtLI4XQbaTc/remembering-l
ast-twins-winning-team.html

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Johnny Bench 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy Game-Used
Bat Card SWEET!!!

Johnny Bench 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy Game-Used Bat Card ? SWEET!!! You may recall roughly a week or so ago that I showed off a sweet Eddie Murray game-used bat card from the 2005 Upper Deck Trilogy set. In that post, … Continue reading →

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http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/johnny-bench-2005-upper-deck-trilogy-g
ame-used-bat-card-sweet/

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Andre Dawson 2012 Panini Cooperstown Collection

Andre Dawson 2012 Panini Cooperstown Collection Unfortunately, I cannot recall the last time that I pulled an Andre Dawson baseball card out of a pack of cards. When the 2012 Panini Cooperstown set was released, I thought that it could … Continue reading →

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http://bapple2286.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/andre-dawson-2012-panini-cooperstown-c
ollection/

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History of The Bunt Double

This past Friday Jeff Sullivan of Fangraphs wrote a wonderfully entertaining piece that focused on the two occasions in which major leaguers bunted for power in 2012. In his piece, Sullivan shows the gif images of both Quentin Berry and Juan Pierre's awkward-looking bunted doubles, but what he did not mention is that this was Pierre's third time pulling off the bizarre feat, which would tie him for the record since play-by-play data is available.

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Rafael Furcal is the only other player in history known to have grabbed the extra base off of a bunt more than twice. Furcal did it in consecutive seasons in 2002 and 2001 and then again just recently in 2009.

Prior to that, only Alfredo Griffin was known to have done it twice, once in 1985 and again two years later in '87. Oddly, Griffin's first bunt double occurred in a season in which three other players also recorded power bunts-- Mariano Duncan, Odibe Mcdowell, and no bunting discussion would be complete without Brett Butler, the all-time leader at bunting for a hit. 1985 was the only season in which there were four instances of bunting for a double, but there were three power bunts in 1975 and in 1997.

Fittingly, Jackie Robinson was the first to record the bunt double in 1951.

No player has ever recorded a bunt triple.

Here is the full list (google doc) of all known bunt doubles:

Bunting for a Double

Name Year game_id event_id hit_cdQuintin Berry2012CLE201205230382Juan Pierre2012PHI201206030452Cliff Pennington2010OAK201004080702Rafael Furcal2009LAN20090720092Juan Pierre2007LAN200707020602Juan Pierre2004NYN20040720012Endy Chavez2003MIL200304300262Rafael Furcal2001NYN200106240612Rafael Furcal2000CIN20000808012Abraham Nunez1999PIT199905310412Tony Fernandez1997TEX199705130722Mike Lansing1997MON19970706072Edgar Renteria1997FLO199704010242Robby Thompson1995PIT199506210792Chad Fonville1995CIN19950817012Mitch Webster1991PIT199105250172Hal Morris1990PIT199008250622Mark McLemore1988CAL198804080392Alfredo Griffin1987OAK198706211352Oddibe McDowell1985KCA198505280172Mariano Duncan1985SLN19850706022Brett Butler1985CLE19850913262Alfredo Griffin1985BAL198509030332Rick Miller1981BOS198109260632Frank Taveras1979SDN19790721022Darrell Porter1979KCA197906120852Miguel Dilone1978OAK19780605052Bobby Murcer1976SFN197607210662Rick Burleson1975BOS197507080452Larry Bowa1975PIT197504270632Jack Brohamer1975MIN197505130162Don Wilson1971PHI197105070132Willie McCovey1970SFN19700503282Bobby Tolan1969CHN196906090432Hal Lanier1965SFN196505150682Danny O'Connell1961DET19610802122Jackie Robinson1951BRO19510824072

. . .

James Gentile writes about baseball at Beyond the Box Score and The Hardball Times. You can follow him on twitter @JDGentile.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2013/2/17/3998004/history-of-the-bunt-double

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Sunday Rockpile: Rockies Weiss bringing mean
streets of high school to clubhouse.

Another short Rockpile today as I try to squeeze blogging in whilst working on other things, sorry.

Todd Helton is scheduled to address the media today for the first time since news broke of his arrest on suspicion of DUI and Troy Renck has a brief write up of what to expect from it. Other notes include a brief about Carlos Gonzalez being behind on his swing, well his golf swing at least and Adam Ottavino notes that Jose Reyes is jacked.

Meanwhile, Rockies manager Walt Weiss assures us that he will "be real" in his first talk to the team. Given his most recent profession, this can only mean a Jaime Escalante type of narrative taken from life in the mean halls of Regis Jesuit. Fill the hole, Rockies, fill the hole. Perhaps more troubling is the note on Edwar Cabrera's shoulder pain that has him shut down for a little while. Spring shoulder troubles often snowball into season ending catastrophe for pitchers, and while Cabrera's not at the top of the Rockies rotation depth chart, with the way the team typically has to cycle through arms, every pitching loss tends to hurt.

Patrick Saunders goes in depth about Wilin Rosario's determination to prove himself as a catcher. Rosario's bat would be enough to make him an individual star at the position, it could wind up being enough to make him a star at any position, but if he does figure out a way to block the plate and maybe even catch pitches that are a bit off of it, the Rockies will actually benefit in their win/loss record as a team rather than just Rosario gaining the individual glory his offensive exploits will bring.

Read The Full Article:
http://www.purplerow.com/2013/2/17/3997806/sunday-rockpile-rockies-weiss-bringing
-mean-streets-of-high-school-to

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