Bald Vinny releases new Anti T-Shirt: Tedsicicle

post from Zell's Pinstripe Blog on 30 March 2011 11:32:24 PM. © Zell's Pinstripe Blog

The shirt is entitled: “Tedsicicle.” A joke on the Red Sox and the Williams family, as they decided to freeze the corpse of Teddy Ballgame years ago. The new t-shirt will be available before tomorrow’s game outside Yankee Stadium. Vinny will be on River Avenue, outside Billy’s Bar..in his usual spot. The shirt costs $15 (AVAILABLE FOR [...]

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sicicle/

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Who said Cashman didnt know anything about
baseball

post from Zell's Pinstripe Blog on 30 March 2011 11:12:51 PM. © Zell's Pinstripe Blog

Brian Cashman in 1989 as a scrappy second baseman for Catholic University, where he set a team record for most hits in a season. Photo courtesy of Catholic University. Brian Cashman played College Baseball: There are a lot of you out there who like to criticize Brian Cashman moves, and rightfully so. He hasn’t been perfect. [...]

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Kansas City here I come...

post from True Grich on 30 March 2011 11:03:34 PM. © True Grich

Somebody pinch me because it can't get any better than this; a baseball road trip to Opening Day...[...]

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are going in a new
direction in the dugout in 2011

post from Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog on 30 March 2011 10:25:29 PM. © Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog

The Pittsburgh Pirates hired 53-year old manager Clint Hurdle to give the team a new look in 2011. Hurdle last managed in the majors back in 2009 with the Rockies. He was fired that year after leading the Rockies to a 18-28 (39.1%) record. Hurdle now has a 534-625 (46.1%) record in [...]

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rection-in-the-dugout-in-2011/

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping to have a
better bullpen in 2011

post from Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog on 30 March 2011 10:21:15 PM. © Pittsburgh Pirates MLB News - Pirates Baseball Blog

29-year old righty Joel Hanrahan is likely going to start the 2011 season as the Pirates’ stopper. Hanrahan pitched in 72 games (0 starts) for the Pirates last year and he was 4-1 with 6 saves, a 3.62 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP. He only gave up 58 hits in 69 2/3 innings [...]

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Predictions and Underdogs

post from Bronx Baseball Daily on 30 March 2011 10:07:00 PM. © Bronx Baseball Daily

[...]

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You have no idea how much this visual pleases me.
Now excuse me while I wrap my arms around it....

post from Beyond the Box Score on 30 March 2011 10:04:02 PM. © Beyond the Box Score

You have no idea how much this visual pleases me. Now excuse me while I wrap my arms around it. How Heyward Works the Count | Talking Chop[...]

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Fearless Predictions

post from LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Rumors on 30 March 2011 10:02:18 PM. © LADodgerTalk.com - Daily Dodger Talk, LA Dodger News, Dodger Minor League Reports and Dodger Rumors

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Braves vs. Nationals Series Preview: And Away We
Go...

post from Talking Chop on 30 March 2011 09:02:02 PM. © Talking Chop

Believe it or not, that isn't Melky Cabrera showcasing his beautiful swing. That's Ryan Zimmerman. He's a pretty good baseball player.

It's baseball time.

After five long months, the 2011 season will finally kick off in Washington D.C. as the Atlanta Braves take on the Washington Nationals.

This Opening Day won't feel like others. For the first time in 21 years, Bobby Cox won't be in the Braves' dugout. It feels incredibly weird to type that. The Fredi Gonzalez era will begin tomorrow afternoon at 1:05EST, and all eyes will be on the new skipper. How will he construct a potentially lethal lineup on a nightly basis? How will he handle his bullpen? When does the first ejection come? We'll all be eagerly awaiting these answers.

What's New in D.C.?

Believe it or not, the Nationals were among the busiest clubs in baseball this off-season. Their first move shocked the baseball world when they signed Jayson Werth to a monster 7-year, $126 million dollar contract on December 5th. They had been attempting to make a big splash in the free agent market for a few years and they finally pulled the trigger with Werth. They overpaid quite a bit in both dollars and years for the outfielder, but there's no denying his production on the diamond.

In addition to Werth, they added former-Braves Adam LaRoche and Rick Ankiel to bolster the offense. Both should be upgrades in the field as well. Utility-man Jerry Hairston Jr. should also be a valuable piece for manager Jim Riggleman to use on a nightly basis.

While guys like Werth and LaRoche will help out considerably in D.C., they'll feel the effects of losing Adam Dunn to the White Sox and trading Josh Willingham to Oakland.* Neither of these guys were very good in the field, but both could flat-out mash. Fortunately for the Braves, they're both gone and we won't have to worry about them anymore. The Nats also recently traded Gaby Sanchez's best friend, Nyjer Morgan, to the Milwaukee Brewers. He will be missed.

*You have to love the irony of Willingham finally getting traded. Braves fans had been clamoring for his right-handed bat for years and despite frequent rumors and whispers of him coming to Atlanta, he went to Oakland without anyone looking twice. Acquiring Dan Uggla can do that for your ball club.

Despite the multiple changes to the lineup, the pitching staff is pretty much the same as last year's. They acquired Tom Gorzellany from the Cubs in January for three Minor League prospects and signed right-handed relief pitcher Todd Coffey to a one-year deal. Besides that, there wasn't too much going on.

An offensive breakdown, a look at the pitching match-ups, and more after the jump.

Projected Lineup:

Ian Desmond - SS
Jayson Werth - RF
Ryan Zimmerman - 3B
Adam LaRoche - 1B
Mike Morse - LF
Rick Ankiel - CF
Danny Espinosa - 2B
Ivan Rodriguez - C
Pitcher

The Nationals ranked 14th in the National League last year in runs scored, and it'll be really interesting to see how their overhauled lineup performs.

Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman will form a dynamic duo at the top of the lineup and containing them is a must if you hope to win the series. Our old buddy Adam LaRoche, who's one of the more consistent hitters in baseball on a yearly basis, will hit cleanup and attempt to fill the void left by Adam Dunn.

Ian Desmond, Mike Morse, and Danny Espinosa are three promising, young prospects for the Nationals and they're hoping for a breakout year in 2011. Each saw quite a bit of playing time last season and they'll need to adjust to the grind of the long 162-game season if they hope to avoid a sophomore slump.

Rick Ankiel and Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez will give the club some valuable veteran leadership in the clubhouse and solid defensive play in the field. Neither of them are very good hitters at this stage of their career, and it's likely that Pudge is replaced by Wilson Ramos by mid-season.

As a group, expect the Nationals to be pretty stationary on the base paths. Nyjer Morgan, who had 34 stolen bases last season, is gone and Roger Bernadina, who had 16, is in Triple-A. Ian Desmond is the only National to record more than 10 steals last year, and most of their regulars won't even attempt to run.

All-in-all, they're a solid group who should be able to put some runs on the board throughout the course of the season.

Pitching Match-Ups:

Thursday, 1:05 EST:

Derek Lowe

#32 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-6

Weight: 230

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 01, 1973

Livan Hernandez

#61 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-2

Weight: 245

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Feb 20, 1975

Saturday, 1:05 EST:

Tommy Hanson

#48 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-6

Weight: 220

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Aug 28, 1986

John Lannan

#31 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-4

Weight: 215

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Sep 27, 1984

Sunday, 1:35 EST:

Tim Hudson

#15 / Pitcher / Atlanta Braves

Height: 6-1

Weight: 170

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jul 14, 1975

Jordan Zimmermann

#27 / Pitcher / Washington Nationals

Height: 6-2

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: May 23, 1986

Bullpen Report:

Believe it or not, the Nationals had a really good bullpen last year. Gone are the days when you can fall behind early and then make it up against a couple of bums in the 'pen. They ranked in the top-5 in ERA, FIP, and xFIP as a unit. Drew Storren has the potential to be a lights-out closer if his command improves, and guys like Tyler Clippard, Todd Coffey, Sean Burnett, and Doug Slaten are all capable of handling the 7th and 8th inning duties. Expect another strong year out of the Nationals relievers in 2011.

Weather Report:

We've waited six months for baseball, and we might have to wait one more day to get the season kicked off. The high in Washington D.C. tomorrow is 47 degrees with a 40-75% chance of rain throughout the day. As pleasant as that sounds, there does appear to be an opening during mid-day to get the game in. It's supposed to rain early in the morning and then start clearing up around noon and then pick up once again around 5pm. Let's all keep our fingers crossed.

Something to look for:

The Braves have had a rookie hit a home run in his first at-bat of the season for two consecutive years. In 2009, it was Jordan Schafer. In 2010, it was Jason Heyward. Will Freddie Freeman continue the legacy?

Final Outlook:

The Nationals are a team moving in the right direction, but they're destined for another 5th place finish in the NL East. They should be able to score some runs assuming Desmond, Morse, and Espinosa have solid years, and their bullpen should keep them in games. Their ultimiate downfall, though, will be their starting pitching. Losing Stephen Strasburg for the year really hurts and while Jordan Zimmerman and Tom Gorzellany are solid young pitchers, it's tough to imagine them staying in contention past June or July with Livan Hernandez, John Lannon, and Jason Marquis making most of their starts.

Series Prediction:

The Braves never play well at Nationals Park, but they'll still come out of this series winning two of three. Dan Uggla has a big first series as an Atlanta Brave and the starting pitching is solid each afternoon.

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http://www.talkingchop.com/2011/3/30/2074740/braves-vs-nationals-series-preview-h
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30-YOCs Florida Marlins 2011 Baseball Season
Preview

30-YOC’s Florida Marlins 2011 Baseball Season Preview As we prepare for the start of the 2011 baseball season, I have a lot of open questions about how the Florida Marlins will do during the course of 162 games. A very … Continue reading →

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