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Each year two players, one from the American League and one from the National League, are honored as Comeback Player of the Year. Whether the player is returning from injury, illness, or ineffectiveness, each winner has overcome a hurdle of some sort and reversed their fortunes from the previous year. As the season winds down, …
Continue reading “Who Will Be the Comeback Players of the Year?”
In 2010 Ubaldo Jimenez made his name in the baseball world with a breakout season. Even more surprising, he was a dominant pitcher on the often pitching-troubled Colorado Rockies. He was an All-Star, finishing third in NL Cy Young voting, and even picked up a few MVP votes. The four-year, $10 million (before his options …
Continue reading “Ubaldo Jimenez’s Comeback Gives Hope to Cleveland”
On Sunday, the Oakland A’s topped the Minnesota Twins 11-7 for their 93rd win of the season and clinched first place in the AL West for the second year in a row. For the first time since a run of four straight playoff appearances ended in 2003, the A’s have reached postseason play in back-to-back …
Continue reading “How the Oakland A’s Vanquished the Texas Rangers and Won the West”
Unlike nearly any other sport, an individual baseball game can be broken down into individual moments, isolated from some events during the game and connected with others. On the offensive side of the game, two outcomes stand out above all others: home runs and stolen bases. This week the Cincinnati Reds called up Billy Hamilton …
Continue reading “Billy Hamilton Excites Us About Stolen Bases Again”
Entering play on Sept. 4, the Arizona Diamondbacks were 12.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers for the lead in the NL West, and 8 games back in the race for a Wild Card spot. Entering July, the Diamondbacks led their division by 1.5 games over the Colorado Rockies, and as of July 21 still …
Continue reading “The Long Odds of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Playoff Path”
After the 50-game suspension which removed him from the San Francisco Giants’ playoff run and, by his own choice, the batting title, Melky Cabrera will always be tied to PEDs. His breakout in San Francisco — .346/.390/.516 before being suspended — included the 2012 All-Star Game MVP award during the good times and a fake website in the …
August is a tough month for baseball fans. The All-Star Game is in the rear-view mirror, the trade deadline has passed, and, outside of one or two teams every year that put an amazing run together in the final two months, the playoff race is settled with 12 or 13 teams competing for 10 spots. …