Tag Archives: MLB

Some big free agent signings in baseball

13 Dec

Some Big Time Free Agent Signings in Baseball

Published by: Doc on 13th Dec 2012 | View all blogs by Doc
Edit Blog | Delete Blog

Some breaking news in baseball the last few days regarding key free agents. Pitcher Zach Grienke signed a 6 year deal leaving the crosstown Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and going to the Los Angeles Dodgers who under Magic Johnson and others ownership and direction now have a payroll over 200 million dollars next year. Wins will be expected and failure will be highly scrutinized.

Meanwhile the Los Angeles Angels aren’t poor in the bank as they sign free agent slugger Josh Hamilton to a 5 year contract. I don’t like seeing him leave the Texas Rangers ,and go to their AL West rival LA Angels, but the Angels are spending big dollars to win though I think their pitching is still somewhat questionable and remember it took last year’s free agent Albert Pujols awhile to come around and swing the big bats for the big bucks in Anaheim. So we’ll see what happens.
Finally the Red Sox signed another free agent with their spending money in pitcher Ryan Dempster to a 2 year contract . After years at Chicago’s Wrigley Field with the Cubs and a few months with the Rangers in Arlington, Dempster heads to Fenway and he’ll be looked to replace a Josh Beckett’s spot in the rotation and get the Red Sox back on the winning path again. Some exciting moves in baseball as some teams look to fill their Christmas stockings and head to the new year. So we’ll see what moves are next in baseball and what happens when they get on the field in their new surroundings next year. Best wishes Doc/Bratman

Tags: , ,

Milwaukee Brewers are making some exciting pitching moves in preparing for the 2013 Baseball Season

4 Dec

http://basebook.socialgo.com/magazine/read/milwaukee-brewers-are-making-some-pitching-moves-and-the-future-looks-bright-in-milwaukee-for-the-2013-season_86.html

Tags: , ,

Who should the next Boston Red Sox Manager be? I like Nomar Garciaparra among others

10 Oct

So who should be the Boston Red Sox manager to replace the fired Bobby Valentine?  If you don’t like the Red Sox or don’t care you might not think about it, but as a Red Sox and baseball fan it does give me some curiosity and I’m sure it does you too.

I have read that the Red Sox would like to pursue Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell who used to be a Red Sox pitching coach and still has a year on his contract. I have also heard about interest in Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia if he he is let out of his contract or let go by the Angels. Hard to figure he has managed there since 2000, and he led the Angels to the 2002 World Series title.

I as a fan who has no knowledge or other information, has my own ideas and they involve some former Red Sox and major league players, besides the gem in the rough of the coaching ranks that only baseball insiders know.

I like former Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra now an ESPN analyst. He is a young, bright and calm baseball mind. He is beloved in Boston as a player where he played from 1994 through the middle of the 2004 season when he was traded ironically before the Red Sox won their first World Series that season in 86 years. I think he would have a great demeanor for Boston Baseball where they need a great manager who can put up with egos, talent and the pressure of the Boston baseball market where they talk Red Sox baseball all year.

I thought of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling also an ESPN Analyst, but he is quite outspoken and likes to talk on talk radio. He might be a wilder choice than Bobby Valentine was, but he does know baseball and pitching well and is also a hero from his bloody sock performance in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS when he was hurt and won a big game against the Yankees in the legendary ALCS where the Red Sox came from 3-0 down to win. But being a former player alone doesn’t lead to greatness as a coach or manager of course. There are lots of great players who have failed and are not great coaches or managers

Other former players I thought of are Ryne Sandberg who has managed in the Cubs minor league system, Tony Gwynn who has over 3000 hits and is an excellent baseball strategist and coach. Also former Red Sox and Yankees third baseman Wade Boggs who also has over 3000 hits. These are just a few ideas among many others. I like Nomar Garciaparra the best as a choice for Red Sox manager, but you can argue he doesn’t have coaching experience. But a good baseball mind is what is needed and the demeanor to fit with the players and city. I think Nomar has this, but so do many others and a decision probably wont be made until after the playoffs. But we’ll see what happens and it is interesting discussion especially because its Boston Red Sox Baseball.  Best wishes and talk soon. Bratman

Tags: , , ,

Baseball races are heating up with three weeks to go. Here’s what’s happening.

12 Sep

Well things are heating up in baseball as  5 teams are fighting for two wildcard spots within 5 games of each other in the American League. In the National League there are ALSO  5 teams within 5 games of the second wildcard spot.

This is what MLB Commisioner Bud Selig had in mind when he added the second wild card spot this year for more competitive balance and excitement in baseball.

And all the divisional races in the American League are within 3 games of each other.

The A’s and the Yankees have the top two AL wildcard spots while the Rays are 2 back, the Angels 2.5 and the Tigers 5 games back of the last wildcard spot as the Yankees who are also tied with the Orioles for the AL East lead though the Orioles currently hold a tiebreaker for the division.

In the NL wildcard it’s even more crazy. The Braves have a six game lead for the first wildcard spot. Then it gets interesting as the Cardinals who are last years World Series Champs lead the Dodgers by one game, the Pirates by 2.5 games. And then the late charging Phillies and Brewers are 4 games back and the Diamondbacks are 5  games out. The Phillies, Brewers and Diamondbacks all played in a deciding 5th game of the divisional round last year and here they are again after a disappointing first five months of the season fighting back into the race. It’s crazy and kind of exciting for baseball.

Besides the tight AL East race between the Orioles and Yankees, the White Sox lead the Tigers by 2 games in the AL Central.  And the Rangers try to hold off the A’s in the AL West and the Rangers have the best record in the AL by 5 games over the AL East leader.

In the National League which has home field advantage in the World Series for winning the All Star Game, the NL East  Nationals have the best record by 2.5 games over the NL Central leading Reds and then the Giants lead the NL West.

So in conclusion the wildcard and divisional races add a lot of excitement to the playoff races which would be over in a lot of cases without the wildcard chase.

And following the regular season which ends Wednesday October 3, there will be a one game playoff between the wildcard teams before the rest of the playoffs begin. It will just be more fun to see which teams get in and which one’s are left out. So enjoy the rest of the regular season and playoffs, and good luck if your teams are involved in the playoff chase or whoever you are rooting for down the stretch. Best wishes. Talk soon. Bratman

Tags: , ,

Brewers sweep NL Central Division leading Reds with 3-2 comeback win

9 Aug

The Milwaukee Brewers are an ordinary 51-59. The Cincinatti Reds were 66-44 coming into the game today and hoping not to be swept by a Milwaukee Brewers team that has been up and down all season. In Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon, the Reds led 2-0 before the Brewers Carlos Gomes hit a sixth inning homer to make it 2-1 Reds. In the bottom of the eighth the Brewers right fielder had an infield hit with two outs off Red reliever Jonathon Broxton a new Reds pickup from the KC Royals. He stole second and made it to third on a throwing error by the Reds catcher Dioneer Navarro.

Then Carlos Gomez came up again and got a base hit and stole second. That was followed by 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun getting out of an 0-18 slump with a double to drive in Gomez and a 3-2 Brewers lead.

New Brewers closer Jim Henderson came in for the save and the no quit Brewers had an impressive sweep over the NL Central Division leading Cincinatti Reds now 66-45. It doesn’t mean much in the standing as the Brewers are 14’5 games behind the Reds. But they showed no quitting in beating a good Reds team. Also they found a new closer the last couple nights in Jim Henderson. And rookie Jean Segura made his debut at shortstop in the Reds series and got his first base hit in the major leagues  on Wednesday.  Segura was one of the minor leagures that came over in the Zach Greinke trade with the Angels. Just imagine someday if he gets a lot of hits I can recall Segura getting his first major league hit. Pretty special along with the Brewers win. 

I enjoy watching the Brewers play win or lose. They are my hometown team and they play in a small market in baseball without a salary cap. That is why I have liked them unconditionally for years. When they win it is always a special treat whether I’m at the game or watching at home. Thanks for reading always and best wishes. Bratman

Tags: , ,

I went to a college minor league game on Tuesday night north of Milwaukee

8 Aug

Tuesday night I went to a collegiate minor league game north of Milwaukee to support a long time friend who has helped me with my love of sports and works in sports marketing. In the last few years he has been part of a group that has started a summer collegiate team called the Lakeshore Chinooks that is playing in its first year. The team is partially owned by Milwaukee Brewers legend and Hall of Famer Robin Yount and longtime Brewers broadcaster Bob Uecker.

A few years ago I went to a planning  session with my friend at Concordia College in Mequon, Wisconsin where the team is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. The team plays at Kapco Park and is very much a minor league atmosphere similar to the Beloit Snappers a professional minor league team where I have attended minor league games in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Minor League or Summer Collegiate baseball doesn’t have the same talent as the major leagues. But the love of the game is on the field and in the stands and they have promotional contests between innings that the fans can participate in. And its a lot cheaper to go to the games.

The Chinooks were a .500 team coming into the game Tuesday night and only have 5 games left. They lost this game 7-4. It was a 2-1 game going to the bottom of the seventh and they had the tying run on but couldn’t push it across. A five run inning by their opponent the Madison Mallards made it a 7-1 lead before the Chinooks made it a 7-4 final with three runs too late in the bottom of the ninth.

The Chinnoks are out of the playoff race but it was fun to watch. The players with college eligibility are unpaid unlike the professional minor leagues. They come from all over the country and different schools to play in a summer league like this. One of the Chinooks players is also the nephew of Robin Yount as well.

It was a fun and interesting evening to watch some different baseball. On the way home I listened to the major league Milwaukee Brewers defeat the NL Central leading Cincinatti Reds 3-1 for the second night in a row across town at Miller Park in Milwaukee. So it was a really good night for baseball and enjoyable as well to see something new. Best wishes always and talk soon. Bratman

 

Tags: , , ,

Newer Entries →