Below are the 11 most recent journal entries recorded in angelsfiggins' LiveJournal:

Monday, January 29th, 2007
6:46 pm	Let A Million Bifurcated Names Bloom Arte Moreno's much-ridiculed Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim nomenclature, combining the geographic location of the team with its larger media market, continues to spark new followers. In addition to a proposed Silicon Valley Athletics of Fremont, and the Angels' own AA affiliate allegedly naming itself the Arkansas Travelers of North Little Rock, we now find that the Los Angeles Airport Commission has decided to rename two of its airports to LA/Ontario and LA/Palmdale, hoping to offload some of LAX's traffic onto these eastern and northern facilities. This will be interesting. What's next? (Comment on this)
Tuesday, December 26th, 2006
5:36 pm	Major League Baseball – 2006 Attendance Trends II Major League Baseball established a single season attendance record for the third consecutive season, more than 76 million attended MLB games for the first time in Major League Baseball history. The first part of SBN’s look at attendance trends (focusing on the 2006 season, while at the same time looking back at the last five seasons for each respective franchise), looked at the New York Mets, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Reds, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, Florida Marlins and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. This is the second of a three part Insider series. Saturday was a great day to be a Detroit Tigers fans. Long suffering Tigers fans experienced the joy of having their team win their American League Divisional Series against the New York Yankees. For the Tigers, winning on the field in 2006 resulted in a great deal of success at the box office. The Tigers sold 2,595,937 tickets at Comerica Park, an average of 32,048 fans per game or 79.9 percent of capacity this year. The Tigers won 95 games, claiming the AL Wild Card playoff spot. The Tigers winning season was the teams’ first in 13 seasons. Since the 1992 season, the Tigers finished third three times, fourth five times, fifth five times and sixth once. Winning and losing has had a tremendous impact on the Tigers box office – a great example of how important winning is to selling tickets. The Tigers moved from Tiger Stadium to Comerica Park at the start of the 2000 season. The Tigers sold 2,533,753 tickets, an average of 31, 280 fans per game in Comerica’s first season. The Tigers won 79 games that year, won 66 games in 2001. The Tigers experienced a significant drop in attendance in 2001, selling 1,921,305 tickets, an average of 24,016 fans per game or 60.0 percent capacity. The one year drop in attendance – 612, 448. A year later the Pirates won only 55 games in 2002 selling 1,503,623 tickets an average of 18,795 fans per game 47.0 percent capacity. The Tigers on-field performance hit rock bottom in 2003. The once proud franchise won a major league low 43 games, selling 1,368,245 tickets, an average of fans per game of 17,103 or 42.6 percent capacity. In the four years that Comerica Park was open, attendance had fallen by 1,165,508, an astronomical drop by anyone’s standards. The Tigers won 72 games in 2004 an improvement of 29 wins over 2003. Winning 29 paid off at the box office – selling 1,917,004 tickets, averaging 23,962 fans per game or filling 59.7 percent of Comerica’s seats. The Tigers won 71 games last year and had a better year at the box office (compared to 2004) selling 2,024,505 tickets, averaging 25,306 fans per game or 63.1 percent capacity. Bottom line, in Motown the Tigers winning means more tickets will be sold. Billy Ball has driven the Oakland A’s to winning records, and home field advantage as long as the A’s stay alive in their drive to win the 2006 World Series. The A’s have had a winning record since the 1999 season, winning the 2002, 2003 and 2006 American League West titles. Over the last eight seasons the A’s have averaged 93 wins per season. The A’s sold 1,976,625 tickets in 2006, an average of 24,402 fans per game. Over the last eight seasons, the A’s have averaged 1,996,330 fans per season. The A’s announced prior to the start of the 2006 season they would cover McAfee Coliseum’s upper deck for the teams’ entire home schedule, decreasing the stadiums capacity by more than 10,000 seats, to 34,077 seats. The seats have remained covered with huge tarps with the team's logos. For the A’s the rationale was simple, the law of supply and demand. Decrease the capacity, regardless of who the A’s where playing and drive demand. The A’s where steadfast throughout the regular season and have kept the policy in place for the ALDS games against the Minnesota Twins. The A’s could have sold those tickets for Friday’s ALDS clinching game against the Twins but choose to follow their policy, turning away 10,000 potential ticket buyers. A’s managing partner managing partner Lewis Wolff has announced the policy will remain in affect for the American League Championship series. If the A’s win the American League pennant MLB is expected to insist the A’s open the upper deck. World Series revenue is shared and helps determine players’ playoff and World Series shares. Giving away the revenues from 10,000 seats isn’t a good business decision. The A’s 2006 opening day payroll -- $62,243,079 (21st overall). The A’s 2005 payroll -- $ 55,425,762 (25th overall). The A’s 2004 payroll -- $ 59,425,667. The A’s 2003 payroll -- $ 50,260,834 . The A’s 2002 payroll -- $ 40,004,167. The A’s 2001 payroll -- $ 33,810,750. Billy Beane has spent a shade over $301 million on the A’s payroll over the last six seasons, an average annual payroll of $50.2 million. The A’s have averaged 96 wins each of the last six seasons. Compare what Billy Beane has accomplished to what Brian Cashman’s Yankees have done on an off the field. Cashman has spent $975 million over the last six seasons on the Yankees payroll, an average annual payroll of $162 million (and that does not include the tens of millions of dollars in luxury tax the Yankees have paid above and beyond the teams’ payroll). The Yankees have averaged 98 wins each of the last six seasons. The A’s Bay City brothers, the San Francisco Giants have consistently better attendance numbers since they moved into Pac Bell Park at the start of the 2000 season. The Giants ballpark has undergone one other name change, SBC Park before it was rechristened AT&T Park before the start of the 2006 season. In 2006 the Giants sold 3,130,304 tickets, averaging 38,645 fans per game or 93.0 percent capacity. The Giants won the National League pennant in 2002, losing the World Series to the Los Angeles Angels. In the six years the Giants have played at their new ballpark, the team has averaged 3.2 million fans per game, selling close to 95 of their available ticket inventory. Winning and Barry Bonds have been the driving forces. It remains to be seen if the Giants will sign Bonds for what is expected to be his final MLB season. The Giants paid Bonds $18 million for the 2006 season. Bonds is 21 home runs away from setting a new career homerun record, Barry Bonds is worth at least $10 million to the Giants in ticket sales for the 2007 season. The St. Louis Cardinals moved into Busch Stadium III this year, selling 3,407,104 tickets, averaging 42,588 fans per game or 99 percent capacity (does not include standing room). The Cardinals actually sold more tickets last year 3,491,837, averaging 43,647, but less of their ticket inventory 86.7 percent at Busch Stadium II. The key to the Cardinals – the teams’ average ticket price went up 12.1 percent to $29.78, giving it the third highest average price in the majors, behind the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals increase in their ticket prices was far smaller than the 50 percent average increase seen in the last ten teams to move into new homes since 2000. The Cardinals, another great example of the law of supply and demand. Create the demand by decreasing the capacity. In the Cardinals case Busch Stadium III’s capacity is 43,975 seats/46,861 with standing room. The Cardinals sold of their available seats for the 2006 season. Busch Stadium II’s seating capacity was 49,676. The Cardinals new ballpark has 5,701 fewer seats, but with higher ticket prices the Cardinals are generating more revenue from ticket sales. Major League Baseball’s two New York franchises sold 7.6 million tickets, the two Los Angeles teams’ 7.1 million tickets. The Chicago Cubs sold 3,123,215 tickets, averaging 39,040 at Wrigley Field or 94.9 percent capacity. The Chicago White Sox sold 2,957,414 tickets, averaging 36,511 fans per game or 89.9 percent capacity. Windy City baseball fans sold 6.08 million tickets in 2006, not quite as impressive as the numbers from Los Angeles and New York but the highest Chicago totals in years. In 2005 the Cubs and White Sox sold 5.4 million tickets, 5.1 million tickets in 2004, 4.89 million in 2003, 4.36 million in 2002 and 4.55 million in 2001. The Cubs made the playoffs in 2003 (the year of the Bartman ball) and the White Sox won the World Series in 2005. It will be interesting to follow the Cubs and White Sox attendance numbers in 2007. Wrigley Field, which cost $250,000 to build in 1914, has a capacity of 41,118. That number allows the Cubs to keep their average ticket price second only to the Boston Red Sox in terms of average ticket price. Again, a classic example of the law of supply and demand. U.S. Cellular Field a.k.a. "The Cell" (formerly Comiskey Park II), has a capacity of 40,615. The White Sox moved into their current ballpark before the 1991 season. It was the last stadium to be built before the Baltimore Orioles opened Camden Yards a year later, featuring the ‘back to the future’ retro look. Before the start of the 2004 season, the White Sox removed eight rows and 6,600 seats from the top of ballpark's upper deck. In the coming days SBN will conclude its look at how each MLB team faired at the box office in 2006 and trends for each teams attendance in the last five years. For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 2nd, 2006
1:12 pm	How different are Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds? The Major League Baseball playoffs begin today. The Houston Astros eliminated from playoff contention Sunday, could have caused MLB officials a great deal of trouble if the Astros had won the National League’s Central Division. Sunday, The Los Angeles Times reported – Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and former American League most valuable player Miguel Tejada of the Baltimore Orioles were among the six current and former major leaguers named by former Arizona pitcher Jason Grimsley for having used performance-enhancing drugs. The other former and current major leaguers allegedly named by Grimsley where Brian Roberts, Jay Gibbons and retired outfielder and first baseman David Segui. Segui previously told ESPN he was one of the players Grimsley named. He is the only retired player of the six players Grimsley named. There are some very interesting connections between the allegations being directed at Clemens and those that have been directed at Barry Bonds. Grimsley told the Justice Department he had used steroids, amphetamines and other drugs throughout his career, which included playing for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels, before his career ended in Arizona. Grimsley named names to IRS Special Agent Jeff Novitzky. Novitzky was the lead federal investigator in the BALCO investigation in the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs by Barry Bonds, Marion Jones and other athletes linked to former BALCO founder Victor Conte. It isn’t a coincidence that Jeff Novitzky is directly connected to both cases. Novitzky is an interesting character. His ‘real’ motivations raise a number of very red flags concerning his objectivity. Jonathan Littman, a San Francisco based writer wrote “Gunning for the Big Guy”, which appeared in Playboy in April 2004, well before “Game of Shadows” was published. “Gunning for the Big Guy” was the first expose on the alleged use of performance-enhancing drugs by Barry Bonds and other elite athletes. According to Littman, Novitzky, a former college basketball player (6’7”, attended San Jose State on an athletic scholarship) that blew out his knee while playing college basketball, had what appears to be an intense dislike of Barry Bonds. A pretty strong argument can be made that Novitzky’s failure as an athlete, served as the catalyst for his preoccupation with Barry Bonds. Novitzky who has built his reputation digging through the garbage of those he was investigating, (one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure must be part of Novitzky’s belief system), saw Victor Conte’s garbage as his ticket to bringing down Barry Bonds. Novitzky has never spoken with Littman or any member of the media about the BALCO/Bonds investigation or his role with the Grimsley investigation. However, at least three members of Novitzky’s BALCO investigation team did speak with Littman including Iran White (real name Ronnie Gerald Allen). White was the member of the investigation team that went undercover to assist Novitzky in his investigation of Bonds. According to Littman, for reasons that aren’t clear, Novitzky “seemed to have an unusual interest in the ballplayer.” Novitzky seemed bothered by Bonds’ size and likely his success as an athlete. Working on his own initially, Novitzky discovered enough evidence against BALCO that agents from California's Bureau of Narcotics Enforcement became interested enough to assist Novitzky in his efforts. Federal agents deal with many cases, but it seems ironic Jeff Novitzky is the one common link between the Bonds and Clemens cases. Clemens is arguably the greatest pitcher in baseball history. A seven-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens pitched Friday night for the Astros losing 4-1 to the Atlanta Braves. In a career that has spanned 23 seasons, Clemens has won a remarkable 348 games pitching for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and the Astros. The key to Clemens longevity has been directly linked to the commitment he made years ago to his workout and conditioning program. Between pitching starts Clemens lives in the weight room consumed by a four-day ritual that he's convinced has kept his elite-caliber fastball in the mid to upper 90s, and has actually prolonged his career. In a profile of Clemens while he was still a member of the Yankees, ESPN’s Bob Klapisch reported that, Clemens was "a freak of nature". The comment was offered by Pettitte it wasn’t meant as a joke or even a figure of speech. That's because, Clemens doesn't just work out; he's obsessed with exercise, and proudly says, "my only day off is the day I pitch." But unlike most major-league pitchers, who run (a little) or lift weights (even less), Clemens has devised a system that keeps him both strong and quick, combining power-lifting for the lower body, light-dumbbell work for his rotator cuff and agility drills that would probably make more sense for an NFL linebacker. Clemens admitted to Klapisch his philosophy may be unorthodox, but he believes in the development for side-to-side strength, as well as balancing skills that a pitcher requires to keep his fastball intact. Andy Pettitte became one of Clemens disciples when they where teammates with the Yankees. Former Yankees trainer Brian McNamee is named in the Grimsley indictment. McNamee is a personal strength coach for Clemens and Pettitte. "Roger's the one who taught me that the better shape you're in, the better you'll throw the ball," Pettitte told ESPN’s Klapisch. "If I've had four good workouts between my starts, I take that confidence to the mound with me. How can it not help me to think that way?" How committed is Clemens to his fitness program -- the bones of the workout consist of two days of lower-body lifting, one day for the upper body work and four cardio sessions. All four workouts are framed by abdominal drills, he says, the equivalent of 750 sit-ups. Both Clemens and Pettitte did their best to deal with the media onslaught that followed Sunday’s Los Angeles Times report. “I just think it’s incredibly dangerous to sit out there and just throw names out there,” Clemens told The New York Times, before the Astros lost to the Braves, 3-1, in Atlanta to end their season Sunday. “I haven’t seen it, nor do I need to see it.” “I’ve been tested plenty of times,” Clemens said. “My physicals I’ve taken, they have taken my blood work, and I have passed every test. Again, I just find it amazing that you can throw anybody out there.” “I haven’t done anything,” Pettitte said. “I guess reports are saying I’ve used performance-enhancing drugs. I’ve never used any drugs to enhance my performance in baseball before. I don’t know what else to say except to say it’s embarrassing my name to be out there.” What exactly has Roger Clemens done? What can be proved? Is Roger Clemens being tried, convicted and sentenced in the court of public opinion? What exactly is different from the allegations directed at Barry Bonds and the charges leveled at Roger Clemens? One can make a strong argument Clemens hasn’t been linked to the BALCO scandal (yet) and Bonds is at the center of that controversy? The media has treated Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens very differently and that has nothing to do with Bonds being an African American and Clemens being white. The media may not like Barry Bonds but it has nothing whatsoever to do with the color of his skin. The media’s intense dislike of Bonds has everything to do with Bonds’ personality, and the media’s distain for Barry Bonds the person. Interestingly while Clemens ‘talks’ to the media, his reputation isn’t anything like Bonds. Barry Bonds persona is arrogance, Clemens a good old Texan. Both have sons, Clemens son plays professional baseball. Both Bonds and Clemens share one other important issue when it comes to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, both have been tested numerous times and both have never tested positive for anything! The media explosion in the aftermath of the release of “Game of Shadows” was unprecedented. Few if any sports media types ever suggested Bonds was innocent, even though he had been found guilty of nothing. The media has been steadfast in their defense of San Francisco Chronicle reporters Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams who wrote “Game of Shadows”. Fainaru-Wada and Williams are going to jail for 18 months for failing to reveal who leaked sealed Grand Jury testimony to the two reporters. Fainaru-Wada and Williams directly profited from the sealed grand jury information they obtained. They aren’t being sent to jail for reporting the information but for failing to reveal their source(s). Bad enough they profited for the information, worse by revealing sealed grand jury testimony how much confidence will anyone have in future grand jury’s? When Barry Bonds and others testified before the Grand Jury they did so in the belief whatever they said would be held in confidence. Fainaru-Wada and Williams didn’t break that trust, whoever revealed the sealed information is guilty of breaking the public trust. The media have consistently targeted their anger not at the justice system but at Barry Bonds. On July 23 The New York Times published a poll indicating a sample of 50 members of the Baseball Writers Association of America told The Times there is little if any chance Mark McGwire the first of the ‘infamous four’ eligible for election in January will receive approval of 75% of the ballots. To be eligible to vote for enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame, journalists must be members in good standing of the Baseball Hall of Fame for at least ten years. In a poll of 50 writers who are eligible to vote for the Hall as 10-year members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, only eight said they would vote for McGwire, a former first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Oakland Athletics. Twenty-six said they would not vote for McGwire and the other 16 were undecided. The Times acknowledged 50 represents but a fraction of the total eligible voters (a record 520 ballots were filled out this year when Bruce Sutter was elected). The infamous four: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa. Palmeiro tested positive on August 1, 2005 – ending his career. The gang of four has all hit more than 500 home runs in their careers and Bonds next year will establish a new career home run mark. How can any member of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, vote for Roger Clemens but not support Barry Bonds Hall of Fame election? Hypocrisy aside it would be fundamentally wrong and morally reprehensible if both players weren’t treated the same way. And what happens is the allegations against Clemens are proven but there isn’t any conclusive evidence against Bonds. Is Roger Clemens in and Barry Bonds out of the Hall of Fame? The use of performance-enhancing drugs by professional athletes and in particular the North American athlete isn’t going away. If anything reports Monday from a drug symposium being held in Lausanne, Switzerland illustrate how big a challenge the sports industry has in the coming years. "The situation in the nutritional supplement market has worsened and the risk of inadvertent doping is increasing," said Hans Geyer, a researcher at the Cologne Doping Control Laboratory in Germany. "It's absolutely catastrophic, even criminal in some cases,'' Geyer said at a three-day anti-doping symposium, organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations. “In the BALCO affair people have admitted they have been systematically cheating the system. In Athens, people escaped and went to hospital to prevent any action against them. Others are using instruments to manipulate the system and produce false urine,” IAAF (track and field) vice president Arne Ljungqvist said. “All this shows a need for a change and also certainly an acceptance, I would guess, by the legal community in certain situations.” There might be solutions but none of those answers do not include treating two men accused of the same action differently. It’s time to move forward, look for solutions and learn from history. History is supposed to teach us not to make the same mistakes again, not to treat Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds differently because we might like Roger Clemens more then we like Barry Bonds. For Sports Business News this is Howard Bloom. Sources cited in this Insider Report: The New York Times, ESPN and the Associated Press (Comment on this)
Friday, September 29th, 2006
7:43 am	babes that love predictions The end of August I made my predictions for how I saw the Central Division playing out the rest of the way. So far eh not bad. Here they are for your viewing pleasure. Minnesota Twins - Home Series - Kansas City Royals (3-0) -- WENT (1-2) Away Series - New York Yankees (1-2) -- WENT (1-2) Away Series - Tampa Bay D'Rays (2-1) -- WENT (2-1) Home Series - Detroit Tigers (3-1) -- WENT (3-1) Home Series - Oakland A's (3-0) -- WENT (2-1) Away Series - Cleveland Indians (2-2) Away Series - Boston Red Sox (1-2) Away Series - Baltimore O's (2-1) Home Series - Kansas City Royals (4-0) Home Series - Chicago White Sox (2-1) # Home Games: 17 # Away Games: 16 Record the rest of the way: 23-10 Final Record: 99-63 Chicago White Sox - Home Series - Tampa Bay D'Rays (3-0) -- WENT (2-1) Away Series - Kansas City Royals (2-1) -- WENT (1-2) Away Series - Boston Red Sox (1-2) -- WENT (1-2) Home Series - Cleveland Indians (3-1) -- WENT (2-2) Away Series - Los Angeles Angels (1-2) -- WENT (2-1) Away Series - Oakland A's (1-2) Home Series - Detroit Tigers (2-1) Home Series - Seattle Mariners (3-1) Away Series - Cleveland Indians (2-1) Away Series - Minnesota Twins (1-2) # Home Games: 14 # Away Games: 18 Record the rest of the way: 19-13 Final Record: 95-67 Detroit Tigers - Away Series - New York Yankees (0-3) WENT (1-2) Home Series - Los Angeles Angels (2-1) WENT (1-2) Home Series - Seattle Mariners (2-1) WENT (1-2) Away Series - Minnesota Twins (1-3) WENT (1-3) Home Series - Texas Rangers (2-1) WENT (1-1) Makeup Game Later Home Series - Baltimore O's (2-1) Away Series - Chicago White Sox (1-2) Away Series - Baltimore O's (0-1) Away Series - Kansas City Royals (2-1) Home Series - Toronto Blue Jays (2-1) Home Series - Kansas City Royals (2-0) # Home Games: 17 # Away Games: 14 Record the rest of the way: 16-15 Final Record: 98-64 Final Results: Minnesota Twins 99-63____.611 Detroit Tigers 98-64____.605 1 Chicago White Sox 95-67____.586 4 Central Division Winner: Minnesota Twins AL Wild Card Winner: Detroit Tigers That's how I see the schedule's playing out. The White Sox have a clear disadvantage with so many road games against teams that play them tough. The Tigers have the roughest Schedule due to the teams they have to play. It's no secret that the Tigers have not fared well against the upper echelon opponents this year. Either that trend is going to have to quickly change even as these teams make thier own push in their respective divisions or the Tigers will endure the suffering of this fact. Games Against Teams with Winning Records: Detroit Tigers: 19 Minnesota Twins: 16 Chicago White Sox: 15 In conclusion, the AL Central Race is wide open and the team that steps up with Hot Hitting, Solid Pitching and Overall Heart and Determination will play their way to the title. NOW IT'S YOUR TURN!! In the comments enter your predictions from here on out. Let's see who can make the best prediction. P.S. Those who predict the Tigers and Sox getting in over the Twins will feel the brunt of a return comment coming their way - be forewarned!!! (Comment on this)
Tuesday, August 29th, 2006
6:36 pm	Hidden Base Trick Inflames A's-Angels Rivalry Thursday night Frank Thomas socked a walk-off home run to lead the Oakland Athletics to a 7-5 victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This type of drama has been typical in recent years for these American League West adversaries. However, the Big Hurt’s blast was not the only development to infuriate the Angels on Thursday. The Halos were livid when Oakland pulled the hidden base trick during Orlando Cabrera’s at-bats. The Angels shortstop singled in the 5th and 7th innings to extend his streak of reaching base to 63 consecutive games. The streak is the longest in major league baseball since 1960, passing a 58-game stretch by Barry Bonds in 2003. Statistics on such streaks are incomplete before 1960, but the Elias Sports Bureau has Boston’s Ted Williams with the major league record at 84 straight games in 1949. Some may wonder how a record can be affirmed when statistics from that era are acknowledged to be incomplete. An Elias representative admitted, “Look, we’re praying that we don’t find some nobody who had more than 84. If we throw the name ‘Ted Williams’ out there, no one really questions it.” Since Cabrera doubled off Detroit’s Jeremy Bonderman on April 25, no opponent has managed to keep him off the bases for an entire game. However, the A’s devised a strategy to do just that. They put their plan into practice Thursday night whenever first base was unoccupied during a Cabrera at-bat. Oakland removed first base from the ground and hid it from Cabrera’s view, reasoning that he can’t reach base if he can’t find it. The strategy seemed to work. Cabrera’s two hits came when first base was occupied, so the A’s could not remove it without the runner noticing. He was retired on the other three occasions. In the first inning, Angels manager Mike Scioscia screamed to the umpires that A’s first baseman Dan Johnson had stashed first base under his uniform. When questioned by the crew, the ridiculously bulging Johnson responded, “Noooo... I’m not hiding first base. I’m just… on steroids! Better test me after the game!” The A’s gamesmanship was particularly brazen during Cabrera’s third inning at-bat. Oakland legend Rickey Henderson slid head-first into first base before pulling it out of the ground. Henderson held the base aloft while proclaiming, “I am the greatest base-stealer of all time!” Henderson then dashed off the field while announcing, “Rickey’s gonna take this bag to Cooperstown!” Amazingly, none of the umpires saw any of this. The Angels had suspected that their division rivals might use devious tactics to halt Cabrera’s streak. The Halos kept a watchful eye on Oakland catcher Jason Kendall, who had charged the mound against Los Angeles pitcher John Lackey in an earlier matchup this season. A crafty old catcher himself, Scioscia warned Cabrera that Kendall might try to tie his shoes together while he stood in the batter’s box. With the Angels distracted by Kendall, the A’s apparently felt that they could easily pull off the shenanigans at first base. Tonight the angry Angels will be particularly aware of the activities at first base. First base coach Alfredo Griffin will be on high alert, so the hidden base trick may not be available to the A’s. All-Star Oakland pitcher Barry Zito will have his hands full as he tries to stop Orlando Cabrera’s streak. Unlike the show on Fox, this version of “The O.C.” is not ready for a summer hiatus. (Comment on this)
Friday, August 18th, 2006
11:40 am	D-Rays @ Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim near Disney Land The Rays open the second half of the season 39-50, 15 games behind the AL East leading Boston Red Devils and 1 game behind the Horioles.The Angels ended the first half, having won 8 of their last 9 games to pull within 2.5 games of Oakland and Texas in the AL West. We think that the cousin of Angels prospect Howie Kendrick is behind the Angels' Blog, Chronicles of the Lads. For a team that is one of the hottest in baseball, their only post in the last few days is an epic rant about demoting Adam Kennedy in favor of Kendrick. Never mind that most playoff contenders look for veteran players in exchange for minor league prospects this time of year. Of course! Why wouldn't a team want to demote a proven veteran and give a prospect his first big league experience in the heat of a pennant race?The writers over at Halos Heaven have predicted tonight's score to be 6-1 with the Angels out-hitting the Rays 14-5. hmmmm? Not sure if they have ever predicted an Angels' loss.The Angels pitchers have allowed 3 or fewer runs in 20 of last 33 games and lead the AL in ERA (4.05).L.A. leads the AL in errors and is second in wild pitches, leading to the most unearned runs allowed in the Majors.The Angels took 2 of 3 from Tampa June 5-7.In his last start John Lackey gave up a leadoff double and then retired the next 27 batters he faced.This series marks Joe Maddon's first return to Anaheim since leaving the franchise after 12 seasons as a coach for the Angels. Probable Pitchers Friday, 10:05 et Devil Rays Jae Seo, RHP (2-6, 5.22) Los Angeles John Lackey, LHP (7-5, 2.88) Saturday, 10:05 et Devil Rays Scott Kazmir, LHP (10-6, 3.27) Los Angeles Ervin Santana, RHP (10-3, 3.96) Sunday, 3:35 et Devil Rays James Shields, RHP (4-2, 4.89) Los Angeles Bartolo Colon, RHP (1-4, 4.57) (Comment on this)
Friday, August 11th, 2006
10:59 am	Looks Like Theo Is Alive After All.... I thought John Henry and Larry might have put the boy genius on punishment after not getting done at the trade deadline. But it looks as if he might have found an able replacement to Varitek..... BALTIMORE (AP) Javy Lopez was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to Boston on Friday, a deal that gives the former All-Star another chance to play and provides the Red Sox a replacement for injured catcher Jason Varitek. The Orioles sent Lopez and cash to the Red Sox for a player to be named. Varitek had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Thursday and was expected to immediately begin rehabilitation. The Red Sox have not indicated when their captain might return. The Red Sox lead the wild-care race and are competing with New York for the AL East title. Baltimore is out of contention, and didn't have much need for Lopez because Ramon Hernandez is their starting catcher and Jay Gibbons serves as the designated hitter. ``Javy is ecstatic about the opportunity to be a catcher again. That's been the most frustrating thing for him about being in Baltimore,'' said Lopez's agent, Chuck Berry. Lopez hoped to be dealt before the non-waiver trade deadline Monday. He then passed through waivers before being traded to Boston. ``This is perfect for him: He gets to play with a team battling for first place and at Fenway Park, which has all that history,'' Berry said. ``It should be a great ballpark for him to hit in, too.'' At 35, Lopez is in the final season of a $22.5 million, three-year contract he signed as a free agent with the Orioles in December 2003. He got that deal after hitting .328 with 43 home runs and 109 RBIs for Atlanta, his third All-Star season for the Braves. Lopez is hitting .265 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 279 at-bats. He has caught in only 21 of the Orioles' 109 games as a backup to Ramon Hernandez. ``I've got no position on this team. I don't see why they really need me,'' Lopez said this week. ``I'm not meant to play once a week. ... I cannot be happy in this situation. They probably have their plan, and I don't think they're going to keep me like this until the end of the season. They're probably going to do something sooner or later.'' It happened Friday. ``We've been looking all year long for a place where Javy could catch,'' Berry said. ``To its credit, Baltimore worked with us on that.'' The Orioles signed free agent catcher Chris Widger to replace Lopez on the roster. Widger began the season with the Chicago White Sox and batted .184 with one home run and seven RBIs in 27 games before being released Tuesday. He has played parts of 10 seasons in the majors, batting .239 with 55 homers and 220 RBIs in 604 games. On the surface, this looks like a great move for the infidels. You get a former all-star to hold the fort while your current all-star backstop recovers from knee surgery. But there's a reason why Javy doesn't catch anymore. As a catcher, he's better served as a DH. Tek is having a down year offensively and he's always been overrated defensively (how do you win a Gold Glove when you can't catch a Knuckleballer?) But he's always been great at handling a pitching staff. He knows the hitters in the AL as well as anyone. In spite of this, the Sox staff has still struggled. Lopez has only caught sparingly in this league. In the NL, Cox overlooked his deficiencies as a backstop because of his bat. You could overlook his game-calling and defense because he was hitting 30 jacks and driving in 90 plus every year. I doubt he'll put up enough runs to compensate for his problems behind the plate. One of the pleasant surprises with the Yankees over the last couple of years is Posada's coming of age as a complete catcher. I still cringe when he tries to block the plate. But he's calling games much better and he's throwing out runners at an increased rate. Combine that with his bat which is still potent and you have one of the three or four best catchers in the game. Jorge's play is a big part why the Yankees have remained in the race. But forget Javy. If Theo's behind this move...then colored me concerned....From ESPN's Buster Olney today... With Andruw Jones only days away from gaining trade veto power, the All-Star center fielder was claimed on waivers by an unnamed team, leaving the Braves until 1 p.m. ET Saturday to decide whether to take their last opportunity to deal Jones unfettered. That Jones was placed on waivers is unremarkable; he was one of hundreds of players, including many stars, who were placed on waivers earlier this week. What makes Jones' situation interesting is that on Aug. 15, he will gain 10-and-5 rights -- 10 years in the big leagues, five with the same team -- to block any proposed trade. Multiple teams placed claims on Jones, according to major-league sources. But on Thursday afternoon, one team was awarded a claim on Jones. Now the Braves have two choices -- either work out a trade with the team who placed the claim by Saturday or pull Jones back from waivers. If they pull him back, they cannot trade him again for the rest of this season. Jones' value in the trade market is relatively high right now, because he is a highly productive player locked up for only one more year -- at $13.5 million -- at a time when players like Alfonso Soriano and Carlos Lee might command $70 million packages on the free-agent market. The Boston Red Sox tried to deal for Jones leading up to the trade deadline, with some intent to try to flip him to the Houston Astros for Roy Oswalt. Some scouts also think that the Los Angeles Angels, who've been looking for a bat, might have high interest in Jones. Atlanta GM John Schuerholz, reached on his cell phone, said Friday afternoon that he would not comment on the team's internal business. I've expressed my love for all things Andruw in the past. So much so that I proposed that the Yankees go after him in the off-season and say buh-bye to Sheffield. But acquiring Bobby Abreu has pretty much eliminated that possibility and there's a chance we would retain Sheff and platoon him and Giambi at first base and DH. But if the Halos or the Sox are in cahoots on this, it's not a good thing for the Empire. Even without Colon, Anaheim has a deep pitching staff and their offense while hardly scary is one slugger away from being a force in the playoff race. With Garret Anderson's decline, the Halos have desperately needed a slugger to protect Vlad Guerrero in the lineup. Jones gives them that plus a gold glove caliber centerfielder, making a good defensive team even better. It's pretty obvious that we don't match up well with Anaheim. Jones makes a potential matchup even more difficult. The idea of Epstein flipping Jones into Oswalt is not something that makes me sleep well either. Oswalt would give the Sox potent 1-2-3 along with Schilling and Beckett. Navigating through the AL East is a tad more difficult than the peutrid NL Central...but that's a trio you wouldn't want to face in a short series. All this means is that the Yankees have to handle their business and continue to win series. They're something like 10-1-1 in their last 12 series. A nice winning streak would be nice. But if the Yankees continue to win series, they win the AL East. Simple as that. Well, hardly simple...but nothing in baseball ever is... (Comment on this)
Thursday, August 3rd, 2006
6:00 pm	The Hangover: In The AL East New York 4, D-Rays 2. Judas Damon betrayed Jesus and then hit 2 home runs. The Rays apparently cashed in all of their hit chips on Saturday as they could only manage 2 runs and 6 hits, one day after scoring a team record-tying 19 runs on 17 hits. Tampa is now 4-12 since the All-Star break. In the 4 wins, the Rays have scored 52 runs. In the 12 losses, the Rays have scored 31 runs. ouch. Of a more urgent matter is the pending roster changes. Ty Wiggington and Scott Kazmir were both placed on the Disabled List. As speculated, J. P. Howell will be called up to replace Kazmir and is slated to start Tuesday night's game against the Tigers at the Pit. This will be Howell's first appearance for the Devil Rays since being acquired for Joey Gathright earlier this season. The 2004 1st round draft pick made 15 starts for the Royals last season going 3-5 with a 6.19 ERA. In 7 starts at Durham, Howell is 3-2 with a 2.11 ERA. There has been no official word on the replacement for Ty Wiggington, although it is expected to be B. J. Upton. Los Angeles Angels 10, Boston 4. The Red Sox loss, coupled with the win by the Evil Empire and Boston's lead is down to a half game. Big Papi failed to hit a 7-run home run in the 9th inning, although we fully expected him to. Oakland 6, Toronto 5. The Blue Jays blew a late game rally as B. J. Ryan (no relation to B. J. Upton) surrenderd a 3-run home run to Milton Bradley in the 9th inning. Not only did they blow the game, but the Jays blew an opportunity to gain a game on the first place Red Sox and remain 6 games back. Baltimore 8, Chicago 7. We're certain that Peter Angelos was not happy with this win. Baltimores victory moved the Yankees into first place in the wild card chase and the Twinkies moved to within 1.5 games. This could explain why Angelos has turned down the Angels offer for Miguel Tejada that included Ervin Santana and shortstop prospect Eric Aybar. Then again, Angelos has never been able to figure out that pitching wins championships. Which just means that the Devil Rays no longer have the mot incompetent owner in the division. (Comment on this)
Monday, July 31st, 2006
9:58 pm	Daily News Digest: Sports News Daily News Alert a {text-decoration:underline;} Yahoo! Alerts Yahoo! News - My Alerts - Edit Alert Tuesday, June 27, 2006 06:00 AM PDT Today's Sports News: 2nd round to conclude at World Cup today Wimbledon to try again after washout Storms force PGA event to finish Tuesday Indians start series with win over Cards Oregon State wins College World Series NFL Net gets dish on carriage Knicks owner give Thomas ultimatum Napoli helps Angels top Rockies 5-4 World Cup: Italy struggling as it advances Bruins obtain Mara from Coyotes AP Blog: College series to crown champion Venus looking good as Wimbledon begins Sorenstam, Wie top match play qualifiers 2nd round to conclude at World Cup today Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:56 am PDT AP - Second-round play concludes today at the World Cup with Brazil facing Ghana and Spain taking on France. The winners will join Germany, Argentina, England, Portugal, Italy and Ukraine in the quarterfinals on Friday and Saturday. </b>Full Story</b> Top Wimbledon to try again after washout Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:46 am PDT AP - Roger Federer, Kim Clijsters and Martina Hingis will try to complete their opening matches at Wimbledon today after yesterday's rain suspended some in-progress matches and postponed some others entirely. </b>Full Story</b> Top Storms force PGA event to finish Tuesday Tue, 27 Jun 2006 04:40 am PDT AP - It's taking longer than expected for Ben Curtis to follow his 2003 British Open title with another pro victory — 1,073 days, to be exact, including an extra two to finish the waterlogged Booz Allen Classic. </b>Full Story</b> Top Indians start series with win over Cards Tue, 27 Jun 2006 03:29 am PDT AP - Cliff Lee kept his interleague record perfect and the Cleveland Indians snapped a long streak of losing series openers. </b>Full Story</b> Top Oregon State wins College World Series Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:25 pm PDT AP - Oregon State was an underdog the moment it took the field at the College World Series. The Beavers didn't come from the right part of the country. They didn't have enough pitching. They couldn't keep fighting off elimination. </b>Full Story</b> Top NFL Net gets dish on carriage Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:32 pm PDT Reuters - The NFL Network has expanded its distribution in time for preseason football, reaching a deal with EchoStar Communications Corp. to expand carriage on the Dish Network to basic service. </b>Full Story</b> Top Knicks owner give Thomas ultimatum Mon, 26 Jun 2006 10:05 pm PDT AP - Isiah Thomas has one year to turn around the Knicks — something Larry Brown couldn't do. And if Thomas doesn't, he'll be gone, too. </b>Full Story</b> Top Napoli helps Angels top Rockies 5-4 Mon, 26 Jun 2006 11:05 pm PDT AP - John Lackey got enough run support to win a game, for a change — although he had to wait for it. Mike Napoli's two-run double highlighted a five-run rally in the eighth inning, and the Los Angeles Angels pulled out an improbable 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies on Monday night in the opener of the first interleague series between the teams since 2001. </b>Full Story</b> Top World Cup: Italy struggling as it advances Tue, 27 Jun 2006 02:30 am PDT AP - Italy is still in this World Cup. Whether the Azzurri are playing "bello" — or beautiful — soccer is open for debate. </b>Full Story</b> Top Bruins obtain Mara from Coyotes Mon, 26 Jun 2006 05:54 pm PDT AP - The Boston Bruins acquired Paul Mara from the Phoenix Coyotes for Nick Boynton on Monday in a trade of defensemen. </b>Full Story</b> Top AP Blog: College series to crown champion Mon, 26 Jun 2006 05:21 pm PDT AP - Now that the College World Series is underway in Omaha, Neb., AP writers will be filing periodic, behind-the-scenes reports during college baseball's main event: </b>Full Story</b> Top Venus looking good as Wimbledon begins Mon, 26 Jun 2006 01:12 am PDT AP - On the eve of tennis' grandest event, Venus Williams walked the halls wearing a chic white sweat suit, braids reaching nearly to her waist and gold earrings the size of tennis balls. </b>Full Story</b> Top Sorenstam, Wie top match play qualifiers Mon, 26 Jun 2006 06:49 pm PDT AP - Annika Sorenstam and Michelle Wie topped the automatic qualifiers Monday for the HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship. </b>Full Story</b> Top You received this email because you subscribed to Yahoo! Alerts. Use this link to unsubscribe from this alert. To change your communications preferences for other Yahoo! business lines, please visit your Marketing Preferences. To learn more about Yahoo!'s use of personal information, including the use of web beacons in HTML-based email, please read our Privacy Policy. Yahoo! is located at 701 First Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94089. (Comment on this)
Saturday, July 29th, 2006
4:51 pm	No lead is saved ... in MLB for first time in 28 years NEW YORK -- There was no saving baseball during a wild Saturday full of blowouts and walk-off wins. Pitchers around the league, like San Diego's Chan Ho Park, struggled Saturday. It marked the first time in nearly three decades a full day of major league games were played without a save recorded. There were six blown saves in the 15-game schedule, including two each in Pittsburgh's 7-6 victory over Washington, and Cincinnati's 3-2 win against Colorado. The Nationals and Reds both won with ninth-inning rallies. The last time baseball went a complete day without a save was Sept. 15, 1978, when all 26 teams were in action during a 14-game schedule -- including a doubleheader, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Baseball expanded to 28 teams in 1993 when Florida and Colorado were added. Arizona and Tampa Bay began play five years later to fill out the 30-team field. St. Louis and Toronto also posted one-run wins Saturday. The Cardinals prevailed 2-1 at home over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Scott Rolen's RBI single in the 10th, and the Blue Jays edged visiting Seattle 7-6 in 14 innings on a run-scoring single by Bengie Molina. There were 10 teams that won by at least six runs. Arizona and Atlanta jumped to big early leads in the late games, leaving the Tampa Bay at Los Angeles Angels matchup as the last contest with a realistic chance to include a save. Vladimir Guerrero put an end to that suspense with a grand slam during a five-run seventh inning that turned a 4-2 Angels lead into a 9-2 victory. Arizona cruised to an 8-1 win over Milwaukee shortly before the Braves ended the night with an 11-3 victory at San Diego. Atlanta was only the third road team to win Saturday. There were eight saves recorded Friday, the first full day of games following the All-Star break. http://sports.espn.go.com/ (Comment on this)
Thursday, July 27th, 2006
10:47 am	InsideTheDugout's Top 75 Prospects (51-75) 51-Jason Kubel, OF, L/R, 5’11/190, DOB: 5/25/82-Minnesota Twins Kubel was ending an amazing breakout season in 2004 when he had a horrific outfield collision in the Arizona Fall League ending his 2004 and 2005 season. What a shame that injury was, as Kubel could have given the Twins a solid bat this year. Kubel showed an excellent command of the strike zone with a quick, line drive swing. Kubel produced solid power in the minors and should be expected to hit around 25 HRs annually. Kubel was not much of a speedster so the injury won’t affect the strengths of his game. Kubel has been compared to Brian Giles before his injury, but a better comparison may now be Edgar Martinez. We are unsure of what to expect from Kubel next year, but if he gets playing time in the majors I’m guessing he’ll hit somewhere around .290/.350/.470 with 20 HRs. ETA: 2006 Written By: Alex Wang 52-Andrew McCutchen, OF, R/R, 5’11”/175 DOB: 10/10/86-Pittsburgh Pirates The Pirates 2005 first round pick, McCutchen was praised for his athleticism and power-speed combination. McCutchen also showed an impressive approach at the plate in his major league debut. With top of the line speed, covering tons of ground in center field with an average arm. He shows good power, but how much he will hit for is still a question with his smaller frame. He will likely be a 20-20 player at the major league level, with 30-30 potential. Similar to Mets uber-prospect Lastings Milledge,McCutchen shows a great approach at the plate,but is still somewhat raw in other aspects of his game.He will debut next year at Low A Hickory. ETA:2009 Written By: Alex Wang 53- Jered Weaver-SP, R/R, 6'7/205, DOB:10/4/82-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Being a Scott Boras client, we all knew he would hold out for more cash, but once signed Weaver pitched well at two stops and showed he was worth the money. Going 4-1 with Rancho Cucamonga posting a 49/7 strikeout-to-walk ratio, he then put up solid numbers with AA Arkansas being a pivotal cog in the team's reaching the Texas League Championship. While Weaver doesn’t have number one starter pontential could be a solid 2-3 starter down the road, and be a similar innings eater to his brother Jeff. He will likely start the year at Triple-A Salt Lake with a very slim chance of winning a rotation spot in the spring, as I think he needs some time in the minors to build up some innings and show more consistency.ETA: Midseason 2006 Written By: Jan Ramirez 54-Brian Anderson, OF, R/R ,6’2”/205, DOB: 3/11/82-Chicago White Sox Brian Anderson is most notably remembered this year for hitting 2 home runs off Felix Hernandez in the major leagues.That highlight capped off a solid 2005 season for Anderson, a 1st round pick out of Arizona in 2003, who more then held his own at AAA this year. Anderson needs to refine his approach a bit As while he drew his fair share of walks he struck out 115 times in 448 at bats. If Anderson does not change this, major league pitchers will prove to be to much for him. Anderson shows good pop and uses the whole field. He may have to switch to an outfield corner, but Anderson should have enough power to handle that. If he can make a few refinements with his approach, he should enjoy a long, productive career. He will start 2006 as the White Sox primary centerfielder. ETA:2006 Written By: Alex Wang 55-Dustin McGowan,SP, R/R, 6’3/220 , DOB:3/24/82-Toronto Blue Jays 2005 was a bit of a growth year for McGowan, as he had been shut down for the previous 18 months after succumbing to Tommy John surgery to fix a tear in his elbow. He struggled early for the first couple of years in his professional career, but broke out in AA before the injury. Despite just returning from the injury in June, he found himself in Toronto by August, a real quick recovery. His fastball is almost back to the mid 90’s, although it is a little straight and flat. He has good off-speed stuff though, with an above-average slider, and a sharp curveball. His numbers for the year wont jump out at you, but he has long been touted as the future #2 behind Roy Halladay. His off-season and spring training will determine whether he cracks the ’06 Toronto rotation, but a short stint in AAA may be the best thing for him. If McGowan has control issues, he could find himself struggling to find a regular spot. But he could also be a potential ace down the road, it all depends on his continuing recovery. However, keep this in mind, Greg Zaun once said after catching McGowan, “If he can locate his fastball, he’s the next Curt Schilling”. ETA: 1st starter called up if there is injury in 2006 Written By: Cory Sharpe 56- Scott Baker, SP, R/R ,6’4/220, DOB: 9/19/81-Minnesota Twins Baker had a superb 2005 as he pitched well in Triple-A and in the Major Leagues. Baker shuffled between Triple-A and Minnesota and pitched consistently well at both. Baker has plus command of four pitches. He is very polished and has good mechanics. Scouts have compared him to Jeff Suppan, but Baker has better stuff than the current Cardinal’s pitcher. Baker lacks a true strikeout pitch, and that limits his ceiling to a #3 starter. However, Baker has an excellent chance of reaching that ceiling, and he should be able to eat up innings. He does need to work on keeping his pitches lower, as Baker had trouble with the longball at both levels. Baker has a shot to be the #4 starter for the Twins next year. ETA:2006 Written By: Alex Wang 57-Adam Jones, SS/CF, R/R , 6'2/180, DOB:8/1/85-Seattle Mariners With his final first-round draft pick before being replaced, Scouting Director Frank Mattox selected Jones, a toolsy two-way player who most teams viewed as a pitcher. After a thoroughly mediocre 2004 season, most scouts were counting the days before the Ms decided to put Jones’ 95mph fastball to the test. However, 2005 was a different story. Jones made his critics look silly this year, raking in High-A and earning a promotion to AA San Antonio, where he more than held his own. Jones is a classic tools prospect made good. Combine his 5-tool athleticism, his success in Double-A as a 19-year-old, and his projectible 6’3” frame, and you’ve got one hell of a prospect. Jones will be converted to a CF in this season, where scouts think he’s got the ability to be a special defender. Depending on how the Mariners are looking in 2006, Jones may end up as trade bait, as they already have a 23-year-old manning CF in the majors. ETA: September 2006 Written By: Jon Helfgott 58- John Danks, SP, L/L , 6’2/190, DOB: 4/15/1985-Texas Rangers Danks had an excellent first half as he dominated High A. Once promoted to AA, the hit started falling, hard. Danks got rocked in AA as he gave up 117 hits in 98.1 IP. However, Texas fans should remain hopeful of Danks. He was only 20 when he was pitching in AA, and he possesses some of the best stuff of any lefties in the minors. Danks throws hard as he projects to throw in the low to mid 90s in the majors. Danks complements that with a nasty curve but could use some work on his change up. Once Danks masters a change up, he should be able to dominate AA and possibly the majors ETA:2007 Written By: Alex Wang 59- Mark Rogers, SP, R/R. 6’2/205, DOB: 1/30/86- Milwaukee Brewers Probably has the most upside of all the Brewers arms, Maine product and Brewers 2004 1st round draft pick Mark Rogers features a high 90’s fastball that tops out at 97 MPH with good movement, above average split finger and developing curveball and changeup. He pitched in a tandem rotation all last season to protect his still developing arm; so his stats look unimpressive to the untrained eye (2-9 with a 5.11 ERA). If you look closer however you’ll see an impressive 109 K’s in only 98 2/3 innings and .238 batting average against. Rogers will start next season at High A Brevard County, where he should get the opportunity to work without the tandem system and develop better feel for pitching. ETA:2009 Written By: Jan Ramirez 60-Scott Elbert, SP, L/L, 6’2/190, DOB: 8/13/85-Los Angeles Dodgers Elbert ,drafted in the first round by the Dodgers last year, had an excellent first full season in the Sally League. Using a low 90s fastball and power curve, Elbert showed excellent H/9 IP and K/9 IP rates, improving his changeup, while getting better as the season went on. Elbert did struggle with his command at times , but scouts believe a mechanical flaw caused this and could be easily corrected. If Elbert can improve his command, he has ace potential. Look for Elbert to face a big test next year moving up to face High A hitters. ETA:2009 Written By: Alex Wang 61- Troy Patton, SP, L/L, 6'1" 185, DOB: 09/03/85 –Houston Astros This young lefty is one of those pitchers who can be put side by side with just about any pitching prospect and he’ll even up. He has a low 90’s fastball and a plus- plus curveball that controlled batters to the tune of .211. With Patton’s ice cold composure out on the mound, Id go out on a limb and compare him to Zach Duke. He’s not quite as polished as Duke, but he’s not that far off either. Patton has the tools necessary to be a #2 SP on most rosters, but I’d say he’s going to end up right around the middle of the rotation for the Astros. After a 5-2, 1.94 start to his first full season and after having struck out 94 batters in 79 innings, the Astros shut Patton down with some minor shoulder issues.He should start 2006 at High A Salem in the Carolina League. ETA: 2009 Written By: William Calvin 62-Jeff Mathis,C, R/R , 6'0/180, DOB:3/31/83-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Mathis should begin the '06 season with the parent club with Bengie Molina leaving via free agency, and will compete with Jose Molina to be the primary catcher. Highly touted since breaking out in 2003 in the California League, Mathis struggled as he moved up to higher levels, hitting only .223 for Double A Arkansas in 2004. He rebounded to hit .276 with 21 homeruns in Triple A Salt Lake this past season. Mathis has terrific power for the position and began refining his doubles/gap power into homerun power the last couple of years , showing ability to make good hard contact, he sometimes struggles with strikezone judgement , which leads to long offensive slumps. Defensively he is adequate catch and throw guy with a strong arm, solid footwork , and will learn a lot for Manager Mike Scoscia when it comes the little nuances of the position. Mathis could be a dark horse candidate for AL Rookie of the Year, and should post solid numbers hitting in the bottom third of the Angels lineup in 2006. ETA: 2006 Written By: Jan Ramirez 63- Erick Aybar,SS, S/R , 5'10/170, DOB:11/14/84-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Coming into 2005, Erick Aybar looked to be the Angels shortstop of the future and on the fast track to the majors, but with the emergence of Brandon Wood, Aybar could be looking at a position switch (CF?) or completely out of the organization through a trade. Aybar still projects as an above-average major leaguer at the middle of the diamond with the speed and bat control to be an asset in the leadoff or two spot in the order. He will start 2006 season at Triple-A Salt Lake and if he isn’t traded, look for him to spend the whole year at Triple-A with a possible September call-up, to serve as a pinch runner/defensive replacement down the stretch. ETA: September 2006 Written By: Jan Ramirez 64- Adam Loewen, SP, L/L , 6’5/215, DOB: 4/9/84-Baltimore Orioles Adam Loewen was the fourth overall pick in 2002 draft and has the highest upside among Orioles’ pitchers. He finds himself in the bottom half of the top 10, however, because of his frustrating inconsistency. When he’s on, Loewen can pound the strike zone with two plus pitches. His fastball can reach the mid 90s and he also owns a power curve. He does need some improvement on his changeup. Loewen’s stuff did translate to an excellent strikeout rate. Loewen’s biggest problem is his control. He walks too many batters and is very inconsistent. If Loewen ever gets the hang of things, he could become a top of the rotation starter. His future may rest in the bullpen if his control continues to waver. Next year will be a big year for Loewen in deciding his future. ETA:2007 Written By: Alex Wang 65-Thomas Diamond, SP, R/R, 6’3/230, DOB: 4/6/1983-Texas Rangers Advanced college pitchers are expected to dominate A level baseball, and that is exactly what Diamond did. He started 8-0 and looked like he had a shot at the minor league player of the year award. Once promoted to AA, like Danks, Diamond started struggling, especially with his command. Diamond is a fastball/change up pitcher and used that combo to dominate High A. At AA, Diamond’s lack of a breaking ball really hurt him. If Diamond can develop an average breaking pitch, expect him to become a solid #2 or #3 starter who chews up innings, as he lacks the upside of Volquez and Danks. ETA:2007 Written By: Alex Wang 66-Elvis Andrus ,SS, R/R , 6’0/185 , DOB:8/26/88-Atlanta Braves Potential is the key word for this 17-year-old Venezuelan, who signed with the Braves as a 16-year-old in January 2005. He held his own against older players, batting .293 with an impressive .380 on base percentage combined in two rookie league stops. His steady defense and strong arm add to the all-around package. Only his speed projects to be average or below for his position, yet he swiped 8 bags in 52 games. He is projected to start 2006 in the low class A South Atlantic League, and while he is probably about 5 years away from The Show, his future is bright. ETA:2011 Written By:Terry Borning 67-Marcus Sanders ,SS, R/R, 6’0/160 , DOB:8/25/85-San Francisco Giants The fastest player in the Giants organization, Sanders broke out in 2005, stealing 57 stolen bases getting caught only 9 times , and hitting .300 with a .407 OBP for Low A Augusta in the Sally League. A true game changer with his speed, Sanders excudes confidence with his ability on the on the basepaths , carrying himself with the same swagger and demeanor as some of the great base stealers of the 80’s like Rickey Henderson and Tim Rainers. Defensively, there are some questions at where he will play. As his arm isn’t what you crave at shortstop. Making it very likely that he will move to 2nd or centerfield in the near future. Sanders will more then likely start 2006 at High A San Jose. ETA: 2008 Written By: Jan Ramirez 68- Cole Hamels ,SP, L/L, 6’3/170 , DOB:12/27/83-Philadelphia Phillies Could easily be in the top 25 portion of this list if he was just able to stay healthy, Cole Hamels has the talent and stuff that could make him a perennial all-star and Cy Young candidate. However with the golden arm comes a ten cent head , as Hamels has been involved in numerous off-the field alltercations athat has caused him to miss extended periods of time. Hamels has also had trouble staying on the field with nagging injuries hampering him during his short career.When he is on the field, Hamels shows a low 90’s fastball a good curve and a plus plus changeup that he spots well with pinpoint control. Hamels is nearly big league ready and if he is able to stay healthy, he can easily slide into the Phillies rotation and contribute. However health is always a concern with Hamels. ETA: 2nd Half of 2006, If he's healthy. Written By: Jan Ramirez 69- Javier Herrera, OF, R/R , 5’11/191, DOB: 4/9/85 –Oakland Athletics Herrera was signed by the Oakland Athletics as an amateur free agent in 2001, and has been tearing up the minors ever since, having a breakout season in 2004. Herrera was named the 2004 NWL Most Valuable Player, during a season in which he batted .331(4th best in the league) and finished 2nd in the NWL in hits and stolen bases. Herrera shows discipline at the plate, speed on the base paths, a solid glove in the outfield, and is described by scouts as a natural athlete. 2005 started on a sour note for Herrera when he was suspended for 15 games after testing positive for steroids. Herrera bounced back after serving his suspension by batting .275, stealing 26 bases, and driving in 62 runs in 94 games for the Kane County Cougars. If Herrera can continue his success through the 2006 season and prove to the Athletics’ front office that his numbers were due to his talent and not performance-enhancing drugs, Herrera could be an everyday starter in the Oakland outfield by 2008. Herrera is projected to start 2006 in Single-A Stockton. ETA: 2008 Update: Herrera has gone under the knife with Tommy John Surgery and will need all of 2006 to recover. Written By: Joe Shippee 70-Hayden Penn, SP, R/R, 6’3/195, DOB: 10/13/84-Baltimore Orioles Penn was rumored in many trades in the offseason and near the trading deadline but stayed put in both cases. Penn was promoted to the big leagues for the first time this year and was obviously rushed. However, he did pitch very well in AA. With a low 90s fastball, a curveball, and a changeup, Penn has the potential to throw three above average pitches. Scouts have also praised his feel for pitching. Penn showed a terrific strikeout and K/BB rate in the minors. Penn also showed excellent command in AA, but he struggled with it in the majors. Penn also struggled with the consistency of his secondary pitches, especially his curve, in the majors and will need to improve on that. Penn shows the potential to be a staff ace and should start the season in AAA. ETA: Should be the 1st starter up if one of the Orioles starting 5 go down. Written By: Alex Wang 71- Yusmiero Petit, SP, R/R, 6’0/180, DOB:11/22/84-Florida Marlins Acquired in the Carlos Delgado deal with the Mets, Petit doesn’t posesse the power repetoire that you would expect from a top flight pitching prospect. He instead gets hitter’s out with pinpoint control and simple but deceptive delivery. Features a 4-pitches that he spots well, Petit dominates with a low 90’s fastball , an above average slider and changeup. There is still a lot of questions if his stuff will translate to higher levels , as he was knocked around quite a bit in his cup of coffee in Triple A. However his past success is hard to ignore , making me believe if he stays healthy he could be a sucessful 3 starter for the Fish in the near future. ETA: Midseason 2006 Written By: Jan Ramirez 72-Dustin Pedroia, 2B/SS, R/R, 5-8/180, DOB: 8/17/83-Boston Red Sox Pedroia was drafted in the second round of the 2004. Having a very good career at Arizona State, playing shortstop, but has since been moved over to second base, where he has been penciled in as the starter for years to come. He has no outstanding tools, but all are very good. He has good bat speed, decent power for a middle infielder and plays an excellent 2nd base and shortstop. This season was a up and down season for him, as he played well at Double A but battled injuries at the Triple A level. Has a very good eye and won awards for quality plate appearances in the Boston farm system. He has had more walks than strikeouts in every level of the minor leagues. Very scrappy player, he’s bee compared David Eckstein for the way Dustin plays the game. He looks to start 2006 back in Triple A Pawtucket with the Red Sox acquisitions of Mak Loretta and Alex Gonzalez, but will probably be a September callup . ETA: September 2006 Written By: David Paresky 73- Brad Snyder, OF, L/L , 6’3/200, DOB: 5/25/82 –Cleveland Indians Snyder was drafted in the first round the same year as Michael Aubrey and has simply just hit at each level he’s visited. Snyder almost had his career ended in a car crash in college, but he has recovered nicely from that accident. Snyder shows a compact stroke with power to all fields. Snyder shows the willingness to take a walk Snyder has been compared to Paul O’Neill because he owns a solid set of tools along with his bat. Snyder is a good runner and can play solid center field, but he is probably better fit to play a corner outfield position. Despite the fact that Snyder has put up solid numbers at different level, he has still been old in each league he has played in. Next year will be a big year for Snyder to see what kind of major league player he will be ETA:2007 Written By: Alex Wang 74-Chuck James, SP, L/L, 6'0/170, DOB: 11/9/81-Atlanta Braves James continues to get great results without dazzling stuff. He struck out 198 batters in 4 different stops last year, starting in high Class A ball and winding up with a successful 2 game cup of coffee with the big club in September. He missed bats with impressive frequency, posting a batting average against of well under .200. His control is his biggest plus, passing only 36 in 162 minor league innings. His fastball tops out at 91, he has an inconsistent slider, but possesses a plus changeup and an ability to keep batters off balance with good location and changing speeds. His flyball tendencies (when not striking out batters) is something to watch as he progresses to the majors. At this point, his profile resembles that of a young Tom Glavine. ETA: Could be a lefty in the Braves pen in 06'. Written By:Terry Borning 75- Justin Huber,1B, R/R , 6'2/200, DOB: 7/1/82-Kansas City Royals Originally signed by the New York Mets as a catcher ,after the Royals acquired Huber in the Kris Benson deal he moved to 1st base , as the Royals wanted to get his bat up as quickly as possible. An advanced hitter with good plate discipline and strike-zone judgement, but hasn’t shown the power stroke that you would expect from a corner infielder, though I feel he can put up 20+ homers as he develop him swing at the big league level. Alot like a right-handed Sean Casey, Huber will start 2006 at Triple A Omaha , where if he performs well be up in the big leagues for good by midseason, where by 2007 should help anchor the middle of the order in Kansas City along with stud prospects Billy Butler and Alex Gordon. ETA: 2006, when the Royals finally realize Doug Mientkiewicz can’t hit. Written By: Jan Ramirez (Comment on this)