0 comments by TOC Locker on 5/12/2015
Adrian Beltre’s dislike of having his head touched has reached legendary, mythological heights. If he’s ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, it should be mentioned on his plaque. (Someone needs to rush the podium and go for a head-rub in Cooperstown too.) One reason that we haven’t forgotten about Beltre’s bizarre hang-up, that […]
:ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 27: Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers talks with the media at Globe Life Park on April 27, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. Hamilton was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
0 comments by TOC Locker
Josh Hamilton began a rehab assignment with the Texas Rangers’ Triple-A affiliate in Round Rock, Texas this week. In his debut with the Express on Sunday, the former AL MVP went 1-for-3 facing Barry Zito, pitching for Oakland’s Triple-A Nashville club. Hamilton followed that up with an 0-for-4 effort. (Kendall Graveman started that game for […]
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 5/7/2015
One at-bat after having a home run taken away by a leaping catch from Delmon Young, Alex Rodriguez hit a deep fly ball to the other side of the Yankee Stadium outfield. This one went over the fence in left-center field, far beyond the reach of any Orioles outfielders, giving A-Rod career home run No. […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
Delmon Young isn’t typically known for his defense, but Alex Rodriguez might argue otherwise. In the first inning of Thursday’s game between the Orioles and Yankees, A-Rod hit a fly ball deep to right field that was ready to be career home run No. 661, taking him past Willie Mays on baseball’s all-time list. However, […]
:WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 23: The St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after a 4-1 victory against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 23, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
The Cardinals weren’t supposed to be the best team in the National League this season. The Nationals were a widely popular pick to win the World Series, with the Dodgers looking like the club most likely to give them a run for the pennant. While most seemed to predict St. Louis would win its third […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 5/6/2015
Pedro Martinez’s memoir, titled Pedro, was already a must-read for baseball and Red Sox fans. But upon hearing the story he told about former teammate Manny Ramirez on Late Night with Seth Meyers Tuesday night, the urgency to read that book may have surged. Kind of like something else might surge after taking a certain […]
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 11: Allen Craig #5 of the Boston Red Sox is out ahead of a throw to Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees in the second inning at Yankee Stadium on April 11, 2015 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 5/5/2015
Going into the 2015 MLB season, the most difficult division to predict seemed to be the AL East. Virtually every division had two, perhaps three teams, that could finish on top. But the AL East was the one in which no club really looked like a favorite. Each of them had a significant flaw, largely […]
:HOUSTON, TX – APRIL 30: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros gets mobbed by his teammates after his tenth inning game-winning RBI single to defeat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 at Minute Maid Park on April 30, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 5/1/2015
One of the more exciting aspects of the 2015 MLB season was the number of teams that looked capable of becoming new contenders. The Cubs, Mets, White Sox, Marlins and Padres all appeared ready to make significant improvements, due to offseason acquisitions, young players developing into stars — or both, in some cases. Another club […]
OAKLAND, CA – OCTOBER 01: Josh Hamilton #32 of the Texas Rangers walks back to the dugout after getting out against the Oakland Athletics at O.co Coliseum on October 1, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 4/29/2015
What are the Texas Rangers thinking in making a trade for Josh Hamilton? The question was posed to me on a radio show this week, a day after the deal in which the Angels sent Hamilton back to Texas for a player to be named later or cash considerations. The terms of the deal sound far […]
SAN DIEGO, CA – APRIL 25: Brandon McCarthy #38 of the Los Angeles Dodgers pitches during the first inning of a baseball game at Petco Park April 25, 2015 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 4/28/2015
The snarky response to the news that Brandon McCarthy would miss the rest of the 2015 season was that the Dodgers’ mega-payroll of $270 million can’t buy a fully healthy pitching staff. McCarthy’s torn ulnar collateral ligament was announced by the Dodgers on Monday. The right-hander, 31, will undergo Tommy John surgery and the recovery […]
ANAHEIM, CA – APRIL 01: Josh Hamilton #32 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim looks on prior to the start of the game against the Seattle Mariners at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on April 1, 2014 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 4/24/2015
The drama between the Los Angeles Angels and Josh Hamilton is about to reach its end. As first reported by MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan, the Rangers are close to a deal that would bring back their former outfielder, who left for Anaheim via free agency after the 2012 season. Rangers are close to trading for Josh […]
CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 23: Yordano Ventura #30 of the Kansas City Royals pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning on April 23, 2015 at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry
Can we now safely say that throwing at batters and instigating fights with opponents appears to be a pattern with Yordano Ventura? For the third consecutive start, the Royals pitcher taunted an opposing batter which resulted in both dugouts emptying onto the field. On Thursday night against the White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, a […]
DENVER, CO – JULY 22: Manager Mike Redmond of the Miami Marlins looks on during a game against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on July 22, 2013 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 4/23/2015
Three weeks into the 2015 MLB season, a handful of managers may already be feeling the pressure of making sure their teams fulfill expectations. Is it a coincidence that Reds skipper Bryan Price vomited a bucketful of F-bombs at Cincinnati Enquirer beat reporter C. Trent Rosecrans after his team had lost seven of its past […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 4/22/2015
Last October, Royals fan Paul Rudd got understandably excited when his team defeated the Orioles in the ALCS to advance to the World Series. Caught up in the moment, as many of us would — especially when being invited on the field to join in the celebration — the actor invited everyone to keep the […]
TAMPA, FL – MARCH 12: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees takes bating practice before the start of a spring training game against the Atlanta Braves on March 12, 2015 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
0 comments by Ian Casselberry on 4/21/2015
Alex Rodriguez can just never get it right. He was supposed to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but is now a disgraced PED user and cheater whose achievements are all questionable, no matter how impressive they look on a list or spreadsheet. A-Rod could have been the face of baseball, a […]
