0 comments by Dave Tobener on 12/15/2015
If you had to take a guess at which team would be the first in history to give out two $90 million-plus contracts to pitchers in one offseason, the Giants probably wouldn’t be your first choice. Or your second. Or, probably, your twentieth. And yet, here we are. The Giants gave Johnny Cueto a $130 […]
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 24: Jeff Samardzija #29 of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field on August 24, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jon Durr/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 12/11/2015
“Patience is a virtue” is an old saying that can get pretty annoying when it applies to your favorite baseball team during the winter meetings. While a bunch of other teams are making trades and adding big free agents, your team is sitting on the sidelines, hands folded in its lap, just waiting things out. […]
LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 18: Zack Greinke #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Dodger Stadium on September 18, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 12/2/2015
The National League’s biggest blood feud is moving to a new battleground this winter: the free agent market. The Giants and Dodgers, two old rivals who have combined to win eight of the last nine NL West championships, are fighting it out again. Though this time it isn’t the division that’s up for grabs, but […]
PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 19: Infielder Joe Panik #12 of the San Francisco Giants reacts during the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on July 19, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Giants defeated the Diamondbacks 2-1. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 11/25/2015
Brandon Belt has been a lightning rod for Giants fans ever since he first arrived in the big leagues a few years ago. After destroying every level of the minor leagues in one season, fans were expecting him to be the second coming of Will Clark from the start. But he struggled to adjust to […]
PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 07: Infielder Brandon Crawford #35 of the San Francisco Giants throws over the sliding A.J. Pollock #11 of the Arizona Diamondbacks to complete a double play during the first inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on September 7, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 11/18/2015
The San Francisco Giants went into the offseason with money to spend and holes to fill. It’s a combination with the potential to make it an exciting winter, and yesterday they spent some of that money. Only it wasn’t on an ace starting pitcher like Zack Greinke or an outfielder like Jason Heyward. Instead, the […]
CLEVELAND, OH – JULY 11: Starting pitcher Carlos Carrasco #59 of the Cleveland Indians pitches during the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Progressive Field on July 11, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 11/12/2015
Free agency, free agency, free agency. That’s all anyone is talking about these days, and for good reason. The winter meetings are right around the corner, which means a flurry of signings will start happening in the coming days. It’s enough to make a baseball fan stop staring out the window waiting for spring. But […]
TORONTO, CANADA – SEPTEMBER 5: David Price #14 of the Toronto Blue Jays reacts after getting the last out of the seventh inning during MLB game action against the Baltimore Orioles on September 5, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 11/6/2015
Baseball’s third season starts tomorrow, when free agency opens up and players are allowed to negotiate with whatever team they please. This year should be one of the most memorable in a long time, with a number of big-name, big-ticket players hitting the open market. There are some true difference-makers out there for the taking […]
KANSAS CITY, MO – OCTOBER 26: Noah Syndergaard #34 of the New York Mets pitches during the Mets workout the day before Game 1 of the 2015 World Series between the Kansas City Royals and Mets at Kauffman Stadium on October 26, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Maxx Wolfson/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/27/2015
The New York Mets took the National League by storm this year, riding their impressive rotation and an offense rebuilt at the trade deadline to a division title. And so far this October, they’ve dispatched the favored Dodgers and the sentimental favorite Cubs with varying degrees of ease. They are firing on all cylinders at […]
in game six of the 2015 MLB American League Championship Series at Kauffman Stadium on October 23, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri.
0 comments by Dave Tobener
The Mets and the Royals are set to face off in what should be a tight, hard-fought World Series. Both teams seem to be evenly matched, stronger in some areas and facing questions in others. But neither team has a distinct advantage over the other, which means another seven game series isn’t out of the […]
CHICAGO, IL – OCTOBER 12: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Chicago Cubs hits a solo home run in the second inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during game three of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field on October 12, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/20/2015
The Chicago Cubs are in trouble. Down 2-0 in the NLCS to a Mets team that suddenly looks unbeatable and having seen their two best starting pitchers battered, the Cubs are returning home to their friendly confines at just the right time. It’s a must-win game for them tonight, and playing in their own park […]
during game three of the National League Division Series at Wrigley Field on October 12, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois.
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/17/2015
The National League Championship Series starts tonight, pitting two equally excellent teams who haven’t won the big one in a long, long time against one another. The Mets and the Cubs both come into this series after emotional wins in the first round: the Cubs vanquished their longtime rival the Cardinals, while the upstart Mets […]
in game five of the American League Division Series at Rogers Centre on October 14, 2015 in Toronto, Canada.
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/15/2015
For all intents and purposes, the Texas Rangers had a successful season. They won their division after being left for dead in midsummer and without their staff ace. They turned around a franchise that had finished last in the division last year and was in last place again after this season’s first month. Their younger […]
ST LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 09: John Lackey #41 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after a double play in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs during game one of the National League Division Series at Busch Stadium on October 9, 2015 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/13/2015
The Cardinals and Dodgers, the two highest seeds in the National League, both find themselves staring elimination in the face after both suffered disheartening losses last night. The Cards did what they wanted to do against Jake Arrieta – make him look human – but still couldn’t hold down the powerful Cubs lineup. The Dodgers […]
at AT&T Park on September 29, 2015 in San Francisco, California.
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/9/2015
The upstart New York Mets (90-72) travel to the west coast to face the Los Angeles Dodgers (92-70) in an NLDS that promises a few truly great pitching matchups along the way. The Dodgers are the prohibitive favorite, but no one should count out a Mets team that defied expectations all year. It has all […]
during the American League Wild Card Game at Yankee Stadium on October 6, 2015 in New York City.
0 comments by Dave Tobener on 10/7/2015
The New York Yankees ended their two year playoff drought this year and secured a Wild Card spot on the back of an aging yet productive core. But it’s hard to say if their year was truly a success: the Yanks built up an impressive division lead in the season’s first four months before falling […]
