0 comments by TOC Locker on 2/12/2015
Spring Training is right around the corner, and we’re obviously hyped for the start of the baseball season. So let’s get in the mood for baseball with this archival Spring Training footage from the 1950s, much of which is unknown. According to Grantland’s Jonah Keri, this footage came from someone’s private collection, and there isn’t […]
WASHINGTON, DC – OCTOBER 04: Jordan Zimmermann #27 of the Washington Nationals throws a pitch in the first inning against the San Francisco Giants during Game Two of the National League Division Series at Nationals Park on October 4, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia on 2/11/2015
Welcome to the era of the super rotation. This winter, we saw quite a few teams bolster their starting rotations by acquiring a second (or third) top of the line starter to pair with their incumbent aces. Teams want to make their starting five as bulletproof as possible going into the Postseason so they can […]
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 26: Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees looks on from the dugout in the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 26, 2013 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
0 comments by TOC Locker on 2/10/2015
I know I vowed to stop covering A-Rod at TOC until he actually did something actually on the field related to baseball, but I believe that his meeting with the Yankees today is a newsworthy. Rodriguez and the Yankees met today at Yankee Stadium, and New York released a statement on their website following that meeting. “Today we […]
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 22: Justin Turner #10 of the Los Angeles Dodgers is met at home by Scott Van Slyke #33 of the Los Angeles Dodgers after his two-run home run in the 7th inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field on May 22, 2014 in the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Ron Antonelli/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia
It was actually pretty difficult to rank the ten best benches in baseball. When you’re dealing with so many moving parts and uncertain job situations, there are plenty situations that are always changing and not settled. So yes, these are very objective and subject to change at a moment’s notice – but aren’t all rankings? […]
CHICAGO, IL – SEPTEMBER 10: Starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija #29 of the Oakland Athletics delivers the ball against the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field on September 10, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia
The offseason has just about concluded, and it’s time for one of our favorite end of the offseason activities: team grades. I didn’t use a bell curve on these, so if there are a few teams with the same grade, that’s why – the grade reflects what the team did, not what the team did […]
ATLANTA, GA – JULY 22: Christian Yelich #21, Giancarlo Stanton #27, and Marcell Ozuna #13 (obscured) of the Miami Marlins celebrate after the game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on July 22, 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia on 2/9/2015
What do you want in an outfield? Is one superstar good enough? How about three above average hitters that aren’t great in the field? Maybe you’re looking for the inverse – three above average fielders that aren’t so good at the plate. Thankfully, there are plenty of teams out there that have solid mixes of […]
BALTIMORE, MD – OCTOBER 10: James Shields #33 of the Kansas City Royals throws a pitch in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during Game One of the American League Championship Series at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on October 10, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia
All weekend, it’s been rumored that a James Shields signing would be imminent. Finally, in the wee hours of Monday morning, Shields made his decision, and the final top free agent of the winter signed. Shields agreed to join the San Diego Padres on a four-year deal worth an estimated $72 to $78 million. The […]
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MAY 18: Pitcher Cliff Lee #33 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the Cincinnati Reds in the top of the first inning on May 18, 2014 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia on 2/7/2015
The Philadelphia Phillies have traded Marlon Byrd and Jimmy Rollins this winter, have aggressively tried (and failed) to move both Ryan Howard and Jonathan Papelbon, and are listening on Cole Hamels. The forgotten man in their rebuild is Cliff Lee, who made just three starts after mid-May because of an elbow strain. But according to […]
NEW YORK, NY – NOVEMBER 22: Major League Baseball Executive Vice President Rob Manfred speaks at a news conference at MLB headquarters on November 22, 2011 in New York City. Commissioner Bud Selig announced a new five-year labor agreement between Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia on 2/6/2015
When it comes to the Hall of Fame, many writers refuse to vote for those players they feel took PEDs, even without having any evidence of their use. That doesn’t sit well with new MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred, who told several ESPN.com reporters that he wasn’t comfortable with writers surmising a player’s PED usage without […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
The San Francisco Giants revealed what I believe is their fifth different jersey for the 2015 season. And for the first time since the heyday of Barry Bonds, the team will be wearing black during games. A couple of seasons after bringing back the interlocking SF on their road jersey, the Giants are making it a staple […]
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 07: Anthony Rendon #6 of the Washington Nationals throws out Gregor Blanco #7 of the San Francisco Giants in the seventh inning during Game Four of the National League Division Series at AT&T Park on October 7, 2014 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia
Third base is kind of a weird position right now. There’s no real dominant force anymore. Sure, you have plenty of guys that are quite good, but that dominant Chipper Jones/David Wright type of guy really doesn’t exist right now. Well, maybe he doesn’t exist – there are plenty of young third basemen that look […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
We’re knee deep in theme jersey reveal season for minor league teams, and today, the Montgomery Biscuits revealed what they’d be wearing during Back to the Future Night this June. Kind of a bland jersey, but I love the direction they went with it. Recreating Michael J. Fox’s attire isn’t exactly what I would have […]
0 comments by TOC Locker
Just in case you had a feeling that the Saved by the Bell reunion craze that has caught fire this week will be fading any time soon, just be aware that the Brooklyn Cyclones (low-A affiliate of the Mets) will be running a Saved by the Bell Night on June 24th. Here are the ridiculous […]
0 comments by TOC Locker on 2/5/2015
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Phillies AAA affiliate in the International League, have received plenty of attention over the years for their giveaways and promotions during the season. This year, their three bobblehead giveaways are three of the most absurd giveaways I’ve seen. So, what the hell ARE these bobbleheads? I’ll let the IronPigs explain. The […]
DENVER, CO – JULY 6: Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki #2 of the Colorado Rockies throws to first base for the first out during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on July 6, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
0 comments by Joe Lucia
For years, the shortstop position was focused on defense. Then, the focus shifted to offense after the rise of Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Nomar Garciaparra (among others) in the late-90s. Now, defense appears to be back in vogue, but there are a few defenders in the league that aren’t just a glove – they […]
