The rise and fall of Chase Utley

0 comments by Cordell Oberholtzer on 5/4/2015

In the 2009 World Series, the Phillies were seeking their second straight title and they faced the New York Yankees who won 103 games that season. The Phillies lost the series in six games and it was only thanks to Cliff Lee that it wasn’t a sweep. Well, Lee and the second baseman, Chase Utley, who […]

CHICAGO, IL – APRIL 22: Gordon Beckham (L) of the Chicago White Sox, Jose Abreu (C) and Geovany Soto (R) celebrate their win against the Cleveland Indians on April 22, 2015 at U. S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox defeated the Indians 6-0. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)

When should fans of struggling teams panic?

0 comments by Joe Lucia

We’re coming up on the 20% mark of the 2015 MLB season (already?), and while it’s still quite early, fans of some teams are losing hope. The Rangers are eight games under .500 and 9.5 games out of first place. The Brewers are 11 under, 11.5 back of the Cardinals, and just fired their manager. The […]

ARLINGTON, TX – MAY 2: Josh Reddick #22 of the Oakland Athletics points to the stands after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park on May 2, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Brandon Wade/Getty Images)

Best hitters and pitchers: Week 4

0 comments by Derek Harvey

Welcome to week four of our ongoing catalog of the best hitters and pitchers of the week. Last week, the home run continued to reign supreme as it propelled Mark Teixeira to the top offensive spot. On the pitching side, 16 strikeouts across 2 scoreless outings earned Chris Archer the nod. Today we’ll be highlighting two new […]

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 24: Manager Ron Roenicke #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers disputes a call with an umpire during the game against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field on September 24, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Brewers fire Ron Roenicke: Where do they go from here?

0 comments by Justin Schultz on 5/3/2015

Even though the team had just come off their first series victory of 2015, the Milwaukee Brewers announced manager Ron Roenicke has been relieved of his duties.

: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)

Astros are taking off, looking like an early contender

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 […]

BALTIMORE, MD – APRIL 26: Adam Jones #10 of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates with teammates after scoring in the third inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 26, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The best and worst MLB players of April 2015

0 comments by Joe Lucia

The first month of the 2015 MLB season is in the books, and it’s time to resurrect one of our favorite features – the best and worst players of the month! These choices are purely subjective, though statistics are obviously taken into account. Agree or disagree with any choices? Good, let us know what you […]

PHOENIX, AZ – APRIL 28: David Peralta #6 of the Arizona Diamondbacks celebrates with teammate Mark Trumbo #15 after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Chase Field on April 28, 2015 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

The longest home runs for the week ending April 30th

0 comments by Joe Lucia

There wasn’t much change on our season-long list this week, but there were still some majestic blasts over the past seven days. Let’s take a look. 1. Mark Trumbo vs Kyle Kendrick, 451 feet (April 28th) We have a lot of fun with Mark Trumbo here at TOC, but the man can hit the bejeezus […]

DENVER, CO – JUNE 19: Starting pitcher Justin Verlander #35 of the Detroit Tigers strikes out bunting three pitches foul against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on June 19, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. The Tigers defeated the Rockies 9-1. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

A totally unbiased and not at all one-sided conversation about the DH

0 comments by Derek Harvey on 4/30/2015

This week, the Cardinals announced they had lost rotation ace Adam Wainwright to a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered during a plate appearance. This launched what has become an annual conversation on whether or not to bring the designated hitter to the National League. Ten years ago, I would have counted myself among the opposition. Now however […]

ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 29: Alex Wood #40 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after allowing a base-clearing double during the fourth inning against the Washington Nationals at Turner Field on April 29, 2015 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)

What the hell happened to the Braves rotation?

0 comments by Joe Lucia

The Atlanta Braves have a well-earned reputation of an organization that consistently churns out solid starting rotations. The names Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz all immediately come to mind, but while those were the biggest names on those dominant 1990s staffs, don’t forget about guys like Steve Avery, Denny Neagle, and Kevin Millwood. The reputation is still […]

MLB releases archaic All-Star ballot

0 comments by Joseph Coblitz

Major League Baseball released their All-Star ballots yesterday afternoon, for the first season ever an all electronic endeavor, yet the same problems from the analog editions still exist. Back in 1970 when the right to vote for the All-Star game was given back to the fans from the managers, coaches and players who had previously […]

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)

Benefits of bringing Josh Hamilton back outweigh concerns for Rangers

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 […]

ST LOUIS, MO – OCTOBER 11: Adam Wainwright #50 of the St. Louis Cardinals sits in the dugout after being removed from the game in the fifth inning against the San Francisco Giants during Game One of the National League Championship Series at Busch Stadium on October 11, 2014 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

What losing Adam Wainwright means for the Cardinals

0 comments by Derek Harvey

Earlier in the season I wrote about injury concerns I had for Adam Wainwright but no one could have seen this coming. He left his last start early after seemingly hurting his ankle busting out of the batters box on a bunt play. Everyone’s worst fears were confirmed yesterday when it was officially announced Wainwright […]

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 31: Former San Francisco Giants outfielder Barry Bonds waves to the crowd during the San Francisco Giants World Series victory parade on October 31, 2014 in San Francisco, California. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals to win the 2014 World Series. (Photo by Jason O. Watson/Getty Images)

What’s next for Barry Bonds?

0 comments by Dave Tobener on 4/28/2015

Barry Bonds: ambassador of baseball. Far-fetched? A few years ago, sure; heck, even a few weeks ago. But with Bonds’ felony conviction for obstruction of justice overturned and his record clean, baseball seems more than willing to welcome its home run king back in the fold. Even commissioner Rob Manfred suggested he’d like to see […]

BALTIMORE, MD – APRIL 27: An announcement on the scoreboard notifies fans that the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox has been postponed at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. The move comes amid violent clashes between police and youths, according to news reports, the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray on April 19 after suffering a fatal spinal injury while in police custody. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Orioles move two series because of Baltimore riots

0 comments by Joseph Coblitz

The ongoing unrest in Baltimore has resulted in a pair of cancellations for the Orioles, and further tweaks to the team’s schedule this week will be necessary. Here’s an explanation from the club. Orioles announcement regarding schedule changes pic.twitter.com/nwCDyqjzWs — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) Orioles twitter. This is where the normalcy ends. Tomorrow’s 2:05 PM game […]

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)

Dodgers face tough decisions to bolster rotation after Brandon McCarthy injury

0 comments by Ian Casselberry

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 […]

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