A lot of old-school NFL people will brush off the non-padded offseason workouts as meaningless. They’re wrong.

The OTAs are the first time coaches get a look at their new toys. It’s also the first time we get a gander at initial depth charts, which can help us uncover the hidden gems that decide fantasy titles.

Recent sleepers, such as Arian Foster and Denarius Moore, first shined during these workouts. With that in mind, let’s take a look:

Brick in the Wall

New Cardinals coach Bruce Arians is a dream for fantasy owners. He gets his receivers open vertically, doesn’t throw to running backs and keeps the pedal to the metal at all times. Larry Fitzgerald is going to have a bounce-back campaign, but the No. 2 wideout in this scheme is also set up for success. Andre Roberts ended the 2012 season in that spot, but second-year man Michael Floyd opened up OTAs as the starter. A rare strength/speed talent, Floyd is an ideal sleeper.

On the Ball

Montee Ball’s NFL career is off to a fast start. Although coach John Fox has a reputation for holding rookies back, he’s been heaping praise on the former Wisconsin back. VP John Elway is comparing Ball to Terrell Davis and Fox is downplaying the disappointing 4.66 wheels he showed at the combine. Once the Broncos cut loose Willis McGahee or Knowshon Moreno, Ball’s stock is going to soar.

Hop to it

Sometimes, a rookie steps onto the field and is even better than the franchise expected. That appears to be the case with DeAndre Hopkins. Check out these quotes from coach Gary Kubiak: “He’s special. Ball skills are extremely special. Very long; long arms. Big hands. He’s going to help us early, and we know that, and that’s why we brought him here.” Hopkins is in line for instant impact.

MLB news

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly won’t say it, but his actions point toward a change at the closer spot. Kenley Jansen is the one that got a one-out save on Tuesday and he’s the one with the real lights-out stuff. Brandon League’s time is just about done.

MLB pickups

Andrew Bailey, RP, Red Sox: Bailey is ready to come off the DL as soon as Monday. The saves shouldn’t be far behind.
Heath Bell, RP, Diamondbacks: It probably won’t be pretty, but Bell is holding off David Hernandez for now.
Dayan Viciedo, 3B, White Sox: Now over his oblique strain, Viciedo is hitting .429 with four RBIs in his first five games back.

The post Living the Fantasy: Early NFL depth charts appeared first on Metro.us.

Some guys seek out the girlfriend experience. Others want the true general manager experience.

For those of us who dream of being Jerry Reese, rather than being with Sasha Grey, we have dynasty leagues. The players we draft can be with us forever, we can sell prospects at the deadline to go for a title and we can build a perennial contender. It’s the truest form of fantasy.

The NFL draft provides a unique opportunity for dynasty owners. There are certain players that might not make a huge impact right away, but project to be major assets down the line:

Manly Christine
Why did the Seahawks use a second-round pick on Texas A&M’s Christine Michael when they already have Marshawn Lynch and Robert Turbin? Three reasons. First, Lynch has a balky back and is a candidate to be a cap casualty as soon as 2015. Second, Lynch is facing DUI charges and a possible suspension. And third, they really like Michael as a potential feature back down the line. It makes him an ideal dynasty stash as the Seahawks project to be a dominant, run-heavy team for years to come.

Backfield in motion
Denard Robinson is 5-foot-10, 199 lbs., ran a 4.43 at the combine and has the jukes to make defenders look silly. That sounds a lot like Chris Johnson. Robinson was a running quarterback at Michigan, where he piled up an absurd 4,495 yards and 42 touchdowns. The Jags drafted him to play running back, where they have Maurice Jones-Drew in a contract year. Robinson has the makings of a steal.

Cut the Cord
Cordarrelle Patterson played one year of Division I football. In that year, he caught 46 passes for 778 yards and five touchdowns. The Vikings made him a first-round pick because of what he can be down the line, not what he is now. The most naturally gifted athlete in his class, Patterson will start off behind Jerome Simpson, catching mostly screens and running reverses. Within a couple years, he’ll be the Vikings’ No. 1 wideout.

NFL news
The biggest injury of the offseason is Robert Griffin III’s knee. Next up is Rob Gronkowski’s forearm. We’ll find out within the next couple weeks if he’ll need a fifth procedure on his infected left forearm. If he does, Gronk’s Week 1 status will be in doubt. The infection, however, is not expect to prevent him from smashing beer cans against his face and fist-pumping shirtless.
MLB pickups
Junichi Tazawa, RP, Red Sox: Joel Hanrahan and Andrew Bailey are both on the DL. For now, Tazawa is the closer.
Andrew Cashner, SP, Padres: We’re always trying to add pitchers who call Petco home. This ex-reliever is now locked into the rotation.
Jedd Gyorko, 2B/3B, Padres: A highly-touted prospect, Gyorko is hitting .360 with three homers over his last seven games. The light is on.

The post Adam Levitan, Living the Fantasy: Dynasty owners are drooling appeared first on Metro.us.

This year’s Major League Baseball All-Star game will take place in New York City, but the focus won’t be entirely on the field.

MLB will hold a fundraiser and 5K All-Star Fun Run on July 13, and all net profits will go to benefit Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Racers will hit their stride in Prospect Park, and prizes will be awarded to the winners.

Participants can register on the MLB website to create a fundraising team.

Top teams will have the chance to throw the first pitch at this year’s Home Run Derby or play an all-star game of softball.

Fans can also register to be a part of the team with four-time All-Star and New York native John Franco, who is now in the New York Mets Hall of Fame.

MLB and its players association donated $1 million to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America immediately after the storm struck. The Mets team sent players with emergency food and supplies to damaged areas.

This is the fourth MLB All-Star Fun Run.

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As we enter another season of baseball, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees battle it out in The Bronx for what looks to be another intense season for both squads.

These two teams have always shared heated moments during the regular season and especially during the playoffs.

Here we take a look back at some of the most memorable moments between these two teams from two awesome cities.

The post PHOTOS: Memorable moments of the rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees appeared first on Metro.us.

As fantasy baseball drafts get into full swing, we can’t be afraid to splurge for the guys we want. Last year, Andrew McCutchen was a buzz guy who was thrown out by some as being “overdrafted.” Big mistake. This year, these are the guys worth circling with a green highlighter and reaching for.

The Natural
Bryce Harper was never a sleeper. He was the best 19-year-old in the history of baseball and will likely be the best 20-year-old ever as well. At this point, it’s just a contest to see how high we’re willing to take him. Considering Harper projects to see his homers and steals rise toward the 30/30 level as he matures, the end of the first round is not crazy. He’ll be batting third, between Jayson Werth and Ryan Zimmerman.

Chapped up
When guys have dominant talent, we take them and let the chips fall where they may. Aroldis Chapman is a perfect example of this. He might start; he might close; he might be capped at 200 innings. But no matter what, we know he’s going to be an asset in fantasy.

Golden Boy
Paul Goldschmidt burst onto the scene last year with 20 homers in 136 starts. That’s child’s play. In 2011, Goldy smashed 30 jacks in just 457 plate appearances while playing in Double-A. Now settling into an everyday role, the power upside is huge.

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Charlie Manuel would tell anyone within earshot how much the Phils missed Ryan Howard.

Well, the Big Piece appears to have recovered nicely from his Achillies tendon surgery. Howard beat up Atlanta’s pitching Thursday to help the Phillies coast to a 10-5 win over their division rival.

After slugging an RBI double down the right-field line off starting left-hander Paul Maholm, Howard blasted a fastball off Craig Kimbrel over the left center-field fence.

“I’m just taking everything in stride,” Howard said. “I’m not trying to analyze anything. I’m just working hard on what I’m doing. I’m getting good swings right now. I’m feeling good. I have no complaints.”

Manuel smiled when waxing about his cleanup hitter.

“He was totally relaxed and stayed on the ball,” Manuel said. “The ball was out from him and he stayed with it.”

Howard, Chase Utley, Ben Revere and Darin Ruf each had a pair of hits.

“You know this team can do a lot of damage,” Howard said. “We know what we’re capable of.”

Cole Hamels, who allowed one run, pitched three solid innings. He struck out five and worked his way out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam.

“I felt good,” Hamels said. “I’m just trying to get the pitch count up. It’s all going to come. But this was good.”

Revere executed a perfect bunt single.

“That’s something that I’ve worked very hard on,” Revere said. “I wasn’t the best bunter, but I’ve gotten better at it. It’s my job to get on base, score and play solid defense.”

Meanwhile, Ruf is still having a rough time in left field. He misplayed his second grounder there in three games.

“Darin is going to make some mistakes,” Manuel said. “Hopefully, he can keep working and we’ll see how much he improves by the end of spring.”

Adams throws scoreless frame in Phils victory
If this is a sign of things to come, the Phils won’t have anything to worry about in the eighth inning.

Mike Adams made his spring training debut Thursday and tossed a scoreless fourth inning against Atlanta. Adams, who inked a two-year, $12 million deal in the offseason, allowed one hit and struck out one. He retired three of the four batters he faced.

Howard hit a solo shot off Craig Kimbrel in the fifth inning of the Phillies’ 10-5 win over Atlanta Thursday afternoon.

Adams was signed to be Jonathan Papelbon’s setup man, so he’ll normally work the eighth. He is coming back from offseason surgery to correct a condition called Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. Adams wasn’t slated to debut until the first week of March, but the Phils say he is ahead of schedule.

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The outfield and first base positions are so deep that we should be reaching for the stars. If we come up short, there are always options on waivers as the season moves along.

Blip on the radar
Jason Heyward burst onto the scene in 2010 with incredible promise. He crashed back to earth last year as he dealt with weight issues, shoulder problems and a plain old sophomore slump. The scary part is that Heyward is still only 22 and has lost 20 pounds. He’s a strong bet to bounce back as he begins to enter his prime both mentally and physically.  

Injury bounce-back
Kendrys Morales hasn’t played since May 2010 thanks to a devastating ankle injury. Now he’s nearing full strength and has Albert Pujols in his lineup. Remember that Morales swatted 34 homers while hitting .306 in 2009.  

After the hype   
Brandon Belt was one of the biggest hitting prospects in baseball heading into last season. He flopped, managing just nine homers and a .225 batting average in 187 big-league at-bats. Now he’s back battling for a job in spring training after destroying minor league pitching. Watch Belt closely.

Top NBA pickups

Bismack Biyombo
C, Bobcats
A raw yet dominant shot-blocker that is locked into a starting role and 30 minutes the rest of the way.

Ekpe Udoh
C, Warriors
Andris Biedrins is out as the starting center and Udoh is in. He’s similar to Biyombo, with a little better touch.

Kenneth Faried
PF,?Nuggets
Known as the “Manimal,” this rookie has earned 25 minutes nightly with amazing energy.

The post Fantasy sports: Looking for midround bats appeared first on Metro.us.

Seeking major upside from unproven players is the way to gain an edge in the middle and later rounds. Up front, however, we want a sure thing.

Scary studs

Matt Kemp is going No. 1 overall in a ton of leagues, mostly because he was the No. 1 player by a wide margin last season. But Kemp is also one year removed from a .249 batting average and 19 steals. The NL?West is also a pitcher-friendly division. Avoid.   

Prince Fielder is scary because he just got a $214 million contract from the Tigers, is changing leagues and now calls a pitcher’s park home. A?letdown is possible.  

We also have to be concerned with players that have career seasons at age 30. Curtis Granderson has always been a favorite thanks to his power/speed combo, but no one should be expecting 41 homers again.

Baseball studs

Miguel Cabrera
1B, Tigers
One of the game’s best natural hitters now has Prince Fielder for added lineup protection. There is
no way he fails.
 
Troy Tulowitzki
SS, Rockies
Injuries are always a concern, but playing in Colorado at the thin shortstop spot is unique.

Hoops pickups

Options off the wire:

1. Josh Howard, SF, UTA — Howard has earned the starting gig as he’s finally over his ACL tear. We know he can score 13-16 points nightly. 

2. Jordan Crawford, SG, WAS — Nick Young is an impending free agent, meaning the Wiz are going to take a long look at Crawford. He’s going to push for 30 minutes the rest of the way.

The post Fantasy sports: Matt Kemp is No. 1 in a ton of leagues appeared first on Metro.us.

And while most of them have been addressed, it still seems as if the jury is out on a lot of them.
Johan Santana has proclaimed himself on track after two bullpen sessions. Andres Torres and Ruben Tejada have been plugged in to replace superstars Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes respectively. But will these changes hold up throughout spring and into the season? The answers are as tenuous as the Mets’ current financial issues.

Who replaces Reyes at SS?

The job is Ruben Tejada’s to lose, but expect some growing pains. And not just because he has yet to show up in camp, much to manager Terry Collins’s chagrin.

He has played in just 174 games the last two seasons and although he finished 2011 with a .284 batting average, he’s hit .256 over the two years combined.

What could be a bigger cause for concern are the 10 errors he has made in 291 total chances at second base and shortstop.

Then there’s the little matter of his predecessor. Reyes had a bond with the Mets faithful that will be hard to replicate. The fans loved Reyes’s electricity and he treasured their love.

That can’t be replaced.

Can Torres truly replace Beltran?

That depends on what you’re looking for.

If you appreciate solid defense in the outfield, then yes; Andres Torres is more than an adequate replacement for Carlos Beltran. Torres has only committed 19 errors in 801 total chances in his career.

If you are looking for him to replace Beltran’s offense, then no; you’re probably going to be disappointed.

Torres is a .244 career hitter with 27 home runs in 1,264 at-bats. His game is speed, but a .318 career on-base percentage is tough to have at leadoff.

What about the Madoff lawsuit?

It will be an annoyance, as players — specifically David Wright — will be asked questions they cannot answer while the Bernie Madoff trial is held in Manhattan.

But make no mistake about it. Everyone associated with the Mets will be watching the proceedings intently. Should Irving Picard, the trustee for the Madoff victims, win in court, it could set off a chain reaction that could see the Wilpons perhaps have to sell the team. Or, worse for Mets fans, gut the entire team.

Will Harvey make the rotation?

You will certainly see Matt Harvey, but it’s unlikely Harvey will contend for a starting spot.

Both Harvey and Zach Wheeler — acquired in the Carlos Beltran trade — are the future of the Mets, along with Jeurys Familia. But none of the three have thrown even 100 innings in a single minor league season.

Will Santana start opener?

There is a possibility that Johan Santana will be standing on the Citi Field mound at 1:10 p.m. on April 5, in full uniform, prepared to stare down NL East division rival Atlanta.

There’s an equal chance that he will be at the Mets’ training facility continuing to rehab the torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder that cost him last season. So far he is on schedule to pitch the opener.

The post 5 questions for Mets spring training appeared first on Metro.us.

That’s an unexploitable strategy, until our ERA and WHIP spiral out of control before April ends. The only way it works is if we know what starters to target in the middle-to-late rounds.

Ex-closers
Pitchers often become closers because they throw hard and strike people out. That’s also the kind of upside we’re looking for in our starters. This year, ex-closers Neftali?Feliz (Rangers) and Chris Sale (White Sox) are expected to get their shots every fifth day. Daniel Bard (Red Sox) and Aroldis Chapman (Reds) are also starting candidates.     

Pitcher’s parks
When we think about ballparks where runs go to die, the first place that comes to mind is San Diego’s Petco Park. That’s what makes Cory Luebke so exciting. Max Scherzer is off a down year, but still calls Detroit’s cavernous confines home. And for a deep sleeper, Oakland’s Brandon McCarthy had a 2.65 ERA at home last year.

Young guns  
When all else fails, we look for young prospects with impressive pedigrees. We know that Tampa’s Matt Moore fits the bill, while Atlanta’s Mike Minor and Texas’ Yu Darvish have major upside as well.

Baseball power

Chicks dig the long ball. That’s why getting these big bats later in drafts is vital:

1. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, ARZ — The 6-foot-3, 244-pounder smashed 30 homers in the minors last year and then eight more after a late-season callup. He’s now locked into the starting role in a hitter’s park. 

2. Ike Davis, 1B, NYM — The devastating ankle injury is behind him, and the fences at Citi Field have been brought in. Davis won’t be 25 until March, but already has 26 homers in 183 career games.  

Top NBA pickups

Isaiah Thomas
PG, Kings
Thomas was the last pick in this year’s draft and is 5-foot-9. He’s also an explosive
playmaker and new starter. 

Andray Blatche
PF, Wizards
Blatche (calf) is expected back soon after the All-Star break. His $35 million contract means he’ll start again.

The post Fantasy sports: Don’t sleep on pitchers appeared first on Metro.us.

That’s the benefit of having somewhere in the neighborhood of $200 million to work with.

That’s not to say the Yankees didn’t make a few radical changes though. They shipped off fan frustration A.J. Burnett to the Pirates last week and traded promising prospect Jesus Montero for Michael Pineda.

So what do you have to look forward to this spring?

1. Will two lefty relievers make the team?

In a perfect Yankees pitching world, Boone Logan and Pedro Feliciano would have been the two lefties out of the bullpen. Perfection was ruined by Feliciano’s shoulder injury and surgery so for most of the year the Yankees went with just Logan.

This year, candidates for the second southpaw job — if the Yankees take that route — include Rule 5 pick Cesar Cabral, who spent the last six seasons in the Red Sox minor league system.

Among nonroster candidates for a second lefty with major league experience, Mike O’Connor and Clay Rapada are in camp.

O’Connor, who has pitched for the Nationals and Mets, has a .308 batting average against, while Rapada has held lefties to a career .173 average in five seasons. He has pitched for the Cubs and Tigers among others.

2. Who will be the team’s No. 5 starter?

Two years ago, Phil Hughes won this competition.

Hughes won after being a successful setup reliever in 2009 with a fastball that averaged 93 miles per hour. His fastball remained at 93 mph and he won 18 games in 2010. But then his fastball velocity slightly dipped coinciding with a mysterious arm injury.

Now Hughes has lost 20 pounds, but does that mean he is better off in the rotation?

The Yankee preference would be to have Hughes in the rotation but his competition is 12-game winner Freddy Garcia. Garcia’s relief experience consists of one outing 12 years ago and if Hughes can’t pitch well during spring training, the job could be Garcia’s.

It’s unlikely the job would go to anyone other than Hughes or Garcia, specifically with A.J. Burnett being shown the door, but young stud lefty Manny Banuelos will be in camp and after an impressive spring last year, don’t be surprised to see fans clamoring for the 20-year-old.

3. Where does Joba fit in?

Last week, Joba Chamberlain said he felt no pain following Tommy John surgery in June and that his recovery was progressing well.

The target return for Chamberlain is sometime in June, but assuming he does return where does he fit in?

The eighth inning is David Robertson’s and the seventh is likely Rafael Soriano. Cory Wade and Boone Logan also fit into the picture and the middle innings appear to be where Chamberlain is headed when he returns.

4. How healthy is A-Rod?

Alex Rodriguez has dealt with injuries in two of the last three years.

In 2009, he missed the first 28 games with a hip injury, but that was nothing compared to last season.

Rodriguez had knee surgery in July and missed over a month. He also was bothered by a wrist injury much of the year. The combination of both of those injuries limited him to 99 games. He had 16 home runs, 62 runs batted in and a .823 on-base percentage plus slugging.

Those numbers were his lowest since 1997 when he appeared in 141 games for the Seattle Mariners as a 21-year-old in his second full season.

5. What is Andruw Jones’ role in 2012?

Is it a subtle message that veteran outfielder Andruw Jones was the first Yankee position to appear in camp?

But he has shown up about 10 pounds lighter and with a healthier left knee that was scoped during the offseason.

Does that mean there will be a left-field platoon of Jones and Gardner?

Gardner has everything a manger wants in a leadoff man, speedy, top-notch defensive and patient at the plate. On the downside, Gardner batted .220 against lefties and Jones hit .286.

There also isn’t any real consensus on who the Yankees’ fourth outfielder will be. Jones is the top option, but he is entering his 17th season.

Newly signed Raul Ibanez could play some, but a younger, defensive replacement might be invitee Dewayne Wise.

The post Yankees: Five burning spring training questions appeared first on Metro.us.

That’s the good news.

The bad news — big market clubs like the Red Sox, Yankees and Phillies will all have some new issues to contend with.

In MLB’s continuing quest for parity the new CBA includes multiple changes to the luxury tax, free agent signing rules and a new tax on signing players from the MLB draft.

While it’s unlikely sides would ever agree on a salary cap, they did make changes to the luxury tax already in place. Not only will teams owe the amount over the tax threshold, they will now be taxed on that percentage.

According to reports, the new luxury cap will be $178 million in 2012. Go over that with your payroll and you’ll pay a 42 percent tax. In 2013, that increases to 50 percent.

The only three teams remotely close to $178 million in 2011 — the Red Sox ($164 million, Phillies ($165 million) and Yankees ($207 million).

Also working against the big market clubs will be new rules on signing draft picks. MLB?has had a recommended contract for each slot in the draft. However, they had no rules in place to enforce it.
Small market teams were priced out of signing some top talent, while big market clubs like the Yankees would pay above slot — sometimes way above — at the back of the round. There’s still no hard slotting, but teams will now pay a tax based on how far over slot they pay draftees.

HGH test to be put in place

Maybe the most mentioned addition to the new CBA?will be the implementation of human-growth hormone testing.

Every player will be tested during spring training, while select players could be tested during the season “with due cause.”

A positive test will result in the same penalties as other performance-enhancing drugs — 50 games on the first positive test, then 100 games and a ban on the next two.

Random offseason testing will begin following the 2012 season.

The post Are you ready for some payroll taxes? (In baseball, that is) appeared first on Metro.us.

Braun was named the NL MVP yesterday after leading the Brewers to their first divisional championship since 1982, beating out Kemp by getting 20 of 32 first-place votes.

“It’s honestly difficult to put into words what this means to me,” Braun said. “It’s an amazing experience. The last couple of hours since I have known have been pretty incredible, very emotional and something I’m extremely proud of.” 

Braun also received 12 second-place votes, totaling 388 points. That was enough to edge Kemp, who received 10 first-place votes and 332 points playing for the 82-79 Dodgers, a team that spent most of the year under .500 and never contended in the NL West.

Milwaukee teammate and free agent Prince Fielder received one first-place vote and 229 points, while Arizona outfielder Justin Upton received the other first-place vote and 214 points. Cardinals’ first baseman Albert Pujols was fifth, marking the 11th straight season he placed in the top 10.

Braun batted .332 with 33 home runs, 111 RBI, 33 steals and a .984 OPS. He became the first Brewer to win an MVP since Robin Yount edged Ruben Sierra and Cal Ripken Jr. for the 1989 AL MVP.  He also is the seventh player with at least four 30-home run, 100-RBI seasons in his first 11 years, joining a group that includes Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Mark Teixeira and Pujols.

Although Braun’s year-long performance was outstanding, his showing from July 27 on was even better. The Brewers never trailed in the NL Central after beating the Cubs and from that point on, Braun batted .341 with 13 home runs and 42 RBI.

Kemp nearly became the first NL Triple Crown winner since Joe Medwick in 1937, but despite leading the league with 115 runs and 353 totals, he was the 11th Dodger to finish second in the voting and joined Steve Garvey (1978) and Adrian Beltre (2004) as Los Angeles era runner-ups.

“I would love to win,” Kemp said last week at the press conference announcing his eight-year contract extension. “If it doesn’t happen, I’ll just set the goal to be even better — that’s ‘Beast Mode.’”

Kemp was the first Dodger to lead the league in home runs, RBI and runs scored. He also was the first Dodger since Dolph Camilli in 1941 to lead the league in home runs and RBI.

Braun’s award also continued a trend of playoff teams getting MVP awards for their players. The last player to win an MVP for a non-playoff team was Ryan Howard for the 2006 Phillies, who finished three games out of the Wild Card that season.

Unlike some of the previous runner-ups from non-playoff teams, Kemp’s 10 first-place votes were the most by a runner up from a non-playoff team since Willie Stargell also received 10 votes for the 1973 Pirates that finished 2 ½ games behind the Mets.

Since the playoffs expanded in 1995, the MVP has gone to someone from a non-playoff team just four times. Besides Howard, the other instances were Alex Rodriguez in 2003 for the last-place Rangers, Barry Bonds in 2001 for the second-place Giants and Larry Walker in 1997 for the third-place Rockies.

When the two divisional system was in place from 1969 through 1993, the MVP award went to someone on a non-playoff team 17 times, including 1977 and 1987 when both leagues saw MVPs from non-playoff teams.

Overall 23 players received some consideration, including Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw, Rookie of the Year Craig Kimbrel and NL batting champion Jose Reyes. Kershaw was 12th with 29 points, two points behind Reyes, while Kimbrel received one point.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

The post Braun wins NL MVP appeared first on Metro.us.

The latest example was Clayton Kershaw, who received 27 of 32 first-point votes and 207 points to become the 10th Dodger to win the award.

Just like AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, Kershaw was tied for the league lead with 21 wins and led with 248 strikeouts and a 2.28 ERA. His 0.98 WHIP and his .207 batting average against also ranked first in the league.

“I always dreamed about playing in the big leagues,” Kershaw said on a conference call. “I never dreamed about doing anything special in the big leagues. I don’t think any kid ever does.

“The people I’m now associated with, just by having this award, is something that I never thought would ever happen.”

Roy Halladay received four first-place votes and 133 points. Halladay’s Phillies’ teammate Cliff Lee was third with 90 points and ex-Yankee Ian Kennedy was fourth, getting the other first-place vote for his 21-win season in Arizona.

Kershaw was the first Dodger to win the award since Eric Gagne in 2003 and the first Dodgers starter since Orel Hershiser in 1988. He also was the first lefty since “Fernando Mania” resulted in a Cy Young for Fernando Valenzuela in the strike-shortened 1981 campaign.

“Whenever you have a Cy Young next to your name, there’s going to be expectations that go along with it,” Kershaw said. “Whenever I look at a pitcher and I see that he’s won a Cy Young Award, I think, you know, this guy, he better be good. And that’s what I hope to be. I hope people have that expectation for me.”

The 23-year-old lefty recorded 49 of his league-leading 248 strikeouts against San Francisco and his ERA over the 2010 World Champions was his third-lowest against any National League opponent. The most impressive aspect of those starts was winning four times over two-time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

The two aces that were picked three selections apart in the 2006 draft squared off and Kershaw won three 2-1 games and a 1-0 game. During those starts, Kershaw struck out 36 while allowing 16 hits in 30 1/3 innings.

Kershaw also became the first lefty to win the award in the NL since Randy Johnson struck out 1,420 batters while winning four straight Cy Young Awards for the Diamondbacks from 1999 to 2002.

Before winning the award, Kershaw had been 26-23 with a 3.17 ERA in 85 games (83 starts). He showed his potential by going 9-4 before the 2010 All-Star break, but was 4-6 afterwards, partially due to poor run support.

“Clayton represents everything good about this game and this award,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said in a statement released by the team. “He is a tremendous worker, a student of baseball and a great teammate. He’s always trying to get better and deserves all the accolades that come his way.”

For the second consecutive year, 12 players received votes for the award. Also getting consideration were Philadelphia’s Cole Hamels (17 points), Lincecum (seven points), Milwaukee’s Yovani Gallardo (five points), San Francisco’s Matt Cain (three points), Milwaukee closer John Axford (two points), Atlanta closer and Rookie of the Year Craig Kimbrel (two points) and San Francisco teammates Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong (one point).

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

The post Kershaw wins NL Cy Young appeared first on Metro.us.

Gibson received 28 of 32 first-place votes for 152 points and was the second Arizona skipper to win the National League Manager of the Year award. Bob Melvin won it in 2007 by getting 19 first-place votes.

“I certainly had a vision,” Gibson said on a conference call. “It’s certainly not all because of me.”

Gibson won the award over first-year Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke and St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa. Roenicke received three first-place votes and 92 points while LaRussa received one first-place vote and 24 points in voting conducted before the postseason.

The 54-year-old former outfielder won the award by getting a 29-game improvement from the Diamondbacks. He took over the team in June 2010 and they lost 49 of 83 games, finishing with 97 losses — 27 games behind the World Champion Giants in the NL West Division.

This year, the Diamondbacks were over .500 for good after May 25 and gradually worked their way up the division, never relinquishing the lead in the final 45 games. That was highlighted by a nine-game winning streak and a team that had dropped from 90 to 65 wins in the previous three seasons won the division by eight games.

By winning yesterday, Gibson is the fourth former MVP to win the Manager of the Year. Joe Torre won the award with the Yankees in 1998, Don Baylor won it with the Rockies in 1995 and Frank Robinson won it with the Orioles in 1989.

Also getting points in the NL were Philadelphia’s Charlie Manuel (10 points), Atlanta’s Fredi Gonzalez (four points), San Francisco’s Bruce Bochy (two points), Pittsburgh’s Clint Hurdle (two points), New York’s Terry Collins (one point) and Los Angeles’s Don Mattingly (one point).

While Gibson’s turnaround with the Diamondbacks was a year-long process, Joe Maddon’s with the Rays took place in a short span and that likely earned him a second AL Manager of the Year award.

The Rays overcame a nine-game deficit on Sept. 2 and edged the Red Sox for the AL Wild Card on the final day. They won 91 games with a roster that had lost its starting first baseman (Carlos Pena), left fielder (Carl Crawford), a key starting pitcher (Matt Garza) and several relief pitchers from the previous year.

“I like to think of it as a validation of the Rays’ way of doing things,” Maddon said on a conference call.

Maddon won by getting 26 first-place votes and 133 points. Detroit’s Jim Leyland, the 2006 winner, received one first-place vote for 54 points and Rangers’ skipper Ron Washington received the other first-place vote for 31 points.

Three years ago, Maddon won the award by getting 27 first-place votes and beating Minnesota’s Ron Gardenhire. That year he led a team that had never won more than 70 games to a 96-win season and a World Series appearance.

Only 11 players who appeared in 2008 for the Rays suited up last year for Maddon, who made the playoffs with the game’s second-lowest payroll at $42 million, nearly $30 million lower from 2010. That helped make him the seventh winner of multiple awards in AL history, a list that includes Mike Scioscia, for whom he served as bench coach in Anaheim.

Maddon won the Wild Card even as his team opened with six straight losses and eight of the first nine. Tampa Bay did not go 10 games over .500 for good until mid-August and then won 18 of its final 28 games, including six-of-seven from the Red Sox.

“We are the best 0-6 team in the history of Major League Baseball,” Maddon said after his team was eliminated in the AL Division Series by the Rangers. “It was a huge success this year, and anybody that wants to argue otherwise, please come by. I’d be happy to engage in that discussion.”

Maddon is entering the last year of his contract, but does not appear to be headed anywhere in the near future.

“A better place to work, I don’t think one exists in baseball,” Maddon said. “My goal has been to make the Rays into the next century’s Yankees, Cardinals and Red Sox. The more appealing thing to me is to create that kind of tradition here that can be viewed on 50 years from now as being the genesis of that. That, to me, is really an exciting thought.”

Also getting points in the AL, were Cleveland’s Manny Acta (16 points), New York’s Joe Girardi (14 points) and Angels skipper Scioscia (four points).

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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He was the American League Rookie of the Year five years ago after helping the Tigers to their first World Series appearance since 1984 and now he is the AL’s best pitcher.

Verlander was the unanimous winner of the award, getting all 28 first-place votes. The next possible award for the AL’s top pitcher could be the Most Valuable Player, which will be announced next Monday.

“If you told me before the season that I’d be considered a lock for the Cy Young, I’d be thrilled. I’d be ecstatic,” he said on a conference call. “I would have never even thought about the MVP. But now, do I think it is possible? Yes. Would I love to win it? Of course.”

Verlander was a nearly unanimous selection when he was the Rookie of the Year, but this year his numbers were more than convincing enough to make him a recipient of every first-place vote. That made him the ninth unanimous winner in the AL, joining Johan Santana (2004, 2006), Pedro Martinez (1999, 2000), Ron Guidry (1978) and Denny McLain (1968).

Jered Weaver finished second with 97 points, James Shields was third with 66 points and CC Sabathia was fourth with 63.

The 28-year-old righty won 24 games, the most since Bob Welch won 27 games for the 1990 Athletics. Welch won the Cy Young that year, but received only 15 first-place votes because runner-up Roger Clemens was 21-6.

Verlander’s victories were five more than Sabathia, his 2.40 ERA was one one-hundredth better than the Angels’ Weaver and the 250 strikeouts were 20 more than Sabathia.

Besides winning those categories, Verlander also led the league with a 0.92 WHIP, a .192 batting average against and 251 innings pitched.

Verlander is the third Tiger to win the award. He joined Willie Hernandez, who saved 32 games for a World Championship team in 1984, and Denny McClain, who followed up his 30-win season and unanimous Cy Young award, with 24 victories to split the award with Baltimore’s Mike Cuellar.

Verlander was not dominant from the outset, finishing April at 2-3 with a 3.64 ERA. He had a season-high 3.75 ERA after a no-decision against the Yankees on May 2, but five days later Verlander pitched his second career no-hitter, allowing one runner in Toronto and missing a perfect game by allowing a full-count walk in the eighth inning.

“I think Justin has pretty much taken it step by step,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said during the ALDS. “He had the big year in 2006. Then he went through a little bit of a humbling period.

“He’s made adjustments mentally; he’s made some adjustments physically, obviously. He’s figured some things out that you don’t have to throw it 100 miles per hour every pitch. You can pitch to contact a little bit more at times and save it for when you do need a strikeout. He’s matured a lot.”

That was the first of nine consecutive victories, a streak that ended with a 1-0 loss in Anaheim to Dan Haren. After splitting his next two starts, Verlander finished with a 12-game winning streak.

That streak began July 21 when the Tigers were 52-46 and over the remainder of the regular season Detroit won 43 of its final 64 games. During that streak, Verlander allowed three runs or fewer seven times, pitched into the eighth inning six times and set a Tigers record by winning 12 consecutive starts.
 
Rounding out the voting was Detroit closer Jose Valverde, whose 50 saves garnered 28 points. Free agent C.J. Wilson (nine points), Haren (seven points), Yankee closer Mariano Rivera (four points), Boston’s Josh Beckett (three points), Toronto’s Ricky Romero (two points) and David Robertson (one point) also received consideration.

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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The latest example was the AL Rookie of the Year award which went to Tampa Bay right-hander Jeremy Hellickson. Hellickson claimed 17 of 28 first-place votes and 102 points overall, the most by any non-unanimous winner since Dustin Pedroia claimed 24 first-place votes four years ago.

Hellickson was 13-10 with half of his defeats coming in games that he allowed two earned runs or fewer. He also finished with a 2.95 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and .210 opponent batting average. Hellickson was the least prolific winner among starting pitchers to win since the 1998 NL Rookie of the Year winner (Kerry Wood, 13 wins).

“I guess I was a little surprised,” Hellickson said on a conference call. “There was a handful of guys I think all had the same amount of chances to win. I felt like I had a good chance, but once I finally did hear my name, I was really happy.”

Also helping Hellickson was his five straight wins during September when the Rays caught the Red Sox and clinched the AL Wild Card. He was the 10th starting pitcher to win the award and first since Justin Verlander five years ago.

As for Ivan Nova, just being in the voting is remarkable for a pitcher often overlooked in the minor league system, but his stats were likely inflated by pitching for the Yankees, who scored five or more runs in 12 of his wins.

Earned run average also factored in. Jason Jennings is the only pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year award with an ERA over 3.50 when he won in 2002 with a 4.52 ERA in Colorado.

Though he had an ERA of 3.18 after returning from the minors, Nova’s season ERA did not go below four until August 21.

Hellickson’s ERA was over four in April, likely due to a lingering hamstring injury, but it consistently remained between 3.27 and 2.95 the rest of the year. While he won nine games the Rays scored at least five runs in, he also pitched in 15 contests that teammates scored three runs or fewer.

In between Hellickson and Nova were Angels first baseman Mark Trumbo and Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer. Trumbo received five first-place votes and 63 points while Hosmer received four first-place votes and 38 points.

Also getting consideration was Seattle right-hander Michael Pineda (11 votes), Seattle second baseman Dustin Ackley (six votes), Tampa Bay outfielder Desmond Jennings (one vote) and Angels reliever Jordan Walden (one vote).

While Hellickson won in a somewhat contested manner, Atlanta closer Craig Kimbrel was a definitive winner in the National League.

Kimbrel won the award unanimously, getting 32 first-place votes and 160 points from the 16 National League cities. That made him the 10th unanimous winner in National League history and the first pitcher to do so.

Despite his 4.76 ERA and three blown saves in 12 September appearances, Kimbrel was consistently dominant all year. He had 25 scoreless appearances and 18 saves, spanning 24 2/3 innings in July and August. It was during that period that he allowed 11 hits and struck out 42 while walking seven.

Kimbrel also set a major league record for saves by a rookie with 46 and his overall totals of 127 strikeouts and a 2.10 ERA in 77 innings made him the 17th unanimous Rookie of the Year overall.

“It definitely surprised me, that unanimous decision,” Kimbrel said.

Kimbrel finished with a strikeout rate of 14.8 per inning, which placed him in some elite company. He became the fourth pitcher to save at least three games with a strikeout rate that high. The others were Carlos Marmol (2010), Eric Gagne (2003) and Billy Wagner (1998, 1999), whom he succeeded as closer.

Kimbrel’s win also ended a six-year run of position players winning the award, becoming the first pitcher to win since Dontrelle Willis for the 2003 Marlins

He also became the seventh Brave to win the award. The last was Rafael Furcal 11 years ago and until yesterday no Braves pitcher had won the award.

If not for Kimbrel’s dominance, teammate Freddie Freeman might have been the next position player to win the award for the team. The Atlanta first baseman led NL rookies with 161 hits, 21 home runs, 76 RBI and a .346 on-base percentage but Kimbrel’s dominance made him the runner-up with 70 points.

Philadelphia pitcher Vance Worley finished third with 40 points. Worley filled in nicely for the Phillies rotation by going 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA with 119 strikeouts in 131 2/3 innings, mostly in place of Joe Blanton.

Rounding out the voting was Washington catcher Wilson Ramos (six points), Arizona right-hander Jose Collmenter (five points), Washington second baseman Danny Espinoza (three points), Chicago infielder Darwin Barney (two points) and Los Angeles reliever Kenley Jansen (two points).

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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Hitting

Albert Pujols: .299 BA, .907 OPS, 37 HR, 99 RBI

Pujols has been the biggest free agent all year and remains so after winning his second World Series title. At 32, Pujols has already earned $104 million in 11 seasons, but enters free agency in a year when many of the big markets don’t have openings at first base. It would be difficult to imagine the Cardinals not retaining him even if takes them well over $20-25 million per year to do so.

Prince Fielder – .299 BA, .981 OPS, 38 HR, 120 RBI

Unlike Pujols, there seems to be little chance in Fielder returning to his team. In 2010, Fielder reportedly rejected a deal similar to Ryan Howard’s five-year, $125 million deal. Then the Brewers made a long-term commitment to Ryan Braun and now don’t appear to have the resources to make a larger offer. If he does leave, the Cubs could lure him using the allure of 81 games at Wrigley Field. The Cubs are a team that could use a big bat anywhere, but especially at first base. Their 654 runs were their worst in a 162-game season since 1992 and it marked the third straight year they have finished in the bottom half of the NL in runs scored. Also helping Fielder’s representatives in negotiations with the Cubs is that first baseman Carlos Pena hit .225 in his one-year deal.

Jose Reyes: .337 BA, 7 HR, 44 RBI, 39 SB

Reyes’s free agency has been a day that many Met fans have dreaded, possibly even more so when owner Fred Wilpon said to New York magazine that Reyes was not getting “Carl Crawford money.” Reyes may not get Crawford’s $140 million, but figure on at least $100 million. With the Mets apparently cutting payroll to the $110-115 million range, this does not bode well for their fans. The one thing that could help is if other teams are scared off by his injury history, which included two DL stints this past season. Several teams have the need for a frontline shortstop in his prime and that includes the Phillies if Jimmy Rollins leaves. It also includes the Giants, who used a mix of young and old (Brandon Crawford, Miguel Tejada and Orlando Cabrera) at the position. If those teams don’t get involved Washington could be a possibility. The appeal of having shortstop with the potential to win a batting title and swipe 50 bases may be appealing to a team that is banking on Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper for its future. Also not helping the Mets is that they have approximately $70 million tied up in six players.

Jimmy Rollins: .268 BA, .338 OBP, 16 HR, 30 SB

Rollins is a former MVP, but that was four years ago when the Phillies began making the playoffs regularly. Rollins is now 33 and seeks a five-year deal. Any type of deal adding up to five years might be too lengthy for the Phillies, though it might be difficult to part ways with a 12-year veteran. If he does leave, a possibility could be the Giants if they don’t get Reyes.

Aramis Ramirez: .306 BA, .871 OPS, 26 HR, 93 RBI

Ramirez had a nice bounce back year for a 71-win team and then promptly said to a Dominican newspaper that he wanted a multi-year deal from the Cubs. Not many teams have third base openings, but Ramirez is the best free agent at his position and a team like the Marlins with a new ballpark and new manager in Ozzie Guillen could offer him the multi-year deal.

Grady Sizemore: .224 BA, .706 OPS, 10 HR, 32 RBI

Injuries have robbed Sizemore of his effectiveness, especially in the last two seasons. His last good season was 2008 (.268, 33 HR, 90 RBI, .876 OPS). Since then, he has batted .234 with 28 home runs and 109 RBI in the last thee seasons. That was why the Indians declined his $8.5 million option. Though he is a center fielder, he could become a right fielder, especially if the Red Sox sign him. If he remains in center field, someone like the Marlins could take a chance since they plan on raising payroll.

Carlos Beltran: .300 BA, .910 OPS, 22 HR, 84 RBI

The last time Beltran was in free agency, he was the leading man. That was in 2005 when he was still a center fielder in his prime and wound up getting a seven-year deal from the Mets. That deal ended with two injury-plagued years and with him playing right field for the Giants. Beltran is believed to desire a three-year deal, but there are teams with an opening in right field and the willingness. One of those teams is the Red Sox, but that’s if they’re willing to accept a declining defensive player. After scoring the NL’s fewest runs (570), and their worst in a full season since 1985, the Giants have the need for offense from the middle of their lineup.

Michael Cuddyer: .284 BA .805 OPS, 20 HR, 70 RBI

On a 99-loss team racked by injuries, Cuddyer was one of three Twins to appear in more than 100 games. He also was one of two with at least 500 at-bats and led the team in home runs, hits and OPS. He did so while playing four positions. Cuddyer would fit in with a lot of teams. One might be the Phillies, who could use him at first base while waiting for Howard to recover, especially if they are willing to ignore him turning 33 and seeking more than $10 million per year.

David Ortiz: .309 BA .952 OPS, 29 HR, 96 RBI

Ortiz won’t be coming to the Yankees not even if they want to tweak the Red Sox. The Yankees are keeping that spot open for a bunch of their older players and rookie Jesus Montero. Since that’s all Ortiz can do at this point, he is limited and his comments about leaving Boston seem to be a ploy to create a marketplace. Ortiz is believed to be seeking a three-year deal, which might be too long for any team. If he does not return to the Red Sox, the other three AL East teams besides the Yankees might have an opening and interest.

Starting Pitching

C.J. Wilson: 16-7, 2.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP

Despite his poor postseason performance, someone will pay for Wilson’s services and possibly even offer $100 million. A 16-game winner that has pitched 250 innings is hard to come by. That being said, Wilson pitches to contact often with Texas’s superb defense behind him and gets to face teams like the Mariners and Athletics four or five times a year. Wilson might not be a Yankee or a Red Sox, but in a small sampling he has shown he can pitch against them, going 4-1 with a 1.56 ERA in nine starts. Even if the postseason showed he may not be ace, he would be a nice fit with two established aces. One that comes to mind is behind Dan Haren and Jered Weaver with the Angels, who have missed the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time in 10 years.

Mark Buehrle: 13-9, 3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP

Not many have a World Championship, a perfect game and no-hitter on their resume. Randy Johnson achieved that and so has Buehrle in an 11-year career for the White Sox. He has reached double-digit wins and pitched 200 innings each year. If the Yankees wanted a second lefty instead of Wilson, they could gauge Buehrle’s interest, though the lefty seems more interested in staying with the White Sox or another Midwest team.

Roy Oswalt: 9-10, 3.69 ERA, 1.33 WHIP

The Phillies declined his $16-million option after getting 16 wins and 36 starts from him. Concerns about his back pain could scare some teams away. Oswalt missed six weeks and hinted at retirement. Oswalt may also want remain close to home in Mississippi, which might make the Rangers a sensible fit if they lose Wilson.

Hiroki Kuroda: 13-16, 3.07 ERA, 1.21 WHIP

Kuroda has won 41 games since joining the Dodgers in 2008 and last year was his finest season in terms of wins, innings pitched (202) and strikeouts (161). Kuroda has indicated he would like to stay in Los Angeles even with the team’s ownership situation in flux. He is 37, so it would also be hard to imagine many other teams bending over backwards to give him much more than the $47 million he has been paid the last four years.

Yu Darvish: 12-8, 1.78 ERA, 1.01 WHIP

If he decides to go from the Nippon Ham Fighters, teams will have to pay a posting fee. Fifteen players have gone through the posting process, including Daisuke Matsuzaka and Kei Igawa. The Red Sox paid $51 million for Matsuzaka on Dec. 14, 2006 and the Yankees paid $26 million for Igawa 13 days later. The cost for posting could be similar and then the $100 million offer could follow from a few teams.

Relief Pitching

Jonathan Papelbon: 4-1, 2.94 ERA, 31 saves, 0.93 WHIP

Despite giving up the two-strike hit that officially eliminated the Red Sox, Papelbon was significantly better last year. He lowered his ERA by nearly a run, gave up four fewer home runs and had the third-best WHIP and strikeouts per nine innings ratios. Papelbon made $12 million last year, which made him the fourth-highest paid closer. Only Mariano Rivera, Francisco Rodriguez and Brad Lidge made more and the last two are also free agents. If Papelbon leaves, Daniel Bard is the likely closer unless they shop for another free agent after he went 2-9 last year.

Heath Bell: 3-4, 2.44 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 43 saves

Bell almost left San Diego last year on two occasions. He was rumored to be headed to Texas, and San Francisco claimed him off waivers, but could not work out a deal. Bell remained in San Diego where he has saved 132 games the last three years. Bell made $7.5 million and could be due for a significant raise. Bell has publicly stated his desire to stay in San Diego, but is reportedly believed to be seeking a three-year deal worth more than $25 million while the team is thinking of a two-year deal with an option.

Francisco Rodriguez: 6-2, 2.64 ERA, 1.298 WHIP, 23 SV

Rodriguez spent the final few months as a successful setup man in Milwaukee, posting a 1.86 ERA and striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings. Even though he mostly kept quiet about it, he wants to close games again. A pitcher who will be 30 on Opening Day that has already racked up 291 saves is attractive to some teams. One could be the Marlins, who might not tender inconsistent Leo Nunez, otherwise known as Juan Carlos Oviedo.

Other notable names in the free agent market: RHP Edwin Jackson, RHP Ryan Madson, 1B Carlos Pena, OF Jason Kubel, SS Rafael Furcal, DH Johnny Damon.

Met and Yankee free agents

Mets:
Miguel Batista, Chris Capuano, Scott Hairston, Willie Harris, Jason Isringhausen, Chris Young

Yankees:
Luis Ayala, Eric Chavez, Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, Andruw Jones, Damaso Marte, Sergio Mitre, Jorge Posada

Follow Yankees beat writer Larry Fleisher on Twitter @LarryFleisher.

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9. Texas favorites — Tradition aside, the Rangers are relatively heavily favored. They’re going off
somewhere around -160, to the Cards’ +140.

8. Wild shot — St. Louis is trying to join the 2004 Red Sox, 2003 Marlins, 2002 Angels and 1997 Marlins as the only wild cards to win the Series.

7. WAR horses —According to Baseball-reference.com’s WAR statistic, Mike Napoli?(5.5 wins above replacement) is the Series’ most valuable player. Albert Pujols (5.4) is second.

6. Start me up — St. Louis’ Chris Carpenter (11-9, 3.49 ERA)?and Texas’ C.J. Wilson (16-7, 2.94) are expected to start Game 1.

5. Pitching in — Texas’ starters posted an atrocious 6.59 ERA in the ALCS. The only time an ALCS-winning rotation posted a higher ERA was the 1977 Yankees’ 7.25.

4. New Bash Brothers? — Texas has a chance to become the first team to win the Series the year after losing it since the 1989 A’s. That Oakland team was managed by Tony LaRussa — the Cardinals’ boss now.

3 Busy in the bullpen — The St. Louis bullpen was only mediocre in the regular season, posting a 3.95 ERA.  But it excelled in the NLCS, pitching more total innings than the Cardinals’ starters and
putting up a sterling 1.58 ERA. The notoriously matchup-obsessed LaRussa made a record 28 pitching changes, breaking his own NLCS record.

2. Red hot — Relatively unheralded NLCS MVP David Freese enters the Series on an unreal streak. He’s hit safely in 10 straight games, with five doubles, four HRs and 14 RBIs in the postseason. ALCS?MVP Nelson Cruz, meanwhile, has six playoff dingers.

1. Doing without — Both teams are here despite losing key members of their rotation. Cliff Lee departed Texas as an offseason free agent, and St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright blew out his right elbow way back in February.

The post 10 things about the Rangers and Cardinals appeared first on Metro.us.

10. Enter the Fist — Everyone was excited about Hunter Pence being traded at the deadline. Carlos Beltran as well. Both solid, but maybe Doug Fister has been the best. Who? The journeyman was 8-1 with a 1.79 ERA for the Tigers. His start in Game 2 will be key in this series.

9. The Isotopes? — The best name in baseball belongs to Al Alburquerque. Yes, that’s his real name. No, it’s not a porn pseudonym. The Tigers’ top setup man has a 1.87 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.

8. No running! — One thing not to worry about? Stolen bases. The Tigers were dead last in the AL with just 49 steals. Brett Gardner had 49 thefts himself.

7. Keep your balance — The Tigers aren’t a team that leads the AL in many offensive categories. But they are in the top 5 in most. That includes runs, walks, doubles, triples, batting average and on-base percentage. They can rake.

6. Miggy — Somehow Miguel Cabrera always gets lost in the discussion of best overall hitters in baseball. The guy led the AL?in batting average this year and he hit 30 home runs. Keep guys off the bases in front of him.

5. Down and out — Two key players will be missing from the ALDS for Detroit — Brennan Boesch and Carlos Guillen. Boesch is out for the year with a hand injury, but Guillen might return if they advance.

4. Young arms — You know the ace and now you know Fister — the vet. But Rick Porcello and Max Scherzer might be the keys. The young flamethrowers need to bring it.

3. Manager on duty — Skipper Jim Leyland has been to the playoffs six times with three different teams. He’s already won a World Series with the Marlins in 1997, so you know he has the experience required to get it done again this year.
 
2. Closing time — The best closer in this series according to the numbers? Jose Valverde. He was 49-for-49 in save opportunities this season.

1. Ver-land — Look, he’s the Cy Young. He won the AL?Triple Crown in pitching. He throws 100 mph … in the eighth inning. He is very, very good. If you didn’t get a chance to watch him this year, and thought he was good in the past, he’s better now. He had 250 strikeouts in 251 innings. Be afraid. 

The post 10 things to know about Detroit appeared first on Metro.us.

But fans had better get to know Alexi Ogando, Aaron Crow and Jonny Venters fast. With Alex Rodriguez, Jose Reyes, Derek Jeter and Shane Victorino — among others — out, they’ll be some of the guys deciding home-field advantage for the World Series.

Plenty of true stars in, too

That’s not to say tonight will be a no-name affair.

The best pitcher in baseball — Philadelphia’s Roy Halladay (right) — will start for the National League. The AL counters his 11-3 record and 2.45 ERA?with the Angels’ Jered Weaver.

Josh Hamilton, David Ortiz and Adrian Gonzalez give the AL lineup plenty of star power, and Prince Fielder and Matt Holliday propel the NL.

And don’t forget The Beard — San Francisco’s

Brian Wilson should see some time on the mound.

The post Starry night appeared first on Metro.us.

The righty came off the DL to make his first start since April 14 — and promptly walked the leadoff hitter and gave up back-to-back singles.

The Yankees lost, 5-3, and will return home to face Tampa this weekend.

By the time the bottom of the first was over, Hughes had added a wild pitch and two runs scored as well.

Hughes settled down, but it was too late thanks to the anemic Yankees offense. Derek Jeter went 1-for-3 in his quest to reach 3,000 hits, but he was one of the few to reach base. The Yankees managed just three hits through eight innings off former Red Sox Justin Masterson (7-6).

The top three hitters in the Indians’ lineup meanwhile were 4-for-9 with two runs scored. Indians rookie Lonnie Chisenhall hit his first career home run.

Hughes (0-2) took the loss, but his much maligned fastball velocity did increase from his early season struggles. He was in the 92-94 mph range most of the night. He threw 88 pitches (57 strikes) and was removed after five innings.

The Yankees scored three runs in the ninth before Chris Perez closed it out.

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Around the horn

Phillies at Mets
Friday, 7:10 p.m. (SNY)
Baseball has the stage to itself this weekend, but Bud Selig won’t put on a show. This is the only rivalry or game worth flipping on all weekend — what else are you going to watch? Yankees at Mariners with a lovely 10:10 p.m. first pitch? And even this NL East clash is lacking, as neither Roy Halladay nor Cliff Lee will take the mound. That’s fine with the Mets, who dropped two of three in each of the first two meetings with the Phils. Ryan Howard is hitting .320 vs. N.Y. with three homers and nine RBIs, while his cleanup counterpart Jason Bay is just 1-for-13 against the Phillies.

NHL playoffs

Lightning at Bruins
Friday, 8 (VERSUS)
Hockey and summer go together like Kelly Clarkson and a diet. Still, with the NBA finals basically decided, this Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals will be the most competitive game on this side of the pond this weekend. The Lightning lit up Tim Thomas for five goals on 26 shots in a Game 6 win, while Tampa’s Dwayne Roloson improved to 7-0 in elimination games. Boston is trying to reach the Cup finals for the first time in 21 years, but Martin St. Louis, with four goals and seven points in this series, should lead the Lightning to a win.

Across the pond

Barcelona vs. Man. U
Saturday, 2 (FOX)
Soccer’s two biggest powers collide in the UEFA Champions League final for the second time in three years. Barcelona won the 2009 crown with an early netter and 2-0 victory. Manchester United will show a balanced, conservative defense to trip up Lionel Messi and try to steal a win at Wembley on the golden boot of 22-year-old Javier Hernandez, who has scored 20 goals since joining the club 13 months ago.

Greens fees

BMW PGA Championship
Sat./Sun., 9 a.m. (GOLF)
Stay overseas if you want to watch real contenders on the course. A Tiger-less PGA Tour has taken a backseat to the European Tour, and it stays that way this weekend on the outskirts of London. All four reigning major champions and six of the world’s top seven players are competing, including No. 2 Luke Donald, who shot a 7-under 64 to take the first-round lead Thursday. The Byron Nelson in Dallas, meanwhile, boasts just one top-10 player in American Matt Kuchar.

Rev your engines

Indianapolis 500
Sunday, noon (ABC)
You may know only two names at this year’s race, but it’s still worth checking out. Literally. Danica Patrick snuck into the field after a top-10 finish last year, while Ashley Judd could be in the winner’s circle yet again if husband Dario Franchitti takes the checkered flag for a third time. Franchitti, the defending champ, and Scott Dixon are the co-favorites to win the 100th running of this iconic race.

Court of appeal

French Open
Monday, noon (ESPN2)
Rafael Nadal continues his march to a record sixth French Open title, while Caroline Wozniacki will try to move on to the quarterfinals for the second straight year. Novak Djokovic may end up stealing the spotlight, though, if he remains undefeated this season.

Big screen

Take in a matinee
Monday, noon (AMC)
We told you baseball was bogus this weekend. That’s why we suggest tuning in to “Patton” at noon, then “The Longest Day” at 4 p.m. After that, it’ll be the longest month-plus until one of the best shows on TV right now, “Breaking Bad,” comes back for Season Four in July.

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It just seems that whenever he makes contact, the ball has this funny tendency to sail over fences.

Entering last night’s game in the Bronx, Toronto’s Bautista was pounding one homer in every 9.7 at-bats since 2010. Quite a jump from 29.7, which was his  rate from 2004 to 2009.

“It’s more of the timing of everything,” the major-league leader in homers said before crushing his 19th jack in a 7-3 win over the Yankees. “I start way earlier and I’ve been talking about that for the last two years. It has created a night and day difference because I can get myself to that good hitting position consistently – see the ball better and attack the ball before it gets too deep in the strike zone and those good hitting counts, it’s no joke.

“You can look up historically when people are hitting 2-0, 3-1 counts batting average and power production is way better than 0-2 or behind in the count."

The numbers certainly tell the story. After facing those counts, Bautista is hitting .435 with 17 home runs and 37 RBIs since the start of last season.

Also telling the story is the difference in Bautista’s on-base percentage from last year. It currently sits at .500 after being .378 and that is the by-product of improved patience.

“I haven’t really changed much,” said Bautista, who also leads the majors with 45 walks “It’s just that I’m more patient and that’s allowing me to get more walks and also get into more hitting counts, and that has led to a higher batting average.”

And a higher OPS. His whopping 1,316 OPS is .214 points higher than the next best figure belonging to ex-Yankee and current Cardinal Lance Berkman.  Bautista also leads the majors in runs scored (39), total bases (115) and extra-base hits (88).

He’s not the only surging slugger in this series.

The Yankees’ Curtis Granderson has hit 30 home runs since August 14, six fewer than Bautista in that span. He is the third Yankee to reach 16 home runs in the first 45 games (Tino Martinez 1997 and Alex Rodriguez 2005 and 2007), leading to the chatter about being a power hitter.

“I’m not that type of guy, if it happens – great,” said Granderson, who is on pace for 54 long balls after never having more than 30 in a season. “It’s not something I try to do. I don’t put myself in a category like Bautista or a Ryan Howard or an Alex Rodriguez, except for the fact we’re all baseball players.”

Manager Joe Girardi, though, clearly sees the similarities.

“Bautista you saw a whole year of the same thing and now you’ve seen two months of it,” Girardi said. “Curtis, it’s been the past four months, but it was two months one year and maybe people forget. It’s not glaring how many home runs he hit last year, but then you look at his two months this year and you say, wow, he’s got a lot at this point. It’s two guys that have made adjustments and have become big power hitters.”

So now the AL home run race presently comes down to two well-adjusted outfielders in the AL East.

“After you hit a certain amount of home runs, you can’t help it and people are going to give you all that treatment,” Bautista said. “Whether that means they’re going to change the way they pitch to you or not, then that’s different but he is a power hitter and he might as well embrace it as soon as possible.”

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David Wright is not a superstar. He is essentially baseball’s version of Chris Bosh, which might be a slight disservice to Bosh. And come to think of it, Jose Reyes does come across as self-entitled and more than a little delusional.

If anything Wilpon should be getting props for recognizing the true nature of his team, of his mess.

The Mets are paying superstar money for several players who aren’t close to superstars. That’s how franchises become hot messes. What, Fred Wilpon isn’t allowed to be honest?

If George Steinbrenner made similar observations in his prime, he’d be lauded for trying to motivate his troops. But because Wilpon could turn out to be business evil in a different way than the baseball-banned, soon-to-be Hall of Famer Steinbrenner, it’s not OK for him?

Wilpon’s not telling Wright anything that his six-home-run-hitting self shouldn’t already know. Wright isn’t taking “the high road” by not firing back his indignation. He’s honoring his $14 million salary and respecting the fact that Wilpon’s hand-picked baseball people were dumb enough to overpay him.

Casual New York baseball fans have already been calling one un-superstar player a superstar for years (Derek Jeter). Wilpon deserves praise, not scorn, if he prevents another false legend.

At least Wilpon isn’t fooling himself. It’d be much more damaging if he  dwelled in self-denial, said the Mets were close and raved about Wright and Reyes like they were Ted Williams and Rickey Henderson.

How can a Mets fan not be encouraged by Wilpon’s realization of just how pathetic his team is? That’s usually half the battle. More so, in the zany world of Flushing, where up is often down and a reporter is to blame for a VP’s inability to keep his shirt on around a bunch of minor leaguers.

Wilpon may not come across as brilliant in The New Yorker. (It’s no stretch to imagine him blowing the sure cash cow that owning a MLB team provides). But he’s not living in a fantasy land. And with these Mets, that’s a huge win. Their first real one of 2011.

– Chris Baldwin covers the sports media for Metro.
Metro does not endorse the opinions of the author, or any opinions expressed on its pages. Opposing viewpoints are welcome. Send submissions to letters@metro.us.

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New York’s “other” baseball team has experienced a long list of controversies over the last four years. For the most part, Fred Wilpon has kept his mouth shut.

Until now.

Wilpon blasts his underachieving team in the latest issue of The New Yorker. The Mets principal owner, who is still breathing — albeit fire — just fine at the ripe age of 74, says he commanded pitching coach Dan Warthen to implore an unnamed pitcher to “throw the f—g ball,” predicted that Jose Reyes won’t “get Carl Crawford money” because “he’s had everything wrong with him,” and called himself a “schmuck” for giving a seven-year, $119 million contract to Carlos Beltran before gauging  the right fielder as “65 to 70 percent of what he was” in  2004 when he belted eight home runs and scored 21 runs in 12 postseason games for Houston.

Perhaps the most venom, though, was spewed at a guy who just played a month with a broken back. Wilpon described the face of the franchise, David Wright, as “a really good kid” but “not a superstar.” The five-time All-Star rose above the criticism, releasing a simple statement through is agent: “Fred is a good man and is obviously going through some difficult times. There is nothing more productive that I can say at this time.”

Wilpon still had plenty,  assessing the team as “s—y” and “snake bitten.”

The Mets (22-24) will try to disprove their owner today against the Cubs after dropping two of three to the Yankees.

Wilpon burns bridges to future free-agent stars

WILPON (PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES)

Only the Mets could make the Yankees look like a safe haven for aging veteran sluggers.

Brian Cashman’s treatment of a declining Jorge Posada and Derek Jeter looks angelic compared to Fred Wilpon’s slams on his supposed core players. It’s now clearly obvious Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes are goners either before the trade deadline or after the season. But to crucify Wright, a guy who even Jeter describes as a “player who everyone respects” won’t do the Mets any favors when they go digging for free agents, no matter how much money they have to spend. METRO

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To understand why, we must first understand how a baseball line works. Unlike basketball or football, there is no point spread. Favorites are established by money lines. So if Roy Halladay is taking on Clayton Richard, you would have to risk somewhere around $300 just to win $100.

Halladay started 33 games a year ago, compiling one of the best seasons in recent memory. He had a 2.44 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and struck out 219 batters. But the Phillies won just 22 of those games. So even though Halladay was dominant, bettors had to swallow big losses 11 times.
If you bet on Halladay every time last season, you only turned a very small profit.

Cheat sheet

Three tips for betting on baseball this season:

1 Look for four-game sweeps — It’s uncommon when a team sweeps a three-game set. But a four-game sweep is downright difficult. Bet against it.

2 Don’t be afraid of bad teams — Last year, the 76-85 Astros won bettors 1,249 units, sixth-best in the league. Meanwhile, the 86-76 Cardinals lost bettors 2,011 units, fourth-worst. The relative strength of a team is built into the money line.

3 Home team matters — Think it doesn’t matter where a game is played? Think again. Last year, MLB teams combined for a 1357-1073 record at home. That’s a 55.8 winning percentage for the team that bats last.

MLB props

6-1
Adrian Gonzalez to win AL MVP
Look at A-Gonz’s road splits. Now finally out of Petco Park, he is a strong bet to have a career year.

10-1
Ryan Howard to win home runs
Howard is the third choice to hit the most jacks behind Adam Dunn and Albert Pujols. But he is the only one of the three to ever hit 50 in a season.

11-2
CC Sabathia to win AL?Cy Young
Durability is a virtue. Sabathia has started 34 or more games four straight years and is a lock to contend for the league lead in wins.

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From a former World Series champion to a first-year hire, no one is exempt from rampant speculation.

So, let’s take a very early look at some skippers who might be looking for  a new line of work when that summer wind comes blowing in.

1 Ozzie Guillen, White Sox
It’s been a tumultuous seven seasons on the South Side for Guillen. Yes, he led the White Sox to a World Series championship in 2005. But Guillen is a walking reality show, always just a controversial tweet away from upsetting management.

2 Jim Riggleman, Nationals
This might be unfair when you consider Washington’s talent. However, Riggleman has gone 102-135 in one-plus seasons, while the team’s top prospect, Stephen Strasburg, went down on his watch. This year, the team spent big bucks. They must show improvement.

3 Terry Collins, Mets
We know he was just hired in November, but when you manage the Mets, you’re always on the hot seat. This is one of MLB’s most underachieving clubs. If they can’t finish above the Nationals, you can bet Collins’ name will hit New York sports talk.

4 Bob Geren, Athletics
His .474 winning percentage over the past four seasons ranks among the league’s worst. Plus, he has never taken the A’s to the postseason. Why might he be safe? He is really close with GM Billy Beane.

5 Bud Black, Padres
The reigning NL Manager of the Year shouldn’t be on this list, right? Maybe not. But consider that San Diego blew a 6.5-game division lead, lost 10 games in a row and missed the playoffs last season. Then, they said goodbye to Adrian Gonzalez. Good luck.

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1 Jeremy Hellickson, RHP, Tampa Bay

Few youngsters are coming into this season with better pedigrees than Hellickson: The Des Moines, Iowa, native was the USA Today and Baseball America minor league player of the year last season.

Now that he’s Tampa Bay’s confirmed No. 5 starter, big things should come from Hellickson. He looked seasoned in 36.1 big-league innings last year, fanning 33 batters and walking just eight.

All signs point to this kid becoming Tim Lincecum’s heir apparent as the best young pitcher in baseball … then leaving Tampa Bay for a $200 million contract with the Red Sox or Yankees before the decade is out.

2 Gordon Beckham, 2B, Chicago White Sox

With Chase Utley hurt, there’s a top-three spot in the pantheon of second basemen open for grabs.

Look for Beckham to stake his claim before 2011 is out.

Even after a disappointing 2010 (.252 BA, .317 OBP, .378 SLG, .695 OPS), Beckham is looking at the No. 2 spot in the White Sox’s order and an unquestioned starting spot on a $125 million team.

The pressure is off Beckham to carry much of the load in a lineup that includes Adam Dunn, Paul?Konerko, Carlos Quentin and Alex Rios. That should be all Beckham — a 24-year-old native of Atlanta — needs to improve on the kind of numbers he posted in his rookie season:?.270 BA, .347 OBP, .460 SLG, .808 OPS.

3 Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pittsburgh

Alvarez made an immediate impact during his lengthy rookie-year stay in the majors last year, batting .256 with 16 home runs and 64 RBIs.

The sky’s the limit for his second campaign, especially since he’s reportedly been putting in long hours in the cage during spring training.

“I’ve been making some strides, though I still have a little work to do before the season starts,” Alvarez told MLB.com. “I think it’s gone pretty well.”

The one issue with the kid from the Dominican Republic:?strikeouts. He fanned an impressive 119 times in 347 at-bats last season. That’s a lot like the rate of prodigious K-man Adam Dunn (199 in 558 at-bats last year).

3 Contract Years

1 Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals

The most talked-about contract of the 2010-11 offseason wasn’t one signed during that span. No, it was Albert Pujols’, which is set to expire this fall after negotiations broke down during spring training. Everyone knows what Pujols can do with the bat — he’s a .331 career hitter with a stunning 172 OPS+, after all. The question is where he’ll be slugging come next year … or maybe even this August.

2 Prince Fielder, 1B, Milwaukee Brewers

Lost amid the Pujols talk during the hot stove season was Fielder (who, by the way, has an amazing middle name in “Semien”). The soon-to-be 27-year-old has made himself one of baseball’s most feared power hitters in Milwaukee, and is all but certain to end up elsewhere in 2012.

Consider this season little more than a free-agency audition for Cecil’s boy.

3 Jose Reyes, SS, New York Mets

With the Mets figuring to be far out of contention by the trade deadline, Reyes could prove to be a difference-making prize for someone down the stretch. But that, of course, depends on whether his upcoming free-agent status inspires the speedster to reach the heights he saw in years like 2008, when he hit .297 with a .358 OBP, an .833 OPS and 56 stolen bases.

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