After Major League Baseball faced scrutiny after announcing their new rules, but they recently announced that they have a few additions that they are hoping will eliminate fans’ anxiety.
1. RELIEF PITCHERS MUST FACE TWO BATTERS: This rule comes along with the rule about starters, which we’ll call the “Brandon Woodruff Rule,” which states that starting pitchers must face three batters before being pulled. This rule is really a win because it gives previously one-batter pitchers a second chance to prove their arms and take down batters they would never have been expected to face. This also creates more skilled, seasoned pitchers with that Mariano Rivera flare, where they can demolish right-handed hitters equally as they can left-handed hitters. 2. BASERUNNERS MUST TELL FIELDER THEY’RE STEALING: This rule adds more strategy to the game and encourages a new focus on the speed of a baserunner. Baserunners must indicate to the fielder pre-pitch if they’re stealing. They can do this as close to the pitch as they would like, as long as they convey the message before the pitcher releases the ball. The fielder has this time to call out to the rest of the field that the runner is stealing, so they can jump into order and prepare to catch the speed-demon. This ingenious addition to the rulebook prevents big and slow players from risking injury and it prevents pitchers from ruining the game on wild pitches. 3. PLAYERS MUST PLAY THROUGH STREAKING FANS: With baseball trying to speed up the game, this rule is a definite time-saver. Fans often try to get themselves on camera and mess up the field of play, but now they won’t be able to get that attention, as players will just continue with business as usual. So there will be no more Jeffrey Maiers, no more Steve Bartman’s, and no more of those Astros’ fans interfering with Mookie Betts robbing a home run. The game will just have to continue and the fans will just have to sit back and accept that they can’t mess up the game. 4. DEFENSE ADDS FOURTH OUTFIELDER, OFFENSE CAN ADD SECOND BATTER: This evens the playing field. With baseball’s new rule allowing the defense to add a fourth outfielder in certain situations, the offense will be allowed to bring up a pinch hitter to stand in the batter’s box opposite the scheduled batter. When the Baltimore Orioles put their tenth player in the field to combat Aaron Judge, the Yankees will be allowed to put Brett Gardner directly opposite him and make the field an equal place. 5. ANNOUNCERS CAN DECIDE ONE CALL PER GAME, POST-SIXTH INNING: This rule has taken far too long to come into effect, now announcers can decide one call per game after the sixth inning. This rule ensures that both sides get a fair input on the game. The radio broadcasters for each team will have an opportunity to call down to their team’s dugout to tell the manager to inform the umpire when a call must be reversed. They have to do this quickly, though, as the defense can get the ball back to the picture and start the next play, rendering the announcer’s opinion on the last call a moot point, causing them to waste that call. These rules are truly wins for baseball and will be implemented this season. Of course, now it’s time to reverse this article as it is clearly fabricated, ridiculous, and a product of this insidious day known as April Fools’ Day. Jesse A. Cook “Baseball Implements Surprise Rules” April 1, 2019
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Oakland has to decide soon whether they want a World Series ring this year or if they want to rebuild for 2019. Khris Davis, Jed Lowrie, and Blake Treinen are big names that would look great on any roster and will certainly be talked about come July 31. The question is this: is Oakland all in, or are they looking more towards the future?
The green and gold showcased two players in DC last week, Lowrie and Treinen, so they’re both on the map for teams definitely in the race for the ultimate trophy in late October. A veteran presence and an allstar middle infielder, such as Lowrie is a good target for better, younger teams. Every playoff team also needs a good closer and Treinen’s stats show that he is one of the best. Treinen has a 1.08 Earned Run Average, a 1.00 average of Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched, and he has 24 saves. He’s fourth in the American League in saves on a team that has only given him 28 save opportunities. The Pittsburgh Pirates, who are on an 11-game win streak could use a complement to seemingly equally fantastic closer Felipe Vazquez to help them come back in the contentious National League Central Division. The Astros, Braves, and Phillies all are in position to make serious postseason runs, but none of them are particularly fortified when it comes to late-game pitching. Boston, New York, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia would be prime locations for Lowrie because they all are rather weak at second base. With Dustin Pedroia hurt, the Red Sox would much rather have their old teammate on their roster to be a constant at second rather than alternating between Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, and Tzu Wei Lin. New York’s Gleyber Torres, while currently on the ten-day Disabled List, is the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, but Didi Gregorius at shortstop is having a down year and hitting considerably worse than Lowrie (Gregorius is batting .265 with 17 home runs and 55 Runs Batted In, but Lowrie is batting .276 with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs). Hernan Perez in Milwaukee is having a terrible year (.245 batting average, six home runs, and 22 RBIs), so the Brew Crew would welcome Lowrie with open arms. Philadelphia has their own dilemma at second with Cesar Hernandez as he’s batting .270 with eight home runs and 33 RBIs. These trades, if made would point to Oakland looking at the future, because all these teams have prospects to give: Boston has Jay Groome and Tanner Houck (I would have included Jalen Beaks, but he was recently traded to Tampa for Nathan Eovaldi), New York has Justus Sheffield, Albert Abreu, and Chance Adams, Houston has Forrest Whitley and J.B. Bukauskas, Pittsburgh has Mitch Keller and Shane Baz, Atlanta has Mike Soroka, Kyle Wright, Luiz Gohara, Ian Anderson, and Kolby Allard, Milwaukee has Corbin Burnes and Luis Ortiz, and Philadelphia has Sixto Sanchez, Adonis Medina, Jojo Romero, and Franklyn Kilome. Of course, these are all top pitching prospects, so who’s to say any team would be willing to give up part of their future for one championship run? The answer is that I AM TO SAY THAT! Boston has a dilemma at second base, New York could use some higher quality talent, Philly, as well. In addition to that, every team wants depth in their bullpen because Houston doesn’t want Justin Verlander throwing nine innings in Game 1 of the ALDS when they might need him to be full speed for Game 3 or 4, Boston has the same situation with Chris Sale, New York with Luis Severino, Pittsburgh with Ivan Nova, and teams without the strongest starting pitching like Milwaukee, Atlanta, or Philadelphia also want a strong reliever to pick up the slack when their starters can’t make it through the sixth. Also, every team looking for a postseason run, namely New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Pittsburgh needs a great hitter. Khris Davis is having a standup year with 25 home runs, 72 RBIs, and an .854 OPS. He is a fine fielder, as well, so any team who acquires him would be more than equipped to face their foes during National League games or in the World Series against the NL pennant winner. With all this in mind, it’s important to return to the theme displayed in the title, “Is Oakland All In?” The Athletics recently acquired Jeurys Familia from the Mets; Familia is 6-4, he has a 2.62 ERA, and he has 17 saves in 44.2 innings over 42 appearances. At 59-43, the A’s are 1.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners and Houston Astros, who are tied for first in the American League West, and they are 1.5 games out of the second Wild Card spot and six games ahead of the Rays, who are the next competitor for a Wild Card spot. These signs, such as recent trades to fuel their bullpen and their competitiveness in the West, point to a postseason run this year. If Oakland falters and falls apart completely by next week, these trades are no-brainers, but if they hold strong, I expect that Oakland will be a serious contender and a serious problem for their AL West rivals. Being 8-2 in their last ten games and having won four straight, it certainly does not look like the Athletics will die off. Jesse A. Cook “Is Oakland All In?” July 24, 2018 Due to his recent batting and his obvious skill as a fielder and base runner, Billy Hamilton is a hot topic for trade talks. Now that he’s started to hit well, he could be an extremely valuable asset to a playoff contender, but the Reds might keep him if they become one of those contenders. With one of the best offenses in baseball, they seem like a team that should easily lock up the National League Central, but because their pitching has been abysmal, they’re stuck fighting to stay out of last place!
If Tyler Mahle and Sal Romano can jumpstart this Cincinnati rotation into pitching as good as they should, not only could they keep Raisel Iglesias for a postseason run, but they could keep their Gold Glove candidate, Hamilton. #6 is an absolute demon on the basepaths and he makes the ESPN Top Ten almost weekly with his outstanding outfield diving grabs. A team like the Atlanta Braves would really benefit from gaining him. Their center fielder, Ender Inciarte, is batting .333, with five strikeouts, and no stolen bases in his last seven games. His play is declining (He’s hitting .252 on the year.) and he is nowhere near as valuable as BH in the outfield. The Washington Nationals should look into Hamilton. Adam Eaton, their CF, is batting .346, with five strikeouts, and no stolen bases in the last seven games (In fact, Eaton hasn’t stolen a single base all year, so Washington could definitely use Hamilton’s speed.). His Defensive Wins Above Replacement is a terrible -0.5, 0.9 below Hamilton’s +0.4. The Milwaukee Brewers could use Hamilton because he and Lorenzo Cain, their center fielder, are similar players, but Hamilton is five years younger and in much better shape. Cain is batting .400, with four Ks, and four stolen bases in his last seven. Hamilton however, is a better fielder and is much, much faster. Hamilton is batting .409, with only three Ks, and 4 stolen bases in just the last seven games. During these games, the Reds have gone 5-2. They are in the midst of a four game win streak, as well, so things are looking up for the Reds. Luis Castillo, Romano, and Mahle all have unimpressive Earned Run Averages, Mahle’s being the lowest at 3.89, Romano at 5.18, Castillo at 5.77. Mahle leads the team in wins as he is 6-6, Romano is 4-7, and Castillo is 4-8. Mahle and castillo have struckout 76 each and Romano 56. These stats are not impressive by any means, but in the last month Castillo is 0-3 in incredibly close games, Romano is 1-1, but Mahle is 3-0. In the last month, Romano has a 2.70 ERA, Castillo has a 6.89 ERA, and Mahle has a 1.61 ERA. During June, Romano struckout 14, Castillo struckout 15, and Mahle struckout 20. If the Cincy starting pitching continues to improve and Hamilton’s bat becomes better, the Reds would have to keep him, so he can finally fulfill his destiny to be great for the Reds. Hamilton’s bat has improved of late (and the Reds really only need him to bunt it down the third base line because he’ll almost always beat the throw to first and then he’ll steal second and third with ease.), so teams are now seeing him as the major asset that he is. If the Reds don’t have a shot at the postseason, they’ll likely trade BHam to a playoff contender for some younger prospects, tough. The Reds are 17th in baseball in runs, tenth in hits, and ninth in batting average, so it’s evident that pitching is the problem. Thankfully their pitching has improved of late, so if they can keep their momentum they’ll be a postseason team and Billy Hamilton will stay in the plain red and white of the Queen City. Jesse A. Cook “Reds’ Good Pitching Keeps Hamilton” June 22, 2018 Mike Trout, Andrelton Simmons, Albert Pujols paired with the offseason acquisitions, namely Shohei Ohtani and Chris Young, will put the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim atop the American League in 2018. The lineup is stacked and the division is weak, so the odds fall ever in their favor.
Ohtani had a splendid start in his first Spring Training game, a 6-5 victory over the MIlwaukee Brewers. He struck out two and allowed only one run in 1.1 innings pitched. He most recently had a rocky start against the Tijuana Toros, but he picked himself up easily later on. Angels’ catcher Rene Rivera said, “Once the lights come on, they call 'play ball,' you're going to see a different pitcher. We'll see a lot more velocity, sharper pitches. He's going to be Ohtani. You have to give it time.” Rivera was right, for later in his performance, the Japanese star’s curveballs were dropping into the corners of the strike zone and his fastballs were hitting the upper 90s. Andrelton Simmons is returning from injury, so the LA lineup is all set to go with him, Young, Pujols, and, of course, Trout. All four players had favorable seasons last year and make great parts of the strong lineup. Simmons batted .278, with 14 home runs, 69 RBIs, and a .331 on-base percentage last year. Since he’s not there strictly for offense, those are great stats, especially with his speed because getting on base almost a third of the time means more stolen bases. His defense is also one of the best in the league, for it landed him with his third Gold Glove, eighth place in the MVP voting, the best defensive WAR at 4.2, and the eighth best WAR at 7.1. Pujols is a first ballot Hall of Famer and he hit 23 home runs last year, accompanied by 101 RBIs. Age doesn’t seem to have the effect on him that it has on most other players because he’s still able to clobber the ball out of the park and he will definitely add to his monstrous career 614 longballs. Trout is arguably the greatest baseball player of all-time and last year, which was not even his best season, in only 114 games, he hit 33 home runs, 72 RBIs, a .306 batting average, a .442 on-base percentage, a .629 slugging percentage, 1.071 OPS, the second best offensive WAR at 7.4, and the tenth best overall war at 6.7. He made his sixth all-star appearance and he would’ve started if not for an injury. He also came in fourth for the MVP award only following the World Series Champion, José Altuve, the Rookie of the Year with 53 home runs, Aaron Judge, and the Cleveland Indians’ star, José Ramirez (who all barely edged him out for the award). The Angels’ open their season at home against the Indians on April 2. Stay tuned for the second part of this series of articles about the prowess of underestimated California baseball teams in “California Countdown Part 2: Head Of Family And League.” The San Diego Padres, like the Angels, should definitely be on everyone’s watchlist. Jesse A. Cook “California Countdown Part 1: City Of Angels Soars” March 10, 2018 From Garrett to Bronson to Tim Adleman,
The Cincy team’s pitching has lost it again, Votto and Schebler and Duvall’s bats, Can hit as they please, but each game ends the same: “Rats!” Billy just stumbles, He can’t get a hit, Though the crowd rumbles, It’s just grumbles for the team looks like s**t! Team Israel’s Scott Feldman has been good for the game, But on any good team, that’s the fourth starter’s name, Cozart will leave, then what have we got? A team that will win? No, a team that will not! So, what further hope does the Queen City have? It’s tough to say, for the Reds are on “Loser’s Ave,” But as Brooklyn Dodgers’ fans hoped for a trophy to be in the future, near, Reds fans can say: “Just wait ‘til next year!” It’s true, the Cincinnati Reds have taken a dark downhill turn since early, last month and have descended to last place in the National League Central Division. So, what hope do the Reds have to break their, by the end of this season, 27-yearlong drought? To quote the Brooklyn Dodgers’ fans of the days of old: “Just wait ‘til next year!” Why will 2018 turn out better for the Redlegs? For one, Jesse Winker will be ready to play, and that, alone could win them the NL Central. He wasn’t ready earlier this year when he only hit .273 in four games in the majors, but he’s hitting .306 back in the minors for the Triple-A Reds’ affiliate the Louisville Bats. Why is Winker such a bright light for Cincy? Well, Scott Schebler’s contract is up at the end of the 2017 season and the Reds will need an outfielder, assuming either Schebler leaves and they need a third or he stays and they need a fourth. Winker’s bat combined with Adam Duvall’s bat and Billy Hamilton’s glove and speed could be the X Factor that brings this Cincy outfield together. Now, what needs to be addressed: the pitching. What hope is there for Cincinnati pitching? There, you might have a problem. Luis Castillo is the answer to that: his Minor League Earned Run Average was 2.58 and in his two Major League starts, he’s done exceptionally well. With no losses, his ERA stands strong at 3.38. This starter looks like the piece to start completing that starting rotation puzzle. Sal Romano is another great prospect that the Reds need to utilize more. Granted, back in April. Romano lost his only Major League start, pitching only three innings and giving up three runs (two earned), but he was facing the first place in the NL Central Milwaukee Brewers. Back in the Minors he had a wonderful 3.06 ERA, and that’s something valuable for the team. Add Castillo and Romano, work with Amir Garrett, and maintain the abilities of Tim Adleman and Scott Feldman, and you’ve got yourself a strong starting rotation. Bring Winker back up and your bats are gonna soar more than they already do (the team’s batting a fantastic .260, with 114 home runs, and a league-leading 69 stolen bases, 33 of which belong to Hamilton). Granted, the prospects won’t help for 2017, it’s too late to save this dying season, but once they’re on the 2018 Major League roster, you can expect another Cincinnati playoff bout, so once again: “Just wait ‘til next year!” Jesse A. Cook “Cincinnati To Baseball: “Wait ‘Til Next Year!”” July 2, 2017 In the National League, electing a few first basemen to the team will be a tough task. On the one hand, there are many great players like Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, and Ryan Zimmerman, but there are also situations where the 1B might not be especially good, but they’re the best player on a team that will only get one all-star like Wil Myers, Eric Thames, Brandon Belt, or Anthony Rizzo. Granted, with the way Buster Posey’s hitting, Belt won’t need to be the San Francisco Giants’ only all-star, but it is a tough choice to narrow it down to merely a handful of first basemen.
A simple case can be made for each player listed, but they’ll probably only have a few. Taking into account the aspect of the designated hitter, there will probably be two first basemen and two just flat-out good hitters in each lineup. To save us some tears over missed players, let’s assume that all four spots will be filled by first basemen and make our list from there. PAUL GOLDSCHMIDT The Arizona Diamondbacks’ star has a lot to offer and is an easy choice for the starting spot, for his bat has been absolutely unstoppable this season. Batting .323, he’s acquired 65 RBIs, 18 home runs, and an unbelievable 13 steals! Goldy’s been showing off and he needs to be a part of the NL lineup for it. ERIC THAMES Batting a mere .241, all-star hopes do not look good for the Milwaukee Brewers’ first baseman. You could argue that his 20 homers are really something to write home about, but 11 of those blasts were in the first month! Unless a teammate like Travis Shaw or Orlando Arcia misses the cut, I wouldn’t expect Thames to be in Miami, this Mid-Summer Classic. JOEY VOTTO The Cincinnati Reds’ Vottomatic has had a possibly Hall of Fame career and his 2017 season has reflected that, so far. He’s clearly been the best Reds player as he has acquired a .303 batting average, 55 RBIs, and a whopping, fifth in all of baseball, 21 home runs! #19 definitely deserves a spot on the NL team, this July. BRANDON BELT The Giants’ first baseman might have had a shot at the all-star game if it weren’t for the team’s unbelievable catcher, but his stats simply don’t add up to a couple days in Miami, Florida. The lefty has batted a terrible .228, with only 35 RBIs, and 14 home runs. I’m fairly sure Eddie Gaedel might’ve had better numbers, so let’s just keep Belt in San Fran, next month. RYAN ZIMMERMAN In his 266 at-bats, this year, this Washington National has assured us that Bryce Harper won’t be the only Nat heading to the 88th Annual ASG. With 61 RBIs, he’s fourth in baseball, with a batting average of .338, he’s third in baseball, and with 19 home runs, he’s got a shot at the Home Run Derby! There’s no reason why Ryan Zimmerman shouldn’t be in this year’s National League lineup. ANTHONY RIZZO Sure, the Chicago Cubs’ first baseman has been playing well in the last month or so, but we can’t just disregard those two months at the beginning of the season. Batting .326 in the month of June doesn’t justify batting .218 in April and .192 in May, and neither does his 18 homers (six of which were hit in the last month), nor does his 50 RBIs (20 of which were in the last month). Say what you will, but one month of skill is not enough to put a player on the all-star team. WIL MYERS Okay, Myers has struggled a bit this year, but let’s face it: the San Diego Padres need an all-star. Things aren’t pretty for Myers, as he is batting just .262, with 15 homers, and 40 RBIs, but, let me rephrase: the Padres are desperate for even just one all-star. You could argue that Hunter Renfroe could make it, but he’s not doing an better than Myers, and he’s competing with Harper, Cody Bellinger, Scott Schebler, Jay Bruce, and Marcell Ozuna, so it’s safe to say that Myers will make the NL team because, again, let’s try this one more time: San Diego really, really needs an all-star. There’s a plethora of applicants for the position of first baseman in the National League lineup, but there can only be a few who actually make the team. Goldschmidt, Votto, and Zimmerman are by far the best at the job in their respective league, but there’s always a chance for maybe one more in the lineup. The other twelve first basemen in the NL, even if they weren’t listed, still have a shot. Jesse A. Cook “NL First Base Is Close To Call” June 29, 2017 |
AuthorJesse Cook: High school junior. Does play-by-play for the Sharon Varsity Eagles softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and football teams. Fanatic of the Boston and Cincinnati teams in the Big Four sports. Designs graphics of athletes, politicians, and musicians at Picsart.com. Archives
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