Top MLB Prospects

After winning 5 out of the last 6 American League West titles, 2010 was a disappointing season for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Now, they are looking to put it into the past and look forward to 2011.

The Angels will need to recover some of their confidence so that they can attempt to once again be on the top of the division. The strength of the team is the pitching staff. They are returning their ace Jered Weaver, who was 5th in the CY Young voting and his 90 mph fastball is sometimes unhittable. They are also looking for the 2 time All-Star Scott Kazmir, who struggled last year, to return to form. Finishing out the rotation are Dan Haren, Ervin Santana, and Joel Pineiro.

If these five stay healthy and perform like they are capable, the Angels’ could contend for the best ERA in the league. However, it’s the bullpen that needs work. Fernando Rodney did not have a stellar performance last year as the closer, so he will try to regroup. Jordan Walden, who throws 100 mph heat, could surface as a closer. Kevin Jepsen, who had 27 holds last season, is a reliable force in the set-up role. Newcomers Scott Downs and Hisanori Takahashi should give the bullpen more depth.

During the off-season, the Angels also need to work on their offense and defense. They are relying on 1st baseman Kendry Morales to return to form after breaking his leg last season. With dangerous hitters, such as Bobby Abreu, Tori Hunter, Erik Aybar, Maicer Izturis, Howard Kendrick, Albert Callaspo, and Peter Bourjos, the Angels will have a real possibility to return to glory.

In order for the Angels to win the West, they are going to need to dethrone the American League Champion Texas Rangers. The Oakland A’s figure to also be a contender; therefore, the division will be very tough to win. However, if the Angels can follow the lead of their veterans and rely on their starting pitching, then they have a very realistic chance to win the American League West.

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Third basemen, David Wright, should be considered the best and most consistent hitter on the New York Mets. Last year he led the team in home runs with twenty-nine and runs batted in, with 103. His .283 batting average was among the best on the Mets.

2011 will be Wright’s eighth season in the big leagues, all with the New York Mets. He has a career batting average of .305 with 169 home runs and 664 runs batted in. In 2010 he was named to his fifth all-star team. He is the best third baseman in New York Mets history.

The New York Mets’ home park, Citi Field is not a hitter friendly park. Wright’s first season at Citi Field resulted in a power outage, as he hit only ten home runs and only 74 runs batted in. He rebounded last season and the team his counting on his power, but playing most of his games at Citi Field will make it difficult for Wright to lead the league in home runs.

His batting average fell to .283, the first time he batted below .300 since his first year with the New York Mets. He also had 160

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Who is the best hitter on the Kansas City Royals?

Being a small market team, Kansas City doesn’t have the budget to match larger market teams such as the Red Sox or Yankees when it comes to raw talent. However, with some exploration, the lineup of the Royals possesses a few gems, particularly Billy Butler.

How does Butler compare to the other Kansas City hitters?

Butler, together with Alex Gordon and Alcides Escobar, can all tally 70 runs each season. Yet Bulter stands out as the team’s greatest threat to drive in runs by hitting with the most consistency. His average will be the team’s highest, surpassing both Mike Aviles and Gordon. Not only does Butler place solid contact on the ball, Butler’s one of two players on the Royals who’re a threat to hit above 20 home runs annually. The other being Kila Ka’aihue. See here for live scores.

Will Butler compete for the home run title?

Butler doesn’t have a chance to contend with the Ryan Howards and other big bats found throughout MLB. Merely hitting twenty out of

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This year’s White Sox squad stands to rank as one the best in all of major league baseball. The White Sox re-signed slugger Paul Konerko and inked Adam Dunn and his country strong arms to a multi year deal that will have the Sox contending and clubbing pitching staffs into submission for years to come.

Konerko is clearly the better all around hitter for the Sox with a lifetime batting average of .280 compared to Dunn’s .250, but Dunn has had 7 years of at least 38 homeruns and 5 years of 40 or more. Konerko actually hit one more round tripper than Dunn last year with 39, and the 2 could combine for more than 80 in 2011.

Outside of that fearsome tandem, the White Sox are absolutely stacked. Speed Merchant and slap hitter Juan Pierre returns to the top of the batting order to set the table. His ability to get on base and move into scoring position is vital to this line-up clicking at full tilt.

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This staff top to bottom may be the most underrated in the AL Central, and possibly the entire American League. The starting five is an overpowering one, especially with the addition of the big Oklahoman Brad Penny. When Penny was healthy with the Cardinals, his four seamer and splitter combo was devastating. Verlander is healthy and has Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello and Phil Coke behind him. Even if Phil Coke doesn’t reach full potential, and Rick Porcello falls off a bit, this is a stacked starting five.

The back end of the bullpen is powerful as well, even if it is injury prone. Joel Zumaya was being shut down for at least a week as of March 15th. Daniel Schlereth looked great in his time with the Tigers last year, and should serve as lefty specialist. The electric and eccentric Jose Valverde will provide many memorable moments as the closer.

The big issue outside of the health of the bullpen is defense. Brandon Inge is steady and sometimes spectacular at the hot corner, and mega-big man Miguel Cabrera has a great glove at first, but in order to use that glove he must bend over. Expect his range to suffer

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Chone Figgins is not going anywhere. The general manager of the Seattle Mariners, Jack Zduniecki was firm about that. He admitted that he talked about the players (not only Figgins) with other managers but that is what the managers do. There is no need to put the two togheter as in this case you may get a five.

And Figgins himself has stated that he has no intention to leave. In his statement he said that he likes to win and that he wants to keep on winning where he is right now. The Mariners of course.
The team admitted that they were under the same impression so it seems that everyone are on the same boat there (no pun intended).

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I just installed a new app on my iPad. It allows me to sign in to various online Instant Messaging systems like Facebook or Skype. it’s great in a regard that I have everything in one place and can chat to people on various levels. But using it got me thinking, how much money would MLB make if it allowed private chat rooms with players?

I mean, how many people would actually want to spend some time with the player and chat about anything. Of course, the league would have to get the players to agree to do that first. And convincing millionaires who don’t even give a crap about the game sometimes, especially in their last season before retirement may be difficult. Not impossible though and few changed clauses in a standard MLB contract could sort the problem out for good.

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A prolific baseball writer and historian Bill James was born in 1949 in Kansas. After a typical childhood and University years (he studied at the University of Kansas) he enrolled to the army and become the very last soldier sent in 1971 from Kansas to Vietnam to fight the war.

He was first stationed in South Korea for two years and in there he learned that he had passed every exam and collected all the points required to receive a degree of the University of Kansas. He was awarded a degree in English and Economics but in spite of this success he decided to expand his knowledge and upon his return from the army he enrolled of a further number of classes. He eventually received an education degree, also from the University of Kansas.

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Throughout history, sports have generally been played fairly. But occasionally there are incidents that are extremely “foul”. We will discuss two of the greatest sport scams in history. Specifically, the 1919 Chicago White Sox scandal and the scam at the 1980 Boston Marathon. Both of these incidents prove that greed can make an athlete step over the line.

Most definitely the biggest scam in sports history took place in 1919 by some of the players on the Chicago White Sox. Two well-known gamblers who were backed by notorious gangster Arnold Rothstein were able to bribe some players from the White Sox to throw the World Series. The White Sox went on to lose and the gamblers made their money. Nobody suspected any foul play until the following year when the players were indicted on charges of throwing the games. The Commissioner of baseball at the time, Mountain Landis, gave all the players a lifetime suspension from baseball.

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The Lakers have found themselves in a little bit of a dry spell however nothing that a game against Memphis should not be able to fix . However possibly The Lakers appeared to have an perfect chance to get back into the victory column during its previous matchup, as well.

Los Angeles have picked up 7 of 8 from Memphis & are trying to prevent their 1st 3 game losing skid of the year as they visit The Grizzlies on Tuesday evening .

After putting in 112.5 points during its 1st fourteen games, The Lakers (13 – 4) have been kept to 95.3 per game during the previous 3 while throwing in a combined 39.9%.

2 evenings following losing a nineteen point lead in a defeat at Utah, Los Angeles went back to their home court Sunday to encounter an Indiana squad which had been at .500 & had not picked up a game on the road game versus them since 1999. The Lakers dropped behind by as much as fifteen points & lost 95 – 92.

Kobe got a best for the year forty-one points against the Pacers following putting in thirty-one versus Utah. Los Angeles have been 3 – 3 when he puts in more than 30, in comparison to 10 – 1 when he does not.

While Kobe is 6 for 13 from beyond the arc during the previous 2 games, Derek Fisher has not delivered 1 within 4 consecutive & has threw in a combined 3 for 21 during the last 3 matchups . However, Fisher is connecting on a personal best 47.2 % of his 3 point shots, & Los Angeles are 7 – 0 when he puts in double digits.

Kobe has put in 37.0 points during his previous 6 matchups at The at the Fed Ex Forum vs. the Grizzlies & Los Angeles won 5.

The twelve time All Star & 2 time scoring champion ranks 3rd all time & 1st among active players having 105 forty point games, 7 of which have come versus Memphis. He only put in twenty-three in this year’s only meeting however was among 6 Lakers in double digits in a 124 – 105 home victory November 2nd.

That continues to be the most points permitted this year by Memphis; however They have been the ones doing lots of scoring recently when playing on their home floor. They have picked up 3 consecutive at FedEx Forum, putting in 106 .0 points while throwing in 50.8 %.

The Grizzlies (7 – 10), threw in 42.4 % Saturday evening in a 92 – 86 defeat at the Cavs, equaling its 2nd worst scoring performance of the year.

Memphis want to to have a much better offensive effort Tue considering they will not be so exhausted. They were kept to a worst thirty-five points during the 2nd half, possibly because of fatigue following performing Friday & not getting to Cleveland till 4 a.m.

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