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Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

At the age of 32, Mark Buehrle is obviously only searching for a three-year contract, and this makes him a popular candidate on the free agent market. According to Sports Illustrated, 14 teams are after him, with the Rangers, Nationals, and the busy Marlins the most aggressive pursuers. This could give Buehrle a bloated contract, but he is a solid pitcher with a very low injury risk who should end up being a solid signing. Buehrle would like a no-trade clause and $14 million a year; about his market value.


A few teams are interested in the top free agent third baseman; Aramis Ramirez. Among these teams looking for a solid bat at a weak offensive position are the Brewers, Phillies, and Angels. It's looking like A-Ram wants three or four years on his deal, but I wouldn't go past three seasons with Ramirez.

There are obviously more teams interested in Prince Fielder, and it looks like the high-priced free agent will wait until the Cardinals and Albert Pujols come to an agreement before signing; thus getting more money in the process. Fielder is viewed as the better investment due to his age, and it looks like he wants to play for an east coast team who will be able to contend next season. Count the Nationals, Rangers, Blue Jays, and Brewers as a few likely destinations for the slugger.


Two rivals are fighting for solid, veteran reliever Octavio Dotel. The 38-year-old would like to re-sign with the Cardinals, and the defending champs have offered him a one-year deal.

Former Indians third baseman Casey Blake is looking to rejoin the team, and nine teams have contacted the 38-year-old who bought out his contract in order to become a free agent. Although he was injured for most of last season, his agent says that he will be completely healthy to start the 2012 season.

36-year-old RHP Hiroki Kuroda would like to sign for around $12-13 million, and he has offers from the Diamondbacks, a club in Japan, the Rockies, Red Sox, and Angels. The D'Backs are really going after the former Dodger, and he will certainly be signed very soon if he stops asking for an option for a second season.
Mark Buehrle
Garnering tons of interest
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Happy 42nd Mo

November 29th 2011 19:23
The greatest closer in MLB history turns 42 today, and his number is also 42 because he played before Jackie Robinson's number was retired league-wide. Mariano Rivera is obviously a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and anyone who suggests otherwise is toiling in idiocy. Happy birthday Mo, and I hope you don't retire after the 2012 season. He's still going strong into his 40's, and that's something I can say for maybe a handful of other players in history.

I would like you all to check out My2Cent's take on some really crazy blockbuster MLB trade that is hypothetical, but interesting all the same. If you like these sorts of mulling posts, then this one is for you.

Another link I want to lay down on you is the offseason notes for November 29th on FanGraphs that are always a must-read provided by the great Carson Cistulli. Every hardcore baseball fan should try and keep up with his notes daily, and I hope you guys check it out; it's well worth your time. And oh yeah, you can also vote on whether or not a team's broadcaster's are good in their Crowdsourcing Broadcasters feature.

For those of you Tool fans, I'm hearing that Maynard James Keenan is letting Adam Jones and Danny Carey come up with lyrics for their upcoming album. Their last album was in 2006 (10,000 Days) and their next one is sure to be a hit. I'll just sit hear listening to "H." while waiting anxiously for whatever the heck they want to call the next one. Jones and Carey come up with deep and insane lyrics, and their songwriting skills are seriously underrated. Not only that, but Jones and Carey are one of the best guitarists and drummers in rock respectively.

Christian Bale is going to stop playing the Batman, so it's time to cross our fingers and hope that they somehow find a worthy replacement. Bale has fit the role well, so the scavenger hunt begins that will hopefully lead us away from the Wild Goose Lounge; even if we need the help of James Roday (which wouldn't be a bad thing).

I leave you with these random thoughts, because Pro Sports Wrap is all about the random, the geeky, the insightful, and the just plain dumb. This is a very paradoxical blog, and it takes on the (split) personality of the blogger behind it. I hope you guys start checking out Tim Holland's blog, as he is easily the best sports historian on the Orble Network.
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11/2011 Player Profile: Torii Hunter

November 28th 2011 15:57
At the age of 36, Anaheim Angels right fielder Torii Hunter is obviously beginning to see a decline in skill. He is still a productive hitter, but his defense has fallen off ever since he has played for the Angels. His defense has been overrated, and those who think Hunter is still one of the best outfielders in baseball would be dead wrong. He's still a solid player, but his offensive value doesn't translate as well into a more hitter-heavy position (right field). The five-year deal worth $90 million dollars that he signed in 2007 has actually been a rather poor one, as Hunter has been worth about $55 million dollars through his first four seasons when he was expected to be worth $72 million through those years. It wasn't a huge mistake, but people who think this was a good deal would also be wrong.

I mainly want to focus on Hunter as a player now, than rather talk about his historical value (that's what the historical player profiles are for). The RF was worth 2.5 WAR last season, as he was solid in the field and decent- not likely to continue- on the bases despite just five stolen bases. With 82 RBIs, 80 runs, and a .332 wOBA, Torii Hunter was an above-average hitter last season. He only hit .262, but his on-base percentage of .336 was solid as were his 23 homers.

One of the most consistent hitters in baseball, Hunter's OBP is usually in the .330's and his home run totals are usually in the low 20's. Next season, he should walk less but hit more home runs and have about the same performance at the plate overall in the last year of his hefty contract.

Although Hunter's career LD% is a measly 17.4%, 21% of his hits were line drives last year. However, liners fluctuate from year to year, so there isn't much that can be drawn out of this. A problem is that Hunter chased more pitches this year, and although he did get more contact out of it chasing pitches hurt his overall value.

Torii Hunter will be 37 years old next season in July, but he has shown relative consistency at the plate; although his skills have understandbely, steadily declined due to age. Hunter is one of those guys who has aged gracefully, and he is still a solid player who provides some offense. It's not stupid to even hint that Hunter has been poor defensively over the past few seasons, because he is way on the wrong side of thirty and was playing center at that age. His play in the field was actually good in right field- a much easier position that requires much less speed out of an older player- thanks to a good arm in right.
Torii Hunter
109 wRC-plus in 2011
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11/24 MLB Rumors: Reliever Rumblings

November 24th 2011 09:48
The New York Times reports that Joe Torre could be interested in owning- mostly partially owning- the Los Angeles Dodgers. While this doesn't seem likely, there is a chance that Torre ends up teaming up with somebody like Rick Caruso to own the team.

The Minnesota Twins are interested in re-signing Matt Capps and implementing him as their closer after Joe Nathan signed with the Texas Rangers. Capps is a slightly below-average closer, but he's the best option they have and will likely be cheaper than making a move like trading for Francisco Cordero or Huston Street.

Speaking of which, there are six teams interested in acquiring the Rockies closer. Street, like Capps, is 28 years old, and he was also the 2005 Rookie of the Year. He's about a league-average closer, and the six teams interested (per Sports Illustrated) are the Red Sox, Jays, O's, Mets, Marlins and Reds. The Reds are also trading their closer, and Street would present a minor upgrade over Cordero. The Jays, O's, and Mets have a huge need at closer, but it is interesting to note that the Mets rejected a previous deal from the Rockies in a proposed Street-Pelfrey swap.

According to the New York Post, Mariano Rivera might retire after the 2012 season. Mo has one year left on his contract, and below are two quotes to mull over. The best closer in history is about to turn 42, and he has saved a record 603 games over his Major League career so far. I don't think he should hang up the spikes now, as he has still been pitching at a very high level. However, he knows his body more than we all do, and I'm sure that the future Hall of Famer will make the best decision for himself.

"I don't know what will happen,'' said Rivera. "I have one year left. I might call it over. I will know more in spring training.''

"Every time I talk it gets worse and worse,'' Rivera said when asked about his vocal chord problems that have arisen this offseason which may require surgery.

There are a lot of replacement-level to average starter middle-infielders who are making bank this offseason, and Jerry Hairston Jr. could be among those guys. Hairston is really just a utility backup guy. Hairston is an above-average defensive outfielder, and he plays at a high level at second. However, he is considered to be mediocre at the hot corner. But with his positional versatility, Hairston is an intriguing option and provides value to a ballclub. He was worth 1.2 WAR in 376 plate appearances, so he is an inexpensive option who would be a solid stop-gap option.

In fact, there are three teams interested in signing Hairston; the Dodgers, Brewers, and Giants all want to sign him. The Dodgers lost Jamey Carroll to the Twins in free agency, the Brewers have a hole at short, and the Giants are obviously in the market for a shortstop with their situation at the position. The 35 year old did get a one-year offer from the Brewers to re-sign with the team, but it seems like the Brew Crew want to get a marquee shortstop. They have also made it clear that signing Yuniesky Betancourt is also an option, although everybody will agree that it's not exactly a good option.

The Nationals are fighting with the Miami Marlins to sign solid veteran free agent starter Mark Buehrle. The Nats have made him their number one priority this offseason Buehrle has been worth over 3 WAR for the past three seasons, and he will definitely bolster this rotation and is worth about 10-12 million on the open market.

Count Sandy Alomar Jr. out of the race for the Boston Red Sox manager opening, as Bobby Valentine has been swooning the Sox brass recently. I expect the Sox to name Valentine their manager, but there are still a couple of candidates remaining.
Mariano Rivera
Will he retire after 2012?
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2011's Best Starting Pitchers

November 23rd 2011 18:53
This is a ranking of the best starting pitchers of the 2011 season, and it's based on the performance of last season alone.

1. Roy Halladay- His 2.20 FIP was awesome, his efficiency gets overlooked because of the hype surrounding the guy directly below him


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Two Days, Two Tragedies

November 21st 2011 19:33
On Sunday, Arkansas redshirt freshman tight end Garrett Uekman was pronounced dead at Washington Regional Medical Center in Fayatteville, Arkansas. Although you may not know him, I can assure you that his teammates, friends, family, and coaches knew and loved the 19 year old TE.

“Garrett’s loss is a terrible shock for the University of Arkansas and the Razorback program,” Arkansas athletic director Jeff Long said in a statement. “Our sincere condolences go out to his family and to all of those who knew him. He will be missed by many friends, teammates and others throughout campus. The well-being of our student-athletes is at the very core of our mission and when a tragedy like this happens it is a tremendous loss to the entire campus community. We will work with various campus services to provide support for the Uekman family, our student-athletes, coaches and staff during this difficult time


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The Colorado Rockies were discussing a trade that would send closer Huston Street to the New York Mets for starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. The funny thing is that the Mets rejected the deal, because they didn't really like Street. It's funny, because Street is a much better player than Pelfrey. I mean, Pelfrey is a below-average starter who would be an awful fit in Coors Field. Bob Geren is the New York Mets bench coach, and part of the reason why this deal didn't go through is because Street and Geren hate eachother from their days in Oakland. I don't blame Street, because Geren is an incompetent manager and most players hate playing for him. Tell me why he was hired again? Oh yeah, that's right, Sandy Alderson likes bringing in former Oakland guys; look at their manager Terry Collins (at least he's okay).

Instead of worrying about what could have happened, let's talk about what might happen. That's what rumors are about, right? Brandon Phillips was easily the NL's best second baseman this season, and it is incumbent upon the Cincinnati Reds to extend him. He's got one more year left on his contract, thanks to a team option that was exercised on Halloween, but the Reds would obviously want their second best player to stay longer


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Albert Pujols is coming off of the worst season of his career, and many people are questioning whether or not the inevitable is happening; is the greatest player of this decade beginning to decline? It's a fair question to ask, but Pujols is still going to be a valuable player over the next few seasons. The Cardinals are still trying to make sure that Pujols will retire with the team, as they have not retracked on their earlier offer of nine years and about 200 million. It seems ludicrous, but Pujols is that valuable to the franchise as a Cardinal. Naturally, the future Hall of Famer has far less value for any other team. The Marlins have- to nobody's surprise- offered Puj a contract well below 200 million dollars. Pujols would obviously be better off re-signing, because that type of money just isn't given to players who will be heading into their late 30's during the deal.

The Milwaukee Brewers are probably going to foolishly go internally and the very light-hitting Mat Gamel at first. As a result, the Brewers are focusing their resources on other positions; such as shortstop. Jose Reyes isn't the only option, as the team is talking to the under-priced, scrappy Clint Barmes. The Brew Crew have also contacted veteran and former MVP Jimmy Rollins, but don't rule out the possibility of them signing the "perennial groan"; Yuniesky Betancourt. Again, how was this guy ever a Type B FA? (Like Shrek, I know it happened, but I just can't believe it. Don't blame Elias, the league gave them their mindbogglingly stupid method


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It isn't always pretty, but Francisco Cordero gets the job done, and there are quite a few teams clamoring for his services via trade. Cordero is about a league-average closer, and a solid prospect is about what the Reds should expect from a deal. However, there is a good chance that a team overpays for him and factors in his gaudy save numbers a little too much.

Although the Padres have given a two year deal to Heath Bell, they don't really like the prospects of him re-signing. Bell could stand to make more with one of the many west coast teams interested in him, and one can't rule out the Red Sox as players in the race for Bell. Even though he is a little overrated, Bell is still a pretty good closer, but a team looking to give him- as Sports Illustrated states- three years and 30 million is giving up too much


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11/14 MLB Rumors and News: The Dodgers

November 14th 2011 19:05
It looks like the Los Angeles Dodgers are poised to pay my 2011 NL MVP 160 million dollars over eight seasons. This is a bargain for the Dodgers, as Matt Kemp should easily be a 4.5 WAR player over that time span, and he is definitely one of the most talented players in the Majors right now.

Remember in the spring last year when the Milwaukee Brewers offered Prince Fielder a five year deal worth 100 million? And Fielder didn't even give a counter-offer? It looks like the Brewers are definitely going to move on, and it is obvious that Fielder is doing the same and really wants to test his value on the market. I believe that Fielder will get seven years and 156.5 million dollars on the open market in a deal that is similar to what Adrian Gonzalez got


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2011 PSW NL MVP

November 9th 2011 15:45
To me, there really wasn't any other option as to the winner of the NL MVP (for this blog at least). The Los Angeles Dodgers have one of the best ballplayers out there in Matt Kemp, and I could just end the argument by talking about how he was one homer away from a 40/40 season. I won't, and that's because I like reading my own writing. No, but it actually is important to actually analyzing a player besides taking a couple of stats and naming them off. That is what evaluating a player is, in a sense, because you just take statistics and put them together. However, the important part is the last clause of the sentence; and it is what I will attempt to do. Just how good was Kemp in 2011 and why was he this good?

The best statistic at estimating a player's value is WAR, and the sabermatrician's Snickers bar has Kemp at an NL-leading 8.7 WAR. A threat on the basepaths (40), the same can't be said about his relatively poor range in the outfield. By no means does he stink in center, but aside from his arm, he really doesn't hold that much value defensively. Still, subpar play on defense doesn't take away from his overall accomplishments and versatility of Kemp on offense. Center fielders who can hit 39 home runs with an on base percentage a literal tick under .400 are extremely valuable commodities in the MLB


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I was left shaking my head in disgust when looking at the title on Yahoo! Sports baseball homepage for the free agent tracker. I've never liked Jeff Passan to begin with, but calling somebody a "major league imposter" is uncalled for and bush league. Everyone's favorite Yankee-hater and Rays-lover is at it again, and I really hope he learns to tone it down. It's one thing to criticize a player, but it's another thing when you insult them to that degree.

Because of injuries, GM Sandy Alderson won't re-sign Jose Reyes to a contract longer than five years. That makes a lot of sense, and I wouldn't give him over five years with or without injuries. This is a guy who could very easily bust out of his contract, because he is a 28 year old shortstop who relies heavily on speed. The Nats and Brewers appear to be the frontrunners, and I am sure that he won't make "Crawford money" in light of how that deal went down


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We all know that TLR retired, Davey Johnson is getting ready for another season in Washington, the Sabathia deal, and the moves dealing with Dempster, Grady, and Carmona. I don't want to focus on those moves at the moment, but I will take a look at the Derek Lowe trade and the obvious Brian Cashman re-signing.

Derek Lowe was traded to the Indians for some random minor leaguer, and the Braves will pay ten of the 15 million that the righty is due in 2012. It's a good deal for both teams, as the Braves save some money and get a prospect while getting rid of a starter in a crowded rotation. Lowe has always oupitched his ERA, in that his predictive stats are always better than his actual earned runs allowed. I do expect him to have a better 2012 campaign, but he won't set the world on fire (it's Derek Lowe guys). Still, the Indians get an above-average pitcher who fits in nicely


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10/2011 Player Profile: Mat Latos

October 31st 2011 15:31
To celebrate Halloween, I have another exclusive Player Profile/Scouting Report of a current MLB player. Appropriately, for the holiday, my shuffled song is currently "Enter Sandman". It would have been plain freaky if I was planning a piece about Mariano Rivera, but I have an equally interesting piece written about a young pitcher on the Padres.

Last season, Mat Latos was a 4 WAR pitcher who was getting a ton of recognition as one of the best young pitchers in baseball. His fastball was sizzling as his slider electrifying. This season, his fastball is still relatively effective but is considerably worse. Last season, he was just mowing down hitters. All of his pitches have been worse this season, especially his curveball. Each of his pitches have also been much slower this year, and it is obviously a concern when a pitcher's fastball is ticks below what it was the previous season


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2011 PSW AL MVP

October 30th 2011 13:22
There is really no doubt in my mind that Jacoby Ellsbury was the best player in the American League in 2011. His 9.4 WAR is a stellar mark, and it is significantly higher than everybody else in the AL. Ellsbury does it all. He hits for power, average, he steals bases, and he is one of the best defensive players in baseball.

Not many center fielders can knock more than 30 homers out of the park, and even fewer can do so with 39 steals and a .321 batting average to boot. His .230 ISO and solid K/BB ratio also go well with his 119 runs scored. Ellsbury recorded a stellar 5.66 WPA and absolutely devoured both fastballs (31.2 wFB) and change-ups alike (an insane 10.5 wCH


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It's Staind time (I put on Grooveshark as I write). Yo Tim, be sure to correct me if I get some stuff wrong and add in your opinion. Your the history junky who knows this stuff better than I do and enjoys the game as I do.

Harold Reynolds is one of my favorite baseball players of all-time, and he was arguably the best defensive second baseman of the late 80's and early 90's, and he won three Gold Glove awards for his efforts. In 1990, he had an insane season at second defensively, and he was also terrific the season before defensively. The speedy Reynolds stole 60 bases in his second season (1987) and had 250 career swipes


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A Giants lifer, Jim Davenport spent his 13 year career playing solid ball for the San Francisco Giants. The 1962 All-Star third baseman is currently with the Giants as a front office worker, and he used to be a manager for them; albeit an unsuccessful one. Davenport later went on to be a coach for the Philles and a scout for the Tigers.

Although he wasn't a good hitter- career wRC-plus of 90- he did play some nice D over at the hot corner and was a Gold Glover in 1962. That was easily his best season, as he was on their World Series squad and earned his only All-Star appearance. Jim Davenport posted a 4.7 WAR on the strength of arguably his best season in the field and his best season as a hitter (119 wRC-plus). Davenport crossed the plate 83 times that season with a triple slash of .297/.357/.456. I know that runs scored is a bad measurement of skill, but I just put that out there for the traditionalists and the guys who like to know (although I doubt anybody cares at all


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10/2011 Roundup: TTU!

October 23rd 2011 07:03
Dude, today was the day I immersed myself in the wonders of college football. How can it be that the World Series is somehow overcome by a sport in which players are illegally paid to play? The answer is simple; college football kicks ass. Pardon me for my language that trumps standard elementary school vocabulary, but my previously candid statement sums everything up perfectly. How else can I describe a tipped Hail Mary pass that sent one of my favorite teams to victory? Order a schadenfreude movie on DVD now! Underneath a libel washes the motorway.

Now, LSU's romping of Auburn only serves as a warning to the only other team who can play with them; 'Bama. LSU is basically saying, "Yo Saban, which just owned your rival. Come play us and see some real swag on a football field." Landry Jones and his deflated bunch have pretty much dropped themselves out of the class of LSU and 'Bama, if they were ever in that class to begin with. Oh yeah, you know, I don't care much for those damned rankings at the beginning of the season. Nobody has ever seen anybody play, so they don't mean anything at all. The term is meaningless- I know- but the nonsensical rambling of a sports blogger are droning through an equally meaningless post


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1. CF Jacoby Ellsbury- Is good at everything- especially speed and D- and plays at a position of weakness in the league.

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia- Best defensive infielder in baseball who is also more than capable with the stick. And oh yeah, positional adjustment favors him too


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For 14 seasons, centerfielder Tom Goodwin tore up the basepaths and played some solid defense as well. Although he was a poor hitter with almost no power, he had some terrific inside-the-park home runs (like the one against the Braves). Goodwin played for the Dodgers, Royals, Rangers, Cubs, Padres, and the Giants.

In truth, however, Tom Goodwin was actually a horrible hitter who had a career wRC-plus of just 79 and never had a season worth two WAR. Regardless, he was still well-liked and hit a good amount of triples with his speed. Only weighing 175 pounds, his main asset to a club was his devastating speed and was a speed demon in every sense of the word. Goodwin played good D and was among the league leaders in sacrifices, as he was definitely a "small ball" player over his career


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