Baseball Historians

Well, it’s that time of year.  Time to look back on what will soon be what was and look forward to what will be.  In a lot of ways, on a personal level, 2006 was one of my best.  I got to watch my son grow another year and he’s gone from being a baby […]

Andy LaRoche tops a list of the top 20 Dodger prospects over at John Sickel’s fantastic site.  LaRoche tore up the PCL after getting promoted and he finished the season with a 64/66 strikeout to walk ratio at both Double A and Triple A.  This is a good, patient hitter with a ton of pop […]

Well, this made big news in a hurry.  The Yankees are apparantly shopping Randy Johnson and the most likely suitor is his former team, the Arizona Diamondbacks.  I’ll give you two words, Conor Jackson.  If the Yankees trade Johnson, the deal should include first baseman Conor Jackson, who’d be a great addition to the Yankees […]

In 2004, Keith Foulke was on top of the world.  He was closing games for a World Series winner and then the injuries came.  Since then, he’s pitched pretty poorly.  The Indians are hoping his arm troubles are behind him and he can bounce back because they’re close to a deal with the relief pitcher.  […]

It felt like I got punched in the gut and it made for a crappy Christmas present.  My favorite player on my favorite team was traded.  I know this happens, but this trade still boggles my mind.  Yes, John Danks is a good prospect and at only 21, could develop into a front line starter, […]

Juan Rivera broke his leg playing winterball, and while the left hander will be missed if he’s not ready for spring training, the Angels did their best to try to fill the void by signing Shea Hillenbrand to a one year, $6 million deal.  Hillenbrand was cut by the Blue Jays after writing negative comments […]

I’m pretty pissed off right now.  I’ll comment on this trade when i calm down.

By Thaq Diesel
Is he just clumsy?  Does Griffey start each season by breaking a mirror?

Things have been quiet with the Tigers lately.  Bonderman did sign his four year deal, but the Tigers haven’t done much in the offseason since the Gary Sheffield trade.  Not that it’s a bad thing, it just means I have to make up things to write about.
So unless something happens in the next couple of […]

Wow, it’s not even 2007 yet and Ken Griffey’s status for the 2007 season isn’t certain because he broke his hand at home.  There were no details, but this isn’t the first time this has happened to Griffey.  If you remember, he fell in the shower and broke his arm in his rookie year and […]

The Yankees came to an agreement with Cuban infielder Juan Miranda.  Miranda will start the season in the Florida State League and he’ll make just over $2 million over the four year life of the contract.
He’s 23 and he’s a left handed hitter.  Based on his stats in Cuba, he seems like a patient hitter […]

The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority recently approved a stadium plan that would bring the Indians back to Arizona for the 2009 spring training season.  The facility will be in a west Phoenix suburb and it will replace their current winter home of Winter Haven, FL.  The Indians played in Tuscon up until 1993 prior […]

By Thaq Diesel
The Reds acquired yet another platoon player today .  It’s just like ‘Nam, man!  Those stands are just crawling with Charlie!
Your guess is as good as mine about how the crowded roster of journeymen on the Reds will play out next year.  Conine brings a much-needed right-handed bat to the lineup and can […]

Minor League expert Kevin Goldstein recently listed his top 10 Cardinals’ prospects.  At the top of the list is the only very good prospect according to Goldstein.  Colby Rasmus looks like a toolsy centerfielder and could be the heir apparant once Jim Edmonds rolls out of town.  Jamie Garcia is the top rated pitcher with […]

The Phillies traded Jeff Conine to the Reds for two minor leaguers.  Conine had a solid but unspectacular year playing for the both Philly and the Orioles.  He hit ten homeruns and he hit .268. 
In exchange, the Phillies got Brad Key and Javon Moran, two minor leaguers who played in Low A ball last year.  […]

John Sickels recently posted his list of the top twenty Mets prospects.  Fernando Martinez tops the list.  Martinez hit very well in the South Atlantic League but not as well in the Florida State League and the Arizona Fall League.  Then again, the kid just turned 18 in October so he has a ton of […]

The Braves inked utilityman Chris Woodward to a one year, $850k deal today.  Woodward isn’t a spectacular hitter, but he can play anywhere and he should give Bobby Cox some flexibility when it comes to the late innings.  He had a solid season in 2005 in which he hit .283 but last year he hit […]

The Phillies signed Rod Barajas to a one year, $2.5 million deal today.  He’ll share catching duties with Carlos Ruiz behind the plate after the Phillies let long time catcher Mike Lieberthal go.
Barajas is two years removed from a career year in which he hit 21 homeruns.  He only has a career .282 OBP though.  […]

Minor League expert Kevin Goldstein recently unveiled his top 10 Pirate prospects in his latest Future Shock.  It’s a pretty encouraging list as the Pirates have one “excellent” prospect and two “very good” prospects.
Centerfielder Andrew McCutchen tops the list as the lone excellent prospect.  He tore it up at Low A and then did it […]

The Twins re-signed Rondell White to a one year, $2.75 million deal.  White had a horrific first half but turned it around in the second half and put together a fair season.  Gardnehire has waffled as to what White’s roll is going to be.  He’d probably make a better DH then left fielder but I […]

The Orioles re-signed utility infielder Chris Gomez to a one year, $850k deal yesterday. Gomez is one of those guys where you look at his numbers and wonder how he made it fourteen years in the league but then you realize he’s a nice guy to have around because he can play anywhere on the infield.

If Joe DiMaggio’s rookie season in 1936 was a good one, his second season in 1937 was even better.  DiMaggio developed his power stroke in 1937 and he set a career high and led the American League with 46 homeruns.  For the second straight year, DiMaggio finished in double figured in doubles (35), triples (15), […]

The Pirates signed Cuban right handed pitcher Yoslan Herrera to a three year, $1.92 million deal.  There’s not a whole lot to work but this BA column talks about his makeup.  It looks like he’ll start the season in Indianapolis and he’s only 25.  It’d be nice if this guy pans out.  The Pirates need […]

John Sickels recently posted his list of the top 20 Phillies prospects.  Topping the list is Carlos Carrasco but only he and Kyle Drabak posted ratings of B or better (Carrasco was given a B+) and even Drabak is questionable.  There’s way too many C’s and C+’s on the list, especially for a team that […]

The New York Mets are pulling out all of the stops to get the last good starting pitcher available outside of Roger Clemens.  Mets CEO Jeff Wilpon and GM Omar Minaya both flew out to California in order to visit with free agent Barry Zito.
Right now, it sounds like the Texas Rangers are the Mets […]

It looks like Brad Radke is going to officially announce his retirement tomorrow.  He played injured all season last year and he still had a very solid, if short, second half of the 2006 season.  Radke played all twelve of his season for the Twins and he’ll finish with 148 wins and a 4.22 ERA.  […]

By Thaq Diesel
There have been no improvements in the pitching to speak of.  The Reds have tinkered with the infield thus far but otherwise nothing.  Either Cincinnati thinks they’ve got minor league prospects ready to jump up (I’m not seeing it if there are), they’re sitting around waiting to sign a major free agent (can’t think of whom) or they’re not going […]

Christmas came a little early for Tiger fans.  This is simply a huge signing and it’s one more indication that the Tigers, under Dave Dombrowski, are headed in the right direction.  The Tigers signed a back loaded four year deal with Jeremy Bonderman that will pay him $4.5 million in 2007, $8.5 million in 2008 […]

For as good of a player Orlando Cepeda was, he sure was traded a lot.  In his ninth year with the Giants, which included six All Star appearances and a 142 RBIs season, the Giants cut bait on Cepeda early in 1966.  They traded him to the St. Louis Cardinals for Ray Sadecki that May […]

 The Angels might have been on the outside looking in for most of the 1967 AL pennant race but at one point late in the first half, they led the way.  The team got by on some solid pitching but some less then stupendous offense.  One hitter rose above the rest, and that was first […]