Miami Products

The state of Miami. An independent state that is solely based on producing the best athletes of the country. From towns like Liberty City to high schools like Miami Killian to the big time program of UM. This is a city where naturals are born and stars are produced. I won't talk about football players, but baseball players. Two current minor league prospects for the Oakland A's. Adrian Cardenas and Jemile Weeks.

Adrian Cardenas, the 37th overall pick in the 2006 MLB draft (1st round supplemental round) came out of Monsignor Pace High School in Miami Gardens. Being drafted out of high school is an extremely hard goal to achieve and getting drafted out of high school in the first round.. Incredible. Cardenas, who played SS during his years at Pace, took the Spartans to a class 4A State Championship title and was ranked in the top high schools according to USA Today. He was noticed by scouts who were looking at star teammate Chris Marrero (15th overall pick). The scouts were so amazed by him, he even won Baseball America High School Player of the Year. Before getting traded to the A's, he was the 2nd basemen in the Phillies organization. In 2009, he spent time in AA and AAA where he hit .326 in AA and .251 at the AAA level. A little more seasoning and this Miami native will be MLB ready.



The U isn't only known for it's football program. They have one of the best baseball programs in the country and it seems like they never fail to reach Omaha. Jemile Weeks, who is the younger brother of Brewers Rickie Weeks, help elevate UM to an elite team while he was the Canes 2nd baseman. Weeks wasn't born in Miami but we can say UM produced yet another prospect. Weeks was the 12th overall pick of the 2008 draft, belonging to the the Oakland A's. A lot of scouts agreed he was going to play more CF than his natural position of 2nd but he hasn't made a move to the outfield yet. In 2009, Weeks batted .299 in A-Advance and .238 in the AA level. Weeks is just 5'10 175 lbs but he still manages to be an explosive hitter with his line drive swing and above average speed.


Being a minor league player, you never have a place to stay. You never know when you are going to be promoted or demoted or you never know if you're going to be traded. Both being expectational 2nd basemen in the same organization could mean a trade knowing how crazy it is when you're a minor league player. Either way, we should look forward seeing Cardenas and Weeks grow into All Stars and make an impact in the MLB level.

Angel Motivation

The Angels might have lost the first game of the ALCS vs. the Yankees, but that doesn't mean they will stop fighting. They've been doing it the whole regular season. The motivation, inspiration and strength that their late rookie pitcher, Nick Adenhart, has given them has changed this Angels team.

The Angels have been playing with his jersey hung in the dugout the whole season and it won't stop during the post season. Being one game down in the ALCS, I'm sure they have even more motivation to make Nick proud and come on top and beat the powerful Yankees. The Halos are playing without Nick, but that won't kill them, only make them stronger.

Game 2: Saturday 7:57 PM ET on FOX! Go Angels.

All Star Lineup

Decided to do this for fun!

LF- Chris Coghlan- Fla
CF- Jacoby Ellsbury-Bos
RF- Ichiro Suzuki- Sea
3B- Michael Young-Tex
SS- Troy Tulowitzki- Col, Hanley Ramirez- Fla
2B- Robinson Cano- NYY
1B- Albert Pujols- Stl
C- Joe Mauer- Min
P- Felix Hernandez- Sea

2009 Marlins PT II

The Marlins did not make the playoffs but this group of ball players have been an excitement to watch the whole year. Being through ups and downs, this group of players have turned out to be more like a family. And this is one key role that helps a team build success. From leader Hanley Ramirez to rookie Chris Coghlan. This team is full of talent and I can't wait to see them next season and the ones to come. Of course, it was sort of a failure because we didn't make it to the post-season but we were in it until the end. Thank you for a wonderful and fun season!

NL East: Top 3 Rookies

The 2009 season is about to end and the season awards are near. One close race, other than playoff spots, is the NL Rookie of the Year. A lot of voters have pitchers J.A Happ from the Phillies and Tommy Hanson from the Braves to be the top leading contenders. Others in contention are Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen and Brewers third baseman Casey McGehee. How about Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan? Would he be able to beat out his fellow NL East rivals for the ROY award?

Phils pitcher J.A Happ:

• 11-4 record
• 2.79 ERA
• 3 CG (2 SHO)
• 112 SO
• .236 AVG
• 54 BB

Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson:

• 10-4 record
• 2.85 ERA
• 100 SO
• 43 BB
• .230 AVG
  

Marlins outfielder Chris Coghlan:

• .311 BA
• .831 OPS
• .448 SLG
• .383 OBP
• 146 Hits
  
• 51 BB
• 76 SO

All 3 of these rookies have helped keep their teams alive in the playoff race and have put up very impressive numbers for rookies. It will be a pure joy to see these players grow and become part of the future of baseball.

Must Win!

On Sunday, the Marlins were on the verge of sweeping the Nationals once again and could've gain ground on the Wild Card and the division. BUT, it wasn't that easy.

Anibal Sanchez pitched well compare to his last start(also was the 3 year anniversary of his no-hitter vs the D-Backs in his rookie year) going 6 innings, 4 hits and 0 runs allowed. Chris Coghlan and Hanley Ramirez continue hitting as if they were hitting on a t-ball. They just don't stop hitting! So solid starting pitching and the hitting was going well and they were playing the Nats! Couldn't be that hard for the bullpen right?

Renyel Pinto loaded the bases and earned the tying runs that made the score 2-2(Kiko Calero allowed the runs but wasn't earned). Right after that, the Fish bats came alive and scored 2 runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead. Bottom of the ninth now: Leo Nunez, the Marlins "closer" came in to try to seal the win and get the sweep.

First pitch. Bam, homerun. Game turned to 4-3. Two batters later, Ryan Zimmerman, who has is little history of walk-off wins vs. the Marlins killed the team once again. Two run shot that won the game for the Nationals and that was the 6th blown save for Nunez.

This late in the season, it is VERY CRITICAL to take advantage of these "easy" games. The Marlins can't afford to lose a game to a team who might lose 100 games and their pitching has to step up their game and show to the Marlins faithful that they do belong in a major league roster and have the fans respect. You can't do that if you blow a game in the 9th. I understand you can't win all the games, but this time of year, you have to pitch to every batter with nasty stuff and pitch if it was the last time you'll ever pick up the ball. I still believe though! GO MARLINS!

Marlins Future Looking Great

But with confusion? The Florida Marlins have always been a team to look for years to come. They have players that are top prospects in all of Minor League Baseball and almost all of them are projected to have big numbers when they reach "the show". From First Rounders Matt Dominguez and Kyle Skipworth to almost USC football star Mike Stanton to big arms like Brett Sinkbeil and Ryan Tucker. The talent is everywhere on the field! But what are the Marlins supposed to do with so much kids!

Right now current LF, Chris Coghlan, is having a good rookie campaign so far. The second basemen turned left fielder was one of the Marlins top prospects ever since he got drafted. I've been a huge fan of his ever since I saw him play in the MLB Futures All Star Game a few years back and from there, I followed him through out his Minor League career to the day he got called up. I wasn't really sure where he would play since Dan Uggla is in 2nd but he sure found himself a home out in the outfield. About one month ago he was batting around 250. and now has 12 game hitting streak and batting 286. He has tremendous plate discipline and is a natural contact hitter. I really hope he sticks around with the Marlins because he can really help the team in the top of the order. But is he to stay in the outfield forever? Or will he be another Miguel Cabrera type, infielder turned outfielder turned infielder again. ( Those who didn't know, Cabrera was a shortstop before playing outfield when he got called up)

If Coghlan goes back to 2nd, where would Uggla play? Some said the deal was Uggla was to move to 3rd base to make room for Coghlan. So what happens to 3b Matt Dominguez, their 07 first round draft pick? He is known for his fancy glove but continues to shine with his bat in the Minor Leagues. Is Uggla the odd man out?

How about in firstbase? Gabby Sanchez vs. Logan Morrison. A lot of people haven't heard of Morrison, but those who have say he is the 2nd best prospect for the Marlins. They also have Morrison projected to play in the outfield for the Marlins. -What?- Mike Stanton, ranked #26 in Milb.com Top 50 prospects, should be playing RF, Cameron Maybin, #5 on the list, plays CF, and so far Coghlan is playing LF. Marlins aren't in the AL so none of them can't DH. (That will be great for the team if they had a DH)

So what do they do with the talent? Keep them in the Minor Leagues until they die? Trade them away for short term veterans? This is the bad thing about having so much fire power in your system. You might have to give away long time players of the future to make the team a contender right away. 2003, Marlins trade away their first round draft pick, Adrain Gonzalez to the Rangers for closer Ugeuth Urbina. He did help the Marlins win the World Series but look now. Urbina is in prison and Gonzalez is one of the best hitters in baseball. Another situation is trade prospects for another one, but look what happened in 1999. Marlins got Johan Sanatana in the Rule 5 draft but then gave him away to the Twins for Jared Camp. I know, who in the world is that? I don't even know!

It just sucks to see a player who could have been part of the Marlins having success with another team, but hey, that's baseball! A business. As a boss you wouldn't like to see a former employee selling more products for your rival and not your business. Yeah you can be happy for them but that one special talent could have made the team closer to being an elite squad.



My future Marlins lineup:
C- Kyle Skipworth
1B- Gabby Sanchez
2b- Chris Coghlan
SS- Hanley Ramirez
3b- Matt Dominguez
RF-Mike Stanton
CF-Cameron Maybin
LF- Maybe a veteran or Morrison, still up for grabs.
SP- Josh Johnson

Angry Prince

Last night the Brewers were playing vs. the Dodgers and it wasn't very pretty. Literally.

A) The Brew Crew lost 17-4. Not what you need when you're in a middle of a getting a playoff spot.

B) With two outs in the ninth, Dodger pitcher, Guillermo Mota, hits Brewers first baseman, Prince Fielder in the thigh and Fielder wasn't very happy about it.

In the bottom of the seventh when the Dodgers were batting, Manny Ramirez, was hit and it looked intentional. As we all know, when a player gets hit by a fastball, the other team wants revenge and goes after a player from the opposing team. "You hit our best player, we'll hit yours."

Now Prince has a right to get mad about this. His team suffered an ugly loss and I know no one would like to get hit by a pitch with one out left in the game. But the acts that Prince Fielder took...

After the game was over, the 270 lb Fielder went charging into the LA clubhouse to confront Mota. Just imagine someone as big as Fielder screaming and charging. It doesn't sound very pleasing. Dodger Stadium security and players from the Brewers had to hold Fielder back, so he actually wasn't able to reach the double doors of the clubhouse. 30 ft more and he was in! But would Prince Fielder let anger get to him and risk a suspension just to get back at Mota? I don't think the Brewers would want their best hitter (Or 2nd, Ryan Braun could be 1st) out for the season and their playoff chances are over because of the absence of Fielder.

It should be interesting to see what actions do both teams take when they play again today. All I know is, I wouldn't like to be in the bad side of Prince Fielder. He is one really big dude.

Trade Deadline

A day in which trades make or break a team. We saw many teams in the playoff race making a run for a player who can help the team come on top and win the division or get a Wild Card berth.

During the whole week we heard rumors that the Phillies were in the hunt of getting Cy Young winner, Roy Halladay, but in the end he stayed put in Toronto. They did get another AL Cy Young winner in Cliff Lee. After this trade, many said this was the ticket to the World Series for the Phils.

We also saw a team that looked like if they would trade away the whole team. The Pirates have been known as one of the worst teams in baseball in the last few years and they just want to get the young players so they can start from zero. We've seen some teams doing this and have done well, but the Pirates traded their middle infielders Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson, probably the two best players in the team get traded away and Nate McLouth, the All-Star was traded to the Braves earlier this season. The Pirates traded 10 of their players and in return received 17 players. Big time gamblers.

Another team that gambled was the Chicago White Sox. Earlier in the day, AL central rival, Detriot Tigers got pitcher Jarrod Washburn and that may have been the move that won them the central division. Then the White Sox managed to get former NL Cy Young winner, Jake Peavy. Peavy has been injured this season and we still don't know if he would pitch this season. So making a trade for a player that might not even pitch this season doesn't sound very smart...

Other notable trades: Red Sox get Victor Martinez, Twins get Orlando Cabrera, Braves get back Adam LaRoche, Marlins get Nick Johnson from the Nationals and Matt Holliday to the Cardinals.

WHO HAS THE EDGE?

My attempt to show who has the better players in the Red Sox vs Yankees. Will millionaire Yankees come on top? Or does the Nations players have the edge? Lets see!

First Base: Mark Teixeira vs. Kevin Youkilis
Winner: Mark Teixeira

Reason: We all know Youk can be a clutch player in do-or-die situations and even though he does have a higher OPS and SLG% than Tex, I would have a power hitter and a run producer any given day in my team.

Fielding Fact: Both of them have only 1 error this whole season.



Second Base: Robinson Cano vs. Dustin Pedroia
Winner: Robinson Cano

Reason: I'm shocked myself! Tell you the truth I had written down Pedroia until I saw Canos stats. Cano has the better AVG, SLG, OPS, more H, HR, RBI and a better FPCT. One of the most underrated players in the bigs. Still in wow.

Fielding Fact: Cano is currently 8th in all of MLB (Based on FPCT)



Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Who knows (Julio Lugo?)
Winner: Derek Jeter

Reason: It's Derek Jeter. "The Captain". It might sound unfair, but the Red Sox don't have no true shortstop.

Fielding Fact: 3 errors on the season. He never gets old.



Third Base: Alex Rodirguez vs. Mike Lowell
Winner: Mike Lowell


Reason: Well both have been dealing with injuries. And both are amazing players, but I would have to go with Mike Lowell in this one. Yes A-Rod in probably the next home run king, but Mike Lowell has been a player to count on when the post-season comes unlike Rodriguez, that is known to choke in the playoffs.

Fielding Fact: 2005 Gold Glove winner



Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Jason Varitek
Winner: Jorge Posada

Reason: Both are amazing catchers behind the plate and both are gifted switch hitters, but I would give this one to Posada because he will give a team more RBIs than Varitek. ( 13 years: Posada 921 RBI, Varitek 690)

Fielding Fact: Has 306 PO



Left Field: Johnny Damon vs. Jason Bay
Winner: Jason Bay

Reason: Jason Bay has done a terrific job filling the big shoes of Manny Ramirez in front of the Green Monster and has 72 RBIs this season. Damon has been dealing with injuries that prevent him from being a great player like in his Boston days, but he still can hit the long balls.

Fielding Fact: 9 A this season.



Center Field: Melky Cabrera vs. Jacoby Ellsbury
Winner: Jacoby Ellsbury

Reason: Ellsbury has the better speed and covers a ton of ground in center field. With his speed, Ellsbury has managed to steal 37 bases, while Cabrera has only 5.

Fielding Fact: Ellsbury with 178 PO this season.



Left Field: Nick Swisher vs. J.D Drew
Winner: Nick Swisher

Reason: Nick Swisher can play any outfield position and first base. J.D always has a set back because of injuries, but still is helpful in the team.

Fielding Fact: 971 FPCT



DH: Hideki Matsui vs. David Ortiz
Winner: David Ortiz

Reason: Big Papi has been struggling this season and it seems the departure of Manny Ramirez took a negative impact on Ortiz, but he has been showing signs of gettting better lately.


Pitching Staff:
Winner: Red Sox

Reason: The Yankees go big name pitchers like A.J Burnett and C.C Sabathia this off-season and they have done pretty well this, but with all the money they could be better. So the Red Sox pitching staff doesn't get paid all the big money but does put up very excellent numbers. World Series MVP Josh Beckett and Knuckle-Baller Tim Wakefield are two of the top pitchers in all of baseball. Also Jon Lester and Brad Penny are also wonderful help for the team. It seems like the Boston rotation gets better and better every year.

Closer: Mariano Rivera vs. Jonathan Papelbon
Winner: Jonathan Papelbon

Reason: Mariano Rivera, the best closer of our time? Many will say so and he still has the nasty stuff to close out important games, but right now Jonathan Papelbon has the whole world in his hands right now. I'm every time Papelbon comes into the 9th and ready to close out the game, All three batters due are intimidated by that stare that Papelbon gives when he ready to throw the heat. Plus, Papelbon has the lower ERA than Rivera this season.


Conclusion: The Yankees might have the big bat but like they always say, "Good pitching beats good hitting". And it has shown when these two have met this season.

Oh Fans.

Sorry I wasn't writing lately. I was caught up with some stuff. So I felt the urge of writing a blog about the upcoming Mid-Summer Classic.

As we know, we the fans have the duty to select the starters for both teams in the game. Year after year after year, the fans always seem to select atleast one player that makes you do the head scratcher and say "What the hell is wrong with the fans!"

This years player that got snubbed; Texas Rangers 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler. Who's starting at 2nd for the American League? Boston Red Sox little man Dustin Pedroia. Nothing against Pedroia, he is one hell of a dangerous player , no doubt, but really? Popularity over numbers? But it seems that Kinsler has been overlooked most of his baseball career because of Pedroia.

The two were teammates at Arizona State; Kinsler was a starter until eight games into the season. Who took over? Dustin Pedroia. He ended up trasfering to Missouri due to the takeover at the middle infield. This time, the 2009 All Star Game. Kinsler was left out on the roster because Pedroia was selected by the fans and reserve Blue Jay Aaron Hill, who actually has the best 1st half of any 2nd basemen. But on a one on one stat comparison vs Pedroia this season: Kinsler has more 3B, HR, RBI, SB, a higher SLG and OPS %. Did the fans know that? I guess we can never find out.

Now Ian Kinsler is a candidate of the ALs Final Vote but has to go up vs. Ray Carlos Pena, Tiger Brandon Inge, Blue Jay Adam Lind and Angel Chone Figgins. Do we say he has bad luck? It's a tough call.

Stupid

I haven't written in a while, but this blog is short and simple. A question. Why is it that most great baseball players in OUR era get tested positive for steroids? Why can't any player be "drug-free". I don't get why they want more muscle and less of their penis. Cheaters. Steroids just ruins the chances of ball players being first ballot hall of famers. So how do we remember Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, A-"Roid", Manny Ramirez, Mark McGwire? A home-run king? The best pitcher of all time? No sir. All of them tested positive for steroids. (Well Bonds says no, but you have to live under a rock to not know he was on steroids. 70+ homers in one season? Sounds fishy) Just hope our young future players end this "Steroid Era" and start a new and clean one and bring back real home-run kings like Hank Aaron or Babe Ruth.

The Easy Way Out Of Life

After seeing the performance of New York Yankees starter, CC Sabathia- It got me thinking about "big time contracts" in all of Major League sports (MLB,NFL,NBA,NHL etc.) and it's freaking crazy! Before reaching the pros, college. Free college. Not working for about an average of 10-18 years of your life. Millionaire. Cars. Mansion. Can it get any better? But should that money be wasted on something more useful and not make athletes multi-millionaires every year. Education maybe?

The normal way of going through life is finishing grade school and then heading off to college. Right? We make our parents pay the tuition and we would have to start working to help them off. But not sports athletes. Now all of us have had dreams of playing for the Yankees or your home town team. It's normal. But what about the people who do achieve those goals. Coming out of high school these "future stars" get scholarships from big name schools like Notre Dame, Stanford, USC, UM, any school! Some dont have to waste a single penny in books or normal stuff like that. Thats not fair! For someone that will most likely be there for only 3 years and dont even have to pay the univeristy back is great! But what about the regular students. Some can't even finish school because its so god damn expensive. So what? Everyone should become basketball players or soccer players? No.

In the 2008 NFL draft the Miami Dolphins selected linemen Jake Long for the first overall selection of the draft. Without playing a SINGLE down he agreed to a five-year, $57.75 million deal with $30 million guaranteed. Lucky enough he didn't turn into a "bust", but it is a big risk to pay so much money for a player that we are not sure that he will become one hell of a player.

We can say that general managers take the 'risk' when they sign a player. It's not like George Steinbrenner knew Carl Pavano would only play in 26 games after signing a four-year contract worth $39.95 million. Bad luck or bad judgment? We might never know. So the best thing to do in my opinion is just put a limit in a teams salary cap for they wont waste so much damn money in someone that has a fastpass through life!

2009 Florida Marlins

Youth. Key word for the Marlins this season. The Marlins have the the second youngest pitching staff in all the league with an average of 24.2. The fish are one of seven teams in the majors with a pitching staff under 30. Ricky Nolasco, the ace of the club from last season had a solid outing in his first start of the young season pitching six innings, seven hits, five earned runs, and six strikeouts with no walks. In the second game of the season, the Marlins threw out Josh Johnson to pitch against the Nats. Coming back from Tommy John surgery, the 6-foot-7 twenty-five year old had no signs of rust. Pitching 6 2/3 shutout innings. The Nationals got seven hits off J.J, but struck out eight times while facing Johnson. To add to those stats, he allowed no walks during the game. First sweep of season? A young right handed pitcher was given the task to start the season 3-0. Chris Volstad, a twenty-two year old from Palm Beach Gardens is preparing for his first full major league season. How did he start? After a shaky first inning, Volstad calmed down and showed signs of being the face of the team for years to come. In five innings of work, he allowed two runs, one earned, two hits, four walks and seven K's, leading the Marlins to a 6-4 win and earning their first sweep of the season. Not to mention Anibal Sanchez, who could be the starter for the Mets game, threw a no-hitter in his first season in the show. There's more. Hanley Ramirez, the franchise player, could be a future MVP for being a five-tool player. Batting third in the lineup, he brings power and speed in the middle of the lineup. Just being twenty-four, he is projected to be a 30-30 player batting in the third whole. He is still a student of the game, but when he is done learning. Move out of the way A-Rod. In the off season the Fish traded Josh Willingham and south-paw Scott Olsen to the Nationals for a speedy middle infielder by the name of Emilio Bonifacio. Emi who? Who in the heck is that? Coming in spring training the Marlins were in doubt with who will be playing at the hot corner this season. Bonifacio, never playing a game at third, worked hard enough to earn the job. Now batting first in the lineup, it brings back memories of the Juan Pierre and Luis Castillo when the blazing speed was at the top of the lineup. He didn't disappoint the fans by having an inside the park home run the first game of the season. Dan Uggla, the power-hitting second baseman, can very well be the best hitting second basemen in all of baseball. Who wouldn't like to have a 30-35 home run hitter batting fifth in a lineup full of talent. Talent? Cameron Maybin, the starting center fielder, is a 'rookie of the year' candidate. Another speedster on the team, Maybin is just starting a promising career. Power, Speed, Defense, Pitching, the 2009 Florida Marlins are lock and loaded to make a run in the NL East and being a contender in all of baseball to play in the "Fall Classic" and bringing a third World Series title to sunny South Florida.