New Writer Here At Everything MLB Inc

Hello Baseball Fans! This is Easton, I am a new writer here at Everything MLB Inc! I look forward to writing for the readers of this blog! My goal as a writer for this blog is to reach more baseball fans each and everyday, as well as let the readers of this blog put their input and their opinion into the topics that are talked about! Make sure to tune in daily for more posts about everything in the MLB, and be sure to share this blog with other baseball fans! 

To see more of my work check out stlcardinals.sportsblog.com! 

Comment anything that you have questions about or anything that you would like to be talked about on this blog!

If you are interested in writing for this blog please comment or contact us at patejared@gmail.com!

Thanks For Everything!

American League Central Division Breakdown

 The last division I'm going through is considered one of the best in all of the Major Leagues.. Well, to watch. It's probably not fun to play in. The American League Central features some of the best players in the game such as Chris Sale, Miguel Cabrera, and Alex Gordon…

 The team that won the American League pennant last season calls the Central division home- the Kansas City Royals. The Royals have showed us that speed and defense can go a long, long way in this business. They've also got a future superstar in my opinion, Yordano Ventura. Will they make it back to the Postseason? They want to, and they very well might. The next team I am talking about will not go quiet though…

 The Detroit Tigers have lots of hopes for the playoffs and rightfully so. They've got Miguel Cabrera, arguably the best hitter in all of baseball. Their pitching staff isn't as sharp as it has been the past few years, though. The biggest subtraction came from the departure of Max Scherzer. Even though that was a blow, I still think Detroit is a nice ball team. 

 The Minnesota Twins. Ahh, the Twins. The team that looks good on paper, but doesn't seem to in the standings. Crazy, I know. I think they might be better than everyone is predicting them to be. Dozier, Mauer, and Tori Hunter may carry the team farther than we think…

 The Chicago White Sox really have built up to contend. Abreu, Sale, and Samardzija are guys you probably enjoy having on your team.  As long as they can hold their ground through the summer and stay towards the top, they'll play around in September for a playoff spot. 

 The last team in the division is the Cleveland Indians. They haven't performed, win/loss record wise, like you'd think they would have. They have the reigning American League Cy Young award recipient, Corey Kluber, Michael Brantley, and Jason Kipnis who are "built" to carry a team. Will they, is the question.

-JC

American League East Division Breakdown

 The American League East Division has been in the spotlight over the last few weeks. You've got the whole Baltimore thing, Alex Rodriguez chasing history, the Rays' injuries... So, respectively, that's the division I'm talking about this week. 

 The Boston Red Sox have started the season on the losing side of things. The 13-17 record gives them the fifth spot in the division. The early season failures could be blamed on the starting rotation.. 

 The Baltimore Orioles are looking to put together a win streak long enough to boost them over .500. Currently 13-15, Jones and Davis are beginning to heat up to give Baltimore fans something to cheer about. Their starter, Wei-Yin Chen, has been a welcomed presence. 

 The New York Yankees' fan base is beginning  to "forget" the Alex Rodriguez that they seemed to dislike over the last few seasons. The whole A-Rod saga is starting to trend in the right direction. He has hit seven home runs this season, good enough to to pass Willie Mays for fourth on the ALL-TIME leaderboard. The arguably most notable offseason pickup went to the bullpen. Lefthander Andrew Miller has served at team's closer so far and has thirteen saves. 

 The Toronto Blue Jays are ready for some Postseason action. With the Josh Donaldson and Russell Martin acquisitions playing to their favor so far, the fans are getting excited. Marcus Stroman, a starter who was really being counted on, suffered a knee injury during Spring Training will miss this season entirely. Definitely not helping their chances, but right now the 'jays aren't looking too shabby. 

 The Tampa Bay Rays have been bit by the killer injury bug. Drew Smyly is likely out for the season with surgery and Alex Cobb is for sure out. Certainly not what the Rays needed, that's for sure. Though the injuries haven't had an excessive amount of time to effect anything, their record is still on the positive side of .500 (17-14). Playoffs? Ehh, anyone could as of now. 

-JC 

American League West Division Breakdown

 Injuries have been the thing around MLB in past week. There aren't any significant njuries in the division I'm breaking down, though. The American League West is on tap for this week.

 The Houston Astros have been out to a fast start. Currently leading the division, the 'stros are looking to do big things. They are backed by the bats of George Springer and Jose Altuve, both of which are off to fast starts. Can they fight off the other Texas team, Seattle, and the California-based squads? It's a small sample size currently, but Houston is looking pretty good.. 

 The Seattle Mariners are awfully hungry for some October baseball. After the heartbreak of 2014, missing the Postseason by ONE game, the went out and locked up Nelson Cruz. With the King, Iwakuma, Cano, Cruz, and Seager the "M's" may be able to manage winning one extra game this season. 

 The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are looking to win another division title, and there's no reason to not think they can. With the AL MVP, Mike Trout, Pujols, Aybar, and a few others, the Halos statistically beat the teams in their division. Garrett Richards has returned, and he doesn't look too bad. 

 The Texas Rangers might as well just call their roster a hospital. Injuries have just bombarded them over the last season. Last year it was Prince Fielder. This year it's Yu Darvish, which stings a little more than Fielder did. I wouldn't count them out, though. Fielder is back, and they have one of the best third basemen in the game, Adrian Beltre. 

 The Oakland Athletics were back at it with their crazy trading moves again. They've traded Josh Donaldson for Brett Lawrie, much to the disappointment of their fanbase. It's too early to tell if the exchange was a good one, but the A's still have some sure talent now. They have Sonny Gray, a pitcher who has looked impressive so far. Honestly, who knows what's going to happen with this team? 

-JC 

National League East Division Breakdown

 It's been a crazy week in baseball to say the least. Brawls, crazy plays, and the occasional unfortunate injury. Today, I'm breaking down the National League East Division. 

 Well, perhaps the biggest storyline out of the East this week came from a loss. The New York Mets had been riding an eleven game winning going into Friday night's "Subway Series" game with the New York Yankees. The Yankees handed the Mets a loss by the lopsided score of 6-1. That loss shouldn't turn the outside baseball fan's head though, as the Mets look to be pretty good this season. Although they did take the bullet with the loss of Zack Wheeler, the gain of Matt Harvey will definitely benefit I think. Also, with Jacob deGrom, last year's National League Rookie of the Year award winner, I think the Mets could have a pretty powerful looking rotation. Also, if David Wright can have a bounce back year offensively, there's no telling how good they may be.

 The Miami Marlins made huge headlines during the offseason for a few reasons, but mainly because of one man, Giancarlo Stanton. Locking up Stanton for years and years and millions and millions, the Marlins hope that with the presence of him and a few others will be key. The additions of Dee Gordon and Martin Prado and the high hopes for Christian Yelich, they're hoping that they can make some magic happen. Also, with star pitcher Jose Fernandez expected to return prior to the All Star break, who's confident enough to conclude them out as early as before? 

 The Philadelphia Phillies are hoping to bring some happiness back into the "City of Brotherly Love". Jimmy Rollins is no longer a Phil and there's always something swirling about Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels on the money side of baseball. So, will the Phillies do anything this year? I have no idea. It's honestly really hard to tell with them. The potential is there but the production isn't always, and that's the key thing. 

 If we weren't talking about baseball, it'd be safe to place a bet that the Atlanta Braves are in full rebuilding mode. After trading away both Uptons, Jason Heyward, and closer Craig Kimbrel, many fans are "chopping" their good spirit with their team. With anything that has been broken down in efforts to start over, there's always those dreaded growing pains. If I had to guess, I'd say the organization is planning on riding out those this season. This season is so, so far from over, and the Bravos and their fans should know that. It'll be alright, just stick with them through the probable hard times. 

Last but not least, the Washington Nationals. 

 After an offseason highlighted by Max Scherzer, the Nats are ready to take action. They arguably have one of the best rotations in the game, and their offense can be pretty seller when healthy. As of early, that's been their weakness.. health. Second baseman Anthony Rendon, fantasy baseball powerhouse, has been on the DL for a while now with an MCL injury. Also, Jayson Werth hasn't been 100% either which isn't good. They're picked by many to win the whole shebang, but without every guy performing as planned, it won't be as easy.

Thanks for reading!

-JC 

The Milwaukee Brewers Early Season Struggles

The Milwaukee Brewers started the 2014 season with a record of 21-7 that put the Crew in first place for most of the season. But a rough September saw the Brewers collapse and eventually fall out of first place in the NL Central division. The Brewers finished 2014 with 82 wins and missed the playoffs. They desperately needed a starting first baseman heading into the offseason. They got their man when they traded pitcher Marco Estrada to the Toronto Blue Jays for slugging 1B/outfielder Adam Lind. The Brewers never really did anything the rest of the offseason, besides bringing back veteran closer Fransisco Rodriguez on a one year deal. The Brewers were expected to contend in the 2015 season with a solid pitching rotation led by veterans Kyle Lohse and Matt Garza. Their lineup was expected to be stacked with guys like Ryan Braun, Carlos Gomez, Aramis Ramirez, Scooter Gennett, Jonathan Lucroy, and the addition of Adam Lind. But injuries to Gennett, Gomez, and Ramirez have hurt the Brewers offensively. The Brewers pitching has struggled to get guys out consistenly. Ryan Braun still acts like the thumb injury that slowed him down in 2014 is still bothering him this season. The Brewers came into today's game with an MLB worst 2-13 record, good for last place in the NL Central division and eight games behind the division leading St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers host the Cardinals this weekend for a three game set, and a chance to cut into their eight game gap with the Cardinals. If the Brewers are going to turn this awful start around, they need Ryan Braun to hit like the old Ryan Braun. They need the pitching to start making the right pitches to get guys out. And finally, they need to stay healthy. Whether or not the Brewers turn this season is yet to be seen, but the good news for the Brewers is that it's only April.   -Jared Pate

National League Central Division Breakdown

 It's safe to say that the Major League Baseball regular season is back and it's in full swing. Players have already gotten ejected, broken records, and preformed better than anyone predicted. Today, I'm going to be breaking down the National League Central Division in part two of six in my divisional breakdown. Arguably, the National League Central division is the best division in baseball. We'll save that argument for another day..

 The Central division features one of the best teams in baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals. After an offseason that was very unexpected, the projected divisional placement for the Cards is definitely not. Backed by new right fielder Jason Heyward, their All Star caliber catcher Yadier Molina, and a pitching staff led by Adam Wainwright, it's hard to simply look beyond the expectations. Quite a few expert analysts have the Redbirds raking up their third consecutive divisional crown in 2015. With a team that was victorious last season, even with a sketchy offense, adding Heyward's bat to the lineup just really seals the deal in the Gateway City.

 The Pittsburgh Pirates didn't have too many offseason events worth bragging about coming into the 2015 season. They lost Russell Martin, which I think is going to hurt them more than they think. They did add AJ Burnett back to their rotation. I think they'll be decent since they have guys like Cutch and Josh Harrison, but I just can't let myself like them as much as I could with the presence of Martin. 

 The Cincinnati Reds are looking to bounce back after last year's roller coaster season. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, and Brandon Phillips all went down with injuries. The highlight of the Reds was hands down Johnny Cueto. He was a twenty game winner, and one of the best pitchers in the National League last season. I think they're going to be leaps and bounds better than last year, but I don't think they will be able to charge passed the Redbirds. 

 The entire Chicago Cubs organization and their fan base is exploding with optimistic predictions coming into 2015. The world surrounding Major League Baseball has heard of the prospects the Baby Bears have. Guys like Kris Bryant, Jorge Soler, and Javier Baez are really being counted on. These guys are full of potential, but just keep in mind that they are prospects. Prospects meaning they are young and haven't experienced an entire big league season. Let's get this straight, I'm an avid Cardinals fan, but I don't hate the Cubs. I actually think they will contend in a few years. To say they will contend now may be a bit of a long shot. I think in the upcoming years, though, they might be playing in the upper half of the division. 

 The Milwaukee Brewers closed out last year's season in a tragic way. After leading the division for virtually all of the beginning half last season, things just went haywire for the once mighty Brew Crew. They missed the Postseason, which was far from what most had projected. Now, Milwaukee is looking for redemption. So, they'll be as tough as ever. Their bad luck has seemed to have carried over, because center fielder Carlos Gomez has hit the 15 disabled list. They'll be lost if they're without him for longer than a couple of weeks. Get him back, Braun and Lucroy to hit, and they'll be just fine. I don't believe Lucroy will put up numbers like he did last season, but what do I know. 

Twitter: @Curtis_Josey 

Arod Hits First Homer Of the Season

After missing the entire 2014 season due to a season long suspension, New York Yankees infielder returned to action in 2015 not sure what to expect. Arod had a solid spring training that saw him hit thre homers, but he hoped that he could provide a good, consistent bat in the middle of the Yankees lineup. Rodriguez collected his first hit of the season in the Yankees home opener vs. Toronto. After the game Arod said that he felt good and he felt like his swing was really smooth and he felt like he made good contact on every pitch. Finally on thursday night in the third game of the series, in the sixth inning vs. Toronto Blue Jays lefty Daniel Norris, Arod connected on a 2-2 fastball and sent it into the left field bleachers for his first homerun of the 2015 season and his first homerun since september 2013. Arod said afterwards that it felt great to get that off his chest and hit that first homerun of the season. The Yankees organization is also happy to see him hit a homerun as well. Only time will tell though if Arod can keep it up the entire 2015 season.    -Jared Pate

National League West Division Breakdown

   After an eventful past weekend on the "money side" of the game and all of the excitement that comes with Opening Day, it's the perfect time to think about the current state of the divisions around the league. We have seen close to forty home runs hit since Monday, near no-hitters, good pitchers reach their ropes, and players who have already put a halt on their season by hitting the DL. Woah.  Today I'm breaking down the division that is home to last year's World Series champions, the National League West. 

   The biggest storyline out of the trade market ran right through the heart of Petco Park. The San Diego Padres have seemingly rebuilt most of their roster over the last five months or so. Acquiring Justin Upton, Wil Myers, Matt Kemp, and Craig Kimbrel (just to name a few) is not your average offseason. After clearing up a big chunk of the bullpen struggles and getting some help for a struggling offense, there isn't too many reasons to not believe in them. Winning the division? Ehh, maybe. They're in a division jam-packed with talent, but I feel they've stepped up their game tremendously and that they will give the Dodgers and Giants and run for their money. 

   The Los Angeles Dodgers haven't improved much over the offseason. They've lost Ramirez, Kemp, and Dee Gordon. They really haven't gained much to show for it. They did pick up Jimmy Rollins from Philly, but you and I both know that he's just one man.. not three. Honestly, it's hard to not favor the team that's home to the best pitcher in baseball. But I also think that LA is going to miss Kemp, Gordon, and Ramirez more than they are planning on. The Dodgers will be good, but I don't think that winning the division will comes as easy for them as it has in the past. 

  The Arizona Diamondbacks had a pretty solid offseason. After coming off of a year where they suffered the worst record in the game, they went out and made a splash is the International Free Agent Market. They signed Cuban slugging infielder Yasmany Tomas to a deal. He's starting the season in the Minor Leagues, but he'll be ready if they're looking for a offensive punch down the stretch. Also, they will have their heart and soul back.. better known as Paul Goldschmidt. He was hurt not too long after the All Star break last season and was then shut down. Are they capable of winning the division crown this season? In my mind, no. There's a always a hope though, and anything can happen in this crazy game. 

   The Colorado Rockies are one of the most underrated teams in baseball in my opinion. They have one of the best defensive third baseman in Nolan Arenado. Coors Field is home to a couple of the best in the game, Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzales. Like I said I think they're underrated, but I understand why. I don't know what you think, but it seems to me like Gonzales and Tulowitzki are hurt all of the time. It's not good for the Rockies, their fans, or baseball in general. It's no fun to watch players go down, but especially not if they're All Star caliber. If they can limit their disabled list stints, then the Rockies will be A-OK and have a nice "underdog" season. 

   The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants have started the season out with some very disappointing news. One of their starters, Matt Cain, has already hit the disabled list to start the season. Jake Peavy has been dealing with some discomfort as well, but he hasn't been placed on the DL. Hunter Pence is also riding the DL with an arm injury he went through early in Spring Training. Their offseason probably didn't go as most had hoped either. Arguably once the most popular Giants' player is now playing his home games up at Fenway. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, better known as Panda, signed a contract with the Redsox and left a fan base full of crazy people in panda hats. Whether anyone will admit it or not they are going to miss Sandoval, both on and off of the field. They'll be a nice team, like usual, but right now I bet their fan base is really a-hurtin'. 

So, who's going to be atop the of this division come the Postseason? Who knows! 

Josey Curtis

Twitter: @Curtis_Josey

The Bullies Behind The BODB Fake Sports League On Twitter

Sports websites are fun to have around. They provide you with insight, analysis, scores, and opinions on all sports. ESPN is the unchallenged king of all sports websites. Others who get honorable mentions are CBS sports and Fox sports. And after you get past those three giants, you have the community of independent sports blogsites, such as our website here. Sports blogsites are usually ran by one or two writers and a team of other writers. Our site Everything MLB Inc is ran by the founder, yours truly, Jared Pate. There are two other writers who are on the staff as well, Josey Curtis, our weekly contributor, and Chris Suddeth, our writer and future partner in the site. Two months ago I hired two other writers as well, Rick Kernan and Harry Marks. I told both of them that all they had to do was write one article per month. Rick Kernan had already written two articles for the month, but Harry Marks hadn't even written one after thirty days. I messaged him and politely told him that if he didn't write one article after another week I would have to let him go. He proceeded to curse me out and argue with me about it. Moments after that I received a message from a friend and source who informed me that Harry Marks was a fraud and that the person behind the profile was a college kid named Taylor Nussbaum. I proceeded to announce publically on twitter that Harry Marks was a fraud and that he was really Taylor Nussbaum. He began to try to pick a fight with me publically on twitter and call me a variety of filthy names and also called me a racist. Shortly after that I began getting bombarded by "friends" and brothers of his who kept telling everyone that I was racist and that this website was bad and that no one should read it. I began, along with a friend and colleague, to research where these twitter profiles were coming from. After several hours of research, we found out that they were apart of a sports league called the BODB league. We read through profile after profile of people in this league and found out that the BODB league and all its players, coaches, and trainers were all fake profiles ran by a group of college kids. The profile pictures they took were either digitally created or saved off of google. These so called players, coaches, and trainers were bullying sports writers and people all across twitter, not just myself and Everything MLB Inc. They were calling people racist and psychos everywhere. I'm posting this article to expose these jerks, as well as warn other sports blogsites and fellow sports writers. BE CAREFUL!!! Do not hire ANYONE to be a writer for your site with the names Rick Kernan, Harry Marks, Mark Tenner, Taylor Nussbaum, or Tyreke Nussbaum. They are frauds and their mission is to destroy independent sports blogsites around the web. The official twitter for this fake BODB league is @bodbl. I hope you will help me spread the word and help me expose these fraudulent jerks and get this whole fake sports league shut down! You never know, your sports blogsite may be next on their hit list if we don't work together to shut them down.      -Jared Pate

The Official St. Louis Cardinals' Opening Day Roster

 As Spring Training dwindles down and Opening Night edges closer, the Cardinals 25-man roster has begun to take its shape. The official Major League roster contains twelve pitchers (5 starters, 7 relievers), two catchers, six infielders, and five outfielders. (I'll list the entire 25-man roster later on.) 

 Over the past several months, one of the biggest questions around camp retained back to the pitching staff. More specifically, the last remaining spot in the starting rotation. That question was finally answered earlier this week, when Cards' skipper Mike Matheny announced that RHP Carlos Martinez will receive the nod every fifth day. 

 The 23 year old flamethrower beat out fellow young gun Marco Gonzales (Jaime Garcia was also in the race for the fifth starting role, but he is now out due to shoulder issues) for the job. After the impressive Spring runs showcased by each one, I'm sure it was a really difficult decision to make. Either man would've fit the bill, but overall I think Carlos deserved it the most. 

 Also, as most guessed, Adam Wainwright will start for the Cardinals against the Cubs on Sunday night in Chicago. He's looked decent to me in his few starts, but he has pitched without pain which is what matters to me. The rotation can now be confidentially stated due to these reasons. It looks to be 1. Adam Wainwright, 2. Lance Lynn, 3. John Lackey, 4. Michael Wacha, and Carlos Martinez in the fifth spot. 

 Another question mark that surrounded the Cardinals this Spring involved the bench guys. Not including Mark Reynolds and Tony Cruz (who are already "guarantees"), there were six potential men for 3 remaining spots. To begin Spring, those six were Stephen Piscotty, Pete Kozma, Randal Grichuk, Tommy Pham, Ty Kelly, and Peter Bourjos. The two best offensive Springs belong to Grichuk and Kozma, both who made the roster. This spring, Grichuk hit four homers and had an OPS north of .930. Kozma arguably had the best offensive camp on the team, as he has batted .435 in forty-six ABs. The guy who snatched up the third and final bench spot available on the roster is Peter Bourjos. Unlike Randal and Pete, he didn't have a Spring that was worth bragging of, as he posted just a slim .146 (6-for-41) batting average. Matheny did, however, state that Bourjos was his "fourth outfielder". After his rocky offense this month, it's very hard to say Matheny chose Bourjos because of his sense of 'pop'. I do like his speed, which gives him the ability to steal a few bases here and there. I believe it could play key in some situations throughout the season. But I also know that one can't steal first base. I hope he can straighten his hitting out, but if he can't he'll have to use his other resources to reach base. I think that bunting more often may be his best option, due to his speed. If he can execute successful bunts, he'll be able to reach first and then steal if he is given the opportunity to. 

The 2015 St. Louis Cardinals Opening Day 25-Man Roster:

P-Adam Wainwright

P-Lance Lynn

P-John Lackey

P-Michael Wacha

P-Carlos Martinez 

P-Trevor Rosenthal

P-Randy Choate

P-Kevin Siegrist

P-Seth Maness 

P-Matt Belisle

P-Jordan Walden

P-Carlos Villanueva

C-Yadier Molina 

C-Tony Cruz

IF-Matt Adams

IF-Mark Reynolds

IF-Kolten Wong 

IF-Jhonny Peralta

IF-Pete Kozma

IF-Matt Carpenter

OF-Matt Holliday

OF-Jon Jay

OF-Jason Heyward 

OF-Peter Bourjos

OF-Randal Grichuk 

Thank you for reading! 

Twitter: @Curtis_Josey

What to Expect of the 2015 St. Louis Cardinals

 Over the past two seasons, the St. Louis Cardinals have been the team to beat in the National League Central division. The 2013 Cardinals' offense was quite unforgettable if you're a fan of the team. RISP, also known as Runners In Scoring Position, is a statistic that's always thrown up when regarding that team. It seemed like every time a runner was on second or third base you could just mark a tally in the ol' run column. The 2014 offense wasn't as stellar, unfortunately. Though they made it back to the NLCS for the fourth straight year, it's easy to say their offense wasn't the biggest factor. Some games ended with pretty bare scorecards, as only three or four hits were mustered out. But this year, the amount of offensive production looks to shoot up from last year's totals. 

 After the astonishing death of young, highly praised outfielder Oscar Taveras, something had to be done to fill the void left out in right field. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak went right to work, acquiring outfielder Jason Heyward and reliever Jordan Walden in exchange for starter Shelby Miller and pitching prospect Tyrell Jenkins. Adding Jason Heyward to a lineup that already has guys such as Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina to name a few, gives the Cardinals' lineup a very deep feeling. Just think about it.. Matt Carpenter leading off, Heyward batting second, Matt Holliday batting third, Matt Adams batting clean up, Jhonny Peralta batting fifth, Yadi batting sixth, Jon Jay seventh, and Kolten Wong batting eighth. When your eighth place hitter had twelve homeruns and twenty stolen bases last year, you must be doing something right. When the seventh place hitter hit over .300 last season, something must be good about the lineup. If all of these guys can have seasons like they're capable of having, there's no reason why we shouldn't see the Cardinals back in the Postseason. Hitting is only a part of the game, so let's talk about the other half; the pitching staff. 
 Without question, the Ace of the Cardinals' rotation is Adam Wainwright. He did have the slight abdominal injury earlier this spring, but he has since recovered and made a couple of starts. It has yet to be confirmed, but without any problems Waino should take the bump to face the Cubs on Opening Night. The second spot in the rotation belongs to Lance Lynn, a very deserving candidate. Last season, the only pitcher in the Cardinals rotation who didn't miss time due to injury was, you guessed it, Lance Lynn. His overall command has greatly increased over the past few seasons, as he has cut back greatly on the walks he allows.  He's a beast, no doubt, and definitely a key factor on the team. The middle spot in the rotation belongs to John Lackey. He is quite the bargain too, as he is only making league minimum (roughly $500,000) this season. He is considered to be an innings eater, which is a very nice quality to have in a starting pitcher, as it assists the bullpen tremendously over the rocky course of a 162 game season. The fourth spot in the starting rotation belongs to the right handed  young gun Michael Wacha. After an injury plagued 2014, I'm sure nothing sounds better than to have a bounceback season. If Spring Training means anything, Michael looks like he is good to go. He says he's alright, and we the fans have no reason not to believe him. All we can do is sit back and check the box scores, and that has been a pretty fun thing to do so far. The fifth spot in the rotation is still yet to be determined. A battle that looks to go right down to the wire between Jaime Garcia, Carlos Martinez and Marco Gonzales is what will determine who takes the spot. At this point, I really can't pick who I want to take the spot more. I'm on the Carlos Martinez fan bus, but the springs put together by Marco and Jaime are nothing to look over. I love the idea of seeing Carlos or Marco starting every fifth day, but I'm also thinking about Jaime getting the call since he's healthy. 

So, who's going to make it? Well, it may go down right to the final out they record. Welcome to Cardinals baseball. 



Thank you for reading! 
Questions/Comments? I'd love to hear them! 

Twitter: @Curtis_Josey 

Albert Pujols Is Slowly But Surely Returning To Old Form

After a rough first two seasons of his 10 year $240 million dollar deal, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is finally starting to feel like his old self again. Pujols went homerless through the first two months of the 2012 season, ultimately finishing with poor numbers overall. The 2013 season proved to be twice as difficult as Pujols was sidelined for over half the season with knee and foot injuries, which led to Pujols finishing with his worst offensive season of his career. But in 2014, Pujols felt great and was healthy for the whole season. Pujols hit career homerun no. 500 during the season. Pujols finished with 28 homeruns and 105 RBI's for the 2014 season. Pujols has so far hit 3 HR's and 10 RBI's as he prepares for the 2015 season in spring training games. Pujols has said throughout the spring that he feels re-energized and feels like he is seeing the ball really well. He also said his knees and feet feel great as well as he hopes to play the whole season at 1B. The Angels and Pujols both have great expectations for him entering the 2015 season, but only time will tell if Pujols translates great expectations and good intentions into results.      -Jared Pate

A Q&A Interview with Former MLB Pitcher Tanyon Sturtze

I had the pleasure of doing a Q&A interview with former MLB pitcher Tanyon Sturtze recently. Sturtze played from 1995-2008 for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Devil Rays, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and the Los Angeles Dodgers.                  

1. When did you first start playing baseball?

     
     When I was six years old playing with my dad.  I was fortunate enough to have my dad around to teach me a lot of things about the game growing up.  I played Tee ball, little league, high school, college, and then I was fortunate enough to make it to the big leagues.


    2.  What was the feeling when you were first drafted by the Oakland A's?

     "SHOCKED!"  I was at a game, and afterwards my cousin was driving me home.  My lights were on in my house and I thought it was weird at that time of the night.  My brother was usually asleep by then but when I walked into the house he was up and waiting on me.  I asked him what was going on he said "you've been drafting by the Oakland A's!" it was an amazing feeling.


   3.  Do you remember the brawl that you were involved on July 24, 2004 vs the New York Yankees?

         I was starting that game.  Arod had been hit in the previous game causing tension that overlapped into the next game when Arod was hit yet again causing him and Jason Varitek to start throwing punches.  I had nothing against Gabe Kapler or any of those guys, I was just trying to protect a team mate.  It escalated a little than it should have.


4.  Who was someone, either a coach or team mate you looked up to during your career?

      In the early 90's, the Oakland A's were stacked.  We had guys like Ricky Henderson, Mark McGwire, and Jose Canseco.  But the guy I looked up to the most was Bob Welch.   He really looked after me. I'll never forget the day we were taking ground balls on the field as he was giving me advice about how to play the game.  He took me under his wing.  We hung out.  We ate together.  We hung out in the clubhouse.

5.  What was your favorite moment during your Major League career?

    It was the first game after 911 I was pitching for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays at that time.  I was starting that game opposite of Roger Clemens and before the game we were singing the National Anthem, while they were holding the American flag in the middle of the field, as the planes flew over the stadium the emotions were incredible.  Everyone was crying.  I ended up beating Clemens that day 2-1.  

6.  How is the retirement life treating you?                                                                       

     I miss baseball. It was a hard adjustment.  It was tough adjusting the first two years of retirement after doing baseball for 20+ years.  It was hard to come to the realization that I wouldn't be playing baseball anymore.  Now, I have my wife and two year old daughter whom I spend a lot of time with.  I have more time to do a lot of golfing.  The retirement life is really great now!   
                                                                  -Jared Pate

Ryan Howard Looking To Find His Old Self

After tearing his Achilles tendon at the end of  Game 5 in the 2011 NLDS against the St. Louis Cardinals, it has been a long road back for Philadelthia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard. Howard missed half of the 2012 season and half of the 2013 season with various injuries. The 2014 season saw Howard 100% healthy for the entire season for the first time since 2011. Howard would go on to hit .223 with 23 home runs and 95 RBI for the season. And while the home runs and RBI's were more like the old Ryan Howard, he lead the MLB with 190 strikeouts. With Howard having underperformed the last three seasons, the Phillies tried hard to trade the former NL MVP, but to no aveil. Howard has three years left and more than 65 million owed to him over that three year span, so the Phillies would love to get some value back for their money. Howard said during spring training last week that he doubled his workouts and batting practice during the offseason to try and help him get back to what made him one of the top 3 best hitters in baseball from 2006-2011. The Phillies are expected to be awful again this season as they transition into the rebuilding phase, but a healthy Ryan Howard hitting .270 or better, 30 or more homers, and 100 or more RBI's like the old Ryan Howard used to do would make the season ahead a little more easy to bear.   -Jared Pate

Players to Watch in 2015

As the 2015 season is getting closer and closer here are my list of players to watch in 2015. These players could have had a rough 2014 or been traded this past winter. These players could also be in their final year or trying to be called up for the first time. Here is my list which is in no order whatsoever.

• Carlos Martinez, RHP, STL
• Chris Davis, 1B, BAL
• Will Myers, OF, SD
• Pat Neshek, RHP, HOU
• Shelby Miller, RHP, ATL
• Bryon Buxton, CF, MIN
• Kevin Siegrist, LHP, STL
• Brett Lawrie, 3B, OAK
• Matt Wieters, C, BAL
• Derek Norris, C, SD
• Tyler Clippard, RHP, OAK
• Juan Uribe, 3B, LAD
• Troy Tulowitzki, SS, COL
• Wilin Rosario, C, COL
• A. J. Burnett, P, PIT
• Cole Hamels, P, PHI
• Ryan Howard, 1B, PHI
• Allen Craig, UTL, BOS
• Wade Miley, RHP, BOS
• Lance Lynn, RHP, STL
• Carlos Beltran, RF, NYY
• Zach Wheeler, RHP, NYM
• Jose Fernandez, RHP, MIA
• Dee Gordon, 2B, MIA
• Devin Mesoraco, C, CIN
• Michael Wacha, RHP, STL
• Jonathan Lucroy, C, MIL
• Evan Longeria, 3B, TB
• Howie Kendrick, 2B, LAD
• Matt Joyce, OF, LAA

These are my top 30 players to keep an eye on in 2015. -Chris Suddeth

Could The St. Louis Cardinals Add Cliff Lee?

The St. Louis Cardinals come into spring training once again as the favorites to win the NL Central division, but they still have big question marks regarding their starting pitching rotation. Ace pitcher Adam Wainwright had offseason elbow cleanup surgery, and also had to go back to St. Louis just this week to be tested for lower abdominal pain. Jaime Garcia has missed the majority of the last three seasons with various injuries and surgeries. Michael Wacha missed half of last season with a shoulder injury. The Cardinals browsed the starting pitching market throughout the offseason, but chose to stick with what they had. But with Wainwright being tested already with a potential injury, it may force the Cardinals to make a move. The Philadelphia Phillies lefty Cliff Lee was limited to just 13 starts last season due to various injuries, but after proving himself healthy so far in spring training, the Cardinals may look to acquire him. He is owed 27.5 million this season with a vesting option for next season. He would cost alot less than teamate Cole Hamels, and he would give the Cardinals an experienced lefty who also has a good reputation in the postseason. The Cardinals will wait and see what Wainwright's test results show about his injury before doing anything, but rest assured they are keeping their eyes and ears open. -Jared Pate

My 2015 MLB Division and Playoff Picks

The 2015 MLB season should be another great season. Here are my picks for each division and the wild card spots, plus my pick to win the World Series: NL East: Washington Nationals. NL Central: Pittsburgh Pirates. NL West: Los Angeles Dodgers. NL Wild Card Entries: St. Louis Cardinals, San Fransisco Giants. AL East: Boston Red Sox. AL Central: Detroit Tigers. AL West: Los Angeles Angels. AL Wild Card Entries: Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox. 2015 World Series: Detroit Tigers, Washington Nationals. World Champions: Washington Nationals.  -Jared Pate

Top Stories from this Past Winter

When the Padres and James Shields inked a 4 year 75 million dollar deal this past week that pretty much put an end to the big off-season signings. With teams reporting to spring training less than a week away it's time to look back at the top stories from this past Winter.

St. Louis and Atlanta deal on November 17th
No doubt that this deal was a shocker that came out of nowhere. No one in Atlanta expected them to trade away one of the youngest stars in the game. But this trade definitely made sense for both teams as Atlanta improved their pitching as they acquired Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. St. Louis also filled the hole in right field as they got Jason Heyward in return. St. Louis also acquired Jordan Walden a right handed reliever that has a posted a career 3.10 ERA in 5 seasons. Walden could be a surprise as he has been a very solid reliever throughout his career.

Cubs sign Lester at the Winter Meetings
There is no doubt the Cubs got a lot better this past off-season. But they wouldn't even be close to a contender without signing the 31 year old lefty, Jon Lester. Lester was probably the best free agent pitcher on the market and cubs shocked everyone as the signed Lester to a six year 155 million dollar deal. Chicago made a huge splash at the winter meetings and then continued to add to their team. As they acquired Miguel Montero, Jason Motte, Tommy La Stella, David Ross, and Dexter Fowler. All of which should improve the Cubs in 2015.

Athletics Trading Spree
After losing a heartbreaking AL Wild Card Game to Kansas City the A's knew they had a tough off-season ahead of them. As Oakland was losing major guys to free agency. The players who stood out the most were Jon Lester, Jason Hammel, Jonny Gomes, Luke Gregerson, and Alberto Callaspo. Even with all of these free agents leaving Oakland managed to sign Billy Butler. This was a very good signing by the A's as Butler has been a solid DH in his career. Later in November Oakland acquired Ike Davis from Pittsburgh. Davis, who had a rough 2014 will also be a decent addition as he has had a couple of solid seasons before his tough 2014. Less than a week later the A's made a blockbuster deal sending All-Star Josh Donaldson to Toronto. In return they received Brett Lawrie, Sean Nolin, Kendall Graveman, and Franklin Barreto. Considering who Oakland got in return the trade didn't look too bad. But if Oakland wanted to win this year then they decreased their chances greatly by trading Donaldson. Not long after that the A's traded away Brandon Moss to Cleveland for Joe Wendle. This move created a lot of controversy as from the looks of it Oakland was starting to try a rebuilding process. The next day they traded Jeff Smardzija to the south side of Chicago in return for multiple prospects. In a matter of two weeks Oakland had traded away most off their star players in return for mostly prospects. The rest of 2014 was quiet for Oakland as they only made one other deal sending catcher Derek Norris to San Diego. In January it looked as if Oakland wanted to compete again. As on January 10th they acquired Ben Zobrist and Yunel Escobar from Tampa Bay. Just 4 days later they sent away Escobar to Washington in return for Tyler Clippard. After looking back at the A's busy off-season they basically freed up money and also gained multiple prospects. Oakland could contend once again this year even after sending away their all star players.

San Diego is Ready to Compete
We all know the story of the Padres this off-season. To sum it all up they rebuilt their team and had one of the best off-seasons in MLB history. They added Justin Upton, Will Myers, Matt Kemp, Will Middlebrooks, Derek Norris, James Shields, and Clint Barmes. In acquiring most of these players they did take away a lot of highly ranked prospects. This just shows that San Diego wants to win now and I'd look for them to make a couple of more moves before this upcoming season is done. There's no question about it that San Diego is a serious contender but will they be able to keep up with Los Angeles and San Francisco in that division? It will be interesting to watch in 2015.

Red Sox Sign Ramirez and Sandoval
After capturing their 8th World Series title in 2013, Boston had a disappointing 2014 that saw them go 71-91. But this past Winter they signed two key free agents. As on November 25th they inked deals with Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez. Each of them were the top free agents in this past off-season and will definitely improve Boston as they are now once again ready to be the team they were in 2013. Can the Red Sox go from worst to first two times in two years? They are also another team to watch upon this upcoming season.
-Chris Suddeth    

How will the Angels do without Hamilton?

On Wednesday February 4th Josh Hamilton underwent surgery on his right shoulder. He had surgery to repair the AC joint in his shoulder, a procedure that will take at least six weeks to recover. This has him doubtful to be ready for the Angels opening day. This now brings in the question of who will replace Hamilton in the outfield? No matter who replaces him the Angels have faced a tough blow without Hamilton. But now that trade for Matt Joyce in December looks even better than it originally did. When the trade first happened Joyce was probably going to split the time being the DH along with C.J. Cron. Now Joyce could be starting in Left Field on Opening Day. That still doesn't say how well the Angels will do without Hamilton. Well since Hamilton joined the Angels in 2013 he has hit only .254 with a total of 31 homeruns and 123 RBI's. He has decreased a tremendous amount since when he was in Texas. As in his five years in Texas he hit .305 with 142 homeruns and 506 RBI's. Now his years with Texas is 3 years more than with Los Angeles but even in his last two seasons with Texas he hit .290 with 68 homeruns and 222 RBI's. That drop from hitting .285 (his last year in Texas) to hitting .250 (first year in LA) is terrible. Hamilton hasn't been consistent since 2012 and probably wasn't going to be in 2015. But will Joyce be a good part time replacement? Joyce has a career average of .250 which isn't the best but his on base percentage is .342 only 10 points lower than Hamilton's. They are also both very solid defenders and Joyce even has a higher fielding percentage. The Angels will miss those homeruns though as Joyce averages 13 homeruns a year and Hamilton averages 24. Hamilton also only had a WAR of 1.2 in 2014 which can be overcome by Joyce. All in all the Angels will be just fine without Hamilton for the first month of the season.
-Chris Suddeth

My Top 25 Moments From The 2014 MLB Season

The 2014 MLB season once again once again brought enjoyment and entertainment to everyone. Here are my top 25 moments from the 2014 season.
#25. Madison Bumgarner's Grand Slam vs. the Colorado Rockies on April 11.
#24. Marcell Ozuna caught a fly ball in left field and then threw a laser ball to home plate for a game ending double play to help the Miami Marlins defeat the New York Mets 3-2 on June 20.
#23. The Milwaukee Brewers score three runs on a wild pitch vs. the Colorado Rockies on June 21. #22. Jose Abreu hits a walk off grand slam to help the Chicago White Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on April 25.
#21. Nick Swisher hits a walk off grand slam for the Cleveland Indians vs. the Los Angeles Angels on June 19.
#20. Miguel Cabrera homers for his 2,000th hit.
#19. Josh Beckett throws a no hitter vs. the Philadelphia Phillies on May 25.
#18. Clayton Kershaw's no hitter vs. the Colorado Rockies on June 18.
#17. Tim Lincecum throws his second career no hitter vs. the San Diego Padres on June 25.
#16. Derek Jeter passes Paul Molitor for 9th on the alltime hits list on April 6.
#15. Albert Pujols hits career homerun no. 500 vs. the Washington Nationals on April 22.
#14. Yoenis Cespedes throws out a Los Angeles Angels baserunner from 300 feet away.
#13. Oscar Taveras hits a homerun in his first big league at bat vs. the San Fransisco Giants on June 30.
#12. Giancarlos Stanton gets hit in the head by a ball vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.
#11. NLDS Game 2 18th inning thriller between the Giants and Nationals
#10. Brandon Crawford Grand slam in the NL Wild Card Game in Pittsburgh.
#9. St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras dies in a car accident in the Dominican Republic.
#8.  Derek Jeter delivers a walk off hit vs. the Baltimore Orioles in his final career home game.
#7. The Kansas City Royals walk off vs. the Oakland A's for the organization's first postseason win in 25 years.
#6. The St. Louis Cardinals come back from being down 6-1 to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-9 in game 1 of the NLDS.
#5. Matt Adams go ahead homer vs. the Dodgers in Game 4 of the NLDS.
#4. Kolton Wong's walk off homer vs. the Giants in Game 2 of the NLCS.
#3. The Kansas City Royals advance to the World Series for the first time in 25 years.
#2. The San Fransisco Giants win their third World Series Championship in five years.
#1. Travis Ishikawa hits walk off homerun in NLCS Game 5 to send San Francisco to the World Series.            -Jared Pate

Remembering Oscar Taveras

When St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Oscar Taveras was tragically killed along with his girlfriend in a car accident on October 26, 2014, it shook the baseball world. I remember when the Cardinals first signed Taveras back in 2009 as a seventeen year old teenager who could hit a baseball a long way. I remember him charging his way through the Cardinals minor league system with his numerous homeruns and his great ability to drive in runs. I remember analysts and experts saying his swing was more polished and better at the early stages of his career than Albert Pujols, who in my mind was the Cardinals best slugger since Stan the Man Musial himself. I remember Taveras homering off of San Francisco's Yosmiro Petit in only his second at bat on May 31, 2014. Taveras did struggle in his first promotion to the Majors, ultimately having to be sent back down to the minors in late June. But an injury to first baseman Matt Adams brought Taveras back to the Majors in mid July. The Cardinals opened up a spot in the starting lineup by trading outfielder Allen Craig to the Boston Red Sox. Taveras continued to be inconsistent throughout the second half of the season, ultimately leading the Cardinals starting Randal Grichuk in RF in the playoffs. But Taveras would have his last moment of glory by homering in Game 2 of the NLCS against the San Francisco Giants to give the Cardinals the lead. I was shocked and stunned by Taveras' passing. None of us baseball fans will truly ever get over Oscar's death, but we will just have to learn to move on and keep watching the game we all love. Oscar would want it that way.     -Jared Pate

Did the Cubs make the right move in signing Lester?

On December 15 when the Chicago Cubs signed Jon Lester to a 6 year 155 million dollar deal it certainly improved their playoff chances. The Cubs also made minor moves with trades such as acquiring Miguel Montero and Tommy La Stella. They also signed new manager Joe Maddon who turned around Tampa Bay in a short period of time. Chicago had improved their playoff chances tremendously epically with the signing of Lester. The Cubs called Lester the best pitcher they have had in the past ten years. But after doing some small research did the Cubs actually do the right thing in signing Lester?

Last year they traded Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel to Oakland. At the time they were probably the Cubs two best starters they had but overall the trade made sense given the Cubs position. Since the Cubs resigned Jason Hammel they didn't lose anything in trading him. But in trading Samardzija they lost one of the best pitchers in the league. In losing Samardzija, the Cubs then obviously signed Lester but was it the right move?  Since 2011 the starters each have similar numbers.

Jon Lester
3.61 ERA
3.56 FIP
1.257 WHIP
2.89 K/BB

Jeff Samardzija
3.61 ERA
3.52 FIP
1.220 WHIP
3.01 K/BB

As you can see these stats are practically identical. Samardzija even has better numbers in three of the four categories. Now I'm not saying that the trade with Oakland last summer was useless because the Cubs did receive three top prospects from Oakland. What I'm pointing out is that instead of spending big money on Jon Lester the Cubs could have bought a couple decent starters as well as other position players. In the Cubs point of view they do have a lot of top prospects now that should produce in the majors very soon. In my opinion the Cubs haven't changed all that much because even with the addition of Lester they still don't have a top offense. Lester could turn out exactly like Samardzija did, a pitcher with a great ERA but no wins to prove himself. In the next couple years, it will be very interesting to see how this Chicago team will turn out. If they don't produce as they are projected to, there could be big problems going forward for the franchise. Even after all the moves they still haven't improved greatly and in their division wins are very though to get. The Cubs are a team to watch over the next few years. Will this new Cub team compete or will they be a total bust? -Christopher Suddeth