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It’s time for the managers to be awarded for their work this season. All three managers had teams that did better than expected and a couple of those teams really shocked the hell out of people.

Let’s start with Bob Melvin who helped guide the Oakland A’s to a last minute American League West Division victory.

The Oakland A’s were the anti New York Yankees of the American League with a paltry $55 million payroll and yet Melvin was able to lead those A’s to a 94-68 record and to the American League West title.

Oakland kicked it into high gear after July 1st. Entering play on that day they were 13 games behind the Texas Rangers who were leading the Division. And while things were going well for the A’s as they cut Texas’s lead, things also started taking a bad turn.

First on August 22, Bartolo Colon was suspended 50 games for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. Then poor Brandon McCarthy nearly died after he was hit in the head by a line drive in September.

Despite all of this, the A’s found themselves in play for the Division with a week left to play. And what did they do? They won their last six games of the regular season, including a sweep of the Rangers – who were looking for a wire to wire Division win – in the final series of the season to steal the division title and shock the hell out of everyone.

» Continue reading “The AL Manager of the Year or The Who Did The Most With The Least Award”

He’s already been named a recipient of a 2012 Gold Glove Award. Now, he’s taking home the title Designated Hotter. Congratulations, Matt Wieters.

Let’s take a look at what helped make this prestigious honor possible for Baltimore’s catcher.

All photos are via Keith Allison.

» Continue reading “Designated Hotter: Matt Wieters”

When Bud Selig and MLB came up with the new wildcard system for the playoffs, they couldn’t have dreamed of the first round we experienced this past week.

In all my years of being a baseball fan, I’ve always said that the five-game series is a crapshoot. The best teams don’t always win and that’s what makes baseball so great. Well, at least for the teams that win and advance to the League Championship Series.

Believe me, I’ve lived through many first round exits as a fan of the New York Yankees and it’s not fun especially when your team enters the series as the favorite which brings us to the first series we’re going to discuss.

» Continue reading “A Look Back At The Division Series Round: What A Week For Baseball”

The current NL standings via MLB.com

As of Friday, the MLB Playoffs officially begin! Last time, I went over what some of the Playoff terminology meant and how to actually get to the playoffs, but what about what’s happening right now this season? Well, here’s where we stand:

With the exception of the 2nd Wild Card team, the National League teams are all set.  We have the Washington Nationals representing the NL East (FYI…this is their very first division title as the “Nationals”).  Then we have the Cincinnati Reds in the NL Central (who are tied with the Nationals for the best record in all of baseball) and the San Francisco Giants in the NL West.

» Continue reading “Baseball For Beginners: So, Who’s Going To The Playoffs?”

Standings via MLB.com

Holy first place tie in the AL East, Batman! That’s right… it’s coming down to the wire, we’re on the home stretch and already into October, but two teams with impressive records are holding ground in first place.

Guess who has two thumbs, just clinched a post-season berth, and is sitting in first place in the AL East right now? Hint: you have a two-in-five chance of getting it right.

What did you do this weekend? The Orioles swept the Red Sox, bringing them back into first place and with the potential to win the pennant, and a playoff berth secured with the Angels loss to Texas Sunday night. This is Baltimore’s first playoff berth since 1997. For those of you who can’t do math, well, that was a long time ago, especially if you’re a dog.

The fate of the Orioles and the Tampa Bay Rays is very much intertwined at this point. The two teams begin a three-game series Monday night to round out their season. The Rays need to win all three games in order to secure one of the league’s two wild card spots. Currently, the Rays’ elimination number is set at 1, and the team trails Oakland for the wild card.

» Continue reading “AL East Recap: Holy First Place Tie, Batman!”

We know he’s not a favorite of Boston Red Sox fans after the 2011 season, but with his walk off  hit in game 162, Robert Andino holds a special place in the hearts of Baltimore fans.

Just after the first anniversary of  the night of Game 162, we celebrate Robert Andino. All photos are from Keith Allison’s Flickr account.

» Continue reading “Designated Hotter: Robert Andino”

American League East Standings via MLB.com

New York Yankees

The Yankees fought for a crucial series win over the Rays this weekend  in order to maintain their straddle atop the division, where they currently sit only 1.5 games up over the Orioles.

Veteran ace Andy Pettitte is making his way back to the mound in the Bronx for a start on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays. Manager Joe Girardi expects to see about 70 pitches out of the 40-year-old southpaw. Pettitte was out of the rotation this season due to a fractured ankle.

Curtis Granderson is on track to join Mickey Mantle for consecutive seasons with 40 homers. Granderson is at number 39 as of Sunday afternoon. Derek Jeter continues to climb in the all-time hits list, and is currently three hits over the great Willie Mays at 3,286.

» Continue reading “AL East Recap: Heating Up & Winding Down”

American League East division standings via MLB.com

New York Yankees

The Yanks are still clinging to the top of the peak in the AL East, but the Orioles are rabidly nipping at the heals of their cleats, only two games below. Meanwhile, the Rays are only 3.5 games back from first.

Third baseman and everyone’s favourite, Alex Rodriguez, who fractured his left hand on July 24th, should rejoin the ‘Bombers on Monday for the series opener in Tampa. Another slugger missing from the lineup is first baseman Mark Teixeira, out with a calf strain, who is taking recovery slow in order to prevent a setback that could cause him to miss the rest of the season. Old Andy Pettitte is meanwhile making progress in his rehab from a fractured ankle.

Roster expansion for the Yankees meant catcher Francisco Cervelli, DH Eduardo Nunez, outfielder Chris Dickerson and pitchers Cory Wade, Adam Warren, and Justin Thomas made the 40-man, while infielder Ramiro Pena was designated for assignment.

» Continue reading “AL East Recap: The Great Divide”

American League East standings as of Sunday. via MLB.com

New York Yankees

The Yankees are sitting atop the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays and the Baltimore Orioles nipping at their heels. Their record is .592, ridiculous, but what’s more, in the National League, both the Nationals (.617) and the Reds (.607) are higher still.

Friendly giant C.C. Sabathia should return to the rotation as soon as Friday’s game against the Indians. Sabathia was assigned to the DL for a second time this season just earlier in the month for elbow tightness, but has begun thrown bullpen sessions.

Switch-hitting first baseman Mark Teixeira is still day-to-day with a wrist injury he sustained at the end of July. Manager Joe Girardi is hesitant to move Tex to the DL, but will if it move seems critical to full recovery.

For more on the Yankees, visit Second Place Is Not An Option.

» Continue reading “AL East Recap: Off To The Races”

AL East Standings as of August 5, via MLB.com

Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays are showing suffering signs of their injuries. Toronto has been without the help of slugger Jose Bautista as well as starters J.P. Arencibia and Adam Lind. But even more devastating is that this weekend also lost both Brett Lawrie and Colby Rasmus to injury. Third baseman Lawrie is day-to-day with a nagging ribcage injury left over from a series in July against the Yankees, and Rasmus strained his groin catching a fly on Friday night’s game in Oakland.

Pitcher J.A. Happ, who was acquired in the 10-man trade with the Astros in late July, should start for the Blue Jays on Thursday against the Rays.

» Continue reading “AL East Recap: More Injuries, More Mending”