Week 16 Review in The All American Home Run Derby

Dilldocks continues to occupy our top spot after claiming the 2nd Quarter prize. 283 homeruns is good enough to lead our game, but just by 1 homerun. AllorNothin is well within striking distance with a total of 282 homeruns. #1Philsfan remains in the thick of things with 278 HR. Our 4th place team is whoopers and Mr. Papa Georgio holds down the 5th spot.Our player break down is as follows…1 player with 29 homeruns1 player with 27 homeruns2 players with 25 homeruns1 player with 24 homeruns3 players with 23 homeruns4 players with 22 homeruns2 players with 21 homeruns2 players with 20 homeruns4 players with 19 homeruns5 players with 18 homeruns5 players with 17 homeruns3 players with 16 homeruns8 players with 15 homeruns4 players with 14 homeruns6 players with 13 homeruns5 players with 12 homeruns4 players with 11 homeruns4 players with 10 homeruns5 players with 9 homeruns3 players with 8 homeruns6 players with 7 homeruns5 players with 6 homeruns3 players with 4 homeruns2 players with 3 homeruns3 players with 2 homeruns3 players have failed to go deepRyan Howard still leads the league with 29 homeruns and Adam Dunn is keeping pace with 27 homeruns. Pat Burrell and Chase Utley sit 4 homeruns off the lead while Dan Uggla is 5 back.We have 11 other players over 20 HR including Hanley Ramirez with 23 HR, Rick Ankiel with 22 HR and Josh Hamilton with 21 HR.There are 25 players between 15 and 19 HR. A few of these guys are Derrek Lee and Corey Hart with 15, Miguel Cabrera and Evan Longoria with 17 and Albert Pujols with 18.We have 23 players in the 10-14 HR group. Nick Markakis and Garrett Atkins lead with way with 14 homeruns each. David Ortiz sits at 13 and looks to return this week and add to that total. Hunter Pence and Torii Hunter each have 12 HR while Adam LaRoche and Alex Gordon have 11.Thirty players have less than 10 homeruns. Ryan Zimmerman has 8 homeruns and should return this week and add to that number. B.J. Upton sits on 6 and has been moved down in the order. Jimmy Rollins is also stuck on 6 and hopes for a big 2nd half. Delmon Young has now hit 4 HR and that’s practically on fire for him. Andruw Jones continues to be a huge bust with just 2 homeruns.

The Dream

The Dream
I think it’s safe to say that the success story of Josh Hamilton took another huge step in the right direction last night.
After injuries and substance abuse derailed what was destined to be a Hall of Fame career, the 5-tool prospect has returned to the spotlight that he lived in as a high school kid.
Most players have trouble coming back after 15 days on the DL, but Hamilton is doing all of this after a stretch of 4 years only playing a handful of games during A Ball and hardly ever working out.
We’ve all read about his struggles time and time again. There are countless stories all across the Internet chronicling the lows of his life. On Monday night, Josh Hamilton allowed us to witness as his life reached a new high.
Hamilton was able to do the unthinkable. He won over the fans in Yankee Stadium in a matter of minutes. As fellow derby participants struggled and appeared nervous, Hamilton stood tall and showed America why he was a #1 overall draft pick. After what he has already overcome in life, facing 50,000 fans in the Bronx didn’t seem to faze him one bit.
Hamilton was the 8th slugger to step to the plate, needing 7 homeruns to secure his place in the 2nd round. Not only did he do that, he made the 7 hitters before him look like nothing more than the opening act.
Hamilton appeared calm and collected as he blasted pitch after pitch out of The House that Ruth Built. Every ball that he hit seemed to have a chance to leave the park. No fan within 500 feet of home plate was safe, as he hit homeruns of 502, 503 and 518 feet!
Everyone got in on the fun as Edison Volquez brought a suitcase to home plate, David Ortiz left after he’d seen enough, Hanley Ramirez’s sons brought Hamilton some Gatorade and got a ball signed and Milton Bradley took the opportunity to snap a picture with his cell phone.
When the first round had finally come to an end, Hamilton had wiped out Bobby Abreu’s first round record and put up 28 homeruns. He had a streak of 13 straight and another where he hit 9 homeruns on 11 pitches.
The only question that remained was if Hamilton would even hit in the 2nd round and if he could finish off the night and go home with the hardware.
He elected to come out and take some swings enough though he was already in the Finals. After recording 4 homeruns and 4 outs, he decided to save his energy and his 71-year-old pitcher for the next round.
In the end, Hamilton’s 38 swings in the first round proved to be too much and he simply ran out of steam, losing to Justin Morneau 5-3 in the Finals.
The look in Morneau’s eye was almost apologetic as Josh Hamilton was clearly the best hitter of the night. Perhaps the format needs to be changed again, as the eventual champion didn’t do justice to the show that was put on in Yankee Stadium. Three years ago, Josh Hamilton had a dream about being in the Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium and last night that dream came true. He didn’t walk away as the champion, but the chants of “Ham-il-ton…Ham-il-ton” echoing through Yankee Stadium will be something that he, and everyone watching last night, won’t soon forget.

It's Show Time Folks!

The 2008 Home Run Derby is just around the corner and we finally have our 8 confirmed participants. After a couple weeks of rumors and speculation, the list has been narrowed down to an exciting group of this year’s biggest sluggers.Chase UtleyHeight: 6-1Weight: 200Age: 29HR Total to date: 25Position: Second BaseBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: The Phillies 2nd baseman is a line drive hitter who has show his HR power in streaks this year. He’s had 5 streaks of 9 or more games with no homeruns and he’s currently in a downswing right now. Does that mean he could get shut out or is he about to break out?Dan UgglaHeight: 5-11Weight: 200Age: 28HR Total to date: 23Position: Second BaseBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Uggla has been a surprise this year, as he’s actually gotten better with the absence of Miguel Cabrera. He’s only played 3 games since injury his ankle and he hasn’t homered since June 20th, so we’ll see if he’s rusty.Lance BerkmanHeight: 6-1Weight: 220Age: 32HR Total to date: 22Position: First BaseBats: SwitchDerby Experience: 8th in 2002(1 HR), 2nd in 2004(21 HR), 6th in 2006(3 HR)Outlook: Berkman is by far the most experienced slugger in the group. This will be his 4th Home Run Derby and that will prove to be invaluable Monday when it comes time to swing for the fences.Grady SizemoreHeight: 6-2Weight: 200Age: 25HR Total to date: 23Position: Center FieldBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Sizemore was sitting at just 1 HR after his first 20 games and no one thought that he’d wind up in the Derby. He’s now hit 22 HR in his last 70 games and hopes to ride that hot streak to a Home Run Derby Title.Josh HamiltonHeight: 6-4Weight: 235 Age: 27HR Total to date: 21Position: Center FieldBats: LeftDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Hamilton is trying to recover from an 18-game homer less streak. He recently hit homeruns in back to back games and appears ready to make a serious run at the title. The right center gap being 14 feet shorter than left center gives him a very good chance to do so. Ryan BraunHeight: 6-1Weight: 201 Age: 24HR Total to date: 23Position: Left FieldBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Braun burst onto the scene last year with 34 HR in a shortened season. He’s trying to make a run at 50 HR this year and that’s exactly the type of power that could help him win this event.Evan LongoriaHeight: 6-2Weight: 210Age: 22HR Total to date: 16Position: Third BaseBats: RightDerby Experience: NoneOutlook: Longoria is the youngest of the Home Run Derby participants. We’re about to see if youth will be on his side or if the nerves of being in the spotlight at Yankee Stadium will prove to be too much to handle.Justin MorneauHeight: 6-4Weight: 230 Age: 27HR Total to date: 14Position: First BaseBats: LeftDerby Experience: 5th in 2007(4 HR)Outlook: Morneau is the only player other than Berkman to have Home Run Derby experience. He also has the big body needed to withstand the beating that a contest like this puts on your body.

No Love in the Big Apple?

New York for the All-Star Game when they found themselves suddenly off course and stranded.Unlike the passengers of Oceanic Flight 815, the players that were snubbed for the All-Star team won’t be stranded on a remote island, but instead stranded at home when a few of them have very legit complaints about being left out of the fun in New York.Prince Fielder has recovered from a slow start to post some nice numbers, average aside, but it’s not hard to believe that he’ll be a spectator when you consider that he was up against Lance Berkman, Adrian Gonzalez and Albert Pujols.Mark DeRosa is in a similar situation. He’s batting .292 with 51 Runs, 11 HR and 49 RBI. He probably deserves to make the trip, but Chase Utley and Dan Uggla have made that impossible.Vladimir Guerrero, Jason Giambi, Jose Guillen and Brian Roberts have also had fine seasons, but just not quite good enough to play the final All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium.There are, however, a few players that have plenty of reasons to be upset with the results of the voting.J.J. Hardy (.295, 37R, 12HR, 38RBI) will be watching the game, while Cristian Guzman (.313, 50R, 5HR, 29RBI) plays in it. Mike Lowell (.297, 39R, 13HR, 54RBI) was even snubbed by his own manager, when Carlos Guillen (.286, 43R, 8HR, 44RBI) and Joe Crede (.261, 36R, 15HR, 47RBI) were both selected as backups to Alex Rodriguez. There are also some very deserving players who have one last chance to make the team in the final vote. Two more players will be invited to New York, but that will also send more deserving players home to watch the game from the couch.David Wright may still make the squad yet, but with his .286 batting average, 55 Runs, 16 HR, 66 RBI and 9 SB; he should already have his spot guaranteed. Chipper Jones has the unreal .388 average with nearly identical runs scored and homeruns, but 16 less RBI and only 2 stolen bases. Along with Jones, Aramis Ramirez is already on the team. Ramirez has is batting .283 with one more run, 1 less HR, 6 less runs batted in and 8 less stolen bases. Pat Burrell (.279, 47R, 21HR, 53RBI), Corey Hart (.296, 46R, 14HR, 55RBI, 13SB) and Carlos Lee (.292, 43R, 19HR, 67RBI) are facing David Wright for the final roster spot, but they also have the right to feel that they belong more than Kosuke Fukudome (.287, 58R, 7HR, 35RBI, 8SB) and Alfonso Soriano (.283, 36R, 15HR, 40RBI, 7SB). In addition to the chance at being voted into the final slot, one of these players could be an injury replacement for Soriano, who may not be healthy enough to play.Evan Longoria is in the running for the final spot in the American League, but his .281 average, 44 Runs, 16 HR and 52 RBI makes him much more deserving that Carlos Guillen and Joe Crede, who were already voted in.Jermaine Dye is battling Longoria for that last spot, but it could certainly be argued that his .308 average, 51 Runs, 19 HR and 52 RBI should be on that team more than Manny Ramirez (.278, 52R, 16HR, 53RBI), J.D. Drew (.299, 61R, 16HR, 51RBI) and Grady Sizemore (.269, 56R, 22HR, 50RBI).There was also a major mistake made regarding the starters, but this can be blamed on Red Sox Nation fan voting. There is no way that Dustin Pedroia (.312, 60R, 9HR, 41RBI, 9SB) deserves to start over reserve 2nd baseman Ian Kinsler (.332, 79R, 14HR, 53RBI, 23SB).

Resurrection Project

Written by Consigliere
Every once in a while, the sports world presents us with a feel good story. Maybe it’s the nature of baseball that makes their stories seem that much better. Teenagers are drafted and often spend several years fighting their way through the minor league levels, praying that they will one day get the call. Hoping that they can call themselves a Major League baseball player.Recently, we’ve heard a couple of stories that made most of us instant fans of these players.We all watched as a promising young pitcher named Rick Ankiel made his debut in the bigs and seemed to have his whole career going in the right direction. As quickly as he arrived, he appeared to be on his way out of baseball, when he couldn’t seem to hit the strike zone and sometime he wasn’t even able to hit the catcher. Now you can’t help but be happy for the guy, as he’s renewed his career as a homerun hitting outfielder with a rocket arm.Last year also marked a turning point in the career of former #1 overall pick, Josh Hamilton. After a string of bad luck and a bit of getting tied up with the wrong crowd, the kid who seemed destined for stardom found himself out of baseball and in and out of rehab. Now he’s finally got his life on the right path and is a perfect example of why you never give up on a kid when he’s got something special. Hamilton continues to improve in his 2nd year back and has 19 HR as we approach the All-Star Break. It’s scary to think of how good he could have been.This year, we’re seeing another success story in the making.If you’re in Chicago, you know the name Carlos Quentin very well, but if you’re a casual baseball fan, it’s possible that you’ve never heard of him.The 25-year-old outfielder was a 3-sport star in high school and went on to attend Stanford University, where he led them to 3 postseason appearances and collected plenty of personal hardware along the way. He ended his college career with a .350 batting average, 35 HR, 170 RBI and 26 SB.He was a first round selection of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but had his career put on hold when he underwent Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. When he returned, he dominated minor league pitching and became one of Arizona’s top prospects.The Diamondbacks called him up halfway through the 2006 season and Quentin recorded a .253 batting average, 9 HR and 32 RBI in 57 games.The start to Quentin’s 2007 season was delayed when it turned out that he had a partially torn labrum. Through 81 games, he was hitting .214 with 5 HR and 31 RBI before he was sent back to Triple-A. Arizona decided that he wasn’t working out and traded him to the White Sox in December.As it turns out, a change of address was exactly what Carlos Quentin needed, as he’s been the best hitter for the White Sox through the first half of the 2008 season.In 80 games this year, Quentin is hitting .284 with 19 HR, 61 RBI, 54 Runs and 5 SB. He currently ranks first on the White Sox in HR, RBI, Runs, OBP and OPS. He’s 2nd in SLG and SB.I think that it’s a safe bet to say that the Sox can attribute their division lead to this latest resurrection.

Back to the Future

It’s time to head down to the clock tower, fire up the flux capacitor and drive the DeLorean all the way back to March 10th, 2008.I know what you’re thinking. That wasn’t that long ago, but in baseball terms it was about a month before the season started. That’s when yours truly, The Consigliere, sat down and calculated the homerun projections for our pool players.It’s almost 4 months later and about midway through the season, so it’s time to look back and point out my spot on mathematics or take the blame for the minor miscalculations.For the purposes of this article, we’re going to ignore anyone who missed several games and concentrate on the guys who have been able to stay on the field.Right down the middleAlbert PujolsPrediction: If his elbow will allow him, Pujols will return to the 40 HR club.2008 Total: 17 HR. Despite his minor calf setback, he should finish right around 40 HR.Ryan HowardPrediction: Expect Howard to flirt with 50 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. Howard started off in a huge slump and has found his groove as of late. He’ll clear 40 and aim for 50.Adam DunnPrediction: No reason to believe that Dunn can’t top 40 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. He’s right on pace.Jim ThomePrediction: Thome should hit about 30.2008 Total: 16 HR. Bullseye.Magglio OrdonezPrediction: Maggs should contribute with a HR total in the mid 20s.2008 Total: 12 HR. Hopefully the injury doesn’t wreck my projection.Lance BerkmanPrediction: He should easily clear 30, with an outside shot at 40.2008 Total: 22 HR. Good call here.Ryan BraunPrediction: Braun should get 40 this year.2008 Total: 20 HR. Another one for The Consigliere.Manny RamirezPrediction: Should see 30 HR again.2008 Total: 16 HR. On pace to hit 30+.Carlos LeePrediction: If you want 30 HR, Lee is your guy.2008 Total: 18 HR. Headed for at least 30.David WrightPrediction: Hit 30 HR last year. Look for him to top that this year.2008 Total: 16 HR. Just where he needs to be right now.Adrian GonzalezPrediction: 40 HR potential.2008 Total: 21 HR. He’s found his potential.Derrek LeePrediction: Has a good shot at 30 this year.2008 Total: 15 HR. The Cubs slugger has returned.Jermaine DyePrediction: He’s a safe bet to top 30 this year.2008 Total: 18 HR. 30 looks to be a lock.Chipper JonesPrediction: Injuries are the only thing stopping Jones from hitting 30 each year.2008 Total: 16 HR. He’s looking for 30, but will the quad let it happen?Nick MarkakisPrediction: Expect more than last year’s 23 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. Right on target at the midway point.Rick AnkielPrediction: Expect 25+ HR.2008 Total: 16 HR. The power is there and he’s improving this year.Brandon PhillipsPrediction: Expect around 25 this year.2008 Total: 14 HR. He may end up right on 25.J.J. HardyPrediction: Hardy will be lucky to hit 20 HR.2008 Total: 8 HR. Should finish short of 20.Corey HartPrediction: Hart could reach 30 HR.2008 Total: 14 HR. He’s a little off the pace, but coming on after a rough start.Aaron RowandPrediction: Hope for 20 HR.2008 Total: 8 HR. Another guy that will not make 20.Gary Matthews Jr.Prediction: He’ll hit 15.2008 Total: 7 HR. I might get this one dead on.Alex GordonPrediction: Expect 20.2008 Total: 11 HR. Right on pace.Joey VottoPrediction: Look for 20-25 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. The rookie is aiming for dead center on this projection.High and insideJustin MorneauPrediction: 30-35 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. Need a big 2nd half if I’m going to get this one.Carlos BeltranPrediction: 33 HR.2008 Total: 12 HR. I need the postseason Astros Beltran to show up.Miguel CabreraPrediction: Expect 35-40 HR.2008 Total: 11 HR. What the hell is his problem?Chase UtleyPrediction: He’ll hit close to 30…by the All-Star Break.2008 Total: 23 HR. Ok, so I made the last part up.Ken Griffey Jr.Prediction: Still a threat for 30.2008 Total: 9 HR. The threat is fading.B.J. UptonPrediction: He hits 20 HR.2008 Total: 6 HR. Rays need him if they want to remain contenders, so I still got a shot.Dan UgglaPrediction: Could dip from last year’s 31 HR.2008 Total: 23 HR. He still “could”, but not likely.Hanley RamirezPrediction: Look for a season of 20-25 HR.2008 Total: 20 HR. I love Han Ram, but who knew?Victor MartinezPrediction: Expect about 20.2008 Total: 0 HR. Ugh!Jason GiambiPrediction: I don’t like his chances for 20 HR.2008 Total: 17 HR. Come on 2nd half slump.Justin UptonPrediction: Expect about 12 this year.2008 Total: 9 HR. It seems to be a K or a HR, but he should still beat my mark.Evan LongoriaPrediction: 15-20 HR.2008 Total: 15 HR. All Hail Evan Almighty!Delmon YoungPrediction: Look for an upside of 20 HR.2008 Total: 2 HR. He’s got the skills, but something isn’t clicking

MLB Injury Report: 6/22/2008

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Injury Report 6-22-08
Chipper Jones
Jones will sit out his 3rd straight game due to his quad. He should return soon.
Eric Byrnes
Byrnes should be back with Arizona very soon and he’s had plenty of time on the DL to recover.
Hideki Matsui
Matsui had his knee drained recently, but isn’t expected to land on the DL.
Hank Blalock
Blalock has been on his rehab assignment for 3 days and should rejoin the big club early in the week.
Albert Pujols
Pujols seems to be recovering nicely and a return date is scheduled for Thursday.
Alfonso Soriano
Soriano should be back in time for the Cubs Vs. White Sox Series at the Cell this weekend!

Week 12 Review from The All American Home Run Derby

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Week 12 Review
Dan Uggla now leads the Majors with 23 homeruns and fellow 2nd baseman Chase Utley is just one shy of his mark. Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman and Adrian Gonzalez all have 20 HR.
Sixteen players have between 15 and 19 round trippers. Hanley Ramirez represents the middle infield with 16, while Ryan Howard(19) and Pat Burrell(18) give the Phillies 3 players in the Top 9.
The 10-14 HR group has 28 members. Miguel Cabrera(10) remains at a snails pace, but Corey Hart(11) has turned around a slow start. Joey Votto(12) and Brandon Phillips(13) show that Dunn and Griffey aren’t the only power hitters in Cincy and ARod(14) continues to climb the leaderboard.
Thirty players comprise the 5-9 HR crew. Eric Byrnes(6), Vernon Wells(7), Matt Holliday(8) and Brad Hawpe(9) are all looking to make up for time lost on the DL. Khalil Greene(7) is showing that last year’s HR total was just a fluke and Justin Upton(9) is out to prove that he’s the real deal.
The fifteen players with a total of 5 or less HR continue to disappoint. Not surprisingly, 10 of the guys have spent time in the minors or injured, but Kosuke Fukudome(5) and Delmon Young(1) can’t use that excuse.
The only players that have failed to go deep are Josh Field, who is still in the minors, and Victor Martinez, who is out until after the break. Barry Bonds will no longer be mentioned barring his return.

Week 11 Review of The All American Home Run Derby

Week 11 Review
That Philly 2nd baseman still leagues the league and our pool with 22 homeruns. Gonzalez, Berkman and Uggla are all 3 off the pace and Braun, Hamilton, Burrell and Dunn are 4 back.
We have 13 players between 14 and 17 homeruns. Howard has 17, Pujols 16, Soriano 15 and Jason Bay 14. Pujols and Soriano won’t be moving from those totals for a few weeks.
Twenty- one players fall between 10 and 13 HR. Phillips has 13, Wright and C. Young are at 12, ARod is up to 11 and Corey Hart has increased his total to 10 homeruns.
The 6 to 9 HR group is 32 players strong. Kinsler has turned around a slow start and now has 9 bombs. Rowand has 8 in his new city. Griffey Jr has 7 so far and Hawpe has returned from the DL with a bang and now has 6 HR.
There are 19 underachievers with 5 homeruns or less. Fukudome hit 3 in his last 10 games to raise his total to 5. Bruce ended a 10 game homerun drought with his 4th HR. Blalock wants to return this week and add to his total of 3. A. Jones is the only player with 2 and Andy LaRoche has returned and gotten on the board with 1. Martinez, Fields and Bonds are the last 3 sporting the Goose Egg.

Jr. Finally does it!

Griffey Joins Elite Club
With the emergence of Joey Votto and the Cinderella run of Jay Bruce, it was easy to forget the real story for the Cincinnati Reds coming into the 2008 MLB Season.
When will Ken Griffey Jr make history? How long until he joins a select few of baseball’s greatest hitters? What day will he hit #600?
Griffey seemed to be stuck on #599 for far longer than he had hoped, but on Monday, the wait was over. Junior joined Sammy Sosa, Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays as only the 6th player in MLB history to hit 600 HR.
With 10 more homeruns, he’ll pass Sammy Sosa for 5th place on the All Time HR list, but that’s probably about as far as “The Kid” will make it.
He needs 61 more to pass Willie Mays and over 100 to catch Ruth, Aaron and Bonds.
What if Griffey had been able to stay healthy for his entire career? For the young man that dominated the 90’s, it only seemed like a matter of time until he was crowned as the greatest homerun hitter of all time.
In Seattle, Griffey will always be known as a Gold Glove centerfielder with the most beautiful swing that’s ever made contact with a ball.
In Cincinnati, he’ll always be known as the former Gold Glove centerfielder that couldn’t seem to round the bases without reaching for his hamstring.
From 2001-2006, Griffey missed 418 games. Those 418 games may be the difference between being one of 6 players to hit 600 HR and being the best homerun hitter ever.
If you compare his games played to Barry Bonds, Junior comes up 547 games short. Considering that he’s hit a homerun every 4 games over the course of his career, we’re talking about 137 HR lost. That would put his current total at 737 and counting. The 137 HR total is probably actually selling him short based on the fact that the 5 seasons prior to 2001, Griffey hit an average of 49.8 HR per year.
While it’s easy to see how Ken Griffey Jr could have been the best ever, just sit back and enjoy the fact that you have been able to witness a true legend of the game for nearly 2 decades.

MLB Injury Report: 6/8/2008 from Letsgodeep.com

Injury Report 6-8-08 Matt Holliday
Holliday is wrapping up a successful rehab stint and should rejoin the big club on Tuesday.Josh Hamilton
Hamilton missed Sunday’s game due to illness. He’s day-to-day.Vernon Wells
Wells was expected to be out 6-8 weeks, but missed just one month before returning to the Blue Jays lineup.Andy LaRoche
Look for the Dodgers to bring LaRoche up as soon as Monday morning.Chipper Jones
Jones is bothered by a quad strain once again and will miss at least a few games.Rick Ankiel
Ankiel has an infection is his knee that has kept him out of the lineup for a while. He could return on Tuesday.David Ortiz
Ortiz will be out at least 2-3 weeks with a wrist injury. If it doesn’t get any better by then, he could miss the rest of the season.

The Baseball Consigliere's Monthly Report

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Consigliere’s Monthly Report (May)
Each month, I’ll break down which of our pool players get the credit for their team leading the division and which players get the blame for their team being in the basement.
AL East
First Place: Tamp Bay Rays
Carlos Pena has regressed from last year, but with 10 HR, 32 RBI and 26 runs, he’s still been solid. BJ Upton only has 3 HR to his credit, but he’s been great in every other area. He has a .305 average, 34 RBI, 32 runs and 17 SB.
Last Place: Baltimore Orioles
All of the blame can’t fall squarely on Nick Markakis, but most of it can. He’s hit 9 HR which puts him on pace to set a career high, but he’s batting just .263 with nearly a strikeout per game. At this rate, he’ll end up about 40 RBI shy of last year’s total.
AL Central
First Place: Chicago White Sox
Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko and Jim Thome have all been average at best. Joe Crede’s .264 average is amazing compared to the other 3 and his 9 HR and 29 RBI look decent, until you realize that he had 2 HR and 7 RBI for the month of May. It’s clear that our pool players aren’t the reason for the Sox success.
Last Place: Kansas City Royals
Alex Gordon improved a bit in May and carries a .280 average with 5 HR, 25 RBI and 32 runs. Those are nice numbers for a contributor, but Gordon has to play like a superstar if the Royals are ever going to win.
AL West
First Place: Los Angeles Angels
Vlad Guererro, Torii Hunter and Gary Matthews Jr all have very similar numbers. They average about 6 HR, 27 RBI and 27 runs each. Hunter has the best average at .275, but this team is fortunate to be in first with Vlad not hitting like we’ve all come to expect.
Last Place: Seattle Mariners
Adrian Beltre has nothing to brag about with a .244 average, but it’s great compared to the .204 of Richie Sexson. Sexson, who spends most of his time lately riding the pine, only has 18 runs on the year. Even more concerning is the fact that 9 of those 18 have come off his homeruns.
NL East
First Place: Florida Marlins
Last month, I said, “When you look at the Marlins, you don’t have to look any further than superstar shortstop Hanley Ramirez.” While this still holds true, it’s now a 2-man show in Florida. Ramirez is batting .292 with 9 HR, 23 RBI, 44 runs and 13 SB. Dan Uggla has emerged as the star of May though. Uggla is batting .297 with 16 HR, 38 RBI and 43 runs.
Last Place: Washington Nationals
Zimmerman’s May was slightly better than his April, but now he’s been out for the last 8 games with a shoulder injury. The Nats are in trouble.
NL Central
First Place: Chicago Cubs
Last month at this time, Alfonso Soriano was on the DL and Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee were picking up the slack. It’s now a 3-headed monster, as they have combined for 35 HR, 112 RBI and 111 runs!
Last Place: Pittsburgh Pirates
Adam LaRoche(April)- 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 Runs
Adam LaRoche(May)- 5 HR, 19 RBI, 14 Runs
As you can see, LaRoche has rebounded and Jason Bay is batting .296 with 13 HR, 29 RBI and 43 runs. As a team, the Pirates just aren’t good.
NL West
First Place: Arizona Diamondbacks
Chris Young has now topped Justin Upton is every category but average. Young has 4 more HR, 4 more RBI, 10 more runs and 3 more SB. If the D-Backs want to stay in first, they need “The Franchise” to step it up a notch.
Last Place: Colorado Rockies
Troy Tulowitzki – Currently on the DL
Matt Holliday – Currently on the DL
Brad Hawpe - Currently on the DL

He's not Bruce Almighty...He's Bruce "Lee Roy"

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Ever since ESPN has tabbed Jay Bruce as Bruce almighty; this nickname has spread across the networks, newspapers & internet like wildfire! Has everyone forgotten about another Bruce that was one of the biggest bad asses on the silver screen in the 1980's?If you've seen the cult classic The Last Dragon by Barry Gordy, you know what I'm talking about! He's the baddest Bruce I've ever known (Yes, even badder than Bruce Lee) because he was the coolest karate chopping Mo Fo I've ever known! How many dudes do you know that could use their aurora & Afro to completely dominate & strike fear into their opponent? Maybe Bruce Lee Roy has shown Jay Bruce the ways of the dragon & how to connect with his inner Chi to funnel that energy into his big bat these day ;)Anyways, rent the movie if you haven't seen it & I hope you enjoy this story not about Bruce Almighty, but.......The New Bruce "Lee Roy"The Reds didn't seem to be headed in the right direction when they traded away Josh Hamilton and signed Corey Patterson. Why wouldn't you just bring up Jay Bruce to play CF? Probably for the same reason that Joey Votto had to wait patiently while Scott Hatteberg wasted plate appearances. Dusty Baker loves his vets. If you're a rookie and want to get your chance, you have to make it impossible for you to stay in the minors. Jay Bruce did exactly that. Through 49 games at Louisville, Bruce was batting .364 with 34 runs, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HR and 8 SB. The one knock on Bruce has always been his high strikeout rate, which showed in Louisville(12 BB/ 45 K) and that's exactly the reason that the Reds kept using as a reason to leave him in Triple-A. When rumors started to heat up that Ken Griffey Jr would be traded back to Seattle and that Adam Dunn might be on the market, it seemed that Bruce's time was coming. After Bruce had a 10 game stretch where he batted .611, including 3 HR in his last 17 at bats; the Reds couldn't ignore him anymore. Cincinnati officially made the call up on May 27th when they designated Hatteberg for assignment and Bruce has been something out of **** tale ever since. He made his debut against the Pittsburgh Pirates and collected 3 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs, 2 RBI and 1 SB. In the 6 games since his call up, he's batting .591 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 runs and 2 SB. He also notched his first career walk-off HR in a win over Atlanta. Oh, and as for his one flaw... he has 6 walks and just 1 strikeout so far.
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Surprise!!!

Surprise!!!
Every year a few players start out very hot and every year those players eventually cool off. As the month of May comes to a close, we have a few guys that are still hot and showing no signs of slowing down. A couple of them are no strangers to the spotlight and a couple are just beginning to take center stage. Let’s take a look at the 5 guys that are the biggest surprises thus far.
Lance Berkman
Berkman has been around the game for a while now and has made quite a name for himself, but this year he’s looking to set career highs across the board. He’s currently batting .384 with 17 HR, 47 RBI, 57 runs and 10 SB. His batting average is downright ridiculous and he’s already set a career high in stolen bases. If he can maintain his current pace, he’ll set new marks for HR and RBI and shatter his previous run total.
Chase Utley
Some would call Utley a rising star and others could make the case that he’s already a certified superstar. He’s doing everything in his power to make the latter true. Utley is right at his career pace for average, runs and stolen bases, but his power numbers are through the roof. He’s currently batting .310 with 17 HR, 46 RBI, 42 runs and 5 stolen bases. He’s on pace for 49 HR and 133 RBI, which would destroy his previous highs of 32 HR and 105 RBI.
Dan Uggla
The Marlin middle infielder doesn’t have the experience that some of the other guys, but he’s well on his way to stardom. Uggla is carrying a career high .307 average along with 16 HR, 38 RBI and 41 runs. At this rate, Uggla will set new career highs across the board with 51 HR, 120 RBI and 130 runs.
Josh Hamilton
Hamilton burst back onto the scene last year and showed why you never give up on talent. With his troubles in the past, Hamilton is looking to make up for lost time. He’s batting .324 with 13 HR, 58 RBI and 35 runs. He’s already set a career mark for RBI and is currently on pace for a whopping 174 this season. At this rate, he’ll hit 39 HR and cross the plate 105 times.
Joey Votto
It turns out that the only thing holding Votto back was Dusty Baker. Once Votto was given his fair shot, he took it and ran. He’s currently batting .294 with 10 HR, 29 RBI and 28 runs. He only played a handful of games last year so he’s already setting career highs. At the pace that he’s on, he’ll hit 30 HR while scoring 85 times and knocking in 90 RBI. The scary thing is that I think he can top those numbers. Not bad for a rookie that started the year behind Scott Hatteberg.

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