The second year phenom won AL rookie of the year in 2012 and he also finished second for the league’s MVP award, behind only Miguel Cabrera.

But will Trout be able to dethrone the reigning MVP for the title in 2013?

As of May 22nd, the Angel in the outfield is hitting .297 with 34 RBI.

He has avoided the sophomore slump in nearly every facet as he continues to devour the MLB pitcher by pitcher. He has been considered one of the best in the game since he played his first full season a year ago.

It is only fitting, that the one man who stands in his way of becoming the second youngest MVP award winner in the history of baseball, (Vida Blue in 1971 was younger by about a week), is one of the men he idolized coming into the game.

“Coming into the year, my goal was to be the best player and to make the most impact on the field,” Trout said on a conference call with LA Times writer Mike DiGiovanna after being named Rookie of the Year. “To be in the MVP talk with guys like Cabrera, it’s an incredible feeling, a hard one to explain.”

But as impressive as Mike Trout was in 2012, no one could dispute the force that was Cabrera. The Detroit Tigers infielder became the first player to win the Triple Crown since 1967; he led the league in batting average, home runs, and RBI. He made his team one of the most exciting to watch, and helped pave the way for them into just their second World Series in 29 years.

Now, one year later, both are just as hot as they were in 2012.

Cabrera is hitting an amazing .383 after more than a quarter of the season and has already racked up 50 RBI. In fact, his numbers at this time last year weren’t as good as they are this year. Let me reiterate, he won the first Triple Crown in 45 years and is playing better in the following season.

On May 22nd, 2012, Cabrera was hitting .304 with an on-base percentage of .362. 365 days later, his batting average sits an incredible 79 points higher, and his on-base nearly 100 at .456. His team is again fighting for a divisional title and he is possibly going to become the first ever player to win the Triple Crown two years in a row.

So how can Trout ever beat this guy?

First off, he has to make sure this second Triple Crown doesn’t happen. Obviously a Triple Crown winner is going to be named MVP. Trout’s best chance at keeping up is his through home runs. Cabrera is currently edging him out twelve to nine but there’s still plenty of time left.

Trout just needs to keep hitting them at home. Angel Stadium of Anaheim has a far shorter left field porch than it does right. At just 330 ft. it puts the right handed Trout in a perfect spot to keep putting them over. It’s no Yankees Stadium, but that stadium combined with Trout’s power could produce a lot of runs.

Of course, he’ll have to start hitting the ball a little better too.

Not that he hasn’t been hitting well. A nearly .300 average at this point in the year is a fine place to be. But if there is one complaint to be had about the New Jersey native it is the frequency of his strikeouts. Having already gone down 42 times on strikes, Trout is striking-out nearly one out of every four at-bats. His competitor, Gallant Fox, has only 25.

To this point with his production, no one is scoffing at Trout’s strikeouts. In fact, it seems few people are noticing at all. This is because as one scout put it, he is “slump proof”.

“He’s slump proof because he runs so well,” said the scout. “I don’t think an 0-for-20 is possible with him, because if he puts the ball in play, he’s going to get his hits.”

“It’s almost logical that Trout had a lot of strikeouts”, Angels General Manager Jerry Dipoto told ESPN’s Buster Olney, “because he goes so deep into counts”.

Last season he averaged 4.08 pitches per plate appearance.

But it is a fact that they are now occurring at the same rate as they do for Ryan Howard. It’s something that’s going to happen with young players, there’s no denying that. but an MVP contender gets on base. Lowering that number and continuing to work the count is a necessity if he’s going to beat Sir Barton.

Finally, Trout just needs to keep being himself. Keep being the humble east coast kid who happens to be playing like a baseball God. Keep setting records from day-to-day but always acknowledge the work of your teammates first.

Keep playing like the veteran even when surrounded by Albert Pujols and Josh Hamilton.

Keep it up, and the Secretariat may have to watch his back.

Video: Mike Trout hits his first grand slam

The post Can Mike Trout snatch the MVP? appeared first on Players View.

There is some sort of irony to be found in the concept of watching the fittest athletes in the world compete while chomping down on the least nutritional food possible.

Gone are the days where a simple burger and fries was the worst thing that one could consume at a Major League baseball game.

We have arrived at a time where the folks that run park concessions have gotten competitive in their creative zeal to come up with the most decadent combinations possible to tempt your palette.

These are the five that are must haves for those that road trip to multiple parks during the summer.

#5  SCOTCH EGGS:  PNC Park/ Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

These hard-boiled eggs wrapped in Italian sausage are exactly what you should not ingest if you love your heart and digestive system.

BUT, at only $7.50 they are most likely to tempting to pass up when you are at a Pirates game.

When it comes to stadium food, this is a cheap price to pay to indulgent one’s culinary curiosity.

#4 Beltre Buster: Ranger Park/Arlington Texas

The most decadent stadium fare is usually named after marquee names that certainly can’t eat what the team associates their brand with.

Rangers  third baseman Adrian Beltre may have recoiled in horror when he was shown what his menu item is dedicated to.

The $26 Beltre Buster hamburger  has one pound of Nolan Ryan beef, half of a pound of bacon, grilled onions and Monterey Jack cheese served on a pretzel bun.

At $26, parents that give in and purchase this monstrosity to share with begging kids that idolize Beltre, may go berserk when said child takes a small nibble, wrinkles his nose and says “I don’t like this bread or the onions.’

#3 The Beast: Miller Park/Milwaukee,Wisconsin

This is a grilled bratwurst sliced in half and stuffed with a grilled hot dog.  The gluttonous two-for-one is then wrapped in bacon and served with sauerkraut and grilled onions on a pretzel roll.

At $9 it’s not terribly expensive financially, but the cost to be paid later physically should make you want to think twice before diving in.

But you will and so will we.

#2 The Brunch Burger:  PNC Park/Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Let’s be real here and state the Brunch Burger is really the grand daddy of them all The Luther, masquerading under a different name.

It’s a bacon cheeseburger and fried egg held together by a glazed doughnut.

At only $7.50 you can’t go wrong with it, unless the burger is less than a half-pound of beef.

Truthfully, you can try the Players View version of the Luther at home.

Grill one 3/4 lb patty and top it with six slices of bacon, 4 slices of cheddar cheese and use two Krispy Kreme jelly doughnuts as bun substitutes.

Toss in the fried egg if you want to go royal-style.

#1 Winning Ugly Grand Slam Sandwich:U.S. Cellular Field/Chicago, Illinois

This is not a burger or a regular sandwich. This is something that has created it’s own lane.

The Chicago White Sox took their history of winning ugly and commissioned a food item that lives up to that standard set by the 1983 team.

This major league knockdown drag out is put together with Italian beef, Italian sausage patty, pork chop and bacon covered with giardiniera, sautéed onions and peppers on eight inch muffalatta bread.

The post 5 most decadent menu items at Major League parks appeared first on Players View.

Batting .349, the left-handed hitter has hit in eight straight games.

This includes a game on Saturday against the hosting Phillies where he successfully reached base six times.

Votto was 4-for-4 with two singles, a double, and a two run homer in the top of the ninth to cap things off.

He walked twice amidst the excitement.

The Reds won the game 10-0 as a result of his efforts.

Without missing a beat, Votto stayed hot going 2-for-4 in Sunday’s series finale in Philadelphia.

Over the span of his eight game hitting streak, Votto’s numbers are building momentum after a rough start.

In his last eight outings, Votto has hit .515, scoring nine runs and driving in an additional seven.

“I’m trying to see the ball as long as possible and direct it where I want it,” he told ESPN after Saturday’s game.

The Reds, now two and a half games out of the NL Central are relying on Joey Votto to bring them back to the top of the standings.

There are two problems with adding Votto to the MVP conversation.

Votto will have to bump his numbers in both the RBIs and HRs categories.

Having an on-base percentage of over .450 is impressive, but doesn’t contribute the way the Reds need right now.

The three-time All-star is on pace for a respectable 70 RBIs which pale in comparison to the 113 that he generated in 2010.

His swing only has him on track for 20 HRs, not the 37 he hit on his way to becoming the NL MVP.

Before Saturday’s homer in the ninth, Votto hadn’t knocked one out in eighteen games.

The worry is that the missing power from Votto’s game could be a result of something worse than just a long ball slump.

It is possible that an underlying injury is keeping him from driving the ball the way he is expected to?

With Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce behind him, scoring still shouldn’t be an issue for this club.

The only difference is that Votto will be coming across the plate more as a direct result of someone else’s actions instead of his own.

“Would you rather have 95 percent of Joey Votto as long as he’s not in pain or would you rather not have Joey Votto at all? He’s a force — even when he’s not doing anything — in the lineup,” Reds manager Dusty Baker told CBS Sports.

“He makes a pitcher throw out of the stretch, with his on-base percentage. He’s going to get key hits and he’s going to hit the tough pitches, something that Joey Votto can do unlike anybody else. This guy can hit.”

Right now MVP may be a bit of a stretch for the Reds first baseman.

RBI and home run contribution is worshipped in this league.

But he is certainly taking a leisurely walk into his fourth straight All-Star game, and the Reds are getting plenty to continue their push into the postseason.

The post Can Joey Votto return to MVP form? appeared first on Players View.

The shots were taken off starter Derek Holland in the third and fifth innings.

Before the night was done, Cabrera took three total balls out of the park.

Cabrera became one of 15 players to hit at least 330 home runs before his 31st birthday.

He analyzed each of the home runs with M Live.

“That first one might be a double (at Comerica Park). The last time I hit it that far (at home), it was out at the warning track,”Cabrera said.

On the second home run, Cabrera noted that it may not have gone out of the park at home.

“I didn’t see it, Cabrera said. “When you hit a ball like that, you don’t want it to get too high because you want an extra-base hit. That’s a double at home.”

On the third one, he felt good about the distance that it traveled.

“The last one would be out at home, too” Cabrera said.

The main thing that any pro is concerned with is that eventual status of the game.

Despite Cabrera’s show of offensive strength, the Tigers lost to the Rangers 11-8.

Rangers manager Ron Washington told ESPN that despite their victory,Cabrera makes him nervous.

“I’ve never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches,”Washington said. “He’s just a tremendous hitter. I’m very happy that he’s headed to the airport.”

Miguel Cabrera was also praised by his skipper Jim Leyland.

“You don’t feel very good when guys hit three home runs and you lose the game,”Leyland said. “Miggy never ceases to amaze you.

Video: Miguel Cabrera pops three home runs against the Rangers

The post Video: Miguel Cabrera ties Hank Greenberg on home run list appeared first on Players View.

Chances are he’ll be doing his best Stephen Strasburg impression by the season’s end.

In 2012 Harvey had his season come to an early end after pitching 169 ⅓ innings. Including both his minor and major league outings. After eight starts this year, the Mets ace is on pace for 232 ⅓ innings over 33 outings. That number is clearly far above the unwritten 160 inning limit. However, Harvey currently has the third lowest ERA in Major League Baseball with a 1.44. Not to mention a 4-0 record with 62 strikeouts.

So who would a shutdown really hurt?

The New York Mets have only been to the postseason thrice in the last twenty years. To say that they’ve struggled is obvious. Again in early 2013, the Mets sit near the bottom of the NL East eight games under .500.

In recent years the Mets have had to watch all-stars like shortstop Jose Reyes head in different directions, in search of both money and contention.

It has been tradition now it seems for the Mets to start fairly well, but fall out of relevancy before anyone really starts to notice them. New York fans have had plenty of reasons to jump ship.

In some part they have. Tickets sales at Citi Field have been disheartening for some time.  Competition is something the paying fans don’t just hope for. They flat out expect it.

Sitting an ace in actuality is hurting the paying spectators and fans. Show everyone how fun it would be to come see the Mets. Then rob them of the experience. It’s like selling a box of cereal, then right before I get to the bottom, you flip the box and steal the prize from the bottom of the bag. Sure, I got some cereal, but the incentive for my purchase just went to the wayside.

Fans want to see greatness. They’ll count the games with the rotation to figure out who’s pitching on what day and buy tickets accordingly. Whether someone’s thrown 100 or 1,000 innings, if he’s healthy he should be out there. Fans expect it and teams owe them that gratification for their loyalty. Whether you buy tickets on opening day, or for the last game of the year should not affect the quality of your purchase.

To be fair, there are some circumstances where the shutdown can make sense. Take for instance Washington’s Stephen Strasburg who was shut down before the 2012 playoffs. The former first round pick was just a year removed from elbow surgery. Meanwhile his money was made in his fastball.

You could say shutting down Strasberg made sense because there was a pre-existing condition which had to be considered. And the Nationals were headed to the playoffs, with the looks of a team who could compete for at least the next couple of years. Saving Strasberg for the future is good foresight.

Switch back to New York. Be honest with yourself, the Mets aren’t making it to October, and there is still a bleak outlook for their future at this rate. So sit Harvey to save him for next year while fans continue to stay home for games. Send the message that says, “We’re calling it in. See you next year!”  OR let him pitch, progress towards records, and attract excitement to the stadium.

This is the era of pitching, and that’s what fans want to see. Whether in last or first place, paying fans deserve the best possible experience.

The shutdown may sound practical. But like parents, fans just don’t understand.

Video: Matt Harvey interview

The post Will the New York Mets be forced to shut down Matt Harvey in 2013? appeared first on Players View.

Johnson has a sense of humor about the whole thing as he posted this documentary style footage about the event.

Video: Amir Johnson throws an awful first pitch

The post Video: Toronto Raptors Amir Johnson throws out an awful first pitch for the Blue Jays appeared first on Players View.

But the biggest spenders of the last year are proving that money can’t buy a great baseball team.

After huge trades, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays sit at the bottom of their divisions roughly six weeks into the season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have the second highest payroll in baseball after their monumental trade with Boston a year ago.

The Blue Jays have the 10^th fattest ledger in the league.

Even the Los Angles Angels, who tote a powerful lineup including Albert Pujols, Josh Hamilton, and young phenom Mike Trout, are ten games out of their division.

After all their acquisitions in recent years, the Angels are seventh on the list of Major League payrolls. Affording nearly $70 million more than the second place Athletics.

So why are these highly sought after talents struggling?

Unfortunately, one of the biggest parts is an unavoidable struggle.

Each of these teams is facing tremendous talent on the disabled list. Especially within the starting rotation. The Jays have lost Josh Johnson until early June after just 19 innings played.

The Dodgers had to put Chad Billingsley on the 60 day disabled list, where he is expected to stay for the duration of the season.

Zack Greinke has also missed time after his brawl with Padres slugger Carlos Quentin back on April 11.

The impact of his return is still a bit cloudy.

“We know he’s going to pitch on Wednesday, we’re just not sure where,” manager Don Mattingly told CBS Sports, via the Associated Press. “We don’t want to wait too long but we want to make sure everybody’s on the same page. We want to get Ned’s [general manager Ned Colletti] input, the doc’s input, the trainer’s input, Zack’s.

We’re kind of putting together, if he’s going to be able to pitch, what we don’t want him doing and what we want to do. We just haven’t got all that together so we’re not ready to say ‘Yes, we’re going forward.’ ”

Los Angeles’ more holy of teams, lost Jerred Weaver very early on, but hopes for him to return within the week. Along with former Phillies reliever Ryan Madson who expects to return around the same time.

Injuries can and will derail a season, but the great teams are the ones that can overcome the losses. The issue facing these teams right now is that the pitching replacing these big names is unable to do that. Combined, there is only one starting pitcher among the three teams with an ERA under 3.00, the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw.

For some, even when the starters put something together, the bullpen is without ability to seal the deal.

“That formula, like everything else right now, doesn’t seem to be working,” Dodger’s manager Don Mattingly said of the back end of his bullpen.

“It’s not who you’re playing or where you’re playing; it’s how you’re playing,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia told MLB.com . “And right now, we’re not doing enough things well to set the game up on our terms and give ourselves the margin of error you need when you don’t get a break.”

These teams are lacking Scioscia’s “breaks” in a big way.

The three teams are in the bottom half of the league in RBI, and in the bottom eleven of team ERA.

Whether or not the return of some of the injured talent will boost the play of these clubs will have to be seen.

But while they play wait-and-see with fingers crossed, teams like the A’s, Rays, and Pirates will be competing for a playoff spot despite their miniature expenses.

I guess money can’t buy everything.

The post Dodgers, Angels and Blue Jays prove big payrolls don’t equal big results appeared first on Players View.

Harper was running down a ball from A.J. Ellis when the incident took place.

The worst was feared, as rumors of concussion-like symptoms spread without any confirmed results from the Nationals.

The Washington Post’s Adam Kilgore has tweeted that Harper does not have a concussion.

Scott Boras: Harper had 11 stitches, no concussion. Jammed shoulder, but nothing immediate as far as orthopedic issues. Will have X-ray.

— Adam Kilgore (@AdamKilgoreWP) May 14, 2013

We will update this space as more information on Harper’s status becomes available.

Video: Bryce Harper slams into right field wall

The post Bryce Harper does not have a concussion appeared first on Players View.

They will extend the ultimate olive branch to  Cabrera on Tuesday when they play his new team the Toronto Blue Jays.

Before the teams lockup, the Giants will present Cabrera with his World Series ring for his 2012 contributions.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy told the Mercury News that the past is in the past.

“What happened, happened,” Bochy said Sunday. “And that’s behind us. He’s a good person, he is. He was a good teammate and I’ll thank him for that.”

Cabrera was suspended last season for using a banned substance.

During their championship run, the Giants had the option to put Cabrera back in the lineup after he served his 50 game suspension.

They elected to continue on without him.

When he was busted, Cabrera had  a .346 batting average with 84 runs, 60 RBIs and 11 home runs.

These days his results are not as explosive.

After signing a two-year deal with Toronto, Cabrera is managing just .261 with one home run.

A lot of Giants fans are not feeling the move to honor his achievement.

Video: Melky Cabrera 2012 highlight reel

The post Melky Cabrera will get his World Series ring from the San Francisco Giants appeared first on Players View.

The homer would have tied the game in the top of the ninth inning with two outs.

Instead, the Cleveland Indians were able to finish the save attempt and go on to win the game.

How did this happen?

How did Angel Hernandez’s crew screw-up a blatant ninth inning home run with the aid of replay?

And that is not all.

This week Major League Baseball’s umpires have only pushed modern officiating further into the realm of obliviousness.

On Thursday, Fieldin Culbreth allowed Houston rookie manager Bo Porter to swap relievers before Wesley Wright faced a batter.

A rule practiced even in youth leagues around the country, MLB rule 3.05(b) states a pitcher must face a batter before they can be removed, barring injury.

Although Porter should have been able to comprehend the more elementary of baseball regulations, it is even more mind boggling that head umpire Culbreth was unaware to recall the rule himself.

He then even refused to come to terms with the statute after LA manager Mike Scioscia rather blatantly called his attention to it.

Ultimately the whole affair earned Culbreth a two-game suspension.

Together the events represent an unfortunate trend in sports over the last few years.

Officiating is seeing a major quality malfunction.

In 2010, Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga was 28 outs into a perfect game. With one out left in the ninth inning Galarrga forced a ground ball that should have ended the game. Then Jim Joyce happened.

The runner, Jason Donald, was out by at least half a step.

A considerable distance in the world of baserunning.

But Joyce inexplicably called the runner safe.

With teary eyes the umpire admitted his mistake and apologized in front of cameras after seeing the replay. The damage however, was already done.

On the flip side, early 2012 saw an Officials Union strike in the NFL.

The constant blunders of the replacement call-makers were capped off by the “Fail-Mary” at the end of a week three match-up between Seattle and Green Bay.

The horrifying mishap ultimately led to the real referees getting the deal they wanted.

For fans, the only difference seemed to be that the wrong calls were being made much quicker for the rest of the 2012 season.

The decline is apparent in each of the big four American sports, and it does not take a very educated eye to see it.

While fans continue to push the MLB for expanded replay measures, the human element of baseball is still trying to be salvaged.

Today a half a step on the base path can be broken into a thousand frames on HD television sets, in every home in the country.

If an umpire is off by a hundredth of a second, the camera will pick it up, and it will be transmitted to the homes of millions.

So can one say that MLB umpires are actually getting worse, (excusing Mr. Culbreth who obviously needs to retake a course or two) or is the scrutiny of high definition technology simply making it impossible to relate to the speed of the game?

The NFL continues to see rule changes to increase player safety on the field.

While it is possible that suddenly referees are incapable of catching an offensive hold or a defensive offsides, it fits greater logic that perhaps the official’s eyes are simply being pulled elsewhere on the field.

The new regulations make it necessary to watch a tackle down to the fine details. Quarterbacks are protected like an egg your high school health teacher told you was a child.

There are only so many refs on the field at a time, and it is impossible to cover everything at once.

So while they look for newly implemented rule violations they could be missing the oldest, most integral to the game.

It seems more and more likely as sports evolve that officiating will continue to decline in effectiveness at this rate.

But it is also important to remember the differences between the game that is now, and the one that existed a few decades ago.

Fans and spectators get to play inspector over and over again at home with the help of their DVR.

And the mountain of rules that are continuously added to the books make it harder to keep track of each one during any given play.

Video: Poor officiating robs Oakland’s Adam Rosales

The post Adam Rosales homerun theft showcases modern officiating issues appeared first on Players View.

Happ was carted off the field after  sustaining a head contusion and a laceration to his left ear when he was struck by a rocket hit by Desmond Jennings.

Happ was a sitting duck and he fell to the mound as two runs scored off the Jennings triple.

Happ was conscious when he left the field on the stretcher and teammate Jose Bautista told MLB.com that all should be well longterm.

“From what it sounds like so far, he’s in stable condition, he’s conscious and that’s all we know so far,” Bautista said Tuesday night. “We’re hoping he recovers well and it doesn’t get serious. There’s always a chance of concussion when you hit your head like that, and we’re hoping he doesn’t get any symptoms like that.”

Happ’s catcher J.P. Arencibia said that he was alert just after the incident occurred.

“He was responsive, he was responsive and talking to the guys,”  Arencibia said. “I didn’t want to go out and touch him and maybe roll him over and do something I didn’t need to do. I don’t have any education on that.

“So the biggest thing was, you’re trying to ask him, you know he’s not okay, you’re trying to hear if he’s talking, he was talking and then the medical people were out there right away.”

During the heat of the moment, there was a lot of confusion.

“As soon as it hit him, I started praying and then instinct is that you want to run out there and try to help him, but the ball’s live, guys are running home,” Arencibia said. “So, I was in-between wanting to run out there, trying to stay home and as soon as [Jennings] got to third base I ran out there. By that point, there’s nothing I could really do.”

Upon release, Happ said in a statement that ran in Tampa Bay Times that he is in ” good spirits.”

“I’m in good spirits. I definitely appreciate the support of the baseball community. It’s been overwhelming, the messages and kind words I’ve been getting. I just want to thank everyone for that. And I look forward to getting back out there soon.”

The post J.A. Happ released from hospital after linedrive to head appeared first on Players View.

On Monday, Dodgers third base coach Tim Wallach informed Kemp that there was a young man in attendance at AT&T Park that is a huge Dodgers fan.

He also happens to list Kemp as his favorite player.

The horrible thing is that he is dying and that he cannot speak.

After the game, Kemp visited with the boy and gave him his cleats and his jersey.

Little did he know that the whole incident was captured on tape.

“I didn’t know that anybody was filming it,” Kemp said Tuesday afternoon. “I wasn’t aware.”

This video features all of Kemp’s comments and feelings about his kindness.

Kemp is one of those guys that has had his bought with being in the news for who has dated and what not.

This is one of those situations where the right thing makes it into the spotlight.

The post Video: Matt Kemp talks about giving his jersey and cleats to a young dying fan appeared first on Players View.

Jack Hannahan brought in the go-ahead run with a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning.

Down 4-2 in the eighth, the Reds put up four points with the help of only hit.

The win was the Reds took  second straight against Chicago.

Logan Ondrusek (2-0) got the victory with a scoreless seventh inning.

Aroldis Chapman  earned his seventh save for Cincinnati.

Watch Bruce earn his 125th double below.

The post Video: Cincinnati Reds Jay Bruce posts his 125th career double appeared first on Players View.

Hill was due back in the lineup by mid-May but it looks like his original prognosis of-4-6 weeks downtime will be extended.

D-Backs beat writer Nick Piecoro tweeted the bad news.

Kevin Towers says Aaron Hill’s hand is healing more slowly than everyone had hoped. Best case at this point is in late May, Towers said.

— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) May 4, 2013

Towers is the general manager for the D-Backs.

When he was injured Hill spoke with the Sporting News.

“I was very disappointed (Monday) when I learned the extent of my hand injury,” Hill said. “I am going to take some time off from baseball activities to let the break heal before starting the rehab process. I am committed to do everything in my power to return to the lineup as soon as possible.”

His approach has not worked out as planned.

Prior to his injury, Hill was off to nice start batting .306 with two home runs.

His extended absence is good news for his fill-ins Cliff Pennington and Josh Wilson who can claim this as an opportunity to shine.

Towers stated that he feels good about what both guys can do while Hill is away.

“It is really unfortunate to lose not only a talented baseball player but a tremendous teammate in Aaron Hill for the near future,” Towers said. “We are confident that the depth we have in the middle infield will serve us well while Aaron recovers.”

The post Arizona Diamondbacks Aaron Hill is healing slower than expected appeared first on Players View.

The lefty will undergo surgery on a herniated disc in his back on Tuesday.

He is not expected to return until after the All-Star break, president of baseball operations/GM Jon Daniels told the Star-Telegram.

Daniels went on to state that the team’s rotation will rely on Justin Grimm and Nick Tepesch to get it done.

Harrison has not pitched in two weeks.

He has been on the DL and attempted to treat his back with various injections that did not get the job done.

The decision to work it out via surgery was mutual one made between both the team and Harrison.

“Any time you have an injury, it’s frustrating,” Harrison told ESPN. “[The surgery] was the last resort to get it right. Hopefully, this works. I have to do what I have to do to get through it.”

The GM is also far from tickled pink about this development.

“Losing any of your guys, it’s never good news,” Daniels said. “Matt’s particularly important to us. His decision to have it now rather than wait once it seemed like this was headed, we’re all in agreement this is the best thing for the club.”

Harrison won 18 games last season.

That led to a $55 million, five-year contract during the offseason.

The post Texas Rangers Matt Harrison out until after the All-Star Break appeared first on Players View.

Jeter had a CT scan on the ankle that has derailed his career on Thursday that revealed what ESPN is reporting as a “small crack.”

“We’re looking at, in terms of speculation when Derek Jeter will be back with us, sometime after the All-Star break,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said.

Jeter broke his ankle in October 2012 during the first game of the AL Championship Series.

All signs originally pointed to a Opening Day return for the perrenial All-Star.

That never happened due to various setbacks that occurred on each attempt at ramped  participation with the Yankees during spring training.

From that time till now it’s been a touch-and-go scenario of possibilities and what ifs.

Thursday’s revelation provides concrete information in the form of news that fans of the sport as a whole did not want to hear.

The post Derek Jeter out until after the All-Star Break appeared first on Players View.

The headlines stated early that Justin Upton and his brother BJ would make a huge difference for the club both in the outfield and at the plate.

The team is riding a  10-game winning streak that is its longest since they  won 15 straight in the spring of 2000.

12-1 overall, the Braves are getting it done with a series of powerful bats that can bang with the best of them.

On Tuesday, the Braves sent five homers out-of-the-park against the Kansas City Royals in a 6-3 victory.

Upton gave comments to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that spoke to his quick start and the fun that the team is having right now.

“I’m getting my work in and trying to put together good at-bats every game and not give away any at-bats,” Upton said. “Early on I’ve been able to go up with a plan and stick to it.”

“You never want to overthink throughout the season. That’s the worst thing you can do to yourself is think too much. I think the more simple you can keep it the better off you’ll be….You try to duplicate swings instead of going off of feel and that can hurt you sometimes. When you’re getting your work in, just try to make sure you feel good and take it to the field.”

Upton was also quick to praise his teammate Jason Heyward for his go-ahead homerun late in the game.

“It was just good to see,” Upton said. He’s been barreling balls up for the past week and not had anything to show for it. Coming up big for us late like that, it’s good to see out of him.”

According to Upton, the atmosphere in the Braves’ dugout is catchy.

“Oh for sure,” Upton said. “Any time of energy is contagious in the dugout so if you get something rolling, that energy just kind of translates.”

He also said that when their bats start ringing, it’s a nice thing to see.

“It’s fun when you can do that but our goal is to go out and play good baseball every night, pitch well, play good defense and put up good at-bats and we’ve been doing that so far.”

The Upton brothers sat down for a recent interview in the video below.

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The team placed him on the 15 -day disabled list after his non-throwing arm was injured as he avoided a line drive back to the mound.

The reliable right hander told ESPN that he is currently in unfamiliar territory.

“This is all new to me,” Weaver said. “I’ve never broken anything before, and didn’t really know how to take the news. It kind of was a shock at first, and now you’ve just got to play the waiting game, I guess.”

An MRI revealed that Weaver could be out as long as six weeks.

“It’s very disappointing, but I guess you’ve got to look on the bright side of things sometimes,” Weaver said. “It’s better earlier (in the season) than toward the end, but at the same time, it’s very frustrating and disappointing.”

The Angels promoted Garret Richards from the bullpen to replace Weaver although they know this is just a quick fix.

“It’s extremely difficult to lose your ace, and Jered has been that for a long time here,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. “He’s a pivotal player for us. I feel like in some way the silver lining is it was his left arm, and there’s more of a short-term definition to the injury than long-term. It’s not as if we just found out he was out for the year or something along those lines. It’s his left arm, and that’s the positive here.”

The Angels are off to a poor start and this is the kind of news that can only make things worse.

The post Los Angeles Angels Jered Weaver to miss 4-6 weeks appeared first on Players View.

On Friday he became just the fourth player in major league history to hit a homerun in his first four games of the season.

In the Orioles 9-5 victory over Minnesota , Davis tallied a grand slam and five total RBIs.

He joins an exclusive club that also includes the  great Willie Mays, Nelson Cruz and Mark McGwire.

Thus far he is batting .600 with four homers and 16 RBIs.

“If you put him in the Grand Canyon, he’ll hit it out,” teammate Adam Jones told ESPN. “Whatever he’s doing, stick to it. Show up tomorrow and do it again.”

Right around this time, the ultra-superstitious baseball folks climb out of the woodwork and start chattering about what he’s doing to achieve such results.

Is he wearing mismatched socks? Is he refusing to shower? Where is he getting the magic?

“I don’t feel like I have anything magical,” he said. “I feel comfortable and I feel like I’m being patient. I’m taking what they give me.”

If he goes yard for a fifth straight game, we will revisit the magic angle.

The post Baltimore Orioles Chris Davis homers in his first four games to join exclusive club appeared first on Players View.

Fans of the singer may recall his infamous recipe called the Luther.

It is a hamburger with bacon and cheese stuffed between two doughnuts that serve as a bun.

Sad to say, we here at Players View have made several attempts to recreate the perfect Luther during NFL draft parties and such.

There was even a proposal that almost created a monstrosity that substituted Cinnebon rolls and/or honey buns for the donuts.

But now, it won’t have to come to all of that.

If going to watch Andrew McCutchen chase stolen bases was not enough, the Pirates have given us another reason to visit PNC Park this summer.

Their Brunch Burger features  sprinkled-donuts, beef, maple bacon, cheddar cheese and a fried egg in the middle.

Luther would be proud.

The video is below.

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Yankees manager Joe Girardi told ESPN that Jeter needs a full” reset” before moving forward.

Jeter is currently not with the team.

He remained in Tampa, Florida to continue his rehab process.

Jeter took the field as  a designated hitter in a minor league game on March 23.

On March 24, he realized that the ankle that he fractured in the 2012 post-season is still prone to pain.

The setback in his comeback is what kept him from his desired return on Opening Day.

“I know he was so geared on being here Opening Day that he had to work really hard to get to that point and just wasn’t quite ready, so I’m not necessarily surprised,” Girardi said on Friday. “Our hope was he would be here Opening Day, and it just didn’t work out. I think they’re spending some time strengthening it more, so hopefully the next time he goes out on the field he doesn’t go through the same thing.”

The Yankees want him back as soon as possible but they seem to be adamanat about not rushing him back to early.

“I think our hope is to get him out on the field soon,” Girardi said.

“I don’t think you could say it’s going to be playing three or four games and he’ll be back. He’s going to have to go through somewhat of a spring training,” Girardi said. “Position players always tell you they don’t need six weeks. Pitchers do. How many weeks he needs, I think it depends on how he bounces back each day when he goes out and plays.”

“I have not thrown out a date. My date is, Derek will be ready when he’s ready.”

The post Derek Jeter is not set to return in the near future appeared first on Players View.

Hernandez gifted Oakland A’s catcher John Jaso with a brand new Rolex for their perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Jaso is a new face in Oakland and the A’s and the Mariners started off the season against each other on Monday night.

Hernandez had his gift to Jaso hand delivered by a clubhouse employee on Monday before the game.

Jaso told the media which included ESPN that he was happy to be a part of the moment.

The custom-made watch that was engraved with the moment’s date only made the event that much better in retrospect.

“Getting to be a part of it is way bigger than this, but this is definitely a really nice gesture,” Jaso said. “He really didn’t have to. I was really just happy with being behind the plate. He came through.”

It is pretty heavy. It’s got to be real,” Jaso said. “The watch I own, I think it’s a Timex, so this is a bit of an upgrade. I think there’s a bit of tradition with the Rolex. I knew he was going to come through.”

“I don’t know if he really has one — a fastball in the back?” Jaso said, then later added, “I would definitely take this over that.”

True to life, nothing is better than the memory of capturing glory.

The post Felix Hernandez gifts John Jaso with an engraved Rolex appeared first on Players View.

Harper homered twice on Monday against the Miami Marlins in his first two at-bats.

It’s the bottom of the sixth at post time, so don’t be surprised if a third video is added to this collection before the game is over with.

The post Videos: Bryce Harpers homers twice on Opening Day against the Miami Marlins appeared first on Players View.

Take that NFL quarterbacks and every other pitcher in Major League Baseball for that matter.

Verlander started the day by letting his Twitter followers know that news was on the way.

Today is going to be a great day. Big news coming!

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) March 29, 2013

He followed that up with a salute to the city after the news broke.

I love this city & the fans – couldn’t be more excited to spend my career here! We’re going to bring a World Series to Detroit!!!

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) March 29, 2013

This extension kicks in at the end of his current contract which runs through the end of 2014.

He will then make $28 million per year for the additional five years.

A vested option for an eighth year can push the year into the $202 million stratosphere.

“Justin is one of the premier pitchers in baseball and we are thrilled to keep him in a Tigers uniform for many years to come,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “Justin has been a Tiger for his entire career and he is on pace to be one of the greatest pitchers in this illustrious franchise’s history.”

The post Detroit Tigers give Justin Verlander a epic new $180 million deal appeared first on Players View.

Wells has a no-trade clause in his contract that gives him the right to refuse the deal although according to the report he is not expected to do so.

Wells has gone as far as to speculate on what it would like to make the transition to New York.

“It’d be a huge change. I don’t think it’s ever easy saying goodbye, but at the same time, if this were to happen, it’s a good group of guys over there,” Wells said. “I’ll just get to know a new family.”

The Angels front office has no qualms with speaking out on a possibility that seems imminent.

“We have discussed a deal with the Yankees,” Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said.

The normally outspoken GM for the Yankees, Brian Cashman, was not as directly forthcoming.

“I’m not at liberty to have any conversation publicly about this yet,” Cashman said. “I know what you’re asking me but there’s a lot of i’s to dot and t’s to cross before you get to the finish line, so that’s about all I can give you.”

That’s stopping guys in the clubhouse from speaking their peace.

“Veteran leadership, good guy,” Yankees third baseman Kevin Youkilis said of Wells. “He’s got power, can play the outfield real well. I’ve always respected Vernon as a player. It would be great. I never complain about getting guys on the team. I always find good things that guys can do on this team. If he comes here, I bet he can do a good job of helping us try to win.”

New York could certainly use his bat…when he can play.

Wells at 34-years-old did not live up to the Angeles expectations when they acquired him from Toronto.

Of course he is cool with getting out of Dodge and going to New York.

This is a high risk/high reward scenario that could leave more egg on Cashman’s face.

The last thing the Yankees need is another past-his-prime star that has nagging injuries.

The post Vernon Wells will likely join the Yankees appeared first on Players View.

Jeter had off-season surgery to repair his left ankle which got ” sore” and “stiff” on Tuesday.

The Yankees quickly decided to shoot the 38-year-old down to the minors for the duration of spring training so that they will have more flexibility with his disabled list status at the start of the regular season.

Jeter told ESPN on Friday that he understands what’s going on.  Yet seemed hesitant to get behind the idea.

“I understand the plan, but I also understand plans change sometimes,” he said. “Let’s see what happens. I’m here today. Let’s see what happens tomorrow. When I’m ready to play, I’ll play.”

He followed that with a more affirmative answer when posed the question of whether or not he would accept his new assignment.

“Of course. Why not? My goal is to get back and play as soon as I can.”

As for his ankle, Jeter said a couple of days off did make a difference.

“Everything’s good,” he said. “It felt better than it did on Tuesday. But I don’t know what tomorrow will bring. I really didn’t do too much today. I didn’t run the bases or play a simulated game or anything like that. The soreness is going to be there. It’s going to be there for awhile, so you just deal with it. Some days are going to be better than others, but eventually it goes away, so you just get through it as best you can. ”

The post Derek Jeter returns to the field. appeared first on Players View.

Seaver recently spoke to the New York Daily News about his ailment. On that day his spirits were up as his recovery is on the upswing.

“You caught me on a good day,” he said. “In fact a very good day because this is the fifth straight day I’ve felt really good. You have no idea what that means — to feel good, to feel normal, for five straight days.”

Seaver’s friends and family became concerned for the Hall of Fame pitcher when he failed to remember that he had previously met Johan Santana and a long-standing employee of his wine vineyard.

“I didn’t know what was happening,” Seaver, 68, said.

“I felt like I had the worst case of the flu every day, and then I was having trouble remembering things and making bad decisions. I was scared. I said to myself: ‘It’s like I’m getting old before my time. Why is this happening?’ I thought I’d had a stroke.”

Seaver was infected with Lyme Disease while being treated for Bells Palsy.

“But once it gets into your blood system, it causes real problems,” Seaver said. “I’m taking 24 pills a day now, most of them vitamins, plus one penicillin pill to get my chemical balance back. It’s a cycle that kills off all the spirochetes that junk up your system. It’s been a slow process in which I’ll still feel like I have a bad case of the flu for days, but these past couple of weeks they’ve been less and less. I haven’t had a glass of wine or a beer in eight months and I don’t miss it.”

With treatments, time and exercise Seaver gets better. And he stated that he’s almost back to some semblance of normalcy.

“I feel,” said Seaver, “like I’m a bunt single away from feeling totally normal again.”

The post New York Mets legend Tom Seaver is fighting Lyme Disease appeared first on Players View.

This is the first good news that the Yankees have had in a long , long time.

Jeter told ESPN on Friday that he and his once-injured ankle are ready to lock and load. 

“It is 100 percent healed, and now we move forward,” Jeter said Friday.

The 38-year-old went under the knife last October after dislocating his ankle in Game 1 of  the AL Championship Series.

Jeter spoke about Thursday’s checkup visit in Charlotte, N.C. with Dr. Robert Anderson, who did the surgery.

“It was scheduled before I started playing games to get the final OK,” Jeter said. “There has been a process of a few doctors visits and tests to see how it was coming along. Last time I went there it wasn’t completely healed, but now it is.”

“It is always reassuring to have someone say that something that was broke is not broken anymore,” Jeter said. “Now, it is just getting through the normal aches and pains that come around it, as long as you know a break has healed, the aches and pains go away in time.”

So when will he play again?

“As soon as I can play, I will play,” Jeter said.

Our guess is that Jeter will reintroduce himself within the next week.

The report is stating that he could play as early as Saturday.

It’s all a waiting game now.

The post Derek Jeter set to return as early as Saturday appeared first on Players View.

According to the Associated Press, the shortstop will be treated by Dr. James Andrews, orthopedist-to-the-stars.

Furcal was initially injured during the 2012 season and was told to stop” all baseball activities” after incurring a major setback in his rehabilitation process.

The 35-year-old was informed of this news on March 3.

“It’s very disappointing,” Furcal said. “I worked so hard in the offseason to get everything straight, working hard with the doctors, the training team, we did anything we could do to get ready for spring training, ready for the season.”

The Cards are not panicking at all.

GM General manager John Mozeliak said that both Pete Kozma and Ronny Cedeno will get a shot at taking over at shortstop.

“The way we look at it right now it is certainly going to be a competition between Kozma and Cedeno, but there’s no doubt that given what Kozma did for us in the last six weeks of the season last year that we so have a high level on confidence that he can continue to do that,” Mozeliak said.

Looks like the gig is Kozama’s to lose.

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The latest in a string of incidents that have plagued the club is the injury to first baseman Mark Teixeria.

Teixeria strained his wrist swinging in a indoor batting cage during pregame warmups with the United States’ World Baseball Classic team.

The injury will keep him out of the lineup for the first month of the season. The total recovery time is eight-to-10 weeks

“This ain’t good,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told ESPN.

Cashman was pressed on whether or not the Yankees will make moves outside of the team’s coffers to restock the pond.

“This is not the time of year to make any significant moves,” Cashman said. “Usually, movement takes place after the draft unless people are trying to cut garbage.”

Cashman went onto state that  designated hitter Travis Hafner will not have his role expanded.

“He is a field-goal kicker,” Cashman said. “I know what I got. I want him to be that. But he hasn’t picked up a glove in seven years. I’m not making fun of him. He is amazing hitter, but he has a history of injuries and we are not going to put him in a position by trying to put a glove on him and get him hurt. He is our DH.”

Car accidents, skydiving mishaps, injuries and scandals have rocked the Yankees foundation during spring training.

I don’t know about you but I’m not even wearing a pinstripe shirt these days.

The post New York Yankees Mark Teixeria is out 8-10 weeks appeared first on Players View.

General manager Brian Cashman is the latest casualty of the team’s recent run of bad luck.

According to a New York Daily News report, Cashman broke his keg and dislocate his ankle while skydiving with the Golden Knights of the U.S. Army  at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida.

Cashman  jumped to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior project.

“I’m in great spirits, and it was an awesome experience,” Cashman stated from the hospital. “The Golden Knights are first class. While I certainly didn’t intend to raise awareness in exactly this fashion, I’m extremely happy that the Wounded Warrior Project is getting the well-deserved additional attention.”

Cashman’s demeanor before his pair of jumps was just as positive.

“It’s an opportunity to do something that a lot of people don’t do or will ever do, so that’s awesome,” Cashman said. “It’s called living. But it’s not like on my list of something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m kind of excited for the opportunity to do it but at the same time, big-time nervous about doing it.”

The incident is the latest in a string of Yankee-related mishaps that have included car accidents, injuries and and scandal.

Video of Cashman’s adventure is below.

The post New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman breaks his leg skydiving appeared first on Players View.

The one that they used to call ” Dr. K’ is going through apparently what is a pretty messy divorce with his wife Monique.

The two have children and have been living together in New Jersey as the process plays itself out.

That all changed on March 1 according to TMZ.

Gooden was ordered to leave the home after a family court judge granted Monique a temporary restraining order after speaking with her over the telephone.

She had called the police after  Gooden allegedly made “terroristic threats,” directly stating that, “All bets are off and I will hurt you and your family. You’ll see, just wait.”

The former mound superstar is also barred from seeing his kids until a court hearing which will tale place on March 11.

In the meantime Dwight must continue to make payments on her Range Rover, its insurance and child support payments.

Gooden has always been a tragic figure.

Both his career and his life were overcome by a series of bad decisions that stripped him of what could have been a Hall of Fame career.

The power of addiction can break the strongest spirit and we hope that Gooden has conquered his demons.

We can always wish for the best, but Gooden has placed himself in a situation where its hard to give him the benefit of the doubt based on past behavior.

The post Judge orders former New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden to leave home after wife alleges threats appeared first on Players View.

The brothers  have brought championship dreams back to a club that hasn’t won a World Series since 1995.

Being talented is not enough. Developing a clubhouse chemistry with the fellas that you will play over 100 games with is the key to riding this thing all the way to the promised land.

It is not something that is lost on the pair as they go about their business according to Justin.

“It’s fun,” Upton told the Atlanta Journal Constitution,“but we’re in ‘baseball mode’ now. We are going about our business the same way we would if we weren’t on the same team.”

Teammate Jason Heyward vouched for Upton’s declaration that the two are sticking to the script of being true pros thus far.

“They are brothers, but you almost forget they are brothers until you think about it,” Heyward said from Spring Training in Florida. “They are teammates first. That’s what’s awesome, man.”

The Uptons went on to state that the team has gone out of their way to make them feel welcome.

It’s been a good transition,” Justin said. “It’s a good clubhouse, a lot of good guys. Obviously it’s a little bit different for me. I’m getting used to it. I think having a good clubhouse with good guys has helped.”

“These guys have been nothing but great to us,” B.J. said. “They’ve taken us in like one of their own. We have fun. It’s like we’ve been here for years.”

For this experiment to end as a dream fufilled the good vibes must continue to circulate.

The two have not played together since high school and while there is love there, the competition between brothers can spill  over in the strangest of ways.

The good news is that both Uptons have always been a picture of class that should fit right in under the bright lights of Turner Field.

The post B.J. Upton and Justin Upton adjust to Atlanta Braves appeared first on Players View.

Although he walked away with not even a scratch, Suzuki totaled his Range Rover near George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday in Tampa, Florida.

According to the New York Post, the 39-year-old stated that he is not even sore.

“Not at all,” the Yankees’ right fielder said when asked if he is sore. “I almost want my body to feel something but my body didn’t react. I guess you can say that you are going to have to do a lot worse for me to get hurt.”

Suzuki was cheked out by team doctors before practice on Sunday.

He discussed the details of the three-car pileup.

“I had the green light and entered the intersection. The car turned left and was turning into me,” Ichiro said. “I slammed on the brakes and couldn’t do anything about it.”

Linda Trange Le, was given a summons stemming from her involvement in the accident

“She is okay and I am very thankful that everyone is okay,” Ichiro said of Trange Le, whose car hit Ichiro’s vehicle  and was also totaled. “She was very distraught and apologetic from the beginning. Of course I felt grateful but more grateful that she was okay and there was no real big injuries.”

Thankfully nobody was seriously hurt in the dust-up.

Still as a peer questioned ‘ what did the Yankees did to get this kind of mojo?’

Curtis Granderson’s injury, A-Rod’s recovery from hip surgery and PED controversy, Derek Jeter’s injury and more are reasons to believe that yes it will be that kind of year.

The post New York Yankees Ichiro Suzuki walks away from car accident unscathed appeared first on Players View.

Now as the Yanks try to weave their way into the longterm future of the best player Robinson Cano, they could be on the verge of a misfire in terms of how they are handling his contract negotiations.

Cano is trying  not to discuss his feelings about how the team is handling their business with him. The thing is that when GM Brian Cashman publicly throws around quotes about “significant” offers that are currently in the table, it’s impossible for Cano to avoid the topic when it microphones show up.

Cano told the New York Post that while his mind is on his money, his performance is where he is trying to keep his head at.

“It’s never going to (be) out of your head. That’s all I can say,” Cano said. “I just want to play baseball, [agent] Scott [Boras] and the Yankees are doing that,” Cano said.

“I want to focus on playing baseball. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to be a distraction. I want to play and help the team win a championship.” “I don’t want to go farther than what I said,” Cano went on to say.

“I want to focus on baseball.” Cashman loves to play poker with his players in the court of public opinion.

Cano is not only a player that he can’t afford to lose physically, he’s a player that he needs to stay on point mentally.

Cano’s obvious frustration in the postseason got the best of him and his performance was flat.   Some times you have to play to the temperament of others to get things to go your way.

Let’s hope the Yankees front office figures that out in the best interest of both their short and longterm success.

The post Robinson Cano doesnt want to talk contract appeared first on Players View.

Verlander turned around and spoke with the league’s website to offer his extended point of view which also serves as a reaction to the criticism.

In speaking with Jason Beck he asked ”wouldn’t you like to be the first $200 million writer?”.

“When people ask me questions, you guys you know me, I’m honest and I talk about things,” Verlander said. “The question was posed to me: ‘Do you want to be the first $200 million pitcher?’ Well, yeah. What kind of question is that? Of course I do.

“I don’t want to be seen as the greedy guy that wants to get paid the best because, whatever. But, like I said, if the question’s posed to me, I’m honest.”

It really doesn’t matter what most people will tell you in their review of his statements.

The fact is everybody wants to get $200 million for doing something.

Matter-of-fact, that amount of money is so bloated that whether or not you are first or not does not matter.

That being said, in what sincerely counts to Tigers fans, Verlander went on to state that  he’s ” got some ideas” in mind when it comes to the introduction of new pitches this year.

The post Justin Verlander stands by $200 million comment appeared first on Players View.

The Braves will retire Chippers’ number 10 jersey in a pregame ceremony on June 28 when the Braves play the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Earlier in the day the team will induct Chipper inducted into the team’s  Hall of Fame at a ceremony at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis according to a statement released by the Braves.

“Chipper was a Brave from the beginning to the end of his career and his legacy will forever live in our record books,” Braves president John Schuerholz said. “There is no greater honor that we can bestow upon him than to induct him into our Hall of Fame and retire his iconic number 10.”

Jones will legends such as Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Dale Murphy, Phil Niekro, Warren Spahn, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Bobby Cox and John Smoltz in the team’s hall of the elite.

Despite some of the rumors, Jones told ESPN that he will not return to action.

“I’m well-adjusted, and there’s no going back,” Jones said. “I’ve had my time and I don’t think people really realize what kind of preparation it takes to get yourself ready to play this game at this level.”

“I’d have to start working out now to get ready for June,” Jones said laughing.”And that’s not gonna happen.”

The post Atlanta Braves to retire Chipper Jones number appeared first on Players View.

The shortstop who is now a part of the Toronto Blue Jays, was traded just one year into a six-year $106 million deal.

Reyes told ESPN, that he was assured by Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria that he would not be traded up to 48-hours before the deal took place,

“I was shocked, because Jeffrey Loria, he always told me he’s never going to trade me,” Reyes said. “He always called my agent and said, ‘Tell Jose to get a good place here to live,’ and stuff like that.”

“That was kind of crazy,” Reyes said. “I mean, how can you want me to spend some money in Miami, when I have my house in New York, and you’re going to trade me in two days?”

Reyes has not had any contact with the Marlins organization since the trade.

“After the trade, I don’t talk to those guys,” he said. “After the trade, everything’s done. So I don’t need to talk to them because they traded me. So why do I need to talk to them? If they trade me, that means they don’t want me there. So I don’t need to approach them and say, ‘Why’d you trade me?’ and stuff like that. Like I said, I was with [Loria] a couple days before the trade and he no say anything. So that caught everybody by surprise.”

“I don’t need to see [Loria]. And he don’t want to see me, because he traded me.”

Reyes also went on to state that he is not someone who Miami should list as a referral when speaking to future free agents.

“I don’t need to say anything,” he said. “They see what happened. I signed there for like six years. I played there one year. So I don’t have to explain anything.

“But I feel sorry for the fan base there in Miami because they had a great fan base there. To let them down like that, I mean, that’s going to be tough for them.”

Reyes also stated that he feels bad for Giancarlo Stanto who remains on a Miami Marlins team that many feel is in ruins.

“Stanton, he’s an unbelievable great player. Great guy. Great teammate,” Reyes said. “But like I say, it is what it is. I feel sorry for him. But that’s the way it is.”

The post Jose Reyes rips Miami Marlins owner appeared first on Players View.

By the end of last-minute elbow evaluations and the like, they ensured that their $175 million investment in pitcher Felix Hernandez was a wise one.

On Wednesday both Hernandez and the team made the pact official and he is now the highest paid pitcher in the history of Major League Baseball.

Hernandez never even gave serious thought to putting on another team’s colors.

“I’m different. It’s the way my family raised me. If you feel comfortable in a place — now I’m the reporter — if you feel comfortable and happy and you believe in people, are you going to go anywhere?” Hernandez told ESPN. “I’m different. I’m different. It happened.”

“It was emotional because this is a big thing. This is a big dream,” he said.

Anytime that anyone signs a contract for lottery-sized money, it’s the realization of a big dream.

This seven-year deal adds five new years on top of the current contract that he was under.

If the numbers that reflect both the money and time that the Mariners have ponied up say anything, its that they want to hold on to Felix as bad as he wanted to stay there.

“I think it’s important more than anything that he wanted to be here. He was expressing this over and over and over,” Mariners CEO Howard Lincoln said. “That’s pretty unusual. How many players tell you to your face, ‘I’d really like to stay here.’ That makes you feel pretty good.”

“He’s going to be here for a long time and I think it says a lot about his character and what Seattle means to him and what the Mariners mean to him but I think it also says a lot about his belief in the direction this big league club is going and the organization is going,” Seattle manager Eric Wedge said.

So with that out of the way, what will Seattle do now that they have their ace in the stable?

Not to rain on anyone’s parade but if the Mariners don’t find a way to generate some post-season success, they just threw a lot of money out of the window.

The post Seattle Mariners wrap up Felix Hernandez deal appeared first on Players View.

I can’t be the only person that views the Bourn signing as something of a shock after the Indians already made a big splash with the Nick Swisher signing.

The Indians just don’t make these kind of moves.

If they have indeed switched their thinking up, how these deals play out could change their approach to building rosters going forward.

After he passes his physical, the 30-year-old Bourn should walk into centerfield ready to prove that the Indians $48 million dollar risk was worth it.

If both he and Swisher can double up and give the Cleveland faithful something to even feel good about, the Indians will transform themselves from passive off-season spenders to big time players.

According to the Indian’s website, Bourn’s deal gives him four years to add more trophies to his mantle piece that already include multiple gold glove awards.

Beyond the money, the Indians per Major League Baseball’s CBA will have to give up their pick ( third overall) in June’s  First-Year Player Draft.

This became a deal-breaker for some interested teams (i.e. the New York Mets) when Bourn declined the Atlanta Braves one-year qualifying deal of $13.3 million.

The Indians have stated that Bourn will become their new leadoff man and with a confident bat (.274 with a .348 on-base percentage and a .391 slugging percentage) and his ability to steal bases, there is no doubt that he has a lot to contribute to a team that finished fourth in their division last year.

The post Michael Bourn signing signals change for the Cleveland Indians appeared first on Players View.

That’s a hefty price to pay for a aging pitcher that was shut down in August due to back issues.

The lefty started 2012 off with a fury after coming back from a torn anterior capsule in his left shoulder.

But who can forget the no-hitter?

That is the take away that the Mets are bringing into 2013.

Their marketing department could easily make up t-shirts that say ‘what can Johan do?’

When run into the ground , he can give you soaring highs.

But as we saw last year, they may not last very long as he finished his last 10 starts at 3-7 with a 8.27 ERA.

As the saying goes he is the gift and the curse of the Mets bullpen.

Mets manager Terry Collins is not worried about Santana at all.

“He says he feels great,”Collins told the New York  Post. “He is well-rested and said [the layoff] was real good for him, so I’m expecting him to come in, and he said he’s ready to pitch like he’s capable of pitching.”

If Santana fails to whip it around with authority during spring training, don’t look for the Mets to panic.

“I judge my stuff once they start playing games,” Collins said. “Those kinds of guys, a guy like him if he’s healthy, you’ve got to write off spring training. I’ve seen too many guys get thrashed in spring training and have big seasons. As long as his arm feels good, he will give us the innings.”

How those innings will be distributed will play a big part in the overall success of Santana’s year.

Call me stupid but regardless of the milestone that is at stake, Santana should never throw a 100-pitch game again.

He can be dominant but he can also burn out.

It’s better to have a veteran ace rested for the fall than to lose him at the end of the summer.

The post Johan Santana returns to the New York Mets in good health. appeared first on Players View.

A 24-year old woman in the Dominican Republic is claiming that he abused her.

The case was upsold to a higher court within the country according to the Chicago Sun Times.

Authorities have yet to file criminal charges against Marmol but there are questions about how this latest development will play out.

One thing that is certain is that locals have stood up for Marmol and painted an unflattering picture of this young lady.

Testimony was heard on Friday in which statements such as ‘‘just wants to tarnish the image of the player’’ were made in court.

According to his agent Paul Kinzer, Marmol will be on a plane to the United States on Sunday to report to spring training in Arizona on time.

The accuser’s lawyers have requested that Marmol not be allowed to leave the country.

‘‘As far as I know, nothing’s changed,’’ Kinzer said about Marmol’s Dominican representative’s claims that he will be exonerated. ‘‘His attorney’s saying he’s innocent and she’s just trying to get money out of him. He pretty much guaranteed me [Marmol would be cleared]. I’m shocked it’s even going to the next level based on the paperwork I’ve seen.’’

The Cubs e-mailed the paper and stated that their viewpoint supports Kinzer’s.

‘‘We take any accusation of this nature seriously and looked into it,’’ team president Theo Epstein wrote. ‘‘All the information we could gather supports Carlos’ contention that he is innocent of any wrongdoing. We expect this matter to be behind him soon.’’

The 30-year-old relief pitcher is an important part of the Cubs bullpen.

In 2012 he notched 20 saves with an ERA of 3.42.

The post Carlos Marmol watches his domestic abuse case go to a higher court appeared first on Players View.

On Wednesday he reached out to ESPN and discussed the Boston Redsox and in doing so made some allegations regarding PEDs.

On Thursday he fired it up again with ESPN and took aim at Alex Rodriguez.

When A-Rod’s name came up (as it always does these days), Schilling answered the question ‘ why does everyone hate Alex Rodriguez so much?’

His answer was direct and borderline lethal.

“It goes back to Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, right? I mean, I thought Mark McGwire was a good guy, a nice guy. I didn’t think Barry Bonds was. I felt very different about them as cheaters. I’m disappointed that Mark did it. I wanted him to be who he said he was. He wasn’t. I’m mad at Barry; I don’t like him. It’s a personal thing; it’s personal for all of us. That’s why, because Alex Rodriguez has done and said things that people don’t like, like I have. People just aren’t going to like you. Ninety-nine percent of these people don’t know you. The fans know Alex by the things you say and do and by the things he says and does and by the things the media reports on him saying and doing. You don’t know these people.”

Schilling was pushed a little further with the follow-up comment of ‘ you don’t seem to like Alex Rodriguez.’

“He was easy not to like.  Because of the whole act. It was all an act and nothing — playing against him, nothing ever felt genuine ever. He always looked like he was trying to be as respected as Derek Jeter was. You don’t get that. You play for that. You don’t ask for it.”

Wow. Tell them how you really feel Curt.

Schilling is not alone in his assessment about the level of respect that A-Rod has demanded since he became a New York Yankee.

He is also not alone in how he feels about why the public feels the way that they feel about Rodriguez.

It’s open season on this guy and there is not much that he can do about it now.

The post Curt Schilling rips Alex Rodriguez for failing to be genuine. appeared first on Players View.

They lost a post-season wonder that has helped take them to glory.

They lost a veteran that could be counted on to do what it took to play if it could be done.

They lost a valuable face of the franchise.

Most importantly they lost a leader that led by example.

Chris Carpenter the man means more to the Cardinals than Chris Carpenter the player.

This is why when the 37-year-old dialed up the club and explained that a previous nerve injury in his neck had reared its ugly head again it was devastating.

Carpenter is likely out for the 2013 season and possibly out for good.

The team held a press conference on Tuesday and told the media which included ESPN that Carpenter is looking beyond the game.

“After speaking with him on the phone you certainly get a sense that he’s more concerned about life after baseball,” General manager John Mozeliak said.

The GM also went on to state that Carpenter was the man when he was on.

“When he was healthy he was one of the best,” Mozeliak said. “He was blessed with talent but he also worked extremely hard. When I think back over the last 10 to 15 years here in St. Louis he was one of those guys who just helped create the model of success. He left nothing to chance.”

Injuries have been Carpenter’s nemesis for sometime now.

The 2012 season was almost a wash thanks to them.

It took an intense surgery in July that included the removal of a rib to get him back on the mound last year.

The man is a warrior and he has done his time.

But you hate to see it go down like this.

The Cardinals’ bullpen will be technically fine without him as a player.

It will just be some time before they recapture what they had in him as a person if things are as bleak as they seem.

The post St. Louis Cardinals lose more than a pitcher in Chris Carpenter appeared first on Players View.

The New Times story states that they have evidence that implicates A-Rod in the purchase and probable use of PEDS as recently as last year.

The details if proven to be true could not only rock the rest of A-Rod’s career but it will once again send the league into a tailspin.

Other names that were included are:  Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colón and Nelson Cruz.

Regardless of previous findings and punishments, this kind of report with these kind of details does nothing but damage the sport’s brand.

This is a bonafide scandal set in a tropical location with plenty of gory details.

On Tuesday morning MLB issued the following statement on their website to address the entire body of the feature.

“We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between players and the use of performance-enhancing substances. These developments, however, provide evidence of the comprehensive nature of our anti-drug efforts. Through our Department of Investigations, we have been actively involved in the issues in South Florida. It is also important to note that three of the players allegedly involved have already been disciplined under the Joint Drug Program.

“The recommendations of the Mitchell Report have once again played a critical role in Major League Baseball’s ongoing efforts against performance-enhancing drugs. MLB implemented all of the recommendations made by Senator Mitchell in 2007, several of which emphasized the significance of installing proactive investigative services.

“The establishment of our Department of Investigations has represented a critical advance in these comprehensive efforts. In the years since its formation, DOI’s work has proven pivotal to bringing to light information regarding the use of performance-enhancing substances. Furthermore, DOI has built strong working relationships with federal and local law enforcement authorities. These relationships are crucial because only law enforcement officials have the capacity to reach those outside the game who are involved in the distribution of illegal performance-enhancing drugs.

“Vigilance remains the key toward protecting the integrity of our game. We have the best and most stringent drug testing policy in professional sports, we continue to work with our doctors and trainers to learn what they are seeing day-to-day and we educate our players about the game’s unbending zero-tolerance approach. We remain fully committed to following all leads and seeking the appropriate outcomes for all those who use, purchase and are involved in the distribution of banned substances, which have no place in our game.

“We are in the midst of an active investigation and are gathering and reviewing information. We will refrain from further comment until this process is complete.”

Notice how the statement makes mention of earlier punishments as if to state ‘ we are on the case.’

This makes it worse for A-Rod who is dealing with his own mortality thanks to a hip issue.

There is an audience that has listened to the probability of Rodriguez missing the upcoming season.

What’s next?

The post Major League Baseball reacts to Alex Rodriguez scandal appeared first on Players View.

Gonzalez could have been towing the company line when he spoke with Arizona Sports 620′s Doug and Wolf last week.

“What we’ve gained now, is a couple of blue collar guys that are going to play the D-back way,” Gonzalez said. “Which means they’ll go out there and play hard, give everything they’ve got.

“We love Justin Upton, of course the fans are going to miss him and we’re going to miss him… But at the same time, this is a business in baseball. What we are trying to do is make our team better.”

Boom. He could have ended right there and we can all be cool right?

Wrong.

“There were times when Justin was on, he was a superstar,” said Gonzalez. “But when he was off, he would get in his shell and would have those slumps and those streaks.

“When you’re in the middle of that lineup you have to be that rock every day when you’re going good and when you’re going bad. You have to provide that leadership for your teammates… Personally for me, there were times where (Justin) didn’t have that.”

Either Gonzalez has a personal gripe with Upton or the team wants to deflect the hum among baseball fans that the D’Backs  got somewhat played in the deal.

The easiest way to do that is to take a pot-shot at someone’s intangible assets.

Welcome to Sports Dissing 101.

“I think we got a pretty good player in return,” said Gonzalez referring to Martin Prado. “Not only that, but we have that depth in the outfield, and we are able to explore different options.

“Maybe, people think we got short-changed in the deal. But in the long run for us, we’ve added depth with not only two young pitchers (Randall Delgado and Zeke Spruill), but another young shortstop (Nick Ahmed) in the deal. We’ve continued to stockpile what we have.”

Gonzalez forgot to add and when they leave town, he’ll talk about them too.

The post Justin Upton criticized by Diamondbacks staffer appeared first on Players View.

The Cuban shortstop is stating that he is 23-years-old and that he was born on Jan. 8, 1990. Baseball America is reporting that this date conflicts with other events where his birthdate has been reported as a different date.

In December of 2007, an article on the website of Cuba’s premier baseball league Serie Nacional, places Diaz’s birthdate as Aug. 1, 1990, which would make him 22.

Making the situation worse is a roster from the  2010 Pan-American games in Puerto Rico says that Diaz was born in 1991. Of course money is at the center as to why Diaz would potentially fib about his date of birth.

If Diaz can prove that he is 23 years-old he stands to make more money from a MLB team thanks to the sanctions that govern  the international salary cap.

Cuban players that have at least three years of playing experience and are at least 23-years-old are exempt from those bonus pools.

Of course his agent who gets a percentage of the Diaz pie, states that the Cuban records are all wrong.

“I only go by the documentation that I have from the player,” said Jaime Torres, the agent for Diaz. “I’ve seen from different rosters, different ages for players in Cuba, so I don’t pay much attention to what is put on the pages from Cuba.” “Only the player and the family should know the correct date of birth, not the sports authority from Cuba, the Cuban government,” Torres said.

“What I have, showing his date of birth, is 1/8/90—January 8, 1990.” MLB has yet to say one way or the other how this situation will pan out for Diaz. They are asking him to present an unblocking license from the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control before he can join a team.

Diaz is a sought after prospect that has drawn interest from the Oakland A’s, The St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins among up to seven others.

The post Top Cuban prospect Aledmys Diaz is under investigation by MLB appeared first on Players View.

According to USA Today, Hart suffered swelling in his right knee during offseason workouts.

The break is a tough one as it opens the door for Mat Gamel’s return.

Hart moved from right field to first base when Gamel was inured last May.

While Gamel was out, Hart batted.270 and knocked in 30 HRs.

Now that Hart is gone until May, Gamel has a chance to reclaim his spot.

Assistant GM Gordon Ian Ash went on the record about Gamel’s status.

“He’s gone to rehab all winter long and he is 100 percent,” Ash told MLB.com. “The only thing he hasn’t done is gotten on the field and participated in games. That part we don’t know, but physically, he’s fine.”

Hart will go under-the-knife to repair a debridement of his knee joint and to fix a meniscal tear.

“When you have that kind of surgery, you can’t be weight bearing for up to six weeks,” Ash said. “That’s really what slows down the recovery.”

“He’s had a terrific track record coming back from injuries. He’s usually beaten the forecast, in terms of time,” Ash said. “Some of this is about the surgery, and some of it is the effort you put into recovery, and he’s always been a good rehab patient and follows the program. Track record-wise, he’ll probably be back sooner rather than later.”

The question is if Gamel performs will Hart be stuck back in the outfield?

Or will he have the opportunity to return to the infield?

The Brewers place Hart’s real value behind his swing, so don’t be surprised if they do not prioritize his defensive assignment.

Time will tell.

The post Milwaukee Brewers Corey Hart out 3-4 months appeared first on Players View.

Plenty of people ( myself included) labeled Soriano for a fool when he walked away from $14 million that the Yankees owed him for the final year on his previous contract.

By accepting the$1.5 million  buyout Soriano took a shaky risk in a marketplace that is not normally that kind to 33-year-old relievers.

Not only did Soriano find another big money contract, he found a home that can potentially yield a championship.

For the Nationals the knee-jerk reaction feels like they reached too hard and too far to make this deal happen.

Besides the money they will also give-up a first round pick to the Yankees.

The second mental pass brings along another vision of why this deal probably happened.

The right-hander will be effective for the Nats.

His journeyman history show that he can walk into a new situation, settle into the clubhouse and become an immediate  factor when its time to turn-off-the-lights on the enemy.

His acquisition could effectively kills the rumor/thought process that Washington will trade Mike ” The Beast” Morse.

When the club  re-signed Adam LaRoche to play first base, Morse was deemed as expendable by many onlookers.

And he might be.

But every over-extended piece of gossip that shipped Morse out of D.C. connected a noted reliever to the other part of the exchange.

Championship teams almost always can point to a deep roster of unsung heroes that came through in key moments.

And the Nats have declared that they have World Series intentions.

If Soriano’s arrival keeps Morse onboard in a utility role, it could work out for everybody.

This is the final year of Morse’s current deal.

He can pocket $7 million, hone his skills, be part of a championship run and hit the open market in 2014 with a lot of value.

He certainly should not be anxious to skip town with that formula in mind.

Soriano was obviously brought in to offset the loss of Sean Burnett.

He will also take some much-needed pressure off of  reliever  Drew Storen  who is probably still having nightmares about the Cardinals.

Like I said, on second thought Soriano is the one man who can indeed make the Nationals that much stronger on multiple fronts.

Now it’s time to sit back and watch this all play itself out.

The post Rafael Soriano lands big money deal with Washington Nationals appeared first on Players View.

The mood is optimistic regarding a potential contract extension.

The Texas Rangers starting pitcher told the Dallas Morning News that something should get done.

We’re still talking,” Harrison said. “We’re excited about the possibility of a long-term deal, but we still have thinking and talking to do.”

The 27-year old  was 18-11 with a 3.29 ERA in 32 starts last season.

Through 213 1/3 innings pitched Harrison firmly established himself as the No.2 behind  Yu Darvish.

The lefty is arbitration-eligible for two more years and his 2012 salary was $2.95 million.

Harrison has indicated that if a deal can’t be finished soon, he will wait until the next off-season period to talk numbers as he does not want to be a distraction.

That within itself speaks to his commitment to the Rangers.

Will the team show him that same level of loyalty if Harrison incurs injury?

He would not log as much time on the mound in 2013 as he has over the past two seasons.

His attitude gives the club leverage by way of not having a sense of urgency to knock something out now.

The Rangers recent deal with Derek Holland should be Harrison’s blueprint of how to handle this situation.

This conversation has been taking place since last November.

At that time  general manager Jon Daniels announced the team’s intentions.

“We’ve touched base with all the guys we want to extend,” Daniels said Nov. 8. “Harry’s one of them. He’s earned that conversation.”

If we were forced to venture a guess, it appears that this thing will get done.

The speculated numbers is that Harrison could get somewhere in the neighborhood of $45 million guaranteed for five years.

If he indeed does wait it will only be to showcase that he holds that much value for a team that with Ian Kinsler could potentially have one of the best pitching rotations in the American League.

If not now an answer will be delivered in the spring.

The post Matt Harrison heats up contract talks with the Texas Rangers. appeared first on Players View.

His history of reckless and outrageous behavior has rendered him as Major League’s Baseball’s village idiot.

On Friday he spoke with ESPN Las Vegas with Gridlock via Sports Radio Interviews and discussed his dismay with the lack of a 2013 hall of fame class.

“The reporters must have been at the  computer and electronics show that you guys have going on out there in Vegas, and they must have got their wires mixed up,” Valentine said. “I was a little shocked, yeah. I think greatness should be respected and acknowledged as greatness.”

Valentine went on to say that the baseball media should not be in charge of the process.

“No, I don’t think the writers should be in charge of anything, as a matter of fact,” Valentine said. “I think you should have had been at games, should have some kind of credible knowledge of what’s going on during the era of which you’re voting. … I guess to vote, all you need to do is have 10 consecutive years as a sportswriter.”

“Some of these guys haven’t been at a ballpark in 20 years, some of them haven’t turned on the TV in 10, and yet they have a vote. I don’t get any of that. When they were in charge of this sanctuary, they were in charge because they were the only ones to view the games live. They were the only ones in St. Louis to watch Stan Musial; they were the only ones in New York Polo Grounds to watch Willie Mays. Now everyone watches and everyone has an opinion on it and that voting should be given to those who pass a test before they vote.”

“It’s the fans of the future that we’re handing over the game to and we’re handing these Hall of Fame inductees to,” Valentine said.

“I think that they should have some kind of voice. I’m not sure how you regulate that and how you make that happen, either. The world is closing in on us and the information age that we’ve lived in and now the computer age that we’re living in will solve all those problems.”

Valentine can at the very least sound rational when he feels like it, although many will disagree with his feelings on the divisive enigma that is Barry Bonds.

“Barry Bonds is the best player I’ve ever seen play,” Valentine said. ” How can he not be in the Hall of Fame? It just goes against thought and reason. And Clemens, if you’re supposed to dominate and era and that’s going to be your ticket to fame, I don’t think anyone dominated their era like Roger did. If you’re the best at your position, and you have a catcher who accumulated the statistics that Mike Piazza did as a catcher, or a second baseman who got 3,000 hits, how do you keep these guys out? I don’t get it.”

What do you think?

The post Bobby Valentine rips Hall of Fame voters appeared first on Players View.

The New York Post is reporting that a date for Alex Rodriguez  to have his surgery has not been scheduled.

The surgery  might get done at some point  in the middle of the month.

Yankees GM Brian Cashman refuses to comment on a return date for the All-Star third baseman.

He did have no problem predicting something else as he pondered what life will look like without A-Rod.

“I know a lot of people have told me they think home runs are bad,” Cashman said. “I’m not one of them. Well, those people are going to get a chance to see what it looks like.”

“We lost Swisher and Ichiro [Suzuki] doesn’t hit homers like Nick,” Cashman said. “And we haven’t replaced Martin’s power. Hopefully, we won’t lose that much with [Kevin] Youkilis replacing Alex at third, but we’ll lose some.”

“I do believe power is big in an offense and we lost a lot of home runs, but our pitching is stronger,” Cashman said. “You play in a certain sandbox and that sandbox isn’t producing a lot of choices right now for power guys.”

The Yankees are in a transition period.

They are used to playing the role of the American League’s biggest dog swinging with the biggest bat.

What will their mentality be in the upcoming year if they are forced to rely on pitching as Cashman states?

This guess if that it won’t come down to that.

GM’s make a living by believing in their guts.

Cashman is no different.

Expect a move to be made that will inject some power into that lineup before spring training is underway.

The post Alex Rodriguez has not had hip surgery yet appeared first on Players View.

Jones’ wife has claimed that  he took hold of her neck, dragged her down a staircase in their suburban Atlanta home and stated that he want to kill her.

The news of Jones’ arrest broke on Tuesday after police responded to a domestic dispute call to defuse the situation at approximately 1:30 a.m. Jones was booked two hours later.

Jones is free on a $2,400 bond according to ESPN.

Jones recently did a one-year $3.5 million deal with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles of Japan’s Pacific League.

There is no information on what sparked the argument.

It really doesn’t matter as if these accusations are true, Jones has a lot to atone for.

We could fill this thing out by discussing his various achievements.

But why tout the guy until we know more?

If he did these things, there is nothing that we should say about his baseball prowess.

If he for whatever reason somehow got a raw deal, we can break out the Golden Glove talk.

The post Details emerge in Andruw Jones battery case appeared first on Players View.

The New York Daily News is reporting that Swisher’s new deal is a four-year $56 million dollar pact.

Swisher also took the time to say goodbye to the Yankees’ fanbase.

Thank you NY for the kindness & support you’ve shown me the past 4 years. It’s been an amazing experience & I’ve loved every minute of it!

— Nick Swisher (@NickSwisher) December 23, 2012

The 32-year old switch hitter batted .272 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs in 148 games last season.

The Indians need help in their outfield and came to Swisher after failed attempts to sign other high profile answers to that question.

To seal the deal, according to reports the team put together an elaborate video package that was aired on their scoreboard during his visit.

In the package Ohio State coach Urban Meyer encouraged Swisher to join the Indians.

Obviously that was enough to sway the veteran to do the deal.

But was it the right deal to do?

The post Nick Swisher inks with the Cleveland Indians. appeared first on Players View.

When the stars such as Derek Jeter take a moment to comfort someone associated with horrors such as what happened in Newtown, CT, we come to understand their deeper purpose.

Jeter called Donna Soto on Wednesday as she buried her daughter Victoria.

Victoria surrendered her life while protecting her first-grade students at Sandy Hook Elementary School in last week’s Newtown tragedy.

Soto’s sister Carlee, posted a gracious tweet on Wednesday.

“Derek Jeter just called my mom!!!!! Thanks Vicki, she needs it thank you @yankees this meant a lot to my mother and all of us,” the tweet read.

“Vicki loved the Yankees — that was part of her eulogy,” her cousin James Wiltsie told the New York Daily News. “No one in the family reached out, so (Jeter) must have heard about it and … reached out.

“Nothing is going to fix the fact that she had to bury her daughter today,” said Wiltsie.

“It was a surprise and unexpected. Donna was ecstatic over it and very happy. She spoke to him for quite some time.”

“But I’m happy that it brought some comfort … People like Jeter have reached out. It brings some comfort to know that people recognize Vicki as a hero.”

The post Derek Jeter called the mother of slained Newtown teacher appeared first on Players View.

It explained a lot of things and the word that a second surgery was required explained even more.

A-Rod ran into TMZ’s camera’s and discussed the notion that 2013 may largely be a wrap for him.

The post New York Yankees Alex Rodriquez talks hip surgeries and 2013 season. appeared first on Players View.

Quite frankly, we did not expect Ortiz to seriously dive into the free agency waters.

But was it the right move for Boston?

They are giving “Big Papi” a reported $26 million guaranteed.

In the business of sports, the word loyalty is rarely if ever used but when it is executed its often associated with deals that are dealt to aging players that are deeply weaved into the fabric on the fan base.

Ortiz only played 90 games last season due to a strained right Achilles tendon, but he did manage to hit 23 home runs and drive in 60. His .318 batting average was his best in 5 years.

This month Ortiz will turn 36-years-old and history dictates that it will be hard if not impossible for an aging body to maintain that level of play.

This would be especially true during the second year of this deal when he will be knocking on the door of 38-years-old.

Ortiz’s role as a designated hitter could potentially buy him some time but his production will most likely take a slide as time marches on.

So has Boston handed their almost decade-long big man with a serious parting gift as he most likely takes his victory lap?

Or do they really think that the eight time All-Star will continue to crush balls over-the-fence even as his body breaks down?

The post Red Sox ink David Ortiz for $26 million. Was he worth it? appeared first on Players View.

When we look at the field, there are five names that really make a lot of sense to us. Let’s check them out.

#1 John Farrell

In a perfect world this is the move that will be made. Farrell already has a love affair with Boston and its culture.

The feeling seems to be mutual for all intents and purposes.

Farrell has so many ties to the Red Sox that he could probably walk in the door and it would feel like he was already at home.

The only roadblock is Farrell’s current home the Toronto Blue Jays has no real desire to let him go so this one could get sticky.

#2 Dave Martinez

Martinez is an assertive coach that works well with players. This attribute has to be at the top of the traits desired  list for the Red Sox who are coming out of a valley that was filled with needless conflict and instability.

He’s come close to landing the lead role before and this may be his time.

#3 Joey Cara

Run Joey Run! Cara was the bench coach for the debacle that just went down in Miami. There is a lot to be said for learning what not to do. Working under Ozzie Guillen provided a healthy dose of that and some positive input as well.  Cara would be the Players View choice as he is seasoned enough to be as ready as anyone is to step up and take charge.

#4 Jose Oquendo

Oquendo is a leaf off the Tony La Russa coaching tree.  He’s one of those guys that has been interviewed half-to-death but has never gotten the nod.

The only downside to Oquendo landing in Boston is that he can be a hothead from time to time as his ejection history shows.

He could bring a fresh outlook to the Red Sox at a time when they really, really need one.

#5 Tim Bogar

If Boston promotes in house this will most likely be their pick. He was rumored to have issues with Valentine and that could work for or against him.

At this point the Red Sox will probably start fresh but if not, Bogar is as good a name as they have to pick from the hat.

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There are reports that the team is searching high and low to find a replacement for Guillen.

But according to the Miami Herald that may not be the case.

Apparently it seems that owner Jeffrey Loria has cut everyone but himself out of the picture in regards to deciding Guillen’s future with the club.

If Loria sends Guillen packing after just one year, he will do so with a lot of egg on his face.

After all, he gave up what seems like the world to secure Guillen for his club.

He went all in to ensure that Ozzie was “his guy” yet now he sits on the threshold of admitting a huge mistake.

The fact that he will owe the controversial manager $7.5 million in walk-away-money is definitely playing a part in his decision.

The Marlins went an abysmal 69-93 this season after tempting their fan-base with promises of greatness.

If Guillen returns as the skipper of choice in the tropics, it will presumably be on a short leash.

All we can do is wait although it seems like word will come down the pike any moment now.

Although Guillen’s end-of-the-season comments may ring with a tinge of self-fulfilling prophecy.

“I know we were a very bad team,” said Guillen. “But I appreciate the effort and respect the players give me. They play hard. They play bad.”

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I’m not the first person to make that observation and I guarantee you I won’t even be close to the last as long as he has an audience to speak to.

Let us be clear Guillen like everyone else has a right to his feelings and the opportunity to create an environment in his home that he and his family find comfortable (more on him in a moment).

When the Toronto Blue Jays’ short stop Yunel Escobar (joke or no joke) used his eye black to display a Spanish-language version of a commonly used English language term that is a homophobic slur, he was wrong.

There was nothing cool about it. Gay baseball fans out were offended and hurt by it.

It should not have happened and Escobar received a fair punishment in a three-game suspension for the act that was imposed by the team.

Some within the gay and lesbian community want him booted for the remainder of the season but seeing that he’s losing $92,000 for his stupidity that will donated to tolerance based charities, it seems fair enough.

However, Escobar has continued to put his foot in his mouth by escalating the matter in his public “apology” that was incredibly insulting to those he offended to begin with.

Esobar’s comments which ran in the National Post, and on ESPN were borderline insanity.

“I’m sorry for what happened and I can guarantee this will not happen again in my career. It’s a lesson I learned and one I’ll never commit again in my career.”

“It was not something I intended to be offensive. It was just something I just put on a sticker on my face as a joke,” he said through a translator at the news conference at Yankee Stadium. “There was nothing intentional directed at anyone in particular.”

“I don’t have anything against homosexuals. I have friends who are gay. In reality I’d like to ask for the apologies of all those who have been offended by this.”

“It’s just something that’s been said around amongst Latinos. It’s not something that’s meant to be offensive.

For us, it didn’t have the significance to the way it’s being interpreted right now. It’s a word used often within teams. … I agree with the suspension and don’t have any problem with it.”

“I have friends who are gay,” he said. “The person who decorates my house is gay. The person who cuts my hair is gay. I have various friends who are gay.

Honestly they haven’t felt as offended about this. There’s just a different understanding in the Latin community of this word.”

Personally, as a black male I would be ready to catch a flight to Toronto if he wrote the n-word on his eye black only to apologize by saying that he has black friends that shine his shoes.

That’s just what it is.

Back to where we started, you would think Ozzie Guillen would have learned to keep his mouth shut after his own date with ignorance after his comments about respecting Fidel Castro kicked the season off.

All he had to do is mind his own business and tend to the matters of how he’ll save his own ass after this year wraps up.

Instead, he steps into Escobar’s solitary mess and offered a measure of support for him to the Palm Beach Post.

“I think this kid did it without intending to hurt anybody. I think he did it just for fun. But in our country we do that,” Guillen said.

“I know he didn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feelings. Nobody is that stupid,” Guillen said.

Ozzie you would think so but his encore was declaring that he was cool with gay folks because he has guy stylists hair and otherwise.

“To be honest with you, in my house we say that word every 20 seconds. I got three kids. It’s HOW you say it,” Guillen said.

“He is paying the price.”

Guillen referenced his own troubles with the term when he used the term to describe a media of the Chicago media when he was the skipper of the White Sox in 2006.

“My situation was worse because I said it. I said it to a media member,” Guillen said.

“It’s something I don’t feel proud about it. I was a very, very hard situation for me and the people around me… It was maybe the worst thing I ever did.”

Stop. Guillen called it the worst thing he ever did yet he by his own admittance also stated that he uses the term every 20 seconds in his crib.

What people do and say at home is their own business. But the moment that you open the floor to what you do at home in a situation like this, you can’t say that using the same word is the worst thing you ever did.

According to the Palm Beach Post, Guillen “laughed” when he found out the term of Escobar’s suspension.

“Three games? I got six. Because I don’t have the players association,” he said, joking.

What Guillen should have figured out by now is that you can’t use the we’re from another country card when you openly laugh about what you deem to be a light punishment after you know better.

In this particular situation, Guillen had the opportunity to right some of his own wrongs and help steer Escobar through some of the choppy waters that he’s been through.

He behaves like a 19-year old player yet he is a leaving middle-aged manager that whether he wants to admit it or not is by default on the league’s mentorship board.

Guillen had two smarter choices in the matter, he could have side-stepped the question when he was asked or he could have simply stated and followed through with this would be a good opportunity to educate this and other young men coming from similar situations on what is cool and what is not cool.

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The 24 year-old will see a New York hip specialist on Tuesday according to ESPN.

The Dodgers manager Don Mattingly who reportedly will return to the team next year is not optimistic in regards to a 2012 return for Kershaw.

“Right now, you don’t have time to brace yourself and it’s not a good thought,” Mattingly said. “You don’t want to think about having to go through it without Kersh. You know you kind of just count on him saving your ‘pen. You know he’s going to go seven-plus, you’re going to be in the game and you’ve got a pretty good chance of winning.

“Other than all those factors, you just kind of move on and you’ve got to get it done.”

This sends the Dodgers rotation into a tizzy as they chance a wild-card spot. Before Kershaw went down, the team lost No.2 starter Chad Billingsley for the year due to elbow surgery. Ted Lilly also checked out after having shoulder surgery.

Kershaw has pitched a NL leading 206 2/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA. His record is 12-9.

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As the 50-year-old apparently ageless wonder prepares to throw down with the Sugar Land Skeeters on Saturday, the Astros are working on a contingency plan that plays with the notion of Clemens coming back to a MLB mound.

Clemens’ fastball can still flirt with the high 80s and Houston’s amateur scouting director has been on hand to watch him workout.

Owner Jim Crane told Fox 26 in Houston that they would go all-in if the opportunity presented itself.

“If it goes alright and he comes to us, we’ll talk to baseball about it at length,” Crane told FOX 26. “The only thing we don’t want to do is make it a publicity stunt.

“If we did it, I want to try and take it and turn it into a positive, which would be Roger’s doing it for the good of baseball. The extra proceeds on the game might go to the (Astros’) community charity deal to build (baseball) fields, do something positive out of it.

“I think the fans might like it. It might be fun and certainly get a few people in the ballpark. I don’t see anything negative about that, but the Astros wouldn’t want to do it for the money, the extra gate or anything like that.”

If Crane and company were to dust him off and bring him back out in September it sounds like it would be for a limited engagement.

Just when you thought he was out, they start to pull him back in.

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“If we’re going to be younger here, then OK, what kind of young team are we going to have?” Guillen said on Thursday. “Are we going to go forward, or are we going to stay the same? If we’re going to go young, just go young, and suffer for a couple of years and see what happens. Or are you going to compete, and make a mix [of veterans with young players]? Then who’s coming here to make the mix? It’s all a process.”

The comments are rational and far from his usual WWE-style rants and raves but they point to a problem within the organization.

Do the Marlins now what type of baseball team that they want to be?

Do they have a direction?

If so, they might want to fill in their manager who was tossed from their game against the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

“I have been ejected 27 times but that one was a weird one,” Guillen said. “The excuse he is going to make is I was throwing water at him. I never did. I just threw water on the field then some of the players were telling me I got kicked out of the game.”

Even in defeat Ozzie at least keeps in interesting.

With a record of 57-69, the Marlins are in the cellar of the NL East. When the team remade themselves over into a Technicolor dream they never planned for this.

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As the Braves 3B continues his victory lap/retirement tour, a few of  Jones’ closest friends in baseball and former teammates, Adam LaRoche and Mark DeRosa, hooked up with Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman to present Jones with retirement gifts during a pre-game ceremony Wednesday night.

LaRoche and DeRosa both starred in a video package, with DeRosa saying about his mentor, “He holds a special place for me” and hunting partner LaRoche saying “look forward to spending a lot of time in the woods with you. Love you, Buddy.”

Jones was handed the third base used in Monday night’s game by the Nationals along with an autographed and framed photograph of him, LaRoche and DeRosa.

LaRoche and Nats GM Mike Rizzo presented Jones with the bat from the home run he hit off Odalis Perez on March 30, 2008, the first home run ever hit at Nationals Park.

“It meant a lot,” Jones said after the game to the AJC.  “It’s the first one where I actually started to get a little misty. To have two of my best friends in the game of baseball out there talking on the scoreboard and standing out there with me.

I’m not ashamed to say I’m one of the many people who have a man crush on Ryan Zimmerman too, so to have those three guys standing out there. It meant a lot to me along with Mike Rizzo, probably the most extensive and most meaningful of all the tributes thus far.”

Game recognizes game.

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“I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A’s,” Colon said. “I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program.”

That is such a template response that its very possible that it was just pressed from a cookie-cutter form and not delivered from a remorseful human being.

True, he took the opposite route that Melky Cabrera did and manned-up and didn’t try to deny it.

But if he is being so honest and responsible why not try ‘it sucks that I got caught and for that I am sorry for. But I am old and I need to play longer. Hopefully after I do my time, there will be more sophisticated ways to mask my *cough* supplement of choice.’

Now that would be an apology…sarcasm off.

A 50-game suspension is not a joke and I am sure that the 39-year old is reeling from what this sentence will mean in the sunset of his career.

The Office of the Commission of Baseball issued a statement saying Colon tested positive for testosterone.

Colon is 10-9 this season with a 3.43 earned run average. His win total and ERA are team bests this year.

His win total also happens to be his personal best since he won 21 games in 2005 when he was the American League’s recipient of the Cy Young Award.

“It’s a shock,” Oakland reliever Grant Balfour said in the Miami Herald. “He’s a guy that we’re definitely relying on right now. I guess you could say it’s bad timing any time, but especially now.”

Colon will miss the last 40 games of the regular season and up to 10 games of the post-season if Oakland gets that far.

The balance will be due upon him catching on with a club in the future.

Tyson Ross will be called up from Triple-A Sacramento according to A’s GM Billy Beane who summed up the situation best.

“Listen, it’s disappointing. From a baseball standpoint, we’re scrambling,” Beane said. “We’re all disappointed, not just for the Giants and the A’s, but for baseball.”

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A complete update on his status is due later today but at the very least Santana is expected to miss Thursday’s start against the Rockies.

After getting off to a near-incredible start, Santana has lost his last five games and seen his ERA balloon to 15.63.

Mets manager Terry Collins told the New York Post that the team feels good about where they are with him.

“I said in spring training if we got 28 starts out of him he’d have a big year,” Collins said. “We won’t get there, probably, but we’re at 21 now and I think that’s pretty good. He’s got to be very happy he got that far, which he is.”

Provided the MRI results showcase good news, Santana could still take the mound under a limited pitch count that would allow the Mets to squeeze a couple of  more starts out of him.

This season has certainly been a rollercoaster for Johan as he’s celebrated no-hitters and is now dealing with a strain of physical setbacks that could earmark his career as one of unfulfilled promise.

The Mets must be awfully committed to him. They had a window to trade him and get some value out of this year’s accomplishments and they chose not to.

Looking ahead, finding a dance partner will be harder because there will always be the doubt that any fast start can be tempered by chronic injury.

In the now, the Mets are calling up right-hander Collin McHugh from Triple-A Buffalo if Santana has to miss any amount of time.

We’ll know more after today’s update from the team, but it looks like McHugh will get to test his stuff under the bright lights.

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On Tuesday Major League Baseball distributed an edict banning Cabrera’s alleged accomplice in fraud Juan Nunez from “clubhouses or all non-public areas” of all 30 major-league parks, according to ESPN.

Nunez is the alleged brains behind the digital scam that sought to clear Cabrera of a 50-game suspension after he tested positive for synthetic testosterone.

The effort built and created a fraudulent website that advertised a supplement that never existed so that the outfielder could claim that he purchased a product that he ingested that unbeknownst to him contained the banned substance.

The proclamation also went on to inform clubs that they are to have no dealings with Nunez whatsoever as he is “not certified as a player agent” by the Major League Baseball Players Association.

Teams were also told “not conduct contract negotiations with Nunez or otherwise deal with him regarding players on the 40-man roster.”

As funny as this can seem to a certain degree, this incident is taking on a deeper and deeper bruise for Melky by the moment.

Situations like this don’t just tarnish careers they can end them and 365 days from now, I will be curious to see how solid the ground is that he is standing on.

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According to a Sports Illustrated story, Cabrera put together a fake website that featured a fake product to create the illusion that he inadvertently ingested a banned substance that triggered his positive test result under MLB’s substance abuse program.




Somebody should have let him know that the internet is not the anonymous safe haven that most people think that it is.

Cabrera’s goal was to obviously sneak through a loop hole that exonerates players that accidentally ingest banned substances.

If the All Star Game MVP could prove that he ordered the supplement without knowledge of its contents, he would have had a case to have his suspension reversed.

So not only is his 50-game suspension still intact but an investigation has been launched by Federal authorities in conjunction with MLB.

The focus of the look-see allegedly will dig as deep into the lives of those that are his immediate circle to try and figure this whole thing out.

If it were me I would have gone for poor handling by the Fed EX guy. But hey..

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Even if you’re rooting against him, you don’t want a guy who has done almost everything right to leave the game in an injury-enforced fizzle.

Todd Helton at the very least should come back for at least another run to try and walk off the field with an ending that is worthy of whatever DVD that MLB will eventually put together to commemorate his career.

But he leaves this year in pain and not a little bit of it, a heaping amount.

“Even if we were in a pennant race, we would have done this. He was in too much pain,” Rockies trainer Keith Dugger told the Denver Post.  ”He was having good days and bad days. But we weren’t going to give him anti-inflammatories or shots to get through this. This gives him a chance to get it right.”

The goal for now is to have him ready for spring training next year but there are whispers that he might not return.

Teammate Matt Belisle doesn’t have a doubt. “You watch. This is going to give him a chance to focus on one thing: rehabbing and getting this right for spring,” Belisle said. “I have no doubt that he will come back.”

“I don’t even want to think about the Rockies without Todd,” Belisle said. “It just seems so weird.”

“He was so good for so long,” shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said. “You see what he’s accomplished and you realize why people talk about him as a Hall of Famer.”

Ding! Helton has built a lot of goodwill up over the course of his career and he has a legit shot at making the Hall-of Fame.

He’s been the centerpiece to more than a couple of amazing moments and it is not hard to predict the reasoning as to why he could as some are saying that he’s ready to turn the Rockies over to a new face that will lead the team.

He’s been a classic slugger that might not want to be seen in the light of someone that moving forward would be a role-player.

Maybe that would be Helton’s idea of fizzling out.

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He will tip his cap, he will wave, he will cry and most likely he will be embraced by his kids on the field. One thing that we won’t do is look back after his exit.

The 40-year-old is playing well. When I say well, he is playing really, really well.

The 19–season vet is the team’s stat leader in several categories including batting average (.317), on-base percentage (.394) and slugging percentage (.513).

So is there any chance that he’s playing well enough to make him return next year to make it an even twenty?

He told the Atlanta Journal Constitution “I’m ready to move on,” in a series of comments that feel very, very firm.

The first thing that he addressed was why he could feel this way in the face of his strong play.

“I thought I was fully capable of doing what I’m doing,” he said. “In fact, I told my agent [B.B. Abbott] in spring training. He told me, ‘You can’t back-track on this [retirement decision]. If you’ve got 20 homers and you’re hitting .300 and you’ve got 80 or 90 RBIs, you can’t second-guess yourself.’ And I said, well, I’m going to have those numbers, and I’m ready to leave.”

Of course the Braves faithful and baseball fans overall, want to see him do it for as long as he can handle it at this level.

“Yeah, it’s nice to have people saying that,” he said. “It’s nice that people aren’t saying, ‘You should have done it two or three years ago.’ The fact that people are saying I should stay, that I could still be effective, that’s kind of what I was shooting for.”

And for those that don’t like what he has to say? For those that don’t like that he’s taking this year as a victory lap? For those that think that he should have waited until the off-season to say ‘it’s over?’

“Well, no matter what you do you’re not going to make everybody happy,” he said. “I’ve got two wives that will attest to that, you know? But it doesn’t matter what game you play or how you play it, you’re not going to please everybody. So you take the good with the bad and just try to go about your business and not worry about the naysayers.

“You play for the people who support you, and for your family and your teammates. And everybody else…” [dismissive wave of his hand].

It’s just like that folks.  Regardless of how well the Braves or don’t play, regardless of how easy it would be to get to that magic number of 20, Chipper is leaving the building.

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To help him stay in the lineup Boston picked-up a policy that every so often they were allowing him to take a game off here and there.

That seems to be a thing of the past as Crawford has played eighth straight games and has only missed two games since coming off the disabled list on July 16.

Even though he played last night to wake up to play a early game today, he could not be happier to do so as today he celebrates his 31^st birthday.

“Well, like we said, it was all part of a rehab process where they wanted to make sure that he was ready to go,” Boston manager Bobby Valentine said. “Once he passed those tests … we’re playing it day by day, and being that it’s his birthday, I’m thinking the least he should do is play today.”

Valentine went on to say that the spot on today’s roster is not about benevolence but more about his recent play.

“He’s playing great. He’s swinging well and doing everything we need him to do in the outfield and on the bases,” Valentine said. “If he needs a day, he’ll get a day, just like everyone else. Right now, there’s nothing restricting him.”

Barring a major setback, it looks like Crawford won’t be held back anytime soon.

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The Dodgers have traded reliever Josh Lindblom and minor league pitcher Ethan Martin to the Philadelphia Phillies for two-time All-Star center fielder Shane Victorino.

Victorino is currently batting .261 with nine homers, 40 RBIs and 24 steals.

Victorino has been the subject of scorn by the Dodger faithful since the notorious incident during Game 3 of the 2008 NL championship series in which the center fielder and then-pitcher Hiroki Kuroda had a testy exchange over a dirty fastball.

The end result saw both benches cleared and on the-field ready to thrown down although ultimately it never got super ugly.

Like point guard Steve Nash who was a hated rival before becoming an instant darling once he became a Laker, Victorino will be embraced as he joins an outfield that includes another All-Star in Matt Kemp.

Victorino is projected to move to left-field to accommodate Kemp who currently occupies centerfield.

The moves are somewhat trivial now as the team’s front office is thrilled to add the power to their clubhouse.

“We’re excited to add an All-Star caliber player with postseason experience,” Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti said in a statement. “He plays the game with passion, gives us a top of the order bat from both sides of the plate, can steal bases and is solid defensively in the outfield.”

The Dodgers are currently tied for first place in the NL West and appear to have just gotten stronger.

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He’s also finding time to make his mark as a rock musician with platinum aspirations.

Recently, he sat down with MLB Fan Cave to put together a goofy sing-a-long video titled “Red Hooded Sweatshirt.”

You have to stick around for the ending as the ditty ends up featuring teammate Ardoldis Chapman in what feels like one of the most uncomfortable comments of his life.

This was one of many videos that Players View found at MLB Fan Cave that to be honest with you held us at bay for hours.

Yeah… to a certain degree MLB Fan Cave is the competition however, from time to time you know that we are good for passing along a suggestion or two your way.

As pop culture geeks we burned through videos of MLB players pulling pranks, hanging out with celebrities and actually chilling in the physical fan cave facility in the NYC.

Their musical guests have featured a diverse group such as Nas, Ziggy Marley, Far East Movement, Daughtry and The Fray.

There’s a lot to the Fan Cave experience so the video sample that they let us pull above is only the tip of things.

Don’t say we never gave you anything.

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The shortstop was taking a throw from second baseman Jose Altuve with his foot on the bag when Blanco slid into second drilling his ankle.

“He slid onto my foot, and while I was trying to get away from the base my foot was still underneath his foot, so my whole lower leg twisted,” Lowrie said after the game.

Lowrie immediately left the game and could be on his way to the disabled list according to MLB.com

“My knee and ankle both hurt,” Lowrie said. “I can’t really tell you which is worse.”

“I think it’ll get better,” Lowrie said. “I’m hoping it’s not a serious thing, but I still think we need to make sure it’s not. There’s no reason to guess. Let’s just hope it’s not something serious.”

How the Astros will handle this situation is interesting as it was less than 30 days ago that they were reportedly discussing trading him to the Dodgers.

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Like most of the greats, Ozzie Smith has definitive opinions on today’s game. Check out who has surprised him the most.

The post Video: MLB great Ozzie Smith discuses the state of the Pirates and the Angels. appeared first on Players View.

The Yankees’ special advisor has been told that he must stay away from the team for the time being but he is expected to rejoin the club in the future.

The comments that spawned all of this drama revolve around Jackson questioning whether or not whether certain guys belong in the Hall of Fame.

On A-Rod he stated “Al’s a very good friend, but I think there are real questions about his numbers,” Jackson said. “As much as I like him, what he admitted about his [PED} usage does cloud some of his records.”

Last week Jackson said that he would apologize for further comments that he made about the deceased Carter.

“I didn’t see Kirby Puckett as a Hall of Famer,” Jackson said. “I didn’t see Gary Carter as a Hall of Famer. I didn’t see Don Sutton as a Hall of Famer. I didn’t see Phil Niekro as a Hall of Famer. As much as I like Jim Rice, I’m not so sure he’s a Hall of Famer.”

“I am very disappointed [the Carter comments are] out there and I am embarrassed,’’ Jackson said on Friday. “I have a number for his wife and I want to talk to her and the family. That needs to be noted. I am calling to apologize for inappropriate comments while I was talking to friends.’’

I’m not sure how speaking to Sports Illustrated qualifies as ” talking to friends,” but that’s neither here nor there.

Speaking of friends, A-Rod probably doesn’t consider Jackson one of his any longer.

“With friends like that who needs enemies,’’ Rodriguez said with a smile on his face.

The Yankees had to do something and the idea that he is more or less suspended for what he said speaks to the idea that they thought it through without being to heavy-handed.

Jackson is a legend an icon but today is a different time than yesteryear. Working with minor leaguers he should be in constant rotation with the words trust and restraint.

Regardless of what his opinions are, it’s not a good look for him to disqualify anyone within the team’s legacy let alone the current stars that are putting butts in the seats.

Ife he doesn’t want to work directly with the team and get his Joe Namath on that’s one thing. To go forward with that logo on and say what he said, he left the team with little choice.

He may be embarrassed now but none more so than those who looked up to him from within their organization.

The post Reggie Jackson has been banned by the Yankees. appeared first on Players View.

Harper’s were prophetic as Jones has now just been named as Matt Kemp’s replacement for the game, narrowing the NL field in the fan based vote down to just Harper, Michael Bourn, David Freese and Aaron Hill.

Jones told the Atlanta Journal Constitution that he still appreciates the nod as if it were the first time.

“Same excitement every single time,” Jones said. “I’ve always cherished this experience, being able to go and rub elbows with the best players in the game, the elite of the elite and just get to know them.

So many friendships have been forged at All-Star games. Going out to dinner or sitting around the clubhouse shooting the breeze.

And now my kids get to do it with me and meet all the best players in the game and create a lifelong memory for them, which is cool for me to do.”

This stop in the Chipper Jones victory lap will indeed be one of the sweetest.

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Book ending that and his release today from the Boston Red Sox has been good times, bad times and more than a couple of rowdy moments.

After putting his name on a two-year $12 million dollar 2011 deal with the Red Sox, Jenks failed to live up to his All-Star form appearing in only 12 outings.

You can chalk some of that up to dual back surgeries and the rest up to the attitude behind his spring training arrest for DUI, property damage and hit-and-run.

Even when he was on the mound, he never had the edge in Boston that he displayed in Chicago as a member of the White Sox.

Jenks ran up a long list of accolades there and it was seemingly a spat with then-manager Ozzie Guillen that sent things down the wrong path.

In what really did feel like a story line that was written for Rick Flair, Guillen teed off on Jenks as he landed in Boston with statements like “I will rip his guts” after Jenks stated his displeasure with Guillen after departing.

“We lied for him, we protected him. I’m the first manager in the history of baseball to give a guy a week off to take care of his kids when his father-in-law was sick.”

And after all of that? Jenks sputtered out like a dying balloon as Guillen got a new gig in Miami telling Fidel Castro jokes.

Jenks and the Red Sox reached a contract termination settlement that placed him on unconditional release waivers.

It was not that long ago when Jenks was excited to arrive in Boston according to an interview that ran in the Chicago Tribune.

“The Red Sox were the third or fourth team we talked to,” Jenks said.”When we found out we were going to have an opportunity here, I didn’t want to talk to anyone else.”

And now it’s doubtful that even if he is healthy again that anyone else wants to talk to him about a new deal.

The 31-year old has a career ERA of 3.53 with 351 strikeouts and a 173 saves.

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Most of the talk revolves around Atlanta Braves legend/third baseman Chipper Jones and whether or not he will make the cut in this his final year.

They say some kids are wise beyond their years and that could be the case of Washington Nationals budding superstar Bryce Harper.

Harper recently told reporters that he would vote for Jones stating “I think a Hall of Famer should be able to go to the All-Star game his last year.”

Jones wasted no time reaching out to Harper and publicly tipped his cap to MLB’s latest highlight machine according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“That’s a very classy thing for a 19-year-old kid to say,” Jones said. “I think he’s going to be in his fair share of All-Star games throughout the years. He’s an unbelievable talent and I just let him know that I appreciated what he said. It was classy. But we’ll see. All those guys (in) the final five guys deserve to be there. I’m just happy to be in the mix.”

According to MLB, Jones is a favorite to win the spot. Fan voting closes at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

In the NL the remaining choices are Michael Bourn, Aaron Hill, or David Freese.

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Their star-of-the-future Trevor Bauer failed to live up to his hype in his MLB debut against the Braves on Thursday.

The right-hander struggled through 74 pitches before he was pulled after four innings. There were points where his stuff was as advertised as he did strike out three.

The truth is Arizona was hoping for a lot better than two runs over five hits and three walks in four innings. There is no other way to put that.

He gets another shot next week against a more kid-friendly Padres team.

As Bauer is trying to make a name for himself, the 25-year-old right-hander Daniel Hudson is facing the reality of undergoing the season-ending Tommy John surgery. Team doctors have diagnosed him with torn ulnar collateral ligament.

This is a blow to the rotation as they now only have a total of four active starters working the mound.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, GM Kevin Towers is not panicking about anything and expects that Joe Saunders will be off the DL list sooner-than-later after suffering a shoulder strain according to the Arizona Republic.

“I think he’ll be back if not before then right after the All-Star break,” Towers said. “He’s feeling great. I think he must have slept on it wrong or had a little bit of a dead arm. He’s responded well. The doctors said his strength tests are all good.”

Saunders is a cornerstone piece to that rotation and if he struggles in his return it could be a problem. Still, Towers sees that the team doesn’t have an issue with depth.

“I think we feel like we’ve got enough depth,” Towers said. “We actually considered even moving some of our depth. It’s probably a good thing we didn’t, for this very reason.”

As for Josh Collmenter, who had issues two months ago when he started, Towers remains confident.

“His location looks good and he’s throwing the ball well,” Towers said. “His velocity’s been good, too; he’s throwing 90 (mph).

He’s hitting his spots, pitching inside, throwing change-ups when he’s down in the count, keeping it in the ballpark. He’s doing all the things he did last year to make him successful.”

Arizona is currently only one game over .500 and third in the NL West. The approaching break could not come at a better time.

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The situation comes out of the blue as Buchholz has performed well in his last three starts including a home win last week against the Miami Marlins (although his E.R.A. was a torrid 5.53 in six innings pitched).

It was late last week that he started to feel pain. If this season seems to be a lot more aggravating than usual for the Red Sox, you will find a lot of people out there that would agree with that sentiment.

Valentine is in the news seemingly every day for something that he has done or said. The Kevin Youkilis trade was despite the rise of Will Middlebrooks something that has left a bad taste in the mouths of many fans and their starting rotation seems to always have somebody banged up.

With all of this they are still only 5.5 games behind the Yankees and at some point conventional wisdom states that the second-place Orioles will slip.

Good luck Clay and Godspeed.

The post Red Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz hospitalized with intestinal bleeding. appeared first on Players View.

The latest reports have him headed to Chicago to join a White Sox team that is looking for a band-aid to patch up Brent Morel’s absence.

Morel is going to be rehabbing for sometime according to the Chicago Sun Times and the Sox are apparently not completely sold on Orlando Hudson who was cut by the Padres.

Hudson is batting under .200 and has not done well transitioning from 2B to 3B.

A Youkilis push seems to make sense but until he is in their clubhouse White Sox manager Robin Ventura is not interested in discussing the matter with any great detail.

‘‘You hear trade rumors and guys will talk about stuff, but it’s just like when you were a player,’’ White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. ‘‘You can’t react to them or respond to them unless they come true. For me, there’s no sense looking at them unless they become true.’’

Ventura may not be interested in discussing the matter but the word is that his club is currently internally finishing up the pros and cons to such a situation. If the Red Sox are willing to absorb a chunk of Kevin’s contract and they don’t have to deal a pitcher, this could be a wrap before mid-week.

If the White Sox don’t work out expect to hear talk about the Dodgers and/or the Indians heat up next.

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We use colorful phrases to describe newcomers much too often these days, but Buxton is that good.  Don’t forget according to the new CBA, Buxton cannot be inked to a major league deal.

The Cardinals just wrapped up their supplementary first round pick Patrick Wisdom for $693k according to Jim Callis.

Filling A Gap: The Braves are calling up Julio Teheran from Triple-A to start in place of the gimpy Tim Hudson according to the AJC.

Hudson has taken a cortisone shot for bone spurs in his ankle and hopes to return to the Braves for his next scheduled start against the Yankees on Wednesday.

Bitter Pill:  San Francisco is bringing back Pablo Sandoval at third base today manager Bruce Bochy has confirmed.

“We think he’s ready,” Bochy said. “With Melky [Cabrera] out, sure, that plays a part in it. We’re a little short handed and could use another bat in the lineup.”

This would be a good time for Sandoval to prove his worth after coming up empty.

Brett Pill has been optioned to Triple-A Fresno to make room on the 25-man roster.

It Was All Good Just A Day Ago: Word is trickling in from the Mariners that Kevin Millwood may have to go on the 15 day disabled list. Millwood was pulled from last night’s no-hitter with what they are still calling a “minor” groin injury.

Taking A “Day” Off: Whitesox OF Dayan Viciedo is not in Saturday’s lineup. He left last night’s game with tightness in both of his hamstrings. According to the team, he’s now listed as day-to-day.

In his place comes Jordan Danks who will make his first start in the majors and bat in the eighth slot.

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Pryor did not get things started as Kevin Millwood started the game for the Mariners and left after six innings due to a groin injury.

Then came Charlie Fairbush to the mound who allowed a runner to reach second on an error after two-thirds of an innings of work.

From there Pryor came out and struck out Juan Rivera to close the seventh inning.

After starting the eighth after 3B Kyle Seager knocked in Ichiro Suzuki in the 7^th, Pryor was the name that got the win.

He did not close the game as that was a combo platter of Lucas Luetge, Tom Wilhelmsen and Brandon League.

If that is all hard to keep up with it, it should be as the group ties a league record set by of most pitchers used to secure a no-hitter.

WOW. Pryor gets to celebrate his odd-ball win but really it took all six to get it done. If anybody should be smiling it’s the 37-year-old Kevin Millwood who was well on his way to proving that he’s still got what it takes.

// ]]>

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Facing a veteran Celtic squad that was on the verge of making its 20^th appearance in the Finals, James’ hot hand and steady play earned him his 11^th career playoff game with more than 40 points. But that just places him second among active players. Yes, just among active players.

His game six performance also immortalized him as the first player to record a 45-point, 15-rebound, 5-assist playoff game… The first in 25 years, that is.

But I bet you already knew that…

This is proof that, yes, James balled out, but also it shows how stat-obsessed the sports world is. Viewers are constantly bombarded by statistical jargon, starting with the color guys and glowing graphics, then followed up by stories, blogs, and sports shows debating the relevance of said stats.

This is not to say I don’t appreciate stats, records, or sports history; I actually quite enjoy them. I think they are the best way—as well as probably the easiest way— to give a measurable perspective to the athletic feat you just witnessed.

As you watch James show out with a 45-15-5 performance, you are thinking it has to be special, but knowing the last person to pull that off was Wilt Chamberlain in 1964, you know it.

However, it seems that the sports media has become increasingly creative at milking stats and records to fill the hours, or pages, of content it needs to supply its insatiable audience.

I’d guess that virtually every player in every sport is a leader in some category, whether it’s straight up, modified, or contrived. They say there are many ways to skin a cat but what are some of the statistics, or more pertinently, what are some of the records that really mean something?

Here is a scattershot list of records that could be broken one day, but probably not for a while. Records are meant to be broken, or so popular clichés would have us believe, but some have more staying power than others. Some are tongue in cheek

So let’s let the hyperbole fly and take a look at 10 sports records that will never in a million years be broken—until they are.

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Manager Fredi Gonzalez assessed the colorful site.

“It’s a fair ballpark. You’ve got to hit it to get it out, and it’s a lot better than playing in some of the other places where if you bump it forward, you’re holding your breath. I like it. It’s fair. See how it plays in a couple of years. If it’s really unfair, like Citi Field [was], you make an adjustment.”

RF Jason Heyward grinned when asked about it. “No, I don’t mind it. It’s new, it’s not the old one. We’re playing pretty well here so far, winning three games in a row, so….”

When asked if he too liked the new ballpark 2BDan Uggla showed love. “Turns out we do. [Laughs.] We did this trip.”

The Braves had everything to smile about having now into more-or-less a three-way tie with the Nationals and the Mets for first place atop the NL East.

The post Atlanta Braves discuss the Marlins new ballpark after sweep. appeared first on Players View.

The pair are going into business together to launch their own fitness facility as part of the DI Sports chain. DI strives to give young people access to the same training facilities and regimens that Division I athletes have.

Their site will be in Orlando and will include an indoor turf field, state-of-the-art weight room and a sports medicine clinic run by Orlando Orthopaedic Center, which is also an owner according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Even though these two share a lot of history and connections, they have never met. Before Wednesday’s game at Miami, Chipper was excited to talk about the venture.

“I haven’t met Tim. I hope to in the very near future,” Jones said. “He’s probably the most recognizable figure in America right now. We’re from the same area in Jacksonville. I know he comes from a good family.

“His faith is as strong as anybody you’ll ever meet. And I don’t even know him, you know? So that’s my impression of him from afar. That being said, I’m a long-time loyal Gator, and he can do no wrong in my eyes.”

“It’s one of those business opportunities that comes along,” Jones said. “D1 in Tampa has done really well. Other D1s around the southeastern United States have done well. It’s a chance for young kids to get some constructive exercise from professional athletes.”

Tebow has a chunk of other D1 locations, so the New York Jets may not be where he plans on making his real money.

Maybe he can get Mark Sanchez to go in with him on D1 West.

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Scratches: Paul Konerko’s wrist will keep him out of the White Sox lineup again today. Manager Robin Ventura stated yesterday that Konerko would return today but that’s not going to happen.

After he left yesterday’s game with a laceration on his left index finger it was pretty much a given that Placido Polanco would not be on the field for the Phillies today.

He had the finger glued shut and is day-to-day as TY Wigginton shuffles to his spot allowing John Mayberry Jr.  to get the nod at first base.

Roll The Dice: Daisuke “Dice K” Matsuzaka will be activated from the disabled list to test his stuff against the Nationals.

As the header says, Boston’s really taking a risk with former phenom.  He hasn’t pitched in the majors in over a year and hosted a 3.65 ERA in his rehab assignment.

I always dug his demeanor and all of that but I’m not sure if throwing to the wolves against Bryce Harper is a nice welcome home present.

Oof: The Tigers have placed catcher Alex Avila on the 15-day disabled list. He aggravated a previous hamstring issues on Tuesday.  The Tigers are mum on how bad this is but if he’s not putting the mask on until mid-July I wouldn’t be surprised.

Adios:  The Phillies have released right-hander Dave Bush. Bush reportedly has another opportunity waiting for him in South Korea.

The Rockies released catcher Eliezer Alfonzo. Alfonso got slapped with a 100-game performance-enhancing drug suspension last year and was bounced to Triple-A in May.

Rumor Bin: Don’t read too much into it yet but Ken Rosenthal is stating that the Nationals are talking to teams about trading away pitcher John Lannan. To get it done a team must pick up the rest of his paycheck and send off a player of worth.

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According to Fox Sports,  the 84-year-old came to NYC to represent the Los Angeles Dodgers at last night’s draft and was admitted to a local hospital. Lasorda is scheduled to be released on Wednesday.

Lasorda was the Dodgers manager from 1976-1996 winning two World Series titles and four National League pennants during his run with the club.

He was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 1997.

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The short stop Carlos Correa certainly has the talent to go as such in this year’s pool but the Astros seemed sold on Stanford pitcher Mark Appel who ended up going eight to the Pirates.

At 17-years-old Correa has some developing to do and he will get his chance to do so. His dream is to become the next Derek Jeter although the Astros have plans for him to potentially morph into a third baseman.

The big headline attached to this one is that he’s the first Puerto Rican number one pick. This is a great achievement for Puerto Rican athletes that have a rich history within the league but there is more to this story than this.

Why did the Astros go in this direction?

Obviously Houston saw something that others saw that chose them not to choose Appel.

Appel wasn’t even the first pitcher chosen in the draft. Baltimore, Kansas City and San Diego all chose names such as Kevin Gausman, Kyle Zimmer and Max Fried ahead of him.

But what turned them away from the can’t miss prospect from Georgia Byron Buxton or Florida’s Mike Zunino?

Correa obviously has exceptional skills and all of his talent and most importantly hard work, deserve this triumphant moment.

So here is how it went down. Correa blew the Astros away during a personal workout last month during extended spring training according to MLB.com.

Bobby Heck, the Astros’ assistant general manager/scouting director, was excited to discuss what Correa can do on the field.

“We’re very excited to add a player of Carlos’ caliber,” Heck sad. “He profiles as a power-hitting middle-of-the-field guy, and to get that type of power at shortstop — his work ethic, how he was brought up and the family environment he comes from, the student he is — it’s a great pick for us, as well as a great long-term investment for the Astros.”

Correa is said to be an extreme over-achiever with a serious work ethic and unbreakable drive. Also committed to the University of Miami, the young man has quite a few choices to make although I don’t think the Astros have to anything to worry about.

The post Inside Houston’s decision to take SS Carlos Correa with their #1 pick. appeared first on Players View.

As the Cubs struggle with a 18-35 record, Soriano has raised his level of play knocking in 8 homers with a .309 OBP.

The 36-year-old  clearly sees the twilight of his career and is welcome to be traded according to the Chicago Sun Times.

“I’m 36 years old, so, yeah, I would like to have the opportunity to … if they want to trade me, I hope it is to a team that’s a contender because it’s about trying to go for that ring,” Soriano said before the Cubs’ third consecutive loss. “You want to feel good, feel like maybe you got a chance for that if we don’t have a chance here. But like I said, it depends on them. I don’t control the situation.”

While his words were measured, the message was surely clear, Soriano understands that his clock is ticking and while he has no problems with the franchise, Chicago is not the place for him to get a coveted championship ring.

It won’t be his numbers or his desire that will kill his dream of being on the tail end of a televised champagne bath. Like many things in life it all comes down to the money and his 2012 salary alone is $18 million.

Another number that works against him is his age. Age+ eight figure salary=almost no chance of getting a deal done.

If there is any deal-maker in the business that can pull this off and make it work out for the Cubs, it is GM Theo Epstein.

Stay tuned, this is one sentiment that may not get washed away in the 24-hour news cycle.

The post Cubs OF Alfonso Soriano welcomes a trade. appeared first on Players View.

Here’s five quick takes on what to expect.

#1 Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes:

The new CBA’s impact will be felt for the first time.  The new rules don’t allow teams to sign prospects to MLB contracts and they place spending limits on each team.  The most obvious adjustments seem to deep-six the way that a group like the Washington Nationals have built their club up
.

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Friday Santana became the first pitcher in Mets history to throw a no-hitter as the Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals 8-0.

The team’s footnote dates back to 1962 and as it was smashed from the record books, Mets fans celebrated the moment like a pennant win on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

If you recall, last week Santana worked a shutout against the San Diego Padres whom is one of the only two teams remaining that has never recorded a no-hitter; the other is the Tampa Bay Rays.

Against the Cardinals the 33-year-old threw 134 pitches as he struck out seven and walked five in his 247^th start. He spoke about it all after the game.

One attending Mets fan got so lost in the moment that he rushed the field at the end of the game to join the team’s celebration and was quickly thrown to the ground by security that seemed to enjoy the process.

The Mets soaring bats will get lost in the headline as Lucas Duda sent a three-run homer over the fence in the sixth and drove another one in on a sac fly in the fourth.

With two ridiculous games in-a-row, how long can Santana stay this hot? Will durability issues start to creep up if this continues?

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Players View has been critical of Santana in the past, so today we will tip our hat to the Mets lefty.
Although it was against a less-than-dominant San Diego Padres group, Santana had the stuff to only give up four singles in his first shutout since August, 12 2010.
Today’s outing keeps his ERA under 3.0 at 2.75 which at this juncture of the season is a feat unto itself.
Santana gave up not a single walk in an efficient 96 pitches that also struck out seven.
Offensively, Santana had help from Mike Nickeas who hit the Mets first grand slam of the season, and Scott Hairston and Vinny Rottino who also homered.
Today’s affair had to give him even more momentum going into next Friday’s start against the St. Louis Cardinals.

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There were several teams that stepped up and queried his availability sending trade rumors through the roof. He was humbled during a brief stint in the minor leagues.

So what does he do as the month comes to a close? He accepts being moved to first base and homers in his first game back against the Orioles in the 4^th inning yet he strikes out during his other two at bats.

At the start of the season Youkilis was bathing in controversy after being tossed in the bathwater by manager Bobby Valentine.

Valentine was publicly critical of Youk yet his .224 batting average by and large would merit such a thing if he was not such a revered figure in Boston.

Unless Will Middlebrooks takes a drastic turn for the worse, the 3B job will not revert back to its previous owner.

It seems that fan favorite or not, Kevin Youkilis won’t be able to get by on just his popularity if he’s to remain in the Red Sox starting line-up.

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His career runs semi-parallel to the NFL’s Dan Marino in the sense that he was physically gifted, did some amazing thing and sputtered out down the last leg of his career only to never win a championship.

That won’t stop him from being remembered as one of the team’s greatest and as such he’s on his way to life in front office.

After his official retirement ceremony at Wrigley field on Saturday Cubs president Theo Epstein spoke to the Chicago Sun Times about handing Wood the keys to a corner office.

‘‘Those discussions started last year,’’ Epstein said. ‘‘We talked about it last year, what player development looks like, scouting, the front office. And, obviously, he still has a role to play in the community. But right now, he has to take time to just be a dad. . . . When the time is right, we’ll talk about it.’’

Wood confirmed that he will return to the organization ‘‘I’m not real concerned about it. I think they know I want to be here. I think they want me to be around. So we’ll get to that point.’’

The way it sounds that point won’t materialize this season.  When it does, will Wood be simply a face that the team parades in front of the public or will he be a true decision maker in Epstein’s administration?

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