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Mid-Season Awards: National League

By Tyler Hissey | July 9, 2009 | Around the Majors

Earlier this week, I produced my mid-season awards for the American League. Now, for those who have been anxiously awaiting the next round, I present to you my picks for the National League.Most Valuable PlayerAlbert Pujols, St. Louis Cardinals:We might need to rename the Most Valuable Player award the Albert Pujols. He's just that good.Pujols has continued to amaze for the Cardinals, consistently belting moon shots into the night while walking more than he strikes out. His .336/.462/.735 line and insane .477 Weighted On-Base Average (wOBA) would be impressive in a video game, and he's leading the circuit with 31 home runs, a 215 OPS+, 81 RBIs and 208 total bases. Machine, indeed.Since Pujols is one of the best defensive first baseman in the league as well, this truly is just a no-contest pick. In fact, when accounting for batting, fielding and positional factors, he has been worth an NL-leading...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Albert Pujols, Atlanta Braves, Colby Rasmus, Javier Vasquez, MLB, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tim Lincecum

Thursday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 9, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Twelve games are being played on Thursday. I'm trying a new format for Games of the Day. Instead of picking only some of the games, each game will be previewed. Two aces, Tim Lincecum and Felix Hernandez, pitch on Thursday. Roy Halladay may be taking the mound in Tampa Bay as a sort of trade audition. Tommy Hanson will get a test from the Rockies at Coors Field. Paul Konerko looks to continue his hot hitting against the Indians. The Cardinals and Brewers rap up an exciting July series. These games and more can be found below. Toronto at Tampa...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Alfredo Aceves, Andrew Miller, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Boston Red Sox, Brad Penny, Carl Crawford, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Richard, Cleveland Indians, Cody Ross, Colorado Rockies, David Price, Felix Hernandez, Florida Marlins, Games of the Day, Houston Astros, John Lannan, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Dodgers, Luke Hochevar, Micah Owings, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Nyjer Morgan, Paul Konerko, Philadelphia Phillies, Rafael Furcal, Randy Wolf, Roy Halladay, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Tim Lincecum, Tommy Hanson, Toronto Blue Jays, Washington Nationals

Wednesday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 8, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Six of Wednesday's fifteen games are day games, making Wednesday a getaway day for those twelve teams. Wednesday doesn't feature the best pitching matchups, but does have some good games worth watching. Two All-Star Game bound ten-game winners are pitching on Wednesday. Ryan Sadowski looks to go 3-for-3 in his first three career starts. The Reds and Phillies continue an entertaining series. Oliver Perez returns to the Mets rotation and the NL Central and AL West showdowns continue. Pittsburgh at Houston: The Pirates-Astros series finishes with Charlie Morton and Wandy Rodriguez facing off. If Pittsburgh wins, they'll be only 2...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Hill, Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Brian Tallet, Chad Guadin, Charlie Morton, Chicago White Sox, Chris Young, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Curtis Granderson, David Hernandez, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Freddy Sanchez, Games of the Day, Hank Blalock, Homer Bailey, Houston Astros, Jeff Suppan, Jose Contreras, Jose Lopez, Kansas City Royals, Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Magglio Ordonez, Max Scherzer, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Mets, Oakland Athletics, Oliver Perez, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rodrigo Lopez, Ryan Sadowski, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Kazmir, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Stephen Drew, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Tim Wakefield, Todd Wellemeyer, Toronto Blue Jays, Vernon Wells, Vicente Padilla, Vladimir Guerrero, Wandy Rodriguez, Zack Greinke

Tuesday's Games of the Day

By Jonathan Etkowicz | July 7, 2009 | MLB Notebook

Tuesday brings a full schedule for our viewing pleasure. The day starts with the Reds and Phillies facing off in a game the Reds hope does not turn out the same way as Monday's game. The Rays and Blue Jays jockey for third place positioning in the AL East. Tuesday's schedule also contains games for two series' that will help determine division leaders heading into the All-Star break. Those games and more can be found below. Cincinnati at Philadelphia: The Phillies crushed the Reds 22-1 on Monday and look to continue that dominance against Aaron Harang on Tuesday. Hopefully they...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Aaron Harang, Adam Wainwright, Baltimore Orioles, Barry Zito, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Kershaw, Cody Ross, Detroit Tigers, Dustin Nippert, Erik Bedard, Florida Marlins, Games of the Day, JA Happ, John Lackey, Jonny Gomes, Josh Johnson, Justin Verlander, Kansas City Royals, Kendry Morales, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mike Pelfrey, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Yovani Gallardo

The Loneliness of the Long Distance General Manager

By Richard Dyer | July 6, 2009 | Giants Cove

San Francisco Giants General Manager Brian Sabean has a difficult series of decisions to make by the July 31, 2009 MLB non-waiver trading deadline. The Giants are in a fascinating situation that demands serious player decisions be made now, decisions that will have high visibility outcomes this season and for several seasons to come.The 2009 Giants are a team in the final stages of moving past the Barry Bonds era-- from a team built around a single extraordinary athlete for fifteen years, to a team reconstructed with a series of smart draft picks dating from 2002 (Matt Cain) and 2003 (Brian Wilson, Nate Schierholtz, and the late-blooming Ryan Sadowski). More importantly, starting in 2008, the Giants wisely refocused on drafting quality position players to rebalance an organization overstocked with pitching prospects.2008 first four draft picks 1. Buster Posey, C 2. Conor Gillaspie 3B 3. Roger Kieschnick OF 4. Brandon Crawford SS...

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: A.J. Pierzynski, Barry Bonds, Brandon Crawford, Brian Sabean, Brian Wilson, Bruce Bochy, Buster Posey, Conor Gillaspie, Dodgers, Giants, Joe Nathan, John Bowker, Matt Cain, Nate, NL West, Roger Kieschnick, Ryan Sadowski, San Francisco Giants, Schierholtz

Big Money and Little Money Both Get Robbed By All-Star Game Voting

By Nuschler | July 6, 2009 | SF Giants Pride

What in the name of Willie Mays has happened to my beloved National League? The Senior Circuit continually plays the second half of the Major League Baseball season with the American League's collective cleat protruding from its rear due to the latter's dominance in the All-Star Game. Even casual fans of the diamond know the Mid-Summer Classic's gone to the league with that ridiculous designated hitter for a while now. Six in a row, 10 of the last 11, and a string of 12 consecutive contests without a loss by the Junior Circuit to be precise. Can you believe it? The NL's gotta look back on that abysmal, embarrassing tie in Milwaukee with fondness. Ugh. And, if you want to know why, it's because our side is usually of a poorer constitution. Say what you want about the antics from New York and Boston, at least their guys can play. ...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: All-Star Game, Bengie Molina, MLB, National League, NL West, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

MLB Stock Market - Drama Edition

By Kurt Evans | July 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

We sure have some fun things going on right now. The All Star Rosters have been announced -- did your favorite player get left off the list? Chances are, more than a few deserving names did. (I am intentionally not scoping out the full lists until after I've finished my piece on the Shoulda-Been All Stars: AL Edition.) On top of the All Star drama, we've got players angry at organizations, organizations angry at players, and teams finally sold after the longest Waiting for the Bill to be Paid period evar. (Yes, "evar.") Let's take a closer look... RisingThe Ire of Brewers Star Ryan BraunBraun, the young Brewers slugger, apparently feels that his team needs help if they want to reach the playoffs again. He's calling for GM Doug Melvin to fix the team, probably on the heels of losing 3 of 4 from the hapless Cubs. Here's an...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, MLB Outsider, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals

Picking the Final 2

By Zach Sanders | July 6, 2009 | MLB Notebook

As I mentioned in the All-Star roster postings, there is still a roster spot up for grabs on each team. Fans will be allowed to vote on these last two spots, so here are the players, and then my picks.AL: Figgins, Inge, Kinsler, Lind, PenaNL: Guzman, Kemp, Reynolds, Sandoval, VictorinoFrom the AL, I would take Brandon Inge. His 18 HR, .372 wOBA and good defense push him over the others in my mind. Plus, he can play a bunch of positions, so he is valuable in the All-Star game.From the NL, I want Matt Kemp. It was hard to choose between him...

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Brandon inge, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Kemp, MLB, Pablo Sandoval, San Francisco Giants

MLB Stock Market - Drama Edition

By Kurt Evans | July 6, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, MLB Outsider, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals

MLB Top 10: Halos Grab AL West Lead

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 29, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sometimes when I think about this list during the weekend before Mondays roll around, things end up looking a bit differently than I pictured. This was one of those weeks. Over the weekend, multiple winning streaks were snapped, teams unexpectedly played poorly, and my top ten list underwent some major reconstruction. The result? A drastically different list compared to what we would've seen on Friday. 1. Los Angeles Angels (41-32)The Halos have won five straight, including a series win over the red-hot Rockies last week. They followed up the impressive series win by sweeping the woeful Diamondbacks over the weekend, and they now hold a 1.5 game lead in the AL West over Texas. They get the chance to widen the gap this week when they continue their road trip in Texas, in what some are calling the biggest series for the Angels this year.2. Tampa Bay Rays (42-35)Don't look...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Great Debates: Which Playoff Contender Needs a Trade to Stay in the Race?

By Staff Report | June 26, 2009 | MVN Outsider

MLB Outsider's Jaymes Langrehr and Kurt Evans debate the issue: Which contending team most needs to make a deal before the July 31 trade deadline in order to stay in the race? Jaymes Langrehr argues that the Brewers desperately need starting pitching:As we get closer to the trade deadline, a good number of teams are developing clear needs that need to be addressed if they're going to stay in playoff contention. Some teams will be able to cope with their weaknesses and still make the playoffs due to their other strengths. Other clubs will need to make a move if they have any chance at contending in the second half.The Milwaukee Brewers are a prime example. Heading into this season, they knew that their pitching wouldn't be as good as it was down the stretch last season. Given the strength of their offense, however, they figured to be in okay...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: MLB

MLB Top 10: Rox Still Hot

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Sure, the Colorado Rockies may not be on an insanely long winning streak at the moment (they're back to a merely above-average 5-game streak), but they're still playing the best baseball outside of Los Angeles or Boston at this point. For that reason, they hang on to the #1 spot in this week's Top 10 list. But who takes the #2 spot? With quite a few teams piecing together winning streaks lately, there are plenty of contenders -- there are seven teams who have won at least three games in a row, so there's no shortage of teams playing well, unlike in previous weeks.1. Colorado Rockies (36-33)Sure, it may not be an 11-game win streak, but after dropping a game to the Rays to snap the streak, Colorado has won five straight. For those of you keeping track at home, that's 16 wins in their past 17 games, and it's...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Outsider - Who?

By Kurt Evans | June 22, 2009 | MVN Outsider

Everybody's heard of Alex Rodriguez. We all know who Johan Santana is. Lord knows we've all seen the towering homeruns of Albert Pujols. But as fascinating as those players are -- and it's usually a lot of fun to see somebody turn into a star and have a long, successful career -- there are a number of players in the '09 season who have put up heroic numbers... and yet most of us wouldn't be able to spot them in a crowd or even recognize their name in a discussion. Here's a short list of this year's surprises...The HittersPablo Sandoval - 22-years-old, the Giants rookie is batting .338 and is presently on pace to hit 50 doubles, 5 triples, 20 homeruns, and drive in 82 RBI. I'm sure that Giant fans everywhere know his name and are buying his poster, but outside of San Fran he's probably about as recognizable as...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Outsider, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Top 10: Will the Rockies Ever Lose?

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 15, 2009 | MVN Outsider

For most teams, the MLB season includes multiple peaks and valleys. Ultimately, you're never as good as you are when you're playing at a peak, and you're never as bad as when you're playing in a valley. Right now, the Colorado Rockies are riding a peak that's a mile high (har har), winning eleven games in a row. Whenever the "L10" column in the standings reads "10-0", you know you're playing really good baseball. It's no surprise that the Rockies take the top spot in this week's top ten list, but who else has been putting together hot streaks while the Rockies steal the headlines?1. Colorado Rockies (31-32)At this point, there's really no one else you can put at the top of this list. I always thought that their run in September two years ago was a once-in-a-lifetime thing and would never be repeated, but it looks like the 2009...Read more

Read more | 1 Comment | Tags: Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Florida Marlins, Houston Astros, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays

MLB Top 10: Yanks Enter Week Hotter Than Boston -- Will it Stay that Way?

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 8, 2009 | MVN Outsider

It was an interesting week in baseball -- Randy Johnson won his 300th career game in front of about 12 people in Washington, the Dodgers stole a couple wins from Philadelphia in walkoff fashion, the Rangers proved their worth with a brutal East Coast road trip, and the Rockies started slugging the tar out of the ball...and they weren't even playing at home. So who heads up this week's Top 10 list as the team playing the best baseball?1. Philadelphia Phillies (33-22)The Phillies had a pair of tough walkoff losses in Los Angeles over the weekend, but prior to the late-game collapses the Phils were winners of seven straight. With the Mets running into serious injury problems, Philadelphia has a hold on the NL East -- they have a chance to expand that three game division lead starting Tuesday night when they travel to New York for a three game...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers

MLB Top 10: No Clear Number One?

By Jaymes Langrehr | June 1, 2009 | MVN Outsider

The past few weeks, it's been pretty easy to pick out baseball's hottest teams -- we've seen ridiculously long win streaks, surges to the top of divisions, and outstanding performances catapult teams to the top of these rankings. This week, however, was a bit more difficult. Heading into Monday, no team had a win streak longer than three games. So who do you turn to in that case? How about baseball's best team to this point?1. Los Angeles Dodgers - 35-17Two things remain constant in LA -- the Dodgers are still hot, and Bill Plaschke is still outraged (OUTRAGED, I SAY!) that Manny Ramirez is allowed to disgrace the city...you have to wonder how he'll react if the Dodgers win the World Series with Manny's help once he returns. Will he demand that they hand the trophy back? They had a solid week, getting Clint Hurdle fired in Colorado after...Read more

Read more | Discuss | Tags: Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MLB Outsider, MLB Top 10, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers

MVN: Most Valuable Network