MVN: Most Valuable Network

Winter Meetings Report: Sabathia disappoints with NYC money grab; Mets dominate closers market; Big bats still available

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One host couldn't hide his disdain for the plot twist CC Sabathia supplied for baseball's off-season storyline, while the other host can't get enough big market spending.

In this "Winter Meetings Report," The Pitch hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage bicker about the affect Sabathia's signing has on the off-season market, as well as the business of entertainment for Major League Baseball.

Discussion also moves to the New York Mets' acquisition of Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz to solidify their bullpen, and the latest developments regarding Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez' future.

Plus, the show gives some time to the Red Sox' new logos and added rumor mill sorting.

Join the discussion, listen in and participate via e-mail (thepitch@mvn.com) or in the comments.

Winter Meetings Primer: Hudson and Crede top values on IF; How to assess pitching market; Rumor mill

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With four days until the start of baseball's Winter Meetings in Las Vegas, The Pitch assesses the market at each key position.

Hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage start with the pool of free agent infielders, ranking Orlando Hudson, Joe Crede and Casey Blake highly above sluggers demanding more dough. Moving past Manny Ramirez, the discussion moves to good-value outfielders, like Raul Ibanez and Bobby Abreu.

The show sorts through the overrated and underrated hurlers on the pitching market, including praise for Oliver Perez, Derek Lowe, Randy Johnson and Jon Garland.

Join the discussion, listen in and participate via e-mail (thepitch@mvn.com) or in the comments.

Hot Stove report: Bay Area lures Sabathia, Pedroia builds case for big money, free agent predictions

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Just a few weeks away from Major League Baseball's winter meetings, "The Pitch" fans the flames of the Hot Stove by shuffling through all of the latest CC Sabathia, Manny Ramirez, Mark Teixera and Jake Peavy reports.

Hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage also evaluate the MVP and Cy Young Awards and how the winners might be affected in the market today and down the line, including Boston's rising star Dustin Pedroia.

Listen in and participate via e-mail (thepitch@mvn.com) or in the comments.

And don't miss Brandon Rosage's new web video talk show "Boom, Outta Here," which spends its latest episode discussing Pedroia's shot at a new Red Sox deal.

MLB '09 off-season starter: Can LA afford to lose Manny? The Obama Effect on free contracts; Big name pitchers cut loose

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To celebrate the start of what looks to be a competitive and active winter of dealing among big league clubs, The Pitch's Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage weigh in on the biggest stories effecting the market this week in Major League Baseball, including...

• Dodgers GM Ned Colleti makes A-Rod-like offer to Manny Ramirez
• The Barack Obama tax plan's effect on player negotiations this winter
• Matt Holliday's desire to skip a pay day in favor of postseason plans
• A.J. Burnett walks away from $24 million and two years with Toronto to hit the free agent market
• Cubs leading the Jake Peavy sweepstakes
• Nationals unveil some sharp and fugly new jerseys

The guys also rewind to their 2008 predictions from March 2008 and relive the embarrassment and glory of sounding like naive idiots. Listen in and participate via e-mail (thepitch@mvn.com) or in the comments.

MLB 2008 World Series preview: Position-by-position sizing of the Phils and Rays

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If you were nervous about the Tampa Bay Rays pulling through at the start of October -- or after Game 5 of the ALCS -- you can calm down. They may just be the best team in baseball.

The Pitch hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage package their excitement for the Rays with a fair analysis of the Philadelphia Phillies, who boast the better bullpen and quite possibly the better outfield and bench.

The guys go position-by-position, comparing Phils slugger Ryan Howard to Rays 1B Carlos Pena, B.J. Upton to Shane Victorino and rotation to rotation.

Who wins? Who fails? Who steals more bases? The discussion continues on the World Series preview edition of The Pitch. Listen in and participate via e-mail (thepitch@mvn.com) or in the comments.

ALCS, NLCS report: Rays back BoSox into corner; Dodgers mash their way back into battle with Phils

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We know this: The 2008 postseason won't be a non-competitive month of sweeps.

The Pitch hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage provide their breakdown of how the Red Sox lost their grip on the ALCS with questionable pitching management and misguided decisions in extra innings at Tampa Bay. And the discussion moves to Los Angeles, as well, where the Dodgers crushed Phillies lefty Jamie Moyer early in Game 3 to climb back into the series with power and bench-clearing anger.

Enjoy and interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.

NLCS and ALCS Previews; Where the Cubs and Angels went wrong; Squeeze play with season on the line?

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As you might expect, The Pitch's resident Chicago Cubs honk Joe Aiello was in the dumps on Thursday's show. His Cubbies left their bats in the regular season and didn't feel like throwing strikes in the October cold.

But his Cubs may have paved the way for October's most dangerous team: The Los Angeles Dodgers. The NL West champions have youth, health and starting pitching going into Game One of the NLCS. But what did the Phillies show in their division series win over the Brewers? The guys breakdown the NL side of the coin and preview the championship series matchup.

After a bitter finish to the ALCS, which saw the 100-win Angels drop flyballs and produce outs, the Red Sox earned a shot at one more series with the AL East champion Rays. Tampa Bay accomplished everything a postseason team needed to in its win over the White Sox, proving it had speed, health, starting pitching, relief pitching and power hitting. But which one wins out? Experience or momentum? The Pitch hosts offer their take on the matchups for Games One through Four of the ALCS.

Enjoy and interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.

MLB Week 26: Postseason Game Ones; Rays look sharp; Gaffes cost Angels; Ice cold Cubs; Abolish five-game series?

The Division Series are unlike anything in Major League Baseball in that Game One can make or break a team's postseason chances. And The Pitch's Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage were shocked to watch two of baseball's strongest clubs fall in their opening playoff game.

The guys discuss the Angels' costly passive plate approach, Vladimir Guerrero's base running gaffe and how the Red Sox' defensive advantages are making a difference early in the ALDS.

The Rays-White Sox series debut was less surprising, as both clubs opened postseason play with characteristic play. Tampa Bay's young stars exploded (two dingers from Evan Longoria), White Sox starter Javier Vazquez faltered and the Rays bullpen locked it down.

The Brewers stumbled out of the gate, losing Game One in Philadelphia thanks to a mystifying mistake by Milwaukee CF Mike Cameron. And Phillies starter Cole Hamels avenged his 2007 NLDS Game One performance with dominating work against the Crew.

Joe finally struggled through discussion of his Cubs' flat offensive performance at home versus the Dodgers. With Chicago winds blowing, Ryan Dempster walked the world and Manny's LA bunch teed off.

Enjoy and interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.

MLB Week 26: Interview with Cubs 2B Mark DeRosa; Rays sell out ALDS; Vanilla pennant races

With the NL Central Division Championship in hand Thursday, the Chicago Cubs decided to give Mark DeRosa, one of their most valuable bats and versatile defenders, a few days of rest. DeRosa suffered a strained calf in Wednesday's 9-6, 10-inning win over the New York Mets.

The free time allowed the Cubs right fielder and second baseman to join "The Pitch" and hosts Joe Aiello and Brandon Rosage Thursday for a chat about Lou Piniella's enthusiasm for studying video of opponents, his injuries through the '08 campaign, Chicago's stream of comeback wins and recovering from a heart procedure mid-season to correct an irregular heartbeat.

The discussion also covered DeRosa's pre-season struggle with Cubs management over their efforts to find a new second baseman, as well as his risk assessment of blogging in the Chicago clubhouse and managing two personal websites, markderosa7.com and markderosa.mlblogs.com.

To download and listen to only the Mark DeRosa interview portion of the show, click here.

The show also discusses the Tampa Bay Rays' unbelievable closing job on a postseason berth, the Los Angeles Dodgers' NL West championship and Dusty Baker's love affair with Corey Patterson (and Patterson's rumored relationship with Dusty's daughter).

Enjoy and interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.

MLB Week 26: Awkward goodbye to Yankee Stadium; Selig takes heat for Houston weather; Milton Bradley black-balled

If you're looking for some Yankees love on The Pitch, you might want to get it while you can. Hosts and Yankee-haters Andrew Kappes and Brandon Rosage give the Bronx Bombers props in the early-week edition of the show after the team's theatrical final game at Yankee Stadium.

They also welcome "Tim from NYC" on the program to assess the Yankees' future and the Mets' bullpen woes headed into the final week of their stretch for a postseason berth.

Discussions veers to accusations that Bud Selig screwed the Astros in his reassignment of their September Cubs series to Milwaukee -- resulting in a simulated Cubs home game. Plus, Milton Bradley threatens to quit pro baseball if officials don't stop judging him for previous bad behavior. Gary Sheffield competes for biggest loud mouth, though, with his physical and verbal fight with the Indians, Victor Martinez and Fausto Carmona.

Enjoy and interact via e-mail at thepitch@mvn.com or via phone at 360-450-MVN3.