2013 MLB Trade Deadline: This Year's Best and Worst Decisions

Red Sox receive SP Jake Peavy from the White Sox and RP Brayan Villarreal from the Tigers

White Sox receive OF Avisail Garcia from the Tigers and P Francillies Montas SS Cleuluis Rondon, and P JB Wendelken from the Red Sox

Tigers receive SS Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox

Jake Peavy on the White Sox
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This is the blockbuster trade of the deadline season. No trade comes close in magnitude, amount of players dealt, and the immediate impact. At this point, no team can claim that they won the trade, but I do think there is one team that missed out on an oppertunity. The Tigers should have received at least one more player in the deal, specifically a relief pitcher. I also think that Iglesias is a nice pick-up, but not an excellent one. I do not know how he will handle his new environment or if he can keep up his great start to his career. The Red Sox picked up an excellent starting pitcher in Peavy. Peavy is pitching very well. My only problem is his high ERA. He will need to keep that down. Peavy gives the Red Sox one more excellent starter for their postseason push. Not only that, he is under contract for next year too. Villarreal, on the other hand, is just an extra piece. He won't do much. The White Sox got a lot of players in the deal with the highlight being Garcia. Garcia has a high potential, evident by his clutch hitting and all-around great performance in last year's ALCS. This year he has struggled in Triple-A and the majors, but that should not mean much. He is only 22 years of age and still has a lot of room to improve. He will be a cornerstone of the South Siders for years to come. The other pick-ups were interesting moves. Montas is struggling in A Ball, Rondon is in the lower leagues and may become a major league with improvement, and Wendelken is a South Atlantic League All-Star. An interesting bunch of players to say the least.

Tigers get RP Jose Veras from the Astros for minor league OF Danry Vasquez and a player to be named later

Jose Veras may not be the best possible relief pitcher available, but he does add stability to the Tigers unpredictable bullpen. Veras was the closer in Houston and did very well in the role. He had 19 saves with only three blown saves. Veras had an ERA of 2.93, a WHIP of 1.000, and averaged about a strikeout per inning. Veras might not be the closer in Detroit, but he will be a key set-up man. On the Astros side of the deal, they got a decent prospect in return. Vasquez was the Tigers sixth-rated prospect heading into the season, and in A ball has a batting average/ on-base percentage/slugging percentage of .281/.333/.390. For me, he does not seem to like a prospect that could be a good player or one who does not pan out. He doesn't have enough power to be an everyday player. At 19, however, he has the potential to develop it. In conclusion, I love the deal for the Tigers. They get bullpen help and experience for a cheap price. For the Astros, I think the deal is ok. Veras was not going to be a part of their future, but I do not like the prospect they got in return.

Phillies sign P Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez 

Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez
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While this is not a trade, it was a big signing during the week leading up to the deadline. Gonzalez defected from Cuba earlier in the year. After settling in Mexico, he threw bullpen sessions in front of major league franchises. While in Cuba, he participated in the 2009 and 2011 Baseball World Cup and the 2010 World Port Tournament for the Cuban national team and played from 2005-2011 for La Habana. At the 2011 World Cup, he went 3-0 with 26 strikeouts. He also pitched for the Toros de Tijuana, an independent team, this year. In his two games he pitched for Tijuana, he stuckout eleven batters in 22 batters faced and had a 0.83 WHIP. Gonzalez signed with Philadelphia for six years with 48 million dollars guaranteed with a possibility of getting 59 million dollars. I really like this pick-up for the Phillies. He has good stuff, with his best pitch being a fastball. He is also ready to be in the majors very soon. Not only that, but recent Cuban defectors worked out very well. My one problem is the amount of money in the deal. He can possibly get more money then Yu Darvish, Aroldis Chapman, Yasiel Puig, and Yoenis Cespedes. All four of those guys were and are better prospects. Other then the money issue, it is a good move.


Dodgers sign RP Brian Wilson

Again we have another non-trade at the deadline, but it is also a major move. The Dodgers have signed Wilson to a minor league deal. The plan with Wilson is that he will start his return to majors in two weeks after stops at the Dodgers training facility in Arizona and a minor league team. I love this deal for the Dodgers. You can never have enough good arms in your bullpen. And, if anything wrong happens, you won't have much to regret. You did not give up any prospects or players for him. Wilson will most likely fit into a set-up role due to the success of Kenley Jansen as closer. Wilson, with Jansen, Brandon League, Ronald Belisario, Paco Rodriguez, Carlos Marmol, and JP Howell, make up an excellent bullpen. The Dodgers bullpen has been very good after a slow start and adding Wilson can make it the best in the game.

Yankees acquire OF Alfonzo Soriano from the Cubs for minor league P Corey Black

Alfonzo Soriano
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The Yankees were desperate for a right handed bat and they got one in Soriano. I like the Soriano pick-up for the Yankees for two reasons. The first reason is he brings pop to the Yankees line-up that has had struggle at the plate. The second reason is that they only have to pay 6.8 million dollars of the 24.5 million dollars left on his deal for the rest of this year and next year. Black is an interesting prospect for the Cubs. He is in his second season of professional baseball and is already playing in Advanced-A ball. However, he has struggled the Yankees Advanced-A club, the Tampa Yankees. He is 3-8 with a 4.25 ERA and 1.500 WHIP. That doesn't mean he can't be a good pitcher. He needs more development on his secondary stuff. The jury is still out on the grade for the Cubs.

Royals get OF Justin Maxwell from the Astros for SP Kyle Smith

This deal does not have much impact now, but may have an affect later. Maxwell is an OK pick-up for the Royals. They are getting a decent player to help their outfield. Smith's outcome will help settle this deal. The twenty year old may not look like a star yet in single-A baseball, but his low ERA may be a sign of things to come. This deal is a deal for the future, not the present.

Padres receive SP Ian Kennedy from the Diamondbacks for RP Joe Thacher, minor league P Matt Stites, and a Competitive Balance Draft Pick

Joe Thatcher with the Padres
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This is a deal that is very interesting. The Padres, who are about 8.5 games behind the Dodgers, picked up Kennedy, who has struggled this year (3-8, 5.23 ERA), but has had success before. I feel like this a deal a team that is more in the mix then the Padres would make. For the Diamondbacks, they got the better end of the deal. They traded away a player from their position of strength and are getting immediate help. They needed and wanted a lefty specialist and they got one. The reason why I think Arizona won this deal was because of the minor leaguer they picked up. Stites is a good prospect who can become deadly out of the pen. His 2012 season with the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a Single-A team, was outstanding. He was almost unhittable. This year, he has come back down to earth, but is still pitching at a high level. In a year or two, he could be a very good reliever for the D-Backs.

Sainbury's Anniversary Games

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The IAAF Diamond League is an annual track and field competition that features many events during the track and field season. This weekend, one of the biggest events in the league's history was held. The London event, normally called the London Grand Prix, was renamed the Sainsbury's Anniversary Games to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. It is not only meant to be an Olympics-like event, it will be the last time for two years an event will be held at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

However, the event may not have come at a worse time. In the past few months, many of the top sprinters in the world have tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. The most notable names are Jamaican's Asafa Powell and Veronica Campbell-Brown and the USA's Tyson Gay. Powell was one of Usain Bolt's biggest competitors for the last few years and held the 100 meter world record from June 2005 to May 2008. Campbell-Brown is a seven-time Olympic medalist. Gay is the second fastest man of All-Time with a 9.69 time in 2009. Both men did not medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. Powell is saying he did not use PED's and Gay is cooperating with the US Doping Agency.

Usain Bolt celebrating his win in the 100 meters "A"
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Bolt, the fastest men in the world and history, during this turmoil has stated that he is clean. He also says fans can trust him. All the news surrounding many of the world's top sprinters did not affect Bolt the slightest bit. As always, he does his best under the brightest lights. In the final event of the first day of the competition, he won the 100 meters "A" event with a time of 9.85. He defeated USA's Michael Rodgers by 0.13 seconds. 

The Emsley Carr Mile is one of the best events of the London event of the Diamond League. The event began as a stand alone event in 1953 by Sir William Carr. He named the event in honor of his father. The point of the event was to produce the first four-minute mile ever. The winner signs a special trophy-book that includes the other signatures of winners, many other notable mile-runners, and a a history of the mile run. The original book was compeleted in 1980 and they are currently using a second book. The winner of the 2013 Emsley Carr Mile was Augustine Kiprono Choge of Kenya with a time of 3:50.01, a personal best. The runner-up was Djibouti's Ayanleh Souleiman, whose time of 3:50.07 was a national record. In third place, with a time of 3:50.97, was Kenya's James Kiplagat Magut.

The men's high jump was one of the most exciting events of the event. Bohdan Bondarenko of Ukraine, with the event all wrapped up, put the pole at 2.47 meters. If he could jump over it, it would break the world record set by Javier Sotomayer of cuba from 1993. He could not break the record, but he did put on a good show. His winning jump was at 2.38 meters with Erik Kynard with a leap of 2.36. 

Renaud Lavillenie
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In the men's pole vault, a world record was also put to the test. France's Renaud Lavillenie was the winner of the event by a long shot. The runner up, Germany's Bjorn Otto, was not even close. These two finished first and second in the 2012 Olympics, too. After having the win in the bag, Lavillenie, on his first attempt, leaped over the 6.02 meter high bar. That was a Diamond League record and best outdoor vault since 2008. It was also better the his Gold Medal winning vault during the Olympics last year. The vault was also better then He didn't stop there. He moved the bar up to 6.16 meters. The world record is 6.14 meters, set by Sergey Bubka of Ukraine in 1994. He attempted to break the record, but did not come close. 

The Sainbury's Anniversary Games was a great event for track and field, especially during this time of turmoil. It had many great moments and superstars perform at their best. This event has really lightened the mood around the world of athletics.

World Games 2013 Preview

The World Games are an interesting competitor/compatriot to the Olympic Games. The World Games may be considered by some a competitor to the Olympics due to the fact that it is a multi-sport event. However, I considered it a "little brother" to the event because it features sports not on the Olympic agenda, it is recognized by the IOC, and have a Memorandum of Understating. 

This year's World Games, the ninth ever, will be held in Cali, Colombia. Over 35 sports will be contested. There are eight different categories the sports are placed under. They are Artistic Sports, Ball Sports, Martial Arts, Precision Sports, Strength Sports, Trend Sports, Invitational Sports, and Sports Garden. The most sports in one category is Trend Sports and the least amount of sports in a category is Sports Garden. 

The Opening Ceremony is called "Metamorphosis".  It looks to be an intriguing spectacle. It is expected to last 110 minutes and use more then 1,000 firework projectiles and 1,000,000 watts of light. The best part of Opening Ceremony's is when the athletes are introduced with their fellow countrymen. That is always a moment to behold. At this World Games, there will be over 2,300 athletes from over 98 countries. 

A Poster Showing the Participating Sports
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This will be the last time, at least for a while that Rugby Seven's will be contested at the World Games. It is being removed after this World Games. It will put on the program for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Eight teams will be competing in Rugby Seven's tournament. They are Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, France, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Uruguay. This looks to be a good competition. They have some top teams competing and the matches should be competitive. 

Beach Handball looks to be a competitive, up-tempo, and exciting event. Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Croatia, Qatar, Russia, Ukraine, and Venezuela will all be competing in this event on the men's side. Austria, Brazil, Chinese Taipei Colombia, Hungary, Norway, Tunisia, and Uruguay are competing on the women's side. Brazil is my favorite to win the tournament on both the men and women's side. The Brazilian men won the previous tournament at the 2009 World Games and also won the last two Men's Beach Handball World Championships. Brazil's women won bronze at the 2009 World Games and won the 2012 Women's Beach Handball World Championships. This is a sport for which many people should be pumped-up.

Some of the other competitions I am looking forward to include; Tug of War, Canoe Polo, and Lifesaving. Tug of War is a classic power and strength competition, and surprisingly formally was an Olympics sport. Canoe Polo is a sport where two teams of five face off on canoes in an attempt to score goals on a net suspended at the end of the playing surface. Canoe Polo is much like two other Olympics sports; Water Polo and Canoe Sprint. Yes, Lifesaving is a sport at the World Games and this seems like a really cool event to have a game.

MLB All-Star Game FanFest 2013

I attended the Major League Baseball All-Star Game FanFest at the Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. I was very excited to be attending and I was glad I did. Going to FanFest is an event every baseball fan should experience. If have not gone, you need to go.

When you walk into the Convention, you immediately see a large baseball with the FanFest logo on it. Dubbed the "World's Largest Baseball", it is a main place for photo-ops. However, there was a much more attractive and much cooler ball. This ball was made by Charles Fazzino. Fazzino's work was on display during FanFest and his baseball was one of his many excellent pieces of art. He also made an official commemorative poster. His work is fantastic, especially his baseball themed work.

FanFest is not just exhibits, there are many activities to do. Two different miniature baseball diamonds were put up for events for kids. Taco Bell sponsored an event named "Steal a Base, Steal a Taco" where people pretended to "steal a base". There was a "Home Run Derby" activity where, like the actually Home Run derby, you would try to hit a ball over a wall.
They also had a location where little kids could participate in baseball mini-games. There also was a fielding event. 

A big part of FanFest was the Collector's Showcase and FanFest Auction. The Collector's Showcase had all different types of collectables. There were baseball cards, pins, figurines, photos, autographed baseballs, and magazines, among other things. They had something for everyone. The FanFest Auction had some amazing antiques. Some of my favorites were a 1921 World Series presentational pocketwatch, a "Red Sox Rooters" pin from 1916, a wooden carved Tiger with autographs on it, a Whitey Ford credit card and a 1892 Brooklyn Grooms vs. New York Giants scorecard. Some of the items that looked to be very expensive include a poster of the movie "Play Ball" with Babe Ruth on it, a baseball  attributed to Babe Ruth's 701st homer and is also a ball autographed by Ruth, a Mickey Mantle 1959 All-Star Game bat, a Ty Cobb bat and a Ted Williams road jersey. It was great to look around. Along with the showcase and Auction, there was were 2013 All-Star Game kiosk full of programs and clothing and a Clubhouse Store. The Clubhouse Store was not just All-Star Game apparel, it also had non-All-Star Game items.

In the All-Star Clubhouse, former Mets were interviewed in a Q&A. I saw Art Shamsky and Ed Kranepool, both members of the 1969 Miracle Mets.  I heard them talk about their Major League experiences. Shamsky was a member of the Mets from 1968-71. He is well-known for having the dog on "Everybody Loves Raymond" being named after him. He went into detail on his career. An interesting fact I learned about Shansky is; Pete Rose and Tony Pere were his teammates on his first professional team (A Class D team from Geneva, NY).  Kranepool spent his entire career with the Mets, from 1962-79. He has appeared in the most games ever in a Mets uniform. Kranepool was very open about his career and was very opinionated. He was very interesting to listen to his story.

One of my favorite attractions of the convention was the area dedicated to Minor League Baseball. They had a large map that showes the location of every minor league team in every league. They also showed pictures of some notable ballparks. Not only that, they had two walls were they showed the minor league affiliates of major league teams in a very unique way. Underneath the major league team's logo, they put the hat of their affiliates. The Triple-A affiliate's hat was right underneath the MLB club's logo, followed by the hat of the Double-A team, and so on. That was a spectacle that has to be seen.

The FanFest would not be a FanFest without former All-Stars, Hall of Famers, and legends attending and giving out autographs. When I went, I had four players who where great players from who to get an autograph. They were Gaylord Perry, George Foster, Bert Campaneris, and Rollie Fingers. Perry is in the 300 Win Club and a Hall of Famer who had a controversial career. Foster was a member of "the Big Red Machine" in the 1970s and was a 1977 NL MVP. Campaneris was a six-time All-Star and was the first player ever to play all nine positions in one game. Fingers is a Hall of Famer and was the 1981 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner and is well-known for his handlebar musche. That was a great experience. Not only to get to meet the legends, but to see them all together was great.

MLB All-Star Game Snubs

Josh Donaldson

Josh Donaldson
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Donaldson has been one of the best players in the American League during the first half. Their are few players who have the numbers he has. He is in the top five in the AL in batting average with .319, slugging percentage with .536, and an on-base plus slugging percentage with .924. His WAR numbers are also excellent. His fWAR (Fangraphs WAR) and rWAR (Baseball-Reference WAR) is 4.2. The puts him seventh in the fWAR and eleven in rWAR. He is the only player in the top fifteen in fWAR and top eleven in rWAR that is not in the All-Star Game. Another reason Donaldson should make it is because of the success of the Athletics. The Athletics have the second-best record in the AL, but only have one player representing them at the All-Star Game. The Mariners, who are 12.5 games behind the A's in the AL West, have two representatives. It would make sense that the AL West leading Athletics have at least more then one player in the game.

Shin-Soo Choo

With the NL's outfield being stacked, it is understandable that Shin-Soo Choo was overlooked. However, he has a very strong case for being an All-Star. Choo's first year in Cincinnati has been excellent. He may have a batting average of .273, but has an on-base percentage of .418. That is extraordinary. Only his teammate Joey Votto earns more walks then him. He is the best leadoff hitter this season. If any player goes down with an injury, Choo should be asked to join the other All-Stars at Citi Field.

Anibal Sanchez

The Tigers have arguably the best starting rotation in the majors and should have three starters in the All-Star Game. Anibal Sanchez may even be pitching better then the other two Tiger starters on the roster for the Midsummer Classic, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. His ERA (2.70), ERA+ (158), Strikeouts per Nine Innings (10.9), and Runs Allowed per Nine Innings (3.01) are better then his two teammates. Sanchez does not get the attention of Verlander and Scherzer get, but he is just as good as them this year. If they are on the All-Star team, he should be too.

Shelby Miller
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Shelby Miller

Shelby Miller is one of the St. Louis Cardinals great young arms. Miller is currently 9-6 with an ERA of 2.80, an ERA+ of 133, a WHIP of 1.074, 107 strikeouts, and a Strikeouts per Nine Innings of 9.7. He also has a runs Allowed per Nine Innings of 2.98 and a Fielding Independent Pitching of 2.91. His .223 batting average against and a .289 batting average on balls in play is very good. Miller's WAR is also very good, He has a rWAR of 2.5 and a fWAR of 2.2.  Miller has gone under the radar during the first half due to the success of the other St. Louis pitchers, but he should be in New York during All-Star Week. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball. 

Why The Colorado Rockies Are Currently In Second Place

At the beginning of the year, it was believed that the Colorado Rockies did not have much of a chance at making a playoff run. Now, they are in second place in the NL West and have a legitimate chance to make the playoffs. Their rise in the standings is no joke. They are getting All-Star play from multiple players and their role players are performing well. Here are three important reasons on why they are succeeding.

1. Carlos Gonzalez is an MVP candidate

Carlos Gonzalez
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Gonzalez is playing like an MVP. So far, CarGo has 23 home runs (NL league leader), 61 RBIs, 20 doubles, six triples, 96 hits, and 197 total bases (NL league leader). He is hitting .294, has on on-base percentage of .363, a slugging percentage of .604 (NL league leader), an on-base plus slugging percentage of .967, and an OPS+ of 145. Those are excellent number. The one thing he will need to cut down on is his strikeouts. They are way too high. His defense is also very good. He leads all outfielders in assists with nine. Gonzalez role is also much bigger with Troy Tulowitzki out with an injury (Tulo was also playing extraordinary before going down with a broken rib). With Tulowitzki being an injury prone player, Gonzalez has become the star and drive of the Rockies. They will only go as far as Gonzalez can lead them.

2. Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer

Dexter Fowler and Michael Cuddyer have played so well this year that the Rockies outfield is one of the best in the league. Michael Cuddyer is on pace to have his best season in his career. He is second in the NL in batting average with .339, has an on-base percentage of .391, and a slugging percentage of .579 (second behind Gonzalez). He also has 14 round-trippers and 49 ribbies. Dexter Fowler is also playing well. He is hitting .291, with an on-base percentage of .390, and an OPS+ of 122. These two players, along with Gonzalez, make up one of the best outfields in baseball. They have everything.

3. The NL West Is Has Not Been Competitive Division

The Teams of the NL West
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The NL West has been sub-par heading into the Fourth of July. However, in the last few weeks the race for first has picked up steam. The standings heading into today is Diamondbacks (43-41) in first, Rockies (41-44) in second, the Dodgers (40-43) coming in third, Padres (40-45) in the four spot, and the defending World Series champs, the Giants (39-45), are in last place. The two favorites coming into the season, San Francisco and Los Angeles, have had big slumps that have set them back. If both teams have not struggled, the standing may have been different. I would expect the Rockies to stay in contention for most of the season. However, by the the end of the season, the Rockies be getting an early start on their winter vacations.