By Richard Schortemeyer III
In April 1923, Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees opened up Yankee Stadium with a four-game sweep of the Boston Red Sox. In the following 85 years, the stadium has seen numerous spectacular moments of baseball history.
Roger Maris’ record-breaking HR, Dave Righetti’s no-hitter, Aaron Boone’s walk-off series-clinching HR, and the greatest playoff comeback in MLB history only scratch the surface of the lifetime of instant classic moments this rivalry has provided.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
As I’ve said numerous times before, there have been some great stories, this season, in MLB.
There’s the resurrection of former 1st pick and current Texas Rangers OF Josh Hamilton. There’s Arizona Diamondbacks SP Doug Davis and Boston Red Sox SP Jon Lester, pitchers who have won the battle against cancer and are in the midst of trying to help their teams win playoff spots.
Then, there’s the St. Louis Cardinals and Minnesota Twins, two teams who lost key players in the off-season but have somehow managed to be within reach of MLB’s second season.
But, many can argue that the best story is …
By Richard Schortemeyer III
We’re back for the second half of this week’s double-dose of “On the Record”. In this edition, we’ll chat about a solid in-house arm in the Steel City and Detroit striking gold with a former reliever now starter. Let’s jump into it …
By Richard Schortemeyer III
The last two NL MVPs reside in the City of Brotherly Love - Philadelphia. The last two NL MVPs were key parts in Philadelphia’s magical run to the NL East title and Playoffs last season. The last two NL MVPs were two of the biggest reasons why the Phillies got four-game swept by the LA Dodgers and fell out of first in their division.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
It looks as though the major trade of the 2008 season has worked out for all parties involved.
It is going to take awhile for people, especially myself, to get use to Manny Ramirez in a non-Boston Red Sox uniform. Manny seems to be really comfortable in his new ‘digs’, and the LA faithful seem to be eating out of his hand. In the latest chapter of the book, “Manny Being Manny,” Ramirez is batting nearly .600, with four HRs, and 10 RBIs.
Manny’s replacement, Jason Bay, seems to be adjusting nicely, as well, to the bigger and brighter spotlights of Fenway Park. Bay is batting nearly .430, with close to double-digit RBIs, and has already reached double-digits in runs. However, one who has been negatively affected by this is ‘Big Papi’ David Ortiz. He has dropped nearly 20 BA points since Manny’s departure.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
Manny Ramirez has finally had his dreams come true. For 7+ seasons, he has, arguably, been the most vital hitter for the Boston Red Sox - part of one of the best 3-4 combos in baseball. With David Ortiz, he has played a key role in Boston’s two World Series titles.
Despite his impressive stat lines, year after year, and for countless years, his “Manny Being Manny” act has created controversy in and outside of the Red Sox clubhouse. This past week, after announcing that he would love to be traded again, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Well, Manny’s wish has finally been granted as he has moved on to Hollywood (a lethal combo on paper), where he will bolster an average offense a couple of notches. Seemingly, this should be enough to help LA reach MLB’s second season.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
Last season, the New York Mets experienced the worst late season collapse in MLB history. Leading the Phillies by seven games, with 17 to go, the Mets somehow, someway, and against the two weakest NL East teams (Marlins & Nationals) lost 12 of those games and let the division title slip into Philadelphia’s hands.
This came after the disappointment that happened in 2006, with the Mets losing the NL Championship Series to the underdog St. Louis Cardinals. As a result, manager Willie Randolph’s seat was hotter than a honeymoon hotel. Coming into 2008, many baseball people predicted the Mets would come back and regain the NL East title.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
Welcome, all, to the official beginning of 2008’s second half of “On the Record.” In this edition, we’ll talk about the resurgence of a former 30+ HR hitter in the Big Apple, an outfielder named A. Jones who’s actually producing for his team, and a young hurler finally beginning to climb upwards in the Rockies.
But, first, with the All-Star Game being played at historic Yankee Stadium, in its last season, and Texas’ Josh Hamilton’s amazing performance at the HR Derby, you just had a feeling that this Tuesday’s contest was going to be something special. So many interesting little tidbits in this game, but I’ll just name a few:
By Richard Schortemeyer III
With the MLB All-Star Game being held this week at historic Yankees Stadium, in its last season of existence, this is going to be a special weekend for MLB. With that in mind, it’s time to look back at the first half of the 2008 season in ‘MLB Land’.
There have been so many great stories, surprises, and disappointments; I wish I could recap them all for you. However, like my boys from the Sandlot would say, it would go on “fooooooooooooooorevvvvvvver.” So, instead of semi-entertaining you with that, I have decided to shorten it a tad and give you a special edition of “On the Record.”
After I give you my top fantasy surprises and disappointments, I will give you five players that you should consider adding to your teams in the second half. They could put you over the top and give you a coveted fantasy league title.
By Richard Schortemeyer III
What in the ‘Devil’ has gotten into the Tampa Bay Rays? Since its existence, the team has been annual cellar dwellers. However, after 14 seasons of struggle, the Rays finally seem to be on the right track. They recently validated themselves as serious contenders with a three-game sweep over the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox. What has changed? Four reasons:
1) The bullpen - after a putrid, last place, 5.53 team ERA in ‘07, veteran closer Troy Percival (yet another great comeback story) has helped lead the relievers to a current top-5 ERA.
2) Starting pitching - led by ace and defending K champion Scott Kazmir, this fairly young staff, from 1 to 5, has matured and, basically, been rock solid all season.
3) A good talented mix - from the likes of veterans like DH Cliff Floyd and OF Carl Crawford to the young studs like OF B.J. Upton and ‘Rookie of the Year’ frontrunner Evan Longoria, this team has the combination that can put runs up on the board every night.
4) An attitude adjustment - It just looks like this fairly young core has grown up and started to believe they can play and win against anyone on any day. There have been unbelievable stories so far in ‘08, but I don’t know if anyone or any team can top the story this Tampa Bay team has been so far.
On this edition of “On the Record,” we’ll talk about a former Ray who’s putting up his ‘Dukes’ in D.C., a solid middleman in Oaktown, and an emerging middle reliever in the Windy City.