Davis Is My Pick For AL MVP

You'd be smiling too if you hit 53 HR and knocked in 138

Last year's winner, Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, had a legitimate shot to not only repeat his Triple Crown feat but to win back-to-back MVP Awards as well. Just like last year, Mike Trout was right in the mix as well, saying "go to hell"  to the sophomore jinx.

But this year's winner of the AL MVP Award should be Baltimore's Chris Davis. The former sixth round draft choice of the Texas Rangers (2006), Davis struggled with his original organization. There were way too many strikeouts compared to his output (e.g. 2006 - 150 Ks, 21 HR, 59 RBI .726 OPS) to play regularly. He hit a low in 2010 when he appeared in just 45 games with a .571 OPS and a batting average below the Mendoza line.

Not much was thought of it when the Rangers dealt Davis and pitcher Tommy Hunter to the Orioles for bullpen help (Koji Uehara - a huge 2013 impact in his own right). The 31 games he played for the O's showed nothing spectacular - .708 OPS and 2 HR in 129 plate appearances.

But Davis had a break out year in 2012 when he slugged 33 home runs, drove in 85 runs and sported an .827 OPS. And he was still just 26 years of age.

This year Davis has had a season for the ages. He broke the franchise record for home runs with 53 and led the league with 138 RBI and 370 total bases. He's also scored 103 and has a 1.004 OPS. Sure, the strikeouts are still there (198), but his 6.3 WAR was well above his previous high and career average.

The Orioles took a step back from their 2012 playoff appearance and finished 12 games behind Bosto in the AL East and 6.5 back in the wildcard race. However, the Orioles were competitive and in the playoff mix for most of the season and that would not have been accomplished without Davis' power surge. 

Had the Orioles pitching been more up to snuff, Davis could have been putting on a power display in the post-season instead of watching it on TV.

Video Killed the Radio Star and TV and Interleague Play Did in the All-Star Game

Everyone in the media continually tries to to figure out why the interest in Major League Baseball’s All-Star game has dwindled to the point that you wonder if it might not exist one day. The reasons why the ratings are at an all-time low are very apparent if you simply look at a few simple facts.

First though, let’s take a look at the ratings since 1967, as amassed by Baseball Almanac. From 1967-1980, the game averaged a 46.7 share of the television audience. The game averaged a 24.5 rating with the 1969 game the only time the share dipped below 20 during the period, and that occurred because the game was rained out the night before and was played the following afternoon.

Ratings began to decline over the next decade, though the share was still decent (36.8 avg) from 1981-1988. The ’81 All-Star game was the first game after a two month player’s strike interrupted the season. After the 1989 game, which had an 18.2 rating and 33 share, the game’s viewership steadily declined. The 2002 season saw the ratings drop below 10% for the first time. Last season saw an all-time lows of 6.8%, a 12 share, and 10.9 million viewers.

If you were a baseball fan in the 1960’s and 1970’s, the All-Star game and the post-season were the only times that you saw players like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Jim Palmer unless they were on your team. Fans were also fans of the league their team was in-if you liked the Yankees or Mets, you rooted for the American or National League in the All-Star game and in the World Series.

The All-Star game was a happening that you looked forward to. When else could you see so many future Hall of Fame players, especially at one time. When I was growing up the NL dominated the game, so I was really into, hoping the AL would finally beat the hated NL. In 1971 it finally happened in Detroit when the AL's sluggers pounded the NL pitchers. The most memorable shot being Reggie Jackson's home run blast off the tower atop Tiger Stadium. The AL wouldn't win again until Fred Lynn's grand slam catupulted the junior circuit to a 13-3 win. 

The AL finally exacted vengance with 18 wins over the period from 1988-2009, but something had changed and the excitement was gone.

A Change in the Air

Perhaps the All-Star game television ratings might have leveled off had the player’s strike not occurred in August, 1994. The regular season was wiped out and the entire post-season was canceled in one fell swoop by MLB commissioner Bud Selig.  Baseball didn’t start up again until April 2, 1995. Some fans would never return to the ball park, others slowly made their way back. (The last game I attended before the strike was August 9, 1994 and I did not return to the ball park until July 30, 1998.) Either way the game was badly damaged.

From that moment on, viewership (slightly) increased  from one year to the next just four times to date. One rise (13%) occurred in 1998 when everyone was caught up in the Mark McGwire-Sammy Sosa steroid fueled chase of Roger Maris’ single season home run record.  The next increase came in 2001 (10%) when Barry Bonds was in a steroid fueled chase of McGwire’s 1998 home run record.

The third rise in the ratings was in the 2006 game in Pittsburgh (15%), presumably because of the ceremony that was held mid-game in memory of Roberto Clemente. The final increase in ratings came in 2008 when the Yankees held their final All-Star game in the old Yankee Stadium. Ratings (11%) had to be helped by Josh Hamilton’s monsterous home run derby performance the night before.

Television’s Role in Dimishing the All-Star Game's Draw

With no cable TV and teams not broadcasting all 162 regular season games, any time you could watch a game it felt like you won a prize. There was a weekly nationally televised game, but that was it.  Then cable television began to appear and the landscape of televised baseball changed forever.

More regular season out of market games started to be televised in the late 1970’s and then ESPN came into existence in 1979 with highlights and replays of baseball games like you had never seen before. The Connecticut based station started televising baseball games in 1990, so you no longer had to wait for the one national game of the week to be shown. 

Over the next two decades, the MLB Network would be launched, other cable outlets (e.g. TBS) began to broadcast games, you could add the MLB Extra Innings package to your cable or dish plan, and the official MLB site provided video and audio broadcasts.

Baseball games can be found all around the dial or the internet now, which means you can watch Miguel Cabrera or Mike Trout just about any time you want.

The Death Blow

One of the ideas Selig came up with to increase fan interest was the implementation of interleague play. While most fans seem to love it, or least like it, it was a tremendous blow to the All-Star game. What started out quietly in 1997 with opponents playing 15-18 games against the other league is now an every day occurrence in the Major Leagues. Why bother watching an All-Star game when you can see players from both leagues on any day or night on a number of different television stations.

Selig impacted the game again after the AL and NL played to a 7-7 tie in 2002.  To make the game more important, he decreed that home field advantage for the World Series would be determined by the league that won the All-Star game. Fans have laughed at the notion ever since. Selig basically kicked a man when he was already down.

Until someone figures out another way to bring excitement to the game, don't look for the ratings to be anything spectacular in the future. That is if the game still exists.

UPDATE - The 2013 game got an 8.1 national rating, which means there was increase from the prior year for just the fifth time since 1998. It was about a 20% boost from last year's game primarily due to Mariano Rivera and it being the first game at the Mets home field since 1964.

All-Star Game Television Ratings Television Analysis & Ratings Breakdown
Year	Network	Rating	Share	Households	Viewers
1967	NBC	25.6	50	14,050,000	Not Available
1968	NBC	25.8	49	14,450,000	Not Available
1969	NBC	15.1	42	8,610,000	Not Available
1970	NBC	28.5	54	16,670,000	Not Available
1971	NBC	27.0	50	16,230,000	Not Available
1972	NBC	22.9	43	14,220,000	26,300,000
1973	NBC	23.8	45	15,420,000	27,600,000
1974	NBC	23.4	44	15,490,000	Not Available
1975	NBC	21.5	41	14,730,000	28,170,000
1976	ABC	27.1	53	18,680,000	36,330,000
1977	NBC	24.5	45	17,440,000	31,000,000
1978	ABC	26.1	47	19,030,000	35,529,000
1979	NBC	24.4	45	18,180,000	31,980,000
1980	ABC	26.8	46	20,450,000	36,270,000
1981	NBC	20.1	36	15,640,000	Not Available
1982	ABC	25.0	44	20,380,000	34,120,000
1983	NBC	21.5	39	17,910,000	27,190,000
1984	ABC	20.1	35	16,840,000	28,500,000
1985	NBC	20.5	36	17,400,000	28,210,000
1986	ABC	20.3	35	17,440,000	28,375,000
1987	NBC	18.2	37	15,910,000	24,295,000
1988	ABC	20.4	33	18,070,000	29,526,000
1989	NBC	18.2	33	16,450,000	25,840,000
1990	CBS	16.2	33	14,940,000	24,365,000
1991	CBS	17.4	32	16,200,000	24,670,000
1992	CBS	14.9	27	13,720,000	21,981,000
1993	CBS	15.6	28	14,550,000	22,306,000
1994	NBC	15.7	28	14,790,000	22,015,000
1995	ABC	13.9	25	13,260,000	20,163,000
1996	NBC	13.2	23	12,690,000	18,479,000
1997	FOX	11.8	21	11,420,000	16,723,000
1998	NBC	13.3	25	13,026,000	18,970,000
1999	FOX	12.0	22	11,890,000	17,640,000
2000	NBC	10.1	18	10,167,000	14,714,000
2001	FOX	11.0	19	11,198,000	16,029,000
2002	FOX	9.5	17	10,046,000	14,653,000
2003	FOX	9.5	17	10,156,000	13,810,000
2004	FOX	8.8	15	9,573,000	13,995,000
2005	FOX	8.1	14	8,884,000	12,330,000
2006	FOX	9.3	16	10,301,000	14,424,000
2007	FOX	8.4	15	9,343,000	12,530,000
2008	FOX	9.3	16	10,441,000	14,540,000
2009	FOX	8.9	15	10,754,230	14,610,000
2010	FOX	7.5	13	8,692,500	12,100,000
2011	FOX	6.9	12	7,712,000	11,000,000
2012	FOX	6.8	12	6,743,724	10,900,000

Hamilton Official to Halos

Go west not so young man; perhaps that was the calling Josh Hamilton heard when he decided to sign with the Los Angeles Angels. Or more likely it is because the Angels were the only team to offer Hamilton $25MM a year and a five year contract to boot.

It couldn't have hurt either that Hamilton's former Texas Rangers' teammate C.J. Wilson had signed a free agent deal with the Halos last season and probably reached out to him. Despite his production, teams were reluctant to give Hamilton too many years or too many millions to a player that has battled substance abuse, injuries, and prolonged slumps, several times. On the other hand he's still one of the most dangerous bats in baseball.

Hamilton hit 43 HR and drove in 128 runs in 143 games last season. His .930 OPS was second only to his 2009 AL MVP season when he finished with a league best 1.044.

Hamilton gets added to a lineup that already includes Albert Pujols, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout, and Mark Trumbo, who averaged 30 HR and 91 RBI the last two seasons. The Angels also have a glut of outfielders even with Torii Hunter gone.

The Angels have said they don't want to deal Trumbo and neither Peter Bourjos nor Vernon Wells have much value right now. DH Kendrys Morales is said to be expendable and, on a frightening note if you are a Yankees fan, Ken Rosenthal wrote earlier today that his sources indicate the Yankees could be a destination for Wells. The two teams supposedly discussed it at the recent winter meetings.

The Yankees want a right-handed bat to platoon/fill in for Brett Gardner, Curtis Granderson, and Ichiro Suzuki. (If he returns as is expected.) Between 2002 and 2006, teams would have killed to get Wells, but not any more. Except for a comeback season in 2010 when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 88, he's done next to nothing and/or been hurt. Wells has had a sub .700 OPS in his two years in LA and is owed $42MM over the next two years. I wouldn't trade a half dozen donuts for him.

2 Bad Pitches Don't Spoil The Whole Game Girl

Russell Martin strokes game winner - courtesy of Buffalo News

If you hadn't known better you would have sworn tonight's game between the LA Angels and Yankees was being played on the left coast.

It was one of those typical games where the Yankees had a lead for most of the game, but then everything went to hell in the last few innings. This time around it was Hiroki Kuroda holding a 2-1 lead on his home mound in the 7th.

Had there been a full moon Friday night, you clearly would have seen a baseball pass by it, much like ET and his bicycle did many moons ago (no pun intended). The ball had launched off the bat of Angels' left fielder Mark Trumbo with two aboard and came back to Earth in the seats behind the Yankees bullpen. The Yankees suddenly were in a 4-2 hole and the once smooth sailing Kuroda had encountered choppy water. (The Trumbo home rnu was bad pitch #2 after hitting Kendrys Morales with a 1-2 pitch.)

It didn't get any better in the 8th when for some reason, Joe Girardi left Kuroda in the game and the Angels tacked on an insurance run on Albert Pujols' bloop double to right. But the Yankees had some magic of their own in the bottom of the 8th inning.

Derek Jeter started things off against lefty Scott Downs by lacing a double up the alley in right-center. Curtis Granderson, hitless against Downs in 12 career at-bats, worked a tough walk to bring Mark Teixeira to the plate as the tying run.

Teixeira had provided the first two Yankees runs with a bullet home run to left off Angels' starter C.J. Wilson in the 3rd inning. While that Teixeira home run got out in a hurry, his home run off Downs to tie the game was a high majestic shot to left field.

Downs finally retired Alex Rodriguez (who heard many boos on the night) and Robbie Cano, before he walked Nick Swisher to end his night on the mound. With right-hander Kevin Jepsen on the hill, pinch-runner Dewayne Wise swiped second base to put the go ahead run in scoring position. Angels' skipper Mike Scioscia decided to intentionally walk pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez to force Russell Martin and his sub-.180 batting everage into a clutch situation.

I'm sure I wasn't the only one wondering why Girardi didn't send Eric Chavez up to pinch-hit, but Girardi stuck with his catcher and his confidence was rewarded when Martin lashed a go ahead single to right. Martin wasn't done coming up big in the game though.

Rafael Soriano came on in the 9th to close things out, but Yankees killer Howie Kendrick reached on a one out single. Soriano retired Erick Aybar on a foul pop, but then uncorked a pitch in the dirt. Though pinch-hitter Maicer Izturis put up the hold sign, Kendrick took off for second base. Martin quickly got to the baseball and fired a strike to an awaiting Derek Jeter to end the ball game. A fired up Martin pumped his fist and celebrated a night in which he threw out three of four would-be base stealers in addition to his game winning hit.


Notes

The comeback would not have been possible had Swisher not robbed Trumbo of another home run in the 8th inning.

The Yankees signed Kosuke Fukudome to a minor league deal. The Japanse born veteran had been recently released by the Chicago White Sox after hitting just .171 in 24 games. The 35-yr old is in his 5th Major League season and has been on the decline since breaking in with the Cubs in 2008.

Austin Romine was expected to compete for a back up catching job on the Yankees at some point this season, but the 23-year old went down with a bad back in Spring Training. Romine returned to action Friday night with the GCL Yankees. He was 0-2 with an RBI and split the team's catching duties with Eduardo de Oleo.

Joba Chamberlain began his road back from a busted ankle and continued his recuperation from Tommy John surgery with a scoreless inning in Tuesday's GCL game. He's expected to pitch again this weekend.

Andy Pettitte will be getting his broken ankle x-rayed to see what progress has been made.

Mike Trout, with his family in Derek Jeter's private box, had another ho-hum night. Two hits, two steals, and a run scored. He's an incredibly dynamic player to watch.

BD Hot Stove: AL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

It's only a matter of time before Mike Trout is shredding MLB pitching

BD Hot Stove: AL West Prospects | Baseball Digest

It’s time for the Hot Stove to switch over the Junior Circuit to take a look at the top prospects in the American League. Let’s begin with the AL West, which produced the last two AL Rookie of the Year Award winners (Neftali Feliz, Andrew Bailey). In fact, the West has produced 44% (11/25) of the AL winners since 1985.

Mariners: Seattle is doing their best not to rush Dustin Ackley to the major leagues, but considering the Mariners’ horrendous 2010 season, it’s easier said than done. The 2nd overall pick in the 2009 amateur draft (U of NC) played 82 games at Double-A before a promotion to Triple-A for 52 games. His average was pedestrian – .267, but Ackley drew 75 walks and slugged .407. Ackley’s season wasn’t done though; he went on to the Arizona Fall League and was named MVP after putting up a remarkable .424/.581/.758 split. His numbers included four home runs, 26 walks, 10 doubles, 19 RBI, and five stolen bases.

Ackley, the #5 prospect in the bigs according to MLB.com, is destinted to play 2nd base for the Mariners. The question is whether it will be this year or next year.

Rangers: Having a stud left-hander at the top of the rotation helped Texas reach the World Series for the first time last season. The Rangers hope Martin Perez can be that guy some day. Signed out of Venezuela in 2007, Perez made a big splash on the scene in rookie and ‘A’ ball, but has yet to master the Double-A level. The soon-to-be 20 year old has nasty stuff, but doesn’t have complete command as of yet (101 K’s, but 50 BB in 99-2/3 innings last season).

ESPN’s Keith Law had this to say about Perez last summer, “He’s stumbling a little, especially with control, although one brutal outing on June 18 spiked his ERA by a run. If Texas dangled him in a trade, they could probably name their price, given how good he is and how highly regarded he is by other clubs.”

Perez has a four-seam fastball that is from the low- to mid-90′s, a sharp breaking curve, and a good changeup. Jason Parks of Baseball Times compares Perez to a mix of Johan Santana and Greg Maddux. Texas should be so lucky.

Athletics: Grant Green said “no thanks” to the San Diego Padres when they made him their 14th round pick out of high school. Green wisely waited and became the 13th overall pick in the 2009 draft by Oakland out of USC. The 6’3″ shortstop made an immediate impression last year in his first full season in the minors. Playing for Advanced ‘A’ Stockton, Green smacked 20 home runs, drove in 87 runs, hit .318, slugged .520, and scored 107 runs. Some naysayers point to the fact that the Cal League’s hitter-friendly environs aided Green and that his low walk (38)/high strikeout counts (117) are a better indicator of his ability. Green will have the chance in Double-A this season to prove them wrong.

Green’s defense, however, is a concern to all who have scouted him, and there’s every reason to believe that shortstop will not be the position he plays if and when he makes it to the majors.

Angels: The last prospect the Hot Stove will take a look at today is the best prospect in all of baseball.Mike Trout is ranked as the #1 guy by MLB.com, Baseball America, and others. Drafted out of Millville (NJ) High School (25th overall) in 2009, Trout has torn up opposing pitching in his two seasons in the minors. Just 19-yrs old, the outfielder has a .344 career average and .915 OPS. Last season, in addition to hitting .341 at ‘A’ and Advanced ‘A’ ball, Trout drew 73 walks and showed some developing power (10 HR). Oh, and the kid is fast, too…he stole 56 bases, which aided him in scoring 106 runs.

Trout is 6’1″, 217 lbs, and has the build of a more veteran player. MLB Fanhouse’s Frank Piliere had this to say about the centerfielder’s swing, “Many young hitters struggle to learn to trust their hands and they continue to lunge at off-speed pitches. That hasn’t been an issue for Trout and, in fact, it’s a strength. Trout showed me that he was able to lay off some tough pitches, and if a pitcher came in the zone with a breaking ball he was able to lay back and use his hands very well. He isn’t just staying back and hitting singles to right field either. He’s driving the ball with authority into the gaps on these pitches.

In other words, Trout is not a guy you have to worry about being a pure fastball hitter as he moves up the ladder. He has the luxury of excellent bat speed, plus a calm approach and demeanor at the plate, so that he can trust himself to still be able to turn around the fastball if he gets it. There aren’t many players out there that profile as pure high-average hitters, but he is one of them. From what I saw in Peoria, Trout has the look of a perennial .300 hitter, and given his speed, he is a potential batting title contender. With his feel with the bat head, plus bat speed and good pitch selection, I could also see him developing into a 25-homer threat.”

The question is not whether Trout can play Major League Baseball, the question is how soon he will arrive.

Rumors, News, and Transactions

Alfredo Aceves has signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, reportedly worth $650K with another $100K available through incentives. Aceves had been non-tendered by the Yankees in December after breaking his clavicle while riding a bicycle. The Red Sox also signed lefty Dennis Reyes to a minor league contract.

Ken Rosenthal reports that the Blue Jays are interested in moving Juan Rivera and his $5.25M salary. Rivera was acquired as part of a package from the Angels in the Vernon Wells deal. The Jays already moved Mike Napoli who was also picked up in the trade.

The Mets signed veteran left-hander Casey Fossum to a minor league deal.

Once a highly touted prospect, 1st baseman Ryan Shealy has inked a minor league deal with the Blue Jays.

The Pirates’ Ross Ohlendorf beat the team in an arbitration hearing and will earn $2.025M this season.

The Yankees added veteran right-hander Luis Ayala to their compilation of minor league pitchers. The Giants did the same with Elmer Dessens.