By James Bailey David Purcey, LH starter, Blue Jays Age: 26, until April 22 Key number: 9.23 strikeouts per nine innings at Triple-A Syracuse last year Look past the 5.54 ERA he posted as a rookie last year and there’s a lot to like about the Jays lefthander, who turns 27 at the end of [...]
From the monthly archives:
March 2009
By James Bailey Yesterday we looked for a Mr. Average. Today we’re setting our sites on the best the big leagues had to offer in 2008. There are some guys who just stand out from their peers. Grady Sizemore is a dominant leadoff man. Period. In the NL the same can be said for Hanley [...]
By Bill Ballew Odd Man Out: A Year on the Mound with a Minor League Misfit, by Matt McCarthy Viking Adult, 2009 Rating: 9 (out of 10) I’ll admit it: I’m a sucker for well-written books on the minor leagues. Everything from the player development process to the ballpark experience to the front office politics [...]
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By Thom Henninger Our review of the top rookies by division turns to the National League West, where the first-year guy most likely to play, Travis Ishikawa, has the lowest ceiling. When it comes to rookies, it’s not a division loaded with near-ready top talent. The rebuilding Padres could use some help, but their best [...]
Hardball Cooperative’s Robert Gurganus was on hand for North Carolina’s matchup with Virginia on Sunday. UNC took a 6-5 victory to earn the series win in an ACC matchup of top-10 ranked opponents. Gurganus caught UNC’s Friday night starter Alex White (photo above). White struck out 9 while allowing 7 hits and 3 walks in [...]
By James Bailey Back in the ‘90s Baseball America used to create a Mr. Average team each season, featuring the league average player at each position. We’ve got a new twist on Mr. Average. What did the average lineup look like 1 through 9 in 2008? This is a little trickier than finding the players [...]
By James Bailey Adam Jones, OF, Baltimore Age: 23, until Aug. 1 Key number: .968, his OPS at Triple-A Tacoma in 2007 The key to the deal that sent lefthander Erik Bedard to Seattle last winter, Jones held his own in his first full big league campaign, hitting a respectable .270, but showing poor command [...]
By James Bailey Nelson Cruz, OF, Texas Age: 28, turns 29 on July 1 Key number: .695, Cruz’s slugging percentage at Triple-A Oklahoma last year (three points lower than his Triple-A slugging percentage in 2007) Late bloomer or Four-A monster? This will be a defining year for Cruz, 28, who has long been regarded as [...]
By Thom Henninger The Hardball Cooperative’s look at the top rookies by division moves to the National League Central. Not all featured prospects will make Opening Day rosters, but chances are looking much better now for this trio from the NL Central.
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By Thom Henninger Let’s play “What if?” What if Hanley Ramirez hadn’t been dealt to Florida in the package of prospects that shipped Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell to Boston in November 2005, months before he blossomed as a major leaguer? If the Red Sox had current American League MVP Dustin Pedroia in place at [...]
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