Category: baseball
Ranking the Cactus League ballparks
Fifteen teams and 10 stadiums make up the Cactus League. One of the biggest perks of spring training is the close proximity of so many ballparks and teams.
Although I have yet to see every team in action this spring (the Reds, Royals and Padres have been evasive) today’s trip to the Peoria Sports Complex means I have been to every Cactus League park over the past couple weeks.
Out of town fans and people planning visits often ask me my favorite stadiums and which ones they should go see and although I would have liked to post this blog sooner I figured it was best to wait until I had been to every park.
So here it goes, from best to worst, my favorite places to catch a Cactus League game:
Salt River Fields (Arizona Diamondbacks/Colorado Rockies)
Scottsdale Stadium (San Francisco Giants)
Sloan Park (Chicago Cubs)
Tempe Diablo Stadium (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Surprise Stadium (Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers)
Peoria Sports Complex (San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners)
HoHoKam Stadium (Oakland Athletics)
Goodyear Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians)
Camelback Ranch (Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers)
Maryvale Baseball Park (Milwaukee Brewers)
Which parks are your favorite? Least favorite? Why?
Not your standard prediction post…
Spring Training is the time of year where writers and analysts are flooding you with projections and predictions for the upcoming year.
While looking at predictions is fun – especially if your team is expected to be good – I like to look at it from a different angle.
Rather than simply writing down who will win the MVP, Cy Young, Rookie of the Year, etc. I went to Bovada.lv and took a look at some of the prop bets offered for season and also looked at whether or not the bets appear to be solid.
Highest Save Total By A Pitcher Over/Under 48.5
Last season Craig Kimbrel saved 47 games for Atlanta while Fernando Rodney saved 48 games for the Mariners. While no player saved more than 48.5 games last season, four have reached the mark over the past four seasons.
Highest Strikeout Total By A Pitcher O/U 255.5
David Price led the league with 271 strikeouts last season and Corey Kluber struck out 269. Three players have reached 256 or more strikeouts over the past two seasons, but after that you have to go back to 2011.
Highest Home Run Total By A Batter O/U 42.5
No one hit 43 or more home runs last season, but prior to that two players reached the mark in 2013, three did in 2012, one did in 2011, one in 2010 and four in 2009.
Highest RBI Total By A Batter O/U 127.5
Adrian Gonzalez led the league last season with 166 RBI, but in 2013 two players hit more than 128 RBI. Over the past five seasons, four players have hit 128 or more RBI.
Highest Hit Total By A Batter O/U 210.5
Jose Altuve led the league with 225 hits last season, but is the only player with more than 211 hits in any of the past five seasons.
Highest Stolen Base Total By A Player O/U 62.5
Dee Gordon swiped 64 bags last season, but was the first player to steal 60 or more bases since Michael Bourn stole 61 bases in 2011.
Highest Batting Average By A Batter O/U .340
Jose Altuve hit .341 in 2014 (just typing these is a reminder of how good he was last season, wow) and Miguel Cabrera hit .348 in 2013. The American League has had at least one player hit .340 or above in five of the last six seasons.
Highest Win Total By A Pitcher O/U 20.5
Winning 21 games is no easy task. However, over the past five years, seven pitchers have done it.
Will Any Pitcher Pitch A Perfect Game Yes (+200) No (-300)
A perfect game is one of the most enjoyable things to watch in baseball. Unfortunately, baseball fans haven’t been able to witness one since 2012. Will that change this year?
How Many No-Hitters Will There Be In Regular Season? O/U 4.5
While not quite as special as the perfect game, the no-hitter is still a great feat. There were five no-hitters in 2014, three in 2013 and an astonishing seven in 2012 (including perfect games.) This bet may hinge on the number of starts Tim Lincecum has against the Padres.
More than just a hat
* Name has been changed for privacy purposes
Spring training has barely started, but George Martin – a lifelong baseball fan – has already had one of his most memorable days as a baseball fan. And it centered around a baseball hat.
Martin, a Bay Area resident, has been an A’s fan for a number of years, but it’s unclear how many years he will be able to cheer on the green and gold.
Martin turned 78 this past week, but rather than celebrating with cake, ice cream and a big party, he spent his birthday in a hospital bed battling multiple forms of cancer.
Knowing his health was declining and facing the reality that this may be Martin’s last birthday, members of his family reached out to the A’s organization days before Martin’s birthday in an attempt to make the day special.
Sending an email to a generic team feedback account can go any number of ways and sometimes it feels like no one ever reads those or responds, but the A’s responded in a big way.
The team didn’t do anything extravagant, but they did take the time to put together a care package with a birthday card an A’s hat, baseball cards, a schedule and various other items.
Upon opening the package Martin’s face lit up, his spirits were lifted and he immediately put on the A’s hat – which he hasn’t taken off since.
Baseball – and sports – is often boiled down to wins and losses, but sometimes the best stories come from off the field.
Martin is just an average fan and the email sent from his family member was likely just one of hundreds or thousands that the A’s receive. The team didn’t have to respond, but they did.
And odds are, if the A’s responded to Martin’s story, they’ve likely responded to plenty of others.
Kudos to the Oakland organization.
It’s not all about the games….
Cactus League games don’t begin for another two weeks, but games aren’t the only reason a diehard baseball fan should spend some time at the ball fields.
Games are certainly the highlight of Spring Training as they provide fans with the opportunity to watch their favorite teams and players prepare for the upcoming season.
However, the workouts can be equally entertaining and will save you a lot of money (workouts are free and there are no $8 beers burning a hole in your pocket).
Fans often try to relate to athletes. At one point or another most fans have a flashbacks while watching a game.
Everyone remembers their Little League days and the time they used to play. Typically these moments happen when a player makes a mistake and the fan exclaims “I could have made that play” to anyone that will listen.
While odds are you or I couldn’t have made that play, Spring training workouts further intensify that sense of nostalgia.
There’s something special about watching Major League players – athletes that are making millions of dollars and used to playing in front of thousands of fans – just field ground ball after ground ball like we all did as kids.
In addition to getting a rare glimpse behind the curtain, workouts can be extremely valuable to those seeking autographs or trying to interact with coaches and players.
During Saturday morning’s Diamondbacks workout, Addison Reed signed some autographs and gave a young fan a pair of shoes. Tony LaRussa and Joe Carter also took the time to sign autographs and interact with fans.
Yes, players sign and talk to fans at Cactus League games too, but Carter’s session with the fans illustrated how unique the workout experience can be.
After signing and taking pictures with a horde of 50 or so fans, Carter easily could have gone on with his day and everyone would have been happy.
Instead, the Special Assistant to the General Manager hung out a little while longer and – using the bat to mimic a golf club – talked to some fans about playing golf and life as a former player.
Obviously autographs are up to the athletes and everyone is in a different mood or on a different schedule every day, but typically workouts have very little fanfare and the athletes are accommodating at either the beginning or conclusion of their workout.
When accepting awards, celebrating a championship or reflecting on a big win athletes often talk about the work that was put in behind the scenes – the work fans didn’t get to see.
Well, Spring training workouts give fans that opportunity in a way few professional sports do.
Sure, there is still plenty that isn’t visible to the public, but Spring Training workouts pull back the curtain a bit and are certainly worth a couple hours on a Saturday morning.
10 Things I’m Watching I’m In 2015: The San Diego Padres
Spring Training is finally here and with that, here’s the tenth and final installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the San Diego Padres.
A.J. Preller made sure all baseball discussions revolved around the Padres in December as the new GM made a plethora of trades and stole the show at the Winter Meetings.
The Dodgers and Giants (although that whole win the World Series, then struggle the next year thing still applies) seem to be the teams to beat in the NL West, but the Padres certainly aren’t messing around.
During the heat of the Hot Stove season, Preller acquired Brandon Maurer from Seattle, Will Middlebrooks from Boston, Justin Upton from Atlanta, Wil Myers from Tampa Bay, Derek Norris from Oakland and Matt Kemp from Los Angeles.
But apparently that wasn’t enough as Preller went out and finished the off season with the acquisition of James Shields.
Shields, who went 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA last season, was one of the premier free agent pitchers on the market and will be very valuable in the Padres rotation and pitching in Petco Park will likely improve Shields’ numbers. The right-hander has thrown 200 or more innings in eight straight seasons, so he is certainly someone reliable that the Padres can count on to take the ball every fifth day.
The Padres have had a losing record in six of the past seven seasons, but if this new group of players is able to develop chemistry early, that could easily change in 2015.
San Diego has a lot of new pieces and will be a team to watch out West. While it will be fun to watch all the newcomers, it will also be intriguing to see what the team does with some of the old players.
The new outfielders are exciting, but what will San Diego do with Cameron Maybin, Will Venable and Carlos Quentin? The Padres traded Seth Smith early in the off season, but even so they have tremendous depth in the outfield. It’s hard to imagine scenarios where all six of the players receive enough playing time to stay content, so the team may need to make another move before it’s all said and done.
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10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: Yasmany Tomas
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the ninth installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: Yasmany Tomas.
After a dismal 2014 campaign, the Diamondbacks retooled both the front office and the roster in preparation for the 2015. Perhaps the biggest off season move the club made was the acquisition of Cuban free agent Yasmany Tomas.
The Diamondbacks inked Tomas, 24, to a six-year, $68.5 million deal. The deal, which has an opt out clause after four seasons, is the largest deal in team history – a sign of how much Arizona values Tomas.
Tomas is known for his bat and hit 30 home runs in 205 regular season games in Cuba, however he’s never played a full season in Cuba so the grind of a 162 Major League season may take its toll late in the year.
Cuba’s Serie Nacional’s season in 90 games and Tomas has never played more than 69.
Primarily an outfielder, Tomas has been working out at third base with the Diamondbacks and his ability to pick up the new position in Spring Training will be something to keep an eye on.
If Tomas struggles at third, he may start the season in the Minors, but it’s hard to envision a scenario where he doesn’t play in the majors at all this season.
Whether it’s Opening Day or somewhere down the line Tomas will don a big league uniform this season and all eyes in Arizona will be watching.
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10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: Lester, Shields, Scherzer
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the eighth installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields.
How will Scherzer Lester and Shields fare in the National League?
Generally speaking the American League is known for offense and the National League is known for pitching. The DH contributes a lot to this fact and it is likely a reason that big name free agent pitchers often opt to pitch in the National League.
When the 2014 season ended there were three big-name, free agent pitchers on the market and all three of them – Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields – opted to make the transition from the AL to the NL.
While Scherzer spent the first two seasons of his career in the NL, Lester and Shields have never pitched for a NL team. Each of them have spent nine seasons in the American League.
The trio of pitchers have combined for six All Star games and a Cy Young Award (Scherzer) and considering they all have strong stuff, it’s likely they will do just fine in the NL. However, it may be interesting to watch their transitions, especially over the first couple months as they get used to new parks, lineups and catchers.
Also, I wonder which one of them is the best hitter? And how long will it take Lester to collect his first hit?
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10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: The Chicago White Sox
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the seventh installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the Chicago White Sox.
The Cubs aren’t the only Chicago team to have had a big off season. A year after finishing 17 games out in the AL Central, the White Sox are looking to bounce back in a big way this season and have added several key players.
The White Sox upgraded their rotation with the addition of Jeff Samardzija, who will pair nicely with Chris Sale. While the Dodgers tandem of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke may still be the best 1-2 tandem in baseball, the duo in Chicago is right up there.
In addition to upgrading the rotation, the White Sox also added David Robertson as a closer, which could prove to be a very valuable addition late in the season.
Offensively, the White Sox brought in Melky Cabrera who hit over .300 for the fourth time in the past five years last season.
The White Sox won’t be the favorites to win AL Central this season, but if they do find their way into the playoffs it won’t be a total shock.
The club has made a lot of improvements and will be in a lot of close games with Samardzija and Sale starting games and Robertson closing them out.
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Betting Odds for the 2015 Baseball Season
With Spring Training just about to begin, it’s that time of year where every fan base believes their team has a shot to win the World Series.
While some teams are more likely to win it then others, anything can happen and that’s what makes sports so enjoyable.
However, the odds of every team hoisting a trophy in late October are not all equal, which makes those surprise runs by teams no one saw coming all the more enjoyable to witness. But how do we know who the favorites and underdogs are? Well…
Bovada.com – a gambling website – has released its odds to win the AL, NL and World Series.
Bovada gives the Angels and Red Sox the best odds to win the AL, but the best odds to win the World Series are given to the Nationals and Dodgers.
Here’s a look at every team’s odds to win the World Series:
Washington Nationals 13/2
Los Angeles Dodgers 17/2
Boston Red Sox 10/1
Chicago Cubs 10/1
Los Angeles Angels 12/1
St. Louis Cardinals 12/1
San Diego Padres 14/1
Chicago White Sox 16/1
Detroit Tigers 16/1
San Francisco Giants 16/1
Seattle Mariners 16/1
Toronto Blue Jays 22/1
Oakland Athletics 25/1
Baltimore Orioles 28/1
New York Mets 28/1
New York Yankees 28/1
Cleveland Indians 33/1
Kansas City Royals 33/1
Miami Marlins 33/1
Pittsburgh Pirates 33/1
Houston Astros 50/1
Texas Rangers 50/1
Atlanta Braves 66/1
Cincinnati Reds 66/1
Milwaukee Brewers 66/1
Tampa Bay Rays 66/1
Arizona Diamondbacks 100/1
Minnesota Twins 100/1
Colorado Rockies 150/1
Philadelphia Phillies 150/1
Odds to win NL:
Nationals 13/4
Dodgers 19/4
Cubs 6/1
Padres 13/2
Cardinals 13/2
Giants 8/1
Mets 14/1
Pirates 14/1
Marlins 16/1
Braves 28/1
Reds 28/1
Brewers 33/1
Diamondbacks 50/1
Rockies 75/1
Phillies 75/1
Odds to win the AL:
Red Sox 11/2
Angels 11/2
White Sox 7/1
Mariners 7/1
Tigers 15/2
Blue Jays 10/1
Yankees 12/1
A’s 12/1
Orioles 14/1
Indians 14/1
Rangers 22/1
Astros 28/1
Rays 33/1
Twins 50/1
Quick Thoughts:
– I wonder when the last time the Mets and Yankees began the season with the same odds to win it all.
– Five of the top seven teams are in the NL, but three of bottom four are in NL as well.
– A World Series between the Angels and Dodgers isn’t too far fetched.
– In Bovada’s view, the NL appears to be top heavy, with the AL being the more balanced league. This is also reflected in the odds to win each league.
– The Cubs off season moves have certainly grabbed everyone’s attention.
– Not a ton of confidence in the Giants going back-to-back.
10 Things I’m Watching In 2015: American League West
As we count down to Spring Training, here’s the sixth installment of my ’10 Things I’m Watching In 2015′ series. Today’s topic: the American League West.
Ultimately the Angels ran away with the AL West in 2014, but things could be very different this time around. Yes, the Angels have another great squad, but several AL West teams made big moves over the off season and it looks as if this may be the best division in baseball. The NL Central will rival the AL West for that title, but either way the race out West will be fun to watch and will likely come down to the season’s final days.
Angels:
After posting a 98 win season in 2014, it was not all that surprising that the Angels didn’t go out and completely retool their roster over the off season. The Angels 2015 lineup will look a lot like the one that ended the 2014 season.
A healthy Garrett Richards will be a welcomed face to the rotation, but it also looks like the Angels may start the season without Josh Hamilton.
Although the Angels didn’t make a ton of big moves over the off season, the team did trade Howie Kendrick to the Dodgers, so second base will be a position to watch both offensively and defensively.
A’s:
The A’s got off to a strong start last season and looked like they would easily win the division, but ultimately struggled down the stretch.The late season collapse was followed by a whirlwind of an off season and now the 2015 season will begin with an Oakland roster that hardly resembles that of 2014.
Across the infield the A’s began 2014 with Brandon Moss, Eric Sogard, Jed Lowrie and Josh Donaldson, but this season the projected Opening Day lineup consists of Ike Davis, Ben Zobrist, Marcus Semien and Brett Lawrie, with Billy Butler at DH.
Billy Beane completely changed the makeup of the team over the off season, but the A’s have been to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons so it’s hard to count them out.
Also, it’s important to note that the Athletics will once again feature a strong pitching staff – a fact that will keep them in a lot of games.
Despite losing Jon Lester (not that anyone thought he’d resign or stay in Oakland) and trading away Jeff Samardzija, the A’s will still have a rotation that consists of Sonny Gray, Scott Kazmir, Jesse Chavez, Jesse Hahn and Drew Pomeranz.
Oakland’s rotation may be impressive, but it might not even be the best in the division.
Mariners: With arguably the best pitcher in the American League in Felix Hernandez, it’s quite possible the Mariners have the best rotation as well. Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma are a nasty 1-2 punch and will win the Mariners in a lot of games.
While the pitching was there last season, Seattle often struggled to score runs in 2014 – a problem the teams hopes will be solved with the addition of Nelson Cruz.
Cruz hit 40 home runs a season ago and will make the top of the Mariners line-up, along with Austin Jackson and Robinson Cano, a lot more potent than it was just a season ago.
Astros: Just as the A’s made several changes, so did the Astros. The 2015 Astros will look a lot different than the 2014 version – including new manager A.J. Hinch – and appear to be in a much better position to compete.
To bolster the offense, the Astros added Evan Gattis, but most of the reshuffling happened in the bullpen as the Astros added Luke Gregerson and Pat Neshek.
Gregerson and Neshek – both right-handers – are coming off some of the best seasons in their careers. Gregorson posted a career-best 2.12 ERA last season while Neshek posted a 1.87 ERA and was selected to his first All Star game.
Jed Lowrie will also be a nice addition to the middle of the infield as he returns to Houston after a productive two seasons in Oakland.
Rangers: Every team deal with injuries, but the amount the Rangers faced last season was crazy.
First and foremost Rangers fans have to be excited about starting 2015 with a healthy Prince Fielder. That fact alone should be a boost to the offense, but regaining Fielder is not the only significant move the Rangers have made.
Late in the off season the Rangers made perhaps their most significant off season move when they traded for Yovani Gallardo.
Gallardo figured to fit into the middle of the Rangers rotation and has started 30 or more games in six straight seasons – a good sign for a team that has struggled with injures and had a hard time keeping players on the field.
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Boor on Baseball 