... (Cont. Heading) At least that's what all the women are saying, because chicks dig the long ball.. In a week that has been so improbable... the impossible hasn't happened.... yet at least? (Right Vin Scully). Let me get to the point. April 2009 was filled with great baseball. And I can only assume that the other 6 months will gradually get better and better. Especially when you have 2 walk-off walks to win a game in a week.----Don't you just love 'Walk-Off Walks'.... I mean instead of running... shouldn't you walk down the 3rd base line or at least dance or skip.
Besides that....And putting April in the past already... We had a great week of baseball...and it was a great way to set up May baseball. Ryan Zimmerman(WAS 3B) has a 22 game hitting streak going. I mention him because I thought "Streak Week" was over...but I hope he keeps it up.
Also this week, There was great base stealin' and for some odd reason the Kansas City Royals and Toronto Blue Jays are still in first place. If you missed out of the end of April....I feel sorry for you because it was special....and this week is off to a great start with the last place Washington Nationals planing to draft in June the best pitcher in college baseball...San Diego State's Stephen Starsburg(SP). This kid has range. and I'm talking he changes speed in the strike zone like no one I've seen. His fastball clocked at 102....then he throws a 72 charlie, and breaks the ball 12-6 from pits to knees... It's a thing of beauty. Prepare for a great Week 5 and 6. Not too many days off...for a lot of teams...but Mother Nature hasn't been kind to baseball this year...neither has the Swine Flu or A-Rod....yes.... Mother Nature's "Teddy Pickers" (media) have been ripping him to pieces. I feel bad on what his bat about to these wind tunnel ballparks. (Hint Hint)
My Top 5 Sluggers
1. Carlos Pena(3)(TB 1B)- Last week I question myself about putting Carlos on my page. But obviously he has been hitting the ball well. This week, he has improved his batting average 17 points, hit 2 extra dingers, and brought in 4 mates. Hitting 11 home runs in 26 games..... Is ridiculous. MVP type stuff. I feel bad because last week I didn't believe in this kid's power. And honestly, I still don't (lol). His team is struggling...but coming around the bend. Having Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford pumps this kid up to hit the baseball well as long as they are doing their jobs. I expect a 45/115 (hr/rbi) season out of this guy.
2. Albert Pujols(4)(STL/1B). Being Honest, Because I could get in a lot of trouble by being biased. Albert had better numbers than Carlos this week. But not by much. The only reason he's not number one is because the past couple of weeks.... St. Louis Cardinal players have had the top spot. Funny thing is I'm not a Cardinal fan. But Albert's week has been phenomenal...improving his batting average 23 points. That's impressive. It's May People! This is strange! Batting Averages should be coming down! Why are they at the Ted Williams level of .349-.407. Albert's week consisted of again 2 homers and 4 rbi's and 20 plus bases...yes bases is a stat. Improving his overall season numbers to 9hr, 29 rbi's (league leading) with a .344 batting average. Can you say "Triple Crown"? Or am I being pushy. And I'm not talking about Horse Racing. There is a good reason why they call him "The Machine". Robot Status? Not Yet
3. Ian Kinsler(3)(TEX/2B)- "Big Kinsler" I'm telling you his power...is astonishing. His first at bat in the CWS/TEX series on Friday. I was texting a friend(who was at the game) and I said, watch him punish the ball. Bottom of the first he comes up and I swear I heard the baseball cry.....And I was tearing up too, because you shouldn't be doing bad things to baseballs(yeah sorry). His power is a mixture of Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire. He sees a pitch and thinks meatball. And you can blame the pitchers because if you're throwing a 'breaking ball' and you let it hang in the air instead it actually breaking....it's just like a batting practice fastball and I never believed that until I saw Bronson Arroyo pitch.
Back to Kinsler: This week, he lost some percentage points in his batting average pushing him to a whopping .321 (still consistent). But just like the rest...2 homers, 5 rbi's. Typical Kinsler week. (Lol).
4. Raul Ibanez (PHI/LF). His MLB service: 13 years. Seattle--->Kansas City---> Back to Seattle-->to Philly. I'm kinda confused to why this guy has been traveling. He's been a steady .287 hitter...he's hit over 20 homers and 100+ rbi's the past 3 seasons. Hmm.. Kinda fishy, but compared to his numbers last year in Rainy Seattle... to Greasy, windy and cold Philly...I'm looking at a 30/110 year. He's definitely off to a great start. 8 wing dingers, 21 rbi's and a ridiculously looking .344 BA. Also he averages 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 rbi a game. Pretty awesome. Not many people can say that.
Also...he's Triple Crownin' too. He's top 5 in every category. Watch out Pujols!
5. Evan Longoria(2) (TB/3B) Haven't seen this kid in 4 weeks on my blog. I didn't forget about him, he just was bland at the time, but he stayed consistent and currently leading the major leagues in "batting in mates"(30). He's only played 24 games. C'Mon!. He really doesn't care about his numbers. He cares about his team performance. True American Hero! With a .365 batting average, and 7 dingers expect wonders. I just don't know how the Tampa Bay Rays are in 4th place.
Honorable Mention:
Ryan Zimmerman (WAS/3B). I mentioned this guy earlier. It's funny that he isn't on my slugger list, but when you sign a contract or at least an extension
and you get paid that day you should produce.....Besides Adam Dunn hitting 40 HR's in Washington..... This guy is the next best thing and the face of the franchise through 2013. The Nationals are looking to rebuild, and why not build around a guy that's on a 22 game hitting streak. He's shown nothing but promising stuff.... Including "Web Gems" (trademark of Baseball Tonight®). I hope he keeps the streak alive. You should hope too.
It's breakout time. It's funny because All-Star balloting starts on June 6th. Pitchers are really getting their act together. And thank God with revenue sharing in the majors, every team is finally focused on building a team with great pitching. Like I said earlier with the Nationals making a huge move.
My Top 5 Pitchers
1. Dan Haren(ARI). I knew this stud was going to make this list sometime, better late than never. With All-Star ace Brandon Webb(SP) out on the disabled list, Mr. Haren had to step up and take that role. Dan's past four seasons have been nothing but perfect. 14+ wins and 160+ strikeouts in each of them and in the past 2 years he has appeared in both All-Star games. Dan started the 2009 season off to a shaky start. But don't put any blame on him at all. His first 3 starts against the Rockies, Dodgers and Giants. He gave up a total of 4 earned runs. In those starts he lost all 3 games...3-0(COL 7 innings pitched 3 hits. He gave up one HR), 3-1(LAD 6 innings pitched. 4 hits 2 runs), 2-0(SF 5 hits. 1 earned run). Obviously, He's got great stuff. He just needs run production. His last 3 starts have been literally perfect. In the past 24 innings against the Rockies, Cubs, and Brewers...he has given up 3 earned runs. 2 of them were home runs. In those past 3 games he posted 3 wins, a 1.46 ERA, with 30 strikeouts.
2. Zack Greinke(4)(KC)- You can't say too much about this kid, but he has officially given up his first 'earned runs'...... Against Toronto(4/29). Too bad that the Royals gave him 11 runs to work with. But all-in all. 7 innings pitched he gave 5 hits and 2 walks. Big Deal! (joking). Monday, Zack was nothing but flawless in his outing against the White Sox....he had a complete game, 6-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Now with a 6-0 record, he has a .40 ERA and 54 strikeouts. Impressive. All-Star lock? I sure hope so. It would be nice to see a Royal on the mound.
3. Frank Francisco(TEX/CP)- Meet Mr. Francisco. He's been with the Rangers for 4 years making the transition from starting pitcher to reliever. And now in his 5th year, he's making the transition from reliever to closer. And what a job he has done. Through 11 games, he has pitched 11.2 innings...Check this out. 7 saves, 1 win, 10 strikeouts, no earned runs... 5 hits, and 1 walk. C'Mon.
4. Johan Santana(4) (NYM)- 2 words. Persistent and Relentless. 44 strikeouts through 32 innnings. He's only given up 6 runs, 4 of them earned. He has a 5-0 record win a 1.10 ERA. Ridiculous
5. Heath Bell(2)(SD)- Hell's Bell's Version 2.0. Start it up, Close em' down
8 saves thorough 8.2 innings, 9 walks, 0 earned runs. 0.00 ERA. Future Stud
Honorable Mention:
Chad Billingsley(LAD): I kinda feel bad he's not in my top 5,....I want him to be there. This guy has great stuff. Now with Kershaw coming back to normal, the Dodgers have a one-two punch. 5-0, 2.21 ERA, 44 strikeouts
Who's Hot/Who's Not
Hot (NL/AL)
The Los Angeles Dodgers- No Doubt... The hottest team in baseball. 11-0 at home and 8-8 on the road. They lead the National League in run production with 148. And I listened to Tim Kurkjian (Baseball Tonight/ESPN Writer) this morning and I heard him say they're on pace to score 880 runs which is ridiculous. Every opponent they play they crush. And now with a dominant pitching staff and a fired up Manny. This team will win the division. Through 27 games they have a run differential of +46 and a 5.5 game lead in the NL West. That's just 1st-2nd.
Toronto Blue Jays- When you score the most runs in the league, and have a team batting average of .293...you should be the best team in your division. The Jays are making a huge statement not only in the division, but in the league. It shows that loading up and spending a lot of money is not how you win division titles. I hope they keep playing well. I also like their one-two punch.... Pitchers Roy Halladay and Scott Richmond. Together they are 9-1 with a 3.17 ERA. One of them will be an All-Star... I just can't wait to find out which one.
Not (AL/NL)
Baltimore Orioles-Fun Story: Every run that scores in major league baseball I get a text message. And when I see a Baltimore text message. The only names I see is something that Outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones have done..... either they're knocking in a run or scoring a run. They can't win games by themselves.
Houston Astros- To get this team back to their winning ways....and lets not forget...they were in the World Series not too long ago.(2005). They have get their pitching in order. Roy Oswalt has to find his stuff. Maybe it's his age showing. But this team has no excuse for playing poorly. Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez is playing steady and Lee, Pence, Bourn and Berkman are swinging but not at a wild-card berth level. They need to get on a roll before Chicago and St. Louis rip it up in the NL Central. Don't forget about the Reds and Pirates. You can forget the Brewers doing it again. That would make me feel uneasy.
My Surprises:
New York Yankees: Monday's 6-4 loss to Red Sox was the Yankees 4th straight loss against them. If I'm wrong, and I might be, but that hasn't happened since you know when. And being a Yankee fan, that scares me. Besides that: I heard this fun fact yesterday. Yankee Satdium has the most home runs 'launched' in a 10-day start to any new stadium in baseball history. And with the welcoming of A-Rod, hopefully on friday, that new billion dollar stadium should have more dents...not only in the stadium but in the history books.
My Top 5 Sluggers
1. Carlos Pena(3)(TB 1B)- Last week I question myself about putting Carlos on my page. But obviously he has been hitting the ball well. This week, he has improved his batting average 17 points, hit 2 extra dingers, and brought in 4 mates. Hitting 11 home runs in 26 games..... Is ridiculous. MVP type stuff. I feel bad because last week I didn't believe in this kid's power. And honestly, I still don't (lol). His team is struggling...but coming around the bend. Having Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford pumps this kid up to hit the baseball well as long as they are doing their jobs. I expect a 45/115 (hr/rbi) season out of this guy.
2. Albert Pujols(4)(STL/1B). Being Honest, Because I could get in a lot of trouble by being biased. Albert had better numbers than Carlos this week. But not by much. The only reason he's not number one is because the past couple of weeks.... St. Louis Cardinal players have had the top spot. Funny thing is I'm not a Cardinal fan. But Albert's week has been phenomenal...improving his batting average 23 points. That's impressive. It's May People! This is strange! Batting Averages should be coming down! Why are they at the Ted Williams level of .349-.407. Albert's week consisted of again 2 homers and 4 rbi's and 20 plus bases...yes bases is a stat. Improving his overall season numbers to 9hr, 29 rbi's (league leading) with a .344 batting average. Can you say "Triple Crown"? Or am I being pushy. And I'm not talking about Horse Racing. There is a good reason why they call him "The Machine". Robot Status? Not Yet
3. Ian Kinsler(3)(TEX/2B)- "Big Kinsler" I'm telling you his power...is astonishing. His first at bat in the CWS/TEX series on Friday. I was texting a friend(who was at the game) and I said, watch him punish the ball. Bottom of the first he comes up and I swear I heard the baseball cry.....And I was tearing up too, because you shouldn't be doing bad things to baseballs(yeah sorry). His power is a mixture of Jason Giambi and Mark McGwire. He sees a pitch and thinks meatball. And you can blame the pitchers because if you're throwing a 'breaking ball' and you let it hang in the air instead it actually breaking....it's just like a batting practice fastball and I never believed that until I saw Bronson Arroyo pitch.Back to Kinsler: This week, he lost some percentage points in his batting average pushing him to a whopping .321 (still consistent). But just like the rest...2 homers, 5 rbi's. Typical Kinsler week. (Lol).
4. Raul Ibanez (PHI/LF). His MLB service: 13 years. Seattle--->Kansas City---> Back to Seattle-->to Philly. I'm kinda confused to why this guy has been traveling. He's been a steady .287 hitter...he's hit over 20 homers and 100+ rbi's the past 3 seasons. Hmm.. Kinda fishy, but compared to his numbers last year in Rainy Seattle... to Greasy, windy and cold Philly...I'm looking at a 30/110 year. He's definitely off to a great start. 8 wing dingers, 21 rbi's and a ridiculously looking .344 BA. Also he averages 1 hit, 1 run, and 1 rbi a game. Pretty awesome. Not many people can say that.Also...he's Triple Crownin' too. He's top 5 in every category. Watch out Pujols!
5. Evan Longoria(2) (TB/3B) Haven't seen this kid in 4 weeks on my blog. I didn't forget about him, he just was bland at the time, but he stayed consistent and currently leading the major leagues in "batting in mates"(30). He's only played 24 games. C'Mon!. He really doesn't care about his numbers. He cares about his team performance. True American Hero! With a .365 batting average, and 7 dingers expect wonders. I just don't know how the Tampa Bay Rays are in 4th place.Honorable Mention:
Ryan Zimmerman (WAS/3B). I mentioned this guy earlier. It's funny that he isn't on my slugger list, but when you sign a contract or at least an extensionand you get paid that day you should produce.....Besides Adam Dunn hitting 40 HR's in Washington..... This guy is the next best thing and the face of the franchise through 2013. The Nationals are looking to rebuild, and why not build around a guy that's on a 22 game hitting streak. He's shown nothing but promising stuff.... Including "Web Gems" (trademark of Baseball Tonight®). I hope he keeps the streak alive. You should hope too.
It's breakout time. It's funny because All-Star balloting starts on June 6th. Pitchers are really getting their act together. And thank God with revenue sharing in the majors, every team is finally focused on building a team with great pitching. Like I said earlier with the Nationals making a huge move.My Top 5 Pitchers
1. Dan Haren(ARI). I knew this stud was going to make this list sometime, better late than never. With All-Star ace Brandon Webb(SP) out on the disabled list, Mr. Haren had to step up and take that role. Dan's past four seasons have been nothing but perfect. 14+ wins and 160+ strikeouts in each of them and in the past 2 years he has appeared in both All-Star games. Dan started the 2009 season off to a shaky start. But don't put any blame on him at all. His first 3 starts against the Rockies, Dodgers and Giants. He gave up a total of 4 earned runs. In those starts he lost all 3 games...3-0(COL 7 innings pitched 3 hits. He gave up one HR), 3-1(LAD 6 innings pitched. 4 hits 2 runs), 2-0(SF 5 hits. 1 earned run). Obviously, He's got great stuff. He just needs run production. His last 3 starts have been literally perfect. In the past 24 innings against the Rockies, Cubs, and Brewers...he has given up 3 earned runs. 2 of them were home runs. In those past 3 games he posted 3 wins, a 1.46 ERA, with 30 strikeouts.
2. Zack Greinke(4)(KC)- You can't say too much about this kid, but he has officially given up his first 'earned runs'...... Against Toronto(4/29). Too bad that the Royals gave him 11 runs to work with. But all-in all. 7 innings pitched he gave 5 hits and 2 walks. Big Deal! (joking). Monday, Zack was nothing but flawless in his outing against the White Sox....he had a complete game, 6-hitter with 10 strikeouts. Now with a 6-0 record, he has a .40 ERA and 54 strikeouts. Impressive. All-Star lock? I sure hope so. It would be nice to see a Royal on the mound.
3. Frank Francisco(TEX/CP)- Meet Mr. Francisco. He's been with the Rangers for 4 years making the transition from starting pitcher to reliever. And now in his 5th year, he's making the transition from reliever to closer. And what a job he has done. Through 11 games, he has pitched 11.2 innings...Check this out. 7 saves, 1 win, 10 strikeouts, no earned runs... 5 hits, and 1 walk. C'Mon.
4. Johan Santana(4) (NYM)- 2 words. Persistent and Relentless. 44 strikeouts through 32 innnings. He's only given up 6 runs, 4 of them earned. He has a 5-0 record win a 1.10 ERA. Ridiculous
5. Heath Bell(2)(SD)- Hell's Bell's Version 2.0. Start it up, Close em' down8 saves thorough 8.2 innings, 9 walks, 0 earned runs. 0.00 ERA. Future Stud
Honorable Mention:
Chad Billingsley(LAD): I kinda feel bad he's not in my top 5,....I want him to be there. This guy has great stuff. Now with Kershaw coming back to normal, the Dodgers have a one-two punch. 5-0, 2.21 ERA, 44 strikeoutsWho's Hot/Who's Not
Hot (NL/AL)
The Los Angeles Dodgers- No Doubt... The hottest team in baseball. 11-0 at home and 8-8 on the road. They lead the National League in run production with 148. And I listened to Tim Kurkjian (Baseball Tonight/ESPN Writer) this morning and I heard him say they're on pace to score 880 runs which is ridiculous. Every opponent they play they crush. And now with a dominant pitching staff and a fired up Manny. This team will win the division. Through 27 games they have a run differential of +46 and a 5.5 game lead in the NL West. That's just 1st-2nd.
Toronto Blue Jays- When you score the most runs in the league, and have a team batting average of .293...you should be the best team in your division. The Jays are making a huge statement not only in the division, but in the league. It shows that loading up and spending a lot of money is not how you win division titles. I hope they keep playing well. I also like their one-two punch.... Pitchers Roy Halladay and Scott Richmond. Together they are 9-1 with a 3.17 ERA. One of them will be an All-Star... I just can't wait to find out which one.Not (AL/NL)
Baltimore Orioles-Fun Story: Every run that scores in major league baseball I get a text message. And when I see a Baltimore text message. The only names I see is something that Outfielders Nick Markakis and Adam Jones have done..... either they're knocking in a run or scoring a run. They can't win games by themselves.
Houston Astros- To get this team back to their winning ways....and lets not forget...they were in the World Series not too long ago.(2005). They have get their pitching in order. Roy Oswalt has to find his stuff. Maybe it's his age showing. But this team has no excuse for playing poorly. Pitcher Wandy Rodriguez is playing steady and Lee, Pence, Bourn and Berkman are swinging but not at a wild-card berth level. They need to get on a roll before Chicago and St. Louis rip it up in the NL Central. Don't forget about the Reds and Pirates. You can forget the Brewers doing it again. That would make me feel uneasy.My Surprises:
New York Yankees: Monday's 6-4 loss to Red Sox was the Yankees 4th straight loss against them. If I'm wrong, and I might be, but that hasn't happened since you know when. And being a Yankee fan, that scares me. Besides that: I heard this fun fact yesterday. Yankee Satdium has the most home runs 'launched' in a 10-day start to any new stadium in baseball history. And with the welcoming of A-Rod, hopefully on friday, that new billion dollar stadium should have more dents...not only in the stadium but in the history books. 
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