2012 World Series Champions

The San Francisco Giants finished off the Detroit Tigers last night at Comerica Park on their way to a 4-0 series sweep and have captured their second title in three seasons.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

September 26th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

Well the PP's aren't really premature anymore. Teams have seven or eight games left and four of five playoff spots have been decided in the NL. The AL doesn't have a clincher yet but things look to be pretty stagnant, aside from the Central.

American League

The only change this week is the Orioles are now into the ALDS after defeating the A's in the one gamer. The O's have just been playing better baseball right now. The change subsequently bumps the Tigers into a series with the Yankees. I considered putting the Tigers through but for this week I'll leave the Yankees there. Next week (the final week) I may change my mind.

National League

As mentioned the NL Playoff Bracket is 80% filled. We know the Nationals and Braves have locked up playoff spots in the East (the Braves could mathematically still chase down the Nats for the division). The Reds are the Champs in the Central. The Giants are the Champs of the West. The only thing left to be decided is the new Wild Card Spot where the Cardinals currently hold a 4.5 game edge. Seems pretty reasonable to assume they'll end up winning that spot. The biggest remaining question is who will be the NL's best? The Nats and Reds have an identical record (93-61).

World Series

Again, no changes. Five straight weeks I've taken the Reds over Rangers in 7.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

September 18th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

American League

The AL is losing some of the intrigue it had a few weeks back. It's looking more and more like the A's and Orioles will end up in the Wild Card spots battling for a place in the ALDS. It continues to amaze me that both of these teams are surviving September. There's still time but I'm now a believer in both of them. I haven't been for five and a half months but with a mere 15 and 16 games left it's time to give these teams their due.

The A's are the only change this week in the AL. They push out the Rays who have dropped 6 of 7 to fall 5 games back with 15 to play. The A's will also win the one gamer against the Orioles which pushes the Tigers into the series with the Rangers. The A's have, so far, survived a brutal September and if they hold on into next week I may give them the nod over the Yankees in the ALDS. I can't do it yet, but I may.

Despite the Tigers sitting 3 games back of the White Sox I continue to give them the nod in the Central. My reasoning is simple: the Tigers are the better team. No what the records indicate the Tigers are better. Believe it. However easing my decision is the schedule for both teams. The Tigers do battle the A's this week which will be tough. After those three games though the Tigers finish with six against the Twins and seven against the Royals. The White Sox still need to make a trip out west to play the Angels and still have a series against the Rays. Both teams are fighting for their lives which could make a challenging few games for the Sox.

National League

There a lot of teams suddenly in the race in the NL Wild Card prompting many to complain about the second Wild Card rewarding mediocrity (I voiced my opinion on that here). However nothing has changed for the second straight week in my NL bracket.

The Braves are locked into the first WC 7.5 up on the Cardinals who hold the second spot. Throwing their names into contention are the Dodgers (-1.0), Pirates (-2.5), Brewers (-2.5), Phillies (-3.5), Diamondbacks (-4.5) and even the Padres have made a run (-6).

Despite all the new teams who have a realistic shot I still think it's down to two teams: Cardinals and Dodgers. For the Dodgers sake they better win the WC after their addition of $250 million + in salary from the Red Sox a few weeks ago. I don't think they will though.

The Dodgers have a tough schedule to close out. They have a series against each of the NL Divisional leaders (Nationals, Reds and Giants). They also play the Padres who, as mentioned, are suddenly in "contention" themselves. The easiest series they have remaining is against the Rockies.

The Cardinals however nine games remaining against AL Central cellar dwellers in the Astros and Cubs. They do play the Nats and Reds as well to be fair. However those nine "easy" games give the defending champs the leg up.

World Series

My prediction remains unchanged, yet again. I know boring.

Reds over Rangers in 7.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

September 10th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

American League

How about the American League. There are four teams (A's, Orioles, Rays and Angels) all within two and a half games of the two Wild Card spots. It's conceivable that there could be a three, or even four, way tie for the Wild Card. That would definitely add some excitement to the already artificially created excitement of the one game playoff.

Currently the A's hold the top spot (1.5 up on the Orioles) and were a part of last week's bracket. Unfortunately for them, despite their current lead, they've been dropped in this week's bracket in favor of the Rays. The reason is simple, the A's have a very tough schedule the rest of the way. Their remaining games come against the Angels (4), Rangers (7), Orioles (3), Tigers (3), Yankees (3) and Mariners (3). The weakest team on that list is the Mariners ... and even they've been playing pretty good baseball since the All-Star Break. The other three teams in the Wild Card battle have much easier schedules. The Rays have nine games against the Blue Jays and Red Sox while the Orioles have 10 games against those same teams. The Angels have a similar schedule to the A's but they get a bit of a break in playing the Royals for three.

The Rays enter the bracket as the second WC and win the one gamer against division rival Orioles. Because the Rays are the new team into the ALDS the Rays face off against the top team in the AL (Rangers) and bump the Tigers down to face the Yankees.

My justification for continuing to leave the Tigers in as the division winners in the Central is their easier schedule down the stretch. They have 16 games against the Indians, Twins and Royals. They also play four against the team they are chasing, the White Sox, and also battle the A's. The White Sox meanwhile play the Angels and Rays in addition to the Tigers. 

National League

The NL is much more boring in comparison. The only change is the Nationals retaking 1st place in the NL back from the Reds.

World Series

The World Series also remains the same, Reds over Rangers in 7.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

September 2nd - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

American League

CHANGES! CHANGES GLORE!

That's right folks there's a whole slew of new teams in the PP's! It's September and we are inching ever closer to October Baseball and it is getting harder and harder to deny certain teams (cough, Orioles) a spot in the bracket. So I've caved and the Orioles are making their first appearance on the PP's. You know this can only mean one thing ... they'll now collapse.

Also around the American League the A's have jumped into the second Wild Card spot. They've been out for three weeks but have returned. Their play never really dropped off and they were never that far out. I just figured other teams were capable of chasing them down (I'm looking at you, Angels). But once again, just like the O's, their presence can no longer be ignored.

Another change in the bracket has seen the Tigers move out of a Wild Card spot and into the AL Central Division winners spot. The Tigers have been in the bracket five of seven weeks but this is the first time since July 28th they've been in as the division winner.

As such the White Sox had to be bumped. They've been in the bracket as the AL Central winners for five straight weeks. Also bumped were the Tampa Bay Rays. They've cooled off recently and find themselves 1.5 back in the WC.

No changes in the winners of the ALDS as the Yankees and Rangers are still the toast of the AL.

National League

CHANGES!

Not quite as many as the AL but there has been some notable movement in the NL as well.

First off I have to apologize to the Cincinnati Reds. I've had them in the World Series six of seven weeks but have always had them second in the NL to the Nationals. That changes this week for the first time. It's something I may have overlooked or it may have been something I did deliberately. Either way looking at it I couldn't believe that I had never put the Reds on top of the NL. That has been corrected and the Nationals have lost their top spot for the first time. Now on to the rest of the PP's.

Welcome back to the San Fransisco Giants. Their two week absence was in large part because of the Melky Cabrera suspension and the Dodgers massive trade. However they currently find themselves 4.5 games up on those same Dodgers and as such make their return.

The rest of the NL Bracket remains the same save for the Nationals once again pushing through to the NLCS. I'm sorry I got a little excited last week with the Dodgers trade and in that excitement I pushed them in the NLCS instead of the Nationals ... my apologies.

World Series

NO CHANGES!

I guess that's not nearly as exciting as changes.

Reds over Rangers in 7, still.

Melky Cabrera in More Hot Water

If things weren't bad enough for Giants OF Melky Cabrera after being suspended for 50 games for testing positive for testosterone the NY Daily News has uncovered some interesting "facts". It just adds fuel to the already burning fire.

Allegedly Cabrera had a consultant who works with his agents set up a fake website for a product to somehow support his claim that he inadvertently took the substance which lead to his suspension.

MLB quickly realized what was happening and didn't fall for the fake site. Allegedly this took place in July during the fact-finding stage of the case.

Federal investigators now seem to be interested in the case.

Uh oh Melky. That big fat free agent check just keeps shrinking, don't it?

Melky Cabrera Suspended 50 Games

San Francisco Giants OF Melky Cabrera has been suspended by MLB for violating the leagues Performance Enhancing Drug Policy.

Cabrera has this to say, "my positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I am deeply sorry for my mistake."

As the Giants have 45 games remaining in the regular season Cabrera will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season. He'll also miss the beginning of the playoffs, assuming the Giants make the postseason.

The suspension comes as a significant blow to a Giants offense that had struggled for most of the season (although since the All-Star Break they do lead the NL in runs per game).

The Giants are currently tied for the NL West lead with the L.A. Dodgers. 

Melky has a career .752 OPS so his .902 line this season could certainly have raised some suspicions around the league.

Note: At the time of his suspension Cabrera was leading the NL in Hits (159) and was second in average (.346). His .906 OPS was good enough for 8th in the NL.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

August 12th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

American League

Some change, albeit only one new team, but it causes a change in the bracket. The Tampa Bay Rays are making their first appearance on the PP's this season. They've been playing well of late and have surged into a tie for the WC lead. They're a team that was expected to compete for a playoff spot prior to the beginning of the season and now in mid-August they appear to be there. The victims of the Rays being promoted are the Angels. Two weeks ago I had the Angels in the World Series and now I don't even have them playing in the 1-game WC Playoff. Things change quick.

Just like last week I still have the Rangers representing the AL. Despite the fact they have a new opponent (the Rays as opposed to the White Sox) in the first round I still think they are the team to beat in the AL. The Yankees manage to get past the White Sox.

The A's still cling to a spot in the bracket but I fear that could change in the coming weeks.

National League

Or should I say the "Nationals League" ... haha (blank stare). Yes bad joke but that's how things are shaping up. For the first time since I created the PP's a mere 3 weeks ago the Cincinnati Reds are not the NL representative in the World Series. The Nationals strong play as of late necessitated the change.

Nothing else changed in the NL bracket however I should mention I did seriously consider swapping the Pirates and the defending Champ Cardinals. For this week I'll leave the Pirates in the second WC but I'm predicting that spot could change quite a bit over the final seven weeks of the season.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

August 4th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

American League

I've been losing faith in the Angels for the last few weeks but continued to give them the benefit of the doubt. No more. My World Series representative in the AL is now going to be bounced from the playoffs in the ALDS by the Yankees. I still think the Angels will end up winning one of the two Wild Card spots and manage to secure a victory in that matchup.

It was hard for me to choose who to take in the AL after bumping the Angels. I don't think the Yankees are strong enough to make the World Series but I also fear how difficult it might be for the Rangers to make their third straight.

I left the Tigers in last week despite falling out of the lead in the AL Central. They still haven't climbed back into the lead and as such I had to bring back the White Sox as the division winners there.

National League

The National League hasn't seen any changes this week. I'm convinced the Giants and Dodgers are going to battle it out for the remainder of the season in the West. For now I will give the Giants the nod but I feel like the Dodgers will be in that spot sooner rather than later. The NL is suddenly looking like the stronger league with the likes of the Reds, Nationals and Braves all in playoff contention. Even the Pirates look like they could make noise this season.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

July 28th - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

There hasn't been a whole lot of change in the Prognostications this week, except for the addition of the Oakland A's and the subtraction of the Chicago White Sox.

American League

The A's get in on the strength of their play lately (11-2 since the All-Star Break) and take over from the Pirates as the uber-sexy pick of the week.

The Tigers on the other hand move from one of the Wild Card spots last week and into the AL Central Divsion winners spot. They swept the White Sox last weekend to reclaim the division lead (a lead they've since let slip away). However the acquisition of Anibal Sanchez from the Marlins should provide a welcome boost to the starting rotation. In the long run they're just a better team than the White Sox.

I'd love to pick the A's to advance past the Angels in the 1 gamer but I can't. The Angels were a better team before acquiring Greinke on Friday night, now they're even tougher. Both of those teams in the West are putting serious pressure on the Rangers up top. The Rangers lead has shrunk to 4 games.

National League

On the senior circuit the bracket looks the exact same. Kudos to the Reds for playing such great baseball without Joey Votto (and kudos to me for putting them into the World Series last week). The Reds have won 8 straight games and are suddenly tied with the Nationals for the best record in the NL (and only one game back of the Yankees for best record in baseball).

The Dodgers, although they didn't make the list this week could soon find themselves changing places with the Giants. It really depends on how well the Hanley Ramirez trade works out. The Dodgers would be in an even greater position to leapfrog the Giants if they got Ryan Dempster in the coming days. For now though the Giants remain the winners of the West.

Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

July 21st - Premature Prognostications: October Baseball

Each week leading up to the MLB Playoffs we'll predict who will advance just to see how much things change over the course of the season. There is no method to the madness just sheer, extremely early, predictions.

American League

The best two teams right now are the Yankees and the Rangers. I don't see that changing much throughout the rest of the season. I think both of those teams will finish 1-2 in the American League. However I worry they'll slip up once there. The Yankees are an old team and the rigors of a 162 game schedule will begin to wear upon them. The Rangers however are still strong enough to advance to the ALCS. Making three straight World Series' though, seems nearly impossible in this day and age. The White Sox will hold off the Tigers in the Central, although that could change very soon. The Tigers will take one of the two Wildcards but lose the one game playoff to the Angels. I like the Angels very much this season. With some additions at the deadline I think they could be the teams to beat this season in the AL. Hence I have them advancing to the World Series.

I would have loved to include both the Red Sox and A's but I just couldn't bring myself to putting either of them in over the likes of the Angels and Tigers. 

National League

The Nationals better figure out something with Stephen Strasburg. Cutting him off at 160 IP will mean his season will be over at the beginning of September (ish). I understand you don't want to risk long-term injury to their ace but imagine making the playoffs and telling him he can't pitch? It's going to be tough. They do have enough pitching to win the division though and should secure the top spot in the NL. I think the Giants and Reds will survive battles within their respective divisions. The Braves are starting to play really well and look like they could provide the Nationals a serious threat in the East. I like the Pirates too much to not pick them to make the playoffs. However it will be as one of the Wildcards and they'll lose to the stronger Braves. I don't really see a strong team in the NL like I do in the AL. The Nationals would be my World Series pick if Strasburg was available. I think it becomes a real toss up. For now I'll take the Reds to advance to the World Series, but they could definitely use some pitching help.

The Dodgers are just not good enough to beat the Giants. Tim Lincecum has started to turn things around and that makes the Giants even more formidable. I don't think many other teams have a legitimate shot at the playoffs.

All-Star Break Awards

Alright so there won't be any meaningful baseball for 5 days (don't try to feed me the "All-Star game has meaning" speech, who are you, Bud Selig?). As we've reached the mid-ish point of the season let's look back on the first half and give out some hardware, shall we?

AL Rookie of the Year

L.A Angels OF Mike Trout

Mike Trout, OF L.A. Angels. Plain and simple. Since the 20 year old was called up from AAA Salt Lake on April 28th all he's done is hit and all the Angels have done is win. Since Trout's arrival the Angels are 42-24 (they were 6-14 before). Some might argue that the Angels rise also coincided with Albert Pujols finding his stride at the plate and while that may also be true you can't take anything away from Trout. He leads all qualified MLB Rookies in, virtually, every major category. He's been the Angels lead-off hitter in all but one game and has done everything you could possibly ask for. He is 3rd in all of baseball with a 9.12 Runs Created/27 outs (behind only Joey Votto and Andrew McCutcheon). He owns an OBP of nearly .400 (.397) and ranks 2nd in all of MLB with 26 SB (and has only been caught 3 times). Before Trout's promotion the great Albert Pujols had only driven in 4 runs, yes 4, in 20 games. Since that time Pujols has driven in 47 runs in 65 games. Is Mike Trout the only reason the Angels are winning games? No. Is he a large part of it? Absolutely.

Runner-up: Yu Darvish, SP Texas Rangers

NL Rookie of the Year

Arizona SP Wade Miley

Wade Miley, SP Arizona Diamondbacks. Many people will likely tab Bryce Harper for this award which makes a lot of sense. The Nationals are currently a playoff team and the DBacks are not. Harper is getting a ton of media attention and Miley is not. However the Nationals were winning baseball games before the arrival of the phenom Harper. Whereas Miley has been the most consistent and best starting pitcher on a .500 team. He has more wins, has a lower ERA, WHIP and BAA than any of the other starters for the DBacks and that list includes Ian Kennedy who finished 4th in Cy Young voting in 2011. Miley started the season in the bullpen but after making his first start of the season on April 23rd has pitched into the 6th inning in 13 of 14 starts. He's allowed 3 runs or less in 10 of his 14 starts including a stretch of 4 straight starts only allowing 1 run. The Diamondbacks find themselves a mere 4 games out in the NL West. If Miley can have a strong 2nd Half and push them towards the playoffs he'll get much greater consideration for this award.

Runner-up: Bryce Harper, OF Washington Nationals

AL Cy Young

L.A. Angels SP Jered Weaver

This is a tough one. Through the first half of the season the AL has seen a number of pitchers lay an early claim to this award. The candidate that stands out the most though is another L.A. Angel in Jered Weaver. Despite missing nearly a month of the season Weaver continues to pace MLB in ERA (1.96) and WHIP (0.90). Weaver also has a no-hitter to his name this season after accomplishing the feat against the Minnesota Twins on May 2. In almost half of his starts (7 of 15) Weaver hasn't allowed a run (earned or unearned). In 10 of 15 starts he's only allowed 1 run or less. He's the ace of the Angels pitching staff and holds a 10-1 record. It's not difficult to see why his record is so good as Weaver doesn't rely on run support to get his victories, he does the job himself.

Runner up: Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers

NL Cy Young

Giants SP Matt Cain

Again just like the AL the NL has seen a number of worthy performances through the first half. It's a difficult choice but the NL Cy Young for the first half goes to Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants. Just like Weaver in the AL Matt Cain has a no-hitter to his name this season (although his was a Perfect Game). It was the first Perfect Game in Giants history (129 years) and only the 22nd in MLB history. Cain has been masterful all season when the Giants pitching staff has needed him most. Tim Lincecum has struggled horrendously and Cain has picked up the slack posting a 9-3 record with a 2.62 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. He's struck out 118 batters in 120.1 IP while only walking 24. Currently he ranks 6th in the NL in ERA, 2nd in WHIP, 4th in BAA, 4th in Ks and 2nd in IP. He trails 8 different pitchers in the NL for the lead in wins. Which begs the question why is Matt Cain the Cy Young winner in the first half? Because R.A. Dickey is the only other pitcher who can claim he's in the Top 5 of those stats. It really is a toss up between the two. Their teams hold an identical 46-40 heading into the break. The Perfect Game is really the difference right now.

Runner-up: R.A. Dickey, N.Y. Mets

AL Most Valuable Player

Rangers OF Josh Hamilton

Josh Hamilton ensures all the big AL Awards stay in the AL West. Hamilton takes the award on the strength of his bat. In 2010 he was the AL MVP after hitting .359/32/100 in 133 games. That season he posted an OPS of 1.044. In 2012 Hamilton has already eclipsed his HR total from 2011 (by 2) and is 5 shy of his 2010 season total. His OPS is a few points lower than his 2010 season (1.016). Barring any further injuries Hamilton once again has a realistic shot at a Triple Crown as he already leads in RBI and is tied for the lead in HR. He's clubbing a HR a MLB best once every 11.1 ABs for the two-time defending AL Champions. In May he became only the 16th player in MLB history to hit 4 HRs in one game. He does trail Mike Trout and David Ortiz in RC27 but his power totals should be enough to sway voters.

Runner-up: Mike Trout, OF L.A. Angels

NL Most Valuable Player

Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen

The 25 year old McCutchen's star continues to rise in relative obscurity in Pittsburgh. Although the Pirates strong season could change that very soon. McCutchen is the driving force of their offence leading the team in every important category. Like Josh Hamilton before him he could have a reasonable chance at a Triple Crown run. He leads the NL in AVG, and is third in RBI (5 behind). His HR total could be what holds him back as he is currently 6 behind 2011 MVP and NL leader Ryan Braun (who has 24). McCutchen trails only Joey Votto in RC27 in all of MLB (10.74-9.75). Without him its hard to imagine the Pirates would hold a one game lead over Votto's Reds in the NL Central at this point in the season. The surprising Pirates will need McCutchen to continue his strong season if they have hopes of making the playoffs. If he does and they do he'll be holding up an MVP trophy come the off-season.

Top Stories of the First Half

With the final weekend of baseball before the All-Star break upon us let's look back at the five most interesting stories to sweep through baseball, so far, in 2012.

R.A. Dickey

How could this man not be included? In October he will turn 38 and all he's done this season is dominate the NL like he's never done before. This is a guy who a few seasons ago not only couldn't hold down a job in a rotation but struggled to say in the Majors. He bounced between franchises (Texas, Seattle and Minnesota) before the Mets finally gave him a chance at being a full-time starter in 2010. His knuckleball seems to be mystifying hitters and has allowed him to notch, an MLB leading, 12 wins. He ranks third in ERA (2.40) and first in Ks (123) in the NL. He has more strikeouts than names like Kershaw, Strasburg and Cain. His WHIP sits at a very pretty 0.93 and leads all of baseball. On June 13th and 18th he tossed back-to-back 1 hitters. He's an early favorite for the NL Cy Young. Oh and before the season even began he released a book titled Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball. In the book he spoke about how he was sexually abused as a child. The man's overcome a lot to have, without a doubt, the best season of his career.

 No-Hitters, Perfect Games and Cycles

These feats are impressive during any season but 2012 has already seen its fair share of them. Chicago White Sox Phil Humber started us off by tossing a Perfect Game at Safeco Field versus the Seattle Mariners on April 21. Eleven days later on May 2nd Jered Weaver tossed a no-hitter against the Minnesota Twins. Just about a month after that (June 1) Johan Santana tossed the first ever no-hitter in the 50 year history of the N.Y. Mets. Exactly a week later six Seattle Mariners combined to no-hit the L.A. Dodgers. Then only 5 days later Matt Cain tossed the second perfect game of the season versus the Giants. 

Hitters haven't been outdone though as less than a week after Humber tossed his perfect game Scott Hairston of the Mets hit for the cycle. Then in June when there was a break from pitching feats Aaron Hill accomplished one of the more remarkable feats in MLB history. On June 18th Hill hit for the cycle against the Mariners (Seattle has been involved in a lot this season already). Twelve short days later Hill was at it again hitting for the cycle against the Milwaukee Brewers becoming only the 4th player in MLB history to hit two cycles in one season, the second since 1900 and the first since 1931. If Hill were to hit another cycle in the remaining three months of the season he'd not only become the first player ever to do it but he'd also be tied atop the list of career cycles (3). 

Cycles now outnumber no-hitters 293-272. What a season we're having already. 

Washington Nationals Rotation  

First things first the Nationals have only used 6 starters all season with Stephen Strasburg, Gio Gonzalez, Jordan Zimmerman and Edwin Jackson all making at least 16 starts (Ross Detwiler has made 12). Not only has the rotation stayed healthy though they've all performed. All five starters have an ERA that is lower than 3.74. Four of the five have WHIPs less than 1.16. If they continue at this pace it would be hard to imagine the Nationals not winning the NL East. They could use another bat or two in the lineup and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do at the deadline. Additionally the Nationals plan to limit Ace Stephen Strasburg's innings to 160. Hard to imagine how they'll accomplish that if the Nationals are in a playoff race. 

Here are all the starters numbers:
(W-L, ERA, WHIP, BAA, K, BB)
Strasburg - 9-4  2.82  1.10  .225  128  28
Gonzalez - 11-3  3.01  1.12  .195  112  39
Zimmerman - 5-6  2.70  1.15  .252  72  20
Jackson - 5-4  3.73  1.13  .228  76  30
Detwiler - 4-3  3.43  1.27  .249  55  26 

I'll take a 5th starter with a 3.43 ERA any day. 

Rookies  

The performance of various rookies all across MLB have caught the attention of fans and media alike. Angels Mike Trout is being hailed as the AL MVP by many. Rangers Yu Darvish hasn't been a complete flop as an import from the Japanese League and recently won the last chance vote for the AL All-Star team. Red Sox Will Middlebrooks has performed so well Boston was forced to trade fan favourite Kevin Youkilis to keep him on the field. Nationals Bryce Harper is one of the most highly touted prospects in years and at age 19 is having a solid season for the NL East leaders. Anthony Rizzo was just recently called up by the Cubs and has hit in virtually every game. Lance Lynn has moved from the Cardinals World Series winning bullpen to the rotation and all he's done is win 11 games. 

Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles

Isn't it nice to see someone else atop of the standings, especially two franchises that have struggled for so long. The Orioles haven't made the playoffs since 1997 while the Pirates haven't made the playoffs since 1992. 

The Orioles started out the season strong and have held their own in the AL East all season. Right now they sit at 45-38. That's good enough for 2nd place in the East 6 games back of the Yankees. 

The Pirates on the other hand have played well as of late and have surged into 1st in the NL Central. They currently sit at 46-37 and hold a 1 game lead over the Reds. 

With the added Wildcard this season both franchises will have a realistic chance at the playoffs if they can continue their strong play. It would be nice for baseball to have an infusion of new teams into the playoffs. At first I was against the additional Wildcard but it has certainly done its job. So many teams are in contention that normally wouldn't be. I'm glad to see Baltimore and Pittsburgh are two of those franchises. 

Imagine they faced off in the World Series? I bet no one would have predicted that in Spring. 

That's almost it for the first half, let's hope the second half is just as interesting.

MLB Uniform Policy ... Or Lack There Of

This is something that has been bothering me for quite some time. I decided someone else needed to hear about it. Why does MLB allow teams to have 4 uniforms? It actually drives me crazy as it seems so unnecessary. I get that it's an extra jersey that you can charge fans $100+ (US) for and that's a nice added revenue stream, but come on, isn't three enough? Don't think other league's are exempt either, I hate when NFL teams do it as well.

The whole idea to complain about this came recently when I was watching the Red Sox. They were wearing their alternate navy blue unis. I hate those shirts. They look like they belong in batting practice. Now I like the home whites, the road greys, and the alternate reds that the Sox wear. Three jerseys. That's enough. Even though I don't like the navy blue tops I'd be happy if they eliminated the red jersey then. Stick to three, please.

I just like the classic look. I hate the Yankees but I respect the fact that they only wear their pinstripes at home and their greys on the road. I find some sort of peace in knowing what they'll be wearing. If they added a third jersey to their rotation it just wouldn't feel right. What colour would it be, black? No, thanks. Imagine if they added two jersey's. A black one and a slightly off colour grey. Mmmm appealing.

Fans will buy your jerseys even if you only have three, I'm pretty sure. The Red Sox especially do not need that added revenue stream.

Before I go any further I should note that I am fine with throwback jersey's that teams wear once or even a few times a season. That's alright. A regular second alternate, or fourth uniform though, not cool.

Here are the teams that are guilty of HAVING TOO MANY JERSEYS:

AL
A's (white, grey, green, yellow)
Indians (white, off-white, grey, navy blue)
Mariners (white, grey, navy blue, green-ish)
Orioles (white, grey, orange, black)
Rangers (white, grey, red, blue)
Rays (white, grey, light blue, dark blue)
Red Sox (white, grey, red, navy blue)
Royals (white, grey, light blue, blue)
Twins (white, off-white, grey, navy blue x2)

NL
Astros (white, pinstripe white, grey, red)
Braves (white, off-white, grey, red, navy blue)
Brewers (white, pinstripe white, grey, navy blue x2)
Diamondbacks (white, grey, red, black)
Giants (white, grey x2, orange)
Marlins (white, grey, orange, black)
Mets (white, pinstripe white, grey, black)
Nationals (white, grey, red, navy blue)
Padres (white, grey, navy blue, camouflage)
Rockies (white, grey, black, purple)

That's 19. Yes ONE-NINE teams that have, at least, 4 jerseys they regularly wear. It's ridiculous.

I just don't get it. Why do you need a white jersey and an off-white jersey? Why do you need a jersey that's the same colour but has two different logos on it? The answer? YOU DON'T!!!

I wish MLB would step in and put a stop to this ridiculousness. I'm going to pick on a few teams in particular because they're uni's are just plain stupid.

Tampa Bay Rays - do you really need two different colour blues? Come on pick one, stick to it.

Minnesota Twins - hey you have two navy blue jerseys. One says Minnesota and the other says Twins. I don't think we could have figured out who you are so I'm glad you have options on your alternates depending on whether you are home or away. You have five, yes five, jerseys. Two are the same colour and two are some sort of white. Give me a break.

Milwaukee Brewers - You are guilty of the same offence as Minnesota. Two navy blues. Come on now. I will give you some credit for your throwback, pinstripe, white jersey, though. It's a beaut.

San Fransisco Giants - You might be guilty of the stupidest jersey offence. Who has two road grey's? You just introduced the grey with "SF" over the left chest. Let's hope you dump it after the one season.

Miami Marlins - I just hate your new uniforms and logos. Go back to Florida.

Padres - Camouflage, really? If it's a tribute jersey that's cool, but an everyday alternate? FAIL.

Now on the other hand I would like to give some major credit to the Cardinals, Dodgers, Tigers and Yankees. Historical teams remaining true to their roots. One home white and one road grey. Classic looks. A+.

Also the follow teams just run with three unis. Angels, Blue Jays, White Sox, Cubs, Phillies (even though you have two whites), Pirates and Reds. Good work, I'll still give you an A.

It's never going to happen - a rule against how many uniforms you can have - but now I feel better for having ranted about it. 

Matt Cain is Perfect

Perfection. It had only been done 21 times in Major League history before Matt Cain toed the bump on Wednesday June 13, 2012. By the time Matt Cain's night was done that number was at 22. A perfect game. One of the rarest feats in Major League Baseball has been achieved for the 2nd time in 2012 (Phil Humber of the White Sox threw one on April 21).

Cain's final line was remarkable. 9 IP 125 pitches (86 for strikes, 68.8%) and 14 Ks. It was the first Perfect Game in San Francisco Giants history hard to believe considering the franchise has been around since 1883 and had 13 previous no-hitter's before tonight. The 14 Ks tied Cain with Sandy Koufax for the most ever in a Perfect Game.

Watch the last out here

Cain had previously thrown a 2 hitter and a 1 hitter this season already.

This one wasn't entirely easy. Cain got some help from his defence with two great catches in the outfield. Watch them below.

Blanco's catch
Cabrera's catch

Being the 2nd Perfect Game of 2012 marks another rare feat. Only twice before have there been two Perfect Games in one season, 1880 and 2010. There has never been 3 Perfect Games in one season.

Additionally it is the third no-hitter thrown in June, a month that is only 13 days old. It is the 5th no-hitter of the season. The most no-hitters in one season is 8 done back in 1884.

On a sad note I had to look up who the third no-hitter of the month was. Obviously Cain is one. I thought of Johan Santana. I couldn't think of the third. It shows you how unimpressed I really am with multiple pitcher no-hitters. I even wrote about the Mariners no-hitter. I still forgot about it.