Ichiro with 4,000 Career Hits in Pro Baseball

One of the most accomplished hitters today reaches a milestone that involves careers on two different continents.

With a single to left off of the Blue Jay's pitcher R.A. Dickey, Ichiro Suzuki now has 4,000 career hits in the highest levels of professional baseball. This mark goes back to when he debuted in Nippon Professional Baseball in 1992. As for how many hits he has playing Major League Baseball, Ichiro now has 2722 hits in a 13 year career.

If you count careers at the highest levels of pro baseball, Ichiro is only the third player ever to cross the 4,000 hit mark with the other two being Pete Rose and Ty Cobb. While Rose and Cobb's hits have all come while playing Major League Baseball, it's still an impressive milestone in terms of an international mark.

It also makes you wonder if Ichiro would've gotten to the 4,000 hit mark if he had started his career in the Majors. Ichiro has more hits than anyone since his MLB debut in 2001 and also set the new single season hits record in 2004 with 262.

It's fun to play "what if" but there's no doubt that Ichiro is a living legend of the game on an international scale.

P.S. Yanks would win 4-2... whatever.

Jeter Out Until After All Star Break

The Captain of the Yankees will be gone a bit longer than expected.

Derek Jeter apparently has a small crack in left ankle, the one that was surgically repaired over the off season. The Yankees were hoping that Jeter would return by opening day but that had to pushed back to May. Now it seems Jeter will have turned 39 years old by the time he returns from injury after the All Star Break.

The possibility that Derek Jeter will make a significant contribution to the Yankees this year is becoming less likely. The team or himself may have rushed things this Spring and, while both sides might not rush a comeback this time around, Jeter might just not have the same pep in his step. It might take him a while to get in rhythm and the injuries to his ankle might've affected his ability to play shortstop.

Many of the Yankees are certainly showing their age with the injuries with Jeter not being an exception.

Youkilis to the Yankees? NOOOOO!!!!

When the Red Sox traded Kevin Youkilis away this last year, it was part of the bad dream that was the 2012 season for the Nation. The news coming out today makes that ordeal around Youkilis a nightmare.

Less than a year after being traded away to the White Sox, Kevin Youkilis agrees to join the New York Yankees (AKA the Original Evil Empire). The contract seems to be a one year deal worth $12 million. The motive behind the Youkilis signing is the fact that Alex Rodriguez (3rd baseman) is expected to miss part of the season due to a 2nd hip surgery. Youkilis had a off year in 2012 partially batting .235 with 19 home runs, 60 RBI's, and a on base percentage of .336.

It's very sad that another former Red Sox great is now a member of the New York Yankees. It seemed bad enough with Johnny Damon leaving for NYC after 2005. The difference here, however, is that it was ultimately Johnny's decision to leave the Red Sox for the Yankees rather than the team trading him away. While Youkilis ultimately chose to play for the Yankees, it was the Red Sox who parted ways with Kevin.

P.S. When the Yanks come to Boston, will the chants be "Yoouuuk" or "Booooo"? Seeing as he has already played in Fenway after the trade, it will be hard to tell. As for me, he might be the one Yankee I won't curse in 2013.

P.P.S. Key words are "might be."

Tigers Sweep Away the Yankees in ALCS

While the NLCS is not going the way I would've hoped, the ALCS ended just the way I wanted it to: with the Yankees not winning it.

The New York Yankees haven't been themselves in this postseason and this ALCS for that matter. Their hitting has been atrocious. Actually, they would need a ladder the size of a New York skyscraper to get to atrocious. 

Anyway, the Tigers were killing the Yankees with pitching and had a 3-0 lead in the series heading into yesterday. They were trying to avoid the sweep going against Matt Scherzer of the Tigers. Scherzer pitched an good 5 innings until he had trouble in the 6th and let the bullpen take care of it. By then, it was 6-1 with runners on the corners for the Yankees. Alex Rodriguez came in as a PH for Raul Ibanez in the DH spot and flied out to center to retire the side.

After that, no more hits for the Yankees this postseason. They managed to get one walk the next inning which did nothing while the Tigers tacked on 2 more runs in the 7th and 8th. Phil Coke came in for the last two innings of the game and finished off the New York Yankees no problem. Tigers win 8-1 and take the series in a 4 game sweep.

And so ended the worst postseason hitting performance in MLB history (at least 7 games played). Seems ironic it happened to the Yankees.

The Yankees batted a horrible .188 batting average this Postseason. Their hitting was so bad that NL pitchers felt sorry for them. Every player on the Yankees couldn't swing the bat and A-Rod was just one of them. The home run clobbering Yankees had their bats fall silent with much better Postseason pitching making less mistakes for the hitters to capitalize on. That means less chances to score runs as the Yankees relied on the Home Run ball. The Yankees definitely have some work to do in the off-season.

Meanwhile, congrats to Detroit Tigers on winning the American League Pennant. Despite what the team had to go through during the regular season, they are still on track with what's expected of them.

P.S. When you ask a front office guy of the New York Yankees if they ever considered getting some small ball talent, the reply is always the same: "What is Small Ball?"

Yanks Lose Game 1 of ALCS and Jeter Too? Someone Pinch Me

The first game of the ALCS was last night and it featured the Tigers facing the Yankees in the Bronx. The Yankees would lose this one in more than one way.

The Yankees were down by 4 runs in the 9th inning which means nothing if you know the Bronx Bombers. Two home runs later, they tied the game up and forced extra innings. It wasn't until the 12th inning that the Detroit Tiger managed to grab the lead back. Delmon Young managed to hit a big double to right and scored in Miguel Cabrera to go ahead. They would later score in Don Kelly (pinch runner for Young) off an Andy Dirks single. Before the Dirks hit, however, Yankee SS Derek Jeter fractured his left ankle after trying to field a Jhonny Peralta infield single. Jeter will miss the rest of the postseason as a result.

The Yankees would go out 1 2 3 in the bottom of the 12th with Brett Gardner grounding out to 2nd to end the game. Tigers win 6-4 and grab a 1 game edge.

A big blow to the Yankees both physically and morally. Jeter has played in 157 postseason games with 200 career hits in the postseason along with many moments I hated... I mean moments that will last a lifetime. He has been the heart and soul of this team for a long time and the Yankees will now have to press on without him. Now I never count the Yankees out of anything because they have done a great job of ruining my Octobers in the past but I'm not sure that the team can go on without their captain. The team has already climbed over so much to get here. I'm just not sure they can climb this obstacle.

P.S. I don't care what shape the Yankees are in right now, Tigers. KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE THROTTLE AT ALL TIMES!!!

Orioles To Face Yanks After Beating Rangers

The Rangers had the misfortune of getting caught by the A's and then passed by them on the final day of the regular season. Yesterday, they paid the ultimate price for letting that happen.

The Orioles and the Rangers played the AL game of the One Game Wild Card Playoff round and the way both of these teams were headed, you could tell which way this one was going. It was neck and neck for a while as both teams scored a run in the first inning. It wasn't until the 6th when the tie was broken up. Adam Jones hit a sac fly in the 6th inning and then Nate McLouth scored a RBI single in the 7th. The Orioles would then tack on two more in the 9th inning for good measure. The Rangers tried to rally by getting the bases loaded in the 9th but David Murphy flied out to left to end the game and the season for the Rangers. Orioles win 5-1 and move on to face their AL East rivals, the Yankees, in the ALDS.

The Rangers will not be repeating as AL Champs for a third straight year. The expectations were high for Texas as they have been to the World Series two times in a row and failed to win it both times. This early exit from the playoffs due to A's catching up and being unable to rally against Baltimore leaves the Rangers front office and the fan base asking what went wrong. What's worse is that now there is a chance they lose Josh Hamilton to free agency (AKA the Yankees) along with some other key players. The Rangers might take a hit as a team this offseason and could come back worse in 2013.

As for the Orioles, they don't have to think about the offseason right now as their minds are fixed on the postseason, more specifically the Yankees. While it's not the 2nd team I was hoping for coming out of the AL East, it's anyone but the Yankees. GO O'S!!!

Things to Watch on Last Day of Baseball Season

Tomorrow is the last day of the regular season and there are quite a few things to watch.

The most exciting single game of the day is actually happening in Oakland. The A's are hosting the Rangers for the last game of the season and the winner gets the AL West. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that the Rangers would take the division months ago but the A's have somehow fought their way back into the discussion and have pushed the Rangers to the limit. Good luck to the A's but with the momentum they have they might not need it.

Another thing to watch is the AL East match up. The Yankees and the Orioles have been in a tight race for the division crown as of late and the Yanks have a 1 game lead entering the final day. They look for the sweep over the Red Sox tomorrow along with clinching the division. The Orioles will need them to lose while they win to force a tiebreaker. I do not like the O's chances.

Last thing to see is the chase for the Triple Crown by Miguel Cabrera. He right now leads the AL in Batting Average, Home Runs, and RBIs. No one is sure right now whether or not he will even play tomorrow vs. the Royals. They already have the division and don't need to risk injury but should play him for a few ABs just out of respect for the game.

Should be a great last day of baseball.

P.S. Adam Greenberg finally got his one AB in the majors Pinch Hitting for the Marlins. He struck out vs. RA Dickey but he got his chance.

P.P.S.OH DODGERS, NA NA NA NA, NA NA NA NA, HEY HEY HEY, GOODBYE!!!!

Red Sox and Dodgers Complete Huge Trade

The Red Sox have not been a great team this year no matter how hopeful I was about them. Some hitters had trouble out of the gate, top pitchers couldn't catch a break, and the organization seems to be in disarray. It's time to press the reset button.

The last coupe of days have been about a trade involving the Red Sox and the Dodgers. Despite the numbers that are involved in this deal, it got done. Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett, and Nick Punto were all traded to the Dodgers. In exchange, the Red Sox get James Loney and minor leaguers Allen Webster and Ivan De Jesus along with two players to be named later but are believed to be pitcher Rubby De La Rosa and outfielder Jerry Sands. As a result of the trade, the Red Sox shed more than $250 Million in salaries through 2018.

WTF?!?!?! The Dodgers have been perhaps the most active team when acquiring new players this year as they had gotten Hanley Ramirez and Shane Victorino. They cement that title with this humongous trade. To make things even more exciting for the city of LA, Adrian Gonzalez made his debut for the Dodgers earlier tonight and hit a 3 run home run in his first at bat for the team. He's already had a better debut in the LA area than Albert Pujols did.

Does this move, however, make them the favorite to win the NL West with about a month and half to go? I certainly hope not but it's hard to refute. The Giants still have 2 games on the Dodgers and they can't be counted out because of their starting rotation. However, the edge has to go to LA. They were keeping pace with the Giants as is and with these new additions it might be too much for any team to handle.

So where does this leave the Red Sox? In rebuilding mode for the foreseeable future. The chemistry on this team was not working and the organization itself needs sorting out. They first need to get their team management in order before they make any large move for the future. That includes evaluating whether or not Bobby Valentine belongs in that future. It will take some time for these things to sort out which might scare the Nation for the next season or so.

It's really a weird transition with these teams: one franchise on the decline of it's glory while the other is seeking to rise. It's a cycle every team has to go through... unless you're the damn Yankees.

P.S. RIP, Neil Armstrong. The last great explorer that took a giant step for mankind.

Ichiro Traded to Yankees, Debuts in Seattle?

This last weekend hasn't been that great for the Nation. The good news was the fact that the Yankees got swept by the A's (like Oakland again). The bad news to take that away was the fact that the Yankees made an addition to their clubhouse. Longtime Mariner, Ichiro Suzuki, has been traded to the Yankees for a couple of pitching prospects. What made things even more intriguing was the fact that he made his Yankees debut that very day. Why? Because the Yankees were in town visiting the Mariners in Seattle. That's right. Ichiro's Yankee debut was against his old team at Safeco Field. Ichiro went 1 for 4 as the Yankees won, 4-1.

A little surprising that Ichiro leaves the team after so long and looks to be playing his farewell series over the next few days. Seems a bit proper for the fans of Seattle to have a chance to say goodbye to Ichiro before he leaves Seattle. I'm not sure how much Ichiro will help the Yankees considering that his batting average has been going down over the last few years. Sure, he can still play and that short RF in Yankee Stadium will help him but they are still getting a player that used to be in his prime.

While many will be intrigued as to how Ichiro will help the Yankees, I am more interested to see where he goes after this season is over and he is a free agent. Will the Yanks still want him then or will he have to find a new home?

The Prince Wins 2nd Derby in KC

Oh man the Home Run Derby that I didn't see (for the most part). Didn't watch the meaningless event this year as I had much better things to do. Twiddling thumbs is better, right? Anyway, Prince Fielder prove to be the royal commodity last night as he won the Home Run Derby for the second time in his career. He beat out Jose Bautista in the final round, 12-7, and finished the derby with 28 total home runs. He and Ken Griffey Jr. are the only players to have multiple Derby titles in their careers because of this.

Congrats to Prince for another title but I got to say that I love the fact that the Captains for both sides sucked so hard. A Dodger and a Yankee couldn't get by the first round. Just blissful. I especially loved the fact that Robinson Cano, last year's winner, was booed the whole night and that he didn't hit a single home run. So great. I sort of hope they keep it going for the Yankee players tomorrow night. ENCORE, KANSAS CITY!!!

2012 MLB Season So Far: BLOODY PIRATES!!!

The first half of the season is over with the arrival of the All Star Break (a break that I am hating more and more with each passing year) and some of the 1st place teams that are currently there are interesting to analyze. Probably the most intriguing of all of them are the Pittsburgh Pirates who just win 2 of 3 from the Giants and are in front of the NL Central by one game. James McDonald and a NY stress free AJ Burnett are pitching well and Andrew McCutchen is on the way to becoming an MVP winner. Pittsburgh seems really excited about them and I have to admit that they look good. They might need a bit more to hold off the Reds and the Cardinals but they look like they can actually pull it off. Despite my recent hate for them, I have some faith in the Pirates this year.

As for the rest of the standings, the Yankees seem like the most comfortable team in baseball with a 7 game lead in the AL East entering the break. Damn Yanks might have aging vets but they are using them well like Andruw Jones who just had a big weekend against the Red Sox with 4 Homers over 3 games. Meanwhile, the Sox are 9.5 back and are tied for last in the division. Lester and Beckett have to get better but that team has to also stay healthy. Despite what has happened so far, they still have a shot but have to start the second half strong.

A couple other surprise teams that are grabbing attention are the Nationals and the Dodgers. The Nats seem like a stronger ball club going forward and seem to be ready for October this year. Meanwhile the Dodgers need more offense if they want to stay in front in the NL West. Hope the Giants get it first. Then the White Sox have control over the AL Central and the no surprise that the Rangers have a tight grasp over the AL West yet again.

The break is here and I have nothing to watch for the next few days. Pity that there is no "actual" baseball on.

First Half Reflections of the MLB 2011 Season

Today was the last games in baseball before the All Star Break. This is the unofficial halfway point of the 2011 MLB season. So how are we doing? In the AL, the Red Sox are a game in front of the Yankees for control of the AL East but this might be due to the fact that the Yanks have played two games less than Boston. The Tigers have a half game lead over the Indians in the Central, and the Rangers have a one game lead over the Angels in the West. In the NL, the East has the biggest divisional gap right now with the Phillies having a 3.5 game lead over the Braves. The Cardinals and Brewers are neck and neck while the Pirates are a game behind them in the Central. Finally, the defending champs, themselves, the Giants have a 3 game lead over the D'Backs in the West.

As for early award contenders, Jair Jurrjens has become the dark horse Cy Young Winner that has taken over that race in the NL. He has the most NL wins with 12 and the best ERA in the league with 1.87. A little more split for pitcher of the year in the AL while CC Sabathia has more wins with 13 but Jared Weaver has a better ERA with 1.86. Last time I checked, that mattered more. As for MVP candidates, Jose Bautista and Adrian Gonzalez seem to be the main contenders as of now in the AL. The NL looks to me to be a bit more split between Prince Fielder, Lance Berkman, and Jose Reyes. Matt Kemp is also a good candidate to consider but is part of the Dodgers who are having a miserable year both on and off the field.

So what seems to be the trends going into the second half of the year? Despite the bad start, the Red Sox are contending with the Yanks for the AL East and the runner up will like be the Wild Card winner. The Cubs and the Twins have made me look like an idiot so far though the Twins could make a comeback. The Pirates have finally made themselves relevant again. And despite being one of the worst offensive teams in baseball and having quite a few injuries, the Giants are in front of the NL West race.

A nice first half with the division races still close and up for grabs.