My 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot

A year ago not a single player was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame, as Craig Biggio was the closest receiving 68.2 percent of the votes, but one thing is for sure the 2014 class could be one of the best fans have seen in years.  Bobby Cox, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre are already apart of the 2014 Hall of Fame class, and in a few days baseball fans will find out who will be joining them.

To be elected for the Hall of Fame a player must receive 75 percent of the votes while the voters are able to elect up to 10 different players.  When I constructed my list of players who I would vote for I used all 10 votes because I felt that every one of these players deserve to be elected. Here is whom I would select for the 2014 Hall of Fame class:

* = First-time candidates

Greg Maddux* - RHP - 1986-2008: Do I have to say much about why Greg Maddux should be a Hall of Famer?  He was one of the greatest pitchers the game has ever seen, as he had 355 career wins, which are good for eighth all-time.  From 1992-1995 he won four straight Cy Young Awards, while also leading the league in ERA four times, innings pitched five times and in WHIP four times.  He did all of this while pitching during the Steroid Era when batters where crushing the ball.

Maddux was a dominating control pitcher who found success without having an over powering fastball, and he will be a great addition to the Hall of Fame.

Frank Thomas* - 1B/DH - 1990-2008: The former South Side slugger, Frank Thomas, was an excellent power hitter in his time, hitting 521 home runs, good for 18th all-time.  During his 18 years in the Show, he captured two MVP Awards and a batting title.  The two knocks people have on him though is that he was primarily a DH his entire career, and he is from the Steroid Era, causing people to speculate him because of his ability to destroy the ball.

The Big Hurt has the numbers to be in the Hall of Fame, and while some people debate whether he deserves to get in, he will be selected on his first time on the ballot.

Tom Glavine* - LHP - 1987-2008: To have some people arguing that Tom Glavine does not deserve to be elected into the Hall of Fame on his first time appearing on the ballot is ridiculous.  Glavine has the numbers to warrant his selection.  He accumulated 305 wins over his 22-year career, while having an impressive 3.54 ERA during the Steroid Era.  He also has two Cy Young Awards to add to his respectable resume.

The crafty lefty never over powered batters instead using location and deception to get batters out.  He will receive at least the 75 percent required to get in, to join Maddux and Cox in Cooperstown.

Craig Biggio - 2B - 1988-2007: This will be Craig Biggio's second year on the ballot after falling just short in his first year receiving 68.2 percent of the votes.  Biggio was never the best player in the game, but he was always a solid and reliable player.  In his 20-year career, all with the Houston Astros, he collected 3,060 hits, while making numerous All-Star Game appearances and winning Gold Gloves and Silver Slugger Awards.

Biggio's name has never been linked to PEDs, and because of this along with his impressive career, he will be voted in the Hall of Fame this time around.

Mike Piazza - C - 1992-2007: Mike Piazza is an interesting candidate because although he is the greatest hitting catcher in baseball history, there has been speculation of him using PEDs.  While anyone can speculate there is no convincing evidence, in fact he has stated in his book he never took any illegal steroids.

Piazza is the all-time leader in home runs and OPS by a catcher, and in his second year on the ballot, after receiving 57.8 percent of the vote a year ago, fans can expect his vote percentage to increase.  If he wants to get in he will have to hope voters believe he is steroid free.

Jack Morris - RHP - 1977-1994: This is the final year Jack Morris will appear on the ballot, and last season he took a step closer to being nominated receiving 67.7 percent of the votes.  During Morris' time he was one of the best pitchers in the game, and was always referred to as the ace of the pitching staff he was on.  He won 254 games in his career, and finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting five times.

For some reason though he has not been elected.  It will be really close, but Morris has to hope that voters will vote for him since it is his last year on the ballot if he wants to surpass the 75 percent mark.

Jeff Bagwell - 1B - 1991-2005: In his 15-year career Jeff Bagwell was an excellent first baseman.  He was a well-rounded player showing his ability to hit for power, steal bases, hit for average and play adequate defense.  Bagwell was a muscular player in his playing days, but besides that there are no ties to him using PEDs.

Last year Bagwell received 59.6 percent of the votes, and that number is expected to rise.  He needs to hope that voters believe that he never used PEDs to have a chance, but one problem he still might face is the large amount of other deserving candidates on the ballot.

Curt Schilling - RHP - 1988-2007: Curt Schilling definitely has a Hall of Fame resume, but it is just a matter of the voters looking past his win total.  In his career he won 216 games, but he was always referred to as one of the top pitchers in the game.  He finished in the top five of the Cy Young voting four times including three second place finishes.

In the history of the game, there might not be a better postseason pitcher than Schilling who went 11-2 with a 2.23 ERA in 12 postseason series.  He also won 3 World Series titles while winning the 2001 World Series MVP Award with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Schilling received 38.8 percent of the votes last year, and it will be hard for him to get in this time around, but there is no doubting the he deserves to be in.

Mike Mussina* - RHP - 1991-2008: During Mike Mussina's 18-year career he was the most under appreciated pitcher in the game.  He pitched his entire career in the difficult American League East, and put up incredible numbers during the Steroid Era as he won 270 games while posting a 3.68 ERA.

Mussina will most likely be overlooked on his first time on the ballot just like he was throughout his career, but in order for him to have a chance to get in he will need voters to understand how difficult it was for him to be successful due to the talented lineups he faced.  

Fred McGriff - 1B - 1986-2004: Fred McGriff was an underrated player during his time, and while he did not blow you away, he was a consistent performer.  He was never a big name star, but he did hit nearly 500 home runs while holding a .284 career batting average and playing solid defense.

With the ballot being filled with many star players, it will not be easy for McGriff to get voted in especially after receiving 20.7 percent of the votes last year, but he does deserve to have his name among the others in Cooperstown.  

Who do you think will be elected into the Hall of Fame this year?  Leave your comments below. 

Wisconsin's biggest sports story in 2013

Wisconsin was filled with many positive and some negative sports stories throughout 2013, but most people can agree that Ryan Braun's suspension and Aaron Rodgers' injury were the two biggest ones. Now the question is which one of these was the biggest story?

You can make an argument for either one of them, but Braun being suspended for Performance Enhancing Drugs is the bigger story.  While Rodgers' injury affected him and the entire team, as the Packers only went 2-4-1 without him, they still have a chance to win a Super Bowl.  Plus the injury only affects the organization this season.

While on the other hand Braun's suspension does not last just this year, the effects will carry on for the years to come.  You can say what you want about Braun, but his suspension will live with him throughout the rest of his career.  It just does not affect him though; it affects many more including the Brewers organization who have to deal with all the bad PR surrounding him.  Brewers' fans have also felt betrayed by Braun as he admitted that he never used PEDs.

2013 has been a roller coaster year, as there have been many great sports stories, but also some negative ones too.  Unfortunately the biggest story was Ryan Braun's suspension because of the impact it had on so many people.  Lets just hope 2014 is a better sports year, filled with a couple of championships.

Where will Masahiro Tanaka land?

Talented starting pitchers are always sought after on the free agent market, and this offseason with the lack of quality pitching, Masahiro Tanaka will cash in big time.  Now the question is, which team will step up to the plate to sign the 25-year-old Japanese sensation?

There are a handful of teams who are believed to be seriously interested, and of course the high spending New York Yankees are the favorite to land the righties services; but just because the Yanks are the favorite, doesn't mean they will end up landing him.  Instead the Seattle Mariners will be the lucky organization to sign the young pitching star.

The Mariners have a huge presence in Japan due to their owner being Nintendo of America, and Ichiro Suzuki spending the majority of his career with them.  Plus with Hisashi Iwakuma, a former teammate of Tanaka, there is now a bigger connection.  Due to these connections and a comfort level with the organization, it will put the Mariners ahead of the other teams trying to land Tanaka.

Seattle has already signed the top bat on the market, and time will tell if they can add Tanaka to their already solid pitching staff.  Jack Zduriecik has shown that he wants to build a competitive team, and if he can get upper management to approve this move, it will take their ball club to the next level.  

Michael Young is a perfect fit at first base

Finding someone to play first base for the 2014 season has been atop the Milwaukee Brewers shopping list since the beginning of the offseason, and it is now time for the Brewers to finally check it off their list.  While they have explored options including resigning Corey Hart or trading for Ike Davis, nothing has happened yet.  One solution could be veteran infielder Michael Young.

The 14-year veteran is 37 years old, and although his great years are behind him, he still has enough left in the tank to be a solid contributor next season.  Young split last season with the Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers showing his ability to still hit for average and get on base (.279/.335/.395).  While Young has played on the left side of the infield for most of his career, he has experience playing anywhere in the infield including first base.

Bringing in Young would not only fill their opening at first, but it would also allow the Brewers to give Hunter Morris more at-bats and time to develop in Triple-A.  He would also be a great clubhouse guy, who could teach the young Brewer hitters a few things about being successful big league hitters.

In this stage of Young's career he can still be a solid contributor, while playing on a short term deal for an affordable price.  He solves the Brewers first base issue for the short-term while the Brewers wait for their young first base prospects to be major league ready.  Signing Young makes so much sense, that the Brewers need to make sure that he is wearing their jersey next season.

The 3rd Man In Sounds Off: Tanaka isn't worth huge money

In baseball pitching wins championships.  While it sounds cliche it is true.  If you look around the major leagues, all the great franchises have great pitching.  This causes talented pitchers to be coveted and overvalued when they hit the open market, and Japanese pitching sensation Masahiro Tanaka is the latest example of this.

After months of speculation the 25-year-old phenom has officially been posted, and is expected to land a long-term deal that pays him at least $17 million per season, along with the $20 million release fee the team that signs him has to pay.

Last season the righty completely dominated in Japan going 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA in 212 innings, and in his seven years playing professionally he has gone 99-35 with a 2.30 ERA, while averaging almost a strikeout per inning.

Although those are impressive numbers, he has thrown more innings at a young age than anyone in baseball has in the past 35 years, as he has pitched in 1,315 innings throughout his young career.  Japanese pitchers are also know for having bigger workloads, and after a few seasons performing in the major leagues they tend to break down.  In fact out of the 11 Japanese born pitchers who have made 25 MLB starts, only Hideo Nomo and Hiroki Kuroda were able to reach that number three or more times.

These two statistics alone are reasons to be concerned, plus he has never faced a lineup anywhere near the level he will be facing in the majors on a consistent bases.

Signing any pitcher is a risk, but Tanaka seems to have more question marks surrounding him than most others usually do.  While signing a top of the rotation pitcher to a huge deal is not uncommon in today's age, signing someone who has no MLB experience and some miles on his shoulder is.  Baseball is a game of risks, but signing Tanaka to a major deal worth at least $17 million per season is a risk that will never live up to the reward.  

Red Sox sign submarine-style pitcher

When it comes to taking chances on Japanese players, the Boston Red Sox are notorious for doing so, as they have had five different Japanese pitchers pitch for them over the years.  So seeing the Red Sox going out and signing a Japanese pitcher is not uncommon, but when they sign a pitcher that has a delivery like Shunsuke Watanabe, it surprises some people.

(Watanable delivery in slow motion)

Watanable, 37, signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox last week, after spending 13 seasons with the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league.  Mostly as a starter the submarine-style pitcher posted a career record of 87-82 with a 3.65 ERA and 846 strikeouts in 255 games, 244 of them as starts.

He will report to minor league camp this spring, and will work as a reliever the Red Sox reported. Although people should not expect him to break camp on the major league roster, if he performs well in the minors, there is a good chance fans could see him in midsummer.

It is rare to see a pitcher with a submarine delivery, and hopefully Watanable will appear in at least one game with the Red Sox next season because if he does, he will go down as having the most unorthodox delivery baseball has ever seen.

Jesse Crain is worth the risk

First base is a glaring question mark for the Milwaukee Brewers right now, causing the bullpen holes to go under the radar, but they are just as important.  Jim Henderson, Brandon Kintzler and Tom Gorzelanny are the only relief pitchers guaranteed a spot for next season; otherwise the Brewers have a handful of players who have struggled to produce consistently at the major league level.

Veteran righty, Jesse Crain would be a great fit for the Milwaukee Brewers.  An All-Star a year ago, he missed the final three months of the season with a shoulder injury, but when he was healthy he had a 0.74 ERA in 36.2 innings while striking out 46 batters.

Assuming he is healthy and the Brewers could sign him to a contract with a small base salary, that is incentives based would be one of the biggest steals on the free agent market as he was having a career year until he got hurt last season.  

The Milwaukee Brewers have vacant spots in their bullpen, and signing Crain would solidify one of those spots.  He has had successes over his nine-year career pitching in late inning situations, and he would bring experience to a young Brewers bullpen.

The 3rd Man In Sounds Off: Brewers should trade Braun

It was a disastrous season for the Milwaukee Brewers a year ago as their face of their franchise, Ryan Braun, missed 101 games throughout the 162 game schedule.  Braun was on the shelf for 36 games due to injuries, and then missed the final 65 games for using Performance Enhancing Drugs.

Doug Melvin has said that Braun is not available for trade, but I think they need to rethink this.  With the Brewers years away from being a competitive ball club, trading Braun would be the solution to rebuilding one of the worst farm systems in all of baseball.  Braun definitely has trade value if the Brewers put him on the block even with seven-years, $113 million remaining left on his deal, and with the controversy surrounding his PED use.

While he still has to prove that he can be a productive player, he is in the prime of his career, and Braun said that he used the banned substance only at the end of the 2011 season to help with the injury, meaning we should all expect him to return to his MVP level of production.

With this free agent class only having one superstar available, and many teams needing a big bat, teams would have lined up to give Melvin their offers.  Plus as we have seen this offseason, players who have been cracked with using PEDs, have not seen their value decrease at all.  

Braun is one of the most affordable superstars in all of baseball, and while he brings some negative attention to the franchise, he still possesses great value.  Milwaukee is making a huge mistake by not dealing Braun to rebuild their farm system for the future, and this could be a decision that affects them long term with all four NL Central teams continuing to get better.

Ryan Braun speaks to the media

Birds versus the Beards

Ten years ago the the St. Louis Cardinals faced the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, but since then a lot has changed.  Players and coaches have come and gone, each franchise has gone through its ups and downs, and this time around the Cardinals will be facing "The Beards" and not "The Idiots."

One thing that hasn't changed is that both teams are incredibly tough to beat and are hungry for a ring.  This will make for another great and competitive series with either team having the potential to win.

Both teams have had impressive runs through the postseason knocking off two tough teams.  The Red Sox were able to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and Detroit Tigers, while the Cardinals were able to get past the Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The main reason for both of these teams having so much success is that they have made the plays when they need to, their pitching has been exceptional, and they have had a little luck on their side.  This series could go either way, but the home field advantage for the Red Sox will be the difference.

Although most of the players on both sides are not the same from when these two teams met in the 2004 World Series, the results will be the same.  While the Red Sox will not sweep the Cardinals like they did in 2004, they will win the World Series in seven games, their third in the last ten years.

Who are you picking to win?  Leave your thoughts below.  

Please follow me on Twitter @DanZielinski3

Cubs will win it all soon

Remember the last time the Chicago Cubs won the World Series?  Let me guess, you don't?  That is because it has been 105 years since the Cubs won it all.  In fact, they haven't even been to the Series since 1945.  The closes the Cubbies ever came to returning to the World Series was in 2003, when they were only one win away.

Ever since that controversial 2003 National League Championship Series, it has not been very pretty for the Cubs, besides when they won back-to-back division crowns in 2007 and 2008.  Unfortunately in both trips to the playoffs, they were never able to get out of the first round.

The Cubs are now in rebuilding mode, but better days are ahead, as management has done an exceptional job rebuilding their farm system in just a short time.  Now they have a solid farm system, with many young prospects expected to be part of the Cubs core for the years to come.

According to MLB.com, the Cubs have five players ranked in the top 100 prospects.  These five players are shortstop Javier Baez (9th), outfielders Albert Almora (21st) and Jorge Soler (25th), and third basemen Kris Bryant (35th) and Mike Olt (57th).  All of these players are expected to be in the majors within the next two to three years, along with some young, talented pitching prospects.

If most of their talented prospects are able to find success in the majors, along with some veteran pieces, the Cubs could realistically be World Series contenders.  Theo Epstein, President of Baseball Operations for the Cubs, was the General Manager of the Red Sox in 2004 when they broke their 86 year drought of winning a World Series, and was with them when they won it all again in 2007.

The reason they were able to do this was because of their player development, and ability to acquire veteran players to fill out their roster.  This is exactly what the Cubs are doing and will be doing within the next couple seasons.

The sky is the limit for the Cubs, with their wealth of talent, young prospects.  This team can be competitive within the next few seasons.  As long as they have some luck on their side, they will finally break there over century long World Series title drought by 2018.

What are your thoughts of the Chicago Cubs?  Can they win a World Series by 2018?  Leave your thoughts below.  

Follow me on Twitter @DanZielinski3

Who's on first?

After a disappointing season, the Milwaukee Brewers will have many questions entering the offseason.  First base was a revolving door for the Brewers, who used seven different players at that position, and finding someone to play there consistently, will be important.  

Brewers' management will have to decide if they want to bring back Corey Hart or promote slugging prospect, Hunter Morris.  Corey Hart was suppose to be the team's everyday first baseman this season, but he never stepped foot onto the field, due to two knees surgeries.  In Hart's nine seasons with the Brewers, he has been a solid contributor, averaging 17 home runs and 54 RBI's with a .276 average in 105 games.  Ever since he became an everyday player in 2007, he has averaged 139 games per season, and has been a two time All-Star.  

The other option the Brewers have is prospect Hunter Morris.  The slugging prospect had a good season this year, while he did not hit for a high average (.247), he did possess a lot of power.  In 134 games, he hit 24 home runs and drove in 74 RBI's.  The one negative Morris presents is his strikeout to walk ratio.  He struck out a 122 times compared to only 43 walks.  While this is something he will have to improve on, he is only 25 years old and possess good upside.  

This will not be an easy decision for Melvin and Co. to make, but they need to think about the future.  Hunter Morris is the best option for the Brewers going forward.  While he is not an established big leaguer like Hart, he possesses the potential of being a good Major League player.  The Brewers will not be a competitive team next year, so why pay a veteran more money to be in the way of their future?  It is time for the Brewers to move on from Hart and give the starting first base job to Hunter Morris.  

Get ready for the struggles

Remember when the Milwaukee Brewers won the National League Central Division crown, and were two wins away from making it to the World Series?  That was only two years ago, but the Brewers have gone from one of the best teams in baseball to one of the worst.

The 2013 season has come to a close and the Brewers finished with a disappointing 74-88 record, but their record was the least of their problems.  The Brewers struggled with injuries throughout the entire season, and lost Ryan Braun to a 65 game suspension for his connection to the Biogenesis Clinic in Miami.  While all teams have to face adversity over the course of a 162 game schedule, the Brewers never found away to overcome them.  This is what sets the mediocre teams apart from the best teams in baseball.

The main reason why the Brewers were unable to overcome their difficulties was because of the lack of quality prospects in the farm system.  While Khris Davis, Scooter Gennett and Tyler Thornburg all did a good job of filling in when needed, these three players, and frankly all the prospects that are within three years of playing in the majors, have no star potential.

In order to be successful each season you have to be able to develop young players.  While not every one of them will be a star, you need to at least have a few of them with the potential to be one.  The blame for the lack of development and poor evaluation of players in the draft has to be placed on Doug Melvin.  While he is not a scout, he is the one who hired all of them and makes the final decisions on the players.

With the lack of quality prospects, it will hurt the Brewers success over the next three to five years.  While the Brewers did trade some of their best prospects away in trades, the Brewers have hardly done anything to improve their system.  This season they should have traded away numerous veteran to get pieces to build for the future, but Melvin decided not too.

This poor judgment and lack of ability to restock the farm system will cost the Brewers and should cost Melvin his job.  He has made many poor decisions over the course of his tenure, and while the Brewers did have some success, it does not balance out all of the disappointing seasons.

The Brewers have one of the worst farm systems in baseball, and with none of their prospect possessing huge upside, it will not get any better.  This will hurt the Brewers success at the major league level for the years to come, and Doug Melvin should be blamed and loose his job because of this.

It has only been two years since the Brewers came two wins away from making it to the World Series, and now they have become one of the worst teams in baseball.  Being a small market team, the Brewers need to draft well and be able to develop prospects.  This has not happened recently, and because of this, the Brewers will not be competitive for the foreseeable future.

Gomez hits homer, benches clear

No need for change

With two weeks left in the regular season, the hunt for October is in full swing, and numerous teams are hoping to add at least one more game to their schedule.  The second Wild Card allows another team to have a shot at winning it all, which has created additional buzz and excitement, but not all of the buzz has been positive.

"I hate it," Nationals manager Davey Johnson told USA Today a year ago when asked about the Wild Card format.

Not only has Davey Johnson been critical of the Wild Card format, where the two Wild Card teams face off in a one game playoff series, but players have also voiced their displeasure.

"Hopefully, that's one of the things they'll change," Pirates All-Star relief pitcher Mark Melancon told the Boston Globe.

While some managers and players might not be in favor of the current format, I love it.  It puts an emphasis on winning your division, while rewarding the division winners with an extra day to prepare and allow them to set their pitching rotation for their first series.

This format also creates additional excitement to the end of the season.  Right now in the American League there is six teams within 3 1/2 games of each other for their right to extend their season by just one day.  In the National League, the Central is going to come down to the final days of the season with the Cardinals, Pirates and Reds all competing to win the divisional crown.

If it was not for the one game Wild Card playoff series, there would be little importance on winning your division.  Instead, it would be a best two out of three series, causing division winner to have to wait an extra two to four days just to play their first playoff game.  This would cause teams to play for the Wild Card spots instead of their division, which would eliminate the excitement of division races that come down to the wire like we have this season in the NL Central.

Although some people might not be in favor of the current Wild Card playoff format, it is the best thing for baseball.  It creates excitement with multiple teams competing to the end for the possibility to extend their season by just one game.  The hunt for October is an exciting time in baseball, and with the current playoff format it adds even more.

Papi Loses His Mind After Ejection

Brewers Beat Marlins 2-0

After four days off for the All-Star Game festivities, the second half of the Major League Baseball season is here.  While it was only four games, both the Brewers and Marlins offenses were sluggish out of the gate. 

It was a pitching dual through the first three innings with both pitchers only surrendering three hits apiece.  The Brewers had an opportunity to score in the bottom of the first inning.  With one out, Jean Segura started the inning with an infield base hit.  Ryan Braun then came to the plate, only to popup to shortstop, Adeiny Hechavarria for the second out of the inning.  Jonathon Lucroy drew a walk, and then the Brewers perfected a double steal, with Segura making it to third and Lucroy taking second.   With two outs in the inning, the Brewers tried to get on top early, but All-Star Carlos Gomez grounded out to third, to end the threat.

The Miami Marlins would come back in the top of the second inning to get two, two out base hits, only to strand the runners on first and second.  Jeff Bianchi of the Brewers did get a base hit to left with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but would remain at first to end the second. 

In the third, the Miami Marlins went a quiet 1-2-3, with Kyle Lohse striking out two batters.  Norichika Aoki did his job for the Brewers by leading off the inning with a base on balls.  The Brewers tried to rally again with two men out, when Lucroy singled to center, but they failed to score after the lead of walk.

For a second consecutive inning, the Marlins went down in order, and it was not until the Brewers came up when we would finally saw some scoring.  Leading off in the bottom of the fourth inning, Juan Francisco broke the zero, zero tie by hitting an opposite field homerun off Justin Turner, his 12^th of the season.  Rickie Weeks then followed with a walk, and would steal second base with one out recorded by Bianchi.  Pitcher, Kyle Lohse then hit a weak foul ball right to the third basemen, Polacido Polanco, for the second out.  Aoki would then walk for a second consecutive at-bat, but Jean Segura grounded out to end the scoring threat. 

Kyle Lohse was cruising threw the first four innings, keeping the Marlins bats relatively quiet.  Lohse would get into some trouble early in the fifth when Hechavarria would single to right, and advance to second on a rare error by Aoki.  After his hit, Lohse would not allow him to score, striking out two and getting pitcher Justin Turner to hit a weak ground ball to shortstop.  The Brewers were finally able to do some damage with two outs in the inning, with Carlos Gomez crushing a ball down the left field line for his 15^th homerun of the season.  This gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead after five.

Logan Morrison hit a two out double in the top of the sixth inning, but the Marlins failed to continue the two out rally.  Rickie Weeks did lead of the bottom of the frame by reaching on a hit by pitch for the Brewers.  The Marlins then made a pithing change by bringing in right-hander Ryan Webb for Justin Turner.  Webb would finish off the inning by pitching a clean sixth, to keep the score at 2-0 Brewers. 

Kyle Lohse’s night was over.  After six strong innings of shut out baseball, John Axford came in out of the bullpen in relief.  It would be a quiet game the rest of the way, with both teams using two more relief pitchers each to get the job done.  Francisco Rodriguez closed it out in the ninth inning to record his 10^th save of the season, giving the Brewers the win, and improving their record to 39-56.  Kyle Lohse would pick up the win with Justin Turner being saddled with the loss.  The final score was the Brewers two and the Marlins zero. 

As Ron Roenicke would say after the game, “We played good baseball tonight, we pitched well, got a couple of base hits, defensively I thought we played a nice job, but whether we get back to .500 or not, we have to really play well there is no doubt about it, we have to play really good baseball…”

The Brewers pitching staff pitched nine strong innings of shut out baseball, and helped the Brewers start off the second half of the season on a positive note.  The usual stars did not lead the offense with Aramis Ramirez on the disabled list and Ryan Braun going zero for three, instead Carlos Gomez and Juan Francisco’s homeruns made the difference in tonight’s game.  Time will tell if the Brewers can get back to .500 ball, but tonight they started off on the right foot, with their excellent pitching and solid offensive performance.   

Carlos Gomez is Finally Living Up to Expectations

Carlos Gomez is an electric player.  His ability to steal bases, make amazing catches and hit homeruns with ease makes him a fun player to watch no matter what team you are rooting for.  He has always had the athletic ability to be a successful Major Leaguer, but early on in his career he struggled and was unable to live up to the expectations of being a top prospect. 

At the age of 16, the New York Mets signed Carlos Gomez as an international free agent, who was considered to be a five-tool player, and he instantly became one of the Mets top prospects.

On May 13, 2007 Carlos Gomez made his MLB debut for the Mets, not even five years after they signed the youngster out of the Dominican Republic.  While Carlos Gomez quickly became a fan favorite in New York, he struggled in his limited amount of action.  Even though he batted a disappointing .232 in 125 plate appearances, he showed signs of becoming a star in the making with his excellent speed and defensive abilities. 

In the following offseason, the New York Mets had their eyes set on the two-time Cy Young Award winner, Johan Santana, who the Minnesota Twins were actively trading.  The Mets were able to swing a deal for the lefty, but had to part with numerous prospects including Carlos Gomez. 

This trade allowed Carlos Gomez to leave the Mets crowded outfield, and gave him the opportunity to compete for a starting outfield spot in Spring Training.  Gomez was able to beat out Denard Span and Jason Pridie to win the starting centerfield job.  Throughout the season he showed glimpses of stardom, but also made many plays that made you shake your head in disbelief.  He hit for the cycle once in 2008 and led the MLB in 30 bunt base hits, but he was picked off a major league high 10 times and committed eight errors. 

In 2009 Gomez received only 349 plate appearances, compared to the 614 he received a season ago, and he continued to struggle at the plate producing a .229 batting average.  Even though he was disappointing at the plate, he continued to improve defensively with a .997 fielding percentage. 

His career in Minnesota did not last long, in the offseason he was traded for a second time in his short career to the Milwaukee Brewers for shortstop J.J. Hardy.  While he continued to develop into an elite defender and base stealer, he still continued to struggle at the plate. 

It was not until the 2012 season, where he experienced his greatest success, producing career highs with a .260 batting average, .305 on-base percentage, 19 homeruns, and 37 stolen bases.  His terrific performance earned him a three-year contract extension worth $24 million, making him a Brewer through the 2016 season. 

Carlos Gomes said during the All-Star media session at Citi Field about his early career struggles, “For five years, I’ve been trying to do what others have told me – hit ball on the ground, bunt it. For five years, that hasn’t worked. Why do I need to keep trying to do that if it’s not working?’” 

When asked what he want to do.

“I’m going to try to hit the ball with power,” Gomez told them.

This move has paid off big time for the young star.  He is now having the best season of his career for the Brewers in 2013, posting numbers that fans and coaches expected of him when he first broke into the big leagues back in 2007 with the New York Mets. 

“Now I step up to the plate and every time I think, I think of hitting home runs to center field,” Gomez said. “That’s my approach and everything is coming together.”

This approach has shown, at the All-Star break, Gomez has a .295 batting average with 14 long balls and 45 RBIs.  He is fifth in stolen bases with 21 and ranks first in triples with 9 in the National League.  Not only has his hitting improved, but also he is having another great defensive season.  He has a .996 fielding percentage with only one error committed, and he has made multiple homerun saving catches.  Gomez also ranks higher than anyone in the MLB, including the best player in the game –Miguel Cabrera, with a 5.7 wins above replacement. 

Carlos Gomez has developed this season into the five-tool player everyone thought he would eventually become.  He has demonstrated that he can do damage with the bat, while also being able to change the game with his amazing speed and great defense. 

The Brewers made the right decision by locking Carlos Gomes up to an extension before the season.  He is finally living up to the expectations he had when he was once a top prospect, and is having the best season of his big league career.

Carlos Gomez is an All-Star this season, but do not be surprised if that is the only recognition he receives for his outstanding play.  He has been arguably the best defensive centerfielder this season and deserves to win the Gold Glove Award, ending the Brewers long drought of 30 years with out a Gold Glove winner.  He also should receive some MVP votes, while it is a long shot that he wins it, his WAR and overall statistics are just as good as any other deserving candidate in the National League. 

Everyone was wondering when Carlos Gomez would finally have a breakout season and live up to the high expectations, and this season he is finally producing at a level he was expected to do since day one.  While it took many years and struggles to become a consistent contributor at the Major League level, Carlos Gomez has transformed his career from when he first started with the Mets becoming one of the best centerfielders in all of baseball.  

Thoughts on The Hebrew Hammer

Everyone has the right to their day in court, and is innocent until proven guilty.  I have always given Ryan Braun the benefit of the doubt, and have been a big fan of his, however I am beginning to have my doubts.  Here are some of the thoughts that are running through my head.

Major League Baseball has kept a close eye on Ryan Braun ever since his first positive drug test back in 2011, leading me to believe he has not taken any banned substance since, but recent news has led me to change my beliefs.

Ryan Braun had a meeting on June 29th with Major League Baseball to answer questions regarding his connection to Tony Bosch and the Miami-area clinic, Biogenesis of America, which has allegedly distributed performance-enhancing drugs to around 20 MLB players.  Braun, who has denied using PEDs in the past, refused to answer any questions during the meeting, making it harder to believe that he only used Bosch as a consultant when fighting his suspension after the 2011 season.

If he was innocent he would have answered all of the questions asked to him, knowing that he was not going to get penalized because he was clean.  Due to him not answering a single question, it makes him looks suspicious and guilty of using PEDs.

It is just a matter of time until MLB hands out a suspension to Braun, and when it happens it will be a dark day in baseball.  After everyone thought the new drug testing was signaling an end to the steroid era, baseball will only be taking a step back.

One of the faces of baseball's new, clean era will become just like Sosa, McGwire, and Bonds - a cheater.  Ryan Braun's legacy and reputation will be tarnished, and he will never be looked at the same way.

Once compared to Robin Yount for his great play on and off the field, along with his excellent tools to become the next face of the Brewers organization, all thrown away because he tried to get a competitive edge on the rest of MLB players.

While everyone is innocent until proven guilty, the truth of Ryan Braun will soon be released.  Since Ryan Braun's MLB debut back in 2007, I have continued to support him through all of the highs and lows of his career.  No matter if he is found guilty or not of using PEDs, I will have my doubts on Braun and will never look at him the same way I did before.

Does Bryce Harper Deserve to be an All-Star?

Bryce Harper has become one of the most likable players in baseball, but that does not mean he is a star just yet.  Last season he was selected to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, and this season he will be making another appearance, but this time it is as a starter.

This was a huge surprise, since Harper has missed 31 games due to injury, and when healthy, has struggled to produce at the plate.  In his limited amounts of at-bats (178), he is only hitting .281 with 13 home runs and 29 RBIs.

Bryce Harper is going to be one of the biggest stars in the game, and a fixture in the All-Star Game for years, but right now is not his time.  With Carlos Gomez and Michael Cuddyer both having career years and producing at an incredibly high level, Harper does not deserve to be starting in the All-Star Game.

Should Bryce Harper be starting in the All-Star Game? Leave your thoughts below.