Pro Sports Wrap - Sports Personality of the Day:Tony Romo

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Indians, Mark Buehrle, Rangers, Angels, Phillies, Marlins, Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols, Octavio Dotel, Brewers, Prince Fielder, Dodgers, Hiroki Kuroda, Casey Blake, Rockies, D'Backs

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11/24 MLB Rumors: Reliever Rumblings

November 24th 2011 09:48

The New York Times reports that Joe Torre could be interested in owning- mostly partially owning- the Los Angeles Dodgers. While this doesn't seem likely, there is a chance that Torre ends up teaming up with somebody like Rick Caruso to own the team.

The Minnesota Twins are interested in re-signing Matt Capps and implementing him as their closer after Joe Nathan signed with the Texas Rangers. Capps is a slightly below-average closer, but he's the best option they have and will likely be cheaper than making a move like trading for Francisco Cordero or Huston Street.

Speaking of which, there are six teams interested in acquiring the Rockies closer. Street, like Capps, is 28 years old, and he was also the 2005 Rookie of the Year. He's about a league-average closer, and the six teams interested (per Sports Illustrated) are the Red Sox, Jays, O's, Mets, Marlins and Reds. The Reds are also trading their closer, and Street would present a minor upgrade over Cordero. The Jays, O's, and Mets have a huge need at closer, but it is interesting to note that the Mets rejected a previous deal from the Rockies in a proposed Street-Pelfrey swap.

According to the New York Post, Mariano Rivera might retire after the 2012 season. Mo has one year left on his contract, and below are two quotes to mull over. The best closer in history is about to turn 42, and he has saved a record 603 games over his Major League career so far. I don't think he should hang up the spikes now, as he has still been pitching at a very high level. However, he knows his body more than we all do, and I'm sure that the future Hall of Famer will make the best decision for himself.

"I don't know what will happen,'' said Rivera. "I have one year left. I might call it over. I will know more in spring training.''

"Every time I talk it gets worse and worse,'' Rivera said when asked about his vocal chord problems that have arisen this offseason which may require surgery.

There are a lot of replacement-level to average starter middle-infielders who are making bank this offseason, and Jerry Hairston Jr. could be among those guys. Hairston is really just a utility backup guy. Hairston is an above-average defensive outfielder, and he plays at a high level at second. However, he is considered to be mediocre at the hot corner. But with his positional versatility, Hairston is an intriguing option and provides value to a ballclub. He was worth 1.2 WAR in 376 plate appearances, so he is an inexpensive option who would be a solid stop-gap option.

In fact, there are three teams interested in signing Hairston; the Dodgers, Brewers, and Giants all want to sign him. The Dodgers lost Jamey Carroll to the Twins in free agency, the Brewers have a hole at short, and the Giants are obviously in the market for a shortstop with their situation at the position. The 35 year old did get a one-year offer from the Brewers to re-sign with the team, but it seems like the Brew Crew want to get a marquee shortstop. They have also made it clear that signing Yuniesky Betancourt is also an option, although everybody will agree that it's not exactly a good option.

The Nationals are fighting with the Miami Marlins to sign solid veteran free agent starter Mark Buehrle. The Nats have made him their number one priority this offseason Buehrle has been worth over 3 WAR for the past three seasons, and he will definitely bolster this rotation and is worth about 10-12 million on the open market.

Count Sandy Alomar Jr. out of the race for the Boston Red Sox manager opening, as Bobby Valentine has been swooning the Sox brass recently. I expect the Sox to name Valentine their manager, but there are still a couple of candidates remaining.

Will he retire after 2012?

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Mariano Rivera, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, Sandy Alomar Jr., Twins, Matt Capps, Jamey Carroll, Mark Buehrle, Rangers, Joe Nathan, Mets, Mike Pelfrey, Marlins, Nationals, Brewers, Yuniesky Betancourt, Jerry Hairston Jr, Reds, Francisco Cordero, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, Huston Street

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11/19 MLB Rumors: Brandon Phillips Extension Talks

November 19th 2011 14:38

The Colorado Rockies were discussing a trade that would send closer Huston Street to the New York Mets for starting pitcher Mike Pelfrey. The funny thing is that the Mets rejected the deal, because they didn't really like Street. It's funny, because Street is a much better player than Pelfrey. I mean, Pelfrey is a below-average starter who would be an awful fit in Coors Field. Bob Geren is the New York Mets bench coach, and part of the reason why this deal didn't go through is because Street and Geren hate eachother from their days in Oakland. I don't blame Street, because Geren is an incompetent manager and most players hate playing for him. Tell me why he was hired again? Oh yeah, that's right, Sandy Alderson likes bringing in former Oakland guys; look at their manager Terry Collins (at least he's okay).

Instead of worrying about what could have happened, let's talk about what might happen. That's what rumors are about, right? Brandon Phillips was easily the NL's best second baseman this season, and it is incumbent upon the Cincinnati Reds to extend him. He's got one more year left on his contract, thanks to a team option that was exercised on Halloween, but the Reds would obviously want their second best player to stay longer.

"We've made progress, but we're not close," GM Walt Jocketty said Thursday, MLB.com reports. "It will take a little bit of time. It's a complicated contract. It gets down to trying to determine the number of years and amount of dollars. We're still a ways apart on both."

Jose Molina knows quite a bit about the AL East, because he's only played in the AL East for the last four and a half seasons. Molina is a solid defensive player behind the plate, but he is poor with the stick. The Tampa Bay Rays are about to give him a one-year deal with a 2013 option stuck to it. The veteran catcher will surely put pen to paper soon, and Molina will be an average backup to John Jaso. And really, that's all Molina does; he backs up younger players behind the plate.

ESPN analyst Bobby Valentine has been in the running for the Boston Red Sox vacancy at manager, and he is seemingly always a candidate for every team. Right now Valentine is the frontrunner, but don't count out other established candidates such as Torey Lovullo, Sandy Alomar Jr., and Gene Lamont.

Set to make 12 million but more is coming with a possible extension

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Torey Lovullo, Jose Molina TOR, Red Sox, Rays, John Jaso, Sandy Alomar Jr., Gene Lamont, Athletics, Mets, Sandy Alderson, Terry Collins, Bob Geren, Mike Pelfrey, Reds, Brandon Phillips, Walt Jocketty, Rockies, Huston Street

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8/2011 MLB Power Rankings

August 26th 2011 11:24

1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Phillies
4. Braves
5. Rangers
6. Diamondbacks
7. Brewers
8. Angels
9. Giants
10. Tigers
11. Rays
12. Cardinals
13. Reds
14. White Sox
15. Blue Jays
16. Indians
17. Rockies
18. Mets
19. Dodgers
20. Nationals
21. Padres
22. Marlins
23. Cubs
24. Athletics
25. Pirates
26. Royals
27. Twins
28. Mariners
29. Orioles
30. Astros

Offseason acquisition has Cubs highest WAR this year

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rankings, MLB Power Rankings, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, Rays, Indians, Tigers, Twins, Royals, White Sox, Rangers, Angels, Mariners, Athletics, Astros, Phillies, Mets, Braves, Marlins, Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, Cubs, Brewers, Reds, Pirates, Padres, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers, Rockies, D'Backs

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8/2011 Center Fielder Rankings

August 6th 2011 14:07

One of the premier positions in baseball is center field. First off, it is the second most important position on the diamond- after shortstop- and many of the game's greats were center fielders. Below are my rankings of the center fielders in baseball today. (Minimum 750 plate appearances as a center fielder since 2009)

1. Rangers Josh Hamilton

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8/4 MLB News: A-Rod and poker

August 4th 2011 13:53

I thought Alex Rodriguez was just about done with his shenanigans, and then this came up. We've always known that A-Rod has had some gambling problems- namely poker- but this is the farthest it's ever gone. He was in trouble with the league for gambling in 2005, and then he held a charity poker game. The current allegations against Rodriguez are far more serious with this incident.

Bud Selig has definitely had enough of A-Rod's circus in the past few years, and this is just another major headache for the commissioner. It's a known fact that Rodriguez is going to be suspended, but the question really is the length of his suspension. Because he's done this before, I suggest that Rodriguez is suspended for the same length as players who take PEDs; 50 days

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Alex Rodriguez, CC Sabathia, Jose Bautista, Red Sox, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Verlander, Roy Halladay, Jose Reyes, Matt Kemp

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6/21 Daily Rundown: Pujols Out 6 Weeks

June 21st 2011 06:20

1. Pujols injury update

Albert Pujols will be out for about six weeks with a fractured left wrist in a season filled with ups and downs for Puj. He sustained this injury after colliding with Wilson Betemit of the Royals in a baseball play gone wrong. The Cards have had to deal with many injuries this season to their stars. Matt Holliday has missed time, David Freese is still out, and Adam Wainwright has missed the entire season

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6/2011 Team Scope: San Diego Padres

June 5th 2011 14:51

Last season, the Padres were baseball's surprise story and were in first place in their division for most of the year. Their devastating collapse at the end of the year- and the incredible comeback by the Giants who would eventually win the World Series- has continued on to this season. The Padres are last in the poor but competitive NL West.

It's no surprise that their hitting has been awful, and that's the reason why they are last in their division. Their rotation has been disappointing, especially when you consider that their ballpark is PETCO. The Padres do have one of the best bullpens in baseball with Heath Bell, Mike Adams, Chad Qualls, Luke Gregerson, and Pat Neshek

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Blue Jays, Padres, Heath Bell, Mat Latos, Nick Hundley, Orlando Hudson, Jorge Cantu, Chase Headley, Cameron Maybin, Chris Denorfia, Kyle Phillips, Rob Johnson, Ryan Ludwick, Tim Stauffer, Clayton Richard, Dustin Moseley, Chad Qualls, Mike Adams, Pat Neshek, Luke Gregerson, San Francisco Giants

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5/2011 Starting Pitcher Rankings

May 22nd 2011 14:01

1. Tim Lincecum
2. Roy Halladay
3. Josh Johnson

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5/21 Baseball Stats Check

May 21st 2011 15:56

1. Jonny Gomes has the lowest BABIP at .185 as well as the 14th highest strikeout rate 31.2%. He is hitting .176.

2. A.J. Pierzynski is hitting .252, but he has the lowest strikeout rate in the league at 5.8

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Jose Bautista, Carl Crawford, David Ortiz, Matt Joyce, Shin Soo-Choo, Denard Span, Alcides Escobar, AJ Pierzynski, Juan Pierre, Ozzie Guillen, Vernon Wells, Justin Smoak, Raul Ibanez, Ian Desmond, Matt Holliday, Carlos Gomez, Jonny Gomes, Dexter Fowler, Jim Tracy

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Carlos Delgado Retires

April 14th 2011 12:45

I really don't get why people aren't talking about Carlos Delgado's recent retirement (April 13th). Everybody was buzzing about Manny Ramirez, but I have only heard minor waves about another great slugger. Delgado is one of the 200 best baseball players of All-Time thanks to his incredible power. He slammed 473 dingers, drove in 1,512 runs, had a career OBP of .383, and had a career slugging percentage of .546. Those are eye-popping power numbers, and he ought to get much more recognition with those kinds of totals.

Carlos Delgado was a superstar first baseman during his first eleven seasons of his career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He retires as one of the greatest players in franchise history in ten significant statistical categories including homers, RBIs, slugging percentage, OPS, total bases, walks, doubles, and extra base-hits. Delgado won the Silver Slugger Award in the years 1999, 2000, and 2003 while also winning the Hank Aaron Award in 2000 for being the best offensive player in the AL. I think the award that defined his career best was his Roberto Clemente Award in 2006. The Roberto Clemente Award is given to the player that combines on the field excellence with charity work

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, Blue Jays, Carlos Delgado, Manny Ramirez

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4/9 Game Recap: Angels and Jays

April 10th 2011 18:09

I was able to catch the end of the Angels' 6-5 victory in a long game against the Toronto Blue Jays played in Los Angeles. There were a lot of runs early on as starting pitchers Brett Cecil and Matt Palmer got blown early to the tune of 10 hits and 5 runs allowed apiece (4 ER for Palmer). However, four relievers in that game were perfect through at least an inning of work. Only one reliever gave up an earned run, and that came from the game-winning single.

Maicer Izturis was definitely the hero of the game for the Angels. He not only hit the game-winning single to score Peter Bourjos from second, but he also had 3 hits with two ribbies and a run during the game. Dan Haren came in at the end to get the win (2-0) and struck out a batter in a perfect inning of work. I view Haren as a darkhorse candidate to win the Cy Young. Before the season started, my good friend Aryan- who used to own a blog here- and I were talking about what would happen before the season. I told him that Haren and Russell Martin were my bounce-back players. So far, they have done me right

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Posted By: Joe Soriano - Category: MLB, MLB Rumors and News, Yankees, Bartolo Colon, Boone Logan, Russell Martin, Blue Jays, Travis Snider, Jose Bautista, John McDonald TOR, Brett Cecil, J.P. Arencibia, Jon Rauch, Shawn Camp, Red Sox, Angels, Dan Haren, Maicer Izturis, Brandon Wood, Howie Kendrick, Jeff Mathis, Matt Palmer, Peter Bourjos

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2011 Season Preview: Tampa Bay Rays

February 17th 2011 15:47

The Tampa Bay Rays lost a lot of talent this offseason because the team needed to shave some payroll. They lost their best player, Carlos Pena, Matt Garza, Jason Bartlett, and five good relief pitchers. Their bullpen is completely different, and they lost key players and leaders. The fact that Crawford and Soriano- two of their best players- went to their division rivals in Boston and New York respectively only adds to the pain in Tampa. This team lost a ton of talent and the guys they added were Manny, Damon, Joel Peralta, Kyle Farnsworth, Casey Kotchman, and Felipe Lopez. The losses far outweighed the arrivals.

I really don't like this team at all. I can't tell you where I think they will be until I do my full breakdowns and final predictions in March. What I can tell you is that you shouldn't be shocked to see this team fall off. They are lucky that the Blue Jays lost quite a bit of pitching talent, but I could still see them in a tough battle with those two teams. It will certainly be tougher than what they have been used to in the past three seasons

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