Monday, April 28, 2014

South Side Sensation

After finishing dead last in the AL Central division during the 2013 season and nearly hitting the dreadful 100-loss mark, the Chicago White Sox weren't expected to be a whole lot better in 2014 with another year of rebuilding. But less than a month into the new season, the South Siders have already began to show improvements. One of the more glaring upgrades appears to be in the form of Cuban slugger Jose Abreu who's sizzling start to the season has helped the Sox stay afloat at 13-13 on the year. With the likes of Yoenis Cespedes and Yasiel Puig at the plate and Aroldis Chapman on the mound just to name a few, hoping to strike gold with the next big talent from Cuba has become all the craze throughout the MLB and the Chicago White Sox appear to be the latest club added to that list. After showcasing his skills for the Cuban National team during last year's World Baseball Classic, Abreu defected from Cuba in August of 2013 and established residency in the Dominican where he was then eligible for free agency. Soon after, the White Sox signed Abreu to a six-year, $68 Million deal.

Less than a month into his 2014 rookie campaign, it's safe to say the former Cuban MVP and home run champion has had little trouble transitioning his game from his homeland to the Major Leagues, having already set numerous records in the bigs as he leads the league in both home runs and runs batted in. With four RBI's in Sunday's win over the Tampa Bay Rays, bringing his total to 31, the red-hot Abreu broke the record for the most RBI's by a rookie in the month of April, leapfrogging the previous record held by Albert Pujols who drove home 27 RBI's in 2001 while a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. As for the most RBI's in a single month by a member of the South Siders, Abreu needs just five more ribbie's to catch Harold Baines who holds the franchise record with 36 RBI tallied back in June of 1987. Abreu's 10 home runs in the month of April are also a rookie record and are the second most ever hit by a member of the White Sox, one shy of teammate Paul Konerko's 11 HR's which he hit in 2010, a mark Abreu could tie and possibly even surpass with three games left before the start of May.
Maybe even more shocking than the totals Abreu has put up in less than a month of his big league service and will most likely result in him being named both AL Rookie and Player of the Month, is the ball he destroyed a few weeks ago, tearing the cover off a ball he fouled off. The ball looked like something that landed in the neighbors backyard that their dog had got a hold of and turned into his own personal chew toy. While Abreu still remains new to the league which means big league pitchers will eventually learn his tendencies the more at-bats he gets and the more games he plays, the early success probably comes as little surprise to the brain trust of the Chicago White Sox given the ball club shelled out more than $20 Million more than what the Dodgers signed Abreu's fellow countryman Yasiel Puig who's four years younger than Chicago's new slugger. That's not to discredit Puig who single-handedly helped turn around the Dodgers' 2013 season last year, but just goes to show how highly the White Sox front-office thinks of Abreu.

Something that is awe-inspiring regarding Abreu's home run totals, however, is how many long ball's he's been able to hit out at home despite the cool weather Chicago is still facing. While it's nearly impossible to predict just how many he'll finish with come seasons end or whether or not he can maintain his productivity at its current pace, it's safe to say that he'll be a fan favorite on the south side of Chicago for many years to come. Not to mention he's the one player I'm most hoping to see named to this year's Home Run Derby where maybe he'll face off against last year's winner and fellow Cuban -- Yoenis Cespedes.


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Sunday, April 6, 2014

Giants, Belt off to Hot Start

With the San Francisco Giants opening their 2014 season on the road with trips to face the division rival Arizona Diamondbacks as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers, the GMen ride a hot start into San Francisco for Tuesday's Home Opener. After taking 3 of 4 in the desert followed by 2 wins in 3 games vs L.A., the 5-2 Giants will host their first game of the season as they welcome the D-Backs for a three game set. Failing to complete the sweep against the archrival Dodgers on Sunday in a 6-2 loss, the Giants stand atop the NL Western Division standings in first place. For a team that's been better known for their pitching over the last few years, it's been the Giants' bats that have landed them in first place.

After placing dead last in the league in home runs last season and near the bottom of the pack the last few years, the Giants as a team have already belted 10 Home Runs on the year in just seven games. Something that took them 18 games to accomplish just a year ago. Four of which have come off the bat of first baseman Brandon Belt who has so far this year shown the Giants the power they've been expecting from him since drafting him in 2009. Through seven games, Belt who finished with 17 homers in 2013, trails only Arizona's Mark Trumbo who has five homers on the year including one off of Tim Lincecum in Thursday's D-Backs-Giants series finale. Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey has also contributed a pair of Home Runs to start the year while Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Pablo Sandoval and newcomers Michael Morse and Brandon Hicks have all gone deep once.
While it's unlikely they'll be able to maintain their recent slugfest the rest of the way as the Giants get set to take to the much more pitcher friendly AT&T Park, I can easily see them putting up a decent Home Run total this year opposed to the last few seasons. But hitting the long ball won't be the only thing Giants fans hope to see an improvement from last year. Starting pitching which has been the bread and butter of the orange and black for the last several years, saw both former ace Matt Cain and Ryan Vogelsong take a step back from their 2012 output. While Vogelsong spent time on the disabled list, Cain struggled for much of the season and suffered from a rocky first half before bouncing back down the stretch. 2-time Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum had slightly better numbers in 2013 than he did in 2012, but still had an ERA north of 4.00 and has yet to regain the magic that put him among the top hurlers in the game.

Madison Bumgarner who was named the ace on this year's starting staff, would be the only bright spot in the rotation while logging a superb 2013 season and being named to his first All-Star Game. Last season also saw the last of Barry Zito in a Giants uniform as the Giants chose not to accept the 2014 option on the veteran southpaw's contract who was replaced with the elder but more consistent Tim Hudson. Hudson dazzled in his Giants debut, pitching 7.2 innings of 3-hit, shutout ball as the newest member of the rotation struck out 7 Arizona batters and was awarded with the Win in a 2-0 victory. The 38-year old Hudson will look to carry that momentum into Tuesday's game as he gets set to start the Giants' Home Opener against the same team he pitched against in his debut. Catch Hudson and the Giants kick things off at home for the first time this season as they take on the Trevor Cahill who will be seeking revenge for the (2-7) Arizona Diamondbacks at 1:35 p.m. 


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Thursday, April 3, 2014

Redskins' former foe Jackson lands in D.C.

Last Friday, the Philadelphia Eagles made the puzzling decision of releasing Pro-Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson despite the 27 year old wide-out coming off of a career year in Philly. In his first year in head coach Chip Kelly's system, Jackson flourished by putting up career high's in receptions (82) and receiving yards (1,332), while tying a personal best in touchdowns (9). While you would assume the numbers would guarantee him a position on the team the following season with three years remaining on his contract, Kelly and the Eagles decided to part with their most dynamic offensive weapon. Jackson was released by the organization for what the team described as a poor work ethic and his alleged ties to gang activity. While there's no proof linking Jackson as being a gang member, both of which wouldn't nearly be enough to keep teams from wanting to add Jackson to their roster as he garnered the interest of more than eight teams according to sources.

Among those interested were none other than the Washington Redskins, longtime rivals of the Philadelphia Eagles. Having been a thorn in side of the Redskins throughout his career while a member of Washington's division rival, Jackson has always been one of those players 'Skins owner Daniel Snyder would rather have than have to face twice a year. So it was a no-brainer to go out and make a run for him the moment he became available. After meeting with team officials during the week without reaching a deal, Jackson was spotted at a D.C. nightclub with Redskins receiver Pierre Garcon, cornerback DeAngelo Hall and Washington rapper Wale, hinting that a possible deal was in the works. Days later, Jackson's agent would stop him from boarding a plane to the west coast where he was scheduled to meet with the Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers, both of whom were hoping to lore the speedy wide-out back to the Bay Area where he attended the University of California Berkeley. Instead, Jackson was informed that a deal with the Redskins had been reached, inking him to a 3-year deal worth $24 Million ($16 Million guaranteed).

The acquisition of Jackson who can hurt you receiving footballs as well as returning them, bolsters an already star-studded offense that features Pro Bowl running back Alfred Morris, emerging tight-end Jordan Reed and the aforementioned Garcon. Jackson's speed and play making ability figures to make an immediate impact for a franchise that was thought to compete for a playoff spot heading into the 2013 season. One year removed from a 10-6 record and their first NFC Eastern Division title since 1999, the Washington Redskins are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2013 in which they finished last in the division at 3-13. With the firing of head coach Mike Shanahan and the hiring of Jay Gruden, Snyder and company is hoping Jackson is another piece to the puzzle that'll put Washington back on top. Much of that will depend on the health of quarterback Robert Griffin III who clearly wasn't himself in 2013 after sustaining an injury the year before and undergoing surgery during the offseason. While appearing to be a shadow of his 2012 self physically, RGIII was no better mentally as he had the light shined on him every other day it seemed for his roller coaster relationship with coach Shanahan.  
But with 2013 now in the rear view mirror and a fresh start in 2014, Griffin has to like the way things have been going thus far as Snyder and Washington GM Bruce Allen supplied their franchise quarterback with not one but two new targets to throw to in Jackson and receiver Andre Roberts formerly of the Arizona Cardinals. Despite the signings, Griffin knows not to get overly excited and has put a halt on any sort of victory parade Washington fans might already be planning as the 'Skins QB told the media, "Everyone needs to understand that we haven't won anything yet." Having garnered the reputation for winning the offseason championship on numerous occasions with sexy free-agent signings who have failed to deliver when putting on the burgundy and gold, Jackson will be given the chance to crack that spell. As the saying goes, one team's trash is another team's treasure. And granted he probably felt like he was being treated like a piece trash when being told over the phone by coach Kelly himself that he had in fact been released by the team, Jackson and Washington are hoping to make Philadelphia regret releasing their best receiver.

The most intriguing part about Jackson signing within the division is that it'll allow him to face his former team twice a year. But while most experts are deeming the addition of Jackson a disaster waiting to happen due to his unstable attitude and everything else he brings with him, I think Jackson wanting to prove everyone that's doubting him wrong, most notably his former team, will be provide plenty of fuel to spark his fire in Washington. And him knowing he'll have a two shots a year to get even with coach Kelly and the Eagles will do just that.


Follow me on Twitter: @FraserKnowsBest