During the 2012 Winter Meetings, baseball saw the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim land the most coveted player on the free agent market for the second consecutive year. One year after signing Albert Pujols to the second wealthiest contract in MLB history, the Halos inked a 5-year, $125 Million deal with outfielder Josh Hamilton which on paper gave the Angels one of the most formidable lineups in all of baseball and was thought to be a World Series contender. In the five seasons Hamilton spent with the Texas Rangers before becoming a free-agent, he was named to the American League All-Star team all five years and won the AL batting title while being awarded AL MVP in 2010. The man who was once touted among the best prospects in all of baseball before injuries and drug abuse threatened his career, had finally developed into the player scouts knew he was destined to be. After earning the recognition of one of the game's best players, Hamilton helped lead the Rangers to back-to-back World Series appearances including the first in franchise history in 2010. So it came as no surprise that Hamilton garnered a hefty payday when he hit the free-agent market just two seasons later.
However, since signing with the Halos, Hamilton has been a shadow of his former self while spending numerous stints on the disabled-list and producing nowhere near the numbers he did while with the Rangers. And then came his relapse with cocaine and alcohol in February which he admitted to. After news broke of Hamilton's relapse, Angels owner Arte Moreno ordered all of Hamilton's merchandise to be removed from the shelves at the team store inside Angels Stadium. Moreno and company was well aware of the risk that came with the now 33-year old slugger the moment they signed him and after the league chose not to suspend Hamilton following his most recent relapse which Moreno was hoping for, the front-office began searching for a team interested in his services. And on Monday, the Angels brought that proposal to fruition by agreeing to trade the highly paid, struggling star to the Rangers. The deal which will end the rocky relationship between Hamilton and the Angels is an expensive one for Anaheim as they will now pay all but around $7 Million of the $83 Million Hamilton is still owed, while shipping him to a division rival and getting nearly nothing in return aside from cleaning their hands of the problematic outfielder.
Although the Rangers will be getting a bargain considering how much Hamilton is owed and how little of the portion they'll have to pay him while hoping to find a solution to their struggling outfield, it won't all be bouquets and hugs for Hamilton when he makes his return to the field for the Rangers. Hamilton will have to regain some of the respect and admiration fans in Arlington once had for their beloved MVP. Upon leaving the franchise he resurrected his baseball career with, Hamilton called Dallas a football town on his way out which although true, rubbed some fans the wrong way. Currently on the disabled-list while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, Hamilton is expected to be ready to join the team come mid-May following a Minor League stint according to Rangers GM Jon Daniels. Hamilton who was no stranger to the Angels organization before he signed with them having faced them multiple times a year while a member of the Rangers, will once again be on the opposing side and my guess is he won't be getting a standing ovation from Halo fans when he's introduced in the batters box.
Three years removed from clubbing a career-high 43 home runs in his last season with the Rangers, 12 more than he hit in his two seasons combined with the Angels, Hamilton is hoping a change of scenery to a very familiar franchise will help him reclaim the star power he once possessed. With his story and struggles with drugs and alcohol well documented, you can't help but root for the guy and hope he turns it around. And when he makes his return to Arlington, I'll be doing just that.
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Over the last few years in baseball, it almost seemed like a trend or better yet a given that the game's marquee free-agents would either land in New York, Philadelphia, or Boston during the off-season. But since last season, no place has been a better big name attraction than Los Angeles. Better known for its warm weather and sandy beaches, L.A. has quickly formed into a baseball haven.
As if the Los Angeles Dodgers weren't already the team to watch in the National League next season preparing to begin their 2013 campaign with the super team they tried forming during mid-season last year, they've surely solidified their case this off-season. Continuing what began in late July last season when the Dodgers traded for former NL Batting Champion Hanley Ramirez and All-Star reliever Brandon League before later adding Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, Josh Beckett and Nick Punto in an August blockbuster deal with the Boston Red Sox, the Blue Crew have yet to put down their checkbooks and take a break from their free-spending. Earlier this week Dodgers GM Ned Colletti confirmed the signings of Korean All-Star hurler Hyun-Jin Ryu and 2009 Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
Refusing to play second fiddle in the city of angels to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim who had the most expensive off-season ever last year when signing Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson to a combined $317.5 Million, the Dodgers have quickly evolved into the NL's version of the New York Yankees and have been this year's most active ball club. Shortly after committing close to $62 Million on Ryu which included the $25.7 Million posting fee to negotiate with the Korean Baseball League veteran, the Dodgers made Greinke the highest paid right-handed pitcher in MLB history, inking him to a six-year, $146 Million pact. Hoping to improve in the pitching department, seeing as their nemesis in northern California -- the San Francisco Giants just won their second World Series title in three years backed by a dominant pitching staff, the Dodgers plan to make some noise of their own by adding a second Cy Young Award winner into the rotation.
The combination of Clayton Kershaw who took home NL Cy Young honors in 2011 and Greinke who won the hardware in the AL while with the Kansas City Royals in 2009 could be a lethal duo in an already pitching dominant division and should challenge the Giants for the NL West title. Splitting the season with the Milwaukee Brewers before being traded to the Angels in late July, Greinke posted a record of 15-5 with an ERA of 3.48 in 2012, eclipsing the 200 mark in both strikeouts and innings pitched. A season after the franchise filed for bankruptcy before falling into the hands of Guggenheim Baseball Management which includes former NBA great Magic Johnson for $2 Billion, the Dodgers who's current payroll sits at $225 Million, will more than likely begin the 2013 season with the highest payroll in baseball history, surpassing the previous mark set in 2005 by the New York Yankees ($209 Million).
And while the 2013 payroll of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim doesn't quite compete with that of their southern California relatives, sitting at $160 Million, that doesn't mean they don't have a team that's even better on paper. Though the Dodgers own a better pitching staff than their cross-town rivals, the Angels' lineup is much more superior thanks in large part to owner Arte Moreno's spending which enabled GM Jerry Dipoto to land the most coveted player in free-agency for the second consecutive year. A year after signing Albert Pujols to a mega deal and prying former Rangers ace C.J. Wilson from the hands of their division rivals, the Angels have once again made it clear that they're going for it all in 2013, this time by adding former AL MVP Josh Hamilton to a five-year, $125 Million contract. Finishing his 2012 season with a .285 batting average, 128 RBIs, a .930 OPS and a career-high 43 home runs, Hamilton finished fifth in the AL MVP voting and was named Silver Slugger for the third time in his career.
While many are quick to say the Angels have taken a roll of the dice with the blockbuster signing of Hamilton, a 5-time All-Star who brings baggage along with him which includes a history of injuries as well as alcohol and drug problems, Moreno sees it as a way to improve the ball club and enhance their chances of bringing the organization its second World Series Championship and its first under Moreno who bought the team in '03. Though one relapse can spell doom for the 31-year old Hamilton, he'll have a supportive cast to keep him clean along his journey. Alongside his family, Hamilton will have Pujols, Wilson who lives a straightedge lifestyle and his accountability partner, Shayne Kelley to help keep him out of trouble and away from his former demons that derailed his career in earlier years. Along with stealing their best player, the acquisition of Hamilton should also be enough to steal the AL West in 2013, leaving the Texas Rangers and Oakland A's on the outside looking in.
Hoping to improve their starting rotation following the departures of Greinke and Dan Haren, the Halos have acquired Tommy Hanson, Joe Blanton and Jason Vargas this off-season and have added Ryan Madson and Sean Burnett to their relief corps. But even with an average pitching staff led by ace Jared Weaver, the Angels will be doing most of their winning with their offense. With Mike Trout leading off, Hamilton will more than likely protect Pujols as Anaheim's cleanup hitter which gives them three potential MVP candidates. Not to be forgotten is the power-hitting hometown kid -- Mark Trumbo. Combined they form a nice little rendition of the 1927 New York Yankees better known as "Murderers' Row." But along with the excitement revolving this new breeding ground for baseball superstars comes the expectations of winning championships. Something the Dodgers haven't done since 1988 and the Angels haven't accomplished since 2002. With a Battle of the Bay as well as a Subway Series World Series already in the books, could this be the year we're finally treated to a Freeway Series in the Fall Classic?
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Some good news for Texas Rangers fans as one of the leagues most formidable tandems of Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz return to the lineup. The revamped offense will see the homecoming of their reigning American League MVP for the first time since April 12 when he was placed on the DL after sliding into home on a debatable play at the plate, being tagged out at home and breaking his arm in the process. Hamilton went public regarding the disputable call from the Rangers third base coach to send him, saying it was a bad decision. Since their blazing start to the season with Hamilton in the lineup, the Rangers have been six games under .500 without him (15-21).
Though he doesn't generate as much production as Hamilton, Cruz's return to the lineup will also be a welcomed one, as much of Texas' hot start had a lot to do with Cruz's consistent hitting to begin the season which saw him hit 7 home runs in 31 games before suffering a strained quad on May 3. Cruz also become only the third player in Major League history to ever homer in the first four games of the season. The timing of the return will be perfect given the Rangers have struggled to score runs lately, plating a combined 5 runs in their last four games. Not to mention the division is still up for grabs as a slim 2.5 games separates last place from first.
As for the Philadelphia Phillies who have been without arguably the best second baseman in the National League to start the season due to a knee injury, the team is hoping the addition of Chase Utley's bat in the lineup will help Philadelphia pull away with the division. Without their All-Star second baseman, the Phils offense has been struggling a bit, but their dominant starting rotation has kept them atop the standings as they currently own a 1.5 game lead over the second place Florida Marlins. With both the Rangers and Phillies projected favorites to not only win their divisions this season, but also contend for a title, who's return will make a bigger impact to their team, Utley's or Hamilton's?
Manager of the Year - With the highly coveted Commissioner's Trophy being handed out earlier this month to one of the most unlikeliest candidates coming into Spring Training (the San Francisco Giants), the 2010 Baseball season officially came to an end. However, there would still be much to look forward to as players and managers alike awaited the announcements of this year's award winners. While both Bud Black of the Padres (90-72) and Ron Gardenhire of the Twins (94-68) won the Manager of the Year Award in each of their leagues respectively, most of the other handful of awards would be somewhat more of a surprise.
Cy Young Award - Leading the debate was the Cy Young Award. While Philadelphia's ace Roy Halladay pretty much had the NL Cy Young Award won before the season concluded, tossing only the second no-hitter in Postseason history to go along with a regular season perfect game and career highs in wins and strikeouts, the race in the AL would end much closer. Finishing the year with a 13-12 record, Seattle's Felix Hernandez beat out his competition (C.C. Sabathia and David Price) by way of almost every other statistical category possible, both traditional and sabermetrical. Despite finishing behind the pack in wins, Hernandez placed atop the charts in ERA (2.27), innings pitched (249 2/3), and came one strikeout shy of tying the Angels' Jared Weaver for tops in the league. Granted only 10 pitchers have led their league in those three categories since the Cy Young Award was introduced in 1956 (all winning the award), it was only fitting Hernandez also took home the hardware.
Much to blame for King Felix's poor win-loss record, was the atrocious run support he was given by the Mariners offense, which scored the fewest runs per game of any major league team since the DH was adopted to the AL in 1973. Hernandez' 13 wins were the fewest by a starter to win the award in a non-interrupted season, surpassing Tim Lincecum's 2009 total of 15 wins he logged for the Giants. Hernandez' mediocre 13 victories proved once again that wins are an overrated stat when it comes to starting pitchers as 17 others in the American League alone finished the season with more victories than the Mariners ace. While the lack of runs proves to be the case more often than others, the bullpen is obviously another issue starters have to deal with, which is something San Francisco's Matt Cain would be able to tell you a little about.
Most Valuable Player Award - Sticking with the AL, Josh Hamilton of the American League Champion Texas Rangers beat out Miguel Cabrera, and Robinson Cano for the MVP Award. Posting 32 home runs, 100 RBI's, 95 runs scored, and 40 doubles to go along with his league leading .359 batting average, Hamilton helped the Rangers reach the Fall Classic for the first time in franchise history, despite missing 29 games due to a bruised rib cage. For what it's worth, the 29 year old Hamilton added to his MVP campaign by leading the league in slugging and on-base percentage.
Meanwhile in the NL, Reds first baseman Joey Votto beat out Colorado's Carlos Gonzales and St. Louis' Albert Pujols in an almost unanimous vote by the Baseball Writers Association of America, falling one first place vote shy of the sweep. In spite of not being named to the All-Star team in July and trailing the opposition in both home runs and RBI's, Votto edged the Cardinals slugger who was aiming for a third consecutive MVP Award and fourth overall. Most importantly, Votto's efforts helped Cincinnati clinch a Playoff berth for the first time in 15 years, and although they fell short in the NLDS getting swept by the Phillies, the Reds gave us a sneak peek of how just much talent their young team has.
Rookie of the Year Award - As for the award I anxiously awaited the most, the Rookie of the Year Award, Giants rookie sensation Buster Posey won the hardware in the NL, outlasting fellow Georgia native Jason Heyward who placed second in the voting. Prospects Jaime Garcia (St. Louis) and Gaby Sanchez (Florida) came in a distant third and fourth place. In my eyes, Posey won the award before the season even ended, considering the quick turnaround the Giants made when he was entered into the lineup. However, many would argue that he had a slight disadvantage, only playing two thirds of the season in the Majors (108 games), opposed to Heyward who appeared in 38 games more than Posey (142 games). Regardless of the extra month Heyward had over Posey, the Giants catcher had him beat in just about every major offensive statistic, except for RBI's, finishing with 67, five shy of Heyward's 72.
Posey, who was promoted by the Giants in July as the everyday catcher once Bengie Molina was shipped to Texas, was given no easy task, and was fed to the lions early having to catch the Giants' All-Star pitching staff, not to mention hit in the heart of a Giants order that wasn't known very well for its offensive abilities prior to what they showed in the World Series. Regardless, Posey made his presence felt right away, starting his magical ROTY campaign off with a 21-game hitting streak, falling one game short of tying the Giants' franchise record held by Hall of Famer Willie McCovey. For what it's worth, the 23 year old catcher also caught the attention of voters by getting the job done defensively, successfully throwing out 37% of those who tried stealing bases. If you ask me, I'd say no words and or award can describe just how much Posey meant to the Giants organization and their first crack at bringing home a World title to the bay area.
On the American League side of things, Neftali Feliz joined teammate Josh Hamilton in the award category, earning Rookie of the Year honors, and becoming the first Texas Ranger to win the award since 1974, ending a 36-year drought, the longest dry spell of any team to ever win the award. Though the AL ROTY race wasn't as competitive as its counterpart in the NL, Feliz exceeded Detroit's Austin Jackson by a total of 12 first-place votes and 24 points overall. At the early age of 22, Feliz set a Major League record for most saves by a rookie, with 40, surpassing the previous total of 37 saves collected by Seattle's Kazuhiro Sasaka who won the award in 2000.
With a win-loss record of 4-3, Feliz finished the season with 71 strikeouts in 69 1/3 innings while allowing 43 hits and 18 walks, all leading to a 2.73 ERA. The stat I found to be the most interesting regarding Feliz' All-Star season, was of the 127 Major League pitchers to compile at least 40 saves in a season, he's just one of 23 who had three or fewer blown saves. More importantly, he played a major role in me winning my Fantasy Team this season (Along with Posey and Hernandez)! :-)
The Texas Rangers are no longer strangers of the MLB - After defeating the reigning World Champion New York Yankees in 6-games, the Texas Rangers are going to the World Series for the first time in franchise history. Throughout the teams 40+ year existence which saw a name and location change in 1972 from the team formerly known as the Washington Senators, the franchise has never made it to the Fall Classic, let alone won a single Postseason series prior to this year. All that talk can finally be put to rest as Josh Hamilton and company put together a 6-1 beating in Game 6 of the ALCS to defeat the evil empire of the baseball world. Not to mention in the most appropriate way possible, striking out former Ranger Alex Rodriguez for the final out of the ball game. Not only did Texas dethrone the Yankees as the American League Champions, but they've also assured us that a new champion will be crowned this year which is always a positive.
Hamilton received MVP honors while hitting .350 (7-for-20) with a double and 4 home runs, scoring 6 runs, totaling 7 RBI's, and drawing 8 walks, 5 of which were intentional, setting an ALCS record. Hamilton's four homers were also good enough to tie an LCS record. Keep in mind, he did all this while playing with banged up ribs. Imagine what type of numbers the 2010 batting champ would've put up if fully healthy. Not only does Hamilton's statistics deserve its own headlines, but so does his story of battling his demons that almost everyone is familiar with by now, which included drug and alcohol abuse. One of the cooler things we seen this Postseason, was the substituted champagne shower Hamilton's teammates gave him after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS.
Instead of the usual beer and champagne that players drench themselves with when advancing to the Playoffs and beyond, the Rangers clubhouse treated Hamilton to a Ginger Ale bath, dousing him with bottles of the sweet substance, before the real party began. Also included in the abnormal yet touching celebration was left-handed pitcher C.J. Wilson, who doesn't drink due to his straight edge beliefs and drug-free lifestyle. Cliff Lee continued to show his brilliance and prove yet again that he's an entirely different life-form when it comes to Postseason pitching, but much credit goes to Colby Lewis, who won two games in the series including the clinching Game 6. And to think a year ago, Lewis was on the brink of calling it quits in terms of the Major Leagues as he found a home in the Japanese Central League, starring as a pitcher for the Hiroshima Carp and leading the league in strikeouts in back-to-back seasons.
While recent stories regarding the Texas Rangers can be talked about for days, including the decision part owner and team president Nolan Ryan decided to make when standing behind his manager Ron Washington despite the cocaine issue that was brought up earlier in the season, or the team that filed for bankruptcy just several months ago and was fought over in a courthouse, the real story lies on the baseball diamond where one of the games most deserving teams will try to win their first ever World Series title. Whether they face the San Francisco Giants or the Philadelphia Phillies is yet to be determined, but it won't matter to the Texas Rangers who are looking to fulfill their dreams and put an exclamation point on the 2010 season that has been somewhat of a Cinderella story for the folks of Arlington.
Hearing about a current Major League player linked to using drugs and or a banned substance in this day and age is no big mystery, but managers? Earlier this week, Texas Rangers skipper Ron Washington admitted to using cocaine after testing positive for the drug during the 2009 regular season. Sports Illustrated reports that Washington's failed drug test came prior to the All-Star break in July. The Rangers skipper who is in his fourth and final year of his contract with the ball club, offered to resign from the position, but the team's front office said no and made it clear that although they don't approve of his mistake, they're sticking behind him.In an interview with ESPN, Washington revealed his cocaine usage was a one time thing and he stated it was a very bad mistake that he truly regrets. The Rangers organization is no stranger to drugs, as the team went threw a similar situation with Josh Hamilton who had numerous run ins with drugs before coming clean and finding faith. My whole take on this is, if players get a second chance then why shouldn't managers/coaches? Which is why I agree with the Rangers organization for not pulling the plug on Washington's career in the Lone Star State. Since obtaining the managerial job in 2007, the Rangers have improved year after year, finishing 2nd in the division in back-to-back years after a 4th place finish in his first year at the throne.Many sports writers and analysts have Washington's Rangers competing with the Seattle Mariners in hopes of knocking the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim out of sole control of the AL West. A division the Southern California team has owned since 2007.(Seen in photo: Manager Ron Washington and outfielder Josh Hamilton)
