#cincinnati reds cy young winners

[conlasbasesllenas]

Luis Castillo intentará ser el primer Cy Young en Cincinnati Reds

Luis Castillo intentará ser el primer Cy Young en Cincinnati Reds

El pitcher dominicano Luis Castillo buscará en la temporada 2020 ser el primer Cy Young en la historia de Cincinnti Reds. (more…)

[cwsdjt]

2019 MLB Predictions

AL East

Boston Red Sox – (all in a Boston accent) Man do I hate them moah than those gold-chain and backwahds fitted hat wearin’ Yanks. The team just won the World Sehries in pretty easy fashion. How can I bet against ‘em? They have the same loyneup. Heck, if they strengthen theahr second base and catcha positions, there will be no stawpin’ ‘em.

New York Yankees – They added Adam Ottavino and Troy Tulowitzki. Their bullpen is filthy. They have enough home run hitters to knock it over that 200-foot right field wall. This team is poised to win 100 games. I dread watching a bunch of gold chains and bare-chested Yankee fans banging the padded outfield walls during the playoffs, but it’s going to happen, so I’ve just accepted it.

Tampa Bay Rays – This team was sneaky good last year. 90 wins and no one talked about them. Their analytics department is one of the best in baseball. They added Mike Zunino. They have an all-around solid team. They might be able to land that second wild card.

Toronto Blue Jays – They’ll hold Vlad Guerrero down until he works on his defense or loses weight until he magically figures it all out around a Super Two cutoff date. They are obviously rebuilding because they can’t compete with the top three teams above them.

Baltimore Orioles – This team is brutal. Unless Trey Mancini, Chris Davis, and Mark Trumbo find strokes again, they may lose 120 games.

AL Central

Cleveland Indians – They were rumored to be in talks with teams about trading Kluber or Bauer. They didn’t. Their lineup is still solid and they don’t have much competition in the Central.

Minnesota Twins – The Twins might be sneaky this season, unfortunately. Nelson Cruz at the DH helps. Berrios is a future Cy Young winner. They have talent.

Chicago White Sox – They didn’t land any marquee free agents. We know why. Moncada and Anderson will take steps forward. We can maybe even see the same from López and Rodón. Eloy will be up right around April 15 for some reason, and Abreu can stay healthy. They’re poised to win about 73 games…MAX.

Kansas City Royals – They’re somehow going to be worse than the Sox. They have some fast guys…I guess.

Detroit Tigers – They may trade Castellanos and Josh Harrison by the end of the season. Look for them to round off an VERY weak AL Central in 2019.

AL West

Houston Astros – Come on. It’s the Astros. My guy Alex Bregman will be in the MVP race and finish second to Michael Trout. Altuve, Correa, Cole, Verlander, Springer, etc. It’s still a loaded team.

Oakland A’s – I doubt they live up to what they did last year. They were a sneaky good team, but they also had Trevor Cahill and Edwin Jackson put together their best seasons. Not to mention, their closer was Blake Treinen. Treinen is back, but I don’t see this team being better than 2018. Maybe they’ll surprise me.

Los Angeles Angels – They got Trout. They got Ohtani. They’ll get 82 wins or something.

Seattle Mariners – They’re rebuilding. Kikuchi hides the ball better than a magician with a card up his sleeve. They have some youthful talent, but again that’s about it this season.

Texas Rangers – This is just not a very good team. That rotation is absolutely atrocious.

NL East

Washington Nationals – Eaton could be at full health. Maybe Drake LaRoche will lead them to a World Series. I don’t know. Losing Harper didn’t necessarily kill this team. They added Yan Gomes, as well.

Philadelphia Phillies – Harper joins them, and so does Cutch. This team is good now. The rotation needs some work, but the lineup can do the heavy lifting.

Atlanta Braves – They added Donaldson, but compared to the rest of the division, they didn’t improve as much over the offseason.

New York Mets – The rotation is always good, and everyone gets hurt by week 3 because their training staff is worse than coffee breath. Cano can always hit. Lowrie was a nice addition. The same goes for Wilson Ramos and Edwin Diaz. If the staff is healthy, this team is solid.

Miami Marlins – That sounds about right.

NL Central

Milwaukee Brewers – They added Grandal to catch. The rest of the team is the same. This is an easy pick.

Chicago Cubs – Watch them win the World Series because I put them here. If they don’t have injuries, this team can win the division.

St. Louis Cardinals – Goldschmidt was a heckuva addition. Maybe Fowler can stay healthy. This bullpen is still shaky, though.

Cincinnati Reds – The Reds added Kemp and Puig. They also added Sonny Gray. This team could surprise some people. That lineup is sneaky stacked.

Pittsburgh Pirates – This team is so-so. Unfortunately, they’re playing in one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

NL West

Los Angeles Dodgers – They’re still good. Kershaw is experiencing injury issues again, sadly. The rest of the team is good. They added Pollock. Catcher could be shaky, but this is still a good ball club.

Colorado Rockies – They extended Arenado and Blackmon. This is a morale boost. They’re still good.

San Diego Padres – They added the prized possession, Manny Machado. Watch out for Franmil Reyes. They dude hits for power. Tatis, Jr. will be up around the same time as Eloy and Vlad. This team is the ultimate kick to the stomach for White Sox fans. Thank GOD, they play on the west coast.

San Francisco Giants – This team is not very strong. Their best players are older than Cub fans claiming no one goes to Sox games.

Arizona Diamondbacks – They’re as weak as George Costanza without his glasses.

AL Playoffs: Red Sox, Indians, Astros, Yankees (WC), Rays (WC) NL Playoffs: Dodgers, Nationals, Brewers, Cubs (WC), Phillies (WC) World Series: Yankees vs. Nationals, Yankees = Champions

[mynewsworldblog]

Bauer-less Reds fall back on the familiar for rotation

Bauer-less Reds fall back on the familiar for rotation

The Cincinnati Reds will go into the 2021 season without two of last year’s most important pitchers — National League Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer and closer Raisel Iglesias. How manager David Bell will work around those blockbuster departures is the overriding question as his pitchers begin throwing this week during spring training. Without major offseason additions, the cost-conscious…

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/12/27/sources-padres-near-deal-to-acquire-rays-snell/

Sources: Padres near deal to acquire Rays' Snell

11:29 PM ET

Jeff PassanESPN

Close

ESPN MLB insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”

The San Diego Padres are finalizing a trade to acquire former Cy Young winner Blake Snell from the Tampa Bay Rays for top pitching prospect Luis Patiño, catchers Francisco Mejia and Blake Hunt and right-handed pitching prospect Cole Wilcox, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.

The trade, which is pending medical reviews, would send the 28-year-old Snell to the Padres and was agreed upon exactly two months to the day of Game 6 of the World Series, in which he threw 5⅓ brilliant innings only to be pulled. Tampa Bay wound up losing the game and series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Padres’ aggressiveness has placed them in the middle of trade talks all winter. While they were discussing potential deals for the Chicago Cubs‘ Yu Darvish and Cincinnati Reds‘ Sonny Gray, their focus turned to Snell, whose contract will pay him $39 million over the next three years.

Tampa Bay, whose history of trading top pitchers includes dealing James Shields, David Price and Chris Archer, will receive a significant haul in return for Snell. Patiño, 21, is the headliner, a 6-foot right-hander with a fastball that sits at 97 mph and a slider considered among the best in the minor leagues. In 17⅓ innings last season, he posted a 5.19 ERA, struck out 21 and walked 14.

Mejia, 25, is a onetime top prospect who had fallen out of favor in San Diego but is a switch hitter with power. Wilcox received a $3.3 million bonus — a record for a third-round pick — after being taken in this year’s draft out of Georgia. Hunt, 20, is the least known of the four but impressed in instructional league play this year and is a big catcher (6-foot-3, 215 pounds) whose swing, evaluators said, has a chance to have him climb prospect rankings quickly.

The Athletic was first to report the players going to the Rays in the deal.

This marks San Diego’s second big trade for a pitcher in the past six months after it acquired Mike Clevinger from Cleveland in August. He threw just 19 innings for the Padres before needing Tommy John surgery but is expected to return from the elbow injury for the 2022 season.

Even without Clevinger, the Padres boast a strong rotation as they try to catch the Dodgers in the National League West Division. Snell is backed by Dinelson Lamet, Zach Davies, Chris Paddack and a panoply of potential No. 5 starters, including MacKenzie Gore, regarded as the best left-handed pitching prospect in baseball.

The Rays’ rotation depth has taken a significant hit with the Snell trade and Atlanta signing free agent Charlie Morton. Tampa Bay still returns strong pitching depth and has the best farm system in baseball, headed by shortstop Wander Franco, the No. 1 overall prospect on Kiley McDaniel’s Top 100.

Source

[lanepearson44]

Bauer for NL Cy Young

This years Cy young award winners for this years season have finally been crowned.  This season in the National League Trevor Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds took this years award.  With an incredible year boasting a 1.73 ERA with a 0.159 batting average against which is incredible for a 60 game season.  After a bad season last year where he posted a near seven earned runs per nine innings this year he turned it around and absolutely shined on the field.  

[yoyo12x13]

Five reasons why Trevor Bauer is NL Cy Young

Five reasons why Trevor Bauer is NL Cy Young

[ad_1]

The NL Cy Young race between Trevor Bauer, Yu Darvish and Jacob deGrom was arguably the most intriguing battle of this awards season. Here’s a closer look at the stats and performances that made Bauer the winner, the first in the history of the Cincinnati Reds.

The number that says it best

4.66. That’s the difference between Bauer’s 2019 ERA of 6.39 in 10 starts after being traded to the…

[justinssportscorner]

Mike Oz at Yahoo! Sports’ Big League Stew: 

Roy Halladay, the former MLB pitching star and two-time Cy Young winner, is reportedly dead after his plane crashed Tuesday afternoon into the Gulf of Mexico. He was 40 years old.

The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office in Florida confirmed Tuesday that Halladay died in the crash, which happened around 1 p.m. ET about 10 miles west of St. Petersburg. Initial reports said one person died in the crash but the victim wasn’t unidentified until the sheriff’s office confirmed Tuesday afternoon what many had feared — it was Halladay.

After he retired from baseball in 2013, Halladay got his pilot’s license. His father was a corporate pilot, so Halladay had grown up around planes and had flying in his blood. Last month, he announced on Twitter that he’d bought the Icon A5 plane that was involved in the accident. 

[...]

Halladay played 16 seasons in the big leagues, 12 with the Toronto Blue Jays and then his final four with the Philadelphia Phillies. He won 203 games with a 3.38 ERA and won the Cy Young in 2003 and 2010. He’ll be eligible for the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2019 and stands a good chance at being elected.

Halladay’s career was full of great moments, but there’s no doubt about the one for which he’ll be best remembered: Oct. 6, 2010, when he threw a no-hitter for the Phillies in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds. It’s one of only two no-hitters in MLB postseason history.

[uclaradio]

Roy Halladay - In Memoriam

Written by Tyler Roope

Roy “Doc” Halladay tragically died on November 7, 2017 when his personal aircraft crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. He leaves behind his wife and two kids along with countless fans. Halladay pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays from 1998-2009 and the Philadelphia Phillies from 2010-2013. In his 15 year career, he had a 203-105 record with a career ERA of 3.38, and notched over 2000 strikeouts. He was an eight time all-star, two time Cy Young Award winner, led the league in wins twice, and pitched a perfect game and a postseason no hitter in the same year (2010). His impact on the field is only overshadowed by his impact off the field. During his time in Toronto, him and his wife created “Doc’s Box,” which encouraged many to donate to The Hospital for Sick Children during games. Along with this, he was often times the finalist for the Roberto Clemente Award, which highlights a player’s contributions off the field. I would like to share my story on this future Hall of Famer.

I'm a die-hard Reds fan through and through - all my life I have been. When I was in the sixth grade, the Make-A-Wish Foundation flew me and my family to Cincinnati to meet the Reds and attend a game. The point is they mean everything to me, and at that point in 2010 they had never made the postseason in my life. That year felt right though. Everything was going for them. I even became great friends with Jay Bruce! Needless to say, when he hit the walk off to clinch the division against the Astros, I flipped. I mean, I felt a little of it was because of me :)

Then I hear we were facing the Phillies. Oh boy. I knew we had a huge challenge, especially with Halladay. The day that match up came, I couldn't sit still. I was so nervous at school, yet upset because I couldn't watch the game there. Then I hear my principal tell me my dad was here to get me for an emergency. Naturally, I knew what was going on. I was stoked when I saw him and realized we were about to relax at home and watch the game together.

This moment in my life this was one of the most exciting things to ever happen...then the game started. We all know what happened...I imagined that the Reds might lose. I thought if that came to fruition I'd be devastated. And to be honest, until about the seventh inning, I was. But then I realized what was actually happening. I mean, oh my God, a playoff no hitter and by the Doc himself! When the game ended, of course I was sad. But I saw victory in defeat. I took a step outside of my shoes as a Reds fan and looked through the lens of a baseball fan.

Ever since that, when the Reds blow it (especially these past few years), I'm reminded of that no hitter. I look at our 90+ loss season we had (again) and I try to see the greatness that still occurred:

Barnhart wins gold glove over Molina and Posey

Six of our hitters with over 20 dinger

Votto MVP season 

Hunter Greene and other young pitchers in the system

The point of all this is that Doc taught me how to see the positive in an otherwise seemingly hopeless situation. And for that, and for him, I will always be grateful.

[junker-town]

4 winners and 3 losers of the 2019 MLB trade deadline

Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

The trade deadline has come and gone, and MLB rosters have been reloaded for the post-season push. Despite the change to roster rules this year which removed the possibility of post-deadline waiver trades, we still got a flurry of moves after the supposed window had closed. A former Cy Young Award winner was the biggest name involved. Let’s start with him.

Winner: Zack Greinke

We didn’t get word of Houston landing Zack Greinke until 13 minutes after the 4 p.m. ET deadline:

BREAKING: #Astros get Greinke.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019

If you want to label the Astros as the winners here I won’t quibble, but they were already a World Series favorite without him. Yes, Houston improved an already wonderful rotation by adding the veteran right-hander, but Greinke is a big gainer here too.

Greinke left a perennial contender in the Dodgers to take record money from the Diamondbacks. Arizona had designs on winning but only made the playoffs once in his first three seasons and are only on the fringes of contending this year. Now, Greinke is back with a loaded team, one expected to seriously for the World Series through the end of his contract in 2021.

The playoffs are better with Zack Greinke, so maybe we are the real winners.

Winner: Mets(?!)

Given that the Mets are the Mets, it feels weird to associate them with any sort of success, but the fact that they nabbed one of the most coveted starting pitchers on the block in Marcus Stroman is a win. Stroman is one of 12 qualified pitchers in MLB with a sub-3.00 ERA. His peripherals are solid, too: his 78 DRA- (anything below 100 is better than average) is better than fellow rumored trade subjects Robbie Ray (84) and Madison Bumgarner (89), to name a few.

There are questions about Stroman’s fit with the Mets. His 56.3-percent ground ball rate is second among MLB qualified starters, while New York’s infield defense is atrocious. The Mets rank in the bottom six teams in FanGraphs defense at second base, third base, and shortstop., and are in the bottom five in Defensive Runs Saved by infielders, per Sports Info Solutions.

But once you factor in that the Mets’ only cost was two minor leaguers that weren’t rated very highly, this trade becomes more favorable for New York.

Other teams selling pitchers are very annoyed at the Blue Jays return for Stroman, which one rival called “dogs*it.” If that’s all it took to get Stroman, fear is the price goes down for other pitchers unde control

— Andy Martino (@martinonyc) July 30, 2019

Text from an American League executive: "The Blue Jays' return for Stroman is embarrassing compared to what the Indians just got for Bauer."

— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) July 31, 2019

That the Mets also kept Noah Syndergaard means they are at least set up well for 2020, with a rotation headed by Jacob deGrom, Syndergaard, Stroman, and Steven Matz. An improvement at minimal cost makes this an easy win for the Mets.

Loser: Dodgers

For weeks it has been obvious that the Dodgers needed a bullpen upgrade — not to make the playoffs, which a lock at this point, but to improve their chances in October. They didn’t get Felipe Vazquez from the Pirates, they didn’t get Will Smith from the Giants, and they didn’t even Ken Giles from Toronto. None were traded. But Jake Diekman and Shane Greene were, and the Dodgers didn’t bite. Maybe the price was too high, who knows?

Los Angeles did get a left-handed reliever in Adam Kolarek, but had an otherwise underwhelming trade deadline. The Dodgers must be betting big on their internal options, perhaps planning on moving hard-throwing young starters Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May to the bullpen, along with Kenta Maeda and Julio Urias playing major relief roles down the stretch.

Winner: Indians

On its face, the idea of Cleveland trading one of its best starting pitchers while holding the top American League wild card spot seems absurd, even coming from a team that seemed so complacent about its playoff chances that it’s sleepwalked through two straight offseasons.

But then we see the return for Bauer, and it makes much more sense. Five players came to Cleveland in the deal: Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes immediately help an Indians offense that ranks just 10th in the AL in runs per game (they’re third in runs allowed per game). Cleveland can slot Reyes at designated hitter, where his bad defense won’t hurt them, and the Indians added long-term plays in pitcher Logan Allen, a top-100 prospect before this season, Victor Nova and Scott Moss.

Losing Bauer, MLB’s leader in innings pitched in 2019, is a blow for Cleveland, but with this trade it’s clear the Indians are betting on the returns of ace Corey Kluber (limited to just seven starts this season with a broken forearm), Danny Salazar, and Carlos Carrasco, in order to shore up a rotation currently headed by Shane Bieber and MacGyver’s paper clip and gum wrapper. If the (likely) playoff-bound Indians can get any kind of pitching this October, they’ll now have a better offense to go with it.

Loser: Yankees

Like the Astros and Dodgers, the Yankees’ berth in October is all but secured. But with injuries mounting and a struggling starting rotation, New York sought pitching. Then they saw two of their reported targets in Stroman and Bauer went to non-contending teams. The Yankees did make one trade on July 31, but it was boring as hell.

The Yankees have acquired LHP Alfredo Garcia from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for RHP Joseph Harvey.

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) July 31, 2019

That’s not going to move the needle.

Winner: Yasiel Puig

Throughout his career, Yasiel Puig has been a must-watch player. You just never know what you’ll see.

In 2015 we thought we had the definitive post-trade reaction of a player on the field when Wilmer Flores was crying when he learned he was headed to Milwaukee. That trade ultimately didn’t happen which made the moment even more bizarre, but that image of Flores has been usurped by a ready-to-duel Puig on Tuesday night:

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

This is Puig playing a starring role in a mass brawl on behalf of his Cincinnati teammates after being traded to Cleveland. He was only with the Reds for four months, but he leaves a legend.

Loser: Tanner Roark

Roark was driving ahead to Cincinnati’s next stop, in Atlanta, when he learned he had been dealt to the A’s. His delicious processed meat was rudely interrupted with the news of his new destination.

Tanner Roark learned of his trade in an @arbys parking lot. He wanted a beef and cheddar (and curly fries). He was driving to Atlanta, where he lives in the off-season. @JonHeyman approves. He will not be driving to Oakland

— C. Trent Rosecrans (@ctrent) July 31, 2019

By sending minor league outfielder Jameson Hannah to the Reds, the A’s were able to meat Cincinnati’s demand. It’s just too bad that Roark’s roast beef quest was interrupted, even briefly.

[Ed note: we’re sorry. Eric insisted]

[pinktheoristcollector]

LEADING OFF: Virus fears force changes in lineups, plans" Published on July 27, 2020 at 05:05AM by By The Associated Press

The Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds are waiting to see how COVID-19 affects them heading into the second series of the season.

Miami scratched right-hander Jose Urena from his scheduled start Sunday in Philadelphia and delayed its postgame trip home because of concerns about a coronavirus outbreak within the team.

The Marlins planned to arrive in Miami hours before their home opener against Baltimore, unsure how many players might remain quarantined in Philadelphia.

The Reds were without second baseman Mike Moustakas and center fielder Nick Senzel for a 3-2 loss to the Tigers in Cincinnati. Both felt sick a day after teammate Matt Davidson went on the injured list after testing positive for the coronavirus.

Moustakas went on the injured list Sunday. Senzel's status was unclear.

“This is all new,” manager David Bell said of the uncertainty. “As everyone knows around the world right now, it’s a big deal, what we’re all dealing with.

JAYS HEAD NORTH ... SORT OF

Toronto starts the second leg of its 60-game away-from-home season.

The Blue Jays lost to the Rays 6-5 in 10 innings in St. Petersburg, Florida, on Sunday, dropping two of three in the series. They're opening the first of four games in Washington, the last two of which will be designated as Toronto “home” games.

Toronto will play most of its home games at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, where a Triple-A ballpark is being upgraded. The Blue Jays won't play in Buffalo until Aug. 11.

HURTING KLUBER

It's a familiar situation for Corey Kluber, who is dealing with more medical issues.

The right-hander threw only 18 pitches in his Rangers debut Sunday against Colorado before leaving with shoulder tightness. The two-time Cy Young Award winner hadn't made a start in nearly 15 months as he recovered from a broken...

[barbosaasouza]

Who Will Be The 2020 National League Rookie Of The Year?

The 2020 National League Rookie of the Year race could come from anywhere. With rebuilding teams like the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds employing a number of rookies, a young team could feature a new breakout star. But top World Series contenders often add rookies from their stacked farm systems who contribute right away at the major league level. Of the past six NL Rookie of the Year winners, two have come from the always-competetive Los Angeles Dodgers (Corey Seager and Cody Bellinger), while another two came from the New York Mets (Jacob deGrom and 2019 ROY Pete Alonso). Bellinger went on to win an MVP award in 2019, while deGrom has won two Cy Young awards since being named the best Rookie in the National League, so the award has some serious predictive power. So check out the list of NL rookie candidates below and make your predictions for the young stars who will surprise everyone in 2020 and make a run at the NL Rookie of the Year award. Who Will Be The 2020 National League Rookie Of The Year? published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

[bulbsanta06-blog]

2019 Major League Baseball predictions

Today I will join thousands of other bloggers, websites, pundits, etc. in making my so-called “expert” predictions for the upcoming season. If you have been here for the last 14 years, you’ll find this prediction format familiar — and yes, you’ll find most of this text familiar too (copy/paste being a useful tool). For those of you new to BCB, read on.

I started this format more than 25 years ago, when I was passing out my annual predictions to any of my friends who were willing to read them either with or without scoffing, because I found this method both more interesting and challenging to do than traditional predictions. Even more so, if you’re here I don’t need to insult your intelligence by telling you who the ballclubs’ best hitters, pitchers, etc. are. You already know. Instead, you’ll find a pithy word or phrase describing the hitting, pitching, defense and intangibles of the 30 contenders for October glory.

I’m also not going to “predict” award winners. How hard would it be for me to sit here clacking away on a keyboard and be master of the obvious by telling you that Mike Trout is a top choice to win another A.L. MVP Award, that Kris Bryant could contend for another N.L. MVP (he will, you know) or that Jacob deGrom has an excellent chance to take the N.L. Cy Young? Just before the 2018 season started, would you have predicted that Brian Snitker would be N.L. Manager of the Year? Last March, did you predict Blake Snell would win the 2018 A.L. Cy Young Award? (No. No, you did not. Neither did MLB.com, USA Today, Sporting News or ESPN. Not a single mention of Snell anywhere in those.)

And in any case, anyone using the search function here, or Google, can come back here in October and tell me how wrong I was. I got seven of the 10 postseason teams right last year, but I whiffed on the Red Sox, having them as a wild card instead of the 108-win juggernaut they were, and I had the Twins and Diamondbacks as wild-card teams. Uh, nope on those. But then, almost no one had the 2018 Athletics and Braves as postseason teams, but there they were, and there likely will be a surprise team or two this year as well. (I missed badly on the 2018 A’s, picking them for last place in the A.L. West, but I wasn’t the only one to do that, either.)

I did call for Rays righthander Chris Archer to be traded at the deadline, and that happened even though the Rays were still in wild-card contention.

Without further ado, my picks for 2019!

NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST

1) PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES

Hitting: Bryce Harper! (And others) Pitching: Solid Defense: Uh... Intangibles: Bryce Harper!

2) ATLANTA BRAVES (1st wild card)

Hitting: Young, but really good Pitching: Injured Defense: Excellent Intangibles: Can they defend their surprise division title?

3) WASHINGTON NATIONALS

Hitting: Better than you think Pitching: Maybe the best in the division Defense: Next question? Intangibles: What does Harper leaving do to them?

4) NEW YORK METS

Hitting: Questionable Pitching: Excellent Defense: Good Intangibles: Fourth place could be over .500 in this division

5) MIAMI MARLINS

Hitting: Who... Pitching: ... are ... Defense: ... these guys? Intangibles: 100 losses, here they come

NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL

1) CHICAGO CUBS

Hitting: Returning ... Pitching: ... from injury and ... Defense: ... solid Intangibles: Have a chip on their shoulder after last year

2) MILWAUKEE BREWERS (2nd wild card)

Hitting: Good, but not THAT good Pitching: Good, but not THAT good Defense: Good, but... well, no, not really that good Intangibles: Will be hard to replicate last year’s perfect storm

3) ST. LOUIS CARDINALS

Hitting: Terrifying (to Cubs pitchers, at least) Pitching: Revamped Defense: Iffy Intangibles: Mike Shildt gets a full year to put his stamp on this team

4) CINCINNATI REDS

Hitting: Puig your Reds friend! Pitching: Much improved Defense: Average Intangibles: They either contend, or there will be lots of trades in July

5) PITTSBURGH PIRATES

Hitting: ¯\_(ツ)_/�� Pitching: Decent Defense: Okay Intangibles: Can you figure this team out? I can’t

NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST

1) LOS ANGELES DODGERS

Hitting: Returning Pitching: The 10-day IL is their friend Defense: Good enough Intangibles: They’ll need some luck to hold off the Rox

2) COLORADO ROCKIES

Hitting: Always good in that park Pitching: Better than you think Defense: Average Intangibles: The pitching, oddly enough, will carry them

3) ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS

Hitting: New Pitching: New Defense: New Intangibles: They think they’re a contender. (Hint: No, especially after losing Steven Souza Jr. for the year with an unnecessary injury.)

4) SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS

Hitting: Infield, old. Outfield, young Pitching: Perhaps about to be traded Defense: Very good Intangibles: Bruce Bochy’s last year

5) SAN DIEGO PADRES

Hitting: Manny Machado! Pitching: Who ARE these guys? Defense: Manny Machado! Intangibles: Manny Machado!

AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST

1) NEW YORK YANKEES

Hitting: Solid everywhere Pitching: Still some question marks Defense: Decent Intangibles: They’re the Yankees

2) BOSTON RED SOX (1st wild card)

Hitting: Outstanding Pitching: Excellent Defense: Very good Intangibles: They could win 100 games and finish second

3) TAMPA BAY RAYS

Hitting: Much better... Pitching: ... than ... Defense: ... you think! Intangibles: Somehow, always seem to find a way to win

4) TORONTO BLUE JAYS

Hitting: Miscellaneous Pitching: Likely traded at the deadline Defense: Solid Intangibles: They need a rebuild

5) BALTIMORE ORIOLES

Hitting: Awful Pitching: Awful Defense: Not awful, but it doesn’t matter Intangibles: Cannot possibly be worse than last year

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

1) CLEVELAND INDIANS

Hitting: Revamped Pitching: New Defense: Very good Intangibles: They now have Bauer and Bauers. Confusing!

2) MINNESOTA TWINS

Hitting: Revised Pitching: Better than you think Defense: Yes Intangibles: Moving on from Mauer

3) CHICAGO WHITE SOX

Hitting: Pretty decent Pitching: Middling Defense: Very good Intangibles: Eloy‘s coming

4) KANSAS CITY ROYALS

Hitting: Rebuilding Pitching: Rebuilding Defense: Rebuilding Intangibles: Fighting it out with the Tigers for last place

5) DETROIT TIGERS

Hitting: Rebuilding Pitching: Rebuilding Defense: Rebuilding Intangibles: Fighting it out with the Royals for last place

AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST

1) HOUSTON ASTROS

Hitting: Outstanding Pitching: Outstanding Defense: Outstanding Intangibles: If not for the A’s, would win this division by 20 games

2) OAKLAND ATHLETICS (2nd wild card)

Hitting: Lots of home runs! Fun! Pitching: Up in the air Defense: Yes, they have one Intangibles: Surprise team of 2018. Can they do it again?

3) SEATTLE MARINERS

Hitting: A bunch of guys who weren’t there last year Pitching: Revamped Defense: Good Intangibles: Ichiro’s farewell might be their high point

4) LOS ANGELES ANGELS

Hitting: Mike Trout is an Angel for life Pitching: Next question? Defense: Excellent Intangibles: Three more years of Albert Pujols drag them down

5) TEXAS RANGERS

Hitting: OMG the strikeouts Pitching: Well, they have some Defense: Good enough Intangibles: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Postseason predictions

Wild-card games: Braves over Brewers (NL), Red Sox over Athletics (AL)

Division series: Cubs over Braves, Phillies over Dodgers (NL). Red Sox over Yankees, Astros over Indians (AL)

Championship series: Cubs over Phillies (NL), Red Sox over Astros (AL)

World Series: The Cubs win their second WS title in four seasons over Theo Epstein’s old team in six games.

Source: https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2019/3/27/18197855/2019-major-league-baseball-predictions

[dillshake45-blog]

Betts, deGrom, Davis get big-money deals, avoid arbitration

NEW YORK (AP) — AL MVP Mookie Betts, NL Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom and major league home run champion Khris Davis reached high-priced one-year deals to avoid salary arbitration, while slugger Nolan Arenado and pitchers Gerrit Cole, Luis Severino and Aaron Nola were among 15 players still on track for hearings.

Betts and the World Series champion Boston Red Sox agreed to a $20 million, one-year contract on Friday, a $9.5 million raise that topped pitcher Max Scherzer's $8.8 million hike from Detroit in 2014.

Betts' standard didn't last the day, broken when deGrom and the New York Mets agreed at $17 million, a $9.6 million increase.

Cleveland shortstop Francisco Lindor, eligible for the first time, got an even bigger raise. His salary went up more than $9.9 million, from $643,200 to $10.55 million.

Davis and the Oakland Athletics reached a $16.5 million deal, a $6 million raise after he hit 48 home runs with a career-high 123 RBIs.

Arenado asked for a record $30 million in arbitration from Colorado and was offered $24 million. He will top the record for a salary for an arbitration-eligible player, a $23 million deal last year by Toronto and third baseman Josh Donaldson.

Among the 157 players eligible for arbitration at the start of the day, 142 reached deals on the busiest day of the offseason. All were for one year, though Milwaukee catcher Manny Pina's agreement included a team option for 2020.

There will be fewer hearings this winter than last year, when players won 12 of 22 cases argued — the most since 24 in 1990.

Washington reached an $18.8 million deal with third baseman Anthony Rendon, who got a $6.5 million raise, and Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu agreed at $16 million, a raise of $3 million.

Boston also reached deals with shortstop Xander Bogaerts for $12 million and outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. for $8.55 million.

Suspended shortstop Addison Russell and the Chicago Cubs agreed to a $3.4 million, one-year contract, a relatively small $200,000 raise for a player whose relationship with the team appeared strained after a domestic violence suspension.

Russell accepted a 40-game suspension last October for violating baseball's domestic violence policy following allegations made by his ex-wife. He missed the final 11 regular-season games plus the wild-card playoff loss and will be eligible to return May 3, barring postponements.

Russell will lose pay during the suspension. He can earn an additional $600,000 in roster bonuses if he is on the active roster for up to 150 days.

Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant agreed to a $12.9 million, one-year deal, a raise from $10.85 million.

Among the players still on track for hearings, Cole asked Houston for $13.5 million and was offered $11,425,000; and Trevor Bauer asked Cleveland for $13 million and was offered $11 million. Bauer won his hearing last winter.

Two first-time eligible starting pitchers didn't reach deals: Severino asked for $5.25 million and was offered $4.4 million by the New York Yankees, and Aaron Nola requested $6.75 million and was offered $4.45 million by Philadelphia.

Traded to Cincinnati by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Alex Wood asked the Reds for $9.65 million and was offered $8.7 million.

Hearings are scheduled for Jan. 28 to Feb. 15 in St. Petersburg, Florida. While many teams say they have a "file and trial" strategy for players who don't reach deals before the exchange, some of with pending cases may settle.

Some of the gaps are relatively modest: Washington outfielder Michael A. Taylor ($3.5 million vs. $3.25 million), Houston right-hander Chris Devenski ($1.65 million vs. $1.4 million) and Toronto right-hander Ryan Tepera ($1.8 million vs. $1,525,000)

Three of the remaining cases involve the Astros: shortstop Carlos Correa asked for $5 million and was offered $4.25 million.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/tag/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/betts-degrom-davis-big-money-deals-avoid-arbitration-005757349--spt.html?src=rss

[junker-town]

The best 3rd-round MLB Draft picks for every team

The MLB Draft has expanded in recent years to a three-day affair, with the first and second rounds dominating the action on the first day. But there is plenty of value to be had after Day 1.

Tuesday at the draft gives us Rounds 3-10, complete with allotted bonus slot values for each pick through Round 10. To see how valuable these picks can be, let’s take a look back at the best third-round picks for all 30 major league franchises, a group that includes five Hall of Famers, a couple MVPs, three Cy Young Award winners, and several all-stars.

Five former third-round picks (Craig Kimbrel, J.T. Realmuto, Edwin Diaz, Charlie Morton and J.A. Happ) were all-stars in 2018, and another (Derek Dietrich) sure seems like a lock to make it this year with Cincinnati.

With the help of the invaluable draft index on Baseball-Reference, here are the top third-round selections for each team:

Angels: Tim Salmon

By career Wins Above Replacement this is a nailbiter, with Salmon (40.6) narrowly edging Carney Lansford (40.4). But from a Halos perspective this is a no-brainer, with Salmon (1989) spending his entire career with the Angels while Lansford (1975) was traded away after just three seasons.

Salmon had a 128 OPS+ in his 14 years and was a key piece of the franchise’s only World Series win, in 2002. He is arguably the best player never to make an all-star team. Salmon is also the Angels’ all-time home run leader with 299, but that probably won’t last much beyond 2020 if at all with Mike Trout steadily climbing the list.

Honorable mention goes to Wally Joyner (1983), who took Anaheim by storm as a rookie and played the first six years of his career with the Angels, and amassed 35.8 career WAR.

Astros: Ken Caminiti

Caminiti won an MVP with the Padres but played 10 of his 15 seasons with Houston and made an all-star team in 1994 with the Astros. Caminiti (1984) played the first eight years of his career with Houston, and accrued 16.7 of his 33.5 career WAR with the Astros.

He beat out Shane Reynolds (1989), who pitched 11 of his 13 seasons with the Astros with a 106 ERA+ and 19.1 WAR with Houston.

A’s: Mike Davis

The outfielder was drafted in 1977 by Oakland, and averaged 22 home runs per year for the A’s from 1985-87. Davis had a 110 OPS+ and 14.4 WAR in his eight years with the A’s, but is most known for drawing the two-out walk for the Dodgers ahead of Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series, against Oakland.

The highest WAR of any Oakland third-round pick was Floyd Bannister (1973) with 26.3 WAR, but he didn’t sign and never pitched for the A’s.

Blue Jays: Jimmy Key

Key (1982) pitched the first nine years of his career with Toronto, putting up a 121 ERA+, winning an ERA title in 1987, and won both his start in the 1992 World Series and the Game 6 clincher in relief, the Jays’ first championship.

Honorable mention goes to John Olerud (1989), who amassed 22.6 of his 58.2 career WAR with the Blue Jays. He had a 130 OPS+ in eight years in Toronto, including a batting title and a run at .400 in 1993.

Braves: Craig Kimbrel

Arguably the second-best closer ever behind Mariano Rivera, Kimbrel (2008) pitched for Atlanta for his first five seasons, posting a 1.52 ERA with 186 saves. Kimbrel again is tied to the draft in 2019, because he is still a free agent, and like Dallas Keuchel has been waiting for a deal since the winter. Now that the draft is underway, signing Kimbrel (or Keuchel) wouldn’t cost a team a draft pick, which in theory should help facilitate a deal rather quickly for one or both.

Brewers: Jonathan Lucroy

Lucroy (2007) caught the first 6½ years of his major league career with Milwaukee, putting up a 110 OPS+. Traded to Texas at the trade deadline in 2016, Lucroy was a part of deadline deals two years in a row and now plays for the Angels, his fourth team since leaving the Brewers. Lucroy posted 17.7 WAR with Milwaukee.

Cardinals: Ray Lankford

The outfielder never won the batting title that Peter Gammons thought he would, but Lankford (1987) did post a 123 OPS+ in 14 years in the majors, 13 with St. Louis. Lankford was a .272 career hitter, topping out at .306 in 1999. He amassed 37.7 WAR with the Cardinals.

Cubs: Rick Reuschel

The right-hander was one of the most underrated pitchers of the last four decades, posting 69.5 WAR, including 48.3 in his 12 years with the Cubs. Reuschel (1970) gained some notoriety later in his career, making two of his three MLB All-Star Games after turning 38. He started the 1989 ASG in Anaheim at age 40, and was on the receiving end of “Bo Jackson says hello!”

Reuschel, who should probably be in the Hall of Fame for his Big Daddy nickname alone, won 135 games with Chicago, posting a 113 ERA+ in 2,290 innings with the Cubs.

Diamondbacks: Micah Owings

Arizona has only been around for 23 previous drafts, so their inventory is light relative to other teams. In those two decades plus, it’s hard to come up with a third-round Diamondbacks pick that has made any type of impact. Only three D-backs draft picks in the third round have totaled at least 1 WAR in their career, including Keon Broxton (3.5) who was traded away before ever reaching the majors. Scott Hairston has the most WAR of this group (6.3) but he was actually below replacement level in his time in Arizona (-0.8 WAR). That leaves Owings (2005), who had 3.3 WAR as a two-way player both in his career (six years) and with the Diamondbacks (three years).

Dodgers: Alex Cora

Sid Fernandez is the career WAR leader among Dodgers third-rounders at 35.7, but he pitched all of two games for LA before getting traded away to the Mets. Phil Nevin (15.7 WAR) was drafted out of high school by the Dodgers but didn’t sign. That leaves Alex Cora (1996), the defensive-minded middle infielder who played seven of his 13 seasons with the Dodgers, totaling 7 WAR with the team. Cora turned the tables on his original team in 2018, beating them in the World Series as manager of the Red Sox.

Cora would have won this no matter his WAR because in one of the very few times I have ever been to Coors Field I saw Cora hit two home runs and smash a double off the wall in a career-best offensive performance.

Giants: Mike Benjamin

Another barren wasteland of picks here. We’ll settle for Benjamin (1987), the longtime utility infielder who managed 13 years in the big leagues, despite a 61 OPS+. He hit .199/.250/.308 in seven years with San Francisco, a 53 OPS+ and still managed 2.6 WAR with the team. That’s more than every other Giants third-round pick combined.

Indians: Dennis Eckersley

We remember the Hall of Famer Eckersley for his swashbuckling relief days with the A’s, when he and Tony LaRussa helped form the modern closer role. But before his bullpen days, Eckersley (1972) was an above-average starter for over a decade. His first three years were in Cleveland, where he had a 116 ERA+ and threw a no-hitter, averaging 211 innings per year. Eckersley had 13.3 WAR with the Indians.

Mariners: Kyle Seager

Finally, we get an active one still on the team that drafted him. Seager (2009) has 28.2 WAR with Seattle. He averaged 34 doubles and 25 home runs from 2012-18, and has a career 113 OPS+. Seager is 31 years old, and has two more years after this one remaining on his contract with the Mariners.

Marlins: JT Realmuto

Randy Winn has the most career WAR (27.6) among Marlins third-round picks, but he was taken by Tampa Bay in the expansion draft in 1997 and never ended up playing for Miami. That leaves Realmuto (2010), who was traded this winter to the Phillies. The all-star catcher had a 111 OPS+ in five years with the Marlins, and 14.1 WAR with the team.

Mets: Craig Swan

Rick Aguilera is the career WAR leader here (21.9) but made his bones mostly as a closer for the Twins and elsewhere, while totaling 3.7 WAR in his five years with the Mets. That leaves Swan (1972), a right-hander who pitched all but two games of his 12-year career with New York, putting up a 96 ERA+ and 12.7 WAR. The bulk of his value (10.2 WAR) comes from a two-year stretch (1978-79) when he posted a 2.90 ERA in 63 starts and led the NL with a 143 ERA+ in 1978, not that anybody knew what that was at the time.

Honorable mention goes to Roger McDowell, who put up 4.3 WAR in five years with the Mets and perhaps more notably was the second spitter.

Note: In this Seinfeld episode, Newman identifies the game in question as Mets-Phillies on June 14, 1987, but a simple check shows the Mets that day were in Pittsburgh to play the Pirates. This should have been as easy fix.

Expos/Nats: Gary Carter

Carter (1972) has the second highest career WAR among third-round draft picks at 70.1, with the Hall of Fame catcher totaling 42.2 WAR with Montreal. In 12 seasons with the Expos, Carter hit 220 home runs with a 121 OPS+ and made seven of his 11 all-star teams.

If we limit this to Nationals only (2005-present), the leader is probably infielder Danny Espinosa, with 9 WAR with Washington.

Orioles: Eddie Murray

The switch-hitting first baseman was the picture of consistency especially with Baltimore, posting a 120 OPS+ or higher in each of his first 12 seasons with the Orioles. Murray (1973), an eight-time all-star amassed 68.7 career WAR, including 56.5 with the Orioles.

Among all third-round picks, Murray has the most home runs (504), doubles (560), hits (3,255), RBI (1,917), runs (1,627) and walks (1,333). He also led the major leagues in batting average in 1990 with the Dodgers (.330) but didn’t win a batting title because Willie McGee was traded to the American League in August.

Padres: Tony Gwynn

Gwynn (1981) is the second third-rounder in the 3,000-hit club along with Murray. He was a great all-around athlete who was also drafted out of San Diego State in the NBA by the Clippers.

The 15-time all-star won an absurd eight batting titles, including .394 in a strike-shortened 1994 season that marked one of the best runs at hitting .400 since Ted Williams in 1941. Gwynn totaled 69.2 WAR, all with the Padres, and his .338 career batting average is the best in the last 70 years.

Phillies: J.A. Happ

The veteran left-hander has 20.9 WAR in his career, including 5.1 WAR in his four years with Philadelphia, posting a 136 ERA+ in 217 innings. Happ (2004) was traded by the Phillies at the deadline in 2010 for Roy Oswalt.

Pirates: Richie Zisk

Zisk (1967) was an underrated power hitter in the 1970s, and totaled 25.1 WAR in his 13-year career. The right-hander had a 137 OPS+ in parts of six years with the Pirates and was once traded for Goose Gossage. Zisk had 15.7 WAR with Pittsburgh.

Rangers: Darren Oliver

Oliver (1988) was a journeyman lefty who pitched for nine teams in his 20 seasons, alternating between starting and relief while posting above-average numbers (a 104 ERA+) in 1,916 innings. He totaled 22.1 WAR in his career, including 9.3 with Texas, for whom he pitched in three different stints.

The most career WAR among Rangers third-round picks belongs to Barry Zito (31.9), who didn’t sign out of UCSB in 1998, instead transferring to USC and signing with the A’s as a first-round pick one year later.

Rays: Wade Davis

Davis (2004) amassed 13.6 career WAR, and even though only 3.1 WAR of that was with Tampa Bay he still stands out among franchise third rounders. Davis might have been the best reliever in the game for a three-year stint with the Royals, posting a 1.18 ERA from 2014-16 including a minuscule 0.36 ERA in two postseason runs that resulted in two World Series trips and a championship in Kansas City.

Red Sox: Mike Greenwell

Greenwell (1982) was a terrific hitter in his 12 major league seasons, adding to the lineage of fantastic Red Sox left fielders after Ted Williams, Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice. Greenwell totaled 25.8 WAR in his career, and had a 121 OPS+. His best year was 1988 with a 160 OPS+, 7.5 WAR and 69 extra-base hits for a division winner, but he finished second to Jose Canseco’s 40/40 season, something Greenwell wasn’t happy about nearly two decades later when Canseco admitted to steroid use in his book.

Tino Martinez totaled 29 WAR in his career, the most among Boston third-rounders, but the 1985 draftee out of high school did not sign with the Red Sox.

Reds: Aaron Boone

One of two current MLB managers on this list along with Alex Cora, Boone was drafted by the Reds in 1994. Aaron played with his brother Bret in Cincinnati in 1997-98, and was managed by his father Bob from 2001-2003 with the Reds. Boone had a 99 OPS+ in seven years with the Reds, posting 11.7 of his 13.5 career WAR with Cincinnati.

Danny Tartabull (1980) had the most career WAR (23.3) among Reds third-rounders, but he was dealt in 1983 before ever playing in the majors with Cincinnati.

Rockies: Roger Bailey

In their first-ever draft (1992), Colorado selected Bailey, who pitched just three seasons in the majors, all with the Rockies. His 5.2 WAR with the Rockies leads the way among franchise third-rounders (Shawn Chacon is in second place at 3.2 WAR), with the bulk coming in 1997 (3.9 WAR) when Bailey posted a 121 ERA+ in 29 starts.

Royals: David Cone

Cone was drafted out of high school in Kansas City by the Royals in 1981, and pitched for them briefly in relief in 1986 before being dealt away in an ill-fated trade for catcher Ed Hearn. After flourishing in New York, Cone returned to Kansas City as a free agent and even won a Cy Young for the Royals in 1994. He had a 144 ERA+ in 448 innings over three seasons with the Royals, and totaled 14 WAR with the team, and 61.6 WAR for his career.

Danny Duffy has already passed Cone in WAR with the Royals (15.0) and was part of a World Series winner. One day he’ll likely take the top spot here as best KC third-rounder, but for now we’ll stick with Cone.

Tigers: Curtis Granderson

Granderson (2002) played the first six seasons of his career with Detroit, made an all-star team with them, posted a 114 OPS+ and even had a season with 38 doubles, 23 triples, 23 home runs and 26 steals, in 2007. He totaled 21.2 WAR with the Tigers and so far has 47.7 WAR in his career, which is still going with the Marlins.

Photo by: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

1969 third-round pick Bert Blyleven pitched 11 seasons for the Twins in two stints with Minnesota.

Twins: Bert Byleven

Blyleven (1969) was picked in the third round of the fifth-ever MLB Draft, and was in the majors within a year. The curveballing Hall of Famer pitched parts of 11 seasons with the Twins, including winning a World Series with Minnesota in 1987. Blyleven has by far the most WAR of any third-round pick at 94.4, including a whopping 49 WAR with Minnesota alone.

White Sox: Britt Burns

Burns (1978) was an above-average pitcher in his eight seasons in the majors (111 ERA+) but his career ended at age 26 with a hip injury. He totaled 17.8 WAR, including 4.2 in his final season in 1985. In his only postseason start, Game 4 of the 1983 ALCS, Burns was magnificent with nine scoreless innings. But with the game still tied at 0-0 Burns started the 10th inning and allowed a solo home run, the start of a three-run winning rally for Baltimore that gave Burns the tough luck loss.

Yankees: Ron Guidry

Louisiana Lightning is an easy choice here for New York, totaling 47.8 WAR in his 14 years, winning 170 games while posting a 119 ERA+ in 2,392 innings. Guidry (1971) won the Cy Young in 1978, his best season, posting a 1.74 ERA that was the lowest American League ERA between Luis Tiant (1.68) in 1968 and Pedro Martinez (1.74) in 2000. The left-hander finished in the top three in Cy Young voting three times, made four all-star teams and won five Gold Gloves.

[gyrlversion]

Mariano Rivera closes Hall of Fame induction ceremony

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — For Mariano Rivera, it was the culmination of a storied career, dreams of being the next Pelé long since forgotten. For Brandy Halladay, the Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony was a tearful moment to reflect on the accomplishments of her late husband, and she handled a difficult task admirably.

Rivera, the career saves leader and the first player unanimously voted into the Hall by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, was greeted by chants of his name from the adoring crowd as he stepped to the podium in a fitting close to Sunday’s ceremony. He spoke in both English and at the end in Spanish, rarely looking down at the speech he had prepared.

“I think I choose that because sometimes you write words and it doesn’t sound right,” Rivera said. “But when you come from the heart, it comes right. My intention was always to speak from the heart.”

Rivera and fellow closer Lee Smith, starters Mike Mussina and Roy Halladay, and designated hitters Edgar Martinez and Harold Baines were feted on a sun-splashed afternoon in Cooperstown. A crowd estimated at 55,000, the second-largest for an induction ceremony, quickly made Rivera feel at peace.

“You’re special for me,” said Rivera, who left his native Panama in 1990 unable to speak English. “Thank you for your help. Latin American fans, thank you. Thank you for loving me. I’m so humbled and blessed to receive this incredible honor. God bless you all.”

As a child, Rivera dreamed of being a soccer player in the mold of the great Brazilian star, Pelé. Instead, he found his niche on a baseball mound and finished his career with 652 saves. He pitched 19 seasons in the major leagues, all with the New York Yankees, and retired with 952 games finished — also a record. A 13-time All-Star, Rivera helped the Yankees win five World Series titles and seven American League pennants.

“To the fans, you guys always pushed me to be the best,” he said. “When I was at Yankee Stadium pitching, it felt like I was pitching with 55,000 people throwing one pitch after another. Without your support, I cannot do it. You guys came to see me succeed.”

Brandy Halladay fought back tears as she spoke for her late husband, who had two sons.

“I knew I was going to cry at some point. It’s overwhelming the amount of people here today,” she said, tears welling in her eyes, her voice quavering with emotion. “I’m so grateful you’re here. I can’t tell you how many hugs I’ve gotten. There are not enough words to thank you.

“I know how honored Roy would be to be sitting here with such accomplished men. Thank you for being such a good example to him and to supporting him in his career. This is not my speech to give.”

The son of a commercial pilot, Roy Halladay was 40 when he was killed in a plane crash in November 2017 into the Gulf of Mexico while piloting his own plane alone off the Florida coast 20 miles from his home. A toxicology report showed high levels of amphetamines and morphine in his system and hints of an antidepressant.

“I think that Roy would want everyone to know that people are not perfect,” Brandy said. “We are all imperfect and flawed in one way or another. We all struggle, but with hard work, humility and dedication, imperfect people can still have perfect moments. Roy was blessed in his life and in his career to have some perfect moments.”

A two-time Cy Young Award winner, Halladay amassed a 203-105 record in a 16-year career with Toronto and Philadelphia. He became just the second pitcher in major league history to throw a no-hitter in the postseason, opening the 2010 NL Division Series with one against the Cincinnati Reds in the first playoff start of his career. He also pitched a perfect game that season. Halladay was elected in his first year on the ballot.

“Of course he would be honored and humbled,” Brandy Halladay said. “He was a true competitor. He went to the field every day ready to do whatever it took to give his team the best possible chance to win. I think Roy would rather be remembered by who he was, not what he did on the ballfield. He so desperately wanted to be as great and successful at home as he was in baseball.”

The family decided that there would be no logo on his plaque because both organizations meant a lot to Halladay.

Mussina, who pitched for 18 major league seasons, posted a record of 270-153 and was a seven-time Gold Glove winner. He spent his entire career in the high-scoring AL East with the Orioles and Yankees.

“I spent a lot of time reflecting on my time in baseball,” said Mussina, the oldest first-time 20-game winner in MLB history when he reached the milestone at age 39 in 2008, his final season in the majors. “I was never fortunate to win a Cy Young Award or be a World Series champion, win 300 games or strike out 3,000 hitters. My opportunities for those achievements are in the past. Today, I get to become a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. This time I made it.”

Smiling from beginning to end, Smith congratulated his new classmates before crediting his family and hometown of Castor, Louisiana, for much of his success.

“It’s been my family. They’re the main reason I’m standing here today,” Smith said. “To my mom and dad — your support has meant everything to me.”

Smith pitched 18 seasons for the Cubs, Red Sox, Cardinals, Yankees, Orioles, Angels, Reds and Expos and retired as MLB’s career saves leader with 478, a title he held for 13 seasons. That total now ranks third all-time, as do his 802 games finished.

Martinez was a seven-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger Award winner for Seattle, where he spent his entire 18-year career. He won two AL batting titles, led the league in on-base percentage three times, and was named the outstanding designated hitter five times, an award that now bears his name.

“I am honored and humbled to be standing here,” said Martinez, who was born in New York, grew up in Puerto Rico and also delivered part of his speech in Spanish. “It is hard to believe that a dream that started when I was 10 years old (ended here). The first time I saw Roberto Clemente, all I wanted to do was play the game. What an honor to have my plaque in the Hall alongside his.”

The soft-spoken Baines, a Maryland native who still lives there, never displayed much emotion in his 22-year career, but his voice cracked throughout his speech.

“Somehow I acquired a reputation for not saying much. I’m not sure why,” he deadpanned at the start. “From teachers to coaches who showed me kindness and discipline, I thank you all for what you’ve done for me. If I can leave you with one message, it’s to give back to your community. I stand here very humbled. It has taken time to sink in.”

The late Frank Robinson and Willie McCovey were honored with a moment of silence before Mussina was introduced to start the ceremony. The two Hall of Famers died since last year’s induction ceremony.

___

More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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