On Wednesday night, Detroit Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera became only the 15th player in Major League history to capture the sport’s Triple Crown. Cabrera finished the regular season leading the American League in Batting Average (.330), Home Runs (44) and RBIs (139) to deliver the sport its first Triple Crown winner in 45 years, and the first ever achieved by a Latin-born player. The last Triple Crown was won in 1967 by Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski.
Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers now set their sights on loftier goals in the MLB Playoffs. Having won the AL Central Division, the Tigers will now match up with the young, upstart Oakland Athletics in the American League Divisional Series. The two teams begin a 5 game series in Detroit on Saturday October 6th with a 6:07 first pitch.
Miguel Cabrera reached the pinnacle of the sport swinging a custom Phoenix Wood Baseball Bat. Check out all Phoenix baseball bats at Baseball Rampage.
Sign this petition if you want to see baseball and softball added to the 2020 Olympics. Correct the travesty that allows Ping Pong and Badminton to participate as Olympics sports but prevents one of the worlds most popular games from playing.
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Wilson is proud to introduce its 2012 Limited Edition Gloves. This year’s line-up includes gloves from 2012 Hall of Fame-inductee Barry Larkin, Brandon Phillips of the Cincinnati Reds, C.J. Wilson of the Los Angeles Angels and Cat Osterman of the USSSA Pride. Accompanied with each glove is a Certificate of Authenticity personally signed by the player and Wilson glove Master Craftsman - Shigeaki Aso. Only 500 gloves were produced for each model.
For every Limited Edition Glove sold, a significant portion of the proceeds will be donated to a charity of each player’s choice. Sales of Barry Larkin’s glove will benefit Baseball Assistance Team, Brandon Phillips’ glove will benefit The Ronald McDonald House of Atlanta, C.J. Wilson’s glove will benefit C.J. Wilson’s Children’s Charity and Cat Osterman’s glove will benefit Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
The 2012 Limited Edition line includes a variety of Wilson’s best Game Model gloves. Barry Larkin’s throwback glove from the early 1990s reminds players what Wilson A2000s looked like two decades ago while CJ Wilson’s Anaheim Angels red A2000 highlights today’s custom A2000s. Brandon Phillips’ silver/red/black custom A2K, which he named “Casper”, is the quintessential custom glove for elite players. Cat Osterman’s glove is a white fastpitch model and features the Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s HOPE ribbon.
A special arbitration panel ruled Thursday in a 2-1 vote to reverse the 50-game suspension imposed on Milwaukee Brewer superstar Ryan Braun. Braun, the reigning National League MVP, submitted a urine sample in October that contained a very high level of testosterone resulting in a failed test.
Despite the ruling, a cloud of uncertainty still looms large over Braun’s legacy in the eyes of fans and the media. Multiple sources have reported the reasoning behind Braun’s exoneration was due to a technicality in the shipment, storage and chain of custody associated with the sample. The test was conducted on a Saturday. The collector of the sample did not send the sample to the testing laboratory until Monday, thinking the FedEx office was already closed for the day. Instead he kept the sample in a cool place in his home over the weekend. Braun’s defense argued that chain of custody had been broken and the sample had been compromised.
Major League Baseball has expressed their displeasure with the ruling. A statement from MLB executive vice president for labor relations Rob Manfred stated “While we have always respected that process, Major League Baseball vehemently disagrees with the decision rendered today by arbitrator Shyam Das.”
Despite Major League Baseball’s objections and what some feel to be a reversal due to a technicality, Ryan Braun will be in the starting lineup for the Milwaukee Brewers on opening day. With the departure of superstar Prince Fielder in the offseason via free agency, the Brewers will rely heavily on their MVP to lead them back to the postseason in 2012. Milwaukee begins the season at home on Friday, April 6th against the visiting World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
It’s one of the most monumental meltdowns in baseball history. The Boston Red Sox finished their September collapse, falling out of the playoffs by letting the Baltimore Orioles get two ninth-inning runs in a 4-3 loss, and the Braves fell to Philadelphia 4-3 in 13 innings.
The Red Sox collapse might be the worst fall of the two. Even the fans are severely upset, tweeting and calling into local radio stations expressing their frustrations at managers and players, even at the baseball gods themselves for failing to reach the Ameriam League Playoffs. It could be said that the Red Sox six-month season was wasted in a single night.
“Truly unbelievable. This feels like revenge for 2004 and 2007,” wrote Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy. “It is as if the baseball gods are punishing Red Sox Nation for hubris and arrogance and good times that seemed so good, so good, so good.”
Both the Red Sox and the Braves are positioned to do very well next year but you can expect big changes for the Red Sox. After Wednesday’s season-ending shock in Baltimore, general manager Theo Epstein said, “We can’t deny this month happened. just because it was preceded by four months of being the best team in baseball. We have to take a very close look at everything that’s not right. We have to fix things and that includes the whole organization.”
After getting ejected for throwing at Chipper Jones on Friday, Carloas Zambrano cleaned out his locker and told trainers and clubhouse people during the game that he was “retiring.” Barry Praver, Zambrano’s agent, told ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney that the Cubs were told that Zambrano “definitely” wasn’t retiring. Praver said Zambrano made private emotional remarks to club staff and returned his things to his locker late Friday night.
Cubs general manager Jim Hendry, apologized to Braves general manager Frank Wren for the actions by Zambrano, which tarnished former manager Bobby Cox’s night. The Braves retired Cox’s No. 6 before the game.
“I feel that anything at all to detract from Bobby Cox’s night other than usual competition is totally intolerable, ” said Hendry.
Zambrano’s teammates have mixed feelings on the situation, but Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster wasn’t so understanding.
“He’s made his bed. Let him sleep in it,” Dempster said. “It’s not like it’s something new.”
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez said Zambrano would be welcomed back by his teammates, but only if he made changes.
“If he changes his attitude, he’s more than welcome,” Ramirez said.
Hideki Irabu a former Yankees starter, has been found dead in his California home, according to USA Today. Unfortunately, it is suspected the cause of his death is suicide but it is not confirmed. Hideki Irabu was 42.
Hideki Irabu spent six seasons in major league baseball from 1997 to 2002 with a career record of 34-35 record and 5.15 ERA in 126 games (80 starts).
Irabu has had a troubled post-baseball career. Even though Irabu earned World Series rings in both 1998 and 1999 while with the Yankees, he fell far short of expectations of George Steinbrenner and was famously dubbed as the “fat toad.” He was arrested in Gardena, California last year for drunk driving. Back in 2008 he was arrested for assaulting a bar manager in Japan after allegedly consuming 20 glasses of beer.
He retired after the 2002 season. This a sad end to a seemingly troubled man. Our condolences go out to the Irabu family.
Milwaukee Brewer’s first baseman Prince Fielder’s 3-run blast off C.J. Wilson of the Texas Rangers in the 4th inning proved the difference in the National League’s 5-1 victory over the American League Tuesday night. The win gives the National League its first back-to-back All-Star game victories since the 1995-1996 seasons. Prior to last year’s NL victory, the AL had won 13 consecutive All-Star Games.
Adrian Gonzalez of the Boston Red Sox delivered the first blow of the game with a solo home run in the 4th inning off Cliff Lee to give the AL a 1-0 advantage. However in the bottom half of the same inning, Fielder’s home run gave his team the lead for good giving way to a dominant display of pitching from the National League bullpen. The American League failed to score the remainder of the game managing only 2 hits in the final 5 innings of 7 different NL relievers. Tyler Clippard of the Washington Nationals recorded the Win for the NL while C.J. Wilson took the Loss. Giants and National League manager Bruce Bouchy turned to one of his own, the bearded hero of last season’s World Series, Brian Wilson, to record the Save. Prince Fielder received MVP honors for his game deciding 3-run home run.
The victory for the National League grants its World Series representative home field advantage for the 7-game series against its American League counterpart in October.
The Dayton Dragons have set the record for consecutive sellouts by a pro franchise in North America. An overflow crowd of 8,688 witnessed the 815th straight sellout at Fifth Third Field on Saturday night, when the Dragons surpassed the mark set by the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers from 1977-95.
Once it became official, the game was stopped for an on-field ceremony with a long standing ovation. Streamers in the team’s green and gold colors were released over the crowd, and unveiled a plaque emblazoned with the No. 815 on the outfield fence. The Dragons are planning a larger celebration for July 23, and with more than 8,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets, the streak doesn’t look likely to end anytime soon.
“You can tell every regular was there, no one was giving away their tickets,” Daniel Renken said. “If you go down the third base line, you can see all the fans who are always there. And it was a great feeling to come down the line and say hi to every one of them.”
Fifth Third Field’s actual capacity is 7,290 fans and features 29 luxury suites.
As discussed yesterday, Baseball Rampage now carries Marucci baseball bats including BBCOR and Wooden bats. They’re getting great reviews and are used by Major League Baseball players including such MLB All-Stars like Albert Pujols, Ryan Howard, Bryce Harper, Chase Utley, and many more.
We thought we’d show you why Marucci is becoming the choice of MLB players.
Making Marucci Bats Part 1:
Making Marucci Bats Part 2:
See why St. Louis Cardinals All-Star First Baseman, Albert Pujols, swings Marucci:
Why Your Kids Will Love Marucci Bats:
Now that you’ve learned more about Marucci Wood Bats and BBCOR Approved Metal Bats, shop at Baseball Rampage to receive free shipping and RampageBucks Rewards. Not sure if you’ll like Marucci bats? We now offer FREE Return Shipping so you can try them at no cost to you.
Good Morning Baseball Fans. What are your thoughts on the brawl last night? Is this over? How long should Carlos Quentin be suspended?07:16:44 AM April 12, 2013from webReplyRetweetFavorite
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ial arbitration panel ruled Thursday in a 2-1 vote to reverse the 50-game suspension imposed on Milwaukee Brewer superstar Ryan Braun. Braun, the reigning National League MVP, submitted a urine sample in October that contained a very high level of testosterone resulting in a failed test.
