30 Team MLB Scoop Sept 14th Edition - RealGM Wiretap The National League The Kevin Towers Steve Gilbert of MLB: "[Tuesday was] the D-backs' 18th win in their last 21 games and they maintained their 8 12-game lead over the Giants in the National League West with 14 left to play while reducing their magic number to six." The Frank Wren Carroll Rogers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "One day after hitting Brian McCann fifth for the first time all season Vince Carter Jersey , manager Fredi Gonzalez dropped him to sixth against Marlins left-hander Brad Hand. McCann hadn't hit sixth in a starting lineup in three years, not since he hit sixth for 24 games in 2008." The Randy Bush Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune: "When the Cubs make the decision on whether to exercise Aramis Ramirez's $16 million option this offseason, one thing they must consider is the possibility of Ramirez coming back to haunt them in their own division." The Walt Jocketty Mark Sheldon of MLB: "At an innings limit and facing a shutdown, [Mike] Leake finished his 2011 season with a flourish during a 2-1 Reds victory over the Cubs on Tuesday. Over eight innings, he gave up one run and six hits with two walks and two strikeouts." The Dan O'Dowd The Denver Post: "The more things change for Kevin Millwood, the more they remain the same. All he wanted was a chance to pitch for a major-league club this season. Now, after a solid six-game audition with the Rockies, all he wants is a chance to pitch for a major- league club in 2012." The Michael Hill Juan C. Rodriguez of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "Emilio Bonifacio added two more hits, including an RBI single in the fifth. He opened the day leading the National League with 27 hits since Aug. 26." The Ed Wade Ultimate Astros: "Astros rookies Jose Altuve and J.D. Martinez are in the midst of September slumps - a combined 7-for-57 in the first 11 days of the month." The Ned Colletti True Blue L.A.: "The predominantly untested nature of the bullpen didn't sit well with the Dodgers, so they went out and re-signed Vicente Padilla as a reliever, avoided arbitration with Hong Chih Kuo, traded for Blake Hawksworth, gave Mike MacDougal and Lance Cormier minor league contracts Tony Allen Jersey , and made a long term commitment to Matt Guerrier." The Doug Melvin Brew Crew Ball: "[Yovani] Gallardo started off with outings of 6 innings, 2 earned runs and followed it with a shutout of the Braves (with only 2 strikeouts). Then things turned ugly: in 5 starts, he threw 26 innings and gave up 26 earned runs. There was widespread panic." The Sandy Alderson Mets Blog: "[Jose Reyes] didn't steal second in the 5th inning (when on first, up a run, with one out and Thole on third), nor did he steal in the 7th inning (when on first, with no outs, no one on and down by a run) 'Earlier in the season (my hamstring) was healthy,' Reyes explained to reporters after the game. 'It's not the same now, because I just come off of the disabled list. I don't want to blow out my leg running like crazy out there. If I feel good, I'll run like crazy. But right now my leg is not where it needs to be.'" The Ruben Amaro Jr. Phillies Nation: "A three-run homerun by Brandon Moss in the opening frame was more than enough offense for the IronPigs pitching staff, as four pitchers combined to hold the Columbus Clippers to 2 runs on 7 hits earning Lehigh Valley a victory in game 1 of the Triple-A International League Championship Series." The Neal Huntington Baseball Nation: "For the second time in the past two years, a GM for a struggling team has received a premature extension. There's additional context Shareef Abdur-Rahim Jersey , sure, but it's not like the context includes a lot of winning. And while it might not be fair to make an apples-to-apples comparison between [Neal] Huntington and [Dayton] Moore, the overall comparison fits." The John Mozeliak Viva El Birdos: "Ah, this team. This maddening, frustrating, flawed, stupefying team. Somehow, despite their own best efforts, this team is still alive." The Jed Hoyer Gas Lamp Ball: "If I'm a Padres prospect that isn't currently up with the club, I am really enjoying myself. There's a good chance that I'm in the minor league playoffs, actually winning games. The group of guys I'm with looks solid and I could see how, in maybe even by 2013, I could be up with the big club with this same group of guys that's cruising through the farm systems of other clubs. It's an exciting time." The Brian Sabean John Shea of The San Francisco Chronicle: "Andrew Susac isn't exactly the Giants' catcher of the future. Not in an organization featuring Buster Posey. But Susac Mike Conley Jersey , who grew up in Sacramento a Giants fan, still is an elite prospect after being chosen in the second round of the June draft, and he'll put his talents on display in the instructional league, which begins this week in Arizona." The Mike Rizzo Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post: "[Ryan Zimmerman] feels more comfortable throwing now than he ever did before. After a shaky start to his mechanical change, Zimmerman has made only two throwing errors since August began, a span of 37 games. The first came Aug. 16 against the Reds, when he charged the ball and made a running throw. The second came Sunday, when Zimmerman backed up to field a high hop and fired the ball across the diamond, off of Chris Marrero's glove." The American League The Andy MacPhail The Baltimore Sun: "With the score tied at 2 and two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters landed an uppercut on the Tampa Bay Rays, who are chasing the Boston Red Sox in the American League wild-card race." The Theo Epstein Alex Speier of WEEI: "The moment was spontaneous and remarkable, a reflection of what Tim Wakefield has meant to both a baseball team and a community for the better part of 17 seasons. Few milestones at Fenway Park have been commemorated with the enthusiasm of the knuckleballer's 2 Love and indu. |