Mel Antonen

Looking at possible moves before the MLB trade deadline

Looking at possible moves before the MLB trade deadline
As the trade season hits full throttle before the non-waiver July 31 deadline, the Orioles say they are looking for a batter that can pump life into the top of the order and improve their on-base percentage (.302), which ranks 13th in the American League. Another on-base guy would be perfect for the Orioles, but the question is: What would the Orioles have to pay to get it done? Can they make a trade without giving up blue-chip prospects Dylan Bundy and Manny Machado? Minnesota's Denard Span...
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Mel Antonen

Handing out the hardware based on first-half performances

Handing out the hardware based on first-half performances
The first-half awards: * AL Cy Young Award: Justin Verlander, Tigers. He has nine wins and a league-leading 128 strikeouts with a 2.58 ERA, but this is a close race. The Angels' Jered Weaver, who has been injured, is 10-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 73 strikeouts. The White Sox's Chris Sale is 10-2 with a 2.19 ERA and 98 strikeouts. This one will be interesting to watch. * AL Most Valuable Player: Mike Trout, Angels. How could it be any one else? He's been in the big leagues for a little bit...
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Mel Antonen

Now that All-Star teams are picked, it's time to dissect selections, snubs

Now that All-Star teams are picked, it's time to dissect selections, snubs
The voting is complete, the rosters are selected, so now it's time to dissect how everyone did in the All-Star voting for next week's game in Kansas City. First of all, it's a good thing that fans, players and managers each get to have a say on which players make the team. The system works. Here's the nutshell: Every team needs to be represented, but the rosters should be cut to 27 and starters should be required to play at last four innings. The winner shouldn't get home field advantage...
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Mel Antonen

Wondering how the O's, Nats will react at trading deadline

Wondering how the O's, Nats will react at trading deadline
Now that the Chicago White Sox have acquired a third baseman, Kevin Youkilis, the question is whether the Orioles will do the same. The Orioles would be a stronger contender if they had a stabilizing third baseman instead of a revolving door at the hot corner. Wilson Betemit is a fill-in player who can hit, but he's not a regular third baseman. Mark Reynolds is better defensively at first base. Manager Buck Showalter says Chris Davis could be an above-average third baseman, but it's too late...
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Mel Antonen

Clemens not guilty in court of law, but jury's still out on whether he should head to the Hall

Clemens not guilty in court of law, but jury's still out on whether he should head to the Hall
Pitcher Roger Clemens has seven Cy Young Awards and six not-guilty counts in regards to perjury and performance-enhancing drugs. Those charges once threatened to derail his chances to make the Hall of Fame, but the prediction here is that the jury's unanimous verdict, issued Monday in Washington, D.C., will help him get to Cooperstown. Maybe not on the first ballot, but eventually Clemens will be there. The 500-plus voters of the Baseball Writers Association of America have given little...
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Mel Antonen

Like DH, interleague debate isn't going away

Like DH, interleague debate isn't going away
In the baseball world, interleague play is like the designated hitter: It creates controversy and debate, and it doesn't appear either is going away any time soon. Ever since becoming part of the landscape in 1997, players, managers and coaches have never liked the interleague format, which is based more on marketing and ticket sales than scheduling integrity. For example, they don't understand the fairness in the Braves having to play two interleague series against the Yankees while the...
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Mel Antonen

In no-hit bids, pitch counts come into play

In no-hit bids, pitch counts come into play
Thanks to Johan Santana's no-hitter last week versus St. Louis, the Nationals won't have to face the lefty with the elite changeup when the Mets play in D.C. this week. Santana, in his first season back after shoulder surgery, threw 134 pitches, about 20 more than he was supposed to throw, and the Mets want to give him extra time to allow his arm to get back to full strength. He'll pitch Friday. Santana is the Mets' best pitcher, but this no-hitter story could turn sour for the Mets if...
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Mel Antonen

Seems like everybody's handing out long-term extensions

Seems like everybody's handing out long-term extensions
The Orioles signed outfielder Adam Jones to a contract extension and became part of the hottest trend in baseball. Teams in every market size are signing players to extensions that buy out arbitration years and keep players off the free agent market. And it's not just big-market teams handing out the money. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen got $51.5 million from the Pittsburgh Pirates. First baseman Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds signed for $225 million. The St. Louis Cardinals gave a...
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Mel Antonen

Season at quarter mark, but a lot can change

Season at quarter mark, but a lot can change
With a quarter of the season in the books, the Orioles and Nationals are turning heads and bringing hope for a summer of excitement. But it's too early to label the Orioles and Nationals serious contenders for at least another three months. The last two seasons provide proof that surprise teams can begin to slip as early as June and as late as September. Nobody expected the Cleveland Indians to contend last season in the American League Central, but on May 23, they were in first place with a...
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Mel Antonen

O's ending rough schedule stretch; Nats weather long rain delay

O's ending rough schedule stretch; Nats weather long rain delay
As what could be considered the roughest part of the Orioles' schedule comes to an end this week, the good news is that the Orioles are going to finish with at least a winning record in 15 games versus the Rays, Red Sox, Yankees and Rangers. Even if they lose Monday and Tuesday at home to the Yankees, the Orioles are proving that they are an improved team, one that believes they can win, no matter the circumstances. The near-comeback win, a 9-8 loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday, is a perfect...
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Mel Antonen

Hamels' old-school opinion an insult to intimidating pitchers

Hamels' old-school opinion an insult to intimidating pitchers
Before we move on from the new-found and legitimate Nationals-Phillies rivalry, there's one question that has to be clarified: What does Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels mean when he says he was bringing back old-fashioned baseball by drilling Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper in the back? Hamels hasn't said a word since he was suspended. Hamels, who deserved the five-game suspension that he received from Major League Baseball, is confused on the term. In old-school baseball, pitchers never...
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Mel Antonen

Baltimore-born Kaline has some advice for phenom Harper

Baltimore-born Kaline has some advice for phenom Harper
Who knows what kind of production teenage sensation Bryce Harper will have with the Nationals this season? But one thing's for certain: Not many players that young have managed to play 100-plus games in a big league season. According to baseballreference.com, nine teenagers have played 100-plus games in the big leagues since Baltimore native Al Kaline, a Hall of Fame outfielder, did it in 1954 with Detroit. "The key for Bryce Harper to be successful is to have a balance of confidence and...
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Mel Antonen

Rounding the majors: O's on road, Humber's development, Nationals' potential quandary

Rounding the majors: O's on road, Humber's development, Nationals' potential quandary
Thoughts on the early going: * The Orioles are getting good pitching from Jake Arrieta and Wei-Yin Chen, but the most impressive aspect of the Orioles' start is their character. After getting swept in three games at home by the Yankees, the Orioles responded well on a road trip that took them to three time zones. They won series at Toronto and Chicago, and then managed to take one of three over the Angels after two late rallies in Sunday's 3-2 10-inning win. Given how the Yankees have...
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Mel Antonen

For Nationals, no Morse, no Storen, no offense are no problem

For Nationals, no Morse, no Storen, no offense are no problem
This is how good the fast start is for the Nationals: They have a winning record even though they have no Michael Morse, no Drew Storen and virtually no offense. Last season, the Nationals scored 3.8 runs a game. This season, through the first 10 games, they were at 3.9. The Nationals missed a chance at their first four-game sweep since moving to D.C. in 2005 when they lost 8-5 in 11 innings to the Reds at Nationals Park on Sunday. But while the Nationals have new swagger, the Reds, one of...
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Mel Antonen

Guillen's latest remarks have him in hottest water yet

Guillen's latest remarks have him in hottest water yet
Ozzie Guillen's steady stream of inappropriate comments has generally been forgotten, but watching his press conference from Miami on Tuesday, you get the idea that the Cuban community that hates Fidel Castro is not going to be as forgiving. Guillen, the 48-year-old and Miami Marlins manager, spent 50 minutes apologizing in English and Spanish for his remarks in Time magazine about how he loves and respects Castro, the dictator that destroyed thousands of lives after he took over...
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Mel Antonen

No shortage of suitors should Nationals opt to deal Lannan

No shortage of suitors should Nationals opt to deal Lannan
With John Lannan preparing to pitch for Triple-A Syracuse while requesting a trade via email to reporters, there will be a list of teams looking at the possibility of acquiring the lefty. But it's not like the Nationals need to trade him. They can't afford to give him away, and teams might not go for their asking price, considering Lannan makes $5 million. Plus, if Stephen Strasburg is on an innings limit of 160 this season, Lannan might be needed late in the season. Every team needs...
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Mel Antonen

Will Nationals be able to change Jackson's delivery so he can be more consistent?

Will Nationals be able to change Jackson's delivery so he can be more consistent?
The Nationals added to their rotation depth Thursday when they signed free agent pitcher Edwin Jackson to a one-year contract. It will be Jackson's seventh team, and the question is whether the Nationals can change his delivery so that his command can be more consistent. Jackson, 28, was a top-notch pitching prospect who started with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but his lack of command has been the reason he hasn't lived up to his billing. Last season, with the St. Louis Cardinals, Jackson...
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Mel Antonen

Hall of Fame thoughts on Larkin, Trammell, Morris, Smith and more

Hall of Fame thoughts on Larkin, Trammell, Morris, Smith and more
Thoughts on the Hall of Fame voting: * I voted for shortstop Barry Larkin, who played his entire career with the Cincinnati Reds, but I don't understand why my colleagues in the Baseball Writers' Association of America don't give more support to Alan Trammell, who was the American League's version of Larkin. Their stats are eerily similar, and Trammell actually had more hits and RBIs. So Trammell should have more than 34 percent of the vote. * Next year, will pitcher Jack Morris be able...
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Mel Antonen

My Hall of Fame ballot for 2012

My Hall of Fame ballot for 2012
The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2012 will be announced Jan. 9. Ron Santo has been selected by the veterans committee to be enshrined in July. Here's my ballot as a voting member of the Baseball Writers' Association of America: Barry Larkin: Easy choice because he was the best shortstop in the National League while playing 19 seasons for the Cincinnati Reds. A 12-time All-Star who won three Gold Gloves and an NL Most Valuable Player in 1995, Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 379 stolen...
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Mel Antonen

O's Jones would be an attractive fit for many clubs needing center field help

O's Jones would be an attractive fit for many clubs needing center field help
The Orioles have apparently talked to the Atlanta Braves about a trade involving center fielder Adam Jones, and while that trade is off for now, it could heat up again. But there is a long list of other teams that might want to trade for Jones. Who knows if the Orioles will trade the All-Star outfielder? They don't have a lot of trade chips, and of the core players, he seems the most likely to go, assuming the right price. Jones has two years left on his contract, and that makes him...
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