2019 MLB Season

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Trout with 2 HR last night, finally after a long cold streak

Home Runs
1. Encarnacion • 2TM 24
Trout • LAA 24
3. Bregman • HOU 23
Sanchez • NYY 23
Soler • KCR 23
6. Kepler • MIN 21
Chapman • OAK 21
8. Gallo • TEX 20
Rosario • MIN 20
Abreu • CHW 20
Vogelbach • SEA 20
 

Carolina Speed

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After going through 3-21 slump over the last five games, Mike Trout hits two homeruns and has four RBI's last night in the Angels win. Trout is now tied for the AL lead in homeruns with 24. He also leads the league in BB: 73, OBP. .452, SLG. .617, OPS. 1.068, OPS+. 183 and IBB. 11.
Angels are now above .500 at 43-42.

New York Yankee 2b/3/b, DJ LeMahieu id giving Trout a little competition for the AL MVP race. DJ is leading the AL in BA. .342 and has 110 hits.
 
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Carolina Speed

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After going through 3-21 slump over the last five games, Mike Trout hits two homeruns and has four RBI's last night in the Angels win. Trout is now tied for the AL lead in homeruns with 24. He also leads the league in BB: 73, OBP. .452, SLG. .617, OPS. 1.068, OPS+. 183 and IBB. 11.
Angels are now above .500 at 43-42.

New York Yankee 2b/3/b, DJ LeMahieu id giving Trout a little competition for the AL MVP race. DJ is leading the AL in BA. .342 and has 110 hits.

Trout league leading 25th Homerun on first AB!
 

Shadowlight

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The same night (July 3) that Trout bopped two home runs, Cody Bellinger smashed a game winning bomb, his second on the night too. The night before Bellinger walked in the winning run and last night hit his 30th which put him in rare company. See article below.

https://dodgerblue.com/dodgers-cody...0-home-runs-before-all-star-break/2019/07/05/


With his long swing I worry about his batting average. But he has been holding up in that area ever since he flirted with .400 early on. Can he keep up this magical season?

The Los Angeles area has both Trout and Bellinger. Harkens back to an era in the 1950's when New York City had Mantle, Mays and Snider patrolling outfields.

I would love to see both Trout and Bellinger win the MVP awards this season. So far they are front and center in the discussion.

Best of luck to both of these ultra exciting talents.
 

Don Wassall

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Former manager Frank Lucchesi died last month at the age of 92. He was best known for being sucker punched and knocked out by second baseman Lenny Randle during spring training in 1977 when he was managing the Texas Rangers after Lucchesi benched Randle and referred to him indirectly as a "punk."

1977 was also the year Rudy Tomjanovich's face was destroyed on-court by Kermit Washington.

There doesn't seem to be any footage of the assault, but this description written in '77 right after it happened describes it vividly enough:

The sequence was all so incredibly swift, maybe four, five seconds at the most, and yet in afterthought, it hung there suspended in time, like slow motion or instant replay or the old newsreel films of the Hindenburg breaking apart reluctantly in dark Jersey skies.

There was the tableau of Frank Lucchesi and Lenny Randle talking, calmly it seemed to these witnessing eyeballs some 40 feet away – the Texas manager and his embittered player, once again debating Randle’s past, present and future with the Rangers. They stood maybe 18 inches apart, Lucchesi in his blue, flowered shirt and gray slacks (he had not yet dressed for the game), Randle in his uniform, some 20 feet toward the Ranger dugout from the pre-game batting cage.

There was no raising of voices, or even these jaded ears would have picked it up; no animation, no gestures, no jabbing of forefingers, no distending of neck veins. It seems to this memory that both men had their hands on hips, not belligerently but naturally as a couple of guys on the street corner argue the respective talents of the Longhorns and Sooners. Three, four minutes and conversation continued while your eyewitness here watched it idly, only vaguely curious at what appeared to be another review of Randle’s discontent that he wasn’t getting a full-scale chance at retaining his second base job from the challenge of rookie Bump Wills.

(The debate surfaced angrily last week when Lucchesi exploded that he was "sick and tired of some punks making $80,000 moaning and groaning about their jobs." The word punk was the fuse.)

Lucchesi had walked on the Minnesota spring diamond, said hello to a few fans, walked away for a private chat with Jim Russo, the Baltimore superscout. (Trade talk?)

The 48-year-old manager was en route back to the dugout tunnel to the locker room to get dressed when Randle approached. So the two men talked while Rangers took batting practice behind them, a cluster of players awaiting turns at the cage.

Suddenly with unbelievable quickness, Randle’s right hand shot forth. No wild drawback nor windup, as a saloon brawler might use, but a straight strike from the body, and here was Lucchesi falling slowly, turning to his right from the force, and there came a left with the same terrible rapidity. This was probably the blow that fractured Lucchesi’s right cheekbone. Then another right and a left, all before the victim finally reached earth some 10 feet from where he was first struck.

In personal reference, I have seen the handspeed of Sugar Ray Robinson and the cobra strikes of Muhammad Ali, but the flurry of Randle’s punches, all landing on the manager’s face, must have broken all speed records.

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/te...lenny-randles-unexpected-attack-shook-rangers
 

Shadowlight

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Under the radar alert. The Pirates had Jordy Mercer as their SS for several years. A decent player but not someone you would notice much. Basically a .250 type hitter who is now struggling with the Tigers. Now the Pirates have a nice middle of the infield duo that are finally emerging from the shadows.

2B Adam Frazier is 27 and has 282 at bats so he is getting steady playing time. He is currently batting .282. He got off to an awful start this season but has turned it on big time lately. Good athlete with some speed.

SS Kevin Newman will turn 26 in August. Newman like Frazier has had a bevy of monster games of late often collecting 4 hits in games. His average has climbed to .324 in 219 at bats. Newman is also a good athlete who provides speed and a spark. I believe he has mostly been batting lead off for the Pirates. Too bad they didn't hold on to OF Austin Meadows.
 

Rocky B

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Under the radar alert. The Pirates had Jordy Mercer as their SS for several years. A decent player but not someone you would notice much. Basically a .250 type hitter who is now struggling with the Tigers. Now the Pirates have a nice middle of the infield duo that are finally emerging from the shadows.

2B Adam Frazier is 27 and has 282 at bats so he is getting steady playing time. He is currently batting .282. He got off to an awful start this season but has turned it on big time lately. Good athlete with some speed.

SS Kevin Newman will turn 26 in August. Newman like Frazier has had a bevy of monster games of late often collecting 4 hits in games. His average has climbed to .324 in 219 at bats. Newman is also a good athlete who provides speed and a spark. I believe he has mostly been batting lead off for the Pirates. Too bad they didn't hold on to OF Austin Meadows.


The Meadows trade was bad....We did get a guy named Bryan Reynolds in the Cutch trade....Dude is good....Newman and Frazier need to be staples in PGH for years..Colin Moran is a solid, young third baseman...I hope they re sign Corey Dickerson....Good player, good guy......
 
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The Meadows trade was bad....We did get a guy named Bryan Reynolds in the Cutch trade....Dude is good....Newman and Frazier need to be staples in PGH for years..Colin Moran is a solid, young third baseman...I hope they re sign Corey Dickerson....Good player, good guy......
The pirates have one of the most underrated core of young players in the league, but they are missing just one more dynamic bat, Meadows should have been that guy! The pirates ownership really needs to reassess their front office situation this off season as they have been a competitive franchise this decade yet they trade away all their talent, its a disgrace!
 
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Trout with a HUGE night last night!! 3-4 with a BB, 1 HR, 2 Doubles, 2 R, and 6 RBI (while batting 2nd in the lineup)!

Trout's pulling away with the AL HR lead. It would be a huge feather in his cap to lead the league in HRs. Let's face it, the media focuses on the HR ball and being the league leader is impossible for the media to ignore.

Home Runs
1. Trout • LAA 29
2. Encarnacion • 2TM 25
3. Soler • KCR 24
Sanchez • NYY 24
5. Bregman • HOU 23
6. Gallo • TEX 21
Nunez • BAL 21
Chapman • OAK 21
Abreu • CHW 21
Vogelbach • SEA 21
Kepler • MIN 21
 

Carolina Speed

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Trout with a HUGE night last night!! 3-4 with a BB, 1 HR, 2 Doubles, 2 R, and 6 RBI (while batting 2nd in the lineup)!

Trout's pulling away with the AL HR lead. It would be a huge feather in his cap to lead the league in HRs. Let's face it, the media focuses on the HR ball and being the league leader is impossible for the media to ignore.

Home Runs
1. Trout • LAA 29
2. Encarnacion • 2TM 25
3. Soler • KCR 24
Sanchez • NYY 24
5. Bregman • HOU 23
6. Gallo • TEX 21
Nunez • BAL 21
Chapman • OAK 21
Abreu • CHW 21
Vogelbach • SEA 21
Kepler • MIN 21

Trout HR number 30 last night and two more RBI.
 

booth

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CS, Trout pulled a hamstring and is going to have an MRI. He doesn't feel it is serious.
 

Carolina Speed

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CS, Trout pulled a hamstring and is going to have an MRI. He doesn't feel it is serious.

I think the MRI revealed a mild calf strain. He's listed as day to day.
Meanwhile, The 90% white LA Dodgers pummeled the Phillies, 16-2 as Cody Bellinger continued his assault on NL pitchers last night going 4-6 and 2 HR's giving him a MLB leading 33!
Clayton Kershaw with his 161st career win. Still has a shot at 300, if he stays healthy.
 

Carolina Speed

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Mike Trout showing again why he's the best player in MLB as he was a one man show in the Angels defeat of the Dodgers last night, 5-4. Trout made an incredible throw in the second inning to nail Max Muncy at the plate and hit his AL leading 33rd HR! Trout's throw was clocked at 98.6 mph.
The Dodgers are 67-36, while the Angels have climbed to 53-49.
 

Shadowlight

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The Angels/ Dodgers series is intriguing because of the Bellinger/Trout match up. A shame that it is only a two game series. I imagine there is a mutual respect between these two fabulous athletes and both are anxious to perform well here.

Bellinger went 2-5 last night and that was a nice throw by Trout.

For me nothing in baseball beats watching ( or hearing about) Trout blasting home runs. And he has ramped it up of late. Like last night the way it flies off his bat is something to behold. That was a moon shot laser to left field yesterday. Such a beautiful compact swing.
 
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Trout's chances at winning a HR title increased immensely after Encarcion got injured. I won't cry for Encarcion, since Trout got robbed of the MVP the last 2 years by injuries.

A CT scan revealed that Encarnacion sustained a hairline fracture of his right wrist when he was hit by an 87.1 mph slider from Josh A. Smith in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 9-2 victory over the Red Sox in the first game of Saturday's separate-admission doubleheader.
Encarnacion was placed on the 10-day injured list, with first baseman Mike Ford recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.


Home Runs
1. Trout • LAA 36
2. Encarnacion • 2TM 30
Kepler • MIN 30
Cruz • MIN 30
5. Soler • KCR 29
6. Bregman • HOU 27
 
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Trout's chances at winning a HR title increased immensely after Encarcion got injured. I won't cry for Encarcion, since Trout got robbed of the MVP the last 2 years by injuries.

A CT scan revealed that Encarnacion sustained a hairline fracture of his right wrist when he was hit by an 87.1 mph slider from Josh A. Smith in the eighth inning of the Yankees' 9-2 victory over the Red Sox in the first game of Saturday's separate-admission doubleheader.
Encarnacion was placed on the 10-day injured list, with first baseman Mike Ford recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.


Home Runs
1. Trout • LAA 36
2. Encarnacion • 2TM 30
Kepler • MIN 30
Cruz • MIN 30
5. Soler • KCR 29
6. Bregman • HOU 27
Usually the baseball writers try to invoke that the MVP should go to a player on a playoff team, but there is no way in hell they can cheat him out of the MVP, hes been leaps and bounds better than anyone else in the american league. DJ Lemahieu might be the only other guy you can make an argument for, and that is pushing it.
 

Carolina Speed

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Usually the baseball writers try to invoke that the MVP should go to a player on a playoff team, but there is no way in hell they can cheat him out of the MVP, hes been leaps and bounds better than anyone else in the american league. DJ Lemahieu might be the only other guy you can make an argument for, and that is pushing it.

Right KS5/JT! Trout has dominated the AL all season long. No one is really close in WAR in the AL and he's caught NL Leader Bellinger at 7.1. Trout leads the AL in 7 other offensive categories!
However, I still remember 2013 as I'm sure KS5 does as well. When Paul Goldschmidt was cheated out of the MVP by writers when Andrew McCutcheon won despite Goldschmidt leading in HR's, RBI's,, SLG., OPS., OPS+, and TB! McCutcheon didn't lead in any stat!
It would take catastrophic slump for Trout not to win it this year. Again, anything can happen. A few of the Red Sox players have gotten hot lately, Betts, Devers, and Bogaerts. I think the writers would like nothing more than for one of those players make a case late in the season. Hopefully, Trout continues his season long assault. Stay tuned!
 

Liverlips

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Looking at the playoff races it seems very solid from a caste perspective on the NL side of things (Dodgers, Braves and Cubs) with the Nats, Mets and Brewers fighting for the wildcards. Kind of a wash on who gets the wildcard (Nats have gotten a bit darker through the year) but a Dodgers v. Braves NL championship would be a very white affair.

On the AL side, only Houston, the Rays and Oakland are white-friendly. Indians, Yanks and Twins are very bad (3-4 white starters tops depending on the pitcher). Realistically it will be Houston v. Yanks for the AL championship. At least it will be a caste matchup.

Of course, a Yankees v. Dodgers World Series would be an epic caste matchup and get massive ratings.
 

Shadowlight

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A Yankees Dodgers World Series will bring in big ratings but Houston is loaded to the gills.

Last night was a little crazy. Bryce Harper who was brought in to save the Phillies hit a dramatic game winning come from behind walk off grand slam moon shot at home last night. He tore around the base paths like a little leaguer as the crowd went ape-shite. Harper hasn't hit for a high average in his Phillies debut but I don't think anyone in Philly is complaining.

Under the radar rookie OF Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates, who has been mentioned here once, has accumulated enough at bats to qualify for the batting race. He is leading the NL at about .335. A smooth solid athletic player who makes the game look easy. Pirates also have SS Kevin Newman ( who is batting over .300) and 2B Adam Frazier who are both athletic and relatively young.

Two of the MVP candidates bopped their league leading 40th home runs last night. Both Trout and Bellinger have been slumping of late. For Bellinger, who early on was batting .400, it might become a struggle to stay at over .300 by season's end. His average has been sliding for a while now and with his long loopy swing consistent contact isn't always easy. Bellinger is such a great athlete he has gold glove ability at 1B and the OF which is unheard of although I would prefer he stick to one position. I think all this jostling around has affected his hitting a bit of late.

Trout is playing on a home field that is tough for home run hitters. So hitting 40 at this stage of the season is quite an achievement. I suspect he will continue to pound home runs the rest of the season. But unlike Bellinger, Trout has to climb his average up to get to .300. His four for four last night was a nice start in that direction. He gets pitched around, his lineup is below average and he plays in a tough ball park to smack dingers but Trout is holding up well despite the roadblocks. And I for one am pleased he will be an Angels lifer albeit they need more talent on this team.

Most underrated player in the MLB might be A's 3B Matt Chapman. A gold glove 3B last season he is a vacuum cleaner out there and like all great 3B has cat quick reflexes and makes it look easy. He has also hit a number of clutch late inning home runs for Oakland.

Trout looks to be the AL MVP leader at this point but Chapman along with the Red Sox Rafael Devers and the Yankees DJ LeMahieu ( the current AL batting leader) are putting their hats into the ring.

And feisty personal long time favorite Yankee speedster OF Brett Gardner is having one of his best seasons ever. He usually peters out towards the end of seasons. Hope he stays strong down the stretch. Mark my word he will become a manager after he retires because he is a leader in the Yankee clubhouse.

Speaking of speedsters the Nationals SS Trea Turner has lifted his average over .290.

I hope I haven't jinxed the players above. I always worry about that. Silly I know but I am paranoid after I say something nice about players they go into a tailspin. Hopefully my jinx doesn't work anymore. Ha.
 
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Carolina Speed

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A Yankees Dodgers World Series will bring in big ratings but Houston is loaded to the gills.

Last night was a little crazy. Bryce Harper who was brought in to save the Phillies hit a dramatic game winning come from behind walk off grand slam moon shot at home last night. He tore around the base paths like a little leaguer as the crowd went ape-shite. Harper hasn't hit for a high average in his Phillies debut but I don't think anyone in Philly is complaining.

Under the radar rookie OF Bryan Reynolds of the Pirates, who has been mentioned here once, has accumulated enough at bats to qualify for the batting race. He is leading the NL at about .335. A smooth solid athletic player who makes the game look easy. Pirates also have SS Kevin Newman ( who is batting over .300) and 2B Adam Frazier who are both athletic and relatively young.

Two of the MVP candidates bopped their league leading 40th home runs last night. Both Trout and Bellinger have been slumping of late. For Bellinger, who early on was batting .400, it might become a struggle to stay at over .300 by season's end. His average has been sliding for a while now and with his long loopy swing consistent contact isn't always easy. Bellinger is such a great athlete he has gold glove ability at 1B and the OF which is unheard of although I would prefer he stick to one position. I think all this jostling around has affected his hitting a bit of late.

Trout is playing on a home field that is tough for home run hitters. So hitting 40 at this stage of the season is quite an achievement. I suspect he will continue to pound home runs the rest of the season. But unlike Bellinger, Trout has to climb his average up to get to .300. His four for four last night was a nice start in that direction. He gets pitched around, his lineup is below average and he plays in a tough ball park to smack dingers but Trout is holding up well despite the roadblocks. And I for one am pleased he will be an Angels lifer albeit they need more talent on this team.

Most underrated player in the MLB might be A's 3B Matt Chapman. A gold glove 3B last season he is a vacuum cleaner out there and like all great 3B has cat quick reflexes and makes it look easy. He has also hit a number of clutch late inning home runs for Oakland.

Trout looks to be the AL MVP leader at this point but Chapman along with the Red Sox Rafael Devers and the Yankees DJ LeMahieu ( the current AL batting leader) are putting their hats into the ring.

And feisty personal long time favorite Yankee speedster OF Brett Gardner is having one of his best seasons ever. He usually peters out towards the end of seasons. Hope he stays strong down the stretch. Mark my word he will become a manager after he retires because he is a leader in the Yankee clubhouse.

Speaking of speedsters the Nationals SS Trea Turner has lifted his average over .290.

I hope I haven't jinxed the players above. I always worry about that. Silly I know but I am paranoid after I say something nice about players they go into a tailspin. Hopefully my jinx doesn't work anymore. Ha.

I appreciate all the updates guys. I know it's hard to believe but I do keep up with all the other players mentioned above. I usually only update on Trout, beccause I just don't have the time these days to cover all of the great white players, but I suppose that's a good thing.
So with that, I will say that when Trout steals his next base he will become the first player in history to steal 200 bases and hit 250 homeruns by his age 27 season. That record may be put out of reach, because Trout has 280 career homeruns!
 

Carolina Speed

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MLB Leaders in HR's
1. Alonso NYM. 44 Run away ROY!
1. Bellinger LAD. 44 NL MVP!
1. Trout LAA. 44 AL MVP!

Atlanta's Freddie Freeman having another phenomenal year!
38 HR's
114 RBI. Leads MLB
108 Runs
.300 AVG.
 

Flint

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It would be nice if Alonso passes Judge's rookie record for homers. They have juiced the ball but if the leaders hit around 50 thats not so bad.
 

Don Wassall

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On this day in 1998 Mark McGwire hit his 60th home run, joining Babe Ruth and Roger Maris as the only players to do so. That was a fun season, the last one in which I followed baseball closely. It was tainted big time of course, but so much else was and still is by steroids, just one of many reasons baseball went from being my favorite sport to one I now follow casually at best.
 

Carolina Speed

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It would be nice if Alonso passes Judge's rookie record for homers. They have juiced the ball but if the leaders hit around 50 thats not so bad.

I was thinking the same thing Flint. Alonso has the rookie record for the NL already that was held by Bellinger, 39. Of course Alonso now has 45 and Trout has hit his 45th today as well.
 
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