Chavez Traded to the Toronto Blue Jays

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Chavez is headed to the Great White North…

The Toronto Blue Jays have acquired the 32-year-old Latino pitcher from the Oakland Athletics for fellow pitcher Liam Hendriks.

Chavez has spent the past two seasons as a swingman with the A’s and went 7-15 with a 4.18 ERA in 30 games this year, including 26 starts.

The righty made nine appearances with Toronto in 2012 and had an 8.44 ERA before being acquired by Oakland for cash. Chavez is eligible for arbitration this winter and can become a free agent after the 2016 season.

Chavez has previously played in MLB for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Atlanta Braves, Kansas City Royals and the Oakland Athletics.

Morales Agrees to Lucrative, Two-Year Deal with the Kansas City Royals

Posted on December 11, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Kendrys Morales has landed a royal MLB deal…

The 31-year-old Cuban professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter has reportedly agreed to a $17 million, two-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, according to the Associated Press.

The AP source spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to Morales passing a physical.

Morales is expected to take over at designated hitter for Billy Butler, who left as a free agent and agreed to a lucrative deal with the Oakland Athletics.

Morales will get $6.5 million next year and $9 million in 2016. The deal includes an $11 million mutual option for 2017 with a $1.5 million buyout.

Morales can make an additional $750,000 in performance bonuses in each of the first two seasons based on plate appearances: $50,000 for 375 and $100,000 apiece for 400 and each additional 25 until 550.

Morales’s deal comes despite a poor performance last season.

He hit just .218 with eight homers and 42 RBIs in 98 games with the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners. Those numbers were far below his career average of .271, and a shadow of his best year with the Los Angeles Angels, when he hit .306 with 34 homers in 2009.

Just two years ago, though, Morales hit .277 with 23 homers for Seattle.

Perez Helps the Kansas City Royals Advance in the MLB Playoffs…

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Salvador Perez is being hailed a hero in Kansas City…

The 24-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball catcher singled home the winning run with two outs in the 12th inning, capping two late comebacks that gave his Kansas City Royals a thrilling 9-8 victory over the Oakland Athletics in the American League wild-card game.

“This will go down as the craziest game I’ve ever played,” said Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, who sparked the final Royals rally with a one-out triple. “This team showed a lot of character. No one believed in us before the game. No one believed in us before the season.”

It was a back-and-forth epic that lasted 4 hours, 45 minutes, with the A’s losing their seventh straight winner-take-all playoff game since 2000.

Making their first postseason appearance since winning the 1985 World Series, the Royals will now open their best-of-five Division Series on the road Thursday night against the AL West champion Los Angeles Angels.

After falling behind by four runs, the Royals raced back with their speed on the bases — they led the majors with 153 steals this season. Kansas City swiped seven in this one to tie a postseason record previously shared by the 1907 Chicago Cubs and 1975 Cincinnati Reds, according to STATS.

The biggest one came in the 12th.

Hosmer scored the tying run on a high chopper to third by rookie Christian Colon, who reached safely on the infield single and then stole second with two outs.

Perez, who was 0 for 5 after squandering two late chances to drive in key runs, reached out and pulled a hard one-hopper past diving third baseman Josh Donaldson. Colon scored easily, and the Royals rushed out of the dugout for a mad celebration.

Sitting upstairs in a suite, Royals Hall of Famer George Brett put his hands on his head in near disbelief at the frenzied and jubilant scene that was unfolding below.

“It was unbelievable,” Perez said.

The A’s raced out to a 7-3 lead by the sixth inning, but the Royals countered with three runs in the eighth. Nori Aoki‘s sacrifice fly off Sean Doolittle in the ninth forced extra innings.

Kansas City squandered chances in the next couple of innings, as midnight came and went on the East Coast and the tension continued to build. Rookie left-hander Brandon Finnegan, just drafted in June, pitched two scoreless innings but walked Josh Reddick to start in the 12th.

Pinch-hitter Alberto Callaspo delivered an RBI single off Jason Frasor to put the A’s ahead 8-7, but Hosmer hit a drive high off the left-center wall against Dan Otero for a leadoff triple in the bottom half, and Colon drove him in with a bouncer that barely traveled 50 feet.

That set the stage for Perez, who lined a pitch from Jason Hammel down the third-base line.

Cespedes Wins the Home Run Derby Crown for Second Straight Year

Posted on July 15, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Yoenis Cespedes’ reign at the Home Run Derby continues…

The 28-year-old Cuban baseball star, an outfielder for the Oakland Athletics, has become the first repeat winner of the All-Star skills contest in 15 years.

Cespedes powered his way past the Cincinnati Reds’ Todd Frazier 9-1 in the final round Monday night to successfully defend his title.

Ken Griffey Jr. was the last back-to-back winner, taking the title in 1998 and 1999.

With a serious, determined look on his face the entire time, Cespedes finished with 28 homers. That was four fewer than last year, when he beat the Washington Nationals‘ Bryce Harper 9-8 in the final round.

Cespedes even told Athletics teammate Josh Donaldson he was doing this wrong.

“I knew he wasn’t going to win because his mentality was to take the ball out of the stadium, and I told him that is not the way you win this competition,” Cespedes said through an interpreter.

He added: “I’m somebody who’s very conscious of the power that I have. So I don’t need to put more of a swing or more of an effort in order to hit a home run. I just have to look for a good pitch and put a good swing on it, and it usually takes care of it.”

Cespedes saved his best for last, a 452-foot blast to the third deck above left field that officially measured as the longest shot of the night.

A’s third-base coach Mike Gallego again pitched to Cespedes, who went deep 32 times in last year’s derby at Citi Field in New York. Gallego’s arm looked nearly out of gas by the final round.

“Maybe next year I’ll put up a better showing at the end,” Frazier said. “Now that I understand, maybe I’ll do a couple of more push-ups.”

Cespedes topped Toronto’s Jose Bautista and Frazier surprisingly beat Miami’s Giancarlo Stanton in the semifinals.

Bautista to Captain the American League’s Home Run Derby Team

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s batter up for José Bautista…

The 33-year-old Dominican professional baseball player, a right fielder for the Toronto Blue Jays, will serve as the American League’s captain for the Home Run Derby.

Bautista, the 2010 and 2011 MLB home run champion and a five-time Major League Baseball All-Star, will have some star power on his team. He’s selected reigning derby champ and Oakland Athletics’ star Yoenis Cespedes, the Minnesota Twins’ Brian Dozierand the Baltimore Orioles’ Adam Jones as the top three picks for his team.

They’ll face off a Nation League team that includes captain and Colorado Rockies star Troy Tulowitzki, and his top three picks: the Cincinnati Reds’ Todd Frazier, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Yasiel Puig and the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton.

An additional fifth member will be named to each team on Thursday.

“Bunch of guys with a lot of power,” Tulowitzki said of his team. “More than that, I think they’re good guys, got to know them throughout the years.”

Stanton is the only player in the National League group that ranks in the top five in the majors in home runs with 21 entering play Tuesday night, but he is the NL-leader in the category.

That means that only one member of the remaining top five home run hitters in the league will be added to Bautista’s side. He has a choice of Baltimore’s Nelson Cruz (28), the Chicago White Sox‘s Jose Abreu (27) and Detroit Tigers‘ Victor Martinez (21).

Bautista’s Toronto teammate Edwin Encarnacion is third in the league with 26 home runs, but is currently on the disabled list. Martinez might also bow out of the running as he’s been held out of recent games due to injury.

Fellow Tiger Miguel Cabrera (14) and Los Angeles Angels phenom Mike Trout (20) have already said they will not participate in the contest, which will be held Monday night on ESPN from Minnesota’s Target Field.

Stanton, Tulowitzki (18) and Frazier (17) are all in the top five in homers in the National League along with the Chicago Cubs‘ Anthony Rizzo (18) and Philadelphia Phillies‘ Marlon Byrd (18).

Also a possibility for the final NL spot is Tulowitzki’s teammate and former Minnesota Twinsplayer Justin Morneau. Morneau is a candidate in the Final Vote to make the All-Star team.

“If he wins that final vote, there’s possibly a chance,” Tulowitzki said. “I think it would make a storyline. Played with the Twins all those years. He’s definitely on the list if he makes the team. There are some other guys as well that have lobbied and would be good choices.”

Cabrera ThisClose to Making MLB Batting History…

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Cabrera is chasing history…

The 29-year-old Venezuelan third baseman for the Detroit Tigers is thisclose to joining an elite list of the Major League’s batting stars.

Baseball hasn’t seen a Triple Crown winner — a hitter leading the league in home runs, runs batted in, and batting average — since 1967.

But Cabrera could change that this season… by becoming the first Latino Triple Crown winner.

The seven-time All-Star player is currently leading the American League in batting average and RBIs, and he trailed the Texas Rangers’ Josh Hamilton by just two home runs as of September 19, according to Yahoo! Sports.

Cabrera—who homered to help the Tigers beat the Oakland Athletics 6-2 on Wednesday night—is already a World Series Champion (with the Florida Marlins), a three-time Silver Slugger Award winner and two-time recipient of the Luis Aparicio Award, which is given annually to honor the Venezuelan player who recorded the best individual performance in Major League Baseball.

Here are the eight players who have pulled off the feat in the American League:

Carl Yastrzemski, Boston Red Sox, 1967 (.326 batting average, 44 HRs, 121 RBIs) – Yaz is the last player to win the Triple Crown. His greatest competition came in the home-run race where he tied Harmon Killebrew with 44.

Frank Robinson, Baltimore Orioles, 1966 (.316, 49, 122) – Just a year before Yastrzemski won his Triple Crown, Frank Robinson won one of his own for Baltimore. Robinson’s .316 average was the lowest ever for a Triple Crown winner.

Mickey Mantle, New York Yankees, 1956 (.353, 52, 130) – Mantle joined Gehrig as the two Triple Crown winners in the long history of success for the Yankees. The Mick led the league by a whopping 20 home runs over Cleveland’s Vic Wertz.

Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, 1947 (.343, 32, 114) – It’s fitting that the man who many feel is the greatest hitter ever won not one but two Triple Crowns. Williams’ second, in 1947, featured the third of his six batting titles. He edged out Hall of Famer Joe Gordon, then of the Indians, by three for the home-run title.

Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, 1942 (.356, 36, 137) – 1942 was Teddy Ballgame’s last year before missing three years for military service. He made sure baseball would miss him. Though his average dropped by a full 50 points over his amazing 1941 season, he still won the batting title by 25 points. Amazingly, he did not win the AL MVP in either of his Triple Crown seasons.

Lou Gehrig, New York Yankees, 1934 (.363, 49, 165) – In accomplishing the Triple Crown, Gehrig pulled off what his more famous teammate — Babe Ruth — never did. Gehrig’s 165 RBIs were the most ever in a Triple Crown-winning season.

Jimmy Foxx, Philadelphia Athletics, 1933 (.356, 48, 163) – Foxx won the second of his thee MVPs for this season. This was part of a remarkable streak in which Foxx drove in 100 or more runs for 13 straight seasons.

Ty Cobb, Detroit Tigers, 1909 (.377, 9, 107) – It’s amusing in today’s era to see a player lead the league with just nine home runs. Cobb dominated the 1909 season. In addition to the Triple Crown categories, he led the American League in runs, stolen bases, hits, total bases, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage.

Nap Lajoie, Philadelphia Athletics, 1901 (.426, 14, 125) – Lajoie produced the highest batting average for a Triple Crown winner. A Hall of Famer, Lajoie led the AL in 11 offensive categories in 1901. He won the batting title by 86 points that year.

Ortiz Notches His History-Making 400th Home Run

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz will probably never forget this Fourth of July…

The 36-year-old Dominican-born baseball player recorded his 400th career home run during the Red Sox’s away game against the Oakland Athletics.

Ortiz is the 49th player in major league history to reach 400 home runs. He’s among eight active players with at least 400 homers.

Ortiz’s home run forged a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning, but Oakland went on to win the game 3-2 to complete a three-game series sweep of the Red Sox.

“It was a big situation to tie the game,” said Ortiz. “I’m happy to just get it out of the way. I was very excited.”

The biggest compliment Ortiz received for his 400th career home run might have come during the slugger’s next at-bat. As Athletics announcer Dick Callahan mentioned Ortiz’s milestone while introducing him in the sixth inning Wednesday, the home crowd rose to give him a standing ovation.

“That was pretty cool,” said Ortiz, who removed his helmet and waved to the crowd. “You’re playing on the road, and you get something like that done on the road and people really appreciate it.”

Ortiz had gone 25 at-bats since his last homer, which came June 27 against the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

“(I’ve) been able to take a lot of swings this past road trip and just keep on leaving the ball on the warning track,” said Ortiz. “But to be honest with you, I was not worried about that. I was just swinging like I normally do and not trying to do too much. You see pitchers, how they approach it, I guess they don’t want to show up on ESPN.”

The blast, a no-doubter to right field, came on a 2-0 pitch from Oakland’s A.J. Griffin.

“It was awesome,” Red Sox outfielder Cody Ross said. “Of course, everyone’s just waiting for it. It seems like every pitch, he’s got that chance to do it. As soon as it went in the air, it’s just that sigh of relief, I know for him especially, to get that weight off his shoulder. I’m just so happy for him, proud of him. It’s a huge accomplishment.”

Puig to Play Ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Lucky No. 7, of sorts, for Yasiel Puig…

The 21-year-old Cuban outfielder has reportedly reached agreement on a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPNdeportesLosAngeles.com.

Puig’s agreement is pending a physical exam, and would be the largest dollar figure accorded a Cuban defector, surpassing the four-year, $36 million deal Oakland Athletics outfielder Yoenis Céspedes received in February.

“Puig’s contract with the Dodgers should be completed by Friday. The young man could play in the major leagues this year, maybe in time to help with the race for the playoffs or the World Series,” said the source, who added that the agreement includes some clauses that could permit Puig to become a free agent after his fourth year.

Under the new rules that regulate the hiring of Cuban ballplayers, upon receiving permanent residency — known as FM2 in Mexico — Puig will not need to be unblocked by the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the agency of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that enforces the sanctions of the United States’ embargo against Cuba.

Puig batted .330 with 17 home runs, 47 RBIs and 78 runs scored in 327 at-bats with the Cienfuegos Elefantes in the 2010-11 Cuban National Series. He averaged .370 in 46 at-bats in the playoffs.

Puig, once considered the fastest player in Cuban baseball, was left off the Cienfuegos team for the 2011-12 season after having been caught on several occasions trying to escape the country. He finally succeeded in defecting last month and established residency in Mexico.

Soler to Sign with the Chicago Cubs…

Posted on June 12, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Jorge Soler is ready to play professional ball in the United States…

The 20-year-old Cuban baseball star, who defected from his native country last year, has reached a verbal agreement with the Chicago Cubs on a nine-year contract worth $30 million dollars, according to USA Today.

The 6-foot 3, 225-pound power hitter, who was declared a free agent last week, is expected to be a right fielder with five-tool potential.

The Cubs outbid several large-market teams, including the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Cubs, who never bid on free agents like first basemen Albert Pujols last winter, believe Soler will be ready for the big leagues in two or three years.

Soler had previously played for the Cuba’s national baseball team in the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championship, where he had a .304 batting average, .500 on-base percentage, and .522 slugging percentage. His nine walks were the second most in the tournament, where Cuba won the bronze. He also briefly played in the Cuban National Series.

The bid for Soler comes months after Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes signed with the Oakland Athletics. The 26-year-old Cuban centerfielder agreed to a four-year, $36 million deal in February.

Santana Pitches the First No-Hitter in New York Mets’ History

Posted on June 2, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s hard to believe that in more than 8,000 games, the New York Mets had never pitched a no-hitter… But that all changed in game 8,020, thanks to Johan Santana.

The 33-year-old Venezuelan pitched the first no-hitter in New York Mets’ history on Friday in the Mets’ 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Aided by an umpire’s missed call and an incredible catch by a left fielder who grew up in Queens as a Mets fan, Santana’s start is also the first no-hitter of his career.

In the victory over the reigning World Series champions, Santana, who missed last season because of shoulder surgery, walked five and struck out eight, while testing the limits of his comeback.

Mets manager Terry Collins said before the game that he wanted to limit Santana to a maximum of 110-115 pitches. Santana finished with a career-high 134.

Afterward, an emotional Collins expressed his trepidation about going after history instead of preserving Santana’s long-term health.

“I just couldn’t take him out,” Collins said.

In the ninth inning with 27,609 fans all standing, Santana’s final pitch, a 3-2 change-up, resulted in David Freese swinging and missing. Santana’s teammates all stormed the mound to celebrate.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even thrown a no-hitter in video games,” Santana said of his feat.

But that’s not all… Santana became just the eighth player in MLB history to throw a no-hitter against the defending World Series champions and the first since former Texas Rangers pitcher Nolan Ryan completed the feat against the Oakland Athletics in 1990.

After the final out, Santana did interviews with the Mets’ TV and radio station before he walked into the clubhouse.

“We did this together,” Santana said. “It is not just about me. We had a great, great game tonight. Everyone participated. We did the little things the way we were supposed to do it. And it worked out good. I thanked them because we as a team made history tonight.”

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