Mani’s Weekly Top 5: The Most Intriguing 2013 Interleague Matchups
The 2013 MLB schedule was released yesterday, and it is unlike any other in baseball history. Thanks to an overdue realignment, there is an odd number of teams in each league, which means two things:
1) The Houston Astros might lose 150 games next year.
2) Interleague play will happen on just about every day of the season.
On top of that, matchups such as the Subway Series are reduced from six to four games to make the schedules more balanced. Every team now has the same basic schedule thanks to an equal five teams in each of the six divisions.
One thing hasn’t changed, however, and that’s the intrigue of National League teams playing the American League during the regular season. Let’s check out the more intriguing matchups on tap for the 2013 season.
Mani’s Weekly Top 5: Which Teams Improved the Most at the Trade Deadline?
We are officially entering the Dog Days of Summer, and teams still in contention are gearing up for the final two months of what should be a highly entertaining end of the 2012 season.
With the addition of the second Wild Card, teams that would previously have made an easy decision to sell at the Deadline were stuck in the middle by the end of the July. Maybe in future years it would be a better idea to move the Deadline back a couple of weeks in order to give these teams some extra time to decide their fate for the rest of the season (hint hint for an article to hit the site on Friday.)
Nonetheless, teams like the Phillies were still unloading players, and the NL West turned out to be a big beneficiary of the Deadline. Which teams are in a better position to make a run at the postseason? Let’s find out in this edition of Mani’s Weekly Top 5.
Mani’s Weekly Top 5: John Sterling’s Most Ridiculous Home Run Calls
For years, the two-person radio team for the New York Yankees has seen people come and go. There was Michael Kay until he moved to the YES Network. Charley Steiner was in the booth, but he didn’t stay very long. Since 2005, Suzyn Waldman has made her mark as the first woman to be in the broadcast booth for a major league team.
Since 1989, however, John Sterling has been a constant on the radio. And that’s not necessarily a good thing.
While there are worse broadcasters out there, Sterling makes that a short list with some of his insane and ridiculous calls. Often times, he will start into his home run belches on routine flies to the outfield. Then, when someone hits the ball out, chances are he might screw up the name.
And if you’re new on the Yanks, watch out, because Sterling has some clever puns on your name ready to go. Okay, so they’re a bit more crazy than clever, but here are five of the most ridiculous home run calls from John Sterling in my book.
Mani’s Weekly Top 5: The Biggest Comeback Players of 2012
Surprises are aplenty in the first month and a half of the season. The Orioles and Nationals find themselves at the top of their divisions, while the Red Sox and Angels are freezing down in the cellar. Edwin Encarnacion has 11 more home runs than Albert Pujols. Lance Lynn has the most wins in the National League.
On top of all that, a bunch of guys are having rebound years after struggling in 2011. These comeback players all experienced plenty of success in previous years, but the last campaign did not go very well. For them, 2012 has been a re-invigoration of sorts, and it has been a welcome change.
Without further ado, let’s get to this week’s Top 5 of the biggest comeback players of the year so far.
Mani’s Weekly Top 5: The Ugliest MLB Uniforms Ever
The New York Yankees have had the same uniform for decades: pinstripes at home, simple gray on the road. Their crosstown rivals, the Mets, have about 50 different combinations of uniforms, with the shirt, pants, and socks liable to change on any given day.
Uniform changes happen somewhat occasionally in the Majors. Often times, a team will bring out a special uniform for a certain occasion. The Padres do it on Sundays at home and most holidays, when they bring out their camo jerseys in honor of our armed forces. While those don’t look so bad, many uniforms in the past have been worthy of some nausea and vomiting.
Let’s take a look back and check out just how ugly these uniforms can get.
Mani’s Weekly Top 5: The Biggest Fantasy Busts
Are you a Fantasy Baseball addict?
For some, Fantasy Baseball is second only to breathing for six months out of the year. Doing research, checking lineups, and proposing trades are a daily occurrence. If something newsworthy happens on the field with an unknown, you immediately rush to your league page looking to see if the player is available.
If you are this dedicated to your (most likely) multiple Fantasy teams, then why are some of them under-performing in the early going? Chances are your first few picks are either performing miserably or nursing some type of injury. Those first few guys are supposed to be the anchor of your team, yet they are being blown away in the stats by guys like Josh Willingham and even Derek Jeter.
So if you’re in the cellar of your league right now, chances are one or more of these five guys are on your team. Hopefully, they will turn things around, but for now, these are the five biggest fantasy busts of 2012.
Tweet Blender
To be at a standstill on 1-70 when I have to eat n pee this bad is as cruel, unusual as anything that goes on in that prison I just passed.4 days ago
Oral and John are right. For Miggy to hit that ball where he did, crazy. He is, simply, better than everyone else. Lets leave it at that.5 days ago
They're walking Miggy with a 2-1 and runners on first and second AND Prince Fielder on deck. That is one thing. Fear.5 days ago
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