Kuzul

Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kyle Drabek has turned things around and is having a great 2012 season on the mound.After struggling through 2011 for Toronto and then being demoted to Triple-A Las Vegas after going 4-5 with a 5.70 ERA in 14 starts, Drabek is a new pitcher with superior control.Last season, Drabek's official rookie season, he appeared to become easily frustrated and rattled on the mound when faced with difficult game situations. As a result, he spent a great deal of time working on his pitching mechanics and his patience during the offseason and into spring training.All of that appears to be far behind him, as he earned his spot on the starting rotation this season after an impressive showing in spring training. Dustin McGowan's placement on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation created an opportunity for Drabek to once again prove himself as a ...

New York Yankees legendary closer Mariano Rivera blew his first save opportunity in the Opening Day game against the Tampa Bay Rays, but there is no need to be concerned.The Yankees were quickly down by four runs in the first inning, but Raul Ibanez proved his worth with a three-run home run blast in the third inning.Reliever David Robertson, a likely candidate to become the full-time closer after Rivera retires, walked one and gave up one single, putting runners on the corners, and then struck out three batters in the eighth inning.New York held a 6-5 lead until the ninth inning when Rivera entered the game and blew the save. Carlos Pena got the game-winning hit off of Rivera.Every game is important, but this is only one game. Losing the first game of the season doesn't exactly boost the confidence of the team, but there is plenty of baseball ahead.Back ...

Toronto Blue Jays right-handed pitcher Kyle Drabek may have had a difficult and trying 2011 season, but he has arrived at this year's spring training with a new and fresh perspective that will enable him to adapt and overcome last year's issues.Getting called up to the Blue Jays from Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Drabek made his MLB debut on Sept. 15, 2010, against the Orioles and pitched seven innings, threw 101 pitches with seven strikeouts and gave up one hit and one earned run.After three successful starts in 2011, he began to decline and was optioned down to Triple-A Las Vegas, where he continued to struggle.In Drabek's MLB overall experience, he has a win-loss record of 4-8, an ERA of 5.83, 63 strikeouts and a 1.72 WHIP in a total of 21 games since his call-up to Toronto.Putting the struggles of the 2011 season behind him, he has ...

Toronto Blue Jays left fielder Travis Snider showed up for the 2012 spring training with a new attitude and a new energy. He is playing the game from his heart, trying to earn his way into a full-time spot.In a game last week, he produced, performed and delivered, leading the Blue Jays to a win over the Pirates, sweeping them on a two-game series in the Grapefruit League.The Blue Jays and the Pirates were tied at three in the fourth inning, and Snider hit an RBI single. In the sixth inning he drove in two runs, giving the Jays an 8-3 lead.Snider had a difficult 2011 season, being demoted to the minor leagues twice. While back in the minors, he worked with hitting coaches and made changes in his batting mechanics to make him more effective and consistent at the plate.Clearly, it is too early to claim that he will ...

Asdrubal Cabrera and the Cleveland Indians have agreed to a one-year contract worth $4.55 million avoiding arbitration hearings.Unable to agree on a long-term deal, Cabrera and the Indians inked the one-year deal on Friday, recognizing his talent and contributions.During spring training, Cleveland and Cabrera may revisit the possibility of a multi-year contract, and they have expressed an interest in keeping Cabrera beyond 2012. Cabrera improved a great deal in 2011 hitting 25 home runs and 92 RBI with a .273 batting average in 151 games.While it may be too early to indicate whether or not he will reach numbers like those consistently, it cannot be denied that he had a great 2011 season.He was selected as a 2011 All-Star for the first time in his career, won the Gibby's Defensive Player of the Year Award and received an AL Silver Slugger Award.Adding to his list of accomplishments was his unassisted triple ...

Boston Red Sox fans were probably unhappy to hear that their powerful backup shortstop has been traded.They may be upset, but the trade, which included right-handed pitcher Kyle Weiland, brought right-handed reliever Mark Melancon to Boston for much-needed pitching.Houston Astros fans should be excited about the trade. Lowrie brings powerful hitting and a strong arm to the Astros.When Mike Lowell was placed on the DL in Boston in 2008, Lowrie was called up from Triple-A. Lowrie received the call on April 10th, 2008. On April 15th, he hit 3 RBI against the Cleveland Indians.Julio Lugo was placed on the DL later in the season. Lowrie was called up again on Aug. 1st, 2008. In his second call-up, he hit a game-winning single in the 12th inning against the Oakland Athletics, winning 2-1.His first MLB walk-off home run was on Aug. 24th, 2008, winning 6-5. He had another game-winning hit on ...

Bernie Williams, one of the most loved Yankees by the fans, accomplished some impressive feats during his Yankee tenure. His success in pinstripes almost didn’t transpire earlier in his Yankee years.  Williams had become the regular center fielder in 1993. George Steinbrenner considered trading him in 1995, but Buck Showalter, the manager at the time, talked Steinbrenner out of making that giant mistake. Steinbrenner was known as being controlling and difficult to approach.  Thankfully, he listened to Showalter’s advice about Williams. Each year, the Baseball Writers Association of America votes by mail on eligible candidates for election into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Bernie Williams is on the Hall of Fame ballot for 2012.  Gaining 75 percent or more of the votes to get elected is not an easy task.  Looking back at Williams’ career, I think that he put up consistently strong numbers and earned ...

New York Yankee fans have been blessed with a successful baseball dynasty for quite some time.  The occasional bump presented itself and has led to some problems since 1996, but overall, the Yankees have been a major baseball force. The Yankees organization is filled with talent galore, with pitching, catching, fielding, hitting and base-running.  Popular players have come and gone, but core players have remained. Great talent will come up from the farm system, but what about the older players who have been the backbone of the Yankees?  How much longer can they play effectively and productively as they age? Jorge Posada will likely either retire or end his career elsewhere.  Let’s hope that he chooses retirement and goes out as a Yankee. Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Mariano Rivera are three of the best players in Major League Baseball.  They have collectively been the heart and soul of the ...

Andruw Jones and the New York Yankees have come to terms and settled on a one-year contract.  The agreement will not become official until Jones completes a physical. His contract is for $2 million, plus additional potential performance incentives of $1.4 million, according to CBSSports.com. Jones has been a benefit to the Yankees as a fourth outfielder who is able to come off of the bench cold and perform well.  He is a powerful hitter and has had great success against left-handed pitching.  According to Yankees.com, this may open up the possibility of Jones replacing Brett Gardner against left-handed pitchers. During 77 games that he played in the 2011 season, Jones batted an average of .247, 13 home runs and 33 RBIs.  Against left-handed pitching, he batted .286, and out of 36 hits, 16 of them he took extra bases. Over the course of his career beginning in 1996, he ...