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As the NLCS shifts back to Chicago with the Cubs leading the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2, the Cleveland Indians await the winner in the 114th World Series. 

After taking Game 5 of the ALCS over the Toronto Blue Jays for the American League pennant on Wednesday, the Indians guaranteed that they would have over five days to rest for the Fall Classic, while the winner of the NLCS will experience a much quicker turnaround:

The Indians are two years older than the World Series, having been established in 1901 under the name of the Blues. After short stints where they were known as the Broncos and Naps after Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie, they became known as the Indians in 1915. 

Five years later, they won their first World Series, defeating the Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers) in 1920.

The franchise would get a second title 28 years later in 1948, defeating the Boston Braves with a roster that included five players that were elected to the Hall of Fame:

That win 68 years ago would prove to be their last triumph despite making three World Series’ since then. In 1954, they were swept by Willie Mays and the New York Giants and didn’t make another Fall Classic until 1995. 

They would lose to an Atlanta Braves team headlined by a trio of Hall of Fame pitchers in Greg Maddux, John Smoltz and Tom Glavine before losing a heartbreaking seven-game World Series in 1997 to a Florida Marlins franchise that was in its fifth year of existence:

But this season’s Indians could put an end to the wait and provide the city of Cleveland with a second major sports championship in the same calendar year. It’d be a benchmark season for a group of fans that hadn’t celebrated a title since 1964 before the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals. 

The Indians have provided one of the deepest lineups in baseball this season to support a banged up pitching staff that lost Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar during the regular season before seeing Trevor Bauer slice his pinky open while cleaning his drone right before the ALCS:

But the offense has struggled at times during the playoffs, averaging just under 3.4 runs per game while posting a .208 team batting average. 

Luckily for them, the pitching has been dominant in the postseason:

It’s been headlined by ALCS MVP Andrew Miller, who has given up just three hits in 7.2 innings pitched while striking out 14 batters. 

SportsCenter broke down just how tough he’s been in October:

That kind of hot pitching is the key to an Indians World Series, as the Cubs and Dodgers are two of three teams that have scored over 30 runs during the postseason. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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The Toronto Blue Jays lived to fight another day after a 5-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Tuesday evening in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. 

Now, with their series deficit at 3-1 and the Indians once again one win away from their first World Series appearance since 1997, a quick turnaround awaits both teams, as the first pitch of Game 5 is on Wednesday afternoon:

Game 5 Odds

Courtesy of Odds Shark.

Indians: +1.5

Blue Jays: -1.5

Game 4 was the first time the Blue Jays led in the entire series, as their bats were dormant over the first three games of the ALCS. 

Games 1 and 2 even saw Toronto score a combined one run, which was just the third time in 2016 that they were held to one run or fewer over a two-game span. 

But on Tuesday, reigning American League MVP Josh Donaldson finally announced his presence on the big stage of the ALCS by giving the Blue Jays a lead they would not relinquish:

It was a jolt that Toronto was starving for. Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan broke down just how inept its offense was in the first three games:

Donaldson’s bomb was just one of nine hits on the day—more than half the total number of hits the Blue Jays had in Games 1 through 3. 

Now, the Indians will try to stymie any kind of Toronto momentum by rolling out rookie pitcher Ryan Merritt for Game 5 to face Toronto’s Marco Estrada. 

In a limited sample size of just 11 innings (four appearances, one start) this year, Merritt has allowed two runs on six hits. The 24-year-old will become just the second pitcher in MLB history to start a postseason game with one career start, per MLB.com’s Richard Justice. 

That sort of unfamiliarity could prove a challenge to the Blue Jays, as they won’t have many major league outings to scout Merritt from. 

However, the moment could prove too large for Cleveland’s arm, and early struggles could give the Blue Jays an advantage. If that’s the case, expect a short leash, plenty of pitching changes and a lot of reliever Andrew Miller on Wednesday as the Indians look to end the series before heading back to Cleveland.

For ticket information, visit ScoreBig.  

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For all those hooked on the Arizona Fall League baseball during the ALCS and NLCS, you can rejoice in knowing that New York Mets prospect Tim Tebow‘s drought is over. 

On Tuesday, Tebow recorded a single against Chicago Cubs prospect Duane Underwood to break an 0-for-13 hitless streak to start off his professional baseball career.

The Heisman Trophy winner at the University of Florida and former Denver Broncos and New York Jets quarterback signed a minor league deal with the Mets on Sept. 9. 

Mets general manager Sandy Alderson explained what he saw in Tebow after his showcase in August, via Adam Rubin of ESPN.com:

Any player evaluation starts with tools. From that standpoint, without grading everything out, suffice it to say Tim has been a great athlete. He has demonstrated more than rudimentary baseball skills. We think, with his commitment to success, that this is an opportunity that is worthwhile.

In terms of power, in terms of arm, in terms of foot speed, all of those things, we think he can be a baseball player. I think that is underscored by his competitiveness and his determination to succeed and to improve. From our standpoint, this is another opportunity for us to develop a player and see where it goes. We understand most players don’t make it to the major leagues.

Having not played organized baseball since his junior year of high school, Tebow originally reported to the Mets’ instructional league where he started things off with a bang in his first at-bat.

While he hasn’t found that kind of success at the plate in the Arizona Fall League, Tebow has been making plenty of headlines. 

In his AFL debut alone, he face-planted into the outfield wall and helped a seizure victim after the game, via ABC News:

Tebow isn’t expected to see time in the major leagues. At 29 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll develop his game up toward a level that can see him attain success professionally. 

But for now, he is putting fans in the seats, bringing attention to the Arizona Fall League and pursuing his dream of playing professional baseball. 

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A power surge in the bottom of the eighth inning featuring a Miguel Montero pinch-hit grand slam lifted the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Wrigley Field in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series on Saturday night. 

The Dodgers battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the top of the eighth to tie the game after the Cubs pulled starter Jon Lester, who gave up one run in six innings on 77 pitches. But the Cubs showed a brand of postseason resiliency that’s been uncommon on the North Side of Chicago for 108 years. 

The pitching matchup featured opposing hurlers trending in different directions Saturday night.

Lester hadn’t allowed more than one run in nine of his last 10 starts, while Los Angeles’ Kenta Maeda was thrashed for 12 runs over his last three appearances. 

The Cubs got to Maeda in the bottom of the first, when Kris Bryant doubled home Dexter Fowler from first to take a 1-0 lead.

Maeda attempted to throw a two-seam fastball on the outside corner, but Bryant was strong enough to send a shot to left field over Howie Kendrick’s head. 

It was all that Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal had to see:

However, Daren Willman of MLB.com pointed out that Kendrick could have done better:

The Dodgers almost had an answer in the top of the second. After an Adrian Gonzalez single and a Kike Hernandez walk, Maeda singled to left field. But Ben Zobrist threw the slow-footed Gonzalez out at home by a healthy margin.

Sports Illustrated‘s Jay Jaffe was not impressed with third base coach Chris Woodward:

Maeda returned to the mound and got into more trouble, giving up a leadoff triple to Jason Heyward. He scored on a hustle double by Javier Baez, who blooped a fly ball off the end of his bat into no-man’s land between shortstop and right field.

According to Statcast, that usually doesn’t end well for the batter:

Baez’s hustle was a welcome sight for Katie Klabusich of The Establishment:

Baez made it 3-0 when he advanced to third on a passed ball and then stole home with Lester at the plate.

After Lester squared up and missed the bunt with Baez charging down the third base line, Dodgers catcher Carlos Ruiz got up and fired to third. Instead of stopping and turning back toward third, Baez continued home.

By the time Justin Turner could fire it back home, Baez had slid in safely for the first postseason home base steal by a Cubs player since Jimmy Slagle in Game 4 of the 1907 World Series, according to Fox Sports: MLB.

Fox Sports: MLB couldn’t contain its excitement:

Then again, neither could Rian Watt of Vice Sports:

Los Angeles got a jolt in the top of the fifth inning, when Andre Ethier pinch hit for Maeda and sent a high fastball the other way for a solo home run to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to two. 

Ethier’s long ball surprised Stacey Gotsulias of Today’s Knuckleball:

MLB.com’s Alyson Footer tried to explain how the ball went out:

It was the only blemish on Lester’s night. Jorge Soler hit for him in the sixth with two outs and Baez at second. However, Soler grounded out to short, and Diamond questioned the decision to pull Lester:

After an uneventful seventh inning that saw Travis Wood, Carl Edwards Jr. and Mike Montgomery record an out apiece, Montgomery allowed a leadoff single in the eighth to pinch hitter Andrew Toles. 

Montgomery was pulled for Pedro Strop, who walked Chase Utley to put two men on with no outs. It got worse for the Cubs when Turner hit a ground ball down the third base line, which was fielded deep behind the bag by Bryant. In an attempt to get the force-out, he tried to beat Toles to third. But he was too late, and the bases were loaded. 

Nick Vlahos of the Peoria Star Journal was prepared for the drama:

In a dire situation, the Cubs turned to flamethrowing closer Aroldis Chapman, who started by striking out NL Rookie of the Year candidate Corey Seager on four pitches. 

The drama was too much for 101 WKQX:

Yasiel Puig met the same fate, fanning too late on a 103 mph dart for the second out. 

But Gonzalez was able to figure out Chapman, driving a single up the middle to tie the game 3-3.

Jason McIntyre of the Big Lead couldn’t believe Gonzalez was able to catch up to Chapman:

While other seasons might have seen doom and gloom for the Cubs, Zobrist ensured the Wrigley crowd stayed in it with a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth off Joe Blanton.

After an Addison Russell groundout and intentional walk to Heyward, Baez popped up to make it two outs. 

Instead of pitching to Chris Coghlan, who pinch hit for Chapman, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called for another intentional walk to load the bases and force the Cubs’ hand to get Chapman out of the game. 

Reserve catcher Miguel Montero was called in to bat for the closer, and he put an entire city on his shoulders, launching a Blanton offering into the right field porch for a grand slam. 

Today’s Knuckleball’s Jon Heyman wasn’t afraid to give Montero’s bash a prestigious label:

Dexter Fowler electrified Wrigley even more when he followed it up with a big fly of his own, and 103.5 KISS FM couldn’t control itself:

Los Angeles plated one in the ninth after a Toles double scored Joc Pederson. But with one out, Utley ripped a liner in the glove of Rizzo, who quickly turned and fired to second to end the game with a double play.

Both teams have had sizable championship droughts, although one is noticeably longer than the other. The Dodgers haven’t won a World Series since 1988, while the Cubs last won a title 80 years before that. 

The Dodgers will look to ace Clayton Kershaw to tie the series in Game 2 on Sunday, while Chicago will turn to this season’s ERA king, Kyle Hendricks, in what looks like a big-time pitching matchup before the NLCS shifts to Los Angeles for three games.

Post-Game Reaction

The hero of the night Montero kept it simple when trying to describe his game-changing at-bat, via 670 The Score:

There might have been more work involved just remaining focused after preparing for a night of sitting on the bench, via Josh Frydman of WGN News:

But after Montero’s ball left the park, the Cubs’ bench might have been focused on their safety, according to Baez via USA Today Sports’ Bob Nightengale:

While there was elation in Chicago’s dugout, there was despair in Los Angeles’ as Roberts explained his decision-making in that eighth inning, via Fox Sports:MLB:

Bryant though was okay with Roberts’ decisions, via ChicagoSports:

With Los Angeles’ ace in Kershaw looming next in Game 2, there had to have been added pressure for the Cubs to take the series opener as facing a former Cy Young winner down 1-0 could have created an insurmountable deficit. 

The Dodgers will need their ace to be just that come Sunday or else they’ll be flying home to Los Angeles needing to win all three games if they want a realistic chance of advancing to the World Series. 

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Just four teams remain in Major League Baseball’s quest for the 2016 World Series as the American League and National League Championship Series get underway. 

The Cleveland Indians (1948), Toronto Blue Jays (1993), Chicago Cubs (1908) and Los Angeles Dodgers (1988) have all had some sizable championship droughts, some much longer than others, as one dry spell is about to come to an end this October. 

Before we delve into each team’s odds to win it all and who will duke it out in the Fall Classic, here is how the postseason bracket looks heading into the championship series:

Odds Guide

Odds to win World Series (via Odds Shark)

ALCS Teams

Cleveland Indians: 9-2

Toronto Blue Jays: 9-4

NLCS Teams

Chicago Cubs: 29-20

Los Angeles Dodgers: 5-1

Predictions

Who makes the World Series:

Chicago Cubs vs. Cleveland Indians

Who wins the World Series:

Chicago Cubs

As the pressure continues to build in the postseason, stress on a team’s depth at each position becomes more and more magnified. 

For the Toronto Blue Jays, an offense that is reliant mostly on the long ball is just one cold stretch away from being put in an ALCS deficit too deep to dig out of. 

This season, the Blue Jays belted 221 home runs, ranked fourth in the majors. The last time a team ranked in the league’s top five in home runs went on to win the World Series was 2009, when the New York Yankees defeated the Philadelphia Phillies. 

So power doesn’t equate to postseason success, even if the Indians pitching staff gave up 186 home runs this season. 

However, Cleveland’s offense provides more options outside of the power department. While Carlos Santana and Mike Napoli each provided 34 home runs on the season, the Indians’ team batting average of .262 was tied for fifth in the league. 

While it might be enough to get past the Blue Jays, it’s doubtful they’ll be able to stop the Cubs. 

Chicago has been the class of the majors all season with a 103-58 record and young talent that has put up some big numbers:

That talent headlined an offense that was ranked third in the league with 4.99 runs per game, and it found ways to plate runs in the NLDS in clutch situations:

Supporting a pitching staff that boasts ERA king Kyle Hendricks alongside Jon Lester and reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta, the Cubs look like they can end a 108-year wait in the coming weeks. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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Cleveland Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer will miss Game 2 of the American League Championship Series after cutting his pinkie while fixing a drone on Friday, per Tom Withers of the Associated Press. 

Continue for updates.

Latest on Bauer’s Status

Friday, Oct. 14

The cut required several stitches and Bauer’s start will be pushed back to Game 3, per Withers. Josh Tomlin will step in to start the second game of the series.

Despite losing his Game 2 starter, Indians manager Terry Francona stayed upbeat when speaking with the media on Friday, via Tyler Kepner of the New York Times:

Prior to Game 1, Bauer waved his injured hand to waved to the crowd and “playfully” slapped Michael Brantley in the face, per Zack Meisel of Cleveland.com.

The 25-year-old Bauer, who was the third overall pick of the 2011 draft, put together his best season in the majors by posting a 12-8 record and a 4.26 ERA in a career-high 35 games this year. 

He made his first career postseason start in Game 1 of the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox, going 4.2 innings while allowing three runs on six hits and striking out six.

While he didn’t get the win, the Indians’ bats did enough to take Game 1 and spark a series sweep to clinch a spot in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays.

Thanks to the sweep, the Indians had enough time to swap Bauer’s spot in the rotation with the veteran Tomlin. 

Tomlin recorded a career-best 13 wins this year (4.40 ERA), providing support behind Cleveland ace and Game 1 starter Corey Kluber. 

Also making his postseason debut this year, the 31-year-old Tomlin went five innings in the decisive Game 3 of the ALDS, allowing two runs on four hits and picking up the win.

However, Tomlin has been susceptible to the long ball, allowing 36 home runs this season, which was the third-most among all pitchers. The Toronto Blue Jays, who ranked fourth in the league with 221 home runs this season, are not an ideal matchup for Tomlin.

That means there is even more pressure for the Indians to take Game 1 on Friday night with Kluber on the mound.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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A thrilling NLDS Game 5 on Thursday night from Nationals Park saw the Los Angeles Dodgers, behind the heroics of Kenley Jansen and Clayton Kershaw, punch their ticket to the NLCS with a victory over the Washington Nationals. 

Looming in the Windy City are the Chicago Cubs, a rested team that made quick work of the San Francisco Giants in the NLDS and took four of seven games during the regular season from the Dodgers.

With the pennant on the line, here is the series schedule and how you can watch each game.

Odds Guide

Odds to Win World Series (via Odds Shark):

• Chicago Cubs: 11-5
• Los Angeles Dodgers: 9-2

Predictions

Cubs defeat Dodgers in five games to win the pennant, Kris Bryant will be NLCS MVP

As the best team in baseball, the Cubs own the advantage when looking at the matchup on paper. In terms of every notable regular-season stat, Chicago has the better numbers:

The Cubs emitted a certain kind of swagger on their way to a Major League-best 103-58 record. It was the first time since 1935 that the club has won over 100 games in a single season while trying to end baseball’s longest and most famous championship drought. 

Unlike other ill-fated years, they’ve already showed off the clutch gene in the postseason, coming back from a three-run deficit in Game 4 of the NLDS in San Francisco:

Thanks to a young, fearless core, the Cubs have been able to look history in the eye while taking the league by storm.

Along with veteran second baseman Ben Zobrist, Chicago’s entire infield started the All-Star Game, becoming just the second unit to ever to do so alongside the 1963 St. Louis Cardinals, per ESPN.com. 

But their most important infielder will be third baseman Kris Bryant, who will be too much for the Dodgers to handle in the NLCS. 

An MVP candidate this season, Bryant has batted .320 with four home runs and six RBI in seven games against the Dodgers.

They’ll have a golden chance to jump out to an early lead, as Dodgers ace Kershaw isn’t expected to pitch until Game 3 following his Game 4 NLDS start and Game 5 save on one day of rest. 

Chicago’s pitching has been just as impressive as its bats thanks to a rotation headlined by a banged-up Kyle Hendricks and Jon Lester, who both posted sub-2.40 ERAs this season. Joining them is last year’s NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta to round out a dominant trio of pitchers that can stifle the Dodgers early in the NLCS. 

With such a well-rounded team, it’s difficult to think that the Cubs will be denied of their first National League pennant since 1945. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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Both the National League Championship Series and American League Championship Series are set after the Los Angeles Dodgers took Game 5 from the Washington Nationals on Thursday night, cutting down the remaining field in Major League Baseball to just four. 

But plenty of teams, both alive and eliminated, are already focusing on next season and some free agents who could be on the move. 

As baseball winds deeper into October and closer to the offseason, here is the latest on some possible underrated free agents and where I think they’ll end up next spring.

A Pair of Texas Hurlers Could Be on the Move

Despite posting the best record in the American League in 2016, the Texas Rangers pitching was no match for the powerful offense of the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series.

Two pitchers in that rotation, Derek Holland and Colby Lewis, are facing free agency over the winter. 

Holland has spent all eight of his MLB seasons with the Rangers but is coming off his worst year since he was a rookie in 2009. In an injury-shortened 2016, Holland went 7-9 with a 4.95 ERA while posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of just 1.91. 

That could be a reason the Rangers are unsure about whether they will pick up Holland’s option for the 2017 season, per TR Sullivan of MLB.com. If his deal is picked up by Texas, Holland will make an estimated $1.5 million next year, per Spotrac. 

Lewis also experienced an injury-shortened season for the Rangers, going 6-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 19 starts. He was just a year removed from a career year in 2015, when he went 17-9 despite a 4.99 ERA. 

According to Sullivan, both players have expressed their desires to stay with the club, “but that is far from given.”

Given their lack of success and playing time, the Rangers might be looking for more reliable options to support Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish and Martin Perez, especially because other free agents such as Doug Fister and Rich Hill are projected to be available.

Prediction: Rangers decline Holland’s option, let Lewis walk in free agency.

Nori Aoki

Seattle Mariners outfielder and leadoff man Nori Aoki was not having a good contract year in 2016. With free agency looming this winter, Aoki was batting .247 with an on-base percentage of .321 on Aug. 3. 

However, he was able to turn his season around, collecting 48 hits in his team’s final 41 games to raise his average to .283 and his on-base percentage to .349. The Mariners just didn’t have enough to nab a wild-card spot, though.

With the power of Nelson Cruz and Robinson Cano in the Mariners lineup, Aoki was looked upon to get on base and provide ducks on the pond for the big bats:

Despite a .286 career batting average with an on-base percentage over .350, Aoki hasn’t been able to find any sort of continuity in his MLB career. In five seasons, Aoki has played for four different teams, and free agency runs the risk of increasing that number. 

However, Bob Dutton of the News Tribune reported that Aoki‘s hot finish to the 2016 season has “hiked interest” from Seattle to offer him a new deal. 

If the Mariners believe Aoki can play a consistent brand of baseball moving forward, then they have their leadoff man for the next few years as the team prepares to become more of a threat in the American League. 

Prediction: Aoki remains with Mariners. 

Mike Napoli

Cleveland Indians veteran first baseman Mike Napoli isn’t letting age slow him down. During his age-34 season, he put up career highs with 34 home runs and 101 RBI, and he’s been a big part of an Indians team that is in the ALCS for the first time since 2007. 

His 101 runs batted in were a team high, while the 34 round-trippers tied designated hitter Carlos Santana for most by a Clevelander. 

With those two in the middle of the lineup, the Indians had the fifth-best scoring offense in the league:

It seems like he really enjoys playing for Indians manager Terry Francona too, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney: “I’m getting goose bumps just talking about him.”

Olney also pointed out that there is a good chance Napoli remains in Cleveland next season: “He probably could test the free-agent market and get a good deal elsewhere. But the Indians and Napoli are interested in seeing if they can work out some kind of extension that would keep him in Cleveland.”

Napoli played under a one-year, $7 million deal after signing with the Indians via free agency, per Spotrac. During a contract year in 2015, he was dealt from the Boston Red Sox to the Texas Rangers. 

But having already endeared himself to the Indians fans and organizations thanks to his big year, Napoli could very well find a home where he’ll end his MLB career.

Prediction: Napoli returns to Cleveland.

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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San Diego Padres manager Andy Green said starting pitcher Tyson Ross underwent surgery on Thursday to address symptoms of thoracic outlet syndrome, per Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

He could be ready for spring training.

Continue for updates.

Ross’ Surgery Successful

Thursday, Oct. 13 

The Padres announced Ross underwent successful thoracic outlet surgery on Thursday, per AJ Cassavell of MLB.com. 

Latest on Ross’ Recovery Time

Wednesday, Oct. 12

Lin noted the surgery typically brings a recovery time of four to six months, hence the possibility that Ross will return by spring training.

Ross made just one start in the 2016 season and allowed seven earned runs in 5.1 innings of work. According to Lin, he was placed on the disabled list with shoulder inflammation shortly thereafter and never made it back to the mound the rest of the year.

He could have been back earlier, but he twisted his ankle while doing exercises in a hotel room in July before an extended bullpen session as he continued his rehab, per Lin. 

This was a pitcher who was expected to be the ace of a pitching staff that once featured Drew Pomeranz and veteran James Shields. But with his inability to stay on the field and Shields and Pomeranz being dealt to the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox, respectively, the Padres’ starting rotation slumped to one of the worst groups in baseball. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

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The Colorado Rockies are in search of a new manager after Walt Weiss stepped down from the job after four seasons with the club on Monday.

Continue for updates.

Perez On Rockies’ Radar

Saturday, Oct. 8

On Saturday, Thomas Harding of the Rockies’ official website reported that the team is looking at Atlanta Braves first base coach Eddie Perez as a possible candidate. Perez “acknowledged” that he’s been contacted by the organization, according to Reyes Urena of Venezuelan publication El Emergente (via Harding).

Other than Perez, Harding noted any other Rockies coaching candidates have remained unknown at the moment, although Triple-A manager Glenallen Hill’s name was mentioned during a conference call after it was announced that Weiss would not be returning. 

Perez is currently spending the offseason coaching Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League and has been a coach with the Braves for 10 seasons. 

Last season, he won the Winter League title with the Venezuelan club and advanced to the Caribbean Series, where his team fell in the finals to Mexico’s Venados de Mazatlan. 

That kind of managerial success was expected from his former teammate and future Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, via David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

I’m not surprised at all of Eddie’s success as a manager. It is just a matter of time before he is experiencing success as a big league manager. He’s learned a ton, as have many coaches, from the great [former Braves manager] Bobby Cox. Some of the same traits that made him an all-time favorite teammate for countless players, are also what makes him a great manager now, and in the future.

The 48-year-old previously spent 11 years in the majors from 1995 to 2005 as a catcher and first baseman mostly for the Braves along with two one-year stints with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers. 

He posted a .253 career batting average with 40 home runs and 172 RBI as he spent a large portion of his career backing up Javy Lopez in Atlanta. However, his finest moment came in 1999 when he was voted NLCS MVP for batting .500 with two home runs and five RBI against the New York Mets in six games:

Whether it be Perez or another candidate, the new manager of the Rockies will have their hands full in turning around an organization that has been irrelevant for the better part of seven years. 

The 2016 season was the first time since 2010 that the Rockies didn’t finish fourth or last in the National League West Division. They haven’t had a winning season since that 2010 season and haven’t made the playoffs since 2009. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

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