Kuzul

Manny Ramirez's 50-game ban from the MLB has almost run its course, and the enigmatic slugger is on schedule to return to the field, as a member of the Oakland A's, on May 30th. Jane Lee, Oakland A's beat reporter for MLB.com, tweeted out the info: Release says Manny "is scheduled to play his first game with the A’s May 30 in Minnesota."— Jane Lee (@JaneMLB) May 15, 2012 Ramirez was initially suspended for 100 games after his second positive test for performance enhancers. That came in 2011 when he was a member of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. At that point, Ramirez decided to retire. The suspension was then cut in half when he decided to return to baseball. It will be interesting to see what one of the best hitters of his generation brings to the surprising A's. The problem is that Ramirez's generation is not this generation. Coincidentally, he turns 40 on ...

San Francisco Giants closer Brian Wilson might be heading to the disabled list for an extended period of time. Update: Saturday, April 14 at 7:40 p.m. ETIt is not looking good for Wilson seeing action this season. The Bay Area News Group's Carl Steward reported that an MRI revealed "structural issues" and that both manager Bruce Bochy and trainer Dave Groeschner have resigned themselves to the fact that season-ending surgery is "likely." Bochy also confirmed that it will be closer by committee in his absence. Wilson has been struggling with his velocity, and it is now becoming apparent why. The Bay Area News Group's Carl Steward tweeted out the following news. Brian Wilson has structural issues with elbow. Likely looking at surgery says Bochy. Will get second opinion. Will see Dr A ndrews— Carl Steward (@stewardsfolly) April 14, 2012 Wilson previously had Tommy John surgery in 2003. Last season he missed 30 games with an elbow strain.  Wilson had appeared in ...

Every year, there is a new closer or five who step up and have a big year. These guys bring big results for their team and for their fantasy owners. This always makes it a fun and worthwhile adventure to look for a sleeper closer. They can, and often do, pay off big time.  Carlos Marmol, CubsMarmol's season is off to a slow start. Actually, it is off to a no-start. He is out with a hand cramp, but will be back soon, and he is in a position to have a solid season. One thing we know about Marmol is that he is going to get strikeouts. Last year, he had a strikeout rate of over 12 batters per nine innings. In five years as a big league reliever, he has averaged 108 strikeouts a season. There is always that risk with Marmol that his control problems will get the better of him and ...

Magic Johnson is part of the group that is the new owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The franchise certainly didn't come cheap. The Wall Street Journal's Dennis K. Berman tweeted out the news. Breaking from WSJ: Magic Johnson-led group buys LA Dodgers for $2 billion, shattering all previous prices paid for sports franchises.— Dennis K. Berman (@dkberman) March 28, 2012 Johnson's group was one of three finalists approved by the MLB earlier on Wednesday. The approval meant that former Dodger owner, Frank McCourt was free to auction off the team between the three groups.   Updeate: Tuesday, March 27 at 11:35 p.m. ETThe Los Angeles Dodgers have released an official statement, which comes to us via Matthew Futterman of the Wall Street Journal.You can view the whole statement here. And below is an excerpt featuring quotes from the former owner and the current one.  Frank McCourt stated, “This agreement with Guggenheim reflects both the ...

These speedsters aren't going to give you any power, but they are going to produce in other ways and are definitely worth a look as the rounds advance. These are three younger players. They are all brimming with speed. They also have the swing to get on base. Each one is a player on the rise. Their value in drafts will never be better.  Cameron Maybin, Padres, OutfieldMaybin is ready to start producing up to his vast potential. He finished last year strong, and the 24-year-old is going to have a breakout season. Maybin's stats were on a steady incline after the All-Star break last year. He improved his eye at the plate and raised his batting average. He ended the season hitting .264.His increased trips to the basepaths led to more steals. He ended the year with 40 steals and was caught eight times. He led the majors by nabbing 28 of ...

It doesn't take much talent to make a boy band, but the Braves couldn't even pull that off. This tone deaf, rhythm-less, group of players couldn't even lip-synch their way to a performance that didn't leave the audience running for exits with blood protruding from their ears.Several prominent Braves decided to share their holiday cheer by butchering "Jingle Bells" into a unrecognizable horror.This performance was impressive for one notable reason: It is hard to imagine anyone doing a worse job.Manager Fredi Gonzalez ends the aural torture by wishing everyone a happy holidays, and telling us that his ballclub "may not be worth a bag of baseballs when it comes to singing, but they sure can play some baseball."So it appears as if the rascally Braves may not have been trying to flex their pipes after all. Perhaps this horror show they masqueraded as singing was all part of the plan?My ...

When the Rangers came back in the ninth inning to beat the Cardinals in Game 2 they won the series. The Cardinals needed to sweep the first two at home to have a chance in this one.Now the series returns to Texas where the conditions, ballpark and rules benefit the Rangers' dynamic offense. Here is how it will all unfold. They Will Split Games 3 and 4My initial inclination is to think the Rangers will sweep the Cardinals in Texas. This offense is on the verge of exploding, and they will be facing less than elite pitching in the next two games.However, this is a scrappy Cardinals team with a strong offense of their own. I see their offense exploding for a big inning either against Matt Hamilton or Derek Holland. Neither guy has been able to get deep into games this postseason, and it will cost the Rangers a game. Rangers ...

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to have to replace Ryan Howard's production, and that will ultimately lead to them being a stronger team in 2012.Howard and the Phillies are still awaiting the results of an MRI to determine if his Achilles' tendon is indeed torn, but all indications point to that being the case. That will almost certainly shelve Howard for the entire 2012 season.With Howard out of the Phillies' plans for 2012, the Phillies will have no possibility hiding under the false illusion that their weak offense is enough to win the World Series in 2012.They will have to be aggressive in the offseason to replace Howard's prodigious production. Howard hit .253 with 31 home runs and 108 RBI this season.His home run and RBI totals led the Phillies. He had 23 more RBI than the next closest Phillie.The Phillies will have to scour the free-agent market for a ...

Forbes has released its list of the most valuable franchise in Major League Baseball. And, as in most things that have to do with money, they appear to have done a terrific and thorough job.According to Forbes, the value of baseball franchises has never been higher. Still, some of the more valuable teams, like the Mets, also are the most financially troubled.The most shocking and disturbing thing about this list is the gap between the value of the top teams and the bottom teams.Now, I want you to enjoy this slideshow so I won't give away too many details, but the gap is larger than a billion dollars. The increase in value is fairly slow and steady until we approach the upper-echelon of organizations.I'll leave the dynamics of how and where the teams are generating their revenue and value to Forbes.We are going ...

Make no mistake about it—there are still some Major League Baseball trades and free agent signings forthcoming, but the Hot Stove has ended. That means it is not too early to release the MLB 2011 offseason power rankings.See which teams still have some moving and shaking to do to resurrect from the cellar, and see which ones can sit back and wait for something to fall into their lap, secure in the knowledge they have already had a successful offseason.Begin Slideshow