Kuzul

Tim Wakefield recently told Jon Paul Morosi of CBS Sports about how he is settling into his retirement. In his exact words as reported on Twitter:"It's been difficult. The fire to compete is still there. But it's been fun to be home, be a dad, a husband." Many baseball players go through this same set of emotions. It must be exciting to finally settle in to a more "normal" life of staying at home and being with the family. However, at the same time, it must be difficult to leave behind a game that has surely influenced his life in such a great way. Wakefield is definitely not the first baseball player to experience this phenomenon. Just recently, Andy Pettitte tried his hand at the retirement lifestyle, but is back in Major League Baseball after only one year away. I am not claiming that Wakefield will return next season, but ...

Yankees great and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra turned 87 today. I thought that it might be nice to take a look back at the career of one of the greatest (and funniest) men to ever wear pinstripes. Yogi Berra did not make his debut for the New York Yankees until 1946 as a 21-year-old. He only played in seven games that season, but he hit his first two home runs during those games and showed enough promise to earn substantial playing time the following year. It turned out that that was an excellent decision for the New York Yankees. That very next season, he came in 15th in the MVP voting. The reason that that is significant is because Yogi Berra received MVP votes every year between 1947 and 1961. That would be phenomenal for any player, but given the physical demands placed upon the catcher, it's even more ...

According to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ryan Howard is starting to get back into the swing of things both literally and figuratively. The power-hitting first baseman has been cleared for baseball activities and will be heading to Florida on Sunday. Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Howard will begin simply by fielding some ground balls and building up his strength. "He probably won't start hitting for at least a few days because he wants to get his legs under him and doesn't want to get in any bad habits." Nevertheless, this is an incredibly encouraging sign. Last season, Howard hit 33 home runs and drove in 116 runs. Over the six complete seasons that he has played in the City of Brotherly Love, he has averaged almost 133 RBI a year. Even though his batting average is not the greatest and he strikes out far ...

Dontrelle Willis has signed a minor-league contract with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, it is a "split contract that's worth $700k for bigs." How did this happen? After an explosive start to his career, which was highlighted by 22-10 campaign in 2005, the 30-year-old left-hander hit a wall and struggled to find his way back to the major leagues on a permanent basis. Although last season was definitely not incredibly successful for Willis, as he posted a 1-6 record and a 5.00 ERA, one interesting statistic emerged. Right-handed hitters were having a field day against Willis, but left-handed batters only managed to hit .127 against him. In the 55 times Willis faced a left-handed bat last season, 20 of them were sent back to the dugout on strikes. Getting outs is a step in the right direction. This ...

I had to laugh when I read this article about Brad Lidge claiming that the 2012 Washington Nationals are the most talented team he has ever played on. Seriously? I have absolutely nothing against the Washington Nationals. In fact, if you follow me on Twitter, you might remember that I tweeted a while back that I think that the Washington Nationals will make the playoffs this year. They are talented. However, Lidge has played on four teams that were arguably more talented than this year's Washington Nationals. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.Begin Slideshow

Gerardo Parra should have a secure position in Major League Baseball. As a 24-year-old last season, he posted a very solid stat line with a .292 batting average, eight home runs, 46 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. While these are definitely not elite numbers, they are definitely respectable. On top of that, he won a Gold Glove as a left fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hasn't even reached his prime yet, but he is already putting up good numbers with the potential for more. You would think that production like that from a player his age would be rewarded with playing time the following season. However, Arizona signed Jason Kubel over the winter, which has created a bottleneck in the outfield. Justin Upton will obviously remain in right field, Chris Young will return to center field, and the newly acquired Kubel will take over in left field. Parra is ...

A home run in and of itself is a rare occurrence. However, not all home runs are created equal. Some home runs change seasons. Some home runs crush dreams at the same time as they fulfill others. That is what we are going to talk about today. We are going to celebrate the 20 most memorable home runs in Major League Baseball history. Enjoy!Begin Slideshow

Who truly is the best player in baseball?Could it be someone like Albert Pujols, who has arguably the best bat in baseball? Could it be Matt Kemp, who might have the best combination of offensive tools right now? Could it be Justin Verlander, who simply overwhelmed opponents from the mound last season? Could it be Roy Halladay, who might not be as flashy as others but is incredibly durable and highly effective? What truly determines how much value a baseball player provides? That is what we're here to figure out. Therefore, without further ado, here is my list of the top 50 players in Major League Baseball right now.Begin Slideshow

The 2012 Philadelphia Phillies look strangely similar to the 2011 version. All of the biggest contributors to the team's success will be back in the City of Brotherly Love for at least another season. Of course, this logically leads to the question as to whether or not the same top performers will have equally productive seasons. That's what I'm trying to address today. Here are my statistical projections for each of the top-six players on the Philadelphia Phillies. This is kind of a power ranking because the top five are in order, but I am also predicting each of their individual stat lines.Begin Slideshow

The Philadelphia Phillies have re-signed Jimmy Rollins for a contract of three years worth about $33 million, according to Jim Salisbury. There was also a vesting fourth year added to the deal. Phillies fans should be thrilled about this deal. Of course, this does mean that the Phillies are not trying to get younger. I realize that, and I realize that infield prospect Freddy Galvis is in a bit of a predicament right now. However, like I have written many, many, many times before, the Phillies are in a position right now to win. They are getting much older, and eventually they will need to rebuild. Every team goes through that cycle. However, before that happens to the Phillies, they need to make the best possible effort to win right now. Rollins will help them do that much more than Galvis. Sometimes it takes young players a few years to ...