In the game of baseball, it is good to be lucky.But, when a team has an unlucky season, it could mean a long 162-game stretch for the ballclub and its fans. Just like any other season, the 2013 Major League Baseball season has its own respective crop of unlucky teams. Here is a look at the five unluckiest teams in baseball so far this season. Begin Slideshow
MLB
Can Mariano Rivera Win the AL Cy Young in His Farewell Campaign?
Mariano Rivera has many awards in his collection, but he doesn't have an American League Cy Young Award yet.Maybe you missed it tacked onto the end there, but the key word in that lead-in would be "yet." He still has this year to win one, and his chances are looking pretty good.The longtime New York Yankees closer is proving all over again that there's nothing he can't do. And while the stars aren't perfectly aligned for Rivera to walk away with a Cy Young at the end of the year, there's certainly a hint of some sort of alignment.Entering Tuesday's action, Rivera is tied for the major league lead in saves with Jason Grilli of the Pittsburgh Pirates with 17. Mo owns a 1.47 ERA, a 0.87 WHIP and is holding opposing hitters to a .541 OPS with a 7.0 K/BB.That's how "dominance" is spelled in numbers, and these numbers are none ...
Fantasy Baseball: Projecting 2nd-Half Breakout Stars You Should Know About Now
While it's way too late to buy low on a player that's already broken out in the first half of the season —Diamondbacks starting pitcher Pat Corbin and Brewers shortstop Jean Segura would be the best examples—plenty more could break out between now and the end of the season. If you're looking for this season's version of Chris Carter, who had just 17 first-half at-bats in 2012 before hitting 13 homers and knocking in 34 runs after the All-Star break for the Oakland A's, or Kris Medlen, who didn't join the Braves rotation until July 31 and then might've been the best pitcher in baseball the rest of the way (9-0, 0.97 ERA, 83.2 IP, 57 H, 10 BB, 84 K in 12 starts), consider these eight breakout candidates. Begin Slideshow
Toronto Blue Jays Promotion of Anthony Gose Puzzling
When Anthony Gose was called up to the Toronto Blue Jays from their Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, it raised more than a few eyebrows.In fact, it was Gose who raised his eyebrow first. On the same day that Gose was promoted, a story by Bucky Gleason of the Buffalo News quoted Gose as saying, “I’m probably at the lowest point I’ve ever been in my career." Clearly, this is not an ideal time to pit him against major league pitching. So when Buffalo manager, Marty Brown, called Gose to tell him he had been promoted it was just as puzzling to him as it would be to fans. By all accounts, it seems like the Blue Jays had better options in every facet of the game. They could have promoted either Moises Sierra or Jim Negrych in order to keep Gose in the minors to continue his development, but ...
MLB Prospects Update: Hottest, Coldest Pitchers at Every Minor League Level
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in late 2011 and logging only 28.1 innings last season in the minor leagues last year, Twins right-hander Kyle Gibson is on pace to make his major league debut before the All-Star break. The 22nd overall draft pick in 2009, Gibson has pitched extremely well recently for Triple-A Rochester in the International League and has now thrown a complete game shutout in two of his last three starts.There was some speculation that the 25-year-old right-hander might be recalled to start Friday’s game against the Tigers, as manager Ron Gardenhire stated that Gibson was one of three options being considered—P.J. Walters and Sam Deduno the others.Although the organization ultimately decided to go with Deduno, via Dustin Morse, Twins director of baseball communications, there’s no question that Gibson’s recent success at Triple-A has him on the verge of a big league promotion.Here’s a look at the rest ...
San Francisco Giants: Why It’s Too Soon to Panic for the Giants
After the most recent road trip, when the San Francisco Giants went 1-5 against the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies, fans are starting to run around like Chicken Little, proclaiming that the sky is falling. And while it was undoubtedly a disastrous week in terms of pitching and defense, there is reason to be optimistic about how the rest of the season will unfold for the Giants.The first issue with the Giants as of late has been their atrocious defense. During the six-game road trip, the Giants committed 13 errors, some of which came on more-than-routine plays, like Marco Scutaro's drop of an easy pop up that he would've normally caught blindfolded. It was uncharacteristic for the Giants, who are generally a very sound defensive team.On the season, the Giants have accumulated 35 errors, which is tied for the second most in the majors. That is certainly an alarming ...
Jose Bautista Received an MLB Lifetime Pass and He Wants You to Check It out
Jose Bautista is now a card-carrying member of the cool club. As BuzzFeed reports, the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder posted the following image to his Instagram feed, showing off his brand-new "MLB Lifetime Pass":Feelings of intense jealousy are indeed normal and will surely overcome you when looking at what is essentially a free ticket to any ballpark for Bautista's entire life. As for the impetus behind Bautista garnering the best card one could possibly hold, I am at a loss. As noted on the card, it is awarded by the commissioner "in appreciation of long and meritorious service."So was Jamie Moyer not around the day they were handing these things out?I will keep you updated if I get word on why Bautista was bestowed with baseball's version of the "one ring to rule them all" from Lord of the Rings.Many will point to Bryce Harper's Chipotle card or the Subway version Jarvis ...
Philadelphia Phillies: Mismanagement Has Rendered the Club Insignificant
Such a Herculean task it is to dissect the Philadelphia Phillies nowadays. Nearly two months into the season, the Phillies continue to hug a sub-.500 record. Meanwhile, the front office continues to debate on whether or not their supposed plan is being implemented appropriately. Whatever plan general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has for this club is not working. Simply put, he is at the forefront of the blame while skipper Charlie Manuel should be ousted for his debilitated decision-making.A perfect example of the adverse decision-making on behalf of the Phillies skipper can be seen Tuesday night, when the Fightins square off against the Miami Marlins.In 13 innings versus the Phils, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez has yet to allow a run scored while giving up just three hits. Of those three hits Fernandez has permitted, two came off the bat of the switch-hitting utility man Freddy Galvis. Despite the small sample size, it is ...
Are Yankees Risking Spreading Empire Too Thin with MLS Team Ownership?
The announcement in the New York Times of a Major League Soccer team owned by Manchester City of the English Premier League and the New York Yankees made headlines on Tuesday afternoon, raising the stakes for soccer and sports in an already crowded New York sports business landscape.While the involvement of Yankees ownership is intriguing from a business standpoint for both the baseball and soccer club, the investment should only lead to success for both sides. From the Yankee perspective, there's little that should cause fans to worry about a John Henry-Liverpool scenario.No, the New York Yankees' ownership group isn't going to suddenly stop paying big money to baseball players in order to grow their stake in a startup soccer team.Instead, look for the soccer team, known as the New York City Football Club, to play some games at Yankee Stadium and have their games televised on the YES Network.I ...