Kuzul

MLB personnel moves are frequently prefaced by fan speculation, media probing or an executive announcement. Somebody usually spoils the surprise.This article celebrates 10 exceptions to that norm that were completed in 2012.The players involved ranged from future first-ballot Hall of Famers to lifetime reserves. The reasons for relocation varied, too.However, they all understand what it's like to be moved in a shocking trade.Let's review their experiences from the past year.Begin Slideshow

Quacky curmudgeon Scrooge McDuck had a giant silo of gold coins to swim in.  Eccentric pop icon Michael Jackson owned the Elephant Man’s dirty old bones.  "Big Pants" MC Hammer bought a $12 million mansion that housed nearly 20 racehorses. Just because you have loads of cash doesn’t mean you always spend it wisely.Theatrical New York Yankees radio announcer John Sterling has often chuckled and stated, "You can't predict baseball".  To be fair, Sterling churns out a lot of goofy jibber-jabber on a daily basis, but ol' John really hit the pinstriped nail on the head with that one.You can be certain any lifelong Yankees fan has heard many a naysayer spin yarns about the team winning numerous World Championships by buying All-Star caliber teams.  The team's General Manager is named "Cashman" after all. The hole in that theory is that play on the ...

Pittsburgh Pirates offseason addition A.J. Burnett re-joined the team Saturday for spring training in Bradenton, Florida just a little over a week after surgery, according to the Associated Press.  He made 50 throws in the bullpen and rode an exercise bike after getting the official okay to resume workouts. "The first few (throws) were a little hairy, I'm not going to lie," Burnett told AP. "But it went fine. I've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm glad to be back down here with the guys." The former New York Yankee went under the knife eight days ago to repair a fractured orbital bone around his right eye that the starting pitcher sustained during a now-infamous bunting drill on February 29. Although it's a positive sign, Burnett is still expected to miss two to three months. If he had opted not to have surgery, doctors told him he would be ...

Following a dormant pre-holidays period, the New York Yankees have been active in the trade and free-agent markets recently, signing former Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year, $10 million deal.The Yankees then traded stud catching prospect Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to the Seattle Mariners for 22-year-old right-hander Michael Pineda and a minor leaguer. It was a flurry of activity that was aimed at improving the Yankees' shaky starting rotation, which was considered a glaring weakness that needed to be addressed.New York already has a bona fide ace in CC Sabathia, who has been good for at least 19 wins and 230 innings per year since joining the team before the 2009 season. Sabathia will continue to anchor the staff in 2012, but there was uncertainty surrounding who could be counted on after CC takes his turn.Right-hander Ivan Nova, 16-4 last season, emerged as a solid ...

Up until the recent wave of new-age statistics were introducted to baseball fans around the globe, the only way fans could decide what type of season a pitcher had was by looking at wins, ERA and WHIP. Over the last decade, however, stats such as batting average on balls in play (BABIP) and home run to fly ball ratio (HR/FB) have allowed fans to get a better glimpse into which pitchers were plain bad and which were just having some bad luck.So which 5 pitchers are the best bets to bounce back in 2011? Let's examine the numbers.Begin Slideshow

It’s a fickle life in Major League Baseball. Here today, gone tomorrow is a phrase often used when referring to ballplayers who had a quick run of success before seemingly losing it altogether, or players felled by injuries who were unable to make it all the way back. The stories of great fame and then injury go back many years in baseball, especially among pitchers. Dizzy Dean was a classic example.Known as the Ace of the Gashouse Gang for the St. Louis Cardinals, Dean was the last pitcher to win 30 games in the National League, reaching that mark in 1934.However in 1937, Dean was struck by a line drive off the bat of Earl Averill, during that year’s All-Star game, fracturing his left big toe.When Dean attempted to come back too soon after the injury, he altered his motion, which hurt his throwing shoulder, thereby robbing him of his ...

It was the snapshot that summed up a season: A.J. Burnett standing on the mound in disbelief, his hands on top of his head, while a pumped up Bengie Molina carried his impressive gut around the base-paths at Yankee Stadium.The Texas catcher's three-run homer in Game Four of the ALCS neatly accomplished two feats—it effectively ended the Yankees' repeat hopes while also putting a bow on Burnett's miserable second season in the Bronx. How awful was Burnett in 2010? He was Creed-awful. He was 2001 Kobe Bryant rap single "K.O.B.E."-awful. He was Dane Cook movie-awful. You hear me? Dane Cook movie-awful, people! Have you ever seen My Best Friend's Girl?Thirty-three starts, 186 2/3 innings, 204 hits, 5.26 ERA, a 10-15 record—and those numbers don't begin to do justice to how bad Burnett was for long stretches in 2010. When Dave Eiland mysteriously disappeared for six weeks last summer, perhaps ...

Just to clarify: Yes, I know that Adam Wainwright is in St. Louis. And yes, I know that the Yankees are in no way directly related to him. Yet, Adam Wainwright's injury could spell bad news for the Yankees as they begin their long climb back to the top. We all know of the Yankees' rotation woes. It's been well-documented through every single form of media available to the masses. Nos. 1 through 3 are a lock, and that's not saying much as Hughes and Burnett are question marks, and Nos. 4 and 5 are up for grabs. The Yankees have plenty of options for those last two spots, but none that they are absolutely in love with. Freddy Garcia, Bartolo Colon, Ivan Nova, Sergio Mitre, Andrew Brackman, Hector Noesi and David Phelps are all in competition for those last spots, and each one is just as inconsistent as the last. ...

The whole offseason drama with the Yankees was: "Who's going to pitch for us?" The Yankees have talented minor league pitching prospects, but they aren't ready to pitch by Opening Day and they have free agents on their staff, with decidedly mixed results. Where that leaves the Yankees as Spring Training 2011 begins is with a starting rotation with holes the size of fishing nets. Just how did the richest organization in sports get into this mess? Short answer: They don't develop pitchers.  Since the "Core Four" came up together in 1996, the Yankees have developed exactly one starting pitcher: Phil Hughes. For years, the Yankees relied on Andy Pettitte and a bevy of free agents: Clemens, Mussina, Wells, Pavano, Wright, Irabu, etc. During that time, from 1996 until 2010, there were two pitchers the Yankees brought up that could have worked, but A: They traded Ted Lilly for a headcase and B: They mishandled Chien-Ming ...

The news for the Yankees this offseason has been generally negative. Missing out on Cliff Lee, the Derek Jeter contract debacle and Andy Pettitte retiring. Add a peppering of has-been players, and the Yankee Universe isn't looking as rock-solid as it has in the past.  There are a few questions, both big and small, for the Yankees heading into spring training. Begin Slideshow