Kuzul

That’s right the Boys of Summer are back!

Baseball season kicks off this week and ladies, you have got to be prepared. The days of just knowing that A-Rod is a hottie, or that someone hit a home run, or who’s dating who are over.

Ladies, I need you to know a little bit more about what’s going on in the game, and if your guy is into baseball, these terms can definitely help you hit a “glam slam” in the relationship department.

So get out your pen and pad. Take notes because class is in session.

ACE

He is the best pitcher for the team; he’s the one that the team knows can get the job done. Think of this like your best friend or the guy that you are currently dating. Knowing what you bring to the table, these people will help you score ever time.

AROUND THE HORN

No, I’m not talking about the show on ESPN.

This is when one team hits a ground ball to the third baseman, who then throws to second base, and who then throws to first base to complete a double play.

SWEET SPOT

Okay, this can be taken so many different ways, so get your mind out the gutter: We’re talking about baseball here.

Focus! A sweet spot is the best part of the bat where the hitter knows the ball will travel the furthest. See, I told you to get your mind out of the gutter.

ERROR

I’m not talking about when you spilled coffee on your favorite white shirt on your way to work yesterday.

This baseball casualty is a defensive mistake that allows a batter to stay at the plate or reach first base, or that advances a base runner. If the other team scores off this error, trust me it’s going to be hell to pay when the team returns to the dugout.

INNING

Now, if you don’t understand any other term, you’re going to want to at least walk away knowing what an inning is.

The inning is the time played during the game. There are nine innings in a regulation game. Each team bats in an inning until they record three outs.

The visiting team always bats in the top half (beginning) of an inning. If the home team has a higher total after their opponents bat in the top half of the last schedule inning, the bottom half of the inning is not played and the score is final. A tie at the end of regulation play forces extra innings.

The game continues until an inning is complete and the visitors have a higher score, or until the home team breaks the tie. Then they don’t complete the three outs.

If you need to read this again for complete understanding, do so! You need to at least know and understand what an inning is.

DIAMOND

Ahhh…yes, every girl’s dream…a diamond. Mine actually comes from Tiffany’s with a cushion cut set in platinum with a carat weight of about 3.5.

In baseball, however, a diamond is referred to as the infield playing surface. Not as exciting or sparkly, but nonetheless just as important.

RBI

Every man needs a measuring stick to show how helpful he’s being (or not being!).

So in baseball that measuring stick is done with the RBI. This is the stat which shows how often a player has made it possible for his/her teammates to score while at bat.

A player who has 30 RBIs has caused 30 runs to be scored. A batter is not credited with an RBI if he hits into a double play or if the run is scored because of an error.

UNCLE CHARLIE

No, this is not your drunk uncle who always has too much at the family cookouts, but just a cute term for a curve ball. Nothing too significant, I just really liked the name.

TRIPLE

Any other time I would tell you to stay away from the triple scoop of ice cream, but in baseball this is a good thing.

This is a hit enabling the batter to safely reach third base. See, getting to third base is a good place to be.

SHORTSTOP

This is not the short man who’s trying to buy you a drink at the bar, but he’s the defensive player positioned between second and third bases.

And so you don’t embarrass yourself, he’s not short.

GRAND SLAM

This is the one that will definitely get you a highlight on ESPN. This is when a home run is hit with a runner on every base, which scores four runs. You get fireworks, your teammates lift you up, and essentially you are the man, at least for the night.

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Who was last season’s surprise team? Some may say the Giants for winning the World Series, and some may say the Rangers for making it to the World Series.

But in my opinion, without question…the Cincinnati Reds were THE biggest surprise in baseball last season.

After finishing fourth in the NL Central with a record of 78-84 in 2009, the Reds won the NL Central in 2010 with a record of 91-71. This was the team’s first winning record since 2000, and they won one of the toughest divisions in baseball.

How did this happen? I will say that the NL Central was a bit down last season in comparison to what they normally are. But the fact of the matter is, the Reds had a dominant offense, led by NL MVP Joey Votto.

Votto broke out onto the scene last year, leading the Reds in every major batting statistic (.324 BA, 37 HR, 113 RBI, 106 R, .424 OBP, .600 SLG, 1.024 OPS). A remarkable offensive season from a team that finished in the top-five in BA, R, OBP and SLG.

Let’s take a look at the Reds lineup and starting rotation heading into 2011:

C: Ramon Hernandez

1B: Joey Votto

2B: Brandon Phillips

3B: Scott Rolen

SS: Edgar Renteria

LF: Johnny Gomes

CF: Drew Stubbs

RF: Jay Bruce

SP: Edinson Volquez

SP: Bronson Arroyo

SP: Johnny Cueto

SP: Mike Leake

SP: Homer Bailey

CL: Francisco Cordero

How can the Reds improve their lineup from last season, try adding the 2010 World Series MVP Edgar Renteria. Although he is getting older, and production as an everyday player may be down, Renteria is as clutch as it gets in the playoffs.

The Reds still have Paul Janish in the starting SS slot going into spring training, but I expect Renteria to win the job, or at least take away a significant amount of starts from Janish this season.

The outfield for the Reds was one of the most productive in all of baseball last season, and Jay Bruce should have an even better year this season. Only 23 years old, Bruce has already had three consecutive 20 HR seasons, and his power should only improve over the course of his career.

There aren’t many questions about this Reds lineup, they are still one of the best in baseball. If anything this 2011 version will be improved with the added production of Renteria, and with Bruce and Stubbs both entering their second full seasons.

The Reds starting rotation appears to be the biggest weakness heading into this year, and it showed during their early exit in the playoffs. Being swept 3-0 by the Philadelphia Phillies, the Reds made playoff history.

They were the team that allowed Roy Halladay to throw only the second no-hitter in MLB playoff history, and the first since 1956.

That explosive offense was nowhere to be found, but I would consider the overall team’s lack of experience as the biggest contributing factor in the Reds disappointing postseason.

Cincinnati needs a big rebound year from Edinson Volquez, and his health and performance alone will determine just how good the Reds can be this season.

However, the Reds are still a very good team without Volquez. Bronson Arroyo is a productive No. 2 starter, but the key to this rotation is the depth and young talent this team has.

Cueto and Bailey are 24, Leake is 23 and all three of these pitchers proved last season that they belong.

I know there’s been a lot of much deserved hype in regards to the new Phillies rotation, but WHEN HEALTHY, I strongly believe that the Reds now have the second best rotation in the National League.

When you combine the two, you get a team that figures to be a lock for a playoff spot. But with injury concerns, more pressure on the young talent this season, and a much improved division…well, let’s just say… In regards to another Reds October.

The hunt is on.

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Earlier this week, the Cincinnati Reds signed veteran shortstop Edgar Renteria to a one-year, $2.1 million contract.

Renteria was signed to fill the hole left by Orlando Cabrera after the Reds announced that they would not re-sign him.

However, Renteria will not be the everyday shortstop. He will back up Paul Janish, who in his rookie season last year batted .260 with five home runs.

After having his option declined by the San Francisco Giants, Renteria signed with the Reds for much less. After sending the Giants to their first World Series title since 1954 and earning World Series Most Valuable Player, Renteria felt that he had been disrespected by their offer.

Edgar Renteria brings another veteran presence to this young Cincinnati clubhouse. Renteria, who played in St. Louis for five years, had connections with the Reds through general manager Walt Jocketty, formerly with St. Louis, and Scott Rolen, also a former Cardinals player.

“Edgar addresses the need for veteran leadership,” Jocketty said. “He’s a veteran middle infielder that can play shortstop and help Paul Janish. It’s a good move. He still has a lot left in him.”

Renteria, who turns 35 this year, was injured throughout most of last season. In 72 games, he batted .276. He has a .287 lifetime batting average and .344 on-base percentage. He is also a five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger winner and two-time Gold Glove winner.

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Cincinnati Reds fans are anxious for the start of the 2011 season. Unfortunately, many of us have been engaged in the NFL and haven’t followed the Reds very closely. There have been a few off-season player transactions to catch up on.

The Reds didn’t make any huge deals like this one or this one but they did do something.

Here are the moves they did make.

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The Cincinnati Reds made some news this week when they signed Edgar Renteria to a one-year, $2.1 million contract. The deal also allows Renteria to make another $900,000 in incentives.

That’s a lot of boxes of ziti to give a guy who is at the end of the rope. That’s also a lot of boxes of ziti to give a guy who is going to split time with Paul Janish.

Reds manager Dusty Baker said after the Renteria signing that he and Janish would split time at SS in 2011. I know Baker loves his veterans like I love Snapple (for those of you who don’t know, I drink a Snapple a day without fail), but I don’t understand that at all.

Does Janish project to be the next Barry Larkin for the Reds? No, he doesn’t. However, Janish has made really good strides offensively over the last three seasons.

As you can see, Janish has improved in every category over the last three seasons. The guy is moving in the right direction.

I don’t see why Baker would mess with that. Janish is 28 years old; let him go out there and see what he can do on a full-time basis.

The signing of Renteria by the Reds was a factor of two things:

1. GM Walt Jocketty being familiar with Renteria from their days in St. Louis together

2. The Reds thinking Renteria has something left because of his ridiculous postseason last year with the San Francisco Giants.

And the second point is true. Renteria really did have an amazing postseason with the Giants—especially the World Series when he hit .416 with two HRs. However, he has shown major signs of slowing down offensively over the past three seasons.

Renteria’s 17.7 K Percentage in 2010 was the highest of his career and his .374 SLG wasn’t even equal or better than Janish’s. Also at this stage of his career, Renteria isn’t nearly the defensive player Janish is.

I really have no idea how Baker is going to split the playing time between Janish and Renteria in 2011, but if Renteria ends up playing more than Janish, it would be a mistake by Baker.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Word out today is that 2010 World Series MVP Edgar Renteria is to sign with the Cincinnati Reds for one-year, $3M deal.

This comes month removed from the Giants‘ offer of one-year $1M, which he called, “a lack of respect.” He added, “To play for a million dollars, I’d rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family. Thank God I’m well off financially and my money is well invested.”

Then why does it matter whether you sign for $1M or $3M?

It’s obvious that it was the money. Coming back to a winning team like the Giants to go back to the playoff and perhaps make it back to the 2011 World Series clearly wasn’t one of his top priorities. Heck, to his credit, the man has two World Series rings to show for it. Two more than a lot of all-star caliber players out there.

Edgar could care less whether he plays for a contending team or not.

This is why I have mad respect for players like J.T. Snow, who shows loyalty to a team and took a huge pay-cut to come back with the Giants.

Granted, Edgar only played with the Giants for two years and perhaps there is no loyalty or love there. But it says a lot about a person who shows gratitude to a team who signed a aging and a declining player.

In addition, Edgar only played 72 games receiving a $9M paycheck in 2010. $2M difference—now was that really a lack of respect, Edgar?

Regardless, Edgar is gone; so is Juan Uribe, who was a vital part of the Giants offense and the postseason run.

Now, what does this mean to the Giants in 2011?

Losing Edgar doesn’t mean much at all to the Giants than losing Uribe. Really, the Giants were looking to sign Edgar as a backup shortstop. There are other decent players available that can warm the bench and give high-fives, namely Orlando Cabrera and Ramon Santiago.

Defensively, the Giants have Miguel Tejada to fill the shortstop spot. Playing 156 games for the Orioles and the Padres respectively, is more reliable at the spot than Edgar was.

Offensively, the numbers Uribe put up is more than what Miggy’s done. But don’t let the numbers fool you.

There is a huge difference in his stats between the two teams he played for last year. Playing with the Padres, Miggy flourished, matching his stats with the Orioles in half the at-bats playing for the Padres. Perhaps playing for the contending team, NL West leader had him playing harder. For what he was hungry for and wanted to reach, the World Series ring.

I have no doubt Miggy will be playing with the same intensity this year for the Giants.

So you ask, what does Pablo Sandoval got to do with this?

There is a whole lot riding on Pablo and his off-season approach for the success of the Giants’ 2011 season. Without Uribe’s versatility and the bat to cover third base, Pablo needs to man that corner.

From his breakout year in 2009, last year was dismal at best. With so much expectations for him to continue his success from 2009 to 2010, fans were disappointed to say the least.

Most people pointed fingers at the obvious; From personal matters like divorce and San Bruno gas explosion where his place went up in flames to his weight issue. There is a lot to say about a player’s performance which rides on their physical ability but also a lot rides on a player’s mental stability—mental issues which includes his personal matters, I think it’s something he had to get over. Because of it, his weight became an issue, in my humble opinion. 

It is reported that he is staying in Arizona, near the Giants trainers (of his own will) to work on his weight issue and train. There are reports out there of Pablo losing 10 to 15 pounds. The man is 5’11” reportedly weighing in at 245 pounds, but I am not so sure on that number. In 2010, Pablo came into spring training weighing in at a whopping 262 pounds. Which is said to be 15 pounds less than his playing weight during his breakout offensive year of 2009.

This reassures me that his weight has nothing to do with his bad offensive production last season; it’s more his mental issue, having to deal with personal ordeals.

If you’ve watched Pablo play defense last year or even during his postseason appearance, it’s obvious that his weight is a huge issue in playing third-base. Numerous times, he threw over Aubrey Huff’s head at first-base because of getting to the ball late and having to rush his throws.

His massive body running towards short grounders made you feel uncomfortable, like watching a horrible car accident about to happen. Heavy footed, you’d think it was Bengie Molina playing at third.

With Mark De Rosa healthy to come back this season, he can help Pablo man third-base. But if the Giants can get the lightweight, nimble Pablo Sandoval and the offense that was 2009, the Giants would have pretty potent fire power up and down their lineup, along with pretty solid defense.

Maybe even a hopeful phenom Brandon Belt would make some noise at the spring training this March, the Giants would be very solid.

With two months left ’til we hear “play ball” ring out in Arizona, the Giants and their fans have a lot to look forward to. Perhaps “less” to look forward to in Pablo.

Either way, it will be an interesting 2011 for the Giants.

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The Reds have agreed to sign Edgar Renteria, according to Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com. The deal could be worth as much as $3 million with an incentive package, according to Levine.

Here are five reasons not to like the move.

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Pitchers and catchers report in about two months, but that does not silence the baseball talk.

The winter meetings have come and gone, but it seems the Giants prefer to stand pat. They have publicly stated they aren’t going after any of the top free agents, and why should they? The team of misfits they put together last year achieved baseball immortality, so why should the team be assembled any differently?

So far, the Giants appear to be the favorite in 2011. They have retained most of their tremendous pitching staff, which was first in baseball in ERA and strikeouts in 2010. All they lost was Chris Ray out of the bullpen, but their whole Cy Young-caliber starting rotation remains intact for 2011 and beyond.

Even with Tim Lincecum’s August struggles, the Giants still have one of the best starting staffs in all of baseball. Matt Cain had a phenomenal year and competed against Lincecum for the ace status, but Lincecum showed why he was an ace during the postseason. Zito and Sanchez remain a question, but they are undoubtedly one of the best four and five starts in baseball, depending on how the Phillies‘ newly beefed-up staff does. Expect another solid year from the rotation.

As for the Giants bullpen, it should also be stellar in 2011. Brian Wilson, Javier Lopez and the rest of the staff are all back for next season. With the Giants re-signing Guillermo Mota, the Giants shored up the back end of their bullpen in case of injury or if mop-up work is needed. Basically, what got the Giants to the World Series in 2010 will return for the 2011 season.

The Giants offense only needs mediocrity to win the West, but anything less will not get the job done. In 2009, the Giants offense was abysmal, nearly the worst in baseball. Even so, they somehow won 88 games, but it was not enough to beat out the Rockies for the Wild Card.

In 2010, the Giants were closer to the middle of the pack in hitting, and they won the West with 92 games. Now that the Giants added Tejada, Cody Ross (mid-2010), Pat Burrell (mid-2010) and a healthier Pablo Sandoval (who lost 15 pounds in San Diego so far), the Giants offense is worlds better than on April of 2010. They also have a stronger bench, with Mark DeRosa returning in 2011. Don’t forget Buster Posey, who just jolted the offense in July.

In order to keep their bench strong, the Giants offered Edgar Renteria a one-year contract worth $1 million. I think it is fine to bring him back as a backup infielder, but for no more than the $1 million they offered him. He can fill a hole if, say, Freddy Sanchez or Miguel Tejada were lost to injury. He can be a short-term solution, since he is streaky, but is not ideal for a starting role. Still, he has a flare for the clutch as shown by the World Series, and his game-tying home run during the home opener.

Despite him feeling disrespected about the Giants contract offer, Renteria needs to realize the Giants did anything but that, considering they were the only team thus far to offer him a major league contract.

The one weakness I see for the Giants is athleticism. With the exception of Torres and Schierholtz, team speed is weak and so is their range. If Pablo Sandoval loses a few more pounds, I think he can give the Giants more athleticism as he did when he first came up in 2008. Watch any of his baserunning from ’08, and you would think he was Carl Crawford compared to the way he runs now. Any speedster who isn’t a loss at the plate (a la Eugenio Velez) will give the Giants another dimension offensively. Darren Ford can fly, but I don’t think the Giants trust him entirely at the plate yet.

That said, I pick the San Francisco Giants to win the West once again. Their pitching is just superb, and I think having Burrell, Ross, Buster Posey and Torres in the lineup for a full season will get them 95-100 wins. Imagine how many of those early-season 2010 games they would have won with these players.

This article was featured on the blog Talking Giants Baseball.

Be sure to take the poll here on how you think Renteria should have reacted to his contract offer.

Look out for the 2011 National League West Preview No. 2: Los Angeles Dodgers, Can Their Glory Days Return?

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In the 2010 World Series, the San Francisco Giants beat the Texas Rangers in five games. 

After the immediate celebration, shortstop Edgar Renteria was named World Series MVP, and rightfully so. Over those five games, Renteria batted .412 with two home runs and six RBI.

It was nice to see Renteria win, as he had missed nearly half of the regular season with various injuries. Rather than retire, he chose to come back for one more year, hopefully with the Giants.

Today, Renteria’s chances of returning to San Francisco are slim-to-none, after he turned down a perfectly fair one-year, $1 million contract, calling it “disrespectful.”

“That offer from the Giants was a lack of respect. A total disrespect,” said Renteria.

“To play for a million dollars, I’d rather stay with my private business and share more time with my family. Thank God I’m well off financially and my money is well invested.”

OK, Edgar. You think you deserve more than $1 million a year? Alright, let’s take a look at your numbers over the past couple of seasons and determine just how much you should earn.

Let’s start with Renteria’s stats from 2010. Overall, they’re very disappointing for a contract year: Only 72 games played, three home runs, and a mere 22 RBI. The batting average is a respectable .276, but sadly it cannot be factored into this equation, as Renteria was not a regular throughout the season. 

This leads to my question: How much is an effective postseason worth?

To get an idea of how much Renteria should get, I think it’s fair that we take a look at previous World Series MVPs and the contracts they received after winning the award, beginning with 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui.

Overall, Matsui’s 2009 regular season was very effective. He batted .274 in 142 games with 28 home runs and 90 RBI, with his World Series was even better: .615 batting average, three home runs and eight RBI. 

How much did he earn that season? $13 million. How much did he earn in 2010 with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? $6.5 million.

Some of my readers are probably thinking, “Josh, that’s totally unfair! Matsui had a great 2009 and deserves way more than that!”

Well, fans, let me tell you why Hideki Matsui took such a large pay cut. His effective 2009 can be much attributed to him playing in a hitter-friendly stadium, plus he was used primarily as a designated hitter. Thus, his legs were consistently fresh.

On top of that, he had missed much of 2008 due to weak knees and given how his offensive stats aren’t comparable to those of one Big Papi, not many teams were willing to pay him more than $10 million a year just to be a DH. 

Despite a productive 2010 with the Angels, (.274 average, 21 home runs, 84 RBI), Matsui has just taken another pay cut in signing a one-year deal with the Oakland Athletics, worth about $4.25 million.

The case of Matsui is a good reason as to why the Giants would be hesitant to offer Edgar Renteria a bigger contract. An even better example is that of newly retired third baseman Mike Lowell, who received a big contract extension the year after he won the World Series MVP Award and was never as effective again.

In 2007, Lowell simply had an amazing season for the Boston Red Sox. He batted a career-high .324, hit 21 home runs and had another career-high with 120 RBI. He fared even better in the ALCS, batting .333 with one home run and eight RBI as he helped the Red Sox reach the World Series, where the team swept the Colorado Rockies in four games as he garnered MVP honors with a .400 batting average with one home run and four RBI. 

The numbers are modest, but many of his hits were clutch and key in the victories.

After the World Series, Lowell became a free agent. He re-signed with the Red Sox for three years and $37.5 million. The Red Sox proved to overpay him as his offensive stats were effective over those three seasons, but he also had many injury problems. 

During the course of the contract, he had a respectable batting average of .267, but never played more than 119 games in a season. The multitude of injuries he suffered led him to retire at the end of the contract. 

Thus, the Giants should use Lowell’s post-Series performance as a tale of caution in re-signing Renteria.

Now, let’s go back to the man of the hour, Edgar Renteria. He thinks he deserves more than a one-year, $1 million contract because of his performance in the World Series. 

In my opinion, that’s a perfectly fair offer. Over the past few seasons, his effectiveness has dropped off immensely. In 2009, his batting average was a career-low .250 and to add insult to injury, he had the lowest range factor among shortstops.

To put it bluntly, Edgar Renteria’s production over the two years he spent in a San Francisco uniform are not worth the $18.5 million the Giants paid him. Combine that with his gradual decline since 2005 (minus one semi-effective season in 2007 in which he hit .332), he should consider himself lucky that any team wants to offer him a contract at all.

He says that this offseason, other teams have made him offers. OK, then how come we haven’t heard of them? My theory is that no team wants to take a risk on an aging shortstop whose production is very hit or miss, and now it appears he has an attitude problem.

So, Mr. Renteria, you think that the Giants’ offer is disrespectful? Well, this writer thinks that your handling of the situation is disrespectful. 

Considering how much money you have cost the San Francisco Giants so far, including your World Series bonus, you should be grateful that you received a contract offer at all. That all being said, if you love the game as much as you claim, one year for $1 million is perfectly fair. 

If anything, demand a player option for 2012. 

As Brian Cashman said to Derek Jeter at one point, “drink the reality potion,” and maybe then you will see how out of line you are truly being.

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Fans have dubbed most of the Giants’ 2010 season and postseason as torture, but after the team’s impressive World Series victory against the Texas Rangers, the Giants’ faithful at the High Five Pizza Co. restaurant and sports bar felt euphoric.

The Giants won the seven-game World Series in just five games, courtesy of a Game 5 seventh-inning three-run home run from the series’ MVP Edgar Renteria, and brought home the first championship in their San Francisco history.

Cathleen Belknap, a manager at High Five, was among those who were thrilled about the Giants’ World Series title. She said that although she was a southern California native, she began following the Giants when the playoff games were on the televisions at work, and when everyone came into the restaurant to watch them.

“I feel very good about it because it will bring revenue to the city, and it’s long overdue so it is nice for the fans,” Belknap said.

Like Belknap, bartender Mark Mitchell recently began following the Giants during the frenzy when the playoffs began. As a fan of San Francisco itself, he felt the Giants’ World Series victory was one of the best things to happen to the city.

“I really liked what it did to the city of San Francisco,” Mitchell said. “It was similar to what happened when the Saints won the Super Bowl.”

Mitchell was also drawn to the team by the personality and charm of some of the players, including Buster Posey, his favorite.

“I saw Buster Posey in an interview, and I was impressed with the way he conducted himself,” Mitchell said. “If I see him, I would like to buy him a beer.”

Some were so excited about the Giants’ World Series title that they celebrated in surprising ways. Kealaa Kai, a concrete foreman for the city of San Jose and regular patron at High Five, told of his experience at another San Jose sports bar.

“I went to a bar in downtown San Jose, and after the Giants won, the owner bought a round of drinks for all his customers in the bar at the time,” Kai said.

Others were just relieved that the Giants won at least one title in their lifetime, and they are confident many more are on the way.

“I’m so happy they did it while I’m young,” said Katerina Nowack, a cashier and cook at the restaurant. “I am excited that everyone on the team is so young, and there’s a good chance it (a Giants World Series title) might happen again.”

Even fans of opposing teams, including the Giants’ arch-rival Los Angeles Dodgers, could not help but feel happy for Giants fans. Greg Scaglione, another High Five bartender, has been a Dodger fan since birth, but showed an understanding of what the World Series victory meant to Giants fans.

“I’ve known a lot of people who were Giants fans, and it’s really good for them,” Scaglione said.

In years past, every last game of the season for San Francisco has ended in defeat, but this year, it was the San Francisco Giants who had the last victorious word in Major League Baseball.

This article is also featured on Talking Giants Baseball.

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