Tag Archives: MLB

Basbeall, MLB

Touki Toussaint evens up the SALCS for Rome

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ROME, GA — Time and time again, the 2016 version of the Rome Braves seem to play well beyond their years. They entered Tuesday night’s Game 2 of the South Atlantic League Championship Series down one game to none after an uncharacteristically-sloppy Game 1 that saw Mike Soroka’s gem go to waste behind four unearned runs. Needing a win before heading north to New Jersey, Touki Toussaint got the call for arguably the biggest start in his life.

As the Rome Braves starters have done all series, Touki delivered.

Read more on Touki’s big night.

Basbeall, MLB

Piazza, the Yankees and the healing power of sports 15 years later

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(Note from The Wayniac: Although I try not to, there have been a few occasions that I have mixed politics and sports on this site. I try to keep it light hearted, but 9/11 is something very important to me. Understand that I am showing how sports helped heal, not implying that sports saved the day. That being said, let today be for what it is. There is no need to worry about what Colin Kaepernick is doing, the only thing you have to make sure you do is Never Forget.)

I was one of the lucky ones. I don’t have a first hand account of 9/11 because I was home, sick from work on the New Jersey side of the river. I was also lucky enough that I didn’t lose any of my friends who worked in the World Trade Centers, although some plummeted down stairs or jumped in the river to escape the fate that so many innocent Americans met that day.

Some thoughts on 9/11)

Basbeall, MLB

The Rome Braves make baseball fun again

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ROME, GA — If the Atlanta Braves rebuild project begins this season with Dansby Swanson and ends a few years down the road with the abundance of top prospects on the Rome Braves, the organization is in great shape. The Rome Braves are not only winning, they are having fun and it is contagious to watch.

Read on for more on the Rome Braves.

Basbeall, MLB

The Yankees and Braves rebuild proving to be a success

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(From Wednesday 9/7/16 at Today’s Knuckleball)

This evening from State Mutual Stadium, the Rome Braves host the Charleston RiverDogs in the first round of the South Atlantic League playoffs. While it highlights one of the biggest turnarounds in the minors — the Rome Braves went from a 27-42 sixth-place record to the hottest team in the Sally — it also features two systems that are successfully undergoing the rebuild process in seemingly polar opposite styles.

Read more on the successful rebuild projects.

Basbeall, MLB

Charleston RiverDogs skipper Luis Dorante talks Yankees prospects [Interview]

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The New York Yankees are experiencing a renaissance throughout their farm system. Highlighted by some big trades at the deadline that brought in an influx of talent from other organizations, a Yankees farm system that was once barren of elite prospects is booming. Look no further than the minor league playoffs for the proof, as five of their affiliates are representing them.

The Charleston RiverDogs are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. They got there by locking up the South Atlantic League Southern Division in the first half behind a 42-27 record. They slipped below .500 in the second half, by no fault of their own, as some of the bigger named prospects quickly moved up the ladder.

They also got there behind a dominant pitching staff. Their young guns led the entire SAL with 3.03 ERA and a minuscule — and franchise best — 1.17 WHIP behind 15 shutouts. They finished second in strikeouts with 1,248. All of those Ks were also a Charleston record, besting the previous high by 67 set in 2011.

Keep reading for my interview with Luis Dorante

Basbeall, MLB

Yandy is dandy: The Indians prospect is ready to shine

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The Cleveland Indians’ Yandy Diaz appears to be ready for prime time. Since the newly-turned 25-year-old was signed out of Cuba in 2013, he has improved his hitting and plate discipline successfully at every level in which he has a made a stop. Now, it may be big leagues or bust for 2017, and maybe even the rest of this season.

Keep reading to find out why Yandy is dandy!

Basbeall, MLB

Cardinals and Dodgers prospects make Desert Dogs team to beat

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Yesterday, we began our look at the Arizona Fall League rosters. The rosters, primarily made up of Double and Triple-A players, are a who’s who of baseball’s biggest and brightest prospects. The AFL begins its action on October 12 in a game that features the Scottsdale Scorpions — whose roster we looked at yesterday — versus the Glendale Desert Dogs.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Desert Dogs.

Keep reading for Part II of my AFL preview.

Basbeall, MLB

A few top Yankees prospects highlight the Arizona Fall League

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Arizona Fall League rosters were recently announced and that means one of the more fun times of the year are upon us. Autumn in the desert heats up when the biggest prospects in baseball join forces with each other to go head-to-head in an abbreviated season of what amounts to a seven-week All Star Game.

Basically, it’s a minor league baseball enthusiasts version of Prospect Heaven.

Continue reading for the start of my AFL preview.

Basbeall, MLB

Time to pay attention to the Yankees Jonathan Holder

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When the New York Yankees decided to flip the page on their 2016 season and build for a better future, they did so at the expense of their bullpen. What was one of the most lethal shutdown bullpens for the better part of the last two seasons (let’s face it, with Mariano Rivera, it has been the last 20 or so years) has suddenly been searching for answers to bridge the gap from starter to closer.

Keep reading for more on the Yankees next bullpen arm.

Basbeall, MLB

Get to know Atlanta Braves prospect Kolby Allard [Interview]

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Despite the Atlanta Braves clearing payroll and shipping off their big names at the beginning of the 2015 season, the real rebuild began with the 2015 MLB Draft. They made a huge haul in that draft and they are starting to see the results with the majority of them playing an integral part in the surging first place Rome Braves fantastic second half run.

Keep reading for my interview with Kolby Allard.