New York, U.S.A. - Two things immediately come to mind this time of year – baseball and iced coffee. Dunkin’ Donuts, America’s all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods, has all your bases covered this summer season. New York Mets Manager Terry Collins and New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi will be featured in a two month campaign in the New York Metro area to promote Dunkin’ Donuts Caramel, Mocha and the new Mocha Almond Iced Coffee flavors.

Dunkin’ Donuts will showcase both managers through a multi-tiered promotional campaign. Collins and Girardi will be featured in the television and radio campaign, “Fuels Any Series,” which will spotlight the friendly rivalry between both managers, with Collins promoting Mocha Iced Coffee and Girardi promoting Caramel Iced Coffee.

Additionally, the managers’ likeness will be prominently displayed in Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants throughout the New York Metro area, including store standees, door decals and in-store POP. The “Fuels Any Series” campaign will also be leveraged through Dunkin’ Donuts’ various social media channels during the promotion.

“It is an honor for Dunkin’ Donuts to partner with both Terry Collins and Joe Girardi for this exciting promotion. Dunkin’ Donuts has a long standing relationship with both the Yankees and Mets and this partnership will be a fantastic way to highlight Dunkin’ Donuts’ leadership in the iced coffee category,” saidRuss Romeo, Field Marketing Director for Dunkin’ Brands in the Mid-Atlantic Region. “Whether you are a Yankees fan or a Mets fan, Dunkin’ Donuts is sure to fuel your summer!”

Collins was named the 20th manager in Mets history on November 23, 2010 and has led the Mets to a 31-25 record this season. He first joined the Mets in 2010 as a Minor League Field Coordinator overseeing all on-field aspects of the Mets’ Minor League Spring Training, mini camps and Fall Instructional League. Collins previously spent six years as a major-league manager leading the Anaheim Angels and Houston Astros to winning records and second place finishes.

Girardi became manager of the Yankees in 2008, and led the team to their 27th World Championship in 2009. Girardi led the Yankees to the post-season the past three years, and currently has the Yankees near the top of the American League East with a 30-24 record. During his playing career, Girardi spent 15 seasons as a catcher in the big leagues, winning three World Championships with the Yankees (1996, 1998 and 1999).

Dunkin’ Donuts has been at the forefront in developing an innovative process for brewing iced coffee, which has set the standard for the industry. The unique process, called double brewing, uses twice the amount of coffee when making the beverage to achieve consistent flavor and freshness that are never compromised at the expense of serving it cold. The result is a smooth, rich taste sensation–iced coffee that is never bitter or watered down.

Image Courtesy  of  jason aron / Shutterstock.com

The article Mets and Yankees Managers to Campaign For Dunkin Donuts appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

More than 50 seasons, an outrageously overdue 8,020 games, and virtually an entire lifetime later for the team’s first ever generation of young fans, Johan Santana threw the first no-hitter in the history of the New York Mets at Citi Field on Friday night.

The Mets defeated the defending World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, 8-0, as Santana struck out eight and walked five in his second consecutive complete game shutout. And for the first time ever, the scoreboard read “0” under the hit column for a Mets opponent at game’s end.

If there really are baseball gods out there, they were certainly on Santana’s side during this outing. His former teammate, Carlos Beltran, hit a bullet down the third base line in the sixth inning that kicked up a significant patch of chalk, but was somehow still incorrectly ruled foul by third base umpire Adrian Johnson. Beltran would ground out to third baseman David Wright on the following pitch, keeping the no hitter intact.

Santana was the beneficiary of even more good fortune in the next inning. Mike Baxter, a 28-year-old who is ironically from Queens and grew up a Mets fan, made a miraculous catch in left field where he ran full speed and crashed into the wall, robbing Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina of what appeared off the bat to be a no-doubt double.

Baxter would then lay on the warning track in agony for several minutes. His left shoulder slammed straight into the padded wall and was badly bruised. He was immediately replaced by Andres Torres, who moved to center field after switching positions with rookie Kirk Nieuwenhuis.

“That ball that Baxter caught, he’ll go down in the annals of New York Met lore because of that,” said Mets starting pitcher R.A. Dickey.

But what made the historic performance by Santana even more captivating was that it was accomplished after a career-high 134 pitches by the same man who had missed more than an entire season following major shoulder capsule surgery.

When asked before the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said that he would limit his ace to somewhere between 110 and 115 pitches. His level of uneasiness visibly grew with each pitch after Santana finished the sixth inning with a staggering pitch count of 106. The last thing he wanted to do was jeopardize the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s health over one start.

However, Santana approached him after that very inning and told him that he was going to finish the game. After that, he felt that the decision was out of his hands, and he would go on to tell Santana that he was his “hero” during the seventh inning.

“I just couldn’t take him out,” said Collins during the post-game press conference, where the joy for his pitcher manifested itself into several emotional moments where he struggled to let out any words.

Nonetheless, his concern for the long-term effects was still present.

“I’m very excited for him, but in five days, if his arm is bothering him, I’m not going to feel very good,” Collins said.

Santana made a conscious effort to give his teammates just as much credit for achieving the feat despite the fact that he had just become the hero that completed what other great Mets pitchers such as Dwight Gooden, Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, Jerry Koosman, and several others were unable to over the previous half century.

“We did this together,” Santana said. “It is not just about me. We had a great, great game tonight. Everyone participated. We did the little things the way we were supposed to do it. And it worked out good. I thanked them because we as a team made history tonight.”

There were more close calls in the final two innings, including a soft line drive off Beltran’s bat that nearly resulted in a collision between second baseman Daniel Murphy and shortstop Omar Quintanilla to end the eighth and a ball off the end of All Star outfielder Matt Holiday’s bat that was nearly overrun by Torres to start the ninth.

After falling behind 3-0 to the 2011 World Series MVP David Freese with one out remaining, Santana fought back into the count and struck him out on the pitch that’s made him such a dominant force for all these years – his changeup.

SNY play-by-play announcer Gary Cohen then called it the way every Mets fan had felt for all these decades. The wait was finally over, and this was no dream.

“It has happened!”

Image Courtesy of  David W. Leindecker / Shutterstock.com

The article Santana Throws Mets’ First No-Hitter in Team’s 51st Season appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

All Philip Humber wanted in Seattle on Saturday was his first win of the season. It didn’t matter how it came, as long as he got that first one out of the way.

Two hours and 17 minutes and 96 pitches later, the stunned 29-year-old White Sox right hander dropped to his knees in front of the pitcher’s mound and shortly found himself at the bottom of an overjoyed dogpile, as he had just become only the 21st pitcher in Major League history to throw a perfect game, following a 4-0 win over the Seattle Mariners.

Not even a month into the 2012 campaign and baseball has already seen its first perfect game or no hitter of the season.

You’d have to look back almost two years to recall the last time baseball a perfect game took place – Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay on May 29, 2010 at Florida.

“I don’t even know what to say,” said Humber. “I don’t know what Philip Humber is doing in this list. No idea what my name is doing there, but I’m thankful it’s there.”

Humber, who was drafted in 2004 by the New York Mets with the third overall pick, finally lived up to one of the many high expectations that made him a key component in the 2008 blockbuster deal that sent two-time Cy Young award winner Johan Santana to New York. He is now the third White Sox pitcher to ever throw a perfect game, and the first since Mark Buehrle tossed his back on July 23, 2009.

The perfecto by Humber also gives the White Sox a grand total of 18 no hitters during their existence.

To say that it had been somewhat of a rough road leading up to this point for Humber might qualify as the understatement of the year. Tommy John surgery was necessary shortly after being drafted and a combination of significant Major League struggles and a number of trips between there and Triple A prohibited him from winning his first big league game until 2010 with the Kansas City Royals.

In his first full Major League season last year with Chicago he posted a 9-9 record with a 3.75 ERA in 26 starts.

Humber was absolutely dealing from start to finish. In fact, he did not encounter a three ball count until Mariners center fielder Michael Saunders was ahead 3-0 to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Regaining his composure, Humber came back to strike out Saunders for the first out of the inning.

John Jaso flew out to right for the second out, and before Humber knew it, he was just one batter away from perfection. The only thing that stood between he and baseball immortality was pinch hitter Brendan Ryan, who worked the count to 3-2.

The payoff pitch was a slider well off the plate low and away that Ryan attempted to check his swing at, but the home plate umpire made the call himself and ruled that Ryan had swung. The ball rolled past catcher A.J. Pierzynski momentarily, as Ryan argued the umpire’s call. Ryan was unable to make it halfway down the line by the time Pierzynski gobbled up the ball and lasered it down to first for the 27th out.

And then it was party time.

“I saw it get away from A.J. and saw the umpire ring him up and at that point, a ton of emotions and a lot of joy and excitement,” Humber said. “Most of all, just gratitude. Just thankful for where I’m at.”

With nine strikeouts on the day, a nasty slider like the final pitch was Humber’s bread and butter. Humber’s 96 pitches was the least thrown in a perfect game since former Yankee David Cone’s 88 on July 18, 1999 against the Montreal Expos.

“I was more nervous than I was in the World Series,” said Pierzynski. “There was no build up for this; it just happened. And you want it so bad for the guy on the mound and you want him to have that achievement forever and you want to have him remembered forever. It’s a special thing that Phil did.”

Image Courtesy of    White Sox

The article White Sox Righty Humber Shocks Baseball World with Perfect Game appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Star lefty Johan Santana finally made his return to a Major League mound on Tuesday afternoon for the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida, throwing two scoreless innings in Grapefruit League action against the reigning champs, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sure, it wasn’t a game that bore any real significance, but after missing all of the 2011 season with a shoulder capsule injury that initially sidelined him at the end of the 2010 campaign, Santana’s return to the field was pure beauty to the organization and its dedicated fans. September 2, 2010 in Atlanta against the Braves – that was the last time that Santana had even faced a big league ball club.

“Finally I had an opportunity to go out there and finally get the first one out of the way,” said Santana. “… I was excited about today. Even as I was preparing myself prior to the game, I was anxious to go out there and do it. But at the same time, it was all about how I feel.

“I know it is a game situation and you have to do your job out there, but I was just focused on making sure I do the mechanics the right way and feeling good and not feeling anything in my arm. And that’s how I felt today. I felt good.”

Santana threw 29 pitches in his two innings of work. He appeared shaky at the outset, walking the leadoff hitter on just 5 pitches, but settled down and hit the strike zone on 16 of his final 24 pitches.

Not trying to be too cute coming back from a serious shoulder injury, 12 of Santana’s 13 first inning pitches were fastballs. His velocity was closely monitored and will continue to be throughout the season. He was consistently in the high 80’s and topped out at 90 on one early pitch.

Secondary pitches began to be incorporated in the second inning, one of which being his devastating changeup – the main putaway pitch that has turned him into a two time Cy Young Award winner and one of the game’s elite pitchers for the last several years. Santana had no strikeouts in the outing, but allowed no runs on just one hit and one walk.

“It was fun,” said Mets catcher Josh Thole, who was behind the plate. “I think it should be encouraging for the whole team. He went out there and it was kind of like he just left off where he was.”

Santana will once again be the ace of the staff. The four starters behind him will likely be R.A. Dickey, Jonathan Niese, Mike Pelfrey, and Dillon Gee.

Image Courtesy of   http://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/

The article Santana Makes Long-Awaited Return Against Cardinals appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

According mlb.com, Mets general manager Sandy Alderson claims that ace Johan Santana should be returning to the hill by the time the team reconvenes for Spring Training in Port St. Lucie, Florida. Santana is now three weeks into his usual offseason throwing regimen, which consists of flat surface long tossing on consecutive days.

“He’s in a normal progression for Spring Training,” said Alderson during a Thursday conference call. “We expect to see him in Spring Training, and he should be ready to go at that point.”

The two time Cy Young Award winner missed the entire 2011 season after a severe left shoulder injury, suffered in late 2010, which required anterior shoulder capsule surgery – a procedure previously necessary for pitchers such as Chien-Ming Wang and Mark Prior. The management was originally optimistic that he would be pitching at the Major League level by last season’s All Star break. This remains unfulfilled.

Mets fans have been hopeful for an end to this, though, aware that Alderson previously referred to Johan Santana returning for Grapefruit League action as “a question mark” as recently as a month ago. “I didn’t want to set off alarms the last time I talked about this, but we are talking about somebody who’s coming off a long rehab,” said Alderson. “I think ultimately the questions are going to be answered in Spring Training, not beforehand.”

Obviously the “questions” Alderson eluded to refer to Santana’s physical capabilities following shoulder surgery. Conclusions cannot be drawn regarding expectations until a radar gun determines if there is a dip in velocity. As noted over the last few years, shoulder operations have had this effect more often in comparison to Tommy John elbow surgery.

Santana’s absence was definitely felt throughout the 2010 campaign. Over three seasons with New York, he has gone an impressive 40-25, boasting a 2.85 ERA. Without him, the Mets entire starting staff went an abysmal 53-58 last season, combining for a much higher ERA of 4.17. Lacking a true ace, their best pitcher record-wise wound up being rookie Dillon Gee, who went 13-6 with a 4.32 ERA in 27 starts.

New York handed the ball to 9 starters during the course of a 77-85 season – Gee, Jonathan Niese, Chris Capuano, Mike Pelfrey, and knuckleballer R.A. Dickey making up the rotation most of the way. Of those 5, Dickey, Capuano, and Pelfrey were the only ones to make at least 30 starts each.

The other four players called upon were Chris Young, Miguel Batista, rookie Chris Schwinden, and D.J. Carrasco. Young, Batista, and Schwinden each made four starts, while Carrasco had just one.

Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

The article Santana in ‘Normal progression for Spring’, Says Alderson appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff stated in an order last Wednesday that the owners of the New York Mets, in order to pay reprisal to investors in Bernard Madoff’s fraud, will be forced to pay noless than $386 million for turning a blind eye towards the ex-financier’s scheme.

The sum of money will cut more than $600 million from the $1 billion award requested in a lawsuit against the team for allowing the fraud to happen. Rakoff said, according to an article posted on Time magazine’s website, that $83.3 million of that money is the assumed profits collected by the Mets’ owners in the two years before a bankruptcy court filing occurred.

Also, the payment includes more than $300 million in principal that the Mets received during the two-year period. Rakoff also stated that Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee on the case, could only recover principal if it could be proven that the Mets’ owners knew about the fraud, and allowed it to continue.

This is because the lawsuit claimed the owners either knew or should have known that Madoff was operating this scheme. Lawyers for the Mets owners have said, on numerous occasions, that the defendants had no idea that Madoff was operating this huge scheme with the money that their organization invested.

Picard has filed more than 1,000 lawsuits in order to recover billions of dollars lost by investors in Bernard Madoff, according to Time magazine. Picard argued that some investors, like the Mets’ owners, owe large sums of money to other investors because they withdrew from them enough to make a larger amount of money at the expense of others.

Bernard Madoff, the 73-year-old ex-financier, is serving 150 years in prison after pleading guilty to fraud charges. He revealed the lengthy scheme in December 2008 after telling investors their money was worth as much as $68 billion. However, there was only a fraction of their $20 billion dollar investment left.

The New York Mets’ owners announced in May had agreed to sell a minority share to hedge fund manager David Einhorn for $200 million, but the deal fell through on September 1^st. The Mets said they would seek to sell shares of up to $20 million to family members and other potential investors without risking the possibility of losing a controlling interest.
Bill Florence / Shutterstock.com

The article New York Mets to Pay $386 Million Due To Madoff Fraud appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

In one game the New York Mets have gone from somewhat injured to decimated by injuries. Both first baseman Daniel Murphy and shortstop Jose Reyes were placed on the DL today. The bigger story obviously being Reyes who is again on the DL for the same hamstring injury that landed him there in June.

This begs the question to be asked; was owner Fred Wilpon so off tilt with his comments in the New Yorker piece in May? In regards to whether Reyes would get ‘Carl Crawford money,’ a 7 year $142 million contract given to Crawford by Boston before this season Wilpon said, “He’s had everything wrong with him. He won’t get it.”

Originally when the comments were made they backfired and fans were in uproar over the owners comments compiled with his own money troubles. Reyes wasn’t helping Wilpon any as he was putting up MVP caliber numbers leading the league in many hitting categories and had no signs of injuries at all.

Fast forward to a second trip to the DL involving a hamstring and you have to begin to wonder whether or not Wilpon wasn’t just being a bitter old man. Reyes is considered a five-tool player, that is, a player who can hit for average and power, run the bases well, throw, and field.

Reyes doesn’t hit for nearly as much power as is average, but this year his OPS was as high as most power hitters and Reyes bats in the lead off spot. If his legs aren’t reliable, Reyes’s value is significantly less. He brings energy with his speed and quickness as he wreaks havoc on the base paths and any ball hit to the gap is potentially a triple for him.

This news is bitter sweet for the Mets. On the one hand Reyes being hurt again could scare away potential suitors willing to offer Reyes top dollar giving the Mets a chance to resign him at a lower cost or at all. Yet the other way to look at it is while they may be able to resign him if his injuries persist he won’t be as valuable to the Mets either.

There’s still time left in the season and while he is on the DL it’s more to free up roster spots than because of the severity of the injury. Reyes could come back in two weeks and have a great six weeks to finish up the season and still demand big bucks, but people around the MLB have got to be wondering.

If Reyes’s injuries are only going to increase as he ages will he be worth ‘Carl Crawford money’ this off-season?

Mary A Lupo / Shutterstock.com

The article Jose Reyes to The DL Again appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

Only a few things in life are certain; taxes, death and the New York Mets are a mess. With the Wilpons’ money problems stemming from the Madoff scandal and the remnants of Omar Minaya’s spend first worry later contracts coming off the books at the end of this season the Mets have already started there “rebuilding” process of trying to get this team to where it should have been in 2006, a World Series.

Sandy Alderson, the new GM, brings with him business and baseball savvy that the Mets have sorely missed over the past few years. Every deal that was made by Minaya never panned out as it should have no matter how big the free agent. Even the two that have payed off, Carlos Beltran and Johan Santana, still give Mets fans a reason to cringe.

Beltran outperformed the massive 7 year $117million dollar deal he received back in 2005, but if you ask any Mets fan and I’m sure they’ll tell you they remember the curveball from Adam Wainwright that froze Beltran like a deer in headlights. Santana was everything and more when he was signed, which was the best pitcher in baseball, but injuries and age are starting to catch up with this once prized-off season addition.

Alderson has trimmed away the fat left from Minaya and done it the right way. It started at the beginning of the season when Luis Castillo and Oliver Perez were simply released, though still under contract, so as to free up roster spots for other players. He continued this by trading once prized closer Francisco Rodriguez to the Milwaukee Brewers for two players to be named and getting another obnoxiously big not well thought through contract off the books.

Alderson kept the trend going by making a huge splash near the trade deadline by dealing Carlos Beltran to the San Francisco Giants for top pitching prospect Zach Wheeler. These moves should allow for enough wiggle room for the Mets to attempt to re-sign their high energy shortstop Jose Reyes who’s contract is up at the end of the season.

Alderson has got this team headed in the right direction. He’s looking ahead and planning for future seasons, while still attempting to put the best talent out on the field without breaking the bank to do so. With pitching prospects Matt Harvey and Wheeler, and prospect Brandon Nimmo who was taken 13^th overall in this years draft in the minors the Mets are looking a good core group of players to lead them in the coming years, hopefully alongside Jose Reyes and Jon Niese who is quickly becoming the most consistent pitcher in the Mets rotation. Alderson already knows what Minaya just couldn’t seem to figure out.

Spending the most money on talent doesn’t mean you will have the best team. Hopefully now with Alderson leading the helm Mets fans will finally have something to really cheer about, a contending baseball team.

Image Courtesy of  http://www.flickr.com/photos/chamberoffear/

The article Sandy Alderson Taking Steps to Turn The Mets Around appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

July 31^st is the date that many Major League Baseball teams are looking forward to: the trade deadline. This will be the last day teams can swap with one another to either bring in or get rid of some of their players in efforts to improve for the future. Depending on where some of these teams rank in the standings usually determines whether they will be shopping for players to bring in, or getting rid of them. Either way, the following teams are most definitely looking to make a big splash.

Buyers: The teams that just need one more piece to make that deep run in the fall.

Philadelphia Phillies: Already a World Series favorite, what more could the Phillies need? Well, since Brad Lidge went down, the closer role has been somewhat of a question mark. Ryan Madson and Antonio Bastardo did well as a stop gap, but they belong in the 7^th and 8^th inning. Heath Bell’s name has come up in rumors for Philly. Also, although their lineup is quite powerful already, they are looking to upgrade for the eventual replacement of Raul Ibanez in left field. Melky Cabrera, who is having a terrific year for Kansas City is a definite option for them.

New York Yankees: The Yankees have reportedly sent scouts out to many ballparks around the league throughout the past few weeks looking to find that one piece that can take them over the hump. They certainly will be in a tight race with Boston for the division lead come seasons end, and the roster they have now doesn’t really compare. Although Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia have done a wonderful job for now, who knows how long the veterans can keep that up. The Yankees have apparently been in talks about Ubaldo Jimenez from Colorado, but if they can’t land him expect them to go after someone else of that calibur. Also, with the struggles of Jorge Posada at DH, don’t be surprised if they go after an extra bat to be the Austin Kearns of 2010.

Atlanta Braves: Atlanta is in a tough position. They are one of the best teams in the National League, and yet really don’t have much chance of surpassing Philadelphia to take the pennant. Regardless, this is a playoff team with a lot of young talent. They should be able to find themselves in the playoffs, but might have to race to get there, which is where the deadline may come into play. A lot of pieces could be added to this team since the bullpen is the only spot that is flawless on the roster. Don’t expect them to shake up their team chemistry too much, but someone like Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran could find himself in a rental situation for the Braves.

San Francisco Giants: The 2010 World Series champions have been somewhat forgotten around the league, and yet they still find themselves with a sizable lead in the NL West. San Fran has been getting by with outstanding pitching, but the lineup is lacking. Not only did Buster Posey leave them with a gap behind the plate, but he was quickly becoming a force with the bat in the middle of their lineup. They might be another suitor for Beltran, but if not, they will surely try to pickup some power wherever they can find it.

Milwaukee Brewers: This is probably the most interesting team in terms of buyers. They probably already have made their big splash by landing former Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez, but apparently they’re not done. Again, offense is of priority here, especially in the outfield. Carlos Gomez just went down with a broken clavicle so General Manager Doug Melvin may look to add some depth there. Milwaukee is finding themselves in one of the tightest races in baseball, so they’re probably just one of the teams in the NL Central looking to make a buy.

**BONUS** Pittsburgh Pirates: Now this team is interesting. Nobody expected Pittsburgh to be in contention in August, and if you say you did, we all know you’re lying. Pittsburgh has claimed that this could be their year, and they might be willing to make a big deal so long as it doesn’t compromise their long term goals. As I said, don’t be surprised if every team in the NL Central makes a move. People might just be waiting for this team to implode, or might have genuine interest, either way all eyes will be on these Pirates.

Sellers: These clubs are packing it in, get rid of all of your over-performing short-term assets for some young talent.

New York Mets: Oh, the Mets. What can I say about this team? Realistically they haven’t been too bad this season. They’ve been hovering around .500 much of the year, and if they were in the NL Central too, they might find themselves as buyers rather than sellers. Alas, they are not, and it’s time to start thinking about who to move. “K-Rod” is gone and so is his gigantic contract, and supposedly the next to go will be Beltran. At this point, you would think they would be fielding calls for just about anybody, and yet that apparently is not the case. First year General Manager, Sandy Alderson has publicly insisted that star shortstop Jose Reyes is not on the trading block in his contract year. This is a bit puzzling considering the value they would be able to get for him right now, but maybe he is just trying to instill confidence in his players and ball-club. Maybe they really do think they can sign Reyes long term at years end. Regardless of whether or not he goes, more players are definitely on the way out.

Houston Astros: The Astros are not good, and haven’t been so for a few years now. It’s time to start thinking about the future, and although many people thought that future began with outfielder Hunter Pence, the organization has struggled mightily to put anybody around him. His days in Houston are probably numbered since they should be able to get some decent prospects in exchange. Also, starter Wandy Rodriguez has generated a bit of interest from a few clubs, and at this point nobody on Houston is off limits. They’ll take whatever they can get, its rebuilding time.

Chicago Cubs: Year in and year out the cubs have found a way to disappoint the north side of Chicago. They are not in contention this year, but do have some pieces that could attract some of teams who are. Carlos Zambrano seemingly has been on the block for a decade, but in his last year as a Cub he could, at the very least be a nice rental for a playoff team. Aramis Ramirez has continued to put up good numbers all throughout his time in Chicago, and though he makes a nice tandem with Starlin Castro on the left side of that infield, he won’t be around forever. Alfonso Soriano has probably the most untouchable contract in baseball, so though they probably would love to move him for a prospect, they probably won’t even be able to do that. Wrigley Field will become somewhat of a Flea Market for the next week. Buy at your own risk.

Tampa Bay Rays: What happened to the Rays? The same thing that happens to them every year. It’s sad to see such a talented team go down the drain because of financial issues, but those are the woes of the small-market team these days. Before the season began they got rid of most of their star players and reloaded with young talent. Unfortunately it didn’t workout all that well and they now find themselves in an impossible chase of the Yankees and Red Sox. Apparently James Shields could be shopped, and as he is arguably a Cy Young candidate this season, that could make for the biggest blockbuster of the deadline. B.J. Upton also might be on the block, and more than a handful of teams would be interested in his talents. I feel bad for Joe Maddon, but the Rays will get back to contention sooner or later, we just might not recognize many of the names of the roster when they do.

San Diego Padres: Lastly, but surely not least, we find the Padres. The only competition they have is for last place in the NL West with the Dodgers. San Diego might possess the biggest pitching commodity on the market in Heath Bell. Should they choose to get rid of him, they will be able to get some serious prospects in return, and have a hand in swaying the balance of power in whatever league they decide to deal him to. The Phillies will undoubtedly have interest, and if they can land him, every other National League team may as well hit the golf course already. Power-packed outfielder Ryan Ludwick could also be packaged will Bell, or moved in his own trade before July 31^st. No need for home runs when you’re 15 games out of the race.

The trade deadline is perennially one of the most fun times of the baseball season. Big time names should be on the move this season which surely will have serious implications come playoff time.

Images: Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com

The article MLB Trade Deadline: Buyers and Sellers appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.

The Philadelphia Phillies hold the best record in the major leagues, have the best pitching staff in the league, and have a lineup that takes complete advantage of the small walls in Citizens Bank Park. They have proved throughout the last few years that they are the favorites in the National League, and have improved significantly in 2011. The question is, can any other team do anything to stop them from reaching the World Series?

Let’s put this into perspective. Sure, they only have a small lead over the Atlanta Braves, who as of now are looking like a solid choice for the wild-card spot. That being said, the Mets are over ten games back of the Phillies for first, a number that looks too big to catch up from even after only half of the season. That being said, put the Mets in the NL West and they’re in a full-blown pennant race sitting only three games back.

The Phillies are dominating, and leaving everyone else in the dust.

Their starting rotation is clearly the cornerstone of the team. As of now they hold three aces in Halladay, Lee, and Hamels, all of which will be representing Philadelphia in the All-Star game in Arizona. Every one of these guys could challenge the prestigious 20 win mark not only this year, but for many years to come. Throw in a healthy Roy Oswalt and opposing teams in a seven game series might as well just give up now.

That brings us to their injuries. The Phillies have seen Oswalt, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino miss significant time already, and still have dominated. Their entire bullpen has been decimated. Brad Lidge, the assumed closer going into the year, hasn’t even sniffed the field. The next in line, Jose Contreras, has seen two long DL stints in 2011. Let’s try Ryan Madson? Same result.

They’re getting by with Antonio Bastardo closing games. That should say it all.

Oh right, we haven’t even discussed their lineup yet…

With Jimmy Rollins, Placido Polanco and Shane Victorino setting the table, any real combination will work out. No complaints there.

Chase Utley and Ryan Howard have proved year in and year out that they are the bread and butter of this Philadelphia lineup, and refuse to disappoint. Expect monstrous home runs from Howard, and some of the most solid consistent hitting in the game from the veteran second baseman. But it doesn’t end there.

Towards the bottom of the lineup we still see Raul Ibanez, who although is not the slugger he once was, isn’t exactly a number seven hitter than opposing pitchers are delighted to see. Domonic Brown, one of their biggest prospects is finally up and playing full-time. He’s not quite where they want him to be just yet, but the flashes of brilliance have come through and proved that the Phillies are okay in the long-term too.

Even Carlos Ruins and Wilson Valdez are decent at handling at bat in the eight hole.

Philly is incredibly balanced. There really aren’t many holes across their roster. If I had to be picky, and I will, their bullpen is shaky at best. Although for the most part they don’t need it to do much now, the playoffs are a different story. Again, it must be noted that all of their starters routinely throw eight innings a game without breaking a sweat, don’t be surprised if they try to make a move before the deadline to pick up another late-inning arm.

Who can stop them? Atlanta? St. Louis? San Francisco? I’ll save some words and just give an overall no.

Book your October tickets now Philly fans, you’re going back to the big game.

Jerry Zitterman / Shutterstock.com

The article Halfway Through: Phillies A Lock For The World Series? appeared first on The Toonari Post - News, Powered by the People!.