He Said/He Said: A Debate of Old School vs. New School

Which side do you agree with?

MLB Trade Deadline Recap and Thoughts

Hey guys, Drew back here! The trade deadline has once again come and gone, and despite a surprisingly quiet final day, the past week has been complete and utter mayhem across Major League Baseball. Over 30 trades were made, sending players and prospects all over the country to places we couldn't even fathom. The only team that didn't make a move was the Arizona Diamondbacks, who flirted with making a trade for Reds closer Aroldis Chapman all week but couldn't get anything done.

So, with all this, I'm going to jump in my mini Time Machine and take you back a little over a week ago, where July's big moves began to take place. Along the way, I'll offer my thoughts on the most impactful acquisitions and where I feel like some teams went wrong.

July 23rd

1. Pittsburgh Pirates acquire Aramis Ramirez and cash from the Milwaukee Brewers for prospect Yhonathan Barrios.

2. Houston Astros acquire Scott Kazmir from the Oakland Athletics for prospects Daniel Mengden and Jacob Nottingham.

Houston, we have a problem. The Astros are leading the AL West in shocking fashion thus far into the season by 2 games over the Angels, and with their addition of the Texas native southpaw, they only got better. Kazmir has not allowed a run yet over his first 14 2/3 IP in his new digs, and is ready to build on what has been a remarkable career turn around.

July 24th

3. New York Mets acquire Juan Uribe, Kelly Johnson, and cash from the Los Angeles Dodgers for prospects John Gant and Rob Whalen.

4. St. Louis Cardinals acquire Steve Cishek from the Miami Marlins for prospect Kyle Barraclough.

Cishek could use a change of scenery after collapsing early on in 2015, and might be a rebound candidate in the 2nd half with the great pitching personnel St. Louis provides.

5. Los Angeles Angels acquire Conor Gillaspie from the Chicago White Sox for cash.

July 26th

6. Kansas City Royals acquire Johnny Cueto from the Cincinnati Reds for prospects Brandon Finnegan, John Lamb, and Cody Reed.

Image Source

This could be the biggest game changer of all deadline moves this year. Last season, the Royals' pitching got by with their incredible bullpen, but their starting pitching wasn't close to as dangerous. With James Shields gone and Yordano Ventura struggling immensely in his sophomore season, it was critical for last year's pennant winners to add someone of Cueto's caliber for a postseason run. The righty is set to become a free agent after the year concludes, and it seems hard to believe that Kansas City will hold onto him for years to come. But, if he helps to bring a World Series title home to Kansas City, this trade could never look bad on their part.

This reminds me of the Brewers move in 2008, bringing CC Sabathia in for a rental run. Sabathia pitched phenomenally, not only bolstering his contract value (that the Yankees are now suffering through) but leading them further into the playoffs than expected. This is a win-win-win. A win for the Royals, gaining an ace. A win for the Reds, gaining some solid pitching prospects knowing they won't be able to resign their ace next year. And, a win for Cueto, who, with a big second half, could end up with a huge reward this offseason.

Cueto gave up 3 runs on 7 hits over 6 innings in his Royals debut against the Blue Jays last night.

July 27th

7. Los Angeles Angels acquire Shane Victorino and cash from the Boston Red Sox for Josh Rutledge.

8. New York Mets acquire Tyler Clippard and cash from the Oakland Athletics for prospect Casey Meisner.

Clippard should become an important piece of the back end of the Mets bullpen, and is next in line for the closer role if Jeurys Familia continues to struggle. He has become one of the more dependable relievers in the game in recent years and will most likely lower the risk of manager Terry Collins having a heart attack mid-game.

July 28th

9. Los Angeles Angels acquire David Murphy and cash from the Cleveland Indians for prospect Eric Stamets.

10. Los Angeles Angels acquire David DeJesus from the Tampa Bay Rays for prospect Eduar Lopez.

Over a two day span, the Angels added 3 decent outfielders in Victorino, Murphy, and DeJesus. You can't help but wonder what their thought process was behind this. Matt Joyce has been offensive in left field, batting .178 at the moment, and maybe their hope is that either one of the 3 new players will be good enough to sustain a starting role.

11. Washington Nationals acquire Jonathan Papelbon and cash from the Philadelphia Phillies for prospect Nick Pavetta.

Image Source

Oh, it's so nice not having to hear Papelbon complain any longer. The All Star closer is one of my least favorite players in baseball, however, I must give credit where credit is due. Despite crotch grabbing, a bad temper, and not being afraid of saying what's on his mind (a scary thought), Pap is has been one of the top closers over the past decade. Drew Storen got the raw end of this deal, losing his closer role despite saving 29 of 31 games with a miniscule 1.64 ERA (sorry to all of you Storen fantasy owners out there). Papelbon wouldn't take the deal unless he knew he would have the closer role, and sure enough, the man got his way.

A critical part of why the Nationals most likely made this move was because of Papelbon's excellent postseason reputation. He has allowed 3 runs over 27 innings pitched in October, pitching to a 1.00 ERA and has had the honor of closing out a World Series victory in his past. Storen, meanwhile, in 5.1 IP, has allowed 5 runs, and was known for blowing a key save in Game 5 of the 2012 NLDS against the Cardinals that sent his Nationals home for the winter. Experience is behind this move, and it should be interesting to see how Papelbon will perform when the Nats need him most.

12. Kansas City Royals acquire Ben Zobrist and cash from the Oakland Athletics for prospects Aaron Brooks and Sean Manaea. 

Ben Zobrist is an extremely nice fit in Kansas City. While I disagree with Brian Kenny and the folks at MLB Network who view him as one of the biggest star players in recent memory (I don't care how high his WAR is), he is a consistent, versatile option that will come in handy in the postseason. It's difficult to say anything bad about the guy today, since he has two home runs against the Blue Jays right now and is making the right kind of impact on a fantastic fanbase that will be fully supportive of him in no time. And, if Kansas City does decide to bring him back next year, he'll have an almost guaranteed chance of starting in the All Star Game!

I am seeing several people online debating whether the Royals gave up too much young talent for these players they may not necessarily need to make the postseason. It appears as though they would have already run away with the AL Central title without Cueto and Zobrist, but I think having these players will be a decision they will not regret. As much as I want to see my Yankees make the World Series this year, their biggest challenge would've been Kansas City before the moves and even more-so now. GM Dayton Moore and Manager Ned Yost are back for blood, and are poised to come home with the World Series trophy this season. For their sakes, let's hope Madison Bumgarner isn't on the mound again.

13. Toronto Blue Jays acquire Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins from the Colorado Rockies for Jose Reyes and prospects Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Jesus Tinoco.

Image Source

While the Johnny Cueto move was probably the most important for any of this year's contending teams, this move was clearly the most fun. Tulowitzki would have never admitted it, but he was unhappy as ever in Colorado. Heck, last year he even was spotted at a Yankees game on an off day. He didn't see this move to Toronto coming, and Canada was exactly where he dreamed of heading off to, but I have a feeling he's going to grow to love playing at Rogers Centre in the most dangerous right handed lineup the game has to offer.

At the moment, I was confused as to why the Blue Jays would make this move when their clear objective at the deadline was to add a top notch starting pitcher. Also, Tulo has had bad hamstring and leg history, and the turf in Toronto may not be helpful to the length of his career. Plus, moving a still more than capable offensive cog in Jose Reyes, while declining defensively and still as big of an injury threat as anyone, didn't click for me. Reyes is a switch hitter who was supposed to and has gotten on base for their big bats to drive him in. Tulowitzki is not an ideal leadoff hitter, but later on we'll see how Toronto overcame this deficit.

There were rumors surrounding Reyes being moved from Colorado following the deal, but it appears that he will be staying put at Coors Field for now. On an interesting and strange side note, I lucked out with my main fantasy team this year and had Tulowitzki and Reyes as my 2B and middle infield positions. It was bizarre that they were flipped for each other!

July 29th

14. Cleveland Indians acquire prospect Jayson Aquino from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

New York Mets (almost) acquire Carlos Gomez from the Milwaukee Brewers. More on that one later.

July 30th

15. Toronto Blue Jays acquire David Price from the Detroit Tigers for prospects Daniel Norris, Matt Boyd, and Jairo Labourt.

Image Source

This was the move I was terrified of seeing after the Blue Jays added Tulowitzki. No GM in baseball would have been done after not addressing the main focus at the deadline, and I knew either Hamels or Price had a great chance of being the next to travel across the border. Price is possibly my favorite pitcher in the game at the moment (always subject to change), and he appears to be an excellent addition to a team with playoff desires. He will not only eat innings, but he will eat them better than a majority of pitchers in the American League. Toronto has not made the playoffs since their World Series victory in 1993, and a Wild Card spot looks promising after these two moves.

But after losing Jose Reyes in the Tulowitzki trade, what is their plan for the top of the lineup? Read on. And, what if this year doesn't go as planned for GM Alex Anthopoulos? Price becomes a free agent after this year, and Daniel Norris has the potential of becoming a fantastic pitcher within the next couple of seasons. I understand attempting to win while Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are towards the end of their prime, but within these two moves alone they lost a majority of their top prospects. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to add Price next year, who, along with Cueto, could seek a contract totaling over $200 million.

16. Houston Astros acquire Carlos Gomez, Mike Fiers, and a pick in the International Pool from the Milwaukee Brewers for prospects Josh Hader, Adrian Houser, Brett Phillips, and Domingo Santana.

Image Source

So, does Carlos Gomez actually have a bad hip or not? I mentioned when recapping the previous day that the Mets came very close to adding their former center fielder and now All Star in exchange for Zach Wheeler and Wilmer Flores (who has since become a fan favorite after hitting a walkoff home run in his "return" to the Mets). It turns out the Mets decided against the trade at the last minute because they were afraid of a hip injury that came up in a medical report. Gomez has not produced at the same level as he did in 2014 for the Brewers, so a hidden injury could have been kept under wraps, though he has denied any sort of health issue.

I thought Gomez would be a great fit for the Mets, but it appears that he'll fit even better patrolling center field in Houston. The Astros were able to add Scott Kazmir and Gomez for a slew of prospects, bettering their chances of not only making the playoffs but making a run for the World Series. The scariest thing about this team is that they are just getting started.

Love him or hate him, Carlos Gomez has played his entire career with his heart on his sleeve. His Brewers teammates and coaching staff loved his compassion and spoke of him much more highly than you would expect of a player whose tirades and fights on the field have made him a tough character to like. A player of his caliber can be a make or break addition to a team, and the Astros were right to have taken this risk.

17. Pittsburgh Pirates acquire Joakim Soria from the Detroit Tigers for prospect JaCoby Jones.

18. Chicago White Sox acquire Justin Sellers from the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash or a PTBNL.

19. Three Team Deal between Dodgers, Marlins, and Braves.
Dodgers acquire Mat Latos, Michael Morse, Alex Wood, Jim Johnson, Luis Avilan, Jose Peraza, Bronson Arroyo, and cash
Marlins acquire prospects Victor Araujo, Jeff Brigham, Kevin Guzman
Braves acquire Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, and prospect Zach Bird.

This was a weird trade, but after a few days of negotiating, it finally came to be. The Dodgers appear to be the heavy winners on paper, but it appears that the other two teams accomplished their goals of clearing some salary while gaining some young players. GM John Hart of the Braves has done a nice job reloading the Braves organization for the debut of their new stadium, set to arrive in 2017. Hector Olivera is a highly regarded Cuban prospect, and could have the most upside of anyone in this deal.

As for right now, Los Angeles stocked up on starting pitchers to fill out the back end of their rotation. Following the dynamic duo of Kershaw and Greinke, they will now have Brett Anderson, Mat Latos, and Alex Wood round things out. Latos is my personal favorite talent-wise of the three, but all five pitchers are more than capable of helping them down the stretch.

20. New York Yankees acquire Dustin Ackley from the Seattle Mariners for prospects Ramon Flores and Jose Ramirez.

I was intrigued by the Yankees' plan for this year's deadline. GM Brian Cashman made it clear that he wasn't willing to move any of these four prospects: Aaron Judge, Luis Severino, Greg Bird, and Jorge Mateo. I certainly agreed on the first two, and while it would be convenient to have the latter two players as well, I wouldn't have been too upset to see them moved for assets they could use right now. Heck, they are in first place, but with the Blue Jays now breathing down their neck, you would think they would push for a little extra.

After flirting with every possible pitcher, starter or reliever, they ultimately only ended up moving two prospects for Dustin Ackley. Ackley was a highly regarded prospect several years ago who never really worked out in Seattle. About the only awesome thing about him was his beard, which of course now ceases to exist thanks to the Steinbrenner way. I can't say there's a whole lot I'm looking forward to with this move.

21. St. Louis Cardinals acquire Brandon Moss from the Cleveland Indians for prospect Rob Kaminsky.

I had to double take when I saw this trade. I'm no prospect connoisseur, but when I saw "Cardinals top prospect Rob Kaminsky" involved in a straight up trade for a struggling Brandon Moss, I was confused. This may end up being the worst trade of the entire deadline, unless St. Louis knows more about their prospect than we do.

22. Pittsburgh Pirates acquire Joe Blanton from the Kansas City Royals for cash.

July 31st

23. San Francisco Giants acquire Mike Leake from the Cincinnati Reds for prospects Adam Duvall and Keury Mella.

Mike Leake was the most underrated starter on the market, and the Bay Area welcomed him in for a couple of prospects. I love that despite winning 3 of the past 5 World Series', the Giants aren't letting this even numbered season go to waste. Leake is 9-5 in 2015 with a 3.56 ERA, and has been particularly hot this summer. He is a rental, but even for a few months he appears to be worth the small haul.

24. Baltimore Orioles acquire Gerardo Parra from the Milwaukee Brewers for prospect Zach Davies.

The Orioles found themselves a leadoff hitter having the best season of his career. Parra is batting .328 this year with 9 home runs and 9 stolen bases. This allows Buck Showalter to move Manny Machado down the batting order, where he will drive more runs in for a team that is in need of an extra offensive boost.

25. St. Louis Cardinals acquire Jonathan Broxton and cash from the Milwaukee Brewers for prospect Malik Collymore.

26. Texas Rangers acquire Cole Hamels, Jake Diekman, and cash from the Philadelphia Phillies for Matt Harrison and prospects Jorge Alfaro, Nick Williams, Alec Asher, Jerad Eickhoff, and Jake Thompson.

Image Source

Who is the idiot for waiting so long now? GM Ruben Amaro may have taken absolutely forever to deal his ace and officially begin Philadelphia's rebuilding process, but he got back six players in return for him! Four of the Rangers prospects were part of their top 10 best prospects, and the biggest name in the deal outside of Hamels is catching prospect Jorge Alfaro. A scout told ESPN's Jayson Stark last week that Alfaro reminded him of a bigger Pudge Rodriguez, which is about the highest praise you could receive as a young catcher. The Phillies now have a lot to look forward to, but will miss Hamels, who has been a part of their organization since he was first drafted in 2002.

It will be an uphill battle for the Rangers to make the playoffs, currently 7 games out of first place in the AL West and 3 games out of a Wild Card spot. With Hamels, however, there may be a sliver of hope that they can make that late season run. Up until his recent no-hitter, Hamels has struggled in 2015 more than usual, but a lot of that could have been attributed to being miserable in Philadelphia.

The best part about this deal for Texas is that he is far from a rental. Not only will they have their lefty for the remainder of 2015, but they will also have him for 4 additional years for a little over $90 million dollars. For a pitcher of his caliber, they are getting a bargain. Next season, their rotation will begin with Hamels and recovering Yu Darvish, and it will be hard-pressed to find a better one-two punch in the American League.

27. Minnesota Twins acquire Kevin Jepsen from the Tampa Bay Rays for prospects Chih-Wei Hu and Alexis Tapia.

28. Oakland Athletics acquire Felix Doubront from the Toronto Blue Jays for cash.

29. Toronto Blue Jays acquire Ben Revere and cash from the Philadelphia Phillies for prospects Alberto Tirado and Jimmy Cordero.

Ben Revere was the final piece necessary to complete the Blue Jays puzzle. After losing their lead off hitter in Jose Reyes and creating some confusion regarding their very right handed heavy lineup, it was critical for them to find someone capable of starting a rally. Also, Bautista, Encarnacion, and Tulowitzki can all hold their own defensively, but they needed a Ben Revere to balance out all of their strength. He is one of the better contact/speed hitters in baseball, batting .298 this year with 24 steals.

30. Toronto Blue Jays acquire Mark Lowe from the Seattle Mariners for prospects Nick Wells, Jacob Brentz, and Rob Rasmussen.

31. Chicago Cubs acquire Tommy Hunter from the Baltimore Orioles for Junior Lake.

32. Chicago Cubs acquire Dan Haren from the Miami Marlins for prospects Ivan Pineyro and Elliot Soto.

33. Boston Red Sox acquire Ryan Cook from the Oakland Athletics for cash or a PTBNL.

34. San Diego Padres acquire Mark Rzepcynski from the Cleveland Indians for Abraham Almonte.

35. Texas Rangers acquire Sam Dyson from the Miami Marlins for prospect Thomas Telis and Cody Ege.

36. Pittsburgh Pirates acquire J.A. Happ from the Seattle Mariners for prospect Adrian Sampson.

37. New York Mets acquire Yoenis Cespedes from the Detroit Tigers for prospects Michael Fulmer and Luis Cessa.

Image Source

As the clock struck 4:00, the final major deal of the deadline was revealed: The Mets, who earlier escaped from trading for Carlos Gomez, went and grabbed a different bat. Two time Home Run Derby champion and All Star caliber outfielder Yoenis Cespedes was the final rental player moved. This will now be Cespedes' fourth team in 2 years, and there have been rumbles in the past that he isn't the best teammate. However, coming from his background, I can easily envision having a difficult time fitting into any big league locker room.

The Mets may have surrendered a bit much for a rental, as Fulmer has been regarded to be a good right handed pitching prospect. They have plenty of pitching in my eyes, and being able to add an impact bat as big as Cespedes' without surrendering any of Harvey/deGrom/Syndergaard/Matz is an impressive feat. He may not save all of their hitting woes, but he can't hurt, can he?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

After reviewing all of the deadline, here are my biggest winners and losers:

Winners
Toronto Blue Jays - Now a big time contender for a Wild Card spot and could possibly chase the Yankees down and out from the AL East if they don't play their cards right. And if they make the postseason, watch out for their new ace.

Houston Astros - Kazmir and Gomez made a good team even better. They have a young enough team where they can afford to surrender good prospects and still have a bright future.

Kansas City Royals - The American League's best team now has a bonafide ace. There is nothing scarier than that.

Jonathan Papelbon - He couldn't have possibly asked for a better situation to move into from a team he seemed to hate playing for.

Philadelphia Phillies - This year may end as a disaster, but it will soon be sunny in Philadelphia once more.

Wilmer Flores - Because, c'mon man. We live for moments like this.

Image Source

Losers
San Diego Padres - Yesterday's biggest storyline was where current Padres Justin Upton, James Shields, Tyson Ross, Andrew Cashner, and Craig Kimbrel could go. Their offseason strategy has been a failure thus far, as Fangraphs currently gives them a 4% chance of making the playoffs. Four percent is apparently enough for GM AJ Preller to continue to hold on, as he kept all of his players in hopes that they can make a run this year. Power to you, AJ, but good luck with that.

New York Yankees - It isn't necessarily anyone's fault, as they did try to make a move with a majority of the big names. In nontypical Yankee fashion, they couldn't pull through with anyone but Dustin Ackley. Craig Kimbrel appeared to be close to coming to New York to make the nastiest bullpen combination of this era, but Preller's decision to keep things the way they are kept that from happening. After the Blue Jays did everything they did, Cashman may regret not pushing a little harder for top pitchers, considering how much of a revelation Teixeira and A-Rod have been for what could be the final time.

There you have it everyone. I hope you enjoyed my full recap of this year's Trade Deadline, and I would love to hear all of your opinions in the comments below!

See Ya!

Home Run Derby Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Today, I'm celebrating my 17th birthday, but before all of that gets underway, let's wrap up the story that's been dragging on and on. I hope you all have enjoyed these past few posts!

They were ready. We were ready. Finally, it was the moment we had been waiting months in anticipation for. Sure, Fanfest was exciting in its own way, but this was the Home Run Derby, the event I've watched since I first heard of its existence!

What better way to kick off the festivities then have Pitbull start the party! If you couldn't tell, that's about as sarcastic as it gets. The sound system and speakers were extremely quiet from our seats, but perhaps that was for the best. My friend Matt proved me to me later on that he lipsynched the whole time, and it was really a joke of a performance. But, he is a pretty big name, so I had to at least snap a picture.

Seven of the eight participants were ready, except for Robinson Cano apparently, who I later realized wasn't in the picture. Representing Cano's team were sluggers Chris Davis, Prince Fielder, and Yoenis Cespedes (the lone non-All Star in the competition)! On David Wright's National League team, he chose Bryce Harper, long time friend Michael Cuddyer, and a last minute replacement in Pirates power hitting third baseman Pedro Alvarez!

At this point, the bets were on. We did a snake draft choosing players to win the competition starting from oldest to youngest. Dad chose Bryce Harper first overall, and Mike followed by taking 2 time reigning champion Prince Fielder. I went with Chris Davis, and then Vinny chose the captains back to back. I took Cespedes, Mike took Alvarez, and my Dad ended up with Cuddyer. We put a little $ in on our players, which only made the competition more intense!

Mets legend and future Hall of Famer Mike Piazza was on hand to throw out the first pitch. He got a huge hand from the crowd, as he deserved. Considering there isn't any evidence against him, I predict that he should make the Hall of Fame in a year or two.

Prince Fielder kicked off the contest with 2 huge bombs, one of which taped out at 483 feet! However, he "only" hit 5 moon shots, and would not advance to the second round.

Underdog Michael Cuddyer took his cuts next, and he impressed tremendously, knocking out 7 bombs in Round 1! I've always thought he was a class act player but I wasn't quite sure why Wright picked him for the Derby. He definitely impressed me though, and although he wasn't one of my picks, I rooted for him the whole night.

However, Cespedes stole the show, bopping out 17 balls in the first round, including multiple to the third deck at Citi Field, which projected to fly almost 500 feet each! My picked player dominated the first round, which resulted in some great bragging rights.

Alvarez was next, and he hit 5 home runs as well, which was a little disappointing considering the amount of power I knew he possessed. We met a guy on a bus in the city who knew "El Toro" from his childhood, and Pirates fans really lobbied to get him in the competition. He didn't do awfully by any means, but he left a lot to be desired. 

Chris Davis looked like he was taking it easy all night, and didn't seem like he was even trying that hard. But, with his effortless swing, it's easy to point fingers and judge the guy. "Crush" certainly lived up to his nickname, advancing to the second round after 8 first round dingers.

In case Cespedes didn't impress enough, we got the treat to watch 20 year old Bryce Harper showcase some of the tremendous power he possesses! Everything about him popped- the spiked up mohawk, the cleats, and most importantly: the ball off of his bat! He rocketed most of his home runs right down the line in right field, and the ball just flew off of his bat. He finished with 8 first round home runs, and advanced along with Cuddyer, Davis, and Cespedes, coincidentally, my Dad & I's two picks!

Robby Cano disappointed for the second straight year unfortunately, knocking out only 4 balls. I couldn't stand the Mets fans booing of the Yankee All Star, considering they never really had a reason to, other than being part of a team they aren't even rivals with anymore.

David Wright got the biggest hand I've ever heard in my life that night, but I showered in a few boo's, just in response to Cano being boo'ed as hard as he was. I have always respected David Wright, but I thought it'd be only fair to boo another player for absolutely no reason. Fortunately, he was eliminated after hitting 5 home runs, and a good portion of the crowd left afterwards.

Those people were ridiculously stupid though, because two of the young phenoms in baseball still had an awful lot in the tank! Cuddyer and Davis were eliminated in Round 2, leaving Cespedes and Harper for the final round: my dad's pick, and my pick! Money was on the line as the slates were cleared and the home run counter started from zero once again! Harper put another 8 on the board, finishing with 24 home runs on the night. However, Cespedes finished it off with one HUGE blast, going 455 feet off the wall in center field below the scoreboard! Here's the swing, in case you didn't see it already:

I won the bet, and the extra money, which I used to buy off a ball that Vinny hadn't used for future signings and what not! Despite my winnings, everyone enjoyed the derby as much as we expected to- if not more, and I believe the tickets were worth every penny spent. However, our night wasn't even close to being over...

Well, it turned out that the train we needed to take in order to get back to Grand Central was down. There was a fire on the track, so we had no choice but to wait in line for a different train, that came back and forth in longer time intervals. We had no choice but to wait in this enormous mob of possibly 20,000 people for over an hour. People started to get hot and the drunks began to yell at the cops. We were honestly one more idiot away from a riot breaking out. Dad told us to keep our cool, and we did, and I made great use of the free towel they gave away. It was chaotic, and by the time we got to the front of the mob for the train, the other train was back up and running. We ended up turning around and going to that train, which successfully took us back to Grand Central. 

After we got on our train at Grand Central around 1:00 in the morning, we thought we were in cruise control. However, as our stop approach and we could see my dad's SUV in the parking lot, he realized that the train wasn't really slowing down. Fortunately the train stopped and we all laughed at him on our way to the exit door. We didn't make it much farther. It turned out that our car door was sealed shut, and by the time we realized the door wasn't opening, the train left for its next stop! A few curse words were chanted throughout the train as we were all outraged at the circumstances. However, Dad got us a cab to pick us up at the next stop, and we moved to a bigger exit area to ensure we would actually get out. The cab picked us up, and then dropped us off without even leaving the parking lot because he technically wasn't supposed to pick us up. Another taxi strolled into the parking lot, and although he had no clue who we were, he gave us a ride regardless. Just about anything that could've gone wrong following the Derby did, and it was quite the mess. But looking back in retrospect, it will be a day I will never forget, despite the ups and downs along the way.

Thanks so much to Dad for treating me to this incredible day. I'm glad we all laugh about how unlucky we were on the way home now, because that wasn't meant to ruin the awesome day. With that being said, I don't think I'll be heading back to Citi Field anytime soon, because its train system really isn't that organized. I don't think I'm the only fan who said that after that night. Oh well, it was a great time.

I hope you all enjoyed and got a kick out of our story! We arrived home at 4:00 AM, which made the day a whopping 23 hours long for us. But with 6 signed baseballs and memories to last a lifetime, I'd do it all over again if I could.

See Ya!

2013 All Star Workout Day Recap!

Hey guys, Drew back here! I explained at the end of my last post that Mike, Vinny, Dad, and I's day was far from over as we left Fanfest. To go along with that quest, we also all bought tickets to attend the 2013 Chevrolet Home Run Derby at Citi Field in Queens! I believe that the derby is the marquee event of the All Star break, simply because the All Star Game itself hasn't been exciting since the extra inning affair in Yankee Stadium a few years back. The tickets weren't cheap, but I thought it would be a once in a lifetime chance to see some of the best hitters in baseball go deep before my eyes! The night of the derby is also the All Star Workout day, so if your favorite player isn't necessarily competing in the event, you may at least get to see them take some swings in the cage, which for some players can be more entertaining than watching them during the game the following night!

As we arrived at the stadium, a few of us bought the exclusive All Star Program for sale, which had the full All Star rosters among a scorecard and many other things. As we walked in we were also given a bag filled with pamphlets, a towel, and a few other small items. We originally wanted to try graphing at the stadium, but we were so exhausted from Fanfest that we just wanted to sit down and take it all in. I had never been to Citi Field prior to the event, so I used this event to get a taste of the ballpark and take in something other than Yankee Stadium air for once!

As you can see, it was a beautiful day, although I must say until the sun went down it was brutally hot out. Our seats were in the first row of the promenade section, and they were perfect for viewing the entire field and seeing the ball fly out of the stadium! We grabbed some food and picked up some merchandise, but spent the rest of the workout watching our fantasy players and favorite players take some cuts!

One of the first players we saw in the batting cage was someone who had earlier on been feet away from us, Andrew McCutchen. In retrospect, it was awesome getting to see "Cutch" entertain the children for the event, but I think I'll always remember getting the cold shoulder from him when I was literally standing two feet away from him. However, I'd like to say the security really interfered with the situation, so I'm going to try and forgive Andrew for their ridiculousness.

Bryce Harper jumped in soon afterwards! Originally, I wasn't a huge Harper fan, because he seemed arrogant and stuck-up. However, I've grown to love his passion and attitude for the game! He's always an exciting player to watch and I was pumped to see him in the Derby later on that night!

How can you be a baseball fan without loving Buster Posey? He's done it all already- won 2 World Series, an MVP, NL Rookie of the Year, made 2 All Star teams, and caught a perfect game! Yadier Molina may one of my favorite fantasy baseball catchers in recent years, but Posey is still my favorite all around catcher in the game. It was great to see him take BP, because I won't be seeing a Yankees-Giants game anytime soon.

I was a bit disappointed that I wasn't invited to this all exclusive VIP club in center field featuring Mike Trout, Joe Mauer, Torii Hunter, Nelson Cruz, and Adam Jones, but I guess I'll get over it. It was cool to see players of various teams interacting and having a good time, and it was a reminder that business is still a little kid's game through it all.

Speaking of kids, my all time favorite pitcher Mariano Rivera was out in the outfield playing catch with his two sons. I was a little nervous seeing Mo throw in the outfield, but fortunately his older son caught by the outfield wall, while he was closer to the infield. I'd love to see him finish his final year injury-free.

I found you, Harold Reynolds! The former second baseman and current MLB Network analyst was out roaming about the outfield interviewing numerous players, and I caught him talking to Salvador Perez and Nelson Cruz. I really enjoy Harold on the MLB Network, so it was neat to get to see him in person.

When you take several hundred pictures at an event, you're bound to find a picture or two that makes you question "what on Earth is going on?" Well, it appears that Miguel Cabrera lost his child to someone I cannot identify, and he doesn't look he's very motivated to take him back! Too funny.

I don't know which club I'd have a better shot of entering- the one earlier on, or this group of excellent young pitchers! By the warning track in center field stood Tigers aces Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander, along with Boston's Clay Buchholz, the ChiSox's Chris Sale, and Tampa's last minute All Star addition Matt Moore! I could only imagine what these guys were talking about. Did you see Adam Dunn's swing on my curveball?

Mike Trout. There isn't much else to say. This guy is must-see TV.

In case Trout had a little bit of room to improve, Big Papi and Joey Bats could certainly fill up that empty space in his game. Bautista has been one of the most entertaining players in the past few years, and not even this Yankee fan can say that I hate David Ortiz. Sure, he cheated, and sure, he's murdered the Yankees many, many times, but there's something about the guy that you really have to love.

But while all of those All Stars may be pretty good, this guy in the cage stole the spotlight under the bright lights! The lone player in the Home Run Derby not on the All Star team, Yoenis Cespedes certainly went on to make his presence felt as the night went on. Tomorrow I'll wrap the night up with pictures from the actual derby! I hope you all have enjoyed this series! 

See Ya!

One from the Museum Collection!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Finals week is underway, as I was required to take a written final for Gym today to kick off the 2 weeks of torture. The test was a complete joke, and I was very aggravated for having to come in for Gym. Oh well. I picked this card up the other day from the new Topps Museum Collection!

I was watching some YouTube box breaks of the new product one day, and someone came across one of these beautiful quad relics featuring 2 young stars and 2 legends from Oakland and Pittsburgh! The Pirates are undoubtedly my favorite National League team, and Andrew McCutchen is one of my current favorite players throughout all of baseball. The A's are another one of my favorite teams, and you know how much I love a nice Reggie Jackson card when I see one! So, immediately following the YouTuber pulling this card, I jumped onto eBay and added one to my own collection for around $20 give or take. It's numbered out of 99 and has 3 jersey swatches and a beautiful 3 color patch on the McCutchen! I didn't expect to see a combo with 4 players I really like, so it was a nice addition for me for sure.

What do you all think of the new Museum Collection? Better/worse than past years?

See Ya!

Moneyball Sequel Star Pickup!

Hey guys, Drew back here! Snow is falling like there's no tomorrow, and it isn't even December 21st yet. So far here in New York, we've got about 4-5 inches of snowfall since this afternoon, which is just more of a hassle for those in the City. I'm outside of the city area by quite a ways, however the devastation in our big city really has been tough to experience seeing on the news every day. I wish the best to all who have been affected by Hurricane Sandy, and I hope New York is restored to what it was as soon as possible!

Anyways, I received a little more eBay sweetness the other day, when this beauty came trickling into my mailbox:

Out of this year's Topps Finest, I picked up this beautiful green refractor rookie autograph of Oakland A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes! Cespedes was a controversial signing by Oakland prior to this season, however, his 4 year, $36 million deal turned out to be a nice steal! He's right in the middle of his prime, and for 9 million a year, they couldn't have gone wrong with his acquisition. In his first season in American baseball, Cespedes batted .292 with 23 bombs and 82 RBI, which earned him a nomination tonight for American League Rookie of the Year. While it's very doubtful that he'll top super rookie Mike Trout, it's safe to say he had a fantastic rookie campaign!

I'm really glad I bought this one, even if it was a tad bit out of my normal eBay price range. Hopefully my investment will pay off, but if not, at least it's a great looking card!

See Ya!