The Orioles had lofty expectations for right-hander Chris Tillman when they acquired him from the Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, but he's far exceeded them so far this season, earning All-Star honors in the double-A Eastern League despite being one of the circuit's youngest players. If he keeps it up, it won't be long before the 20-year-old finds himself atop the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards. By Jay LeBlanc.
The Orioles had lofty expectations for right-hander Chris Tillman when they acquired him from the Mariners in the Erik Bedard deal, but he's far exceeded them so far this season, earning All-Star honors in the double-A Eastern League despite being one of the circuit's youngest players. If he keeps it up, it won't be long before the 20-year-old finds himself atop the pitcher's mound at Camden Yards. By Jay LeBlanc.
If you read as much sports as I do, you are definitely over the bombardment of snub columns, complaints about the home-field advantage and selection process of the All-Star Game by now. Since the boys at the networks had those angles covered in a New York minute, I'm just going to kick back, enjoy the show and reserve my words for the games that count in the standings. By Sean Raposa.
With the All-Star break just around the corner, it's time to peer into the crystal ball and make my predictions for how the rest of the season will play out. Though baseball is an unpredictable game, I'm putting it all out there now in hopes of looking really smart when it's all said and done. By Jay LeBlanc.
With the All-Star break just around the corner, it's time to peer into the crystal ball and make my predictions for how the rest of the season will play out. Though baseball is an unpredictable game, I'm putting it all out there now in hopes of looking like a modern-day Nostradamus when it's all said and done. By Jay LeBlanc.
Ten towns scattered across the Massachusetts peninsula make baseball truly a part of the summer fabric, as the Cape Cod Baseball League attracts the top college talent in the nation. The players who choose to spend their summer on the Cape are all focused on the same goal: they want to impress pro scouts. By Tom Stad.
Ten towns scattered across the Massachusetts peninsula make baseball truly a part of the summer fabric, as the Cape Cod Baseball League attracts the top college talent in the nation. The college players who choose to spend their summer on the Cape are all focused on the same goal: they want to impress pro scouts. By Tom Stad.
Right-hander Colton Willems, a first-round pick in 2006, has experienced success at every level so far while steadily making his way up the Nationals' organizational ladder. After a stellar 2007 campaign in short-season Class A, he's enjoying another fine season with the Class A Hagerstown Suns and looks like yet another outstanding young player the Nats can build around. By Jay LeBlanc.
Right-hander Colton Willems, a first-round pick in 2006, has experienced success at every level so far while steadily making his way up the Nationals' organizational ladder. After a stellar 2007 campaign in short-season Class A, he's enjoying another fine season with the Class A Hagerstown Suns and looks like yet another outstanding young player the Nats can build around. By Jay LeBlanc.
The main things pro teams look for in a shortstop are the abilities to field and throw. The Atlanta Braves knew they had a player who could perform both of those tasks in 2007 third-round pick Brandon Hicks, who showed good range while playing for Texas A&M and flashed a 90-plus mile per hour heater while doubling as a pitcher in junior college. What they might not have realized was just how much pop Hicks had in his bat. By Jay LeBlanc.
Still just 20 years old, Gorkys Hernandez has already put together an impressive resume, earning Gulf Coast League Post-Season All-Star honors in 2006 and Midwest League Post-Season All-Star and MVP honors last season. The speedy Venezuelan, who was acquired by the Braves along with right-hander Jair Jurrjens last fall in the deal that sent shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Tigers, has also appeared in the past two Futures Games. By Jay LeBlanc.
Ten towns scattered across the Massachusetts peninsula make baseball truly a part of the summer fabric, as the Cape Cod Baseball League attracts the top college talent in the nation. The college players who choose to spend their summer on the Cape are all focused on the same goal: they want to impress pro scouts. By Tom Stad.
When I told a colleague my next article would focus on Kenny Lofton, he was stunned. "Kenny Lofton?" "Yeah, Kenny Lofton." The thing is, if you take a closer look at the career of Lofton - who was once parodied in a DHL commercial about the number of teams he has played for - you'll see that his case for Cooperstown is a little stronger than you might think. By Nick Leco.
When I told a collegue my next article would focus on Kenny Lofton, he was stunned. "Kenny Lofton?" "Yeah, Kenny Lofton." The thing is, if you take a closer look at the career of Lofton - who was once parodied in a DHL commercial about the number of teams he has played for - you'll see that his case for Cooperstown is a little stronger than you might think. By Nick Leco.
When I told a collegue my next article would focus on Kenny Lofton, he was stunned. "Kenny Lofton?" "Yeah, Kenny Lofton." The thing is, if you take a closer look at the career of Lofton - who was once parodied in a DHL commercial about the number of teams he has played for - you'll see that his case for Cooperstown is a little stronger than you might think. By Nick Leco.
