The Year of the Injured or Ineffective Closer

Mariano RiveraSome baseball fans and so-called experts discount the importance of closers, insisting that what they do is just one inning of a game, and act like they are no more important than any other pitcher in the game. However, other fans and fantasy baseball team owners may disagree with that assessment. Not only do saves matter when it comes to fantasy baseball, but what a closer does can help protect starters’ wins.

At any rate, what has happened so far in 2012 has shown just how volatile the position is. As of press time, 14 of the 30 Major League Baseball closers at the start of the season have been replaced in the first five weeks of the season. Injury and ineffectiveness are the two culprits.

Closers Lost to Injury

The injury bug has decimated a slew of closers this season, with some of the biggest names in baseball – Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees, and Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants – getting hurt. The 42-year-old Rivera, considered to be the greatest closer of all time and a big reason for the Yankees’ success over the past fifteen years, tore his ACL and meniscus while shagging … Read more at FryingPanSports

5 Reasons Why Everyone Hates the Yankees

Do you hate the Yankees? If you’re not a Yankees fan, then the answer is “yes.” Let’s take a look at five reasons why most people hate the Yankees.

Reason #5 – New Yorkers

People hate New Yorkers. If you’re not sure why people hate New Yorkers, it has everything to do with arrogance. Then again, perhaps it can be called overconfidence. Have you ever been to New York – The Empire State? Everyone has their head held high – too high. New York City might be the greatest city to visit, but this goes to New Yorker’s heads a little bit too much, especially Yankees fans, who have enjoyed more World Series titles than any other team.

Reason #4 – Legacy

Baseball fans might not want to admit it, but there is no chance that any other team will ever catch the Yankees in terms of success. That particular team would need to go on an incomparable run without the Yankees doing anything during that timeframe. This is highly unlikely considering the Yankees often have the most talented players in the league.

Reason #3 – Money

Whatever happened to winning fair and square? Okay, so the Yankees might play … Read more at FryingPanSports

Baseball Stadium Vacations in the Northeast

Plan on packing up the car when the weather turns warm. Head down the east coast on a baseball stadium vacation using Interstate 95 as a major throughway. Don’t worry about accommodations, as budget-minded hotels can be found along the way. Before departing, grab as many free vacation guides of each city as possible to help with navigation.

During the summer it is safe to begin the journey in Boston, Massachusetts to enjoy more consistent warm weather. Consult a travel guide or city map to find famous Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. Along with game schedules, tourism brochures can be found at most tourism stops and rest areas. Eat lunch at the stadium or plan on grabbing something light at one of many fast food restaurants near the ballpark. After the game, drive or take the subway to the New England Aquarium for the family to experience a centrally placed, 4 story giant ocean tank.

Consult a vacation guide or map for the easiest way to get back on the interstate the next day. Drive about 4 hours into New York City for an experience at Yankee Stadium. Located just outside the city, vacation guides will indicate the … Read more at FryingPanSports

Top 5 Reasons to Hate A-Rod

Seeing how the media was treating A-Rod in his entrance to Spring Training inspired me to write about him.  The fact that there is no drama for him entering this season was a headline story on ESPN earlier this week, and that just goes to show you what type of person he is.  There is always something going on with him, whether he’s injured, complaining about his contract, or linked to performance enhancing drugs.  Here are my top 5 reasons to hate him, and I would love to hear what you think!

5.  Yelling “Got it” when running past the Toronto third baseman is Busch League.
4.  One word:  A-ROID! (It’s amazing how fast the media forgets)
3.  I would have probably loved you if you came to the Red Sox, but you didn’t.
2.  Slapping the ball out of Bronson Aaroyo’s glove and whining about being called out shows that you’d cheat to win.
1.  Announcing that you are declaring for free agency in the 9th inning of the Red Sox World Series game shows us how much you crave the attention.

Written by Steve Dade, author of Steve’s Boston Sports Blog http://stevesbostonsports.blogspot.com

Read more at FryingPanSports