When Dad and I woke up for the final day of the Four Ballparks, Four Cities, Four Days trip, we realized immediately that we had some serious ground to cover.  Although we could walk to Ballpark #3 from our Los Angeles Hilton, it was located a full 375 miles from Ballpark #4—Chase Field in beautiful downtown Phoenix, Arizona.

So off we went into the desert, our trusty Toyota Corolla pointed directly toward The City that Sleeps at 7PM.  I wasn’t sure what to expect in the six-hour drive, save for a colleague’s admonition from before I left the office—make sure your air conditioning works.  At first I wasn’t sure how seriously I needed to take this on a beautiful 80-degree day in Los Angeles.  However, as we drove deeper into the desert, the temperature steadily climbed into the 90’s before finally cracking the triple digits.  Before we crossed the Arizona state line, the Corolla’s thermometer read 105, which (not coincidentally I am certain) represented a higher number than the populations of several towns we passed along the way.

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[courtesy of @CincinnatiReds]

On Monday afternoon, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto was named the 2010 National League MVP after receiving 31 of 32 first-place votes.  For those who watched Votto closely this season, the prestigious recognition comes as no surprise considering that he was the most impressive hitter in the NL and arguably in all of baseball.

Nobody covers the Reds like my man Clint over at Diamond Hoggers, and here is what he had say after Votto was announced as MVP:

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Stan Musial Award (MVP)

National League:
First Place Vote – Joey Votto (Cincinnati)
Second Place Vote – Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado)
Third Place Vote – Albert Pujols (St. Louis)
Fourth Place Vote – Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego)
Fifth Place Vote – Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado)
Sixth Place Vote – Aubrey Huff (San Francisco)
Seventh Place Vote – Jason Heyward (Atlanta)
Eighth Place Vote – Roy Halladay (Philadelphia)
Ninth Place Vote – Jay Bruce (Cincinnati)
Tenth Place Vote – Ryan Zimmerman (Washington)

American League:
First Place Vote – Josh Hamilton (Texas)
Second Place Vote – Miguel Cabrera (Detroit)
Third Place Vote – Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay)
Fourth Place Vote – Paul Konerko (Chicago)
Fifth Place Vote – Robinson Cano (New York)
Sixth Place Vote – Delmon Young (Minnesota)
Seventh Place Vote – Carl Crawford (Tampa Bay)
Eighth Place Vote – Jose Bautista (Toronto)
Ninth Place Vote – Joe Mauer (Minnesota)
Tenth Place Vote – Adrian Beltre (Boston)

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As the Rangers, Yankees, Giants, and Phillies start the American and National league Championships and take one step closer towards their goal of a World Series title, a slew of dominating pitchers and devastating bats are set to face off. The first round of the playoffs was amazing and we can only hope that we will witness equal excitement in round two. But some of MLB’s best performers from 2010 are going to be watching these championships at home on the couch, just like the rest of us. So this week I’d like to give a shout out to the best losers in baseball for the 2010 season.

Continue Reading “Baseball’s Best Losers in 2010″>>

On Wednesday, left-handed power hitters Adam LaRoche and Brad Hawpe cleared waivers and it appears that they will be traded in the coming days.  Although neither the Arizona Diamondbacks nor Colorado Rockies seem close to a deal involving either player, there are several organizations that will undoubtedly express interest.

The fact that LaRoche was placed on waivers should come as no surprise as the Diamondbacks openly expressed his availability, as well as anybody not named Reynolds or Upton, during July’s trading frenzy.  Prior to the 2010 season, the Diamondbacks signed LaRoche to one year, $4.5 million contract that has a $7.5 million mutual option for 2011, and would increase to a $9.5 mutual option if he is traded.  The Diamondbacks also have the ability to buy out LaRoche’s contract for $1.5 million.

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