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The Giants’ championship formula is a familiar one, just with new faces all over the diamond two years later: stellar starting pitching backed by a shut-down bullpen, a late-season surge and a manager making all the right moves.

San Francisco captured its second World Series title in three seasons with a stunning sweep of the Tigers, and only catcher Buster Posey was in the lineup for the Game 5 clincher in 2010 at Texas and also the finale at Comerica Park in 2012.

“We’re just happy right now,” Posey said. “It’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Two of the four games against Detroit were started and won by a pair of pitchers not even on the World Series roster in 2010, and in Ryan Vogelsong’s case he wasn’t even in the majors back then.

The only regular still around from that team is Posey, and the catcher had to rebound from devastating ankle and leg injuries sustained in a home-plate collision in late May 2011 to put together an MVP-caliber season and become the NL batting champ. He played far more than anybody envisioned his body would allow.

This time, a couple of bench warmers from that last October run shined for San Francisco — MVP Pablo Sandoval and Game 1 winner Barry Zito. The lefty Zito was left off the postseason roster for all three rounds in 2010.

“Just as a player, certainly you want to play on a team that wins the World Series. And to go out there and contribute, there’s nothing like that,” Zito said. “We were very adamant that we have to step on their throats. We saw what they did to New York.”

Marco Scutaro and Hunter Pence were this year’s midseason additions, with Scutaro following up Cody Ross in 2010 to earn NL championship series MVP honors. While Scutaro produced the timely hits, including a go-ahead single with two outs in the 10th inning of Sunday’s 4-3 win, Pence did plenty and became the motivational speaker of this group. He reminded his teammates to keep the focus even when they jumped out to a surprising 3-0 Series lead against the Tigers.

These Giants showed they could rally back — again and again — and also thrive when playing out in front.

They fell behind 2-0 to the Cincinnati Reds in the division series, then became the first team in major league history to rally back in a five-game series by winning three straight road games. They did it again against the defending champion St. Louis Cardinals, erasing a 3-1 deficit thanks largely to Zito’s Game 5 victory at Busch Stadium that sent the Giants back to the Bay Area to finish it off in San Francisco.

Six victories in six elimination games.

“The thing that made this team so special is just playing as a team, caring for each other,” Pence said. “We had our backs against the wall and we knew it wasn’t going to be easy. It’s not supposed to be. That was one of our mottos, and we went out there to enjoy every minute of it and it was hard-earned. Just an incredible, incredible group of guys that fought for each other.”

San Francisco ended the season on a seven-game winning streak.

Reliever George Kontos summed it up the best he could in one Twitter post late Sunday: “WORLD.....SERIES.....CHAMPS😡! That’s all that needs to be said... This team is special.... We did what no other team could.”

Much like that 2010 team of “castoffs and misfits” as they referred to themselves, manager Bruce Bochy had to make some tough calls. He moved struggling starter Tim Lincecum to the bullpen, and he became a dominant reliever. Another spot-on move by Bochy, who became just the 23rd manager to win two or more World Series titles.

Nobody figured the Giants would leave AT&T Park with a 2-0 lead Thursday night for the Motor City and not have to come back home for a Game 6, or 7 for that matter.

Bochy, for one, is tired of hearing people call it luck.

“For us to play like we did against this great club, I couldn’t be prouder of these guys,” Bochy said. “To be world champions in two out of the last three years, it’s amazing. Believe me, I know how difficult it is to get here, and I couldn’t be prouder of a group of guys that were not going to be denied.”

When the Giants take to Market Street in downtown San Francisco for Wednesday’s Halloween championship parade, there will be no costumes needed. Brian Wilson, whose season ended in April when he needed Tommy John elbow surgery, and the man who finished off the clincher in his place by striking out the side Sunday on 15 pitches — Sergio Romo — are still sporting those dark postseason beards that have made these two such huge hits.

Along with their pitching, of course.

When it comes to pitching, Giants general manager Brian Sabean has never wavered. He has won more often than not by building around a balanced and versatile staff.

And all five starters are under contract heading into 2013.

A couple of big decisions facing Sabean are whether to re-sign Scutaro and center fielder Angel Pagan. It’s unclear whether the Giants will consider giving Melky Cabrera a second chance after the All-Star game MVP was suspended Aug. 15 for a positive testosterone test and then not added to the NLCS roster once he was eligible to return.

Sandoval, the Kung Fu Panda, earned Series MVP honors after sparking his club with that three-homer outing in a Game 1 win against Justin Verlander and Co. He batted .369 this postseason with five doubles, six homers and 13 RBIs. That’s after he was benched for four of the five games in 2010, when he hit .176 with two RBIs.

In three mighty swings last Wednesday night, he showed how far he has come since then. Even after a pair of stints on the disabled list this season, one for a broken hamate bone in his hand that required surgery.

“You know, I still can’t believe that game. It’s the game of your dreams. You don’t want to wake up,” the 26-year-old Sandoval said.

The Giants again will ask Sandoval to shape up this offseason — and he is on board. Sandoval wants to be at his best not only for San F

J.J. Hardy thought he'd hit a home run, only to be robbed when Mike Trout made one of the most sensational grabs of the season. On Tuesday night, Hardy caught a break.

The Baltimore shortstop won a Gold Glove, putting him among a group of nine players honored for the first time for their fielding excellence.

''It means a lot to me,'' said Hardy, in his eighth big league season. ''It's definitely an award I always hoped to get and never really expected to get. I'm surprised and honored at the same time.''

Pittsburgh center fielder Andrew McCutchen, San Diego third baseman Chase Headley and Oakland right fielder Josh Reddick also were first-time selections.

''I'm just happy I can pull it out for them and get the A's name even more out there,'' Reddick said. ''It's a huge honor, I'm always taking pride in both sides of my game and trying to be a complete player. You never know what one play, whether the first or the ninth inning, is going to win a ballgame. That's what my mother and father taught me.''

Headley, who had a breakout year with the bat, said he and Padres coach Glenn Hoffman, a former major league shortstop, talked during spring training about improving his defense.

''The foundation was laid there,'' Headley said. ''Obviously it's nice when you get the results when you focus on something. ... Your pitcher counts on you to make routine plays each and every time. I was able to do a better job this year.''

The Orioles were the only team with three winners. Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones and catcher Matt Wieters were second-time choices, joining Hardy for the awards chosen by major league managers and coaches and presented by Rawlings.


Read More: MLB: Gold Glove Awards

Major League Baseball handed out its annual Gold Glove Awards Tuesday night and while I was excited to see one of my favorite players win one (Josh Reddick of the Oakland A’s), I do not put much stock in the award itself.
The history of my dislike for the award dates back to 1999 when Rafael Palmeiro won the award at first base for the Texas Rangers despite the fact that he only played 28 games at first base. The rest of his season (128 games worth) was spent as the Rangers’ designated hitter.
The award is supposed to be for the best fielding player at each position. So how does a player who plays on 28 of 156 games in the field win such an award?
In 2006 Major League Baseball further proved how worthless the Gold Glove Award was when Oakland A’s second baseman Mark Ellis was snubbed. Ellis committed just two errors in 632 chances all season to set the single season record for best fielding percentage by a second baseman with a mark of .99685.
But Ellis did not win a Gold Glove in 2006. Instead the award went to Kansas City’s Mark Grudzielanek. Grudzielanek committed four errors that season which was twice as many as Ellis.
Earlier this week, Mike Trout won the 2012 centerfield Fielding Bible Award. Trout committed only four errors all season long with two of them coming in centerfield, one came in right field and one in left field. The Fielding Bible Awards are given to one player per position regardless of league whereas the Gold Glove Awards go to one player in each league.
Now, here we are in 2012 and once again deserving players are being snubbed. This year the American League’s centerfield Gold Glove award went to Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles. Jones had a fine year as he committed just 8 errors in 454 chances, but he was nowhere near the defender that Mike Trout was. Trout robbed so many players of would be home runs this year it was amazing. It seemed like Trout was being shown robbing some player at least once a week on the high light shows.
Over the years, it has often seemed if a player won the award, they would win it again the following season, unless they either didn’t play or had a very bad season. That is one of the reasons I believe Palmeiro won the award in 1999, because he had won it in 1997 and 1998 as well.
Last year the AL centerfield award went to Jacoby Ellsbury, but seeing as how he was injured for most of this year, he did not win again. But, Jones had won a Gold Glove Award before, winning it in 2009.
Of the 19 (there was a tie for one position) Gold Gloves handed out this year, nine of the winners were first-time winners. The first-time winners included Oakland’s Josh Reddick (right field), Baltimore’s J.J. Hardy (shortstop), San Diego’s Chase Headley (third base), Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen (center field), Washington’s Adam LaRoche (first base), Atlanta’s Jason Heyward (right field) and Chicago Cub’s Darwin Barney (second base).
Also winning it for the first time were pitchers Jake Peavy of the Chicago White Sox and Jeremy Hellickson of the Tampa Bay Rays. Peavy and Hellickson tied for the AL pitchers award.
St. Louis’ Yadier Molina was the only National League player who won the award last year to win it again this year. Molina won his fifth consecutive Gold Glove Award (as well as his 5th Fielding Bible Award). The rest of the National League winners were Colorado left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (2nd award), Philadelphia shortstop Jimmy Rollins (4th award) and Miami pitcher Mark Buehrle (4th award, but first in the NL).
In the American League, Yankee’s first baseman Mark Teixeira (5th award) and second baseman Robinson Cano (2nd award) both won as did Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre (4th award), Baltimore catcher Matt Wieters (2nd award) and Royals left fielder Alex Gordon (2nd award).
With nine Fielding Bible Awards given out, seven of those who won one, also won a Gold Glove. The only two players who failed to win matching Gold Gloves were Mike Trout and Seattle shortstop Brendan Ryan.
I will continue to enjoy seeing players on my team win Gold Glove Awards, but until the voting on Gold Glove Awards is handled differently, I won’t put much stock in them.
During the second full week of November Major League Baseball will announce the 2012 Rookies of the Year, Managers of the year, Cy Young winners, and the MVP’s and I will break down each award and winner for you.


MLB’s Gold Glove Awards are a joke - Mexico, MO - The Mexico Ledger - Mexico, MO

Former major league pitcher Pascual Perez, who had a troubled 11-season career that included two suspensions for drug use, was killed at his home in the Dominican Republic in an apparent robbery, police said Thursday.

Perez, who last played in the majors for the New York Yankees in 1991, was found with a severe head wound in a town west of the capital, Santo Domingo, and there was evidence at the scene to suggest that whoever killed him had been searching for money, said Joel Valdemiro, a prosecutor who is involved in the investigation.

No one was in custody and authorities did not reveal whether they had any suspects. Police said there were several assailants and that the house in the town of San Gregrorio de Nigua appeared to have been ransacked.

''It's an act of criminality, unfortunately,'' Valdemiro said.

Perez's brother Carlos, a former pitcher for the Dodgers, confirmed his death.

Perez's ex-wife Maritza Montero found his body about 8:30 a.m. Thursday and investigators said he appeared to have been slain about eight hours earlier.

The precise cause of death has not been determined but officials said Perez, who had suffered severe kidney problems in recent years, had a fractured skull from a blow to the head.

Perez, 55, played 11 seasons of in the majors and compiled a lifetime record of 67-68 with the Braves, Pirates, Expos and Yankees. But he was in and out of trouble for much of his career.

''We were shocked to hear the news of Pascual Perez' death earlier today,'' said Braves president John Schuerholz in a statement. ''Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during the aftermath of this tragic event. Pascual left his mark with the Braves organization and will always be remembered fondly by Braves fans.''

Perez pitched for Atlanta from 1982-85. He was 15-8 in 1983 and 14-8 in 1984.

The right-hander was first signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates in January 1976 as an amateur free agent, according to Baseball-Reference-com, an online sports information site. He came from a baseball family that included brothers Carlos, a left-hander with six years in the majors, and Melido, a right-hander with nine professional seasons, including four with the Yankees.

Pascual Perez's career was a rocky one.

In 1982, Perez helped Atlanta win the National League West title with a 4-4 record. But in August of that season he missed a start because, as he later explained, he missed a highway exit sign and spent almost two hours circling Atlanta Stadium.

While playing for the Braves, he was suspended in April 1984 following his arrest in January of that year in the Dominican Republic on charges of cocaine possession.

He spent two months in drug rehabilitation in 1989 while with the Expos, after failing to complete rehab programs twice before, and avoided a suspension only by agreeing to accept a minimum one-year suspension if he tested positive for cocaine again.

In March 1992, the commissioner's office suspended him after a failed test the day he arrived for spring training with the Yankees. At the time, he was entering the final season of a three-year, $5.7 million contract. He never returned to major league baseball.


Former MLB All-Star Pascual Perez killed in home invasion - MLB News | FOX Sports on MSN

The devastation wrought by Hurricane Sandy has taken a toll on communities where Major League Baseball teams live alongside fans as neighbors and friends, and now many of those neighbors and friends need some help to recover and rebuild.

It takes a team to get through a crisis like the damage inflicted over the last week, and baseball's team of teams, players and fans around the country, is gathering forces to help assist those in need in the wake of the "superstorm" that hit with such force in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere on the Eastern seaboard and inland areas.

To that end, Major League Baseball announced Friday that in conjunction with the Major League Baseball Players' Association a donation of $1 million is being made to benefit the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America to assist in the efforts being made to help those affected most by the storm.

"As our thoughts and prayers remain with all those who have been impacted by this tragedy, it is a privilege for Major League Baseball to support our fans and their communities during this urgent time of need," Commissioner Bud Selig said. "All of us at Major League Baseball are grateful to our society's leaders, first responders and volunteers, and we hope that our contribution to these humanitarian organizations will assist in the vital relief efforts along the East Coast. This is a time when the resiliency of the great American spirit will prevail."

Said MLBPA executive director Michael Weiner: "Natural disasters know no boundaries, and this one was a direct hit that affected many in the MLBPA's office personally. On behalf of the MLBPA and its members, we are honored to join with the Commissioner's Office in making this contribution to support the efforts of organizations working around the clock to help provide various forms of relief and assistance to those suffering in the aftermath of the storm, including many of our friends and neighbors in need."

The message from Major League Baseball, its players, its 30 teams and MLB-com is simple: Please donate to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America. Help your neighbors and friends, and be a part of the team bringing relief where it's needed.

With the Commissioner's Office and MLBPA headquartered in Manhattan, two storied teams in New York and about one-third of Major League cities directly affected by the storm, this obviously is a disaster that struck home for baseball. But it's one that touches every community in some way, and baseball is gathering its resources to help.

Living right in the path of the destruction, the Yankees were among the first clubs to step up to support relief efforts, pledging $500,000 to the American Red Cross and spearheading a blood drive Friday that included tickets to a 2013 game for those who made donations to the New York Blood Center.

"As a neighbor and community member, the Yankees embrace our role of stepping forward and assisting the American Red Cross, which comes to the aid of so many people through their tireless efforts," Yankees chairman Hal Steinbrenner said in a statement announcing the donation.

Clearly, it's going to take more than the hometown team to help, and baseball's all about teamwork.

One team that already has pledged its support took team concept to the sport's pinnacle: the Giants, 2012 World Series champions after an October in which they showed resilience on a baseball field that was historic -- but nothing compared to the resilience needed now in areas hit hard by Sandy.

And so it was that the Giants' victory celebration -- on the steps of City Hall before the crowd of about one million that attended the parade -- began with thoughts and prayers for people on the other side of the country needing help.

"As we gather together as a community today to celebrate this joyous occasion," emcee Renel Brooks-Moon said as she began the presentation, "we do want to take a moment first to recognize those impacted by Hurricane Sandy and mourn the lives lost from this disaster.

"Of course, the Giants share a rich and deep history with New York, so all of us, our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone on the East Coast affected by this disaster."

Brooks-Moon then announced to the huge crowd gathered at Civic Center Plaza that Giants players are planning to make many donations -- with the Giants organization matching those donations, dollar for dollar. And she urged fans to join the effort by donating to the American Red Cross.

"Just think," she said. "Everybody here today, one dollar from all of us, what that can do. That can really, really help."

It takes neighbors coming together to help, and it really can add up.

The Oakland A's -- the Giants' neighbor in the Bay Area -- announced that the team's Community Fund is accepting monetary donations to help those affected by Sandy. They'll be sending the proceeds to the Salvation Army, which is providing mobile feeding units, shelters and clean-up kits, and the Humane Society of the United States, which is helping animal rescue teams and providing supplies to animal shelters.

Team by team, fan by fan, neighbor by neighbor, baseball can help the relief effort following one of the worst natural disasters in the nation's history.

In the days and weeks ahead, baseball will be part of the healing process for the region devastated by Superstorm Sandy, and the message will continue to be spread on MLB-com and MLB Network and in every possible way in every city in Major League Baseball's vast neighborhood of teams and fans:

Please donate to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Feeding America.




Baseball donates $1 million for Sandy relief efforts | MLB-com: News

When Mariano Rivera fell to the ground in pain while snagging fly balls during batting practice on May 4, Yankees fans, as well as baseball fans, feared the worst: that the Hall of Famer’s career was over.

The 42-year-old Rivera suffered a torn ACL and missed the rest of the season. His future was in question and the Yankees had to replace the game’s greatest closer.

On Saturday, Yanks general manager Brian Cashman ensured that baseball fans will get to watch Rivera pitch for at least one more season.

According to the New York Post, Rivera is going to return to the Yankees in 2013.

“Rivera contacted us and wants to play,” Cashman said.

Rivera is baseball's all-time leader in saves with 608 and has 24 more saves (42) in the postseason than any other pitcher – former Phillies closer Brad Lidge is second with 18.

In 2012, Rivera appeared in just nine games for the Yankees in his 17th season. The iconic closer converted five of his eight save opportunities and owned a 2.16 ERA.

Rafael Soriano stepped into the ninth inning for New York in Rivera’s absence. Soriano finished third in the majors in 2012 with 42 saves. The 32-year-old righty made 69 appearances and had a 2.26 ERA.

Soriano opted out of his contract and became a free agent on Oct. 31. He isn’t expected to return to the Bronx.



Around MLB: Rivera says he'll return in 2013

Here is the free-agent class of 2012-13, ranked from Nos. 1 to 175. The rankings are based on a number of variables, including each player's history, age and potential and are as much about predicted performance as market value, providing a general outline as free agency unfolds between now and spring training.

Bookmark this page and return frequently. As the offseason progresses, Yahoo! Sports will update it with news of signings and their impact on the other free agents, as well as a supplementary list of players who are non-tendered by their current teams.

1. Zack Greinke, SP: Between the Angels' desperate need for starting pitching, the Rangers' willingness to bid them up and the paucity of star-level talent on the market, Greinke may approach CC Sabathia's $161 million benchmark for a pitching contract. He is young (29), throws five legitimate major league pitches (fastball and slider the two best, plus a curve, change and cutter) and, best of all, hits free agency in a year flush with cash and dry with stars.

2. Josh Hamilton, OF: On pure talent, Hamilton is the clear-cut No. 1. But there are the issues of his past – not the relapse concern so much as the wear and tear years of drug and alcohol abuse took on his body. And there are the baseball problems – the much-expanding strike zone, the deep slumps and the likelihood of a corner-outfield assignment. Today, Hamilton is the class' best player. Much beyond that should limit his market to four or five years.


Read More: 2012 MLB ultimate free-agent tracker - Yahoo! Sports

David Ortiz got what he wanted a lot easier than he ever expected. Ortiz, the face of the Red Sox since helping Boston end an 86-year World Series drought in 2004, finalized a $26 million, two-year contract on Monday, a deal that could be worth up to $30 million if he avoids another significant Achilles tendon injury next year.

The soon-to-be 37-year old had expressed his preference for a two-year deal the past two seasons. The club decided that keeping him and agreeing to his desire was a good first move this offseason.

"I don't think there was any doubt," he said during a Fenway Park news conference. "They approached me this year and our negotiation this year was easier than ever. They know what they were looking for. There wasn't even ever a back and forth situation. It was pretty much: 'This is it and let's agree with it.' They know the pieces they need to put together to be successful this year."

Ortiz gets a $1 million signing bonus payable on Jan. 15 and salaries of $14 million next season and $11 million in 2014.

His 2014 salary would increase to $15 million if he has 20 or fewer days on the disabled list next season caused by an Achilles tendon injury -- such as the one that limited him to one game after July 16 this year. If he has 21-40 days on the DL next year caused by an Achilles injury, his 2014 salary would go up to $13 million. The 2014 salary would not escalate if he has 41 days or more on the DL next year caused by an Achilles injury.

"After the season we identified a lot of things we wanted to do this offseason," general manager Ben Cherington said. "The most important one was to get David signed. This is a very important first step to our offseason. David has been an incredible performer for the Red Sox for 10 years. What he's done on the field speaks for itself. He's also been an incredible leader of the team as well as one can possibly do that."

Sitting at a table with Cherington to his right, one couldn't miss the World Series rings that Ortiz was wearing from 2004 and 2007.

Now, he'd like to help the team build from a last-place finish and 69-93 record, Boston's poorest since 1966.

"My focus right now is to provide what this organization expects from me the next two years," he said. "I'm a person that likes to get prepared for a challenge. Ben talked to me during the season and told me and a couple of my teammates he wants to build an organization around us. It's very painful to see what we went through this season."

During the club's historic 2004 run, Big Papi had consecutive game-ending hits in extra innings of Games 4 and 5 of the AL championship series against the Yankees as the Red Sox became the first major league team to overcome a 0-3 deficit in a best-of-seven postseason series.

The eight-time All-Star has 343 homers for Boston, fifth on the team's career list, and has 1,088 RBIs.

"We looked at the body of work and the track record. He's been incredibly productive and durable throughout the course of his career," Cherington said. "He's been one of the more consistent and durable players in the game over a long span of time. That gave us the comfort to give him a two-year deal, which was important to David."

Ortiz, who will turn 37 on Nov. 18, is a career .285 hitter with 401 homers and 1,386 RBIs.

Asked whether he'd like to finish his career after this contract, the very personable Ortiz had a playful answer.

"The one thing I always keep in mind is when I'm full swinging and the ball isn't going anywhere, that's when its time to go," he said, smiling. "But I haven't gotten there yet."

Ortiz has played 10 seasons with the Red Sox after he was let go by the Minnesota Twins.

"We're thrilled to keep him here. We want David to retire with the Red Sox," Cherington said. "We hope that's many years from now. Right now we're happy that he'll be sitting in the middle of our lineup next year."


MLB: Ortiz hopes to spur Sox turnaround | The Kennebec Journal, Augusta, ME

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting, saying he was so disappointed over the finish to the Bucs' season that he waited four weeks to cool off before addressing the fate of his front office, on Tuesday said the club's management team would remain intact.

At the same time, Nutting said the boot-camp-style developmental camp for prospects, the source of much recent criticism, will be toned down -- at the very least, to a point where developing baseball skills is the highest priority.

Nutting made his comments during his first formal meeting since Spring Training with media who cover the Pirates.

The chairman's perspective had been sought ever since club president Frank Coonelly issued his own statement Sept. 26 that the team's player-personnel engine -- general manager Neal Huntington and assistants Kyle Stark and Greg Smith -- would return in 2013.

In the aftermath of Coonelly's votes of confidence, Nutting said he would undertake his own review process. This was the first time he addressed how all that went -- and still goes on.

"I keep seeing comments from people on when will the investigation be over? I just don't think that's an accurate characterization of the process. It's not a two-week or four-week process. It is going to continue as we evaluate every aspect of the organization," said Nutting, as reported by various sources. He did not have to dig deep for justification to stay the course.

"We clearly have a number of things in the organization that have gone right," Nutting said, mindful of the club's jump from 57 wins in 2010 to 70 in 2011 to 79 last season. "As angry and frustrated as we were about August and September, it's taken me a month to come back and to recognize that last year was still the best season that we've had for 20 years and we didn't get there by accident.

"As an organization, I don't think we should fall back on scapegoats and pretending that there are easy answers and grabbing one or two people and walking them off the plank. We cannot minimize the strong performance for the first 3 1/2 months of the season."

But after peaking with a record of 63-47 on Aug. 8 and entering September still only 1 1/2 games out of a postseason spot, the Pirates could not even end a streak of losing seasons reverting to 1993.

When the season ended, Nutting briefly felt like a lot of the team's fans: He wanted everyone fired.

"If you're angry, you count to 10," Nutting said. "If you're really angry, you count to 100. If you're incredibly infuriated and frustrated, you wait four weeks."

However, he recognized a need to address the unorthodox training methods that some have portrayed as fostering a boot-camp atmosphere -- while implying that the practice has been blown out of proportion.

"We should not be, will not be, have not been a paramilitary organization," Nutting said. "We should be focusing on baseball drills. I believe that 90 percent of the time, effort, energy that we have put into our development system has been focused on baseball appropriately.

"I believe that our primary responsibility is to develop baseball players to play baseball and win championships at PNC Park," Nutting concluded. "If we can find the appropriate balance, where we have the safety of our players utmost in mind, that we have the baseball development utmost in mind, we can supplement that baseball focus with additional drills for team-building training."


Pirates chairman Bob Nutting intends to stay course with management | MLB-com: News

Secaucus, N.J. (Sports Network) - Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera and Angels' rookie Mike Trout have been named as finalists for the AL MVP award.

For the first time, the Baseball Writers Association of America named the five finalists for both the AL and NL MVP Award, along with finalists for the 2012 Cy Young, Manager of the Year and Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year awards.

Cabrera and Trout are joined by Rangers teammates Adrian Beltre and Josh Hamilton along with Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano.

Last year's NL MVP Ryan Braun headlined the group from the NL that includes Padres third baseman Chase Headley, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen, Giants catcher Buster Posey and Cardinals backstop Yadier Molina.

Justin Verlander, the reining AL Cy Young winner, David Price and Jered Weaver are finalists in the AL while R.A. Dickey, Gio Gonzalez and 2011 NL winner Clayton Kershaw round out the NL nominees.

Trout was also named a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year along with A's outfielder Yoenis Cespedes and Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish. Bryce Harper, Todd Frazier and Wade Miley are all in consideration in the NL.

World Series champion Giants manager Bruce Bochy, Reds skipper Dusty Baker and Davey Johnson of the Nationals were all named nominees for the NL Manager of the Year.

The A's Bob Melvin, Orioles' Buck Showalter and White Sox Robin Ventura are all being considered for the AL.

Read more here: MLB announces award finalists - Wire MLB - The Sacramento Bee

Major League Baseball is in the early stages of studying whether pitchers should wear a Kevlar liner in their caps as protection from batted balls or wooden shards from a shattered bat.

The concept currently is under discussion in MLB's labor relations and health and welfare committees, the latter of which consists of representatives for the owners and players.

Kevlar is a woven synthetic fiber that is renowned for its light weight and tensile strength. The material commonly is used in bullet-proof vests.

"If we settle on something that is going to make sense, and obviously, the pitcher has to be comfortable with it, we'll obviously put that in as soon as possible," Joe Torre, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations, said as three days of General Managers Meetings continued here on Thursday. "We'll talk to our doctors and make sure they're comfortable with this in advance."

The concept already was being analyzed, but it came to the forefront after an incident in which A's pitcher Brandon McCarthy was struck in the head by a line drive near the end of the regular season, and Detroit's Doug Fister took a glancing blow during Game 2 of the World Series.

McCarthy, who suffered a skull fracture and brain contusion, underwent surgery to stop internal bleeding. He is expected to make a full recovery. Fister remained in the game.

MLB officials did not discuss the possible rule change with general managers here this week, said Dan Halem, MLB's senior vice president of labor relations. He added that Dr. Gary Green, MLB's medical director, will make a report to a group of the 30 team medical officials during the Winter Meetings, slated for Dec. 3-6 in Nashville, Tenn.

"We're exploring the potential of using Kevlar liners to protect pitchers," Halem said. "We're at the early stages of our investigation. Dr. Green is talking to various companies about the products they offer. And we're going to have a fuller discussion with the clubs' medical staffs at the Winter Meetings."

The McCarthy incident occurred during the fourth inning on Sept. 5 at the O.co Coliseum, when he was struck in the head with a liner hit by Angels shortstop Erick Aybar. McCarthy went down, never lost consciousness and was able to walk off the field on his own power. The extent of the injury was later discovered at the hospital, where he underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain caused by internal bleeding.

He remained in the hospital for a week and his season was over.

A's president and general manager Billy Beane said on Thursday that he would favor any new rules that would protect the players.

"Anytime you're talking about safety it should be part of the narrative, it should be a topic of conversation," Beane said. "We don't want to wait until it's too late. So if and when it comes up, I think we'd all welcome it."

Fister was hit on top of the head with a shot off the bat of Giants left fielder Gregor Blanco during the second inning of Game 2 of the World Series on Oct. 25. The ball deflected off Fister and continued into center field for a single. Tigers manager Jim Leyland and head athletic trainer Kevin Rand quickly visited the mound. Fister was asked a series of questions to test his cognizance and then was allowed to remain in the game.

The right-hander pitched six innings of one-run, four-hit ball as the Tigers lost the game, 2-0, on their way to being swept in the World Series.

Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski endorsed any new safety precautions for pitchers, with one qualification.

"I think anything from a safety perspective is good," he said. "I don't think anyone objects to safety, but you also have to feel comfortable from a player's perspective. For example, if you mentioned the topic to Fister, I don't think he'd be high on doing it. He likes to wear his hat a certain way. He'd want to be sure he can still wear it that way and still be comfortable. I'm not against it, but it's just a matter of making it work."

To be sure, MLB is still in the early stages, although it has become a high-priority issue. It must be sanctioned by the GMs and approved by the owners, then collectively bargained with the MLB Players Association.

The liner is likely to be tested first in the Minor Leagues, then offered on a voluntary basis to Major League players.

"Like I said, we've started the process," Halem said. "We have to make sure we find the right product and test the product. This can't happen at the snap of a finger. We have to make sure we do it right."



MLB evaluating Kevlar headgear for pitchers | MLB-com: News

A team in South Korea says one Major League Baseball club has bid nearly $26 million for a chance to sign pitcher Ryu Hyun-jin.

The Hanwha Eagles of the Korea Baseball Organization said Saturday they have accepted a posting fee of $25.7 million for the 25-year-old left-hander. The big league team that submitted the winning bid was not revealed.

The Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers were among the clubs though to be interested in Ryu.

The winning bidder now has 30 days to negotiate a contract with Ryu, who was 98-52 with a 2.80 career ERA during seven seasons in South Korea. He pitched for his country on teams that won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and reached the championship game of the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Success on the mound and in life gave Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey the chance to tell a group of Denver Public Schools children his story of perseverance -- that much failure led to opportunities like the one he had Saturday, when he accepted the Branch Rickey Award for humanitarian service in baseball.

He warned them of dream-killers -- those who would offer every reason to give up. He painstakingly detailed how long it took for him to reach his limit as a conventional pitcher and how it wasn't overnight that he found his career-saving knuckleball. He told them to stare their weaknesses in the face and conquer them.

But he couldn't help but smile when one of the students reminded him that his days and years of tribulations are in the past. The first question hit at the heart of one of the Mets' gripping offseason questions: Will Dickey sign an extension beyond the 2013 option the club picked up for $5 million? Or will the Mets decide to trade him and give him the opportunity to sign an extension elsewhere -- possibly with an immediate contender -- as Mets general manager Sandy Alderson has acknowledged is a possibility?

Dickey, 38, coming off a 20-6 season that has made him a finalist for the National League Cy Young Award, would later detail the same answer he offered the studious young fan.

"Your guess is as good as mine as far as what direction they will go with it," said Dickey, who was honored at a banquet at the Denver Marriott City Center Hotel on Saturday night. "Some of that will crystallize in the next couple of weeks or a month, before the Winter Meetings, hopefully.

"I don't want to go, let's put it that way. I like being a Met. That being said, I understand the business that I'm in. I've always understood it's a possibility and there would be no acrimony. It's not an acrimonious situation. Sandy is doing his due diligence because that's what he's paid to do for the New York Mets. I can hold it the way it's supposed to be held. I don't take it personally."

Dickey said he is personally involved in the contract talks. His agent, Bo McKinnis, lives in Nashville, Tenn., as does Dickey, and Dickey introduced McKinnis to his future wife, so they're more like friends than in the typical agent-client partnership.

Unlike a few years back, Dickey at least can approach the offseason without the angst that used to accompany his winters.

"It used to be 'this way or the highway,' so this scenario is much different," Dickey said. "It's all good news in my mind. It becomes small semantics, because it's all good news. But my preference is with the Mets. I love the fan base. My family loves it there. It's a two-hour, direct flight from Nashville. It's beautiful."

Dickey received the 21st annual award -- created by the Rotary Club of Denver -- for not just his success on the mound, but for highlighting the beautiful and attempting to stamp out evil through humanitarian service. He was chosen by a national selection committee consisting of 350 members of the sports media, past award winners, baseball executives and Rotary district governors. Each team made a nomination.

Dickey helped found Honoring the Father ministries several years back with former Major League pitcher Josh Johnson as a benevolent charity that distributes medical supplies and baseball equipment worldwide to countries such as Mexico, Venezuela and Costa Rica.

Last offseason, Dickey climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to help raise more than $100,000 for the Bombay Teen challenge, an organization dedicated to rescuing young women from forced prostitution in India.

Dickey's long journey to unexpected stardom, as well as bouts with sexual abuse as a child and depression that had him considering suicide at one point, is revealed in his book, written with Wayne Coffey, "Wherever I Wind Up: My Quest for Truth, Authenticity and the Perfect Knuckleball."

The Branch Rickey Award benefits Denver Kids, Inc., a preventive counseling and mentoring program for about 1,000 Denver Public Schools students, kindergarten through 12th grade, who are determined to be "at risk."

Dickey hopes that the short time he spent with some of the program's students Saturday will show them that they can achieve against long odds, as he did. What happens with the Mets and his contract has nothing to do with that goal.

"If the kids just walk away with just one nugget, one point that they can hold on to that will make them different than when they walked in that door ..." Dickey said. "They might not get everything. Of course, they're not going to get everything. But if I send them out the door with something they didn't have when they came in here, I've succeeded."




R.A. Dickey receives Rickey Award, addresses trade talk | MLB-com: News

The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to try and go after the most recent Asian pitcher to hit the market in Hyun-Jin Ryu. Considering the Dodgers will not have the greatest amount of payroll flexibility after taking on the contracts of Hanley Ramirez, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford during the season, the team could look at putting two starters in Aaron Harang and Chris Capuano on the trade block.

The Dodgers won the bidding for Ryu Saturday with a $25.7 million bid. Ryu, from South Korea, has gotten most of his American publicity from the World Baseball Classic. He has been one of the most dominant pitchers in the Korean Baseball Organization for the Hanwha Eagles. Ryu sports a nice fastball with a combination changeup. The also can pitch a 70-mph curve if needed.

Los Angeles seems to be satisfied with Ted Lilly returning from shoulder surgery and Chad Billingsley avoiding Tommy John surgery during the offseason. If a deal with Ryu is struck Harang and Capuano could both be on the way out.

Harang bounced back from some ugly seasons recording 10 wins in 31 starts. He lowered his ERA to 3.61 and struck out 131 batters. Very nice improvement after recording 17 losses only four years ago. Capuano won 12 games in his first season with the Dodgers. He struck out 162 batters and had a 3.72 ERA.

There sure would be a market for both pitchers since there are some teams that could use reassurance in the starting rotation.
Read more at MLB Rumors: Dodgers could look to trade Harang, Capuano?

We’re about to head into day 24 of the Toronto Blue Jays‘ managerial search, and the only team in the bigs without a bench boss seem, at least on the surface level, rather content at continuing the off-season without one so far.

Alex Anthopoulos told the press prior to last week’s GM meetings that the search was going on a “good pace”, but the lack of any real traction as far as names are concerned suggests either a) he’s very good at interviewing candidates in secret, or b) he has a rather unique idea of what a “good pace” is.

Yeah, I guess you could say that information regarding potential candidates for the job are scarce, but we did find out one thing on the weekend – that Toronto will be looking to hire someone with prior MLB managerial experience. That criteria means that there are at least a couple of names that can be crossed off the Blue Jays’ list:
Read more at MLB Rumors: Don Wakamatsu a likely manager candidate for Blue Jays?

The key to winning the Manager of the Year award is coming in with low expectations, and the Washington Nationals and Oakland A’s did exactly that in 2012.

For all their offseason maneuvering, the Nationals were still expected to be a couple of years from being a real contender, especially in a division with the Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves and the supposedly revamped Miami Marlins. The Nationals exceeded expectations and won the East Division, leading to Davey Johnson being named the National League Manager of the Year, voted on by the Baseball Writers' Association of America and announced Tuesday.

SN's Stan McNeal: The case for Davey Johnson

Oakland’s offseason moves were made with an eye on the future, and the A’s were expected to be one of the worst teams in baseball, maybe only a short step ahead of the Houston Astros as laughing stocks of their respective leagues.

The A’s blew away their downtrodden expectations and won the West Division on the final day of the regular season, ousting the two-time defending league champion Texas Rangers and the big-spending Los Angeles Angels to become one of the most improbable division champs ever. The A’s did so with a payroll barely above $55 million.

That led to manager Bob Melvin winning the AL Manager of the Year award.

Last offseason, the A’s traded away three All-Star pitchers and signed an unproven Cuban defector. Scanning the roster, it was difficult to see a player worth featuring on tickets or billboards. Watching the A’s plummet to 100 losses seemed entirely possible.

Sporting News' picks: Buck Showalter and Davey Johnson

But the pitching—filled with guys with less than one year of major league service—flourished, Yoenis Cespedes came over as advertised and the rest of the team amazed anyone who watched them play at home in front of empty seats for most of the season.

Oakland entered the final series of the season trailing the Rangers by two games, needing a sweep to win it. They did, a feat that also led to general manager Billy Beane winning the Sporting News Executive of the Year award last week at the GM meetings.

For Johnson, his team was expected to finish no better than fourth in the NL East by most. Johnson dealt with plenty of injuries during the season and had to handle Stephen Strasburg’s impending shut down for most of the summer.

Johnson also came into the season with questions floating around him about whether the game had passed him by. Johnson will be 70 in January, and before he took over in June last year, he had been out of the game for 11 years.

This season, in an attempt to quiet critics, Johnson told reporters in spring training that if the Nationals didn’t make the playoffs, the team could fire him without regret.

The Nationals won 18 more games than they did in 2011, racking up 98 wins and controlling the division for much of the season. Because of that, Johnson has agreed to manage for one more season, and only one more. He’ll be back in 2013 for his last run at a World Series championship.

The announcement schedule for all of the BBWAA awards (all times Eastern):

Monday: AL Rookie of the Year (Mike Trout) and NL Rookie of the Year (Bryce Harper)

Tuesday: NL Manager of the Year (Davey Johnson) and AL Manager of the Year (Bob Melvin)

Wednesday: AL Cy Young Award (6:17 p.m.) and NL Cy Young Award (6:47 p.m.)

Thursday: NL Most Valuable Player (6:17 p.m.) and AL Most Valuable Player (6:47 p.m.)




MLB Managers of the Year 2012: Davey Johnson, Bob Melvin managed above expectations - MLB - Sporting News

There might be MLB rumors surrounding the Miami Marlins until Jeffrey Loria is no longer owner of the team. Until then, consider everyone available if they make more than $12 per hour, that includes the beer guy in section 313 and the parking attendant in Lot E. Ricky Nolasco and Logan Morrison figure to be the next two sent packing by Loria and company.

Nolasco only has one-year left at $11.5 million and figures to draw some interest. Morrison, however, is still pre-arbitration eligible and is still relatively inexpensive. But, the Marlins seem content to trade everyone not named Giancarlo Stanton, that won’t come until next off-season probably.

The Boston Red Sox have a need at first base and Morrison could be an option for the Red Sox. Morrison has a decent amount of power, hitting 23 homers in 2011. He and former manager Ozzie Guillen didn’t get along last season and Morrison was sent down to the minors last season and only appeared in 93 games.

Morrison is still only 25 and won’t be 26 until August and is an upgrade, at least over James Loney and can also play the outfield giving John Farrell more flexibility if the Red Sox find someone better to fill in at first base later either in the trade market or in free agency.

The price to obtain Morrison might be a decent, mid-range prospect or two and some lesser prospects but nothing the Red Sox can’t afford to part with. The Red Sox apparently tried to obtain Josh Johnson and Jose Reyes before they were shipped to the Toronto Blue Jays so why not try and fill a gap by prying Morrison away?
Read more at MLB Rumors: Logan Morrison a Fit for Boston Red Sox?

Bob Melvin was named the 2012 manager of the year in the American League, while Davey Johnson took top honors in the National League.

Melvin, 51, guided the Oakland A's as they stormed from 13 games back to overtake the Texas Rangers and capture the American League West title on the final weekend of the regular season.

The A's finished with a record of 94-68 under Melvin, who had previously garnered manager-of-the-year honors in 2007 as skipper of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The club, which had finished well out of contention the previous season with a record of 74-88 and had the lowest payroll in baseball in 2012, lost 3-2 to the Detroit Tigers in the first round of the playoffs.

Melvin barely beat out Baltimore Orioles manager Buck Showalter in the Baseball Writers' Association of America voting with 16 first-place votes to 12.

Johnson, 69, was named manager of the year in the National League after leading the Washington Nationals to a league- and franchise-best record of 98-64, 18 more wins than in the previous season.

The Nationals' year ended on a down note, however, when the St. Louis Cardinals stunned them with an improbable rally in the deciding fifth game of their divisional series.

Johnson, who picked up 23 of 32 first-place votes, was also a second-time recipient of this award, having won it the first time in 1997 as manager of the Baltimore Orioles. EFE

Read more: Melvin, Johnson named MLB managers of the year | Fox News Latino

The Cardinals are set to unveil updated team uniforms and a new alternate home jersey for the 2013 season on Friday. The reveal will come at Busch Stadium during a 10 a.m. CT news conference, which will be streamed live on Cardinals-com.

The uniform update will be the first for the franchise since 1998.

"It's not an earth-shattering change, but any change with the Cardinals is big news because there's such tradition with our uniform look," team president Bill DeWitt III said. "We don't take it lightly. I'm excited about [Friday's unveiling], and I think our fans will be more than pleased with the changes."

The new alternate jersey will feature "St. Louis" in place of "Cardinals" along the front, marking the first time since 1932 that the city name will be featured on the uniform. The "Birds on the Bat" logo will remain. The uniform also will feature matching pants and will be worn by players for Saturday home games.

Additional details about the uniform changes, along with images of the new uniforms, will be available on cardinals-com immediately after Friday's announcement.





Cardinals set to unveil uniform update for 2013 | MLB-com: News

Torii Hunter has reached the postseason six times in his career, but he’s never played in a World Series.

Now he’s joining forces with the defending AL champion Detroit Tigers — a team that’s come close to winning baseball’s ultimate prize each of the last two years.

“To win it all, they’re just like me. They don’t know what it feels like,” Hunter said. “If there’s no failure, there’s no progress. These guys are hungry for it.”

The Tigers introduced Hunter on Friday after finalizing their $26 million, two-year deal with the free agent outfielder. The 37-year-old hit a career-best .313 last season for the Los Angeles Angels with 16 home runs and 92 RBIs, and when he went on the open market, he began eyeing Detroit right away.

The Tigers have won the AL Central the last two years, but they’re still chasing the franchise’s first World Series title since 1984. Detroit was one step away last season but lost the Series to San Francisco in a four-game sweep.

Acquiring a corner outfielder was a major offseason priority for Detroit, and Hunter won nine consecutive Gold Gloves from 2001-09 before eventually switching from center field to right. He’ll play right field at spacious Comerica Park.

“His defense is outstanding as we know,” Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski said. “It definitely makes us a better defensive club. We haven’t always been able to do it, but you want outstanding outfielders out there because there’s a lot of ground to cover.”

Smiling throughout an almost giddy news conference, Hunter joked with Tigers owner Mike Ilitch and demurred a bit when asked who should have been the American League MVP in 2012 — former teammate Mike Trout of the Angels, or new teammate and eventual winner Miguel Cabrera of Detroit.

“That’s a hot tamale — that question right there,” Hunter said. “I would like for both of those guys to win it.”

Adding Hunter is consistent with the way the Tigers have operated over the last couple years. With a core of talent that includes Cabrera, Justin Verlander and Prince Fielder, Detroit feels its window to win a World Series is wide open.

“I can’t wait to get to play with Torii,” said Tigers left-hander Drew Smyly, who is from Hunter’s home state of Arkansas. “Growing up in Arkansas every place I went you heard about the legacy he left. Now to have the chance to play beside him is incredible.”

Hunter is looking forward to teaming up with a new group of stars — and playing for manager Jim Leyland, who wasn’t at the news conference Friday.

“He is a funny old man,” Hunter said. “We’d talk to each other during batting practice, and he would have me rolling.”

Hunter will wear his usual No. 48 after right-hander Rick Porcello agreed to switch to No. 21. Hunter says he was willing to pay Porcello for the number, but the New Jersey-born pitcher preferred the money go to Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.

Hunter made the playoffs four times with Minnesota and twice with the Angels, but only twice has he even played in the AL championship series. He’s played 1,947 games, third most among active players who have never reached the World Series, according to STATS, LLC.

“Everybody knows I want to win. I’ve been to the playoffs several times and lost,” Hunter said. “I really want to win a World Series before I get out of here, and this is my last stand. One more push — and I’m all-in.”



MLB: Torii Hunter finalizes deal with Tigers | West Central Tribune | Willmar, Minnesota