Baseball Case Study

Bryce Harper is the player that you love to have on your own team, but opponents can't stand him! He might have a swagger that annoys opponents, but he is one heck of a baseball player and this year he is breaking out to the superstar everyone expected! He is just 22 years of age and he is one of the most feared hitters in baseball. He has battled injuries to start his career because of what some have termed too much hustle, but this year he has put all together. He is hitting .331 27 home runs and 64 runs batted in the no question NL MVP at this point in the season. He might rub fans and opponents the wrong way but he is fun to watch play baseball I just wish as a Braves fan he was in a different division.

My first reason I think that he is really important in the game of baseball. Is because he is one of the most inspiring players to ever play in the game of baseball. I say this because he is the very first black man to play in the MLB. This is one of the bigger reasons, because that could inspire a lot of other black kids that have been dreaming of playing in the MLB. Now that

he was a little kid was to be a pitcher in the Major Leagues. But once he got there, he struggled. Phil

However, a lack of motivation inspired hitting .300/.363/.511 with 19 doubles, 26 home runs, 49 walks, and 107 strikeouts that year. Altogether, he hit a .304/.366/.523 that season with 20 doubles, 28 homers. 102 RBI, 50 walks, and 10 strikeouts. He fell on a rough patch, therefore he trained intensively on his pitching, because his teammates needed him to win that season. Nonetheless, the rough patch became a temporary problem as his teammates and staff helped him to improve and his motivation to improve exceeded which ultimately reflect on his stats towards the end of the season.

So Dombrowski went out to find someone he thought could deliver that, and here we are, with current Houston bench coach, Alex Cora. Before I get into Cora and his background, I just want it known that I LOVE this hire. He fills all the holes that Farrell was viewed as having, and I’m already for spring training 2018 to get here. So back to Cora. His playing career started in 1993 when he was drafted by the Twins, but decided instead to attend the University of Miami. He entered the draft again in 1996 where he was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He spent the next nine years with the Dodgers before signing with the Indians. Halfway through that 2005 season, he was traded to the Boston Red Sox. He spent four seasons in Boston, and was apart of the 2007 World Series team, before entering free agency prior to the 2009 season, for which he signed a one year deal with the New York Mets. After his year with the Mets he spent two seasons on minor league deals with the Rangers and the Nationals, respectively. Now onto Alex Cora the manager. Cora is still with the Astros as their bench coach through the end of the 2017 season, hopefully ending with a World Series title for the ‘Stros. Cora offers so much in terms of a manager that I’m extremely excited about. For starters, he’s young. Young enough to be the third youngest manager in Major League Baseball as of right now. And that means that it will be

Mariano Rivera, born November 29, 1969 in Panama City, Panama, was a Major League Baseball (MLB) closing pitcher for the New York Yankees from the years 1995 to 2013. He signed with the Yankees on February 17, 1990 and was called up to the major leagues in May of 1995, but was sent back down to the minor leagues so that he could obtain more training and experience. Rivera was finally called back up to the majors in June of 1995 after he impressed many with his increased pitching speed. Mariano Rivera started off as a starting pitcher, but eventually moved to the closer position where he dominated and greatly helped the Yankees. Rivera is considered the best closing pitcher in all of baseball for many reasons such as his famous “cutter” pitcher, the numerous records he set, and for his positive attitude and ways of giving back.

In the offseason, a number of Camden Depot (http://camdendepot.blogspot.com/2015/01/appreciate-what-miguel-gonzalez-is.html) writers (http://camdendepot.blogspot.com/2015/01/looking-at-miguel-gonzalezs-clutch.html) wrote articles discussing how Miguel Gonzalez has outperformed his FIP. This year has turned out to be no exception so far as he has an ERA of 3.33 and an FIP of 4.60 (http://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2015&month=0&season1=2012&ind=1&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=7024) based mainly upon a .235 BABIP (2nd best out of 106) and an 82.2% LOB (7th best out of 106).

Ender Inciarte starting in center field, acquired in the Shelby Miller trade last year, Inciarte brings that spark in the leadoff spot the Braves has missed so desperately.

Jorge Posada has seen and been through it all, he has seen the best and worst of the team and as well put a career that might not pop out to your face as maybe the others of the Core Four. But if you look deeper, you would realize that Jorge Posada is more than ready to become the first of the Core Four and as well the 18th catcher to be enshrined in Cooperstown, New

Kennedy has been about everything that the Padres could've expected, as he has a 3.94 ERA this season. His career ERA has a 3.93 ERA, so he is right on track for what he has been his whole career. His last outing was rather impressive though, going 6 2/3 innings of two hit ball, allowing two runs while walking five and striking out seven.

In 2012, after being traded from the Mets to San Francisco, he managed to swat seven dingers while batting .323, garnering him another hefty contract, this time with the St. Louis Cardinals. His final year as a red bird saw him hit 32 home runs and 97 RBI’s, resulting in his most recent multi-million-dollar deal.

Betances career numbers are very impressive, he's 11-2 with a 1.82 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 228 SO in 148.0 IP. The guy is big, tall and intimidating, throws very hard and is just simply almost un-hittable. Miller before his stint on the DL was one of the reasons he Yankees where in first place. He had a 1.03 ERA with 17 saves, 43 strikeouts and just eight hits allowed in 26.1 innings. He is picking up where he left off and hasn't missed a

Clayton Kershaw has been in the Major League baseball, playing for the LA dodgers. He has been in the MLB since the 2008. He is one of the great starting pitches for the squad. However as the new season starts, the manager informs him that he has to pick up his game and start making more strikes. Consequently, future rookies might have a chance in the coming seasons to take his place as the main pitcher. The current justification is on the periodization plan made specifically for Clayton Kershaw in improving his overall performance as the starting pitcher.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Nationals are showing interest in Cincinnati Reds’ closer Rasiel Iglesias, who could be a popular target for teams this month. Due to the shortage of relievers on the market right now, teams will be desperate for help. Iglesias may not have the longest track record, but he’s signed on a team-friendly deal through 2021, so the

Although teams need some veteran players on their roster to be leaders, the Blue Jays current roster consists of many veterans who's skill set have declined and not the same player they used to be. Some examples include former home run champ Jose Bautista, perennial MVP runner, up Troy Tulowitzki and All Star catcher Russell Martin. Jose Bautista once was one of the most feared hitters in the league and had some special moments on defence. However today, he is struggling to hit league average, home run production is greatly decreased and is a liability in the field. Jose is currently