During his peak, Justin Verlander was known for one thing: velocity.
In the days when he was dominating the American League and winning the Cy Young award, the hallmark of Verlander’s game was his 100 mph fastball, something he was able to maintain into the late innings of starts. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score.
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No player in Major League Baseball history has played for more franchises than relief pitcher Octavio Dotel, who played for 13 different clubs over a 15-year MLB career. Dotel was a fine reliever; he had some good seasons, like in 2002, when he posted a 1.85 ERA over 97 1⁄3innings, but he also had some tough ones, such as his 1999 season (5.38 ERA in 85 1⁄3innings). Unfortunately, Dotel’s real claim to fame was nothing he ever did on the field. Rather, it’s that 13-team figure that has kept him relevant, even four years after his retirement.
But Dotel’s record may already be in jeopardy. When right-handed starter Edwin Jackson suited up for the Baltimore Orioles this season, he officially appeared in a Major League game with his twelfth team, coming just one team short of Dotel’s mark. The Orioles released him, and Jackson had the opportunity to tie the record, but he signed with the Nationals instead, a team he pitched with in 2012. Dotel’s record hasn’t been broken yet, or even tied, but at just 33, Jackson may still have the chance to do it in the future. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. It’s time for free baseball, as they say.
Extra innings can mean different things to different fans. For some, it’s a chance to enjoy more baseball. These fans paid for nine innings of entertainment, and are getting the rest for free. Others, however, view it as an endless display of apathy toward victory and conclusions that can go on — literally — forever. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. The Pirates had a relatively quiet trade deadline day, but they did make one small “buy” move before things wrapped up at 4 pm. While Pittsburgh is 51-54, it’s just 5 1⁄2 games behind the NL Central-leading Cubs and has a 5.5 percent chance to make the postseason, per FanGraphs.
The team acquired right-handed relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit and cash considerations from the Phillies in exchange for minor league righty Seth McGarry. Benoit should fill the void that was left by Tony Watson after he was traded to the Dodgers. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. In a deal that beat the trade deadline by a single minute, the Los Angeles Dodgers have made the biggest splash of the day.
As Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported, the Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Yu Darvish from the Texas Rangers in exchange for Willie Calhoun, A.J. Alexy and Brendon Davis. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. |