The Washington Nationals will be hiring former player and coach, Matt Williams, to become their new manager. Davey Johnson, the Nationals former manager, retired at the end of the season, leaving the manger position vacant. Today that spot becomes no longer vacant as Williams, a former player who played for seventeen years, will become the new manager. Williams, 47, was the third overall pick in the 1986 amateur draft, and later played third base for the Giants, Indians, and Diamondbacks. Over his seventeen seasons, Williams hit .268/.317/.489 with 378 HR and 1218 RBI. He then later coached first base and third base for the Diamondbacks, as he was hired in 2009 to coach in the 2010 season. His coaching tenure has continued since the 2010 season, as now he will receive his first managing job, for the Washington Nationals. Williams will be heading to a team with a ton of talent, but is sometimes fairly inconsistent. It's possible that Williams could turn this team into a serious contender, or he could need a year of "rebuilding" and reshaping of the work ethic and playing style. Either way, I believe that the Nationals will be going to a person in Williams that could really do a great job as manager for their team. Overall, I really like the way the Nationals are headed, for now.
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The St. Louis Cardinals have tied the series at one apiece, going back to St. Louis for game three, four, and five. Michael Wacha continued his white-hot pitching, although he proved that he is human. John Lackey blew a one run lead, and gave the Cardinals their momentum that they lost in game one in Boston. David Ortiz homered again, but the Cardinals prevailed 4-2. Michael Wacha pitched six stong innings, allowing two runs, on three hits, while striking out four. He allowed a two-run home run to David Ortiz in the sixth, but was able to escape with the win, as the Cardinals rallied for three runs in the eighth. Once again, Wacha pitched very well, and continued his success this postseason. He has been absolutely dominant. John Lackey pitched 6.1 innings, while taking the loss. He allowed three runs on five hits, while striking out six. He could not hold on to a 2-1 lead given by David Ortiz, as the Cardinals rallied back on a two-run sacrifice fly, and a RBI Single by Carlos Beltran. Lackey had the chance to give the Red Sox a huge advantage in this series, but could not, as he failed to achieve his goal. The Cardinals now get to play in St. Louis and look to build on their recent resurgance. Perhaps game two will be the turning point in the series. Maybe the Red Sox could come back and play great baseball. This World Series has been awesome, and we are only heading to game three of it. The Red Sox have won their last nine World Series games, sweeping the Rockies and Cardinals in the 2007 and 2004 World Series, respectively. Last night, the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals 8-1, getting great hitting and pitching. The Red Sox are red-hot, and even Adam Wainwight and the Cardinals could not stop them. The Red Sox scored five runs within the first two innings. Mike Napoli hit a three-RBI double in the first, a Pedroia RBI Single in the second, and David Ortiz sacrifice fly in the second spotted the Red Sox their five runs in the first. David Ortiz then hit a two-run home run in the seventh, giving him three RBI, and securing the win for the Red Sox. John Lester pitched 7.2 scoreless, striking out eight, while allowing five hits. His beautiful pitching also allowed the Red Sox to take this game. Adam Wainwright pitched five innings while allowing three runs. The Cardinals got one more blow when Carlos Beltran was injured running into Fenway's right field wall, and did not return to the game. He has been listed as day to day. If he misses any extended time, that could be the big blow that lose the Cardinals the World Series. I feel that that is a horrible loss for the Cardinals. Boston 8, St. Louis 1 29 year old Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco Giants have signed an extension with Tim Lincecum. This is a two-year, $35 million deal that will keep Lincecum under team rights through the 2015 season. Lincecum was the Giants first round pick in 2006, as he was selected number ten overall. From that point onward, Lincecum has been in a Giant uniform, racking up wins and strikeouts. Lincecum has 1,510 strikeouts in 1,411 2/3 innings pitched. Lincecum was thought to be a nice option on the starting pitching market this year, but the Giants lured him back into San Francisco, and made sure that their fans would continue to see Lincecum on the hill. Over this past season, Lincecum went 10-14 with a 4.37 ERA in 32 starts. According to fangraphs.com, Lincecum's 2013 fastball was the lowest average velocity of his entire career, "only" reaching a 90.2 MPH. Could this be a warning flag for years to come? That's what makes this contract a little risky for the Giants. Besides that, however, they are keeping a fan favorite in their city, which is always a good thing. Overall, this was an all around good deal for both sides. Cuban All-Star Alexander Guerrero and the Dodgers have signed a 4 year, $28 million dolar deal, according to MLB.com. Guerrero, 26, has played shortstop and second base in Cuba, but most officials view Guerrero as a second baseman. That's most likely where the Dodgers will utilitize him. A previous deal between Guerrero and the Dodgers had been reported, although it "fell through" and was then open to signing with any team. The Dodgers top international scout, Bob Engle, views that Guerrero could be playing second base as early as next season. Guerrero would have to beat out 36 year old Mark Ellis for the job a second base, who is definitely a declining part of the Dodger team. The last Dodger signing was Yasiel Puig, as they look to repeat their success on international free agents. |
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