This writer is voting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim’s Mike Trout for the AL MVP…PERIOD. Why? Let the debate continue!
Follow paulmbanksJosh Hamilton and Matt Kemp Are Threats For The Triple Crown
May 10, 2012 By 2 Comments
It’s still “early” in baseball terms, but Josh Hamilton and Matt Kemp have done nothing but put on shows. Their superb play has gotten more attention than Philip Humber’s perfect game. Hamilton and Kemp are going for the Triple Crown in their respective leagues. The Triple Crown is revered, by many, to be the greatest single-season accomplishment in all of baseball.
Follow paulmbanksSetting Up Detroit Tigers Pitching for Postseason Success
September 5, 2011 By 2 Comments
Closer Jose Valverde and starter Justin Verlander obviously anchor the pitching staff in Detroit. The former has forty save opportunities in the same amount of chances. The latter has garnered his twenty-first victory already with almost a month left. Valverde’s numbers are a little misleading because his whip is near one and a third. This would usually dictate a few blown saves, but he has been the master in working his way out of jams.
The team buried the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night after coming back from a seven run deficit.
Follow paulmbanksFront-runners for MLB MVP, Cy Young Awards in Final Month
August 28, 2011 By Leave a Comment
There is nothing I despise more than election speculation about results that are impossible to predict this far out in the presidential race. I, however, will make some bold predictions on some key postseason honors that have yet to come to fruition. My picks have a much better chance of occurring than those made on the roundtables of Sunday morning political talk shows.
Follow paulmbanksTwins and White Sox Have a Lot in Common
August 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
American League fans in Chicago and Minneapolis have experienced tremendous disappointment so far this season. The lackluster play of their clubs has had many sitting on their hands at US Cellular and Target Fields. There are actually tremendous parallels between the two situations. It starts with a list of three disappointing players on each roster.
Follow paulmbanksTwins Vs. Tigers: AL Central Race Heating Up Now?
July 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Outside of Justin Morneau, Jason Kubel is the most prolific bat in the Twins lineup on a consistent basis. He has more potential than Joe Mauer to put up big time numbers in the RBI and home run departments. The argument could also be made for Delmon Young or Michael Cuddyer, but I would wonder if those that would bring up those names have ever been to a batting practice session. People often speak of making judgments concerning the eye test. This would be more of a case of trusting the ear test.
If the Twins could take the Tigers and Yankees off the schedule, then the reason of the season would be pure bliss. The team showed promise in the first two series that were post All Star break. The Indians and Royals are anonymous nationally, but intra-divisional contests are always of the utmost importance in Major League Baseball. Then the team faced the Tigers-a team that had beaten them eleven straight times before Saturday night.
Follow paulmbanksDetroit Tigers: Undefeated for the Week
May 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
After a lackluster start to the season, it seems that Jim Leyland has the Tigers on track racking up victory after victory this week.
Playing the Twins lately can right the ship for a lot of teams. The golf ball sized hale that they encountered while in Minneapolis couldn’t deter the streak that they have accumulated. The Tigers put nineteen runs up on the board in those two mid-week games alone. The four game sweep of the Toronto Blue Jays about a week ago was also impressive since it was on the road.
Follow paulmbanks2011 Baseball Season has been Bizarro World So Far
April 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Fans of all sports typically love to see David slay Goliath. They usually root against the haves and in favor of the have-nots. They must really enjoy attending MLB games so far, because unpredictability has been the norm in April. Albert Pujols, Justin Morneau, and the Boston Red Sox are all prime examples of conventional wisdom being useless thus far when analyzing the early portion of the season.
While the regular season is only about ten percent complete, the relevance of the Kansas City Royals and Cleveland Indians is refreshing to observers all over baseball because it shows the league is not in danger of turning into the NBA.
Follow paulmbanksIndians’ Asdrubal Cabrera named Co-AL Player of the Week
April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Asdrubal Cabrera’s impressive offensive numbers have been pivotal in the Indians’ fast start, and have been strong enough to earn him the Co-AL Player of the Week, sharing the title with Paul Konerko of the White Sox.
Cabrera is most often associated with his strong defensive abilities, but has taken his offense to a whole new level this season. Off to a solid .316 start, the shortstop already has three home runs and nine RBI’s this season, leading the Tribe in both categories. To add some perspective to that stat, Cabrera has never hit more than six home runs in an entire season.
Follow paulmbanksAssessing the Detroit Tigers Performance out of the Gate
April 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Much like the Minnesota Twins, the Detroit Tigers are not where they expected to be a little over one week into regular season play. They had the spotlight on them opening day against the Yankees-only to struggle.
Whether it’s April or not, it is totally unacceptable for this team to lose back to back series against the likes of the Baltimore Orioles and the Kansas City Royals. These two clubs haven’t been relevant this millennium. The Texas Rangers are on the horizon and they look like the best team in the American League right now.
Follow paulmbanksSobriety: The Key to Miguel Cabrera (and the Detroit Tigers’) Season
April 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
For my money, the two most talented offensive players in the American League are Josh Hamilton and Miguel Cabrera. Both of them have also battled substance abuse issues during their playing careers. The Tigers have a legitimate chance at the AL Central division title this year, but they must have a MVP type season from Cabrera. Twelve step programs have been around for years and they have helped millions of people with their daily struggles. However, they are not for everyone. What follows are some suggestions for optimal performance.
Follow paulmbanksHealth Reasons: Why the Twins Will Win the AL Central
April 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Justin Morneau is back from his post-concussion symptoms. Joe Nathan is fully recovered from his ailments that he suffered last season. In the UFC, Joe Rogan and other commentators often speak of “ring rust” when describing fighters who are returning to competition after long layoffs. The Twins brass hope this ring rust was remedied with spring training.
The American League Central may be the only division in baseball with three truly viable contenders for the division crown. The Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals still remain afterthoughts-much to the chagrin to their respective fan bases. The latter is trying to create a buzz that they will be contenders in a couple of years simply to placate the masses. The cases of Mark Prior and Todd Van Poppel are proof positive that prospects don’t always come to fruition. Even if they do pan out, the players will inevitably bolt to bigger markets that are willing to open their wallets for long term deals. Their payroll is only slightly higher than Alex Rodriguez’s salary for the upcoming season.
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