Kuzul

The MLB All-Star game is quickly approaching, but you probably won’t see very many rookies on that squad.

Let’s turn that around, at least for this article.

Some rookies have been having great campaigns so far, and they definitely deserve to be recognized for their outstanding achievements so far. It is not easy to play your first MLB season, and these guys hit the ground running.

Keep in mind that in order to be considered a rookie, a player must have under 130 career at-bats or 50 career innings pitched.

So, without further ado, here is your 2012 All-Rookie All-Star Team at this point in the season.

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The Philadelphia Phillies need reinforcements, and it seems as if they are going to start looking for bullpen help.

According to Jim Salisbury at Comcast Sports Network, Phillies manager Charlie Manuel “hinted” at looking for bullpen help.

However, the Phillies are struggling right now, and you have to wonder if the bullpen is really the biggest problem.

The Philadelphia bullpen does need help even though Jonathan Papelbon has been extraordinarily strong while Antonio Bastardo, Raul Valdes and Joe Savery are putting up solid campaigns.

The rest of the bullpen has been questionable, but in their defense, they have not always been handed the ball in the best situations.

In terms of runs scored, the Phillies are slightly above average with the 12th most in all of baseball. However, if you look at the results on game-by-game basis, there have been 14 games where the Phillies have scored one run or fewer.

That is not ideal production. They do well when they score at least a few runs, but if you can’t rely on that run production, winning becomes that much harder.

So what should Phillies do in this situation?

Ryan Howard and Chase Utley will be returning eventually, but until then, the Phillies need to worry about the hole in their lineup rather than the perceived hole in their bullpen. Having a strong bullpen is great, but the offense needs to be able to generate a lead that the bullpen can then hold on to.

The Phillies will almost definitely be active throughout the trading season since they are currently sitting six games out of first place, so keep your eyes on their movements. Maybe something huge will develop as it often does when Ruben Amaro Jr. is in control.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Fleet-footed center fielder Michael Bourn could possibly be a trade target for the Washington Nationals according to Bill Ladson of MLB.com.

On the surface, this move really doesn’t make that much sense. After all, the Washington Nationals have Bryce Harper to hold down center field, and the Atlanta Braves would probably not be that interested in trading a potentially dangerous leadoff hitter to a division rival.

However, this move does make a little bit more sense if you look a little bit deeper.

According to Jayson Stark of ESPN, the Washington Nationals have essentially said that Bryce Harper is not going to be their center fielder.

With that statement, the Washington Nationals insinuated that they need to find another center fielder.

Now, why would the Atlanta Braves trade Michael Bourn within the division?

Jayson Stark mentioned in the same article that the Atlanta Braves are most likely to pursue pitchers at the trade deadline since their offense seems to be running smoothly.

Who would possibly be a better trade partner than the Washington Nationals if the Braves want pitching and to also get some return on Bourn, who will be a free agent at the end of the season?

The Washington Nationals are obviously not wanting for any type of pitching right now with an overall team ERA of 2.95. They have plenty of depth already, and they might actually have even more if Chien-Ming Wang makes a strong return.

When you look at it from that angle, a trade kind of makes sense. Both teams would be trading from their strengths to patch up their shortcomings.

However, the fact that the Braves and Nationals are probably going to be locked in a battle at the top of the National League East could very well put a hold on this trade.

It is a very interesting thought, and you would think that both teams would be interested in becoming better. However, the fact of the matter is that this is a major risk for both teams even if it should be a perfect match.

Imagine the repercussions if one team came out far ahead on this type of trade. What if Michael Bourn, all of a sudden, became an MVP caliber outfielder? His presumed dominance would clearly and directly hurt the Atlanta Braves’ postseason aspirations.

With the threat of a double disappointment, it is very unlikely that either team would pull this type of trade.

So, to answer the question in the title, it seems as if Michael Bourn would fill the void that the Washington Nationals believe they have in center field, but this type of trade would not fit in this situation.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Tim Wakefield recently told Jon Paul Morosi of CBS Sports about how he is settling into his retirement.

In his exact words as reported on Twitter:

“It’s been difficult. The fire to compete is still there. But it’s been fun to be home, be a dad, a husband.”

Many baseball players go through this same set of emotions. It must be exciting to finally settle in to a more “normal” life of staying at home and being with the family. However, at the same time, it must be difficult to leave behind a game that has surely influenced his life in such a great way.

Wakefield is definitely not the first baseball player to experience this phenomenon. Just recently, Andy Pettitte tried his hand at the retirement lifestyle, but is back in Major League Baseball after only one year away.

I am not claiming that Wakefield will return next season, but I’m simply using Pettitte as an example of a baseball player who thought that he had called it quits but couldn’t stay away.

Baseball is a lifestyle for these men. Most of them have probably been playing since they were five or six years old, and it is hard to break away from such a strong force in their lives.

Tim Wakefield had an excellent career and should definitely be proud of that. The decision to retire must have been incredibly difficult, but now that he has made that choice, I am glad everything is working out so well for him. His new stage of life will certainly bring another great set of rewards; in fact, it already is as shown in this video from NESN.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Yankees great and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra turned 87 today.

I thought that it might be nice to take a look back at the career of one of the greatest (and funniest) men to ever wear pinstripes.

Yogi Berra did not make his debut for the New York Yankees until 1946 as a 21-year-old. He only played in seven games that season, but he hit his first two home runs during those games and showed enough promise to earn substantial playing time the following year.

It turned out that that was an excellent decision for the New York Yankees. That very next season, he came in 15th in the MVP voting.

The reason that that is significant is because Yogi Berra received MVP votes every year between 1947 and 1961. That would be phenomenal for any player, but given the physical demands placed upon the catcher, it’s even more remarkable.

He didn’t just receive MVP votes, but he won three of them in 1951, 1954 and 1955. Also, he hit at least 20 home runs every year from 1949 to 1958.

Obviously, he had long stretches of great success, and his career numbers reflect that. He boasts a .285 career batting average with 358 home runs, 1,430 RBI and walked a remarkable 707 times compared to 414 strikeouts.

All of these numbers help demonstrate how talented Berra actually was and show why he was the best catcher to ever play in a Yankees uniform.

No discussion of Yogi Berra would be complete without a discussion of Yogi-isms. I personally find him hilarious (I love the irony), and I know that thousands, if not millions, of other people do as well. Therefore, here are some of my favorites.

It’s déjà vu all over again.

I didn’t really say everything I said.

It gets late early out here.

It ain’t over ’til it’s over.

(All of these and more can be found at this Yogi Berra website)

So, I have no idea if you will ever read this, but happy birthday Mr. Berra! You had a great career as one of the best offensive catchers in history and one of the funniest men in America.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

According to Marc Narducci of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ryan Howard is starting to get back into the swing of things both literally and figuratively.

The power-hitting first baseman has been cleared for baseball activities and will be heading to Florida on Sunday.

Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said that Howard will begin simply by fielding some ground balls and building up his strength.

“He probably won’t start hitting for at least a few days because he wants to get his legs under him and doesn’t want to get in any bad habits.”

Nevertheless, this is an incredibly encouraging sign.

Last season, Howard hit 33 home runs and drove in 116 runs. Over the six complete seasons that he has played in the City of Brotherly Love, he has averaged almost 133 RBI a year.

Even though his batting average is not the greatest and he strikes out far too much, no one can deny that he’s one of the best run producers in baseball today.

The Philadelphia Phillies have been struggling to produce any offense this season, so his return will be especially vital. In fact, only the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates had scored fewer runs than Philadelphia in all of Major League Baseball.

Howard is not expected to be back in Philadelphia for quite a while yet, and Amaro would not even commit to a timeline, but progress is definitely a good thing and a sign of encouragement for a team that is underachieving at the moment.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Dontrelle Willis has signed a minor-league contract with the Baltimore Orioles, according to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. According to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun, it is a “split contract that’s worth $700k for bigs.”

How did this happen?

After an explosive start to his career, which was highlighted by 22-10 campaign in 2005, the 30-year-old left-hander hit a wall and struggled to find his way back to the major leagues on a permanent basis.

Although last season was definitely not incredibly successful for Willis, as he posted a 1-6 record and a 5.00 ERA, one interesting statistic emerged. Right-handed hitters were having a field day against Willis, but left-handed batters only managed to hit .127 against him. In the 55 times Willis faced a left-handed bat last season, 20 of them were sent back to the dugout on strikes. Getting outs is a step in the right direction.

This type of effectiveness against left-handers convinced the Philadelphia Phillies to give him a spot as a bullpen specialist. However, that didn’t work out as planned. Willis surrendered five earned runs in 2.2 innings this spring, leading to his release from the Phillies.

That brings us to the Baltimore Orioles. A few days ago, ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted that the Baltimore Orioles are looking for starting pitching. Willis might be an interesting option; $700,000 is not very much to pay for someone who was, at one point, near the top of baseball. What if he is able to recapture some of his old magic?

I’m not saying that this is a likely situation, but Willis proved last season that he can get people out (though, granted, mainly just left-handed batters). However, what if he really is on an uphill track? He probably won’t be able to win 22 games again, but I will admit that it would be nice to see Dontrelle Willis make a return as a serviceable starting pitcher.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

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Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

I had to laugh when I read this article about Brad Lidge claiming that the 2012 Washington Nationals are the most talented team he has ever played on.

Seriously?

I have absolutely nothing against the Washington Nationals. In fact, if you follow me on Twitter, you might remember that I tweeted a while back that I think that the Washington Nationals will make the playoffs this year. They are talented.

However, Lidge has played on four teams that were arguably more talented than this year’s Washington Nationals. I hope you enjoy this trip down memory lane.

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Gerardo Parra should have a secure position in Major League Baseball. As a 24-year-old last season, he posted a very solid stat line with a .292 batting average, eight home runs, 46 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. While these are definitely not elite numbers, they are definitely respectable. On top of that, he won a Gold Glove as a left fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks. He hasn’t even reached his prime yet, but he is already putting up good numbers with the potential for more.

You would think that production like that from a player his age would be rewarded with playing time the following season. However, Arizona signed Jason Kubel over the winter, which has created a bottleneck in the outfield. Justin Upton will obviously remain in right field, Chris Young will return to center field, and the newly acquired Kubel will take over in left field.

Parra is the odd man out. He will probably spend most of 2012 on the bench as a utility outfielder who will play all three of those positions.

But doesn’t that kind of seem like a waste?

If Parra truly does tend 2012 on the bench, his value will surely drop. The Diamondbacks will not have a place for him in next year’s outfield either, so his trade value might drop even more.

Right now, he is coming off of a very strong season where he demonstrated a solid all-around game at a young age. Since it appears that Arizona does not have any immediate vacancies in their outfield, they should try to trade him now.

Even though General Manager Kevin Towers says that no discussions have taken place, they probably should start soon. If they are ever going to sell, now would be the time.

It would be better for the Diamondbacks, and it would be better for Parra. They would be able to do use his trade value to reinforce a weakness, and he will be able to find the starting position that he has earned by his solid play last season.

Whether you think I know everything or nothing about Major League Baseball, you should follow me on Twitter and keep in touch. I love hearing what you all have to say!

Follow @spinkickers

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A home run in and of itself is a rare occurrence. However, not all home runs are created equal. Some home runs change seasons. Some home runs crush dreams at the same time as they fulfill others.

That is what we are going to talk about today. We are going to celebrate the 20 most memorable home runs in Major League Baseball history. Enjoy!

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