Kuzul

This time, it’s not Manny being Manny.

The former Red Sox, Dodger and Indian is calling it quits after the Rays slow start. Major League Baseball made the announcement today.

The move isn’t all that surprising considering his age and his recent lack of productivity, but it’s still sad to see a character like Manny go.

He began his career in 1993, playing for the Cleveland Indians, a team he stayed with until 2000. Then he made the famous switch to the Boston Red Sox, where he made his name.

Manny had 546 career homers and 12 All-Star appearances.

The move for Manny to retire may be motivated by him being contacted by MLB about a possible drug conduct violation. If Ramirez violated the policy, it would be the second time he has done so.

Whether or not that had anything to do with Ramirez retiring will be determined in the coming days. As we all know, Manny isn’t going to do something he doesn’t want to and serving out another suspension is on his list of things he’s not interested in doing.

After being drafted 13th overall in 1991 by the Cleveland Indians, Ramirez made his Major League debut on September 2, 1993 against the Minnesota Twins, going 3-4. He played with the Indians until 2000, hitting 236 home runs and 804 RBI in 967 games. He won Rookie of the Year and the Silver Slugger award during his time with the Indians.

It wasn’t until 2000 when Manny became a household name when he signed a 8-year, $160 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. He immediately hit .408 in April for the Sox and was a contributor to their World Series Championship Run.

His biggest year as a Red Sox came in 2004 when Manny hit .308, 43 home runs and 130 RBI. It’s also when Manny started being Manny.

He is as famous for skipping out on spring training and All-Star games as he is for pounding the ball. Late in his career he was criticized for not giving 100 percent and only playing half the game mentally.

The Red Sox shipped Manny out to LA in a trade during the 2008 season. Manny attempted to revive his career, but a contract dispute over the 2009 offseason and a failed steroid drug test led to a suspension for Manny. The Dodgers dumped him off on the White Sox in the middle of the 2010 season.

Manny was ineffective as a member of the White Sox and was let go at the end of the 2010 season. It took him until nearly the start of spring training to sign with the Tampa Bay Rays, and played only a week of games in the 2011 season before Manny called it a career. 

He has had a very slow start with the hard-luck Rays so far, being virtually invisible, as has his former Boston teammate Johnny Damon.

Regardless of the reasons why, Manny Ramirez retiring is the end of an era in baseball. 

And that era is the “Era of Manny”.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Breaking News:  According to a Major League Baseball press release, Manny Ramirez is retiring as an active baseball player.  As per the press release, “Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed. MLB will not have any further comment on this matter.”

This would be Ramirez’s second violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.  If Ramirez had cooperated, he would be subject to a 100-game suspension.

 Upon receiving word of Ramirez’s decision, the Tampa Bay Rays released the following statement: “The Tampa Bay Rays were informed today by the Commissioner’s Office that Manny Ramirez has decided to retire after being informed of an issue under the Drug Program.   We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news.  We will have no further comment on this matter, and our fans and organization will carry on.”

Sounds like Manny’s just being Manny.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

What We Learned:

It’s less than a week into the season, so almost nothing. But here are the things that stood out from the season’s first series.

–Progressive Field in Cleveland set consecutive low attendance records on Saturday and Sunday.

After an opening day sellout, the Indians sold 9,853 and 8,726 tickets over the weekend. I watched the games and there might have been a third of that many people actually in the stadium. This is after the Indians finished last in baseball in average attendance last year.

–The Rays may be in Trouble.

I was actually pretty surprised how highly many writers chose this team coming into the season. After losing Crawford, Carlos Pena, Matt Garza and virtually an entire bullpen–Joaquin Benoit (60 IP, 1.34 ERA), Rafael Soriano (45 SV, 1.73 ERA), Grant Balfour (55 IP, 2.28 ERA)–and replacing them with a group of has-been hitters and journeyman/never-was pitchers, many still considered Tampa Bay as division contenders or wildcard favorites.

Who knows, it could still turn out that way, but a team with Manny Ramirez as its cleanup hitter in 2011 is going to have trouble scoring runs. A team relying even moderately on Kyle Farnsworth as a closer is going to have trouble protecting leads. And even though everyone was worried about the Yankees starting pitching coming into the season, their five can probably match up decently with Tampa’s and they are going to score a lot more runs.

Oh and Evan Longoria is now on the DL.

–The Players who Stunk:

Manny: 12 AB, 1 H, 1 TB

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Another baseball season has gotten underway with a smattering of baseball games on Thursday, and once again spring is here…figuratively, if not literally.

Baseball, of course, is driven by statistics more than any other sport, and the game is filled with wonderful statistical milestones that set apart the mortals from the immortals.

The 2011 season promises to see many players crossing significant career milestones, with Derek Jeter crossing that holiest of holy marks, the 3,000-hit barrier.

Let’s have a look at 20 significant milestones that we may see in 2011.

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It has been almost four years since the Indians last finished a season with record of .500 or better. The last time, in fact, was 2007, when the Indians won the AL Central with a record or 96-66. Since that time it has been all down hill for the Tribe,  81 victories in 2008, 65 in 2009, and 69 in 2010. Had it not been for a hot 7-3 finish the Tribe would have finished in the AL Central basement for the second consecutive season.

Bad news for Tribe fans: this season may not be much better than any of those.

Gone are the Cy Young Award winners and the sluggers of yesteryear. They have been replaced with the words; hope and potential.

The hope is that the potential will finally show this season.

Players like Matt LaPorta, Justin Masterson, Mitch Talbot, and Carlos Carrasco all have unlimited potential, but have only shown it in spurts.

LaPorta has been the most disappointing thus far in his short career. The key player in the CC Sabathia deal, LaPorta in 162 games as a pro (52 in 2009 and 110 in 2010), has hit 19 home runs with 62 RBI while hitting a lowly .232.

Masterson, who was the key to the Victor Martinez deal, is entering his second season as a full time starter, and has shown that he can be a very good starter at times though his 7-20 record with the Tribe would show otherwise.

Talbot and Carrasco will enter this season with a chance to prove that they belong as they will be full time members of the rotation.

There is hope though as players like Asdrubal Cabrera, Carlos Santana, and especially closer Chris Perez have shown the ability to be all-star caliber cornerstones.

With that here is a look at the way this 2011 campaign may go for our Tribe.

Projected Rotation

1. Fausto Carmona (2011 projection 14-15, 3.89 ERA)

2. Justin Masterson (12-15, 4.60 ERA)

3. Mitch Talbot ( 11-12, 4.01 ERA)

4. Carlos Carrasco (9-12, 4.55 ERA)

5. Josh Tomlin (10-12,  4.20 ERA)

Overview: The starting rotation may be the weakest part of the club. Carmona, the veteran of the group, may also be the most speratic of the bunch. After having a great 2007, where he went 19-8, he followed with 13 wins in the next two seasons combined. Last year, the 6’4” righty bounced back having a very good season, despite finishing with a 13-14 record. Masterson, as I stated earlier, is a wild card. He is very capable of establishing himself as a quality starter in this league, he just hasn’t quite figure out how to do it consistently, yet. Talbot began last season strong with a 3.99 ERA in the first half of the season, but was much less effective the second time around, with a 5.29 ERA in the second half. Carrasco, who was acquired from the Phillies in the Cliff Lee deal, will be given his first opportunity to be a part of the rotation for a full season, along with fellow righty Josh Tomlin who looked impressive at times with the big league club last season.

It seems that the key to improving the weakest part of the club is maturity, and with maturity, let’s hope consistency isn’t very far behind.

Closer: Chris Perez (2011 projection 4-1, 1.89 ERA 35 Saves)

Overview: Perez was lights out last season finishing with a 1.71 ERA. To put that into perspective, The Sandman, Yankee closer Mariano Rivera finished with 1.80 ERA. Perez has the ability to be a dominating closer in this league for years to come. He has the moxy, the make up, the insanity, and the arm to be a great closer in C-Town, and I project this will be a huge breakout year for the big righty out of The U.

As for the rest of the bullpen, Vinnie Pestano will be given his first chance to be a quality contributor to a major league squad, and will join Frank Herrman, Rafael Perez, and Tony Sipp in what could be a very good bullpen for the short and long term.

Projected Lineup

1. Grady Sizemore, CF (2011 projection .270 12 HR 50 RBI)

2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS (.310 9 HR 44 RBI)

3. Shin-Soo Choo, RF (.320 26 HR 95 RBI)

4. Carlos Santana, C (.299 27 HR 93 RBI)

5. Travis Hafner, DH (.266 19 HR 63 RBI)

6. Orlando Cabrera, 2B (.289 8 HR 45 RBI)

7. Matt LaPorta, 1B (.240 20 HR 60 RBI)

8. Jason Donald, 3B (.273 12 HR 59 RBI)

9. Michael Brantley, LF (.287 9 HR 41 RBI)

Overview: The lineup has many spots that, if potential is filled, can give the Tribe a formidable lineup for years to come (or until there is a good time to trade them). Sizemore and Donald will begin the season on the DL, and when they come off will immediately make the team better. In Sizemore’s absence Brantley will play CF, and hit lead off which will mean Austin Kearns will begin the season most likely in RF. Donald was well on his way to being the Indians opening day 3rd baseman (though prospect Lonnie Chisenhall outplayed him) during spring training only to have a hand injury shut him down for the immediate future, in his spot journeyman Jack Hannahan will get the reps at the hot corner. The 2-3-4 hitters, Cabrera, Choo, and Santana are the heart of the lineup with each player showing that he is highly capable of hitting over .300, while Choo and Santana have shown the power to hit 25 homers or more. The wildcard’s in the lineup are Hafner and LaPorta. Hafner who in 2006 hit 42 homers and had 117 RBI, has not come close to those numbers in the past few seasons, due to injuries and loss of bat speed. LaPorta, as I stated earlier, could break out this season, and the Indians are hoping that is the case, but he just has not shown the consistency to make me believe that will happen. The more I see LaPorta the more I believe he is AAAA player. The type you see who kill AAA pitching but struggle in the big show.

Season Projections:

• Carlos Santana will pick up where he left off and have a very productive season
• Santana and closer Chris Perez will be All-Stars
• Hafner will start slow but then show improvement down the stretch
• Prospect Lonnie Chisenhall will start at 3rd for Tribe by August
• Sizemore will look like the Grady of old, but not until late in the season
• The team will finish 76-86, fourth in the AL Central

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

That’s right the Boys of Summer are back!

Baseball season kicks off this week and ladies, you have got to be prepared. The days of just knowing that A-Rod is a hottie, or that someone hit a home run, or who’s dating who are over.

Ladies, I need you to know a little bit more about what’s going on in the game, and if your guy is into baseball, these terms can definitely help you hit a “glam slam” in the relationship department.

So get out your pen and pad. Take notes because class is in session.

ACE

He is the best pitcher for the team; he’s the one that the team knows can get the job done. Think of this like your best friend or the guy that you are currently dating. Knowing what you bring to the table, these people will help you score ever time.

AROUND THE HORN

No, I’m not talking about the show on ESPN.

This is when one team hits a ground ball to the third baseman, who then throws to second base, and who then throws to first base to complete a double play.

SWEET SPOT

Okay, this can be taken so many different ways, so get your mind out the gutter: We’re talking about baseball here.

Focus! A sweet spot is the best part of the bat where the hitter knows the ball will travel the furthest. See, I told you to get your mind out of the gutter.

ERROR

I’m not talking about when you spilled coffee on your favorite white shirt on your way to work yesterday.

This baseball casualty is a defensive mistake that allows a batter to stay at the plate or reach first base, or that advances a base runner. If the other team scores off this error, trust me it’s going to be hell to pay when the team returns to the dugout.

INNING

Now, if you don’t understand any other term, you’re going to want to at least walk away knowing what an inning is.

The inning is the time played during the game. There are nine innings in a regulation game. Each team bats in an inning until they record three outs.

The visiting team always bats in the top half (beginning) of an inning. If the home team has a higher total after their opponents bat in the top half of the last schedule inning, the bottom half of the inning is not played and the score is final. A tie at the end of regulation play forces extra innings.

The game continues until an inning is complete and the visitors have a higher score, or until the home team breaks the tie. Then they don’t complete the three outs.

If you need to read this again for complete understanding, do so! You need to at least know and understand what an inning is.

DIAMOND

Ahhh…yes, every girl’s dream…a diamond. Mine actually comes from Tiffany’s with a cushion cut set in platinum with a carat weight of about 3.5.

In baseball, however, a diamond is referred to as the infield playing surface. Not as exciting or sparkly, but nonetheless just as important.

RBI

Every man needs a measuring stick to show how helpful he’s being (or not being!).

So in baseball that measuring stick is done with the RBI. This is the stat which shows how often a player has made it possible for his/her teammates to score while at bat.

A player who has 30 RBIs has caused 30 runs to be scored. A batter is not credited with an RBI if he hits into a double play or if the run is scored because of an error.

UNCLE CHARLIE

No, this is not your drunk uncle who always has too much at the family cookouts, but just a cute term for a curve ball. Nothing too significant, I just really liked the name.

TRIPLE

Any other time I would tell you to stay away from the triple scoop of ice cream, but in baseball this is a good thing.

This is a hit enabling the batter to safely reach third base. See, getting to third base is a good place to be.

SHORTSTOP

This is not the short man who’s trying to buy you a drink at the bar, but he’s the defensive player positioned between second and third bases.

And so you don’t embarrass yourself, he’s not short.

GRAND SLAM

This is the one that will definitely get you a highlight on ESPN. This is when a home run is hit with a runner on every base, which scores four runs. You get fireworks, your teammates lift you up, and essentially you are the man, at least for the night.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Each year, players call an end to a career in Major League Baseball for various reasons. Some become tired of the daily grind and want to focus more on family, some have simply gotten older and are unable to compete at a desired level, and some are unable to fully recover from prior injuries.

This spring, several players have already announced their retirement, including Garrett Anderson, Jim Edmonds, Ian Snell and Mike Hampton. While Anderson, Edmonds and Hampton all enjoyed varying degrees of success, and each with over 15 years of MLB experience, Snell retired at the age of 29, unable to fully realize his potential after being drafted in the 26th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

We will take a look at 12 players who will likely call it a career after the end of the 2011 season, and conclude whether or not some of the players should have retired earlier, or if they could possibly continue to play at a high level going forward.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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This time of year, America is buzzing over both March Madness and the fantasy baseball information superhighway. 

In this show, I’ll provide you with the broadband information you’ll need to win a championship and get your coins in.

Join me as I get it in and let you know the under the radar players to roster.

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In all likelihood, Bud Selig won’t be hosting your fantasy baseball draft this year—but that doesn’t mean it’s not a big deal. You probably wouldn’t be reading this article if you weren’t in it to win it, and while it’s tough to win a league if your top picks don’t deliver, the best way to truly separate yourself from your fantasy league opponents is by nabbing some late-round value picks. 

The key to uncovering late-round draft day steals is to get a sense of what types of players tend to be undervalued in the fantasy marketplace. 

As I’ve detailed elsewhere, in reasonably shallow leagues sometimes it is the injury-prone player who can dramatically outproduce his draft slot while healthy.  Sometimes it is the former superstar many managers wrongly assume is now washed up.  Sometimes it is the famed “post-hype sleeper,” a relatively young player who did not initially live up to the hype but still possesses the talent that made them a touted prospect in the first place.  Sometimes it’s a player whose consistent production year after year is routinely under-appreciated, perhaps because the player isn’t “flashy” enough. 

For our purposes, “late-round” steals will only include players who are going in the 15th round or later (pick 169 onward) in 12-team standard leagues, according to either Mock Draft Central or Yahoo average draft position data.

On to the list we go.

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You know their name, but can you trust their game? Here are some former fantasy studs that you should avoid on fantasy draft day.

Chipper Jones, 3B, Atlanta Braves
I love Chipper Jones. I believe he has put together a Hall of Fame career. I wouldn’t touch him this year, even with his reasonable 186 ADP. He hit just .264 and .265 the past two years. He has just one 500 at-bat season (2007) in his past seven years. It was easy to justify owning him when he was hitting well north of .300, but he’ll be 39 in April. He’s far to great of an injury risk to trust on your team. If he slides big time in your draft, maybe you can take a look at him since third base is so shallow, but he’s going (on average) before Placido Polanco, Chase Headley, Kevin Kouzmanoff and countless other that will like be more productive this year.

Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago Cubs
It’s not that Soriano shouldn’t be on fantasy rosters. I just think you can get far better value at his ADP of 98. Some of the outfielders that are going (on average) after him are Corey Hart, Nick Markakis, Delmon Young, Michael Stanton, Drew Stubbs and a rash of other superior options. Again, if he slides in your draft go ahead and take him, but his speed has diminished and his power is average. Take someone with more upside because Soriano is obviously on the wrong side of his career track.

Manny Ramirez, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Manny has just 28 home runs in his past 194 games. His OPS (.869) was the lowest since his first cup of coffee with the Indians back in 1993. It was just .739 in his 24 games with the White Sox. Do I believe Manny can still hit? Absolutely. The problem is whether or not he’ll be motivated. Can he stay healthy? There are a lot of questions for somebody with an ADP of 160.

Miguel Tejada, SS, San Francisco Giants
Tejada had an OPS of .693 last year for the Orioles and the Padres, which is a far cry for his career mark of .801. He rarely misses, so health shouldn’t be a concern. I just fear that his skills are eroding. After all he’ll be 37 in May. On top of that, Bruce Bochy already acknowledges that he will give Tejada plenty or rest this year. His ADP of 203 makes him a reasonable option. I just prefer guys with more upside.

Johnny Damon, OF, Tampa Bay Rays
Had the Rays not signed Manny Ramirez, I would like Damon a little more. He would be able to get some at bats at designated hitter. Playing in the field could take its toll on Damon, who turned 37 in November. He hit just eight home runs last year, and I don’t see significant growth in that category. He could have hot streaks, in which I would entertain riding them out, but I’m not getting a warm and fuzzy feeling that his return to the AL East will be favorable.

Also check out:

• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Value Picks
• 2011 Fantasy Baseball Profiles
• 2011 Fantasy First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only First Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Second Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Third Basemen Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Shortstop Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Catcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Outfielder Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Starting Pitcher Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy A.L. Only Closer Rankings
• 2011 Fantasy N.L. Only Closer Rankings

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com