The Hardball Report.com (Headlines, Prospects, By the Numbers, News and Rumors, Fantasy Baseball)

The Status Of Hardball Report

2008-11-10T22:22:01+00:00

Thanks to everyone who has visited our site over the course of the first year. We all greatly appreciate it, especially myself. But now, over the off-season we're hopefully going to be launching an entertainment site similar to this one. And in order to ensure its quality, the hardballreport.com site will be down until the beginning of next season. We haven't been writing as much lately because, after all, this is a side project and all the time needed to make this site truly exceptional was taken up in other places (school, presidential campaigns, etc.). So please come back late next March for more baseball news and be on the lookout for entertainment report sometime in the new year.

Manny To Receive Playoff Share From Red Sox

2008-10-18T01:26:55+00:00

The Red Sox, according to the Boston Herald, voted to give Manny Ramirez a two-thirds playoff share. The reason for the percentage is because the future Hall-of-Famer played two-thirds of the season. Other players were voted on too, and Jason Bay was one who received more than 1/4 share. Check out the whole ESPN/AP article.

Brewers Complete Sabathia Deal

2008-10-18T01:22:00+00:00

Remember when CC Sabathia got traded to the Milwaukee Brewers and started crushing lineups (until the playoffs started)? Yeah, well so do the Cleveland Indians. Sabathia's former team finally got their "player to be named later" on Friday, officially completing the deal.

The mystery player turned out to be minor league outfielder Michael Brantley, who will now join the Indians organization almost three months after the Sabathia deal went down. Brantely has been primarily a leadoff hitter during his minor league career.

-B.G.

Red Sox Complete Historic Comeback Against Rays

2008-10-18T01:18:29+00:00

If you turned off Game 5 of the Rays-Red Sox series after it appeared that the Rays would advance easily to the World Series, you weren't the only ones. I, someone who writes about baseball and blogs about it with greater frequency, turned it off and watched Life on Mars. The facts, though, is that the Red Sox came back against a shaky Tampa Bay bullpen with timely hitting and finally a big hit by David Ortiz. I won't go through the entire comeback - for that head over to ESPN.

Padres Shopping Jake Peavy

2008-10-18T01:11:52+00:00

The Padres seem pretty sure they're going to suck next year, which can be seen by the general youth movement that the organization is moving towards. As well as the fact that the front office has been shopping 2007 Cy Young award winner Jake Peavy to several well-off teams. The five NL teams that Peavy is interested in includes the Cardinals, Cubs, Braves, Dodgers and Astros.

The Padres, on the other hand, aren't entirely comfortable in trading Peavy to those teams, so it is being reported that they are reaching out to other teams around the league (AL teams possibly?). Where they'll run into problems with this, however, is that Peavy has a full no-trade clause, and he's currently getting paid a ton of money to play in San Diego (one of the nicest, year-round places to live in the United States). And he has not said that he would accept a deal to the Yankees, who are interested in acquiring a top-of-the-line starting pitcher, or any other AL team.

So the thing to take away from this is that the ball is in Peavy's court, so to speak. And with the World Series going on, this will be an interesting MLB subplot to watch for the teams trying to get back into the playoffs.

Yanks To Pursue Big Name

2008-10-18T01:02:04+00:00

The Yankees will pursue several big name free agents. On that list are a slew of names that will likely earn more than $500 million over the next six months. SI.com reports that this includes AJ Burnett, CC Sabathia, Derek Lowe, Mark Teixeira and possibly Jake Peavy and Manny Ramirez.Andy Pettitte is also reportedly interested in coming back to the Yanks in 2009.

Hamels NLCS MVP

2008-10-16T04:26:28+00:00

Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels was named MVP of the NLCS after tossing his second gem of the series in a 5-1 win over the Dodgers. In his two starts, Hamels went 14 innings with 13 strikeouts and a 1.93 ERA. The lefty was the first Philly to win the award since Curt Schilling in 1993, and the youngster is quickly becoming one of the best in the league.

Manny Seeking Big Pay Day

2008-10-16T04:14:28+00:00

Rumors have surfaced about contreversial All-Star OF Manny Ramirez and his alleged quest for a six year deal worth about 150 million dollars. Manny has been dropping hints about a six year deal for some time now and his agent Scott Boris describes Manny as "iconic." Only three teams are believed to have enough money to even consider adding the 36-year-old slugger, the Mets, Blue Jays, and of course the Yankees.

Longoria, Upton Carrying Rays

2008-10-14T04:04:13+00:00

During the postseason, youth is usually seen as a weak point for any team trying to compete for the World Series. The exact opposite has proven true for the Rays. Evan Longoria and B.J. Upton, both under age 25, have been playing well beyond their years so far this postseason. Longoria has tied a rookie record with four postseason homers and Upton is quickly closing in on the all time playoff record with 5 of his own. The Rays are currently leading the Red Sox 2-1 in the ALCS, and these two emerging stars are a big reason for that.

Pujols Has Surgery

2008-10-14T03:45:12+00:00

Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols recently underwent surgery to repair his right elbow, a procedure that included decompression and transposition, but no ligament reconstruction. Pujols is expected to be back in action by the time spring training rolls back around, so fantasy owners need not worry about a drop in production next season.

Rays Prepare ALCS Roster

2008-10-10T03:16:47+00:00

Rays manager Joe Maddon will not be taking any chances, taking a roster of 11 pitchers and 14 skills players into the 7-game series against the Red Sox. Closer Troy Percival and position player Eric Hinske are both expected to be left off the roster, while pitcher Edwin Jackson is expected to take the final slot for pitchers.

Doctor Claims Schilling Could Be Pitching Right Now

2008-10-10T03:01:55+00:00

The Boston Red Sox may have the best remaining pitching rotation in the playoffs, but one thing is for sure, they would take the addition of Curt Schilling without a second guess. Dr. Craig Morgan claims that if Boston had let him perform offseason surgery on Schilling, he could very well be available for the ALCS. Regardless of what could have been, the reality is that now Schilling would not be ready to pitch until the second half of 2009 and he is seriously contemplating retirement.

Daisuke First, Beckett Second

2008-10-09T04:41:03+00:00

Don't worry Sox fans, Josh Beckett is still considered to be the best postseason pitcher on the team, but nevertheless, Francona will start Daisuke for game 1 of the ALCS against the Rays. According to Francona, the choice was made in order to give Daisuke, Beckett, and Lester an equal amount of time to rest between starts. Beckett's game 3 loss to the Angels had nothing to do with the decision and he is expected to be back to his old playoff form for game 2.

Dodgers May Save Saito For World Series

2008-10-09T03:09:22+00:00

All indications from Dodgers closer Takashi Saito have him sitting out for the NLCS. Saito suggested in an interview with the L.A. Daily News that it was up to the Dodgers whether or not he would be left off the roster for this series, giving him time to work on his mechanics and be ready for the World Series. Johnathan Broxton will likely take over closing duties for the NLCS.

Marmol Gets In Car Accident

2008-10-08T07:07:02+00:00

Carlos Marmol was involved in a small car accident last night at around 2 a.m. in his native Dominican Republic. Marmol reportedly said that he has a cut on his forehead and a bit of swelling on his forehead. Marmol was riding with his cousin and friend. He expects to make a full recovery.

Championship Series Set

2008-10-08T07:03:54+00:00

If you've been living under a rock, or maybe solely going to this site for your baseball news, then you're probably the only people who don't know that the Championship Series matchups are set. In the National League, the Dodgers will be going up against the Phillies. The Red Sox will go up against the upstart Rays over in the AL.

Hafner May Need Surgery

2008-10-08T02:59:48+00:00

Indians DH Travis Hafner spent more than three months on the DL this past season with a shoulder strain, hoping to be back at 100 percent at season's end. This was not the case, as team doctors found out that Hafner has yet to regain full strength in his shoulder. Surgery is becoming a strong option, but with or without, Hafner is expected to be back at full strength for training camp.

Rivera Has Surgery

2008-10-08T02:33:25+00:00

Yankees All-Star closer Mariano Rivera underwent right shoulder surgery on Tuesday and is expected to be out for at least 3 months before throwing again. Rivera should be pitching again one month prior to the opening of spring training, but at 38 years old, Yankees fans have to be curious to see if he can maintain his effectiveness over the next few years.

Schilling May Return For Half-Season

2008-10-07T04:11:06+00:00

Boston pitcher Curt Schilling is considering returning for the 2009 season, but only to pitch for half the season, and only under the "right circumstances." For Schilling, the right circumstances mean being completely healthy up until his point of return and being picked up by a playoff bound team. Schilling did not pitch at all this season and admits that retirement is not out of the question.

Lowell Off Postseason Roster

2008-10-07T03:54:56+00:00

Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell has been removed from the ALDS roster with complications from his hip injury. If Lowell is well enough to play again, he would be eligible to return for the World Series, that is of course if the Red Sox can make it that far. Lowell was replaced on the roster by Gil Velazquez.