Pirates 3rd Baseman Jung-ho Kang Rehabbing in Indianapolis

Pirates 3rd Baseman Jung-ho Kang Rehabbing in Indianapolis

After months of recovery and extensive physical therapy, Pirates third baseman Jung-ho Kang is finally rehabbing his leg in Indianapolis. Kang suffered a broken leg and torn MCL when he was slid into by then-Cubs left fielder Chris Coghlan who was trying to break up a double play back in September. 

Kang is expected to be back in Pittsburgh sometime in the next week or two and will hopefully be the Pirates every day third baseman again at some point soon after that. 

Voting for the 2016 MLB All-Star Game has Officially Started!

Voting for the 2016 MLB All-Star Game has Officially Started!

Only 20 games into the 2016 Major League Baseball regular season and all star voting has started already. The 2016 MLB All-Star Game will be held on July 12th, 2016 at Petco Park in San Diego, home of the San Diego Padres. 

The all star game happens in Major League Baseball every year in the middle of July and while it is supposed to be fun and games, it is important for the post season as it pits the American League's best against the National League's best and the winning team gets home field advantage in the World Series! So go and vote for your favorite players to see them at the mid season classic! 

Pirates Charities Host Home Run 5K and 10K Races

Pirates Charities Host Home Run 5K and 10K Races 

On April 16th, 2016 the Pittsburgh Pirates Charity group hosted their annual Home Run 5K and 10K races to raise money for Pirates Charities, a fund raising group within the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball organization that builds fields throughout the greater Pittsburgh area for kids with special needs. Canfield, OH native Scott Denham won the 5K with a time of 15 minutes and 38 seconds and Gregory Opp of Somerset, PA won the 10K event with a time of 35 minutes and 17 seconds and it was a fun time for all who attended and all who participated and a great way for the Pirates to give back to the community. 

Top 10 World Series Championship Winners List

 Top 10 World Series Championship Winners List

List of the teams that have won the World Series in Baseball History and the number they have one and the last year that they won one. 

1. New York Yankees (27, Last was in 2009)

2. St. Louis Cardinals (11, last was in 2011)

3. Oakland Athletics (9, last was in 1989)

4. San Fransisco Giants (8, last was in 2014)

4. Boston Red Sox (8, last was in 2013)

6. Los Angeles Dodgers (6, last was in 1988)

7. Cincinnati Reds (5, last was in 1990)

7. Pittsburgh Pirates (5, last was in 1979) 

9. Detroit Tigers (4, last was in 1984)

10. Atlanta Braves (3, last was in 1995)

10. Chicago White Sox (3, last was in 2005)

10. Baltimore Orioles (3, last was in 1983) 

2016 MLB Power Rankings: Week 3

 2016 MLB Power Rankings: Week 3

ESPN's rankings of all 30 teams in order of performance thus far as of Week 3 (April 25th, 2016) 

 TOP 10                              

1. Chicago Cubs (14-5)                                                   

2. Washington Nationals (14-4) 

3. Kansas City Royals (12-6)

4. Baltimore Orioles (11-6)

5. Los Angeles Dodgers (12-7)

6. Chicago White Sox (13-6)

7. New York Mets (10-7)

8. Texas Rangers (10-9) 

9. St. Louis Cardinals (10-8)

10. Pittsburgh Pirates (9-9)

EVERYONE ELSE 

11. Oakland Athletics (10-9)

12. Arizona Diamondbacks (10-9)

13. San Fransisco Giants (9-11) 

14. Cleveland Indians (9-7) 

15. Toronto Blue Jays (10-10) 

16. Detroit Tigers (8-9)

17. Boston Red Sox (9-9)

18. Colorado Rockies (9-9)                                                          

19. Seattle Mariners (9-9)

20. Tampa Bay Rays (8-10) 

21. New York Yankees (7-10) 

22. Los Angeles Angels (8-11) 

23. Cincinnati Reds (9-10)

24. Houston Astros (6-13)

25. Philadelphia Phillies (9-10)

26. Miami Marlins (6-10)

27. San Diego Padres (7-12)

28. Milwaukee Brewers (8-11)

29. Minnesota Twins (5-14)

30. Atlanta Braves (4-14) 

Diamondbacks Score 9 in the 6th, Go On to Defeat the Cardinals 12-7.

Diamondbacks Score 9 in the 6th, Go On to Defeat the Cardinals 12-7

Backed by a big night from leadoff hitter Jean Segura who went 4 for 6 with one run and three runs batted in (RBI's) coming off one swing which was a three run homer off of Cardinals reliever Kevin Siegrist, the Arizona Diamondbacks came back to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks by a final score of 12 to 7 that included a 9 run sixth inning. The Diamondbacks were down by a score of 5-2 going to the bottom of the 6th inning when the Arizona offense exploded for nine runs off of Cardinals starter Jaime Garcia as well as a few relievers and they never looked back. 

Updated 2016 MLB Season Standings for Each Division as of 4/26/16

Updated 2016 MLB Season Standings for Each Division as of 4/26/16
                                              
A. AL EAST

                                     Wins  Losses   PCT  GB
1. Baltimore Orioles     11          7       .611   --
2. Boston Red Sox       10          9       .526  1.5
3. Toronto Blue Jays    10         11      .476  2.5
4. Tampa Bay Rays      9          10      .474   2.5
5. New York Yankees   8          10     .444   4.0


B. AL Central            

                                      Wins  Losses  PCT  GB

1. Chicago White Sox   14        6        .700  --
2. Kansas City Royals   12        7        .632  1.5
3. Cleveland Indians      9         8         .529  3.5
4. Detroit Tigers            9         9         .500  4.0
5. Minnesota Twins       6         14       .300  8.0

C. AL WEST

                                      Wins  Losses  PCT  GB
1. Seattle Mariners         10         9       .526   --
2. Oakland Athletics      10        10       .500  0.5
3. Texas Rangers            10        10       .500  0.5
4. Los Angeles Angels    9         11      .450   1.5
5. Houston Astros           6         14      .300   4.5

D. NL EAST

                                        Wins  Losses PCT  GB
1. Washington Nationals   14        4      .778   --
2. New York Mets             11        7      .611   3.0
3. Philadelphia Phillies      9         10    .474   5.5
4. Miami Marlins               7         11    .389   7.0
5. Atlanta Braves               4         15    .211   10.5

E. NL CENTRAL

                                       Wins  Losses PCT  GB
1. Chicago Cubs             14          5      .737  --
2. Pittsburgh Pirates       11          9       .550  3.5
3. St. Louis Cardinals    10          9       .526  4.0
4. Cincinnati Reds          9          11       .450 5.5
5. Milwaukee Brewers   8          11       .421 6.0

F. NL WEST

                                           Wins  Losses PCT  GB
1. Los Angeles Dodgers     12         8      .600  --
2. Arizona Diamondbacks  11        10     .524  1.5
3. San Fransisco Giants      10        11     .476  2.5
4. Colorado Rockies           9          10     .474  2.5
5. San Diego Padres           7           13    . 350 4.0

Pirates Pull off a Big Win in Extras in the Arizona Desert

Pirates Pull Off a Big Win in Extras in the Arizona Desert

Thanks to some clutch hitting from Pirates utility man Sean Rodriguez and left fielder Starling Marte as well as some key defensive plays, the Pirates defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks last night at Chase Field by a final score of 12-10. However, this game was not scheduled to end at around 9:30pm or so Eastern Time as it started at 4:10pm Eastern Time. These two teams went back and forth in a game that took 13 innings and lasted nearly five and a half hours before the Pirates came out on top, one of the longest games of the season in all the major leagues. 

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League Baseball: Part 8

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League Baseball: Part 8 

Continuing the tours of the ballparks of Major League Baseball (MLB).

NL WEST

1. Chase Field-Home of the Arizona Diamondbacks 

Opened in 1998, Chase Field is another one of only a few ballparks in the MLB that is indoors with a retractable roof. Chase Field has a seating capacity 48,519 and is somewhat unique in having a dirt strip down the middle of mound to home plate similar that of Comerica Park.

2. Coors Field-Home of the Colorado Rockies 

Nicknamed Jurassic Park, Coors Field opened in 1995 and has a seating capacity of 50,398. It is known for its beer and beautiful views of the well, rockies haha.

3. Dodger Stadium- Home of the Los Angeles Dodgers

The  Los Angeles Dodgers, who once played in Brooklyn, New York, have played at Dodger stadium since 1958 and it is one of the oldest stadiums in the major leagues. Hall of Famer announcer Vin Scully is the ballpark announcer for the Dodgers and is finally retiring following the 2016 season. Dodger Stadium has a seating capacity of 56,000.

4. Petco Park-Home of the San Diego Padres

Home of the San Diego Padres, Petco Park has a very cool backdrop of skyscrapers in its lovely city of San Diego, CA. The Padres started playing at Petco in 2004 and they are one of only 8 teams in the MLB league who has yet to win a World Series title. Petco park has a seating capacity of 40,162.

5. AT&T Park-Home of the San Fransisco Giants

Formally known as Pacific Bell Park and SBC Park, AT&T Park is home to the NL West and Eight time World Series Champion San Fransisco Giants. Known famously for the brick wall in right field as well as McCovey Cove behind this wall and the famous large coke bottle in left field, AT&T Park has a seating capacity of 41,915 and opened in April of 2000.

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League Baseball: Part 7

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League  Baseball: Part 7 

Continuing the tour of the ballparks of Major League Baseball (MLB)

NL CENTRAL

1. Wrigley Field- Home of the Chicago Cubs                         

Opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park, Wrigley Field is one of the oldest stadiums in all of baseball, second only to Fenway Park which opened on April 20th, 1912. Just recently installing a electronic scoreboard in right field (Not shown in this picture), Wrigley, like Fenway, still does manual scoreboard keeping as well as the electronic scoreboard. Its seating capacity is 41,268. The Cubs are famous for having the longest championship drought of any team across the four major sports of baseball, basketball, football, and hockey, having last one their only their last World Series in 1908, actually having back to back championships in 1907 and 1908 before this 100+ year drought.

2. Great American Ballpark-Home of the Cincinnati Reds 

Located along the Ohio River and right next to the Ohio-Kentucky boarder, Great American ballpark is home to the National League Central and five-time World Series champion Cincinnati Reds and opened on March 31st, 2003. Nicknamed GABP, this park can hold up to 42,319 fans per baseball game.

3. Miller Park-Home of the Milwaukee Brewers

One of only a few MLB stadiums with a retractable roof, Miller Park is home to the Milwaukee Brewers of the National League Central Division. The Brewers are one of only 8 active MLB teams to never win a World Series championship. Miller park has a seating capacity of 41, 900 and has a slide that their mascot slides down every time a Brewer hits a home run there.

4. PNC Park-Home of the Pittsburgh Pirates

Voted repeatedly by multiple different sports websites and magazines as the best ballpark in Major League Baseball, PNC Park is home to the Five-time World Series champion Pittsburgh Pirates. Nicknamed, "The City of Bridges" Pittsburgh's passion for sports does not stop with the Penguins and Steelers, but in fact, baseball is very popular in this amazing city too. Having one of the smallest seating capacities in all of baseball at 38,362, PNC is always a good time for baseball and food lovers alike.

5. Busch Stadium III-Home of the St. Louis Cardinals

Also named one of the best stadiums in all of the MLB because of its stunning views of the St. Louis Arch and downtown skyscrapers, Busch Stadium III is home to the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League Central. This stadium can seat up to 43,975 fans without standing room and 46,861 with standing room and it opened in April 2006.

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League Baseball: Part 6

The Baseball Stadiums of Major League Baseball: Part 6

Continuing the tour of the ballparks of Major League Baseball (MLB)

NL EAST

3. Citi Field-Home of the New York Mets 

Citi Field opened in April 2009 and has a seating capacity of around 45,000 people, including standing room only seats. It is home to the other New York team, the Mets, and is located in Flushing in the borough of Queens on Long Island, NY. It's naming rights belong to Citigroup, an investment banking and financial services corporation that is headquartered in Manhattan, NY.

4. Citizens Bank Park-Home of the Philadelphia Phillies

Home of the two-time World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park is located in the heart of the city of Philadelphia, PA. This park hosted the 2012 NHL Winter Classic between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers and has a seating capacity of approximately 43,651 and opened in April 2004, replacing Veterans Stadium which was home to the Phillies for over 30 years prior to its demolition and the the opening of Citizens Bank Park.

5. Nationals Park-Home of the Washington Nationals 

Home to the newest MLB Franchise the Washington Nationals who, in 2005, moved from Montreal as the Montreal Expos to their current home in Washington DC, Nationals park has amazing food to go along with the wonderful game of baseball played on the field. This includes chili dogs as well as mac and cheese hot dogs, yum...Nationals park has a seating capacity of 41,313 and opened on March 30th, 2008 and has been home to the Nationals ever since.