Out with the Old 30, and In with the New MVP 11/22/16

Hey baseball fans!

It is the 55th anniversary of Frank Robinson being named NL MVP for the Cincinnati Reds during the 1961 MLB season. Robinson's '61 campaign was definitely deserving of the award, as he batted .323 with 37 home runs and 124 runs batted in. His monstrous .611 slugging percentage led the league that year and his efforts helped the Reds reach their first World Series since 1940, where they sadly lost to the Yankees. The man they called "The Judge" was in the middle of an unbelievable career and was one of the young stars of baseball. However, after the 1965 season, Reds owner Bill DeWitt decided to trade Robinson from Cinci to the Baltimore Orioles because he thought that the slugging Texas native was "not a young 30." This trade has come to be known as one of the most lopsided trades in MLB history and one of the reasons for that is what Robinson did the season directly after he was sent to Charm City.

I'm going to be very blunt about this: he won the Triple Crown. Yeah, that's right; in Frank Robinson's first season after he was sent to the O's, he batted .316 with 49 home runs and 122 RBIs, which all led the league, giving him the Triple Crown. And just to rub it in DeWitt's face, Robinson also led the league in runs scored (122), on-base percentage (.410), slugging percentage (.637), and total bases (367). And to rub it in DeWitt's face even more, Robinson's explosive, AL MVP-winning campaign helped the Orioles win the franchise's first World Series with a sweep of the Dodgers in the 1966 Fall Classic. Wow, for an old guy, he sure could swing the bat well.

With the 1966 AL MVP under his belt, Frank Robinson became the only player in baseball history to win the MVP for teams in both leagues. Really, what an ignorant move by the Reds' front office to trade a man who would go on to finish his career with 586 home runs, tenth-most all time. And no wonder that Frank chose to wear an O's cap on his Hall of Fame plaque! Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

My 2016 MLB Awards Prediction Video 11/12/16

Hey baseball fans!

Since the 2016 season is officially over, it's time for the week where everyone debates about who is going to win the four major MLB offseason awards in each league: Manager of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Cy Young Award, and MVP. If you want to know who I think will win each award, click here to see my predictions.

Thanks for watching the video and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."

These Teams Need Water Quickly! (Get it? Drought?) 11/8/16

Hey baseball fans!

The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908, thus erasing their 108-year championship drought. So, who has the longest drought now and when will it end? In this post, I will try to predict the end to the six current longest championship droughts in MLB history.

Number Six (Tied): Washington Nationals
Last championship: N/A (joined the MLB in 1969 as the Montreal Expos)
Chances to break the curse: The one time the Nationals even came close to winning (let alone making) the World Series came in 1981, when the then-Expos faced the Dodgers in the NLCS, where LA won in five in the then-best-of-five series.
When will they win and why? I'd say within the next five years. Washington has been good for a long time and will continue to make many postseasons to come. Soon, they will become experienced enough in playing baseball during October that they will make and win the World Series.

Number Six (Tied): San Diego Padres
Last championship: N/A (joined the MLB in 1969)
Chances to break the curse: San Diego won the NL pennant in 1984 and 1998, but lost the Fall Classic to the Tigers and Yankees, respectively. They have won exactly one World Series game in franchise history.
When will they win and why? By the end of the half-century. Not to be pessimistic, Padres fans, but your team's division has two juggernaut teams and two up-and-coming teams. However, once the Padres manage to overcome the beast that is the NL West, which will definitely be before 2050, they will definitely be able to cruise through the rest of the NL on the way to their first World Series championship.

Number Six (Tied): Milwaukee Brewers
Last championship: N/A (joined the MLB in 1969 as the Seattle Pilots, moved from AL to NL prior to the 1998 season)
Chances to break the curse: The Brew Crew made the World Series in 1982 as the AL representative, but lost the Series to the Cardinals in seven, hard-fought games.
When will they win and why? Within the next 20 years. The NL Central has become a lot more competitive since Milwaukee's 2011 NL Central division first-place finish and compared to the other teams in the division, it doesn't look good in Wisconsin to even make the playoffs. But at the same time, teams in that division always seem to fluctuate up and down the MLB standings year by year, so there is a good chance that the Brewers will win the Fall Classic sooner rather than later.

Number Three: Houston Astros
Last championship: N/A (joined the MLB in 1962 as the Houston Colt .45s)
Chances to break the curse: The Astros lost the 2005 World Series to the White Sox in a sweep in the franchise's only World Series appearance.
When will they win and why? In less than 10 years. Houston right now is a very young, inexperienced team. However, they can compete with anyone in the regular season. Once the young squad becomes full of postseason veterans, then they will win the rings.

Number Two: Texas Rangers
Last championship: N/A (joined the MLB in 1961 as the Washington Senators)
Chances to break the curse: Texas won back-to-back AL pennants in 2010 and 2011, but lost both World Series to the Giants and Cardinals, respectively. (See? What did I say about those NL Central and West teams?)
When will they win and why? In less than 10 years. The Rangers got good again in 2015 because of a strong nucleus of solid players. I can see them contending for the title as early as next season.

Number One: Cleveland Indians
Last championship: 1948
Chances to break the curse: In 1954, they were swept by the Giants. In 1995, pitching beat hitting as the Braves took the title away from them. In 1997, the upstart Marlins finished their amazing season with a Fall Classic victory over the Indians in a dramatic, seven-game series. In 2016, well, you know.
When will they win and why? 2018. I don't want to give my way-too-early prediction for the 2017 World Series winner before free agency, so I'll play it safe and say the Indians will end their championship drought a year later. They're just a good, all-around team. It's as simple as that.

When do you think your favorite team will win their next World Series? Let me know in the comments section down below. Thanks for reading this post and I hope you enjoyed it. Check back soon for more of "all the buzz on what wuzz."