MLB

Many fans were speculating throughout the offseason that the Detroit Tigers' Jhonny Peralta could be replaced due to a perceived lack of range at shortstop. It seems the Tigers might have found a replacement internally.

Shane Victorino was one of the lucky players to be selected to play for Team USA in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

When it comes to ballplayers, "the greatest of all time" is a touchy subject. There have been many great ones, and trying to whittle the list down to one definitive GOAT is an exercise that will give you brain aches.

If only there was an easier way...And to this end, I have an idea.

Well, to be honest, college basketball has an idea that I'm stealing. To determine who's the best among many, college basketball rounds up the top 68 contestants, seeds them, puts them in a bracket and then goes until "One Shining Moment" starts playing.

Less than a day after beating the United States in an elimination game, Puerto Rico will be back on the diamond Saturday afternoon against the Dominican Republic at Marlins Park in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez will get the ball for the Dominican Republic, and Orlando Roman is the probable starter for Puerto Rico.

The Dominican Republic defeated Puerto Rico 4-2 in pool play back on March 10.

Here’s the 2013 LestersLegends Catcher Rankings for NL-only leagues.



1. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

Posey led the Majors with a .336 batting average. He led all catchers with 103 RBI. I’m not sure there is much he can’t do. Last year, he finished with a .336-78-24-103-1 line.



2. Miguel Montero, Arizona Diamondbacks

Just like that, the 2013 World Baseball Classic has come down to four teams.

We all expected that Japan would come out of Pool 1, and the two-time WBC champions are joined in San Francisco by a Netherlands squad that nobody thought had the pitching to make a deep run in the tournament.

The United States has made a habit of leaving a lot to be desired in the World Baseball Classic, with a fourth-place result in 2009 being the best showing.

That's not the worst thing. After all, other countries' success might benefit the event and help market it to the rest of the world. 

As the World Baseball Classic winds down, it is important to remember just how it is we got where we are. There are four countries left standing, with Pool 2 ending on Saturday and the Championship Round beginning Sunday, trying to determine which is the best in the world. 

In 2010 the San Francisco Giants won the World Series with the best homegrown rotation in recent memory. Drafted and developed by the organization, Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and Madison Bumgarner were each at the forefront of the team’s immensely successful season.

Before that it was the Oakland A’s “Big Three” of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, who combined for 234 wins in the same starting rotation from 2000 to 2004.

This week's acquisition of outfielders Brennan Boesch and Ben Francisco, recently released from their respective squads, means only one thing concerning the New York Yankees' attempts to improve their roster: They continue to be content with picking from the scrap heap rather than trusting  their young upcoming prospects.