MLB

The coming celebration for Oscar Taveras’ promotion to the big leagues will be historic in St. Louis.

John Hart, the former general manager of the Indians and Rangers, compared Taveras to former Giants slugger Barry Bonds, according to MLB.com.

Fantasy baseball is one part luck, one part research and one part more luck. Luckily, research and smart drafting can negate some of the happenstance inherent to fantasy sports.

Having a sound drafting strategy is critical for fantasy baseball success, and creating a list of high-upside sleepers will go a long way toward winning your league.

There are several pitchers available to fantasy owners this year who have the potential to put together quality seasons, and we’ll provide a few of those names in this article.

The United States and Puerto Rico face off to begin Pool 2 play tonight. The Americans were expected to reach this point, although they faced a lot more pressure than expected to secure a spot, while the Puerto Rican squad is a minor surprise.

As we inch closer to Opening Day, MLB teams are experiencing their fair share of hiccups.

Whether it be a slumping star player, an injury or a failed position battle, this is about the time in the spring when everything starts to shake into place.

There are certain players returning from injury that are so talented, fantasy players aren't hesitating to snag them off the board. I promise you, Troy Tulowitzki won't last past the second round in your draft.

Then there are those players returning from injury that fantasy owners seem to have forgotten about—or are certainly undervaluing—even though those players have either produced in the past or have the potential to put up excellent numbers this season.

Many professional athletes will do whatever it takes to get a leg up on the competition, but MLB players seem to take it to a different level when it comes to their unique superstitions.

Whether it's the way a pitcher avoids the foul lines or a batter goes through the motions of re-gripping their batting gloves time after time, the superstitions all serve a purpose for the players.

Some superstitions, however, are a little more unique than that, taking things to a new level of odd.

The United States, Italy, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico advanced through from Pools C and D to make it to the second round of the 2013 World Baseball Classic. The Dominican Republic and the United States won Pools C and D, respectively, to make it to the second round while Puerto Rico and Italy were runners-up in Pools C and D, respectively.

The Rawlings Gold Glove Award, voted on by MLB managers and coaches, is considered the standard for fielding excellence in baseball.

But for many, it simply doesn't accurately reflect defensive dominance.

Back in 2010, the Associated Press characterized the Gold Glove Award as more of a popularity contest than an award given out for great glove work.

Via ESPN.com:

The first round is over. Big names went down (Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Korea) and underdogs rose up (Netherlands, Italy). Powerhouses like the USA and the Dominican Republic looked impressive, as did Japan and Cuba. A lot of well-known MLB players didn't show up, but some did along with international stars who are studs in their own leagues.

So, who are the individual winners and losers so far in this year's classic? 

Scott Kazmir wants to be the fifth starter for the Cleveland Indians.

After Monday’s four–inning, scoreless performance against the Los Angeles Angels, he may have made a successful case.