Fan News

On Monday, in Anaheim, California, Major League Baseball begins its yearly ceremonial celebration for the regular season's halfway point with the 81st All-Star Game.

However, last night officially split the 162-game campaign as teams have played between 81-83 games.

It’s finally July. This marks the midpoint of the baseball season and with that the All-Star Game.

There’s been endless talk of who got snubbed and as always, the debate of how voting should work is in the air. Along with it comes the debate over the rule of mandating at least one All-Star rep for each team.

Some say it’s tradition that every team is represented. Others say it needs to go.

Player production is quick to change in the New York Mets minor league system. Here is a brief look at some of the current producers and stifling prospects down on the farm in the organization. 

Up: Lucas Duda, outfielder, AAA Buffalo Bisons

The left-handed hitting Duda looked sharp in 45 games at AA Binghamton. His .286 average and six home runs earned him a recent promotion to AAA where he is on the fast track to gaining some serious recognition.

Switch-hitting second base prospect Harold Garcia of the Clearwater Threshers has been named the Philadelphia Phillies Minor League Player of the Month for June 2010. Matthew Way of the Lakewood BlueClaws has been named the Phillies' Minor League Pitcher of the Month.

Garcia, who to this point in his career has not had a lot of pop in his bat, had an explosive month during which he batted .370 with eight doubles, two triples, and two home runs. He collected 22 RBI and 13 runs scored and stole 10 bases in 13 attempts for the High-A Threshers.

The Yankees have been forced to shuffle around their roster due to injuries this season. Their bullpen and designated hitter spot in their lineup.  Players like Al Aceves, Sergio Mitre, Nick Johnson and Marcus Thames, who, while not bona fide stars, all do play a particular role on the 2010 Yankees.

The Yankees have had to make do with parts from other team's scrap heap as well as from their own farm system. Players like Kevin Russo, Chad Huffman, Colin Curtis and Chad Gaudin have all come in some capacity to fill the voids.

It was reported yesterday that the Twins made a concrete offer of 22-year-old catcher Wilson Ramos and 20-year-old outfielder Aaron Hicks for the Mariners’ Cliff Lee. If true, it’s a good starting place for negotiations. The Twins will likely have to offer at least one more prospect to get Lee.

Finding the right words to describe the importance of the Philadelphia Phillies first half-ending home stand against the NL East leading Atlanta Braves and the NL West leading Cincinnati Reds is vexing.  

Facing off against two of the top teams in the National League right before the All-Star Break is obviously important, but how important?

If defense wins championships, then having a good pitching staff is the key to World Series titles.

With that idea in mind, Andy MacPhail has spent his time as the general manager of the Orioles by stockpiling talented pitchers in the Baltimore farm system and slowly cultivating a rotation (as well as a bullpen) that can win pennants, much like the Tampa Bay Rays have.

That being said, let us take a look at some of those arms that Baltimore thinks will eventually turn the organization around and review their progress so far.

• Baltimore Orioles
• Brad Bergesen
• Brian Matusz
• David Hernandez
• Jason Berken
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