What’s New?

For those of you who didn’t know, I am now a contributor at Bleacher Report. I will try to keep you up to date on new posts at b/r here as well as more original content here on Diamond Cutter. Below is a few of what I have written in the past week:

Retro Prospect Spotlight: Homer Bailey

What Should the Rangers Do with Ian Kinsler?

A Pirates Life for Me

Deconstructing Andruw Jones

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Bleacher Report. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

Monstah Scouting Report: Kevin Youkilis

Kevin Youkilis is the heart and soul of the Sox.

Name: Kevin Youkilis | Number: 20
Position: First/Third Base | MLB Debut: May 15, 2004
Bats: Right | Throws: Right | Height: 6-1 | Weight: 220

Scouting Report: Kevin Youkilis has one of the most advanced approaches at the plate in all of baseball. He has a game plan each and every trip…

(click here to continue reading on Obey the Monstah…)

Reinventing Hughes

Hughes has pitched his share of big time games (firebrandal/Flickr).

It wasn’t that long ago that Phillip Hughes was one of baseball’s biggest and most highly touted prospects. Not only did he have a stellar track record as an amateur and minor league pro, but he also had an incredible arsenal of pitches at his disposal. He was every organization’s dream.

But after an up-and-down career as a starting pitcher for the New York Yankees, it was becoming more and more difficult for the young right hander to find a spot on the big league club. That was until they Yankees needed a new set-up guy.

There has never been any question that Hughes has the stuff to be a big time major league pitcher. But for some reason he has never been able to grasp the consistency to stick in the Yankees rotation. Here’s a look at how Hughes has broken down as a game has gone on…

(click here to continue reading on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

Four Ways to Fix the Mid-Summer Classic

What does a guy have to do to get voted in? (Keith Allison/Flickr)

Now before we begin let me start out by saying I know the All-Star game is an exhibition game. But be that as it may, it’s still kind of a joke. None of the reasoning behind the rules, set-up and outcome makes any sense. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the All-Star game as much as the next guy, but you have to admit it is very flawed.

With that being said, I wanted to take an opportunity to explain the things wrong with the game as well as how to fix them. After all, there’s no sense complaining about something if you aren’t going to bring a reasonable solution to the table. Now I know this is going to sound negative (you should have read my original draft), but it’s not meant to criticize as much as it is to help shine light on its flaws and to work on fixing it. Remember, this is the only All-Star game of the four major sports that players actually care and where there are consequences at stake…

(click here to continue reading on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

A Pirates’ Life For Me

Beautiful PNC Park needs to hang some new banners (drocpsu/Flickr).

Reality can really be a drag at times. Especially when your reality is that of a Pittsburgh Pirates fan. For almost two decades now they have suffered at the hands of mismanagement, cheap ownership and doing whatever they can to pass off a group of Quadruple-A players (some not even that advanced) as a major league ball club.

That’s not what any organization’s fan base deserves. Especially one with as rich a history as Pittsburgh’s.

When Neal Huntington was hired as the 12th Pirates’ general manager in club history following the 2007 season, he brought with him a lot of hope. Hope that he could turn things around for this organization. Hope that he could bring respectability back to a proud city. Hope that he could at least make it so the Bucs weren’t the joke of Major League Baseball. Now that’s some pressure.

(click here to continue reading on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

Red Holliday

What color jersey would Holliday look best in? (Maegs/Flickr)

While the trade deadline is still over a month away, teams with holes to fill are already starting to sniff around some of the remains of teams that have all but fallen out of the race.

The names of the impact bats that may be available this summer are beginning to dwindle due to injuries which will end up making the cost of the ones remaining climb.

With the injury to Xavier Nady looking more grim the Yankees now can’t afford to part with a Nick Swisher and with the inevitable need for surgery for Adrian Beltre (bone spurs in his shoulder) along with a big price tag, teams will most likely be hesitant to pull the trigger and part with prospects. So who is it that teams are coveting?

(click here to continue reading this article on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

I Guess It’s Ok Soto…

How sad is it that when I saw the headline of “Cubs’ Soto tested positive for marijuana” on ESPN I was relieved? I mean, it’s not a performance enhancing drug right?

What is even more sad is the fact that apparently Major League Baseball doesn’t care if it’s players use other illegal drugs just as long as it isn’t a PED. According to the article:

MLB does not regularly test for marijuana since it’s not considered a performance-enhancing drug, according to a players association spokesman interviewed by Levine.

Great. Another proud day for Major League Baseball.

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

Cubs’ Woes Not a Mystery

Soriano needs to move from the leadoff spot (team doster/Flickr).

Just like every year, the Chicago Cubs have had very high expectations from both the organization and its fans. They went out and made the moves they thought would be the deciding factors in the NL Central.

This has not been the case.

The fact of the matter is the Cubs have underachieved greatly here in 2009 in a division that is begging for someone to take command. As it stands on the morning of June 23, the Cubs are currently sitting alone in third place with a mediocre 34-32 record, a mere 2.5 games out of first place. The playoffs are hardly out of reach but at this point, it should hardly be their main concern.

Right now what the Cubs have to do is figure out how to fix some of the many, many things that are broken. If you watch the Cubs closely (I admit I am a fan) or even take a look at their roster closely, it’s no wonder why they are struggling. It’s because of this that some comments I have heard recently from commentators on sports networks even more confusing…

(click here to continue reading on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com.

Protect Your Pujols

Pujols drops another bomb on his opponents (SD Dirk/Flickr).

I know that wasn’t the classiest title to a blog post, but hopefully you got a bit of a chuckle. But in all seriousness, this is a major issue for the Cardinals and could cost them more than just a few at-bats.

Heading into Friday’s games, baseball’s best hitter Albert Pujols had walked 51 times on the season which was good for third in all of baseball. Very understandable as not only do teams like to pitch around him whenever possible, he also has an incredible eye at the plate.

Now where the problem comes in for the Cardinals is in his intentional walks category. Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has been walked intentionally nine times here in 2009 which is good for second in the majors. Albert Pujols on the other hand has been walked 21 times.

That’s a huge difference…

(click here to continue reading this article on Baseball Daily Digest…)

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest and co-writes the new blog The Minnesota Sports Guys. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com

BDD Week in Review

I'm baaaaack!

In case anyone missed the announcement last week, I am back writing at Baseball Daily Digest again after almost a year off. I am proud and excited to be back with one of the most popular and respected baseball sites on the Internet. I couldn’t be more excited to be back writing with such big industry names as Geoff Young, Bill Chuck, Bill Baer and of course the big boss, Joe Hamrahi.

The past couple of days BDD (Baseball Daily Digest) has been changing servers and had occasional interruptions in their site. Because of this I wanted to give you a quick recap of some of the bigger articles I wrote for them over the past week. I will always let you know when there is a new BDD content up written by me on here as well as if you follow me on Twitter.

This week’s lineup was full of breaking down players, both statistically and mechanically, and seeing just why they were either succeeding or failing compared to their expectations.

The Adam Jones Diaries – This article takes a look at the sudden explosion of Adam Jones and if this is just a hot start or if he can continue on this torrid pace.

The Wright Way – This article analyzes just what is going on with David Wright and his missing power. I take a detailed look at his statistics and exactly what they mean for the third baseman.

The Mysterious Disappearing Joba – This article breaks down Joba Chamberlain with the help of PitchF/X and exactly what happened to the dominating fireballer and if he is already on the decline in his young career.

Matthew Whipps is a writer for Baseball Daily Digest and co-writes the new blog The Minnesota Sports Guys. If you would like to contact him via email you can reach him at whipps15[at]gmail.com