JESUS AGUILAR 3 RUN HOMER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ceL8iIXEnc

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ASDRUBAL CABRERA HOME RUN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9BSgA0G9Gw

CHECKOUT THE FANS ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE TUBE

Jesus is lighting it up in this round robin tournament. First at bat this evening, singled and even collected his first stolen base.

Caracas Top of the 2nd

Carlos Rivero doubles (1) on a line drive to left fielder Joe Thurston.
Bobby Abreu flies out to left fielder Joe Thurston.
Jesus Aguilar singles on a line drive to right fielder Robert Perez. Carlos Rivero to 3rd.
With Ramon Cabrera batting, Jesus Aguilar steals (1) 2nd base.
Ramon Cabrera singles on a line drive to center fielder Paulo Orlando. Carlos Rivero scores. Jesus Aguilar to 3rd.
Daniel Mayora strikes out swinging.
Luis Rodriguez doubles (3) on a line drive to right fielder Robert Perez. Jesus Aguilar scores. Ramon Cabrera to 3rd.
Asdrubal Cabrera grounds out, second baseman Yangervis Solarte to first baseman Tomas Perez.

[Wonder if Asdrubal will come back with some nice reviews on Jesus ?!?!!? ]

Posted: Wed January 9, 2013 2:58PM; Updated: Wed January 9, 2013 2:58PM

Baseball card from 1865 to be auctioned

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) --

Six-figure bids are expected when an auction house sells a rare 148-year-old baseball card that was discovered at a yard sale in rural Maine, the auction house manager said Wednesday.

A man found the card by chance in a photo album he bought while antique picking in the small town of Baileyville on the Canadian border, said Troy Thibodeau of Saco River Auction Co. in Biddeford.

It's not the same as a modern baseball card, which became commonplace beginning in the 1880s. Instead, it's an original photograph from 1865 of the Brooklyn Atlantics amateur baseball club mounted on a card. The card shows nine players gathered around their manager.

Thibodeau said he's aware of only two such cards in existence, the other at the Library of Congress. Putting a dollar-figure value on it is difficult, he said, but he expects it to fetch at least $100,000 at the Feb. 6 auction.

"There hasn't been another one that's sold," he said. "When there are only two known in the world, what's it worth?"

Last summer, the auction house sold a rare 1888 card of Hall of Fame baseball player Michael "King" Kelly for $72,000. The priciest baseball card ever is a 1909 Honus Wagner card, which sold for $2.8 million in 2007.

The Library of Congress has had another copy of the Brooklyn Atlantics photograph since the late 1800s, when it took possession of it from a New York court where the photographer, Charles Williamson, had submitted it for copyright.

In its book "Baseball Americana," the Library of Congress calls it the first dated baseball card, handed out to supporters and opposing teams in a gesture of bravado from the brash Brooklynites, who were dominant and won their league championships in 1861, 1864 and 1865.

It's not known how many were produced, but the Library of Congress is aware of only the two copies. A trading card grading firm, Sportscard Guaranty LLC, has authenticated the card as the real thing, said Bob Luce, senior grader at the New Jersey company.

The Maine man bought the card by happenstance. While at a yard sale, he bought a photo album, old Coca-Cola bottles and a couple of oak chairs for less than $100, Thibodeau said.

While looking through the album, the buyer came across the baseball card. He later mailed it to Saco River Auction, having read about the auction house's sale of the 1888 card last summer. Thibodeau did not release the man's name, saying he did not want to be identified.

The rarest card around came from a 1923 promotional set of 30 cards, each with a black-and-white likeness of Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, or some other baseball star. The cards were distributed by the Maple Crispette Candy Co. in Canada, and the person who collected all 30 could claim a prize, said Jim Gates, librarian at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

But only one Casey Stengel card was produced among the entire bunch, Gates said, and that card is located in the Hall of Fame archives.


Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mlb/ne ... z2HcpU5S00

2013/01/09 07:47 KST

Professional baseball posts record revenue in 2012: report

SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Yonhap) --

Aided by a record number of fans, South Korea's top professional baseball league in 2012 posted its largest-ever amount of revenue, a league report showed Wednesday.

The Korea Baseball Organization Properties (KBOP), the marketing wing of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), said the league earned 35 billion won (US$32.9 million) in baseball-related businesses in 2012, surpassing the previous record of 34 billion won set in 2011.

The eight KBO clubs drew about 7.15 million fans in 2012, the first time that the KBO's attendance reached over 7 million since the league's inception in 1982. It also marked the fourth straight season in which the KBO broke its single-season attendance record.

According to the KBOP, the league earned a record 63.4 billion won in ticket sales in 2012, up from 55.1 billion won in 2011. But since ticket revenue was split evenly among the KBO teams, the figure didn't count toward the KBO's revenue.

Among the league's sources of revenues, its television contract with local broadcasters accounted for 25 billion won, and corporate sponsorships brought in 8 billion. The league also made 2 billion won from merchandise sales.

The KBO has distributed its revenue, minus expenses, equally among its eight teams, with each taking 3.8 billion won.

South Korea's gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its runner-up finish at the 2009 World Baseball Classic have been credited with driving up baseball's popularity here.

This year, the KBO will welcome its ninth club, the NC Dinos, in its first expansion since 1991. In addition, two local companies are competing for the right to launch a 10th KBO team, which could join the league by as early as 2015.

The current TV contract, worth 25 billion won a year, expires at the end of 2014. The KBOP predicted that should baseball sustain its popularity in the coming years, the next TV deal could be worth upwards of 40 billion won a year.

South Korea's gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and its runner-up finish at the 2009 World Baseball Classic have been credited with bringing more fans to ballparks.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

MLB, MLBPA agree to random in-season testing for hGH and longitudinal profile program

Press Release Major League Baseball

Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced today that they have modified their Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program to provide for unannounced, random blood testing for the detection of human growth hormone (hGH) during the regular season, beginning in 2013.

Today’s announcement marks another significant step in the progression of Baseball’s hGH testing policy, which continues to be the strongest in American professional sports. Since July 2010, Major League Baseball has conducted random blood testing for the detection of hGH among Minor League players. As a part of the 2012-2016 Basic Agreement, the parties agreed to blood testing for hGH during 2012 Spring Training, during the off-season, and for reasonable cause, making Baseball the first sport to deploy this kind of testing at its highest level. Under the new agreement, all of those aspects of the Program will continue, and there will be in-season, unannounced, random blood testing.

In addition, beginning in the 2013 season, the parties have authorized the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited Montreal Laboratory to establish a longitudinal profile program, in which a Player's baseline Testosterone/Epitestosterone (T/E) ratio and other data will be maintained by the laboratory, with strict protections for confidentiality, in order to enhance its ability to detect the use of Testosterone and other prohibited substances. The laboratory will automatically conduct Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) analysis on all specimens that vary materially from a Player's baseline values. The laboratory also will increase the number of random IRMS analysis it conducts on specimens. The longitudinal program being implemented by the parties will be one of the most significant programs of its kind in the world.

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig said: “This agreement addresses critical drug issues and symbolizes Major League Baseball’s continued vigilance against synthetic human growth hormone, Testosterone and other performance-enhancing substances. I am proud that our system allows us to adapt to the many evolving issues associated with the science and technology of drug testing. We will continue to do everything we can to maintain a leadership stature in anti-doping efforts in the years ahead.”

MLBPA Executive Director Michael Weiner said: “The Players are determined to do all they can to continually improve the sport’s Joint Drug Agreement. Players want a program that is tough, scientifically accurate, backed by the latest proven scientific methods, and fair; I believe these changes firmly support the Players’ desires while protecting their legal rights.”

Christiane Ayotte, the Director of the Montreal Laboratory, added: “Although the Montreal Laboratory has made extensive use of IRMS in the past, the addition of random blood testing and a longitudinal profiling program makes Baseball’s program second to none in detecting and deterring the use of synthetic hGH and Testosterone. A drug testing program that follows over a thousand steroid profiles and tests over a thousand blood specimens each year compares favorably with any WADA program.”

Las Águilas Defeats Estrellas 8-3; Manny's on base streak continues

San Pedro de Macoris.

Manny Ramirez and Hector Luna homered for the Cibao Eagles and Luis Jimenez homered for the Eastern Star last night, as the Eagles defeat the Stars 8-3..

Javier Omar started for the Eastern Star, while Lorenzo Barcelo did the same for the Eagles. Seven pitchers relieved for the East and two did so for the eaglets.

With Manny's home run, his on base streak has extended to 27 games in a row, a run that started in the regular season. The Eagles have beaten the Stars in their last five games. The eaglet baseman Erick Almonte, did not play in the match for the death of his father.

Phillips hints at playing for Team USA in Classic

Reds star enthusiastically tweets about conversation with club skipper Torre

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com | 01/10/2013 7:22 PM ET

CINCINNATI --

Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips gave an indication via Twitter on Thursday evening that he might be representing Team USA in the World Baseball Classic this spring.

Joe Torre, the former Yankees manager, will be the skipper for the American squad in the Classic. Rosters have yet to be formally announced.

Team USA is scheduled to begin training together in Phoenix on March 4, and then participate in first-round play at Chase Field from March 7-10. It shouldn't be inconvenient for Phillips to join his teammates since the Reds hold Spring Training in nearby Goodyear, Ariz. But Phillips would likely be away from Cincinnati until Team USA is finished with tournament play.

A two-time National League All-Star and three-time NL Gold Glove Award winner, the 31-year-old Phillips batted .281 with 18 home runs and 77 RBIs in 2012 for the Reds.

This would be Phillips' first time playing in the World Baseball Classic if he is officially selected to be on the roster.

There is no word yet on other Reds who might participate. Joey Votto, who represented Team Canada four years ago, said last month he would only play for his country if his surgically repaired left knee was 100 percent by the time Spring Training opened.

Reds rotation ace Johnny Cueto and reliever Jose Arredondo played for the Dominican Republic and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo represented Korea when the Classic was last held in 2009. Pitcher Aroldis Chapman was on Cuba's roster in that tournament but has since defected.

Retherford nearly does it all for Cardenales

Dodgers farmhand hits walk-off single in 11th, falls triple shy of cycle in marathon win

01/11/13 1:45 AM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Lara 5, Caracas 4, 11 innings

Simply put, the night was dominated by C.J. Retherford. The Dodgers farmhand hit a walk-off single for the Cardenales in the 11th inning to cap off a 5-for-6, three-RBI game in which he fell a triple shy of the cycle. The third baseman, who played for La Guaira during the Venezuelan regular season, is batting .400 with three homers and eight RBIs in eight games since joining Lara for the playoffs. Luis Jimenez (Blue Jays) also went deep in the win. Nationals prospect Carlos Rivero went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI for the Leones.

Anzoategui 3, Zulia 2

Minor League free agent Gustavo Molina, who spent his 2012 season in the Yankees system, smacked a two-out homer in the bottom of the ninth as the Caribes improved to 3-4 in round-robin play. The 30-year-old catcher was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Jose Flores went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored once for the Aguilas (4-3). Yeiper Castillo didn't factor into the decision in the loss after allowing two runs on five hits over six innings.
Dominican Winter League

Cibaenas 12, Escogido 6

Hector Luna led a strong offensive performance by the Aguilas with three RBIs and two runs scored. Former Major Leaguer Manny Ramirez and Giants infielder Joaquin Arias chipped in two RBIs apiece, and former AL MVP Miguel Tejada went a perfect 3-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Rangers prospect Leury Garcia added a 3-for-5 showing with a triple and two runs. Red Sox first baseman Mauro Gomez tripled and drove in two runs for the losing Leones.

Estrellas 4, Toros 3

A bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning by Pirates farmhand Christian Marrero following consecutive singles by former Major Leaguer Rene Reyes and Pirates farmhand Alex Valdez gave de Oriente its third win in 12 round-robin contests. Former Atlanta Braves infielder Diory Hernandez launched a two-run homer in the fourth to give del Este a 3-0 lead before a pair of Estrellas rallies defeated the Toros.
Mexican Pacific League

Guasave 7, Obregon 5

The Algodoneros defeated the Yaquis in the decisive Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs, thanks to a homer and three RBIs off the bat of Mario Valenzuela. Jose Rodriguez also added a solo blast in the win. In the loss, Carlos Valencia led the Obregon bats, going 2-for-4 with a longball and three RBIs.

Game 1: Obregon 3, Guasave 2
Yaquis de Obregon lead series 1-0
Game 2: Obregon 5, Guasave 2
Yaquis de Obregon lead series 2-0
Game 3: Guasave 5, Obregon 3
Yaquis de Obregon lead series 2-1
Game 4: Guasave 7, Obregon 5
Series tied 2-2
Game 5: Guasave 1, Obregon 3
Yaquis de Obregon lead series 3-2
Game 6: Obregon 3, Guasave 4
Series tied 3-3
Game 7: Obregon 5, Guasave 7
Algodoneros de Guasave win series 4-3

Mexicali 7, Mazatlan 0

The Aguilas also eliminated the Venados in their own Game 7. Jorge Campillo allowed five hits and struck out three over five innings on the hill. Ricky Alvarez and Yuniesky Betancourt drove in two runs apiece to account for much of the Mexicali offense. Oswaldo Morejon went 2-for-4 and was the only Mazatlan starter with a multi-hit night.

Game 1: Mazatlan 3, Mexicali 7
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 1-0
Game 2: Mazatlan 1, Mexicali 7
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 2-0
Game 3: Mexicali 0, Mazatlan 4
Aguilas de Mexicali lead series 2-1
Game 4: Mexicali 0, Mazatlan 1
Series tied 2-2
Game 5: Mexicali 3, Mazatlan 4
Venados de Mazatlan lead series 3-2
Game 6: Mazatlan 5, Mexicali 6
Series tied 3-3
Game 7: Mazatlan 0, Mexicali 7
Aguilas de Mexicali win series 4-3

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Game 1: Hermosillo 4, Culiacan 5
Tomateros de Culiacan lead series 1-0
Game 2: Hermosillo 1, Culiacan 2
Tomateros de Culiacan lead series 2-0
Game 3: Culiacan 3, Hermosillo 1
Tomateros de Culiacan lead series 3-0
Game 4: Culiacan 7, Hermosillo 2
Tomateros de Culiacan win series 4-0

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Jerry Gil

Dominican Winter League

•Edward Paredes (RP): 0.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO. Paredes came into the game in the 5th inning with two-on and two-out in the 5th inning and proceeded to strike Jordany Valdespin out swinging. Not a bad night for Paredes.

•Jerry Gil (RP): SV, 1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 SO. Gil was trusted to close out the game for Estrellas de Oriente last night and he sealed the deal. Like Paredes, I am not sure how Gil will fit into the major league/AAA roster situation, but there is nothing wrong with adding depth and lottery tickets.

Venezuelan Winter League

•Paolo Espino (SP): ND, 3.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 SO. Espino was pitching fairly well until he issued two walks to load the bases in the fourth inning. He got a quick hook after facing only 18 batters, but it could be that Espino is getting some rest before the start of Spring Training.

•Asdrubal Cabrera (SS): 0-for-2, 1 R, 4 BB, 1 E. Cabrera's team, Leones del Caracas, lost Thursday night, but it was not from a lack of trying on Cabrera's part. Walking four times may not be sexy, but Cabrera was constantly on base, giving his team a chance at scoring runs. Plus, his error came in the 10th inning and did not decide the game.

•Jesus Aguilar (1B): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 BB. Aguilar did not get on base as many times as Cabrera, but he managed to make his way home one more time than him. His 31:5 SO:BB is ugly, yet Aguilar's .940 OPS for the winter is impressive and is a step in the right direction for the young first baseman.

Australian Winter League

•Quincy Latimore (CF): 0-for-4, 2 SO. The newest member of the Cleveland organization struggled in his inaugural outing with the club, failing to reach base last night. Still, one game in the Australian League is not going to make or break Latimore's time with the team. He has time to improve his results.

Overall, Perez has gone 17-for-65 with 14 walks and 12 strikeouts this winter.

Which means an on base avg of 392 which is very good. He's described as an excellent defensive catcher. Sounds like a AAAA catcher who'll get an occasional big league callup when someone's major leaguer is hurt; and will be signed as a minor league free agent every winter until he's 38.

Winter Ball Notebook: Aguilar returns to form

Winter Ball Notebook

By Steve Orbanek

January 11, 2013 ShareThis


They say big players make big plays in big situations. This past week, we’ve been able to see that from a number of Cleveland Indians players competing in winter league playoffs.

In particular, the performances of Jesus Aguilar and Asdrubal Cabrera for Leones del Caracas have been quite encouraging. The playoffs will be ending before you know it, so hopefully a few more players get a chance to step up their game before that point comes.

It’s just amazing to think of the progress that we’ve seen from players this winter. For months, fans had been voicing their displeasure in Aguilar’s performance, but now, because of an outstanding week, Aguilar’s winter performance has gone from an average showing to a very good one.

So, with that being said, here are some thoughts deep and shallow in regard to the various winter ball participants from this past week…

— Considering the week that he had, I would be remiss if I did not begin this week’s notebook with mentioning Jesus Aguilar. This past week alone, Aguilar has socked three home runs to double his winter total to six. Overall, the right-handed hitter has gone 21-for-74 (.284) with 15 RBI in 25 games. Early on during the winter season, Aguilar publicly stated that he was trying too hard at the plate, but he really seems to be in a groove now as his past three home runs have also been hit in three straight games. The one problem area with Aguilar continues to be plate discipline as he has walked only four times this season while striking out 31 times. Those kind of numbers sound similar to the numbers of one of the newest Cleveland Indians, right? Does the name Mark Reynolds ring a bell? I have always said that Aguilar reminds me of Reynolds because of his impressive power but also his ability to rack up strikeouts at an alarming rate. The ironic thing is that Aguilar could potentially replace Reynolds as the next first baseman on the big league club provided Aguilar continues to develop during the 2013 season. He’s already shown signs of development during this winter season, so hopefully that development continues this year whether it being at Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus.

— Ezequiel Carrera may not be one of the most popular Indians players, but it’s hard to argue with his consistency. So far, Carrera has posted a .288/.369/.396 line in 37 games in the Venezuelan Winter League. The numbers are somewhat similar to the .272/.312/.395 line that Carrera posted in 48 games with the Indians this past year and very similar to the .294/.345/.419 line that Carrera had in 97 games at Columbus. Though there is one key difference in Carrera’s winter league play that an Around the Farm reader pointed out yesterday. The left-handed hitter has managed to drastically improve his plate discipline this winter as evidenced by his 19 walks and 20 strikeouts. Carrera’s SO% was a very high 22.2% this past season in Cleveland, which really hindered his value to the team. If Carrera is indeed developing more patience and becoming a more mature hitter at the plate, then he really does become an ideal fourth outfielder for the Indians. Let’s hope this winter is the start of something.

— Another impressive and consistent performer in the VWL has been Asdrubal Cabrera. In 17 games, Cabrera has now gone 22-for-71 (.310) with four doubles, two home runs and seven RBI. As we all know now, Cabrera will likely be a member of this year’s Indians team, so it’s nice to see him have such a positive performance in winter ball. Cabrera has played winter ball in each of the past two seasons, but his performances were not nearly as impressive as his showing this season. Is that a sign that he could be in good, baseball shape this year? Well, it’s hard to answer that without having seen Cabrera actually play in person this season, but it has to be considered a positive nonetheless.

— This week, the Indians announced the minor league signing of right-handed pitcher Jerry Gil. Gil’s Major League experience is limited as he’s only appeared in a total of 30 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Cincinnati Reds, and all of those appearances were when he was still a shortstop. Gil was converted to a pitcher in 2008, yet he’s never been able to crack the big leagues since. His winter performance has been impressive though as he’s recorded a 1.67 ERA in 27 innings while striking out 22 and walking just six batters. He’s also collected eight saves along the way. Gil is really just a depth signing, but you have to be encouraged by how he’s been throwing this winter.

— Jose Ramirez apparently has a sprained ankle that will keep him out of action for a couple of days. It's believed to be nothing serious, but still something to watch moving forward. It's a shame the injury had to come now as Ramirez has essentially been a tank this winter in the Dominican Winter League as he's gone 57-for-183 in 48 games. The scrappy second baseman also recorded his first home run of the winter this past week too, which was a nice sign. Ramirez is never going to be a power hitter, but that seems to be the only facet of his game that needs work, so take a moment to imagine this dream scenario. What if Ramirez somehow developed the ability to at least hit 10 home runs a year? He is still quite young after all. This is probably wishful thinking but think of how his value would immediately increase. One can hope, right?

— While he's not currently an Indians player, it's hard to ignore what Manny Ramirez has done this winter. Ramirez recorded his third home run of the DWL round-robin playoffs on Wednesday, and it was his seventh overall this winter. Ramirez has been especially outstanding in the playoffs where he currently owns a .386 average. It's only winter league, so we don't want to buy into these numbers too much, but Ramirez seems to still have a more than capable bat. Consider this for one moment. We know that the Indians financial resources are almost depleted. We also know that the team still has a potential hole/question mark at designated hitter. Finally, we also know that Ramirez would probably be a pretty cheap signing. Am I crazy that I want to see Manny return to Cleveland!?!?!?

— It appears as if Carlos Santana's winter season is officially over. While the switch-hitting catcher got off to somewhat off a slow start, he did start to heat up down the stretch and put together some solid performances. Overall, Santana went 20-for-85 (.235) in 24 games. He also drove in 10 runs while drawing 18 walks and striking out 22 times. The next time that we see Santana will likely be during spring training, so let's hope that his winter slump will take the place of the early season slumps that we've seen Santana endure in each of the past two seasons.

Sandoval, Navegantes outlast Leones

World Series MVP hits grand slam; Lisson drives in winning run in 10th

01/12/13 12:24 AM ET

Venezuelan Winter League

Magallanes 11, Caracas 10, 10 innings

World Series MVP Pablo Sandoval hit a grand slam and Mario Lisson delivered a walk-off single in the 10th inning as the Navegantes forged a five-way tie in the round-robin playoffs. Royals newcomer Endy Chavez doubled twice and also drove in four runs, while former Yankees farmhand Reegie Corona went 3-for-4 with an RBI and four runs scored for Magallanes. Indians Gameday boinfielder Asdrubal Cabrera and Josh Kroeger each drove in two runs for the Leones.

Caribes 16, Zulia 3

Former Major Leaguer Jose Castillo homered twice and drove in four runs to lead a 21-hit attack as the Caribes rolled past the Aguilas. Niuman Romero went 4-for-6 with a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored for Anzoategui, while Twins prospect Oswaldo Arcia contributed three hits, including his third playoff homer, and scored four times. Eduardo Perez homered off the bench for Zulia.
Puerto Rican Winter League

Caguas 5, Mayaguez 3

Minor League veteran Miguel Abreu capped a three-run sixth inning with a two-run single as the Criollos rallied past the Indios into a first-place tie in the round-robin playoffs. Carlos Rivera and Aaron Bates both had two hits and an RBI for Caguas, while Brewers catcher Martin Maldonado drove in two runs for Mayaguez.

Carolina 5, Santurce 1

Zack Segovia struck out seven over seven shutout innings as the Gigantes escaped sole possession of last place in the round-robin playoffs. Rays farmhand Leslie Anderson slugged a two-run homer and former Major Leaguer Jesus Feliciano delivered a two-run double for Carolina. Sergio Miranda had three of the Cangrejeros' seven hits.
Dominican Winter League

Toros 4, Aguilas 3

Diory Hernandez singled in the go-ahead run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning as the Toros climbed within a game of the first-place Aguilas in the round-robin playoffs. Dodgers newcomer Miguel Rojas had two hits, including a two-run double for Este, while Manny Ramirez slugged his fourth postseason homer in a losing effort.

Escogido 7, Estrellas 2

Willy Aybar doubled twice and drove in three runs, helping the Leones avoid a third straight playoff loss. Mets infielder Jordany Valdespin went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a pair of stolen bases for Escogido, who got six strong innings from Pirates right-hander Kris Johnson. Carlos Colmenares tripled, singled and scored twice for the Estrellas.
Mexican Winter League

Game 1: Obregon 3, Guasave 2
Game 2: Obregon 5, Guasave 2
Game 3: Guasave 5, Obregon 3
Game 4: Guasave 7, Obregon 5
Game 5: Guasave 1, Obregon 3
Game 6: Obregon 3, Guasave 4
Game 7: Obregon 5, Guasave 7
Algodoneros de Guasave win series 4-3

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Game 1: Hermosillo 4, Culiacan 5
Game 2: Hermosillo 1, Culiacan 2
Game 3: Culiacan 3, Hermosillo 1
Game 4: Culiacan 7, Hermosillo 2
Tomateros de Culiacan win series 4-0

<

1: Mazatlan 3, Mexicali 7
Game 2: Mazatlan 1, Mexicali 7
Game 3: Mexicali 0, Mazatlan 4
Game 4: Mexicali 0, Mazatlan 1
Game 5: Mexicali 3, Mazatlan 4
Game 6: Mazatlan 5, Mexicali 6
Game 7: Mazatlan 0, Mexicali 7
Aguilas de Mexicali win series 4-3

<
Rob Bryson

Venezuelan Winter League

•Asdrubal Cabrera (DH, Leones del Caracas): 2-for-6, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K. The strong winter season continues for Cabrera, who collect two more hits on Friday. Let's just hope this strong performance means that Cabrera will start the regular season as strongly as he finished the winter season.

•Jesus Aguilar (1B, Leones del Caracas): 1-for-4, 2 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, 2 K. The other popular Leones del Caracas member of the past week has been Aguilar, who collected one more hit on Friday. Strikeouts continue to be a problem for Aguilar though, who grabbed two more on Friday.

•Ezequiel Carrera (LF, Navegantes del Magallanes): 1-for-5, 1 R, 1 K. This is not the strongest performance for Carrera but he at least still grabbed one hit. Carrera has now gone 41-for-144 this winter.

Dominican Winter League

•Jose Ramirez (2B, Toros del Este): 1-for-4. It was not the best of performances that Ramirez has this winter, but he still managed to record one hit, which is indicative of the consistency that he has had all winter. A one-hit performance may not be the immediate strong showing that Ramirez has been used to this winter, but it's more than most players can say.

Puerto Rican Winter League

•Rob Bryson (RP, Criollos de Caguas): 1 IP. The successful winter season continues for Bryson, who has essentially been unhittable this winter. Bryson has now pitched 18 innings this winter and has allowed only six hits. He may not be on the immediate radar of the big league team, but his winter performance may also change that.

Australian Baseball League

•Ryan Battaglia (C, Brisbane Bandits): 0-for-3, 1 BB, 1 K. Battaglia is really in the midst of a downward spiral. Unfortunately, an 0-for-3 performance does nothing to break a player out of a slump.

•Andrew Campbell (LF-CF, Brisbane Bandits): 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB. The strong winter season continues for Campbell, who notched two more hits on Friday. Let's just hope Campbell is able to display some of this bat magic statewide this season.

<

MANNY RAMIREZ HOMERED FIRST AT BAT IN HIS DEBUT EARLIER THIS SEASON

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZupcF_EOrKI

Manny hasn't stopped hitting since. Last night Manny clubbed his fourth homer of the round robin tournament. He's batting .345 for the tournament and .300 for the regular season phase of the Dominican Winter League. With that homer, Manny has now reached base in 30 consecutive ballgames. He's batting .345 for the round robin and his hit streak now stands at 15 games. The swing is still there. The fans much anticipated debut was not a disappointment.

I still think Manny would be a nice alternative for that DH spot that's still open. Nothng to lose! He'll be cheap considering. A considerable upgrade over 2012 and that's what it's all about. Upgrades! My opinion of course.

Cuban Winter League
I thought I'd update the Cuban league. I haven't posted much on the league this season due to the busy schedules of the other four winter leagues. I can devote a little more time on this league when the Series del Caribe is over.

Due to the WBC, a lot of changes were made to the playoff format in Cuba this year. I posted all the complications of this format earlier in this thread. The big change was eliminating the two league format and lumping all 16 teams into a 1 league format. At the close of the first half season, the last 8 teams in the league will be eliminated. After the WBC, the top 8 teams move on. As many as 5 star players from the teams that were eliminated would be subject to a draft to reinforce the top 8 teams. This would mean that many of the fan favorites could continue to watch their stars move on.

The format is not a popular fan choice by the way.

Under this format for instance, this would mean that Granma's Alfredo Despaigne (last year's record breaking home run leader and one of the top hitters in the league could move on). Despaign also leads in homers this season and is in the top 10 in overall batting statistics.

The decision to abandon the two league format was not a popular choice with the fans because there were a lot of heated rivalries that will not take place. A lot of the top draws as far as fan participation is concerned will not take place because of the eliminations that will take place.

The 2013 All-Star game ... not for now

by Ray Otero

January 11, 2013

The 2013 All-Star Game in Cuban baseball has been postponed according to press sources. The game has always been a popular one for the fans. It has always been very much anticipated every year. The game, yet to be defined, was calendared for February 3 this year, shortly after the termination of the first stage of the 52 National Series season and before the start of the preparation of the Cuban shortlist for the third edition of the World Baseball Classic.

A few days ago the Cuban National Baseball League gave its cancellation. A new date not announced yet and apparently to be held after the participation of Cuba in the WBC and sooner or later, the five reinforcements for the 8 teams that will compete during the second half of the season are announced.

MORE AGUILAS, MORE MANNY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_v8JHT03d4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzTdyQmqQLw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcIBUVtZat0

http://telly.com/95ZE9

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7stAtdClAuM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZWd6HgjC38

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5Y-dqmh2ao

Looks like Perez and Pestano got invites to the USA team for the WBC.

Still no interest in watching.