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 | If you drew up the perfect baseball player -- that is, if you gave someone size and strength and quickness, if you also gave him a dedication to his craft and a commitment to being the best teammate he can be -- you would have Miguel Cabrera.
More» Cabrera hits three homers, drives in five |
 | D-backs outfielder Gerardo Parra went deep off Marlins pitcher Tom Koehler on the first pitch of Arizona's 1-0 victory on Saturday. The last time a game was essentially decided by a first-pitch home run? You have to go all the way back to Sept. 2, 1963.
More» Parra's solo jack puts D-backs on the board |
 | The defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants are sitting atop the National League West standings. But there is a warning sign that can't be ignored.
More» Bumgarner fans 11 over seven dominant frames |
 | The Dodgers left Atlanta Sunday night after three disappointing, debilitating and ultimately, depressing defeats. Their bullpen lost late leads in all three games. Much is expected of the Dodgers, but so far this season they have delivered only a 17-25 record.
More» Mattingly on Greinke's return from the DL |
 | Reid Ryan represents a connection to the Astros' past while offering an enthusiastic vision for its future. He's Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan's oldest son, and that means plenty around these parts.
More»Biggio, Nolan Ryan on Astros' new executive hire |
 | If you're filling out your American League All-Star ballot, you should take a good, long look at Jed Lowrie for starting shortstop.
More» Lowrie belts run-scoring double in fifth |
 | The Atlanta Braves have been known for their admirable pitching depth, not only at the Major League level, but throughout their organization. They're going to require a show of that depth, now, and for some time to come.
More» Kimbrel shuts the door on the Dodgers |
 | Looking ahead, Jedd Gyorko should provide the Padres an offensive quality they will continue to welcome. He can flat-out hit. He has always hit. And that should continue.
More» Gyorko hits his first career home run |
 | It's been 40 years since the American League began using the designated hitter, and my teeth still are clenched.
More» Ortiz cranks a three-run homer to right |
 | The Braves have played 63.4 percent of their games on the road. And they have played considerable stretches of the early season without some of their most important personnel. It's not hard to see that even in first place, their overall direction should be upward.
More» Heyward makes a nice sliding catch |
 | Perhaps the most infamous trade in Phillies history occurred on Jan. 27, 1982. Dallas Green had just stepped down as Phils manager and taken over as general manager of the Cubs. In one of his first major moves, he traded second baseman Ivan DeJesus to the Phillies for incumbent shortstop Larry Bowa. The other guy in the trade was a little-known Triple-A infielder in the Phillies' organization named Ryne Sandberg.
More» |
 | Forty games do not provide a very big sample. All kinds of weird things can happen in six or seven weeks of baseball, so here is a look at a few eye-popping, early-season performances, good and bad, and their likelihood of continuing.
More»MLB.com crew breaks down first quarter of 2013 season |
 | Reid Ryan's hiring as team president is a stroke of genius by Astros owner Jim Crane. It makes sense on so many levels that it's difficult to know where to start.
More»Ryan named Astros' president of business operations |
 | The Tampa Bay Rays Way has gone slightly astray here in 2013. The club's time-tested formula of cycling through one quality homegrown pitcher after another has hit a bit of a snag thus far this year, and now an injury to David Price has the potential to throw it completely out of whack.
More» Price talks about his left triceps strain |
 | If the season were to end today, Boston's John Farrell would be American League Manager of the Year. What Farrell has done with the Red Sox mess is not impressive; it is amazing.
More» Red Sox score eight runs in the third inning |
 | The Angels and White Sox, two of the sport's heaviest disappointments through the first quarter of the season, are sharing Angel Stadium through Sunday, and both have reasons to believe there's light at the end of the tunnel.
More» Pujols cranks a two-run shot in the fourth |
 | Less than a year ago, very few baseball fans had heard of Brewers shortstop Jean Segura. A quarter of the way through the 2013 season, Segura is on the short list of best young players you need to watch whenever you get the chance.
More» Segura gets three hits, three stolen bases |
 | Wednesday's successful return from the disabled list of Zack Greinke may have been the final push the Dodgers needed to begin their climb up the standings after a disappointing start to the season.
More» Greinke on his return from the DL |
 | You'd be hard-pressed to find a bigger baseball fan than Matt Eisner. A die-hard Nationals supporter, Matt is the author of the popular blog Matt's Bats.
More» |
 | The reigning American League East champions have been absolutely assaulted by injuries this year, starting over the winter and continuing into the regular season, and while much credit should go to the gentlemen who have filled in, much anticipation should surround the returns of the guys who are still on the way.
More»Teixeira hopes to be back with Yankees by end of May |
 | Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper is a hustler, and that's one of the many things to love about him. He doesn't hesitate or meditate or otherwise complicate a sport that often rewards instinct, and Harper's instincts are wildly and often wondrously aggressive.
More» Harper collides with wall, exits the game |
 | Since the Rangers and Cardinals went toe-to-toe for seven tense, wonderful games in the 2011 World Series, plenty has happened to both franchises. Yet, in a lot of ways, nothing at all has happened. In many respects, these two organizations that exchanged punches for 10 days are mirror images of one another.
More» Gast earns first career big league win |
 | As he puts the finishing touches on a baseball career bound to take him to the Hall of Fame, Mariano Rivera chooses to say goodbye without the fanfare and festivities, but rather by reaching out to the grassroots of baseball, the so-called "little people" who do such big jobs to make baseball what it is.
More» Rivera interacts with Kansas Citians |
 | The closer you look, the more the 2013 Yankees look like a mirage. Until you look at their bullpen. The Yanks have MLB's second-best record despite the seventh-best run differential thanks to the fact they just don't lose leads.
More» Mo secures his 16th save by retiring Morse |
 | How good has Jean Segura been during the first six weeks of his first full Major League season? He has been Mike Trout-good. In this, Segura's first full season in the Majors, he has been something else. He has been Trout-like, and then some.
More» Segura ranges across middle for slick play |
 | Maybe the San Francisco Giants aren't going to tease us this year. Maybe, just maybe, they're going to keep rolling out quality starts and not wait until the last minute to make those playoff reservations. Regardless, we know not to take our eyes off them.
More» Lincecum shuts down the Braves, fans seven |
 | As the number of strikeouts reaches all-time highs, it's time to re-think the impact of not making contact. What once was a source of guilt and shame and sleepless nights is now, well, whatever.
More» Tigers 10-K game streak reaches seven |
 | The Yankees slowed down the early-season excitement in Denver and Kansas City last week by taking two of three from the Rockies and sweeping the Rockies.
More» Yanks notch fifth straight win, sweep Royals |
 | Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Yasiel Puig doesn't just have power and strength -- his speed and agility had the baseball world buzzing this spring.
More» Puig collects three hits vs. White Sox |
 | Felix Hernandez had a start last week that perfectly encapsulates the essence of what makes him one of the best pitchers in baseball.
More» Felix dominates over eight to earn fifth win |
Mike Bauman has been a national columnist for MLB.com since 2001 and has covered Major League Baseball for more than three decades.
Barry M. Bloom has been a national reporter for MLB.com since 2002 and has more than 35 years of experience covering sports.
Hal Bodley, who joined MLB.com as senior correspondent in 2008, has covered baseball since 1958 and offers insight on MLB.com and MLB.com/Live.
Anthony Castrovince has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2004.
Richard Justice, who joined MLB.com as an executive correspondent in 2011, has covered Major League Baseball for more than three decades and offers his insight on MLB.com and MLB.com/live.
Brian Kenny hosts "Clubhouse Confidential" on MLB Network.
Jenifer Langosch covers the Cardinals for MLB.com. She covered the Pirates from 2007-11.
Matthew Leach has worked for MLB.com since 2001 and was the site's Cardinals beat reporter from 2002-11.
Terence Moore has covered a variety of sports for more than three decades and contributes columns to MLB.com.
Marty Noble is a senior member of the Baseball Writers Association of America and editor of SCOREBOOK, the annual journal of the BBWAA's New York chapter.
Bernie Pleskoff has been a professional scout for the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners.
Tracy Ringolsby, the 2005 recipient of the J.G. Taylor Spink Award, presented at the Baseball Hall of Fame, has covered Major League Baseball since 1976. He offers his insight on MLB.com and MLB.com/live.
Lyle Spencer has been a reporter for MLB.com since 2005, covering the Padres and Angels. He has covered Major League Baseball as a reporter and columnist since 1971.
Matt Yallof is an MLB Network studio host who hosts the regular season studio show The Rundown and regularly appears on MLB Tonight, Quick Pitch and the offseason studio show Hot Stove.
Meggie Zahneis, winner of the 2011 Breaking Barriers essay contest, earned the job of youth correspondent for MLB.com in the fall of '11.
