new york yankees Tag

Well that was quite a season folks.  Yesterday marked the end to 2012 MLB regular season and it seemed like history was being made all over the place.  The two individuals who lead the way with historical accomplishments were Mike Trout and triple crown winner Miguel Carbrera.  Both of these players had outstanding seasons and figure to be the only 2 competing for the AL MVP award.  Before I get into to Cabrera's triple crown feat, I just want to briefly list off the highlights of Mike Trout's season.

Mike Trout (2012)
R - 129
H - 182
HR - 30
RBI - 83
SB - 49
AVG - .326
OBP - .399
OPS - .963

- Set AL rookie record with 14 straight games with a run.
- Youngest player to hit 20 HR's and steal 40 bases.
- Set Angels record for most runs in a season.
- Fourth rookie in baseball history to record 120 runs.
- Set Angels rookie record for most hits.
- First rookie ever to hit 30 HR's and steal 40 bases.
- Youngest player to join 30-30 club.

This Labor Day weekend we will watch the calendars flip over to September and on we go into the final month of the MLB regular season.  Lots of news worthy stories have been fluttering around baseball all season.  It has been a season with 3 perfect games, a possible PED stained batting title, major trades, and in the first season of the additional wild card spot we could see both the Nationals and Orioles in the postseason.

The 2012 season has been more packed with history than any season I can remember in recent past.  Aside from the things I've already mentioned, we might have a rookie win both ROY and the MVP.  Not since 2001 has anyone completed this feat and Mike Trout would be just the third player ever to do so.  Heck, why not?  Trout has already become the only player to achieve 20 HR/40 SB as a rookie among other "first player ever to" distinctions.  And any time in baseball you are the first player to do something it is a pretty incredible feat.  Lets just say there have been a few games played over the years and plenty opportunity for just about anything and everything to happen.

As we approach the coveted month of October it is interesting to experience the playoff races for the first time in the era of two wild card spots per league.  Seems like there won't be as much panic for teams until the final couple weeks.  There is a little more breathing room to make the playoffs.  Although I will say that there is a clear advantage to being the division winner so don't look for the teams at the top to let off the gas at all.

In late March 30 teams started their journey towards earning a playoff spot and ultimately winning the World Series.  After a total of 4,860 games, all the stats have been recorded and the tale of the regular season comes to a end.  This season was full of milestones, wild finishes, and lots of really good pitching.  The last few weeks of the season provided fans with a great preview of what is to come this October.  At the end of the day we are left looking at 8 teams who could possibly win the fall classic.*

Tomorrow we will all flip the calendar over to September, and with it comes 40 man rosters and do or die situations for teams across MLB.  Teams that find themselves in a hunt for the playoffs will try to put everything together in the last month of the season to earn a playoff spot.  At this point in the season there are several teams with comfortable divisional leads and several others find that they are underachieving and might be looking at spending October on the couch.

In baseball the phrase "sure thing" is reserved for a select few.  Many baseball players are drafted out of high school and are often praised for their skills from a very young age.  The translation is not easy for scouts to be able to accurately predict MLB superstars.  Occasionally we run across "can't miss" players like Joe Mauer or Derek Jeter.  As a high school athlete Derek was a highly touted prospect whose accolades were only matched by his skills on the baseball field.  In 1992 Derek Jeter received many national high school awards that included Gatorade's Best Male Athlete.