Sometimes it’s Good to be Little

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

As I write this, I’m sitting in a hotel room in Lexington, Kentucky, having just returned from another day attending the Little League International Congress. This Thursday, March 18 will be the one year anniversary of Baseball Factory’s strategic partnership with Little League International. Over the course of this first year, I have been lucky enough to gain some great experiences through this relationship. From the Skills Challenge we conducted at the Little League Urban Initiative Jamboree to our involvement in the 2009 Little League World Series to the Youth Clinics we held at Volunteer Stadium with over 120 players, I’ve gotten the chance to truly appreciate Little League and the efforts they make. However, as I sit here today, I have to say that the Little League International Congress may top the list.

Over the course of the weekend I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of Little League Delegates, District Administrators, Assistant District Administrators, Umpires, fans and other volunteers. In total, I’d estimate that there are close to 1,500 league volunteers that have made the trip into Lexington, simply because they love the game and they support the Little League mission. From all 50 states and 30 countries, these are individuals that don’t ask for anything (except maybe to trade pins) in return for their service. They are willing to dedicate hours, days and years to the improvement of Little League and the development of these baseball and softball players, both on and off the field.

The level of dedication that these volunteers show is unmatched throughout the game of baseball, and it is a testament to the value of sports in the growth and success of our youth. The Little League International Congress has been an eye opening experience and a reminder why I do what I do. I’ve always had a passion for the game of baseball and working with amateur players, but it is moments like this that show you the bigger picture, and the power of sports. Now more than ever, I’m ready for spring, summer and more baseball weather!

For more on the Little League International Congress, check out the Little League Facebook Fan Page. For more on the events Baseball Factory will conduct with Little League in 2010, check out the Youth Clinic page and our Little League Player Development Schedule.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

There’s Always Next Year

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Finally, the season is over (no, this isn’t going to be a blog about Cole Hamels asking for the season to end). If Chase Utley had hit another home run in game six and the Phils had made a comeback, we really would have had a Mr. November. Isn’t there something drastically wrong about that?

Don’t get me wrong, I am a diehard baseball fan, but there has to be something that the commish can do to shorten the season. I am not advocating for the league to cut any games, just figure out a way to end the season in October. Schedule some double headers. Cut out a few travel days. Eliminate the extra off-days during the playoffs. I’d even settle for October 31.

A few other end of season comments:

Just because he finally performed in the post season, doesn’t mean ARod won’t get booed next year at Yankee Stadium. The first night he goes 0 for 4 and strikes out in a clutch situation, the fans will let him know about it.

Cole Hamels should make sure he does more off-season workouts than off-season commercials (those Comcast commercials are horrible)

When is Fox going to realize that Tim McCarver is past his prime? He’s been past his prime for 10 years. I’m sure he’s a great baseball guy, but there are so many other analysts I’d prefer to listen to during the World Series.

I’m sure ratings dictate the start time, so I don’t see this changing, but these games don’t end until midnight most evenings. This wasn’t a problem when I was 23, but I’m not 23 anymore.

A few interesting stats to keep an eye on for 2010:

Alex Rodriguez is only 17 home runs away from 600 for his career. He is likely to pass three more players on the all-time list and should finish the season in 6th all-time behind only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays and Ken Griffey, Jr.

Albert Pujols has hit 366 homeruns in his career. He turns 30 years old this January. Only Rodriguez (401 home runs), Ken Griffey, Jr. (398), Jimmie Foxx (379), Mickey Mantle (372), and Eddie Matthews (370) hit more home runs prior to turning 30 years old. Pretty good company to be in and he should get to 400 next year.

Don’t expect anyone to reach hit 3,000 in 2010, but Derek Jeter is getting closer to adding this stat to his Hall of Fame resume. He is 253 hits away and he’s averaged 203 hits per year over the past five seasons. The next player to do it after him will likely be Ken Griffey, Jr. (237 hits shy), Pudge Rodriguez (289) or Alex Rodriguez (469). Griffey and Pudge can get there if they play another 2-3 seasons of healthy baseball. Rodriguez is 2+ seasons away.

At age 43, Tim Wakefield is only 11 wins away from 200 for his career. Pretty good for a guy that tops out at 70 MPH. Only 110 other pitchers in the history of the game have reached 200 wins.

At 122-60 for his career, Johan Santana is #11 overall in win-loss% for pitchers with a minimum of 1000 innings pitched. His .6703 percentage is only .0011 behind #10…Babe Ruth, who was 94-46 in his career.

Early prediction for 2010:

Yankees over Dodgers in five games

MVP: Alex Rodriguez and Chase Utley

Cy Young: Roy Halladay and Clayton Kershaw

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

A Bit Twitterish

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Recently the NFL and NBA announced new rules that will oversee player and coach use of the social networking site, Twitter. Last year, Charlie Villanueva sent a tweet during halftime of one of his games with the Milwaukee Bucks. Kevin Love did him one better and announced the firing of his coach through a tweet. Prior to the NFL season getting started this year, Chad Ochocinco threatened to tweet during games.

The spread of social networking opportunities and a player’s ability to express himself outside of the standard media outlets initially caught the leagues off-guard. It used to be that the leagues had almost complete control over when and where a player spoke to the media. It was always during press conferences, in the locker room, or on the field after a game. Now, players could send a message to thousands of random followers at any time of day, even during games. They could talk about what they were eating, what they were doing, potential trades, their happiness or worse, unhappiness with their current team. It was unlimited, and this clearly has scared the NFL and NBA into action.

But is this action the right action? Aren’t these leagues built on the backs of their superstars? Why is self expression such a scary thing? True, you never know what Chad Ochocinco is going to say, but isn’t that what makes him such a polarizing figure, and don’t polarizing figures sell tickets, merchandise and ultimately television deals? These leagues need to deal with reality: this is the era of personalities in sports. The current growth of every major sport in America is due in part to the entertainment factor that surrounds sports. We love our characters, our personalities, our heroes and our villains. We care about more than just the score. The more we know about the players, the more we love (or hate) them. Twitter gives us a look into their day-to-day lives that provides more than just watching them play on the field. As insignificant as it is, we want to know what LeBron James is eating for lunch the day of Game 7 of the conference finals.

Overall, I think that both leagues have responded with policies that will limit team distractions while still encouraging the spread of their game through social networking. The rules don’t entirely discourage players from tweeting, but instead, they provide limitations. Don’t tweet during games, during practice, during any time when you are “working” for the team. Basically, you can tweet on your own time, just not on our dime. Initial player reaction has been pretty positive.

So where is Major League Baseball in this discussion? Nowhere to be found…yet. Some of that is because it is in the middle of the season. The NFL and NBA announced their policies prior to the start of a new season. I’d expect MLB to have a new policy come February 2010. But more importantly, this is one area where baseball has fallen behind the NFL and NBA. If you look at TV ratings, football dominates baseball and basketball is catching up. All of the top player story lines in baseball are focused on steroids. Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens…the list goes on.

The league needs to get more players to tweet, just not during games, and not to the point that it interferes with the team. If you take a look at the MLB players that currently tweet, it’s a list of middle relievers and utility players. Seriously, are you getting excited about tweets from Seth McClung, Coco Crisp or Jason Grilli (although Grilli’s username is very clever - @GrillCheese49). CC Sabathia has an account, but hasn’t tweeted for 150 days. David Ortiz posted this week…promoting his restaurant.

Let’s go MLB players! Whereas the NFL and NBA have to cut back on the amount of tweets their players are sending, the MLB needs to get their players to join the 21st century. Get the players out there so that the fans can reconnect with their favorites. The MLB needs to put a new face on that promotes the young stars of the game; the players that aren’t using steroids (or so we hope). What is David Wright doing after the season? How excited is Albert Pujols for the playoffs? Does Justin Verlander really think the Tigers hold off the Twins?

There’s an opportunity here, if the players are ready and willing to take advantage of it. They can successfully express themselves and regain the support of a new generation of fans, one that needs something more to connect with than the negative press surrounding the steroid era. It’s time to usher in the Social Networking Era in baseball.

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

2009 Predictions

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

The season is finally here! Last year, I waited until May to make my predictions, and while I was right on with the Rays, part of me feels like I cheated. So, this year, why wait, let’s get right to the predictions:

American League East
1.Boston Red Sox
2.New York Yankees (wild card)
3.Tampa Bay Rays
4.Baltimore Orioles
5.Toronto Blue Jays

The Yankees spent $423.5 million this offseason on three players:CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira, but the Red Sox still have more depth than the Yanks and down the stretch, this will be key.Alex Rodriguez is starting the season on the DL and who knows how his hip will respond when he returns. Add in the pressure he’ll face based on his offseason issues and there may be too many distractions for him to get back to MVP form in 2009. Don’t overlook the addition of Takashi Saito to the Red Sox bullpen and John Smoltz, their ace in the hole who should return this summer. Both teams will make the playoffs, but I expect the Red Sox to win the division.

While I would love to see the Rays make another run, they aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year. They have the talent to do it again, but do they have any magic left under their hats? In another division, they are probably the favorites, but this is the AL East. They can’t let David Price spend too much time in the minors if they are going to compete. The Orioles will likely have a 12^th consecutive losing season, but they are moving in the right direction with their young talented players. This will be a rebuilding year for the Blue Jays as well.

American League Central
1.Cleveland Indians
2.Minnesota Twins
3.Chicago White Sox
4.Detroit Tigers
5.Kansas City Royals

The main difference between the 2008 Indians and the 2009 team is health. Victor Martinez, Travis Hafner and Fausto Carmona all appear to be healthy entering the season. They finished the 2008 season by winning 43 of their last 71 games, mainly based on the performance of Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore. Those two players can’t do it on their own, and this year, they shouldn’t have to. The addition of Mark DeRosa will help push the Indians back into the playoffs.

The Twins should compete again in 2009 and they always seem to find a way to be in the mix. Francisco Liriano is my sleeper pick to win the AL Cy Young, but I’m not sold on Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey and the rest of the Twins rotation.

There aren’t that many differences between the White Sox team that won the division last year and this year’s squad, except for age. 32, 33, 35, 35, 37 and 39. Those are the opening day ages of A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Bartolo Colon, Jose Contreras and Jim Thome; all players that will be counted on heavily by the White Sox. Expect this year’s team to look older and play older.

I wish I had more to say about the Tigers and Royals, but really, so do they. Keep a close eye on Rick Porcello, a RHP for the Tigers. Selected in the first round of the 2007 draft, Porcello was a participant in the 2006 Cape Cod High School Classic, powered by Baseball Factory.

American League West
1. Los Angeles Angels
2. Texas Rangers
3. Oakland Athletics
4. Seattle Mariners

I really wanted to pick the Rangers to win the west. In the end, even though the Angels starting rotation is in shambles based on injuries, I still felt they were the better team in the long run. John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar are injured, but all should be back in the rotation within a few months. The Rangers are going to hit…a lot, but that just isn’t enough. I like them to put a scare into the Angels and keep the race close until September, but I just don’t think they have enough to seal the deal.

As for the Athletics, they have improved their offense dramatically by adding Matt Holliday, Orlando Cabrera, Jason Giambi and Nomar Garciaparra. If they can get some production out of their rotation they may be able to compete in the West, but there are too many question marks in their rotation and bullpen.

I’m excited to see Ken Griffey, Jr. back in Seattle. I don’t expect him to produce like the old Junior Griffey, but it is a nice way for him to end his Hall of Fame career back where it started. Felix Hernandez and Erik Bedard should both have bounce back years, but it isn’t enough for this rebuilding team.

Next time we’ll take a look at the National League.

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Mixed Emotions

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

As things have unfolded regarding Alex Rodriguez’s admitted use of steroids, I’ve had a hard time forming a solid opinion on the situation. There are so many different aspects involved and my thoughts have been pouring out:

• First off, it frustrates me that spring training is right around the corner and this is the only story we are going to hear about for the next four weeks (maybe even the next four months or years).

• How did this leak? The players were assured by Major League Baseball and the Player’s Association that this was an anonymous test, never to be shared with the public, or anyone for that matter. It was to be completed as a survey, to find out just how bad steroids really were in the game of baseball. In a lot of ways, this test led to many positives in regards to a new testing policy, stricter punishment and overall accountability within baseball. Do you think players would have been willing to be tested, if they knew the results could be made public?

• Now that the information has leaked, why just A-Rod? Why not the other 103 players on that list? As a nation, we love to build up our superstars, but we enjoy pulling them back down even more.

• Will the players ever trust the union again? Will they ever trust the owners again? Who can they trust but themselves? The next time a labor dispute comes around, how can we expect an agreement to be reached? Can anyone in baseball truly be taken at their word?

• I can’t decide if I like the nickname A-Fraud or A-Roid better. I think I’m leaning towards A-Roid.

• Former teammate of A-Rod with the Texas Rangers and current Baseball Factory Consultant, Doug Glanville may have written the best point of view I’ve seen so far on this topic.

• Part of me is proud of A-Rod for owning up and admitting that he let down the game of baseball. He isn’t hiding like Mark McGwire. He isn’t shifting the blame like Roger Clemens or pointing his finger adamantly like Rafael Palmeiro. He didn’t admit to something, while really admitting to nothing like Jason Giambi. He isn’t going to purge himself in court and have to fight it out like Barry Bonds. He apologized. He took all of the blame. Does that free him from guilt? Absolutely not, but it does make him more human, and it does make America more likely to forgive him.

• Was Barry Bonds somehow behind this information leaking? It sure takes a lot of the press and overall pressure off of his trial. He is now story number two in the steroid world that is baseball. (I don’t think this is a possibility, but it is fun to imagine Barry sitting in a dark room, masking his voice as he makes an anonymous call to Selena Roberts)

• Where does the league go from here? If McGwire, Clemens and Bonds weren’t the rock bottom points of the Steroid Era, then this has to be, so there’s only one way to go.

I’m sure that there will be more that will come out of this story. It wouldn’t surprise me if the names of the 103 other players on that list were released. As much as I wish it would just go away, I hope that there is some good that can come from this and that baseball can move forward on a clean path that properly represents that game.

Only time will tell.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Torre Tears Into the Yankees

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?
Is anything in sports sacred anymore? It used to be that what happened in the clubhouse, stayed in the clubhouse. I don’t know when Vegas trademarked this statement, but these days, What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas…and what happens in the clubhouse, is blasted throughout the media and apparently, exposed in tell all books by Joe Torre.

As a lifelong Orioles fan (and Yankee hater) I never disliked Joe Torre. I could list you 50 players on the Yankees that I did dislike, but I always respected Torre. He re-created a dynasty in New York that rivaled the days of Mantle and DiMaggio, Yogi and Whitey, and Ruth and Gehrig. He led the Yankees to four World Series titles in the span of five years, and appeared to do it the right way. He created leaders (Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera) and gamers (Scott Brosius and Paul O’Neill) and managed to get every last drop of talent out of veteran players (Bernie Williams, Orlando Hernandez and Luis Sojo).

But all of that respect is gone with the publishing of a new book called The Yankee Years, by Tom Verducci and Joe Torre in which the book reveals that the players called Alex Rodriguez, “A-Fraud” behind his back. The book claims that A-Rod had a “Single White Female” obsession with Jeter. It also rips general manager Brian Cashman and dishes on the Steinbrenner family.

Now Torre can claim that these comments are Verducci’s words and not quotes (which is true), but his name is on the book. His image is on the cover. He reviewed and approved every paragraph. And he got paid for it.

Why Joe? Does this really make you feel better about how things ended in New York? The majority of the baseball watching world would agree that you got a raw deal. Is this what you remember most about the Yankee teams that you managed? The dirt. Not the championships or the great games or great memories or even the great players you molded into stars? Did you want revenge that badly that you felt it was important for the world to know what happened behind closed doors?

Come on! You moved on to Los Angeles. I’ve seen the commercials. You’re doing yoga and drinking wheat grass. You were managing the Dodgers in October while Rodriguez, Cashman and the Steinbrenners were sitting at home watching. You were the clear winner in this situation. Torre 1, Yankees 0.

So why bring it all up again? Isn’t your success combined with the Yankees’ failure enough to provide closure? How does it help your conscience by trying to humiliate Alex Rodriguez? I assume you don’t need the money, so I lack to see the motivation. Maybe LA really has changed you. You used to avoid sensationalism at all costs, now you are feeding the tabloid frenzy.

Well congrats Joe. We now have no winners, just a bunch of losers, with your name on top of the list.

(check out Buster Olney’s blog for some good reading on this subject)


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

What to Watch For This Off-Season

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

With the next meaningful baseball game another five months away, the true baseball addicts need something to turn to during the off-season. For me, it’s a variety of things. The NFL and College Basketball are high up on the list, but I also try to keep a close eye on the MLB free agent market.

What players are changing teams this off-season? How is this going to affect next year’s competitive landscape? Are my Orioles going to pick up a few players so that they have a chance to possibly make the playoffs in 2009? Probably not, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed.

Here are a few players to keep an eye on during this off-season:

C.C. Sabathia – The Yankees courtship of Sabathia has started early. They have already made him a six-year, $140 million offer. Most of the experts expect Sabathia to sign with the Yankees, which will have an effect on the rest of the free agent pitcher’s market. If the Yankees don’t get Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Derek Lowe are the next best options. The Yankees may sign Lowe, even if they do get Sabathia. Watch for the Sabathia signing to have an effect on whether the Yanks sign Andy Pettitte, or pressure Mike Mussina to consider coming back for another year (he seems to be leaning towards retirement). There’s not much else out there, so this should be interesting. (Prediction – Anaheim Angels)

Manny Ramirez – This year, Manny “being Manny” took on quite a few different meanings. Manny was just “being Manny” when he shut down and for all intensive purposes, forced the Red Sox into trading him. Then there was Manny “being Manny” as a Dodger, which produced a .396 batting average, 17 homeruns, 53 RBI, 36 runs and an absurd 1.222 OPS in 53 regular season games. He went on to top that performance by just “being Manny” during the playoffs, hitting .520 with four homeruns, 10 RBI, nine runs and a 1.746 OPS in only eight games. Think he was playing for the last contract of his career? Regardless of his motivation, Manny put on a show last year and is going to be paid quite well because of it. But can you trust him to continue focusing and putting in this type of effort? I think the Dodgers believe in the West Coast version of Manny Ramirez. (Prediction – LA Dodgers)

Mark Teixeira – Like Manny, Teixeira went off last season after being traded. During his 54 game stint with the Angels in 2008, Teixeira hit .358 with 13 homeruns, 43 runs batted in, 39 runs and a 1.082 OPS. As if he wasn’t already a top free agent, this performance, not to mention a .467 average in the playoffs, really bumped up his stock (and asking price). Many teams are in the running including the Angels, Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers (if they don’t sign Manny). At age 28, don’t be surprised if he signs a seven+ year deal, especially with Scott Boras representing him. (Prediction – Baltimore Orioles…this might be more hope as an O’s fan, than intuition)

Francisco Rodriguez – Do you think there are a few teams out there that would like to have KRod at the end of their bullpen? Yeah, I do too. The Angels would love to keep him, but they can’t afford to and have already let him know this. The New York Mets made a splash last off-season by signing Johan Santana to a seven-year $137 million contract. He helped the front of their rotation, but the Mets still missed the playoffs, in large part because they didn’t have the pieces in their bullpen to close the door. KRod instantly provides them with consistency at the end of games. It’s a perfect fit, both on the field and off, as the Mets are ready to pay what it will take to get Francisco on the roster. (Prediction – New York Mets)

Here are the best of the rest. The top free agent players at every position, after the ones I listed above.

Catcher: Jason Varitek
First: Jason Giambi (probably more a DH, but not many 1B available after Teixeira)
Second: Orlando Hudson
Third: Casey Blake
SS: Rafael Furcal
Outfield: Raul Ibanez, Pat Burrell, Bobby Abreu
DH: Adam Dunn
Starting Pitcher: A.J. Burnett, Ben Sheets
Closer: Brian Fuentes


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

A Storm for the Ages

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

What was Major League Baseball thinking last night? It was raining cats and dogs in Philadelphia, yet the game raged on as if there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. There were visible puddles in the infield, but it took until the bottom of the sixth inning for the umpires to intervene.

Do you think the game would have been stopped earlier if the score was tied, and not 2-1 in favor of the Phillies? Bud Selig said after the game last night that he would not allow a team to win a World Series championship because of a rain-abbreviated game. This is much easier to say when the game was suspended in a 2-2 tie.

Selig and the MLB officials clearly did not want to deal with any controversy that would have come into play had the game been suspended in the bottom of the fifth with the Phillies leading 2-1. I don’t know if there was any video footage, but I would guess that Selig was giving out high fives to everyone in the MLB suite after Carlos Pena tied the score with a single in the top of the sixth.

I think that the situation could have been handled differently and the bigwigs within MLB should have had a “contingency” plan in effect at the start of last night’s game. But, in the end, MLB did make the right decision and have set up some great suspense heading into tonight’s re-start.

Hopefully they have analyzed all of tonight’s options and informed each team of the plans, whatever they might be. They avoided a PR nightmare last night, thanks to Pena, but if they aren’t truly prepared for tonight’s game, it may turn out that they just delayed the inevitable harsh criticism.

Only time will tell.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Post Season Awards

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Early this year, I gave a rundown of my MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year selections, based on their performance through the early part of May. Now that the season is over, here are my picks for the end of season MVP and Cy Young awards.

AL MVP

Dustin Pedroia - If you told me at the beginning of the season that the Red Sox would make the playoffs, even though 1) Manny Ramirez would be traded, 2) David Ortiz, Mike Lowell and J.D. Drew would each miss over 40 games during the season to injury, and 3) Josh Beckett would get hurt and only win 12 games...I would have said you're crazy. Hats off to Dustin Pedroia. He hit .326 with 17 homeruns, 83 RBI, 118 runs and 20 stolen bases. He carried this team when no one else could.

NL MVP

Albert Pujols - He quietly put together another monster year hitting .357 with 37 homeruns, 117 RBI and 100 runs. I don't know how that year was kept quiet, but this season there was not much fanfare around Albert Pujols. Maybe it was because the Cardinals faded late in the season. Maybe it was because the Cubs and Brewers were a more exciting story in the NL Central Division. Maybe it is because we have become used to seeing Albert put up these numbers. Regardless, he deserves the NL MVP award.

AL Cy Young

Francisco Rodriguez – I think I stand alone on this pick. Most all of the experts are selecting Cliff Lee, and I have no problem with that selection. Lee went 22-3 with a 2.54 ERA, but 14 of his wins came against teams with losing records including eight wins against the lowly Mariners, Tigers and Royals. That might be nitpicking, but if KRod doesn’t win the Cy Young, after breaking the single season saves record by five saves, what closer will ever win the award? How could you give it to a closer, unless they break this record, which is very unlikely? The previous record stood for 18 years. Are closers really disregarded that much that KRod’s accomplishment could go unrewarded? Not by me.

NL Cy Young

Tim Lincecum – The stats of Lincecum and Johan Santana are almost identical:

Lincecum: 227 IP, 18 – 5, 265 Strikeouts, 2.62 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.15 K/BB
Santana: 234.1 IP, 16 – 7, 206 Strikeouts, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.27 K/BB

So why Lincecum? I really can’t give you a good reason. In the end, I picked Lincecum because he struck out 59 more batters than Santana, no other concrete reason.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Playoffs Disappointing for Top Teams

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

The Cubs and Angels came into the playoffs as the consensus favorites for both leagues, but will have to wait until next year for another shot at the title. As the divisional round of the playoffs come to a close, let’s take a look at each series:

Cubs vs. Dodgers
What happened? The Cubs were the best team in the National League for most of, if not all of the regular season, yet they looked more like the Seattle Mariners during their series against the Dodgers. As a team, they struggled on offense, especially their top players. Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez and Geovany Soto were 5-36 combined in the series. It didn’t help that they committed six errors during the three game sweep, including four errors during Game Two.

On the other hand, the Dodgers are looking more and more like the team to beat. Led by Manny Ramirez, the series never looked in doubt. With arguably the best bullpen left in the playoffs, the Dodgers can see a title getting closer and closer.

Phils vs. Brewers
Not quite as lopsided, the Phils were able to take advantage of a Brewers team that seemed to run out of steam. This time, C.C. Sabathia wasn’t able to deliver on three days rest. He has been a machine during the last month of the season, basically putting the Brewers on his back and carrying them into the playoffs. In the end, pitching performances by Cole Hamels, Brett Myers and Joe Blanton led the Phils into the NLCS. The starting pitchers for the Phils gave up only five runs in 25 innings. Mix in key two out home runs by Shane Victorino and Pat Burrell and the Brewers were overmatched.

Rays vs. White Sox
Similar to the Phils/Brewers series, this one never truly seemed in doubt. The Rays looked very strong in taking games one and two in Tampa. Good performances by the starting pitchers and especially by the bullpen, plus timely hitting from Evan Longoria, Akinori Iwamura and B.J. Upton. The White Sox seemed a bit worn down after battling the Twins for the AL Central crown. They even admitted after the series that they lost to a better team in the Rays.

“They played better than us. There’s no doubt. They pitched better. They execute better. They got big hits,” White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. “They really did a tremendous job.”

Whether right or wrong, Guillen is never shy to voice his opinion. This time he got it spot on.

Angels vs. Red Sox
What a great series, especially if you are a Red Sox fan. Each game was close and exciting. Game One was dominated by two aces, Jon Lester for the Red Sox and John Lackey for the Angels. Lackey made one mistake, giving up a two-out home run to Jason Bay. Lester didn’t make a mistake, striking out seven while walking only one. In game two, J.D. Drew returned from injury to hit a two-run game winning home run in the top of the ninth. The home run came off of Francisco Rodriguez, the Angels closer who in 2008 set the single season record for saves in a season with 62.

The Angels pulled out a 12th inning victory over the Red Sox as the series returned to Boston for Game Three, setting up even more suspense for Game Four. Lester and Lackey returned to duel again and once more, Lester got the better of the matchup. Lester went another strong seven innings giving up no runs while striking out four. Lackey again gave up two runs to the Red Sox and left the game behind. The Angels rallied and got two runs off the Red Sox bullpen, but in the bottom of the 9th inning, the Jed Lowrie came through with an RBI single, driving in Bay who had doubled.

Both League Championship Series should provide us with some suspense and fireworks. The Red Sox and Rays are very familiar with each other and there is no love lost. The Dodgers are arguably the hottest team in baseball, but are going up against a team and a city that are anxious for a championship.



Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Yost Fired with 12 Games to Play

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

When taking a closer look at the playoff race, there were a lot of factors that I considered. Opponents down the stretch, momentum, home vs. away games, and even the Republican National Convention. But this late in the season, I never thought to consider a coaching change for a contender. On Monday, the Milwaukee Brewers announced the firing of manager Ned Yost. The Brewers currently have an 83-67 record, putting them in second place in the National League Central and tied for the NL wild-card lead.

So what’s the problem? Well, the Brewers have lost 11 of their past 14 games including a four-game sweep at the hand of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Brewers came into the month of September with a 5 ½ game lead in the wild card and entered the series in Philly with a four game lead. But the bats have gone quiet and the young Brewers team is stuck in a tailspin.

So what’s the answer? Firing your manager with 12 games left in the season? Really?

Don’t the players play the game? Is this move really going to make Ryan Braun immediately bounce out of a 2-30 slump? I can’t imagine that he shows up to the ballpark tomorrow and takes a different approach at the plate because Yost is no longer in the dugout.

Was it Yost’s poor management that caused Ben Sheets to put 12 Phillies’ runners on base in six innings pitched, allowing five of them to score? Does Sheets look in the mirror tomorrow and think, “Wow, they fired Ned, I really better start trying harder. They mean business.”

Come on! This is such a desperate move by a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 1982. What a classic knee-jerk reaction. I understand that Yost might be getting a bit tight as the playoff race heats up, but wouldn’t you? I’d be a bit more nervous and stressed out too if my team started choking.

The owners are so quick to blame the manager when a team goes in a slump.But hey, maybe I’m not getting all the facts. Maybe Yost wasn’t giving good motivational speeches. Maybe he didn’t hold enough closed door meetings to stress the importance of the playoff race. Maybe he forgot to remind the team that when they lost, it actually hurt their chances of making the playoffs.Give me a break!

If they wanted to change the players’ current losing ways, they would have been better suited changing the playlist on the stereo, not the manager in the dugout. They need to adjust the mindset of the players, and just because firing the manager is the “extreme” decision, doesn’t make it the right one, regardless of the outcome.

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Down the Stretch They Come

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

With a little over 20 games remaining in the Major League Baseball season, let's take a look at the races, especially those that are heating up:

American League East
After losing two of three against the Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays are only 3.5 games ahead of the Red Sox. While they are looking very good to make the playoffs, a division title could be a huge difference maker when the playoffs start. While the division winner will draw either the White Sox or the Twins, the Wild Card team is going to have to face the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (I still have a tough time not calling them just Anaheim). I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have to face Gavin Floyd, Mark Buehrle and Javier Vazquez than John Lackey, Ervin Santana and Joe Saunders.

The Yankees are 11 back of the Rays in the division and 7.5 games back of the Red Sox in the Wild Card. Stranger things have happened (see last year’s run by the Clint Hurdle and the Rockies), but let’s just think about it this way: If the Red Sox finished the season losing 15 of their final 23 games, the Yankees would need to go 16-6 down the stretch to make the playoffs. If the Red Sox go 11-12, the Yankees would have to go 19-3.

American League Central
I’ll be interested to see how many Twins fans vote for Senator John McCain this fall in the presidential election, if they end up missing out on the playoffs. McCain (image below and to the left) was seen waiving good bye to the Twins' playoff chances. I jest, but the Twins were sent packing on a 14-game road trip because of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN. They finished 5-9 on the road trip and may have lost the momentum needed to overtake the White Sox, who have a 1.5 game lead in the AL Central. The Twins schedule down the stretch looks promising with home series against Detroit, Kansas City (six games) and the White Sox in late September. They do however have to hit the road again including a three game series in Cleveland (18-7 over their last 25 games) and a four game series in Tampa Bay.

The White Sox host the Angels, Toronto, Detroit and Cleveland, while making trips to New York, Kansas City, and Minnesota. Neither team seems to have an edge, and with only 1.5 games separating the teams, that late series in Minnesota could determine the division title.

American League West
The Angels had this locked up in May. Seriously, I’m not kidding. At this point they hold a slim, 17 game lead over the Rangers.

American League Wild Card
We talked about what the Yankees would need to do to catch the Red Sox, but what about the Twins. They have a bit better chance, but again, with a 5.5 game lead over the Twins the Sox would basically need to collapse. It could happen, but don’t count on it.

National League East
Things are eerily similar to last year. The Mets have a lead and are growing it, but injuries to Pedro Martinez, John Maine and Billy Wagner are definitely a cause for concern. Can the Mets hold on? They’ve won four in a row and seven of their last 10, but the Phillies are very much alive only three games out of the lead. This weekend will be key as the Phillies make their last ever visit to Shea Stadium. This is the last time the Mets and Phillies will square off during the season, so this could determine the winner of the division.

National League Central
The Cubs have lost five in a row, but still have a five game lead in the NL Central. It definitely helps that the Brewers have lost four in a row. With Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden both missing starts, Cubs fans are a bit on edge, but they should make the playoffs. The Cubs and Brewers will face off six times down the stretch, including the final series of the regular season in Milwaukee, giving the Brewers a chance at overtaking the division title.

National League West
Arizona holds a 1.5 game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers going into their three game weekend series that starts tonight in LA. This is the last time the Diamondbacks and Dodgers will face off this season and it will likely provide one team with momentum for the remainder of September. However, the Rockies are still lurking, only six games back of Arizona. They have nine games left against the Diamondbacks and Dodgers and considering the run they made in 2007, nothing is out of the question.

National League Wild Card
Milwaukee is currently sitting four games up on Philly, five on St. Louis and six on Houston. The Brewers will head to Philadelphia in a week for a four game series. If they are still only up by four, this could get interesting. St. Louis has put together a magical season and they will need some of that magic in order to get into the playoffs. Houston was written off for dead earlier this summer but they have gone 20-7 over their past 27 games and have put themselves back in the Wild Card Race. Jumping over three teams during the final three weeks of the season will be a challenge, but 16 of their final 22 games are against teams with losing records, so don’t count them out.

Since I love to make predictions:

AL East – Boston Red Sox
AL Central – Chicago White Sox
AL West – Anaheim
AL Wild Card – Tampa Bay Rays

NL East – Philadelphia Phillies
NL Central – Chicago Cubs
NL West – Los Angeles Dodgers
NL Wild Card – Milwaukee Brewers


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Notes from Wrigley

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

I spent this past weekend at the Under Armour All-America Game, powered by Baseball Factory. With Wrigley Field serving as the historic ballpark for this inaugural event, it was an amazing setting to showcase The New Prototypes of baseball.

A few highlights from the event:

When Steve Bernhardt, the Executive VP of Baseball Operations for Baseball Factory, introduced the players at the welcome dinner on Friday night and read their bios, it was clear that the talent at the Under Armour All-America Game would surpass all other major summer events. The welcome dinner took place in the Wrigley Field Stadium Club.

The magnitude of the event really hit home when the players and their families were led on a tour of Wrigley Field, including the dugout, bleachers and press box.

The players got a true feel for Chicago on Saturday as they toured the city on a speedboat that took them out on the lake and up the river.

Holy Cow! Dinner on Saturday night led the players to Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse. The players met with Phil Nevin and Clay Matvick, the ESPNU broadcasters for Sunday’s game.

Close to 2,500 fans were in attendance on Sunday at Wrigley Field.

Jayce Boyd (Cantonment, FL) edged out Josh Elander (Round Rock, TX) in the Home Run Derby, presented by Mattingly Baseball. Elander hit eight home runs during the first round and Boyd thrilled the crowd by hitting four homeruns out onto Waveland Avenue.

Elander was the top prospect at the 2008 Under Armour Pre-Season All-America Tournament that took place in Arizona this January. Boyd was the top prospect at the Under Armour Showcases – Team One South in Atlanta, Georgia, this summer.

Chicago was also host to the Air & Water Show this past weekend. As such, the game was witness to various fly bys including the famous Blue Angels.

Legendary Chicago Cub player and broadcaster, Ron Santo, spoke to the players before the game and threw out the honorary first pitch.

Former Chicago Cub players Bill Matlock and Doug Glanville were in opposing dugouts as coaches for the game. Matlock later led the crowd in singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch.

David Renfroe, a standout player at the 2007 Under Armour Southeast Tournament, won MVP honors for the Team One squad. He struck out five batters in two innings of work and hit a towering homerun during his only at bat of the game. The RHP/SS is verbally committed to the University of Mississippi.

Mychal Givens, a participant at both the 2007 & 2008 Under Armour Southeast Tournaments, won MVP honors for the Baseball Factory team. He pitched a scoreless inning, hitting 96 MPH on the radar gun, and also went 2-3 with three runs batted in.

Baseball Factory held on to win by the score of 5-4, taking the inaugural Under Armour All-America Game over Team One.

Between the organ playing in the background, the ivy on the walls, the balls landing out on Waveland, and the amazing high school talent displayed at Wrigley Field, this event will be one these players, coaches, and fans will not soon forget. I know that this is a memory that will last me a lifetime, and hopefully a launching point for these players as they continue on their path to college baseball and beyond.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

Don’t Call it a Comeback…

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Josh Hamilton has been here for years. Well, it depends on how you define the word, “here.” Josh Hamilton’s talent has been “here” for years. The rest of him took quite a long and rocky journey to finally make it to the big leagues.

At this point, you’ve probably heard some of Hamilton’s story, but here a short recap: Hamilton went from one of the most hyped high school prospects in the nation*…to #1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1999 MLB Amateur Draft…to cocaine and heroin addict…to baseball drop-out…to recovering addict…to working the wood chipper for his brother’s tree service business…to Rule 5 Draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds…to MLB outfielder…to MLB All-Star with the Texas Rangers…to the hero of the 2008 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby.

Not such a short story? How can it be with so many twists and turns? Talk about ups and downs, and once again, that is the short story. Back in 2007, ESPN the Magazine ran an amazing article on Josh, after he made his triumphant return to baseball. He has come a long way, and as he tells it, he is finally winning his personal “fight with the devil.”

Watching him hit 28 mammoth home runs during the first round of last night’s Home Run Derby, I was filled with a sense of joy. I have no connection to Josh, but I found myself rooting for him to succeed. Rooting for him to drill each pitch even farther than the last. I think that it was his joy and happiness that was coursing through the veins of almost every fan in Yankee Stadium last night. His humble approach to life, now that he has come back from the depths of addiction, makes it hard to root for anything but his success.

So where does this story go from here. Only time will tell. Addiction is a very serious thing that affects millions of people. No matter what he accomplishes on the field, he will be faced with that addiction for the rest of his life. But regardless of what’s next for Josh, I know I’ll be rooting for him, because if we changed places, I know that he would be rooting for me.


*Josh Hamilton was named the Top Prospect at the 1998 Team One National Showcase


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

All-Star Beef

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Every year there is a debate about the players selected to the All-Star Game:

- “How did the fans vote in that guy?”
- “I can’t believe the manager is playing favorites and taking him over a guy who really deserves to be in.”
- “Why do they need to have a player from each team? So-and-so should definitely have made it before that guy.”

There are always going to be a few players that got the All-Star snub. Who fits the mold for this year’s game?

What A Snub:

A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox, Catcher
Pierzynski is hitting .296 with the same number of homeruns as Jason Varitek, and six more RBI. Not to mention 21 more runs scored. Varitek clearly got preferential treatment from Terry Francona. No one hitting .215 should be chosen as a reserve.

David Wright, New York Mets, Third Base
Seriously, how did he not get selected? He has scored 56 runs, hit 17 homeruns and driven in 70, while stealing nine bases and hitting .288. Hopefully he receives the “Final Vote” from the fans because he should be there.

Jermaine Dye, Chicago White Sox, Outfield
Head-to-head, his stats match up with J.D. Drew and Manny Ramirez, both of whom are in the game. While I personally would put him in over Drew, I can’t fault that selection by Francona. Dye is another candidate who could get in the game through the “Final Vote” by the fans on MLB.com.

Carlos Lee, Houston Astros, Outfield
I think the fact that Lee was left off the team is a complete reflection of the fans voting in Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome. Soriano and Fukudome both have solid numbers, but not in comparison with Lee and some of the other reserves that were selected. It would not surprise me if Soriano was still hurt and Lee was named as his replacement.

Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies, Pitcher
Of all the pitchers not selected, Hamels can raise the biggest argument. He is 9-5 with a 3.22 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 110 strikeouts in 128 2/3 innings pitched. This may be another case of favoritism as Clint Hurdle selected Aaron Cook from the Rockies. Cook is 11-6 with a 3.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and only 64 strikeouts in 132 2/3 innings pitched. He is having a career year, but Hamels deserves it more.

Regardless of the snubs, the game should be a classic and help bring an end to the era that is Yankee Stadium. I know that whatever players are competing, I’ll be watching.


Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

My Nemesis

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Why do I torture myself? Year after year I make the same mistakes. I don’t learn and in the end, it just leads to constant suffering. I’m talking about Fantasy Baseball, or as I like to call it…My Nemesis!

Fantasy Football and me are boys. We get along great. I check in with Fantasy Football a few times a week during the NFL season and our relationship always seems to be positive. Even when we fight, it is normally just for a week and then we’re great pals again once Sunday rolls around. And come December, we always make time to celebrate a few championships together. Fantasy Football takes a vacation during the first half of the New Year and then we reconnect again in late summer.

I’d even call Fantasy Basketball a good acquaintance. We get along great, but at times Fantasy Basketball struggles because I spend so much time with Fantasy Football. In the end, come March, things are always back on an even keel. We’ve had some good runs and in the end, we appreciate each other.

But Fantasy Baseball clearly hates me…and these days, I hate Fantasy Baseball. After a rough year last year, I thought we had made our peace this winter. We put in a lot of extra time researching players and preparing for the start of the season, but it seems to all be for naught. It was like a charade that Fantasy Baseball was playing with me. Trying to get my hopes us so that I’d come back and try to re-kindle the relationship. Fantasy Baseball has a way of pulling me back in each spring, even when I tell myself that I’m not going to get fooled again.

Too late…I’m stuck to rot out the rest of the season in the bottom of the league, waiting for David Ortiz to get healthy, Alex Rios to start hitting and Jimmy Rollins to figure out what has gone wrong.

Next year, I’ll be smarter. Next year will be the year that Fantasy Baseball and I can finally bury the hatchet. Next year, is our year…

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

A Mammoth of a Man

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

Last week, most of America’s sports enthusiasts were consumed with a variety of events including the U.S. Open, NBA Championships, Euro 2008, and the College World Series. Our entire office was captivated on Monday watching the last few holes as Rocco Mediate tried to hold off Tiger Woods. Fresno State continued their miraculous run defeating both Rice and UNC. The Boston Celtics destroyed the Lakers in Game Six of the NBA Championships to take home the title. Yet it was another event in New England that touched the hearts of a few thousand spectators in a way they will never forget.

Friday, June 13 was “John Wylde Night” at Spillane Field in Wareham, Massachusetts, home of the Wareham Gatemen of the Cape Cod Baseball League. This was a special night, not because it marked the opening day of the CCBL for 2008, but because it honored the service and dedication John Wylde has given to the league and the Wareham team for 25 years.

John Wylde was diagnosed with inoperable cancer of the liver in the fall of 2007. A mammoth of a man, John is officially listed as “Very tall” on his Wareham Gatemen baseball card. But it is his passion for baseball, the league, the players and the fans that is truly mammoth.

John started as a fan, then became a sponsor and eventually served as President, Treasurer and General Manager of the Gatemen, but he is known mainly for his voice. John is the Public Address Announcer for the Gatemen. He also manned the press box for all three Cape Cod High School Classic games held by Baseball Factory at Spillane Field. Through his voice and delivery, John has a way of capturing the purity of the game through the reading of a lineup card.

Doctors initially told John that he would be lucky to make it through the summer, but he is responding well to treatment and the size of his tumor has decreased. This is a blessing for all fans of baseball. America’s Pastime is a beautiful game because of the impact of people like John Wylde...a larger than life figure who continues to put his heart and soul into this game we love.


A few more stats on John’s baseball card:

Miles Traveled to regular season games: 30,384
Miles Traveled to playoff games: 2,456
Miles traveled for preseason scouting: 42,360
Hot dogs eaten during regular season games: 2,112
Hot dogs eaten during playoff games: 130
Cape Cod Baseball League Championships: 5

Jason Budden is the Vice President of Operations and Marketing at Baseball Factory. Jason joined the Baseball Factory in 1997 while still a junior in high school. After going through the Baseball Factory's college recruiting program he was placed at Johns Hopkins University where he played two years of college baseball before graduating with a degree in Economics. After working part-time at the Factory throughout college, Jason joined the team as a full-time employee in January 2002 when he was promoted to Director of Marketing. He currently oversees all marketing projects and sponsorship opportunities at Baseball Factory. He is also in charge of development and marketing for Baseball University, the leader in online baseball education and a division of Baseball Factory.

It's Getting Hot in Here

Jason Budden: Un-Common Sense?

The thermostat outside my house said 100 degrees today, and technically it isn’t summer just yet. Whether it’s the temperature or the poor play from their teams, a few managers are beginning to get a bit hot under the collar.

Eric Wedge, Cleveland Indians: At 28-35, the Indians are seriously underperforming. A team that many picked to win the AL Central and quite a few experts selected to go far in the playoffs, nothing has clicked for the Indians. While C.C. Sabathia has been back to Cy Young form after starting the season 1-5 with a 7.51 ERA, and Cliff Lee is 9-1 with a 2.45 ERA, Fausto Carmona and Travis Hafner are on the DL, and even before getting injured they were not performing well. In addition, Victor Martinez hasn’t hit a homerun in 2008 and is on pace for only 65 RBI.

Clint Hurdle, Colorado Rockies: After making a historic run at the end of the 2007 season that was halted by the Boston Red Sox in the World Series, the Rockies have struggled mightily in 2008. The Rockies have the worst record in the National League at 24-39. Troy Tulowitzki was hitting .152 when he tore a tendon in his left quad. Matt Holliday has also spent some time on the DL. Add to those injuries that fact that the pitching staff is the worst in the National League and it is easy to figure out why the team is struggling. They have time to turn it around, and last year’s run should give Hurdle some faith, but he can’t be feeling good about where the team is at currently.

Jim Leyland, Detroit Tigers: Another AL Central team that many picked to win the division, league and even World Series. The Tigers are 26-36, 10 ½ games behind the division leading Chicago White Sox. The pitching has been atrocious, boasting a 4.73 ERA. And while the offense has been middle of the pack, after the additions of Miguel Cabrera and Edgar Renteria, this offense was expected to be dominant. Nothing has gone right and Jim Leyland may be considering retirement if things don’t change.

Joe Girardi, New York Yankees: Does it really matter what the Yankees’ record is? Does it matter which Steinbrenner is running the show? If there is a manager in the dugout, and a Steinbrenner in the front office, that manager is feeling the heat. At 32-32, Girardi is definitely feeling that heat.

Willie Randolph, New York Mets: A few weeks ago, the Mets’ front office held a “closed doors” meeting with Randolph. After the meeting the Mets looked like they had turned things around…and then they went to San Diego. The Mets were swept in a four game series this past weekend by a San Diego Padres team that was 24-37 before their matchup with the Mets. Now the Mets are 30-32 and Willie has to be feeling the heat. Expect it to continue unless they turn it around in the near future.

John McLaren, Seattle Mariners: With the worst record in the big leagues at 22-41, McLaren has to be pulling his hair out in between innings. In only his second season as the manager in Seattle, this was supposed to be a special year for the Mariners. They signed Erik Bedard to a big contract and seemed to have the pieces in place to make a run at the Angels in the AL West. It is not looking good. If the team doesn’t figure it out, McLaren may be the first manager to get the boot in 2008.