Red Sox Sign David Price

It didn't take long for Red Sox General Manager Dave Dombrowski to make a splash in the free agent pool this offseason. The Red Sox agreed with lefthander David Price on a seven-year, $217 million contract that is the biggest contract signed by a Red Sox pitcher in their history. To break it down for you, Price will make $59 every minute and $1 every second for the next seven years. This was a good add for the Red Sox as they need pitching, after last year's unfortunate season showed that. Red Sox fans say they can already taste the playoffs after this landmark deal, will Price be worth the price?

A Wonderful Chapter Comes To An End

Since 2001, Don Orsillo has been the voice of the Boston Red Sox as the play-by-play announcer for every game. His contract with NESN (New England Sports Network) has expired and the company is not going to re-sign him. Orsillo has left a great legacy behind as the voice of the Red Sox. His partner for these games, Jerry Remy, broke down last week when Orsillo announced his leave. Together they are known for the endless jokes that are cracked every game, and as the voices of the Red Sox. He will truly be missed by Red Sox fans.

As a fan of the Red Sox and having watched many games in my life, I can honestly say that I watched the games because Don and Jerry were so funny and worked so well together. They are best friends and to see a great chapter come to an end is very sad. I can't imagine anyone else broadcasting the games. I am devastated that Don Orsillo is leaving, and I don't see why NESN did not re-sign him after what he provides not only for the Red Sox, but Red Sox fans and the people that watched the games on TV.

It did not take long for Don Orsillo to find another gig as a broadcast announcer as the San Diego Padres have signed Orsillo as their play-by-play announcer starting in 2016. Padres fans should be ecstatic as they are getting a great announcer who is also a great man. "I just want to say that for the past 15 years it has been an absolute pleasure to work with Don," said Remy. "He's been an outstanding partner for 15 years and I'm truly going to miss him, he's become a very close friend of mine. You're friends. You have such a good time doing your job and it's over. I've been fortunate to work with many people and he's atop the list. I love him."

As a dynamic duo, Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy will always be remembered by Red Sox fans, the laughs, the great games they have been through, they can never be replaced.

Sources: MLB.com, Boston Globe

Sam Knox Commits to Emerson College

Sam Knox of Tantasqua Regional High School made it official on Friday afternoon when he announced his official commitment to play baseball at Emerson College. Knox was recently accepted to Emerson on December 15th, but wanted to weigh his financial options before announcing his decision.

"It is the perfect fit. It's in the city, I can play baseball there, its the perfect size for me, and it is the number one journalism school in the country. It was meant to be. There was not one other school that measured up to Emerson for me. They had everything I wanted in a college." said Knox who has known Emerson was the school for him since he did a campus tour in May of 2015, and an October official overnight visit sealed the deal for Knox and his family. "Not only is the school a perfect fit, but I have already built so many great relationships with people at Emerson. Coach (Nick) Vennochi and I have had a great relationship from the day I first spoke to him in late August and told him I wanted to play for him. He seemed to want me there, and when a college wants you and you want them, it can't get any better than that." said Knox.

Sam is going to major in Journalism at Emerson and will graduate in 2020. 

Monte Irvin passes away

Hall of Famer Monte Irvin has passed away at the age of 96. Irvin, who was the second-oldest Hall of Famer and oldest Negro League player was inducted in 1973. He played in the Negro Leagues for seven years, and then spent seven years in the MLB: six with the New York Giants and one with the Chicago Cubs. Irvin was a five-time Negro League All-Star, an MLB All-Star, and a National League RBI leader and a two time World Series Champion. He will be greatly missed.

Alex Anthopoulos named as Dodgers Vice President

The Los Angeles Dodgers officially have hired Alex Anthopoulos as their vice president of baseball operations. Anthopoulos was previously the senior vice president of baseball operations for the Toronto Blue Jays from 2010-2015 until he stepped down at the conclusion of last season. He has a great reputation as a great baseball businessman as he was named Sporting News' Executive of the Year last year after Toronto made the postseason for the first time since 1993. Anthopoulos, only 38, has already spent 15 years in MLB offices: three with the Montreal Expos (present day Washington Nationals) and 13 with Toronto.

Padres sign Alexi Ramirez

The San Diego Padres have signed shortstop Alexi Ramirez to a one-year contract. Ramirez, who is 34 years old, hit a career worst .249 with 10 homeruns and 17 RBI in 154 games last season. Although Alexi had a rough 2015, he was an All-Star in 2014 and won a silver slugger as well. Ramirez will take over the position at shortstop primarily for San Diego, which fills a huge hole. Ramirez is getting older but he also is a very experienced veteran who can help a hurting San Diego franchise.

Royals extend Lorenzo Cain

The Kansas City Royals have signed center fielder Lorenzo Cain to a contract extension worth $17.5 million dollars over two years. Lorenzo Cain is 29 years old and had a great 2015 season being named an All-Star and winning a World Series with the Royals. He hit .307 with 16 homeruns and 72 runs batted in. This deal locks up both Cain and Alex Gordon who locked down the outfield for Kansas City in 2015 to win a World Series.

The meaning behind King Felix's ink

Felix Hernandez loves baseball, but the love for his family exceeds the sport. If you have seen Felix Hernandez pitch a complete game, you have observed him kiss his wrists then point to the sky and theres just a simple reason: Just below his right hand is the name of his daughter, Mia, and her birthdate. He has the same on his left wrist for his son, Jeremy. Hernandez pitches with long sleeves to hide the tattoos, but the only tattoo that people can see is the Aries sign on the right side of his neck. His wife asked him if he really wants people to see that he has that tattoo because then people will know his arms are covered, but it looked good so he got it. Since 2008, Hernandez has added many different tattoos to his arms that symbolize the important people and moments in his life.

Harrison brothers host MLK Day Camp in Cincy

Pirates second baseman Josh Harrison and his brother Vince Harrison who is a coach in the Diamondbacks organization, helped kids around the city of Pittsburgh with a Martin Luther King Day Camp. On Sunday, the first day of the camp, there were 20 kids ages 13-18 learning from many different professional coaches and players, and Monday the camp invites ages 7-12. 

"Even though I'm currently a player, I'm still constantly learning," Josh Harrison said. "Baseball is one of those games where it can be so monotonous and you do the same thing every day. But you can have results you've never seen before. You never know what the game will give you. You're constantly learning. When I'm teaching these kids, I'm also learning. 

Proceeds from the camp will help the Josh and Brittney Harrison Heavenly Hands Foundation. The Harrisons have a nearly 2-year-old daughter, Mia, and wanted to help kids and families who are in need.

Chris Davis agrees to 7-year, $161M with Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles locked up slugger Chris Davis to a 7-year deal worth $161 million deal last week. Baltimore seemed to be waiting all offseason for Davis to accept an offer, and he was finally brought back to Camden Yards. Davis, who led the American League in both home runs and strikeouts last year, is a middle of the order bat that can send on out of the park with a swing of the bat, but also holds back the team with strikeouts. The Orioles just dished out the largest contract in franchise history, but within reason. Davis was the most valuable Oriole for the second time in three seasons, hitting 47 homers. Davis is loved in the clubhouse by teammates and by manager Buck Showalter. After being acquired in a mid-season trade in 2011, he became a quick fan favorite. In 2013 he had a breakthrough season hitting .286 with 53 home runs. This deal was worth it for the Orioles as they are now just as dangerous as they have been in the past.

Marlins Lock Up Dee Gordon

The Miami Marlins extended second baseman Dee Gordon to a five-year $50 million deal on Wednesday, sources say. Gordon is a two time all-star including 2015 where he won the national league batting title hitting .333 last year. This deal keeps Gordon with Miami until at least 2020, and has a vesting option for $14 million for 2021. This is a great move by the Marlins as Gordon serves as a solid lead-off man and is a great player after having his breakout year last year.

Padres, Astros To Play In Mexico City

For the first time since 2004, Major League Baseball will be played in Mexico City. The Padres and the Astros will play two exhibition games at Fray Nano on March 26 and March 27. The announcement was made in Mexico City when Padres GM A.J. Preller and Astros GM Jeff Luhnow both were with one of their players. Jose Altuve for the Astros and Padres Catcher Austin Hedges were in attendance to announce the games. The announcement runs deeply in Astros GM Jeff Luhnow because he grew up in Mexico City.

"One of my goals since I have been general manager of the Astros was to bring the team closer to Mexico. To do that, we've got to activate the Mexican fan base," he said. "There are various ways to do that, one of them is to win."

Denard Span Signs With Giants

The San Francisco Giants agreed to a 3-year deal with veteran outfielder Denard Span. The Giants plan to have him play left field, which he hasn't done since he played for Minnesota in 2009. San Francisco found a good fit for their lineup as Span can play average defense with an above average bat. Span, who has hit at the leadoff spot for 8 of his major league seasons, is projected to do the same for the Giants. While Span posted above a .300 average with the Washington Nationals, and a career .287 average, health is Span's biggest problem as he missed most of the 2015 season and some of the 2014 season. The Giants hope that he is healthy and ready for a 2016 playoff push.

Griffey and Piazza Inducted Into Hall!

Ken Griffey Jr.

Mike Piazza

Griffey And Piazza Make The Hall Of Fame!

The moment many people have been waiting for has happened. Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza have been elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Ken Griffey will be the first to go in as a mariner, and Mike Piazza the first to go in as a New York Met.

"I played 13 years as a Mariner, which is longer than the other two teams I played for -- Chicago and Cincinnati. I think I did most of my damage as a Mariner."

The Mariners drafted Griffey in the first round of the 1987 draft. Piazza was drafted by the Dodgers in 1988. Griffey was on 99.3% of ballots, which broke Tom Seaver's record of 98.84 in 1992, and Piazza was on 83% of ballots.

Griffey On The Cusp For The Hall

With the recent releasing of the hall of fame ballots, it is becoming clear that Ken Griffey Jr. is a clear candidate to be a shoe-in for Cooperstown. He is on track to set the record for the highest number of vote percentages in history. Griffey was a 13-time All-Star, an American League MVP award and 630 home runs across 22 big league seasons with the Mariners, Reds and the White Sox.

Reports: Dodgers Agree To 8-Year Deal With Kenta Maeda

The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to terms with Japanese free agent starting pitcher Kenta Maeda on an 8-year deal, although the club has not confirmed the signing. Maeda previously played in Japan with Hiroshima Carp and posted a 15-8 record with a 2.09 earned run average in 29 starts in 2015. Maeda will serve as a replacement along with lefty Scott Kazmir for Zack Greinke, who just recently signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks this past December. Maeda has been compared to Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka and Rangers ace Yu Darvish because they all have one thing in common: they all dominated their way through the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan. We will see if Maeda has what it takes to play in the show.

Cespedes, Davis Among Stars Still Left In Free Agent Pool

After the Red Sox signed David Price, the Diamondbacks signed Zack Geinke, and the Cubs splash a deal with Jason Hayward, you'd think that there wouldn't be many stars left in the 2016 free agent pool. Think again because all-star first baseman Chris Davis and all-star outfielder Yoenis Cespedes have not signed with any team yet, which keeps fans and general managers on their toes. The signing of any two of these players could drastically effect a team's success in the future years.

Chris Davis supposedly turned down a six-year, $150 million deal from the Orioles, and you can only imagine what deal is going to attract Davis if he turned down that deal from Baltimore. On the other hand, Cespedes is looking for a six-year deal worth over $100 million which is way too expensive for most teams in the MLB to afford.

Stay tuned as we follow the signings of these two sluggers through the off-season.

Yankees Acquire Aroldis Chapman From Reds

The MLB off-season can not be complete without the New York Yankees making a splash for some big time player. On Monday, The New York Yankees welcomed fire throwing left-hander Aroldis Chapman to their bullpen to serve as their closing pitcher. The Yankees acquired him in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for four minor league prospects. The Reds received two right-handers: Caleb Cotham and Rookie Davis, and two infielders: Eric Jagielo and Tony Renda.

"We felt this was an opportunity for us to add a big arm to our bullpen," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman who already has two other hard throwing arms in Dellin Betances and lefty Andrew Miller.

Chapman holds the record for the hardest fastball ever thrown in the major leagues at 105.1 MPH. Betances can hit 100 MPH and Miller can also reach up to 98-100 MPH.

If there is one thing to expect from the 2016 New York Yankees, is that their bullpen will be stellar and is arguably the best bullpen in the major leagues.