MLB History

As spring training gets underway, wide-eyed rookies share time with wily veterans, battling for a spot on the big club. 

If the young men do earn a place on the team, they have to fight for a starting position and even then, only the best get nationwide recognition. In the end, only two win the Rookie of the Year award.

In gearing up for another season, let’s look back at the 15 greatest rookie campaigns in the history of the award.

Videographer and film maker Tom Molito's most successful production was The 500 Home Run Club, hosted by Bob Costas and Mickey Mantle. Mr. Molito and Mickey Mantle became good friends and remained good friends until Mantle passed away. Tom was at Yankee Stadium the day Mickey hit one of his most dramatic home runs.

One summer evening, many years after he had retired, Mickey recalled that day.

With the news on Friday that graceful center fielder Jim Edmonds is retiring from the game of baseball after a stellar 17-year career, the talk of whether or not Edmonds is worthy of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame can begin.

While Edmonds was absolutely a human highlight reel during the height of his playing days, injuries severely curtailed his career in the latter years. He ended up  sitting out the 2009 season altogether due to nagging leg injuries.

The 2011 Major League Baseball season has not as of yet seen pitch one, but already there is speculation the fantastic Philadelphia five (Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton) can accomplish things that align them with the greatest starting staffs of all time, if not plant them firmly atop the list.

Detroit Tigers superstar Miguel Cabrera was arrested late Wednesday on suspicion of DUI and other details involving a rough handcuffing.

He has had a tough time in the majors, as he was brought up as a very young immature boy, and has now seemingly spiraled out of control. All one can do is hope for the best for this dynamic talent, but the events of the last few years scream out for serious help.

Cabrera is not the first or the last player who has been an issue for their respective teams, and every franchise has their "uncontrollable" historical headache.

America's pastime has seen a number of great ballplayers and incredible games. The game has been full of extraordinary events, but it's also had its odd moments. Players have been quoted as saying some crazy things throughout the course of MLB history. 

With that said, here's a list of the 25 strangest quotes in league history. 

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In baseball, there are players who have a season where they appear to hit everything that comes at them, or if they are a pitcher, they keep the bats quiet all night.

Sometimes, these are players who have career years, because they are never heard or seen from again after their sensational season.

For them, it is too difficult to repeat the same success.

On the contrary, there are players who completely dominate and thrive in the league for years.

They make everything appear so easy and natural.

Great players do not always mean a winning team. The 1962 New York Mets and the 1928 Philadelphia Athletics are prime examples.

The 1962 Mets, one of sports' most beloved teams, lost a record 120 games. Mets' management decided to select mostly "name" players in the expansion draft, which resulted in the team obtaining many great players whose skills had eroded.

Pitchers and Catchers Report.

For many, those four special words signal the beginning of the end of the long winter months and the unofficial start of the new sports calendar. 

In the recent weeks, I have been compelled to think about the current commissioner, Bud Selig, and his impact on the game of baseball.

Clayton Kershaw is not only quickly becoming the face of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, but he's also arguably on the fast track to being one of the premiere starters in all of baseball.

Among the larger criticisms of the Dodgers pitching staff is the lack of a true ace, however Kershaw's performance during his first full two years of service indicates that it's only a matter of time before he fills that void.