Rankings/List

There is really no better way to spend a summer night than sitting at the ballpark. I have always loved sitting at anything from Little League baseball in my hometown of Barre, Vermont all the way up to my beloved Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

This article is kind of a testimony to that.

These are purely my opinions on the seven best places to watch a baseball game in the United States. Honestly, I am not sure if there is anywhere I wouldn’t like to watch a baseball game, but these are my top seven.

As we approach the midway point of the 2013 MLB season, a good deal has already been established as far as which players are in for big seasons and which teams look ready to contend for a postseason spot.

Selected by the Red Sox with the 39th overall pick in the 2011 draft, Anthony Ranaudo was expected to make a quick ascent to the major leagues. However, the 6’7” right-hander hit a roadblock during his sophomore campaign in 2011, as he battled a groin injury over the first few months of the season prior to being shut down for the season in July with shoulder fatigue.

What if the Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played only by those younger than 25 years old?

While "old fogeys" like Miguel Cabrera (30 years old), Robinson Cano (also 30), Joey Votto (29) and even Buster Posey (26) will get their due on the big stage at Citi Field in July, we thought it would be more fun to focus on identifying the most All-Star-worthy youngsters in the game this season.

Here's a look at the Under-25 All-Star Team for 2013.

Earlier today, I named seven players guaranteed to be traded by the July 31st deadline. Not surprisingly, all seven will be free agents after the season and play on teams that aren't in playoff contention now and aren't expected to be a month from now. 

For most of baseball history, the No. 1 spot in the lineup was reserved for the speediest, and therefore often the smallest, player on the team.

Vince Coleman, Maury Wills, Tim Raines, Lou Brock, Kenny Lofton and the immortal Rickey Henderson, each of whom checked in at less than six feet tall and less than 185 pounds, turned the position into a cliche that forced teams to overlook important statistics like on-base percentage and one's ability to hit with no one on base.

Today, the leadoff position is a different ballgame.

Due to the amount of attention paid to each organization's top prospects and early-round draft picks, many of the game's underrated prospects are perpetually obscured. Most of the time, these prospects are younger players who are housed in the low minors and still require considerable physical projection. At the same time, there are countless prospects on the older side of the age curve who have dipped off the radar due to injury.

Here's a look at one "hidden gem" from each organization who could make a push for the major leagues in the coming years.

Everybody's favorite son had another big week for the big league team, including his first ever MLB-level heave-ho.

The 2013 MLB season is nearing its midpoint, and quality pitching is becoming more important week to week.

While some veterans such as Bartolo Colon and Francisco Liriano are having bounce-back seasons, young guns such as Patrick Corbin and Mike Minor are stepping into the limelight.

Teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Arizona Diamondbacks and Oakland A's have surprised fans with their success this season. This is, in part, thanks to solid contributions from their pitching staffs.

Since the Barry Bonds era came to a close, the San Francisco Giants have been winning games because of top-notch starting pitching.

However, this season, it's been different. San Francisco's rotation has been horrendous, and the bullpen is falling apart. Surprisingly, the Giants are 35-31 and right in the thick of things in the NL West, but if they don't make improvements soon, they'll fall behind.