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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781633197190 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Triumph Books |
| Publication date: | 08/01/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 48 |
| File size: | 34 MB |
| Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
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Read an Excerpt
Baseball Stars
By Triumph Books LLC
Triumph Books LLC
Copyright © 2016 Triumph Books LLCAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63319-719-0
CHAPTER 1
Mike Trout
Hometown: Vineland, New Jersey
Team: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Full name: Michael Nelson Trout
Ht: 6920 • Wt: 235
DOB: August 7, 1991
Position: Center field
2016 Salary: $16,083,000
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
* * *
Fast stat: 100 — At 23 years and 253 days old, Mike became the youngest player to reach 100 HRs and 100 SBs, beating Alex Rodriguez by 56 days.
Twitter: @MikeTrout
Did you know? Mike's dad was drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Twins in 1983.
As a kid: Mike was an athletic kid and idolized well-rounded players. His favorite player was Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter.
Interesting tidbit: Mike models his game and professional habits after George Brett, a player he thought always did things the "right way."
Fun fact: Mike is the first player in MLB history to have 30 HRs, 49 SBs, and 129 runs in one season (2012).
Fun fact: From 2012 to 2015, Mike finished every year as the runner-up in AL MVP voting — except 2014, the year he won it.
Favorite music: Mike enjoys listening to country music but likes to have fun with his walk-up music, picking songs like Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA."
Regarded as one of the top two or three position players in the majors since his rookie year of 2012, Mike Trout has few offensive peers in baseball. In four-plus seasons of major league ball, he's already amassed 151 home runs and 437 RBIs with a .305 lifetime batting average. As if that weren't enough, he's a sterling defensive center fielder and a prodigious base-stealer. He had the best WAR (wins-above-replacement) of any position player in either league in 2012, 2013, and 2014, finishing second to the Nationals' Bryce Harper in 2015, and has won a slew of awards in his short career, capped by the AL Most Valuable Player award in 2014.
Chosen by the Angels with the 25 pick in the first round of the 2009 draft, Trout quickly lived up to his promise, earning Minor League Player of the Year honors in 2010. Called up to the big leagues from the Double A team in July 2011, Trout appeared in 40 games but started 2012 down in Triple A. That didn't last long, however. Brought up at the end of April to replace a struggling Bobby Abreu, Trout clicked immediately and has never looked back.
He began making impressive catches in the outfield and making noise with his bat, regularly recording three- and four-hit games. When he scored a run in 14 straight games in July and was named AL Player of the Month, it was clear that Trout was playing some of the best baseball in the majors. He finished his first full season with 30 home runs and 49 stolen bases, the first rookie ever to reach the 30/40 plateau of at least 30 homers and 40 steals. He not only was the unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year, he finished second in the MVP voting to the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera.
Known for his hard work and infectious enthusiasm, Trout has become a fan favorite in Southern California and has earned comparisons to Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle. Whether hitting his own prodigious slams or robbing opposing players of home runs, Trout is one of the best and most exciting players to watch — and at 25, he's just getting started.
CHAPTER 2Jake Arrieta
Hometown: Plano, Texas
Team: Chicago Cubs
Full name: Jacob Joseph Arrieta
Ht: 6940 • Wt: 225
DOB: March 4, 1986
Position: Pitcher
2016 Salary: $10,700,00
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
* * *
Fast stat: 20 — Jake's consecutive-win streak from August 4, 2015, to May 25, 2016, third-best in MLB history since 1913.
Twitter: @JArrieta34
Did you know? Jake pitched for the U.S. national team and started against China in the 2008 Summer Olympics, where he struck out seven over six innings in Team USA's 9–1 victory.
As a kid: Growing up in Texas and idolizing Nolan Ryan, Jake followed the Rangers, but also liked the Seattle Mariners, who had Randy Johnson and other great players in the 1990s.
Favorite foods: Jake's workout regimen extends to his diet — where he incorporates kale juice, fruit, nuts, lean chicken, and seafood to maintain his health and fitness.
Fun fact: The toughest hitter he's faced is Miguel Cabrera. "It doesn't matter what the scouting report says," Jake said, "he can hit it."
Favorite music: Eclectic, depending on his mood and circumstances — soothing, tropical music for the beach, classic rock and alternative before a start.
After three-and-a-half seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, Jake Arrieta was a sub-.500 pitcher with a lifetime ERA of 5.46. Deciding to cut their losses, the Orioles traded Arrieta and reliever Pedro Strop to the Chicago Cubs for a journeyman starting pitcher and a reserve infielder midway through the 2013 season. Arrieta, a starter who'd always had great stuff but couldn't quite figure it out at the big-league level would soon figure it out — with a vengeance.
Finishing 2013 strong with a 4–2 record in nine starts and a 3.66 ERA, Arrieta would become one of the bright spots on a struggling young Cubs team the following season. In 2014 he went 10–5 and posted a career-best 2.53 ERA for a squad that won only 73 games. But it was all prologue to an extraordinary 2015 season that would see Arrieta win the Cy Young Award and rewrite the record book while leading the Cubs to 97 victories and a wild-card berth.
After the 2015 All-Star break, Arrieta went 12–1 in 15 starts (his only loss came when the Phillies' Cole Hamels no-hit the Cubs) with a 0.75 ERA, to bring his season totals to 22–6 and 1.77. He was the NL Pitcher of the Month for both August (6–0) and September (4–0), and on August 30, he pitched his first no-hitter, a 2–0 win against the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on national TV. Then in October he pitched a five-hit, complete-game shutout against the Pirates in the wild-card playoff game to send the Cubs to the NLDS.
Arrieta, who throws five pitches, including a nasty 95 mph fastball and wicked slider, is known as a workout freak and can be seen doing pushups in the outfield before a start. He's begun 2016 picking up where he left off in 2015, going 9–0 with a 1.56 ERA to help the Cubs to the best record in baseball through May. To top if off, on April 21, 2016, Arrieta pitched the second no-hitter of his career — and second in 11 regular-season starts — a 16–0 win over the Reds in Cincinnati. Having found his inner Sandy Koufax, the only question now is, how long can he keep this up?
CHAPTER 3Josh Donaldson
Hometown: Pensacola, Florida
Team: Toronto Blue Jays
Full name: Joshua Adam Donaldson
Ht: 6910 • Wt: 210
DOB: December 8, 1985
Position: Third base
2016 Salary: $11,650,000
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
* * *
Fast stat: 84 — League-leading number of extra-base hits Josh bagged in his MVP year of 2015.
Twitter: @BringerOfRain20
Did you know? Josh made a cameo appearance on the History Channel dramatic series Vikings on February 18, 2016, playing a Viking warrior named Hoskuld. With his beard and mohawk, he fit right in on set.
As a kid: Josh told his teachers, "Hey, save my signature, because it's gonna be worth something someday." At the time, he was only kidding.
Interesting tidbit: When Josh was 18 months old, he appeared on a local TV station in Florida showing off his "picture perfect" golf swing. He remains an avid golfer to this day.
Fun fact: Josh led the major leagues in voting for the 2015 All-Star Game, shattering the previous record and receiving more than 14 million votes for his second start at third base.
Fun fact: Josh's first hit in the major leagues was a two-run home run for the A's vs. the Blue jays in 2010.
Favorite music: Hip-hop and reggae.
The reigning American League MVP, Josh Donaldson has quickly become one of the best third basemen in the majors and one of the league's most popular players overall.
Born and raised in Florida by his mother, Lisa French, after his father was sent to prison when he was only five, Josh was a natural athlete, excelling at baseball from the first time his Uncle Chuck tossed him a ball and saw it sail back past his head. Josh's childhood revolved around sports, and his mother supported him as long as he earned A's and B's in school.
When Donaldson was forced to endure taunts from jealous teammates at his high school in Pace, Florida, however, his mother transferred him to Faith Academy in Mobile, Alabama, where he thrived, becoming the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year his senior season in 2005. He then attended Auburn University, where he shined as a third baseman and first learned to play catcher.
Drafted out of college in 2007 by the Chicago Cubs, he spent two seasons in the Cubs' system before being traded to Oakland, where he worked his way up to a shot at the majors in 2010. It was short-lived, however, as he went 5-for-34 in his first call-up to the big leagues. After spending 2011 in Triple A and converting back to third base, Donaldson started 2012 in Oakland. He shuttled back and forth between the majors and Triple A that season but finished in Oakland, helping the A's to a division title. By 2013 he was the A's regular third baseman and, in his first full season, hit .301 with 24 homers and 93 RBIs, finishing fourth in MVP voting. Though his average dipped to .255 in 2014, his home runs and RBIs went up.
Traded to Toronto after the season, he had his best year in 2015, leading the league in RBIs (123), runs (122), and total bases (352), while hitting .297 with a career-high 41 homers. He helped lead the Blue Jays to the playoffs, where they won the ALDS before falling in six games in the ALCS to the eventual world champion Kansas City Royals.
CHAPTER 4Bryce Harper
Hometown:L as Vegas, Nevada
Team: Washington Nationals
Full name: Bryce Aron Max Harper
Ht: 6930 • Wt: 215
DOB: October 16, 1992
Position: Right field
2016 Salary: $5,000,000
Bats/Throws: Left/Right
* * *
Fast stat: 17 — Bryce finished high school after his sophomore year and began to play college baseball at the age of 17.
Twitter: @Bharper3407
Did you know? Bryce wears the number 34 in honor of Mickey Mantle. The numbers add up to Mantle's jersey number, 7.
As a kid: Bryce's entire life revolved around baseball when he was a kid. He could swing a bat almost from the time he could walk.
Interesting tidbit: Bryce's brother, Bryan, was drafted by the Nats in 2011.
Fun fact: The year Bryce made his major league debut, he became the youngest person to appear in the majors since 2005.
Fun fact: On May 8, 2016, Bryce reached base seven times without an at-bat against the Chicago Cubs (six walks and one hit-by-pitch), the first time a player had done that in 100 years. For the four-game series, he was walked 13 times, a record.
Favorite music: Bryce enjoys current rap music and also likes classic rock.
Bryce Harper became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 amateur draft at the age of 17. He debuted in 2012 at the age of 19, and by 2015, at the ripe old age of 22, he collected the first of what promises to be a slew of MVP awards.
Growing up in Las Vegas, Harper's talent as a hitter was obvious to everyone from early on. With prodigious talent beyond his years, he left high school after his sophomore year, earning his GED so he could move on to college and better prepare himself for professional baseball. He played for a community college team and started at the age of 17, impressing against much older players. Already a big-name prospect, his 31 homers in 66 games made him the most highly touted amateur player in years. It was a no-brainer when the Washington Nationals selected him first overall, putting Harper into a system that also included pitching phenom Stephen Strasburg. Though Harper was initially a catcher, he was moved to the outfield in an effort to speed up his development.
Starting the 2012 season in Triple A, Harper was soon called up to the Nationals' big-league club and excelled from the start, hitting a double and collecting an RBI in his first game. He was named Rookie of the Month for May, hitting his first home run and once famously stealing home. Named to his first All-Star Game as a replacement for Giancarlo Stanton, Harper was named Rookie of the Year while helping the Nats to a division title.
Though injuries limited him to just over 100 games in both 2013 and 2014, he was voted to the All-Star Game in 2013 and continued to put up big numbers. But 2015 would be his breakout year. With a slash line of .330/.460/.649, Harper finished the season a close second for the batting title while leading the NL in on-base percentage and slugging. He also led the league in homers (42) and runs scored (118), making his 2015 season one of the most dominant offensive performances in recent memory.
CHAPTER 5David Price
Hometown: Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Team: Boston Red Sox
Full name: David Taylor Price
Ht: 6950 • Wt: 215
DOB: August 26, 1985
Position: Pitcher
Salary: $30,000,000
Bats/Throws: Left/Left
* * *
Fast stat: $5.6 million — When Price was drafted first overall in 2007, he was given what was — at the time — the second largest rookie signing bonus in baseball history.
Twitter: @DAVIDprice24
Did you know? The first hit that Price gave up in the majors was a home run to Derek Jeter.
As a kid: David once nearly quit baseball to go and work at a fast food restaurant.
Favorite foods/fun tidbit: David loves to eat bacon, and his French bulldog, Astro, is also a fan.
Fun fact: David is well-known for his fast pace on the mound, generally taking only five to seven seconds to pitch after he gets the ball from the catcher.
Fun fact: Price led the American League in starts (34), innings pitched (248/3), and strikeouts (271) in 2014.
Favorite music: David enjoys rap and electronic music.
When the Boston Red Sox signed David Price to a seven-year, $217 million deal in December 2015 — cementing their rotation with the No. 1 starter they sorely lacked — the team made Price the highest-paid pitcher in the history of the game. Price, who had just come off a season split between the Tigers and Blue Jays in which he went 18–5 with a league-leading 2.45 ERA, has a lifetime record of 110–57 with a 3.18 ERA. Just 30, the five-time All-Star has already logged eight-plus years of major league service, all of it at an elite level.
The first overall draft pick by Tampa Bay in 2007, Price got the call to the big leagues in September 2008. The surprising Rays worked their way into the playoffs that year and slotted their young hurler in the bullpen. He came through with a memorable save in Game 7 of the ALCS, helping to knock out the defending champion Red Sox and send the Rays to the World Series for the first time. Though the Rays fell short of winning it all, Price picked up another save in Game 2 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
With so much early experience, Price made a smooth transition to full-time starter in 2009, making 23 starts in his first full season and going 10–7. In 2010 Price won 10 games before any other American League pitcher and was named the starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. He finished the year second in the league with 19 wins, a 2.72 ERA, and 188 strikeouts. Then in 2012 he put together his best season, leading the league in wins (20), win-loss percentage (.800), and ERA (2.56) to go with 205 Ks. At the end of the season, he was rewarded with the Cy Young Award.
Price continued to dominate from 2013 to 2015, as he moved from the Rays to the Tigers and then the Blue Jays. If there's any knock against him, it comes from his 0–7 record and 5.30 ERA as a starter in the postseason. Price remains confident, however, saying, "I was just saving all my postseason wins for the Red Sox." With the pitcher and team off to a hot start in 2016, the Red Sox are wagering he's right.
CHAPTER 6Paul Goldschmidt
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas
Team: Arizona Diamondbacks
Full name: Paul Edward Goldschmidt
Ht: 6930 • Wt: 225
DOB: September 10, 1987
Position: First base
2016 Salary: $5,875,000
Bats/Throws: Right/Right
* * *
Fast stat: 124 — Paul's home run total after nearly five full seasons puts him sixth on the Diamondbacks all-time leaderboard.
Did you know? A student-athlete at Texas State University, Paul became the first Bobcats' position player to play in the major leagues.
As a kid: Paul went unrecruited as a baseball player out of high school.
Interesting tidbit: Paul met his future wife, Amy, as a freshman at Texas State. They married in October 2010 and welcomed a son, Jake, into the family in September 2015.
Fun fact: Paul led the National League in intentional walks in both 2013 and 2015, with 19 and 29, respectively.
Fun fact: Despite his exceptional offense and defense, Paul is the fourth- highest-paid player on his team and the 23-highest-paid first baseman in the majors.
Favorite music: Country — he changed his walk-up music in 2014 to "It'z Just What We Do" by Florida Georgia Line to break out of a slump.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Baseball Stars by Triumph Books LLC. Copyright © 2016 Triumph Books LLC. Excerpted by permission of Triumph Books LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Mike Trout,Jake Arrieta,
Josh Donaldson,
Bryce Harper,
David Price,
Paul Goldschmidt,
Salvador Pérez,
Madison Bumgarner,
José Bautista,
Kris Bryant,
Chris Sale,
Andrew McCutchen,
Félix Hernández,
Giancarlo Stanton,
Manny Machado,
Clayton Kershaw,
David Ortiz,
Matt Harvey,
Miguel Cabrera,
Stephen Strasburg,
Mookie Betts,
Buster Posey,