This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Hot Stove: 11/11/11

Big news for this email. Wilson Ramos has been kidnapped and who is this Yoenis Cespedes?

Record of the Day

Most caught-stealings in a season: Rickey Henderson (A's), 42 (1982). Rickey Henderson's 1982 campaign is best remembered as the year in which he stole a whopping 130 bases to set the modern era (post 1900) record. With those 130 stolen bases also came a record that nobody really wants to hold: most caught-stealings. Rickey stole almost every time he got on base, but he was thrown out/picked off more often than he got extra base hits (42-38). Still, if you steal 130 bases, you have to be caught sometimes. 

Free Agent Signings

Find out what's happening in Oaktonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Pirates signed Rod Barajas (16 HR, 47 RBI, .230 AVG, 0 SB, 2012 age: 36) to a one year, $4 million contract. 

Diamondbacks resigned Willie Bloomquist (4 HR, 26 RBI, .266 AVG, 20 SB, 2012 age: 34) to a two year, $3.8 contract (1.9 mil per season).

Find out what's happening in Oaktonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Rod Barajas checks "catcher" off the Pirates' to-do list. Though he is not known as a premier catcher like Joe Mauer or Buster Posey, Barajas supplies power to a young, light-hitting Pirates team. He can provide guidance for young players and will serve as an interim between seven year catcher Ryan Doumit and catcher of the future Tony Sanchez. Over his career, Barajas has mainly served as a back-up or platoon catcher, never playing above 125 games in a season over his 13-year career. His first significant action came in 2004 with the Rangers, when he played 108 games and hit 15 home runs with a .249 AVG. The next season, 2005, was the best of his career. Barajas hit 21 home runs and batted .254 in 120 games. He hit 11 home runs and batted .256 in 97 games in 2006, then played only 48 games in 2007.  He saw much of what he saw in 2006 in 2008, then had another big year in 2009.  He hit 19 home runs but only batted .226 in a career-high 125 games.  He hit 17 home runs in 2010, then hit 16 last season. Over his 13-year career dating back to 1999, Barajas has hit 125 home runs and batted .238 through 1010 games.  He is the highest paid player on the Pirates. 

Other News

Wilson Ramos (Nationals) was kidnapped in his native Venezuela on Wednesday night. There has been no word from the kidnappers, though it is expected that this was a ransom-based kidnapping. Reportedly, four armed men entered the Ramos home and took Ramos, speeding off in a green car. The car was found in a nearby town, but empty.

Add Yoenis Cespedes to your list of free agents. The 26-year-old Cuban outfielder is expected to defect, and has been called the greatest Cuban to defect of the generation, Aroldis Chapman included. Cespedes hit 33 home runs last year in just 90 games, setting a Cuban professional baseball record. He also batted .333 and has lightning fast speed. Many teams, including the Yankees, Nationals, Rangers, Marlins, and Phillies have shown interest. 

-- 
Teams followed in this email: Boston Red Sox, Washington Nationals, New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves

If your team is not included or you would like to be included on the original email that I send out every morning, please leave a comment and I will take care of it.

HR: home runs.  RBI: runs batted in.  AVG: batting average.  SB: stolen bases.  ERA: earned run average.  BAA: batting average against.  K's: strikeouts. WPCT: winning percentage

Zack Silverman

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Oakton