With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2013, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty four men on the ballot for the first time this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2013 menu at the top of the page.

In this article, we take a look at Woody Williams

Woody Williams
After 15 years and four uniforms in the major leagues, Woody Williams retired from baseball in 2007.  His lone All Star selection came in 2003 as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Why He Should Get In
Woody Williams was a fairly unremarkable player over the course of his career who would flash moments of brilliance.

Why He Should Not Get In
He simply does not have the overall numbers to warrant inclusion in the Hall Of Fame.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

This will be my first summer in nearly a decade that I’ll live within a short distance of Kauffman Stadium. Now instead of trying to schedule trips to KC for Royals games, I look forward to deciding mid-afternoon to take in a game, jumping in the car, and being there in no time.

When living close to the K, one of my favorite things is to check pitching matchups and say “Hey, so-and-so is pitching tonight. We should go to the game.” And actually do it.

Of course another benefit to being close is the occasional chance that someone will offer you a last-minute free ticket. (Take note all you season ticket holders: this doesn’t happen nearly as often as I would like.)

And another benefit of living close is the chance to attend the many promotional events the team hosts. T-Shirt Tuesdays, food and drink specials, giveaways… I’m so glad I can be close for such opportunities.

Futures Game: One of the highlights of last season was the minor league exhibition that was played in Kauffman before the minor league season began. I know that event was held entirely to capitalize on the enthusiasm surrounding the #1 ranking accorded the Royals’ farm system. With so much of that talent now in KC permanently, little such enthusiasm exists. But I still think a pre-season event makes sense. There is a “Futures Game” scheduled for September 14. But what that event will amount to remains to be seen.

Negro League Salute: Thank goodness the Salute to the Negro Leagues will be back this season. I never knew the true reason the event wasn’t held last year, but I guess the Royals realized it is a worthy event because it is back. Seeing the current ballplayers in the throwback uniforms is reason enough to attend. But the Negro Leagues need to be remembered, and Kansas City of all cities should be in the lead of this effort.

All-Star 5K: It appears the Royals 5K charity run will actually be turned into an All-Star Game event this year. On July 8, the run will have an “All-Star” theme and participants will get a medal and T-shirt.

A check of the Royals website gives additional information about some of the events, but not all. I wish some of the events were better explained.

Happy B-Day Slug: Kids might enjoy Sluggerrs Birthday Bash on April 14. But without further explanation, it doesn’t do much for me.

Honoring #42: The Royals offer a Jackie Robinson T-shirt on April 15 – Jackie Robinson day. Robinson is celebrated league-wide, and for good reason. But what the celebration entails isn’t explained. Will the Royals recognize Robinson’s ties to KC? The Dodger great, of course, started his professional career with the KC Monarchs, and also played for a short time with a barnstorming team called, of all things, the Kansas City Royals!

Clothing Giveaways: Judging by the pictures online, one of the best looking items to be given away is the Retro Batting Practice Jersey, available April 21.

I’m not much of a connoisseur of 1960s headwear, so I can’t recommend the giveaway that is part of the Salute to the Kansas City A’s on June 2. But a fan of the history of Kansas City will find that event interesting. The history of that ball club is pretty intriguing.

Celebs?: Another event that needs further explanation is the Celebrity Classic Game. I’m not aware of what such events KC has hosted in the past, but this one better be promoted well when the time comes, or I’ll save my money.

Faith on the Field: Being a parent myself, I always circle the Faith and Family event on my calendar, but then, for one reason or another, we never attend. For those with an interest in religious values, it might be worth attending. Unfortunately I haven’t been there to say if it’s good or not.

Frenchy and Fun Runs: A couple of the regular events are worthy of mention.

Every Thursday this season will be something called Frenchy Quarter Thursday. $21 will get you a t-shirt and Mardi Gras beads and a seat behind Jeff Francoeur in right field.  Judging by the festive atmosphere in the right field box, this will probably be best suited for adults.

If you’ve never done it, you need to try at least one Sunday Fun Run sponsored by Sprint. It’s not just for kids. It’s a chance to set foot on the field. Take a few moments to look up into the stands and try to take it all in from a player’s perspective. It’s pretty impressive.

The product on the field in Kauffman is finally worth the price of admission. But a good promotional event can make going to the ballpark all the more exciting. I hope to take in many games this year, claim some good giveaway items, and enjoy more than ever that we have a team in Kansas City.

With the Hall Of Fame election announcement coming on January 9, 2012, it is time to review the ballot, go over the names, and decide who belongs in the Hall Of Fame.

There are twenty seven men on the ballot this year and we will take a look at each one individually prior to official announcements. You can find all of the profiles in the I-70 Baseball Exclusives: Cooperstown Choices 2012 menu at the top of the page.

Tune in Saturday, January 7, 2012 as I-70 Baseball Radio will host a panel of writers discussing the Hall Of Fame Ballot in a 2-hour special.

In this article, we take a look at Eric Young

Eric Young
Young’s fifteen year career found him in seven different uniforms. He debuted in 1992 as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and retired as a member of the Texas Rangers in 2006. This is his first year on the ballot.

Why He Should Get In
Young had an All Star Appearance and a Silver Slugger award in the same year in 1996. He also led the league in stolen bases that year. His career 465 stolen bases are respectable.

Why He Should Not Get In
Beyond the steals, his numbers are mediocre. He was never known for his glove, did not rack up a high number of hits or doubles and spent a solid but unremarkable fifteen years in the league.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

The St. Louis Cardinals headed into last night’s game at Camden Yards in Baltimore with a 42-38 record, even after losing 12 out of the past 17 games they have played. As bad as it has been, it could be much worse.

The Cardinals have been benefiting greatly from two players, one a pitcher and one a batter, who have turned in extraordinary and unexpected seasons. Without these two players, the Cards would be in a tough spot, one that would probably see them in the bottom of the division.

Still do not know which two players I am discussing? Their names — Kyle Lohse and Lance Berkman. Both have salvaged what were once seen as careers on the decline and have been critical members of keeping the Cards’ season afloat.

Lohse, currently the teams’ best starter, arrived in St. Louis during the 2008 season. He was seen as damaged goods, a pitcher without overpowering stuff, yet one that tried to blow everything by hitters.

However, the Cardinals have also earned a name of a team that salvages pitchers careers. Pitching coach Dave Duncan has been seen as someone with magical powers for the way he has turned careers around.

His message is nothing these pitchers have not heard before, pound the zone and rely on your defense, but for some reason it only clicks wearing the red and white uniforms. Lohse instantly seemed like a new man during his debut season.

The former Minnesota Twin recorded 15 wins and has an ERA of 3.78, easily surpassing his previous career-low by half a run. The difference for Lohse was not just throwing strikes, but also his change from throwing his four-seam fastball to throwing a two-seam, sinking fastball.

It allowed Lohse to record outs without being throwing too many pitches, thereby keeping him in the game towards the later innings. Unfortunately for Lohse, the success was short-lived.

The next two seasons witnessed Lohse recording a total of 10 wins, five short of what he had in his debut season. Because of his past performance, many did not know what to expect out of the expected No. 4 starter.

No one could have expected a season such as this.

Lohse has dug up his old glory and currently has an 8-4 record while pitching to a 2.84 ERA, easily the lowest of his career. With Chris Carpenter not pitching like his ace-like self, it has been Lohse who has filled in the gap, supplying the Cards with innings and wins, something that has helped them stay afloat.

Injuries have also played a role on the Cardinals’ offense, especially with the loss of perennial MVP candidate in Albert Pujols. Losing a player of Pujols’ caliber, a middle of the order bat, someone who changes games was a huge blow, but the 35-year-old Berkman has picked up the slack.

Berkman spent his whole career as a member of another N.L. Central team, the Houston Astros, but was acquired midseason last year by the New York Yankees. He was expected to add some veteran know-how and an extra power bat off the bench.

However, he did not do much in pinstripes. He continued his struggles at the plate, recording a career-low average of .248 and only blasting 14 home runs. It was the second consecutive season in which a decline was spotted, therefore making many in the industry believe he was done.

The Big Puma had other ideas. The Cardinals offered him a contract and he signed on and set his sights on proving everyone wrong — he has done just that since.

Berkman has filled the middle-of-the-order void during Pujols’ slow start to the season and now during his absence by blasting 18 home runs, already four more than all of last season, and hitting .295, only one point shy of his career average.

He has also proved those wrong that he could not stay healthy if he had to play the field everyday. Berkman hasn’t played Gold-Glove caliber defense in the outfield, but he has made the routine plays, more than making up for miscues with the offense.

Where would the Cardinals be without these two players as a member of the 25 man roster? Well, the Cardinals and their fans don’t have to worry about that.

For now they can sit back and relax, knowing that both Berkman and Lohse are leaving everything on the field, playing beyond expectations, and putting wins on the left side of the record column.

Ryan Lazo is a Contributing Writer to I-70 Baseball. He also covers the A.L. East for BaseballDigest.com. He can reached at RMLazo13@gmail.com, followed on Twitter @RMLazo13 and read his Blog Artificially Enhanced.