Here is a look back on some of the Top MLB Stories of 2010.

Andre Dawson Gets the Call

Andre Nolan Dawson, nicknamed “The Hawk”, played center field and right field. During his 21-year baseball career, he played for four different teams, spending most of his career with the Montreal Expos (1976–1986) and Chicago Cubs (1987–1992).  Boston Red Sox (1993 to 1994) and Florida Marlins (1995-1996). Andre Dawson was the classical five-tool player. He was a star in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming a star patrolling center field in Montreal before becoming an icon playing for the Cubs, where he won the MVP award in 1987 He was Rookie of the year in 1977 and was selected to the National League All-Star team 8 times. He is the sixth player to have 300 homers and 300 steals, joining names like Mays and Bonds. Dawson finally took his place in Cooperstown as part of the Class of 2010.

Year of the Pitcher

My December 31, 2010 blog detailed the outstanding pitching performances of 2010.

Jose Bautista; Power Hitter?

Jose Bautista was a utility infielder while playing for the Pittsburg Pirates. He was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008. Prior to 2010 the most home runs he hit in a year was 16 in 2006. In one season Jose Bautista has gone from journeyman utility man to Major League home run king. So how do you explain how he hit 54 home runs in 2010? It’s obvious that he must be on steroids (sarcasm).

Jr. Retires

Ken Griffey, Jr. was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on April 3, 1989, with the Seattle Mariners. He was the perfect ballplayer with power, base running skills, speed and defense skills. I love to watch left handed power hitter’s swing and Griffey’s was the

sweetest swing I ever saw. I think he should have retired after the 2008 season. Back with the Mariners in 2009 he hit .214 and in the 33 games he played in 2010 he hit .184. It’s hard not to think what would have happened if he hadn’t had all the injuries that broke him down. He finished with 630 home runs and certainly would have had a chance to retire as the home run king, if not for all the lost due to injuries. I will be shocked if he isn’t a first time inductee into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Surprising Padres

The San Diego Padres slashed their payroll and were projected to finish last in the National League West. Contenders were drooling over the prospect of trading for Adrian Gonzalez or one of the young arms they had on their staff. But that never happened because the Padres were in the thick of NL West competition all summer only to lose the division on the final day of the season

“The Most Hyped Pitching Debut the Game Has Ever Seen” - by Sports Illustrated

Many times in sports, the event doesn’t live up to the hype. And perhaps no debut in baseball history was more hyped than the June 8, 2010 debut of the Washington Nationals Stephen Strasburg. In his first appearance, Strasburg didn’t

disappoint anyone, except the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched seven innings, giving up two runs with no walks and 14 strikeouts in a dominant performance. He was the first pitcher in history to strike out at least eleven batters without issuing any walks in his pro debut. He fell just one strikeout short of the all-time record for a pitcher’s debut—Karl Spooner(1954) and J. R. Richard (1971) both struck out 15, but each took nine innings to do it, and each walked three. Spooner was considered by many in Major League Baseball to be the next superstar after his stellar rookie year of 1954. Although he only started two games on the mound for the Dodgers, Spooner, compiled two complete game shutouts, throwing all 18 innings, giving up 7 total hits and no runs. Spooner struck out 15 batters in his very first game, setting a Major League record. J. R. Richardwould tie the record in 1971. Karl Spooner was the 1954 version of Stephen Strasburg. Strasburg’s season ended prematurely too when he was shut down for Tommy John surgery that will keep him out until 2012.

Bobby Cox Retires

After 29 years of managing MLB teams and accumulating 2,504 wins, Bobby Cox retired at the end of the 2010 season. He was selected as Manager of the Year 4 times. He led the Atlanta Braves to the World Series championship in 1995 and holds the all-time record for ejections in Major League Baseball with 158 (plus an additional three post-season ejections), a record previously held by John McGraw. He was one of the best to ever manage in this game.

Impressive Rookies

2010 had an outstanding rookie class. Listed below are the top AL and NL rookies. Jason Heyward, OF / Atlanta Braves (BA .277, 18 HR) – homered in his first major league at-bat Austin Jackson, OF / Detroit Tigers (BA .293, 27 SB) Jaime Garcia, SP / St. Louis Cardinals (13-8, ERA 2.70) Mike Leake, SP / Cincinnati Reds (8-4, ERA 4.23) Starlin Castro, SS / Chicago Cubs (BA .300) Gaby Sanchez, 1B / Florida Marlins (BA .273, 19 HR) Aroldis Chapman, RP / Cincinnati Reds (ERA 2.03, 19 SO in 13.1 innings) Neftali Feliz,  RP / Texas Rangers (set a rookie record with 40 saves) – AL Rookie of the Year Buster Posey, C / San Francisco Giants (BA .305, 18 HR) – NL Rookie of the Year Collecting mlb trading cards of rookies can be a really good investment.

Target Field Opens

Finally, Minnesota has an open-air baseball stadium again. Target Field, the new world class home of the Twins. It took

a long time, but it was worth it.

Brooks Conrad’s Series to Forget

Brooks Conrad’s three error nightmare in Game 3 of the NL Division Series against the Giants has created fame of a different sort. The 30 year old Conrad spent nine seasons in the minor leagues before making the lineup this season in a utility role. The Braves were making their playoff return after a five-year absence. This was a great opportunity for Conrad to make his mark in the big leagues. However opportunity turned into disaster. Now, he is being compared to Bill Buckner.

A-Rod’s 600th Home Run

At 35 years, 8 days, Alex Rodriguez became the youngest player in history to join the 600 Club, and the seventh player in baseball history to reach the milestone. Of the seven players with 600 homers, Rodriguez’s 46 at-bats between No. 599 and No. 600 were the longest. His 600th homer ended a 12-game homerless slump and came exactly three years to the day after his 500th homer.

Jon Miller/Joe Morgan Fired

All I can say is thank you!

Felix Hernandez Wins Cy Young

Felix Hernandez (King Felix) proved that Cy Young winners don’t need to have 20 wins. Hernandez compiled a win-loss record of 13-12, with an ERA of 2.27 (MLB Avg. 4.37) and a WHIP* of 1.06 pitching for possibly the worst 2010 team in baseball. The Seattle Mariners lost 101 games and were ranked 30^th in runs, batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. (*) Walks and Hits per Inning (WHIP) = Walks + Hits divided by Innings Pitched. For example if a pitcher gives up 6 hits and walks 2 batters in 7 innings, his WHIP would be: [2 (walks allowed) + 6 (hits allowed)]/7 (innings pitched)= 1.14. The MLB Average is 1.41.

A.J. Burnett’s Nightmare Season

A.J. Burnett produced one of the worst seasons ever for a Yankee starter, symbolically capped off by his performance in Game 4 of the ALCS. Unfortunately, he still has 3 years left on a 5 year $82.5 million contract. Proving again that you can’t necessarily buy a championship. So for $16.5 million, the Yankees got a 10-15 record with an ERA of 5.26 and his WHIP was 1.51.

Trevor Hoffman’s 600th Save

Trevor Hoffman is one of the best closers in MLB History and the first to reach 600 saves.

All-Star Game

The NL wins their first All-Star Game since 1996.

Daniel Nava’s Grand Slam

Daniel Nava, the Red Sox rookie hit a Grand Slam in his first Major League at-bat.

Carlos Zambrano Explodes

Carlos Zambrano was sent home after getting into an altercation with Derrek Lee in the dugout. Trade rumors might suggest Cubs have finally had enough. If I was a GM I wouldn’t want this “nut case” on my team.

The Rich get Richer

The Philadelphia Phillies who already had a formidable rotation with Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels and Roy Oswalt (known as H2O) stocked Major League Baseball by signing Cliff Lee. This has to be one of the greatest four man rotations in baseball history. However, H2O still wasn’t enough to get the Phillies to the 2010 World Series.

Joe Torre Resigns

Joe Torre was a great ball player and manager. The Yankees never should have let him go. While managing the Yankees, Torre compiled a win-loss record of 1173-767 while winning 6 Pennants and 4 World Series Titles.

Jim Thome’s Resurgence

Jim Thome was brought to Minnesota as a bench presence and an extra bat to spell the regulars. By the end of the season, he was a starter and a star in the Twins’ lineup. His numbers speak for themselves. In 108 games and 276 at-bats he batted .283 and hit 25 home runs. If you project the HR numbers to 500 at bats he would have hit around 45 HRs. With 589 home runs he is only 11 away from becoming the 8^th member of the 600 club. His swing is right up there with Jr.’s.

Expanding the Playoffs

In Major League Baseball, the wild-card playoff spot is given to the team in each league with the best record among the non-division winners. This was implemented after the league expanded to 28 teams and realigned its two leagues to have three divisions. Since a three team playoff would be uneven, the wild card was created to field a fourth team. The wild card has been in effect since 1995, although it was first intended to be used in 1994, when the playoffs were canceled due to the players’ strike. At first it had its critics, but over time it caught on and now it’s no longer a pipe dream that a Wild Card can win the World Series. So now, Commissioner Bud Selig wants to expand the playoffs once again to include another Wild Card. It’s obviously a cash grab, as more playoff games means more TV revenue and more attendance. At this time no decision has been made. However, this seems to be more and more like it will become a reality.

The Natural

One of the best sports movies ever made was The Natural starring Robert Redford. If you haven’t seen it, you need to rent or buy it. Potential has always been associated with Josh Hamilton‘s name. He was the first overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was considered a blue chip prospect until injuries and a drug addiction derailed his career in 2001. Prior to the 2007 season, Hamilton was selected by the Chicago Cubs (picking for the Cincinnati Reds) in the Rule 5 Draft. He made his MLB debut in 2007 with the Reds and had a successful rookie season. During the off-season he was traded to the Texas Rangers for Edinson Volquez and Daniel Ray Herrera. In the few years he’s been in the league, he’s shown he is one of the best hitters in the game, hitting for average and power. But 2010 might be remembered as the year when Hamilton finally reached his full potential. Hamilton won the AL batting championship and was selected as MVP of the 2010 American League Championship Series. Then in November, Hamilton was named the 2010 AL MVP, earning 22 of 28 first-place votes.