MLB: The Highest (and Lowest) Paid Pitching Staffs in Baseball

	TEAM	2015 PITCHING PAYROLL	2014 RANK	2014 PITCHING PAYROLL	2015 CHANGE
1. (UP 3)	Detroit Tigers	$81,057,041	4	$64,276,161	$16,780,880
2. (DN 1)	Los Angeles Dodgers	$79,612,464	1	$79,579,761	$32,703
3.	San Francisco Giants	$77,279,944	3	$67,058,638	$10,221,306
4. (UP 8)	New York Yankees	$70,106,890	12	$40,551,316	$29,555,574
5.	Washington Nationals	$67,531,997	5	$58,176,100	$9,355,897
6. (UP 13)	Boston Red Sox	$54,541,721	19	$28,389,617	$26,152,104
7. (UP 11)	Chicago White Sox	$53,338,873	18	$30,973,949	$22,364,924
8. (UP 16)	Chicago Cubs	$52,539,953	24	$22,903,083	$29,636,870
9. (UP 12)	San Diego Padres	$52,376,209	21	$27,080,600	$25,295,609
10. (UP 5)	Baltimore Orioles	$49,815,661	15	$34,675,408	$15,140,253
11. (DN 2)	Seattle Mariners	$49,162,924	9	$48,368,242	$794,682
12. (DN 2)	Kansas City Royals	$47,366,229	10	$46,203,000	$1,163,229
13. (UP 10)	Pittsburgh Pirates	$43,796,488	23	$23,203,500	$20,592,988
14. (DN 12)	Philadelphia Phillies	$43,728,154	2	$72,720,166	($28,992,012)
15. (DN 2)	Milwaukee Brewers	$42,517,807	13	$39,366,889	$3,150,918
16. (DN 9)	Los Angeles Angels	$42,422,938	7	$53,353,464	($10,930,526)
17. (DN 11)	Toronto Blue Jays	$41,873,936	6	$55,601,200	($13,727,264)
18. (UP 8)	Houston Astros	$36,740,607	26	$21,300,300	$15,440,307
19. (DN 3)	Minnesota Twins	$36,336,228	16	$33,953,426	$2,382,802
20. (UP 5)	Texas Rangers	$36,277,020	25	$21,739,030	$14,537,990
21. (DN 10)	Cincinnati Reds	$31,853,876	11	$41,230,772	($9,376,896)
22. (DN 2)	Colorado Rockies	$31,217,394	20	$27,643,500	$3,573,894
23. (DN 1)	New York Mets	$27,394,361	22	$23,803,975	$3,590,386
24. (UP 6)	Miami Marlins	$27,049,562	30	$10,440,102	$16,609,460
25. (DN 11)	Oakland Athletics	$24,557,280	14	$35,896,606	($11,339,326)
26. (DN 18)	St. Louis Cardinals	$18,911,933	8	$50,418,166	($31,506,233)
27.	Arizona Diamondbacks	$18,859,668	27	$20,961,500	($2,101,832)
28.	Tampa Bay Rays	$14,853,802	28	$19,186,866	($4,333,064)
29.	Cleveland Indians	$12,352,696	29	$10,479,600	$1,873,096
30. (DN 13)	Atlanta Braves	$6,120,980	17	$33,352,683	($27,231,703)

MLB: The 10 Biggest Wins in NLCS History (Run Differential)

In The 1996 NLCS, The Atlanta Braves Handed Two Blowouts To The St. Louis Cardinals

Yesterday, we checked out the most lopsided wins in ALCS history. Thirteen teams won their games by nine runs or more.

The NLCS sports similar stats.

But two NL games in particular are off the charts – and they both happened in the same (fated) season – 1996.

The 1995 reigning champion Atlanta Braves won Game 1 of the 1996 NLCS, then lost the next three games to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Braves followed that up in what would be the biggest blowout in NLCS history – a 14-0 annihilation in Game 5. They won Game 6, too, and finished it all off with an even bigger win: 15-0 in Game 7.

Atlanta would lose to the New York Yankees in the World Series, ushering in that team’s latest dynasty and the beginning of what could be called the Derek Jeter era.

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	SEASON	WINNER		LOSER		GAME	RUN DIFF.
1.	1996	Atlanta Braves	15	St. Louis Cardinals	0	Game 7	15
2.	1996	Atlanta Braves	14	St. Louis Cardinals	0	Game 5	14
3.	1984	Chicago Cubs	13	San Diego Padres	0	Game 1	13
4.	1974	Los Angeles Dodgers	12	Pittsburgh Pirates	1	Game 4	11
4.	1993	Atlanta Braves	14	Philadelphia Phillies	3	Game 2	11
4.	2009	Philadelphia Phillies	11	Los Angeles Dodgers	0	Game 3	11
7.	1985	St. Louis Cardinals	12	Los Angeles Dodgers	2	Game 4	10
8.	1992	Pittsburgh Pirates	13	Atlanta Braves	4	Game 6	9
8.	2003	Chicago Cubs	12	Florida Marlins	3	Game 2	9
8.	2011	St. Louis Cardinals	12	Milwaukee Brewers	3	Game 2	9
8.	2012	San Franciscso Giants	9	St. Louis Cardinals	0	Game 7	9
8.	2013	St. Louis Cardinals	9	Los Angeles Dodgers	0	Game 6	9

Photo: msn.com

Atlanta Braves and the Beasts of the East (Most N.L. East Titles)

The Atlanta Braves Really Do “Own the East”

We’re going to hit all Major League Baseball divisions down the final stretch of the 2013 season to see who has historically been the best of each. Earlier this week, we checked out teams with the most National League West titles – led by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Today, it’s the East’s turn – led by the Atlanta Braves. The Braves took the lead this season with their 12th run to the top of the East, breaking a tie with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Atlanta won the division 10 seasons in a row between 1996 and 2005, blocking every other team out (to non-Braves fans’ enduring frustration). Hard to believe this is the Braves’ first East title in eight years. Seems like yesterday they were on top for forever.

The Phillies have been the recent dominators, winning five of the past seven years.

Since 1969, when the National League was first divided into East and West, a team from the N.L. East has won the World Series eight times (of 43 postseasons), denoted with an asterisk.

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	TEAM	N.L. EAST TITLES	SEASONS
1.	Atlanta Braves	12	1995*, 1996-2005, 2013
2.	Philadelphia Phillies	11	1976, 1977, 1978, 1980*, 1983, 1993, 2007, 2008*, 2009, 2010, 2011
3.	Pittsburgh Pirates	9	1970, 1971*, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1979*, 1990, 1991, 1992
4.	New York Mets	5	1969*, 1973, 1986*, 1988, 2006
5.	St. Louis Cardinals	3	1982*, 1985, 1987
6.	Montreal Expos	2	1981, 1994
6.	Chicago Cubs	2	1984, 1989
8.	Washington Nationals	1	2012

Photo: tomahawktake.com