Hey guys we are back!
Last week was my last week for classes and finals so you will be getting consistent articles from here on out, maybe even some new columns so please stay tuned!
Lets get started with some new players that you should keep an eye on
Batters
Byron Buxton OF, MIN: Widely considered the best prospect in baseball, Buxton will be given his first cup of coffee on Sunday afternoon. Typically I would not profile a high end prospect like Buxton without telling you the stereotypical "watch out for growing pains" warning, however Buxton is special. Not only will he be inserted into a thriving lineup that only looks to get better with some other names looming in the mix (Berrios, Meyer and Sano) but Buxton offers a lot to be excited about. Buxton's value from the get-go is going to come from his plus ability to get on base followed by his excellent speed. Buxton has also flashed excellent power in the minor leagues tallying 25 extra base hits out of 76 hits this season so far. Because he is highly touted, by the time this article comes out it could be that he is no longer available in your league but if he is, act now!
Eugenio Suarez SS, CIN: Every time we hear a player go down for the whole season, we always ask, who is behind him? Likely the replacement will be getting an extended look and especially when talking about a replacement in the top of the order on a decent hitting team. Suarez is no where near the same player as Buxton, however he is very similar to the guy he is replacing, Cozart. Cozart will be out this year and it will Suarez who will get the extended look at Shortstop. Suarez doesn't have a great power speed combo but his ability to get on base should lead to a decent amount of at-bats and runs. Expect him to be the starting SS from here on out. Suarez is owned in less than 5% in both leagues.
Hector Olivera, INF, LAD: Not even in the Yahoo system yet, There is a lot to like in Hector Olivera. Recent defector turned Dodger, Olivera has been given the fast track up to AAA and now sits waiting for his chance in the MLB. Olivera is 30 years old (a little old to be called a prospect) and LA has shown that they are not afraid to promote him. New posting fee rules make it ridiculous to pay 35+ million dollars for a minor league player so the front office will likely promote Olivera some time this summer. Keep Olivera on your watch list as he has a great eye and decent defensive skills that can be easily moved around the diamond.
Jake Lamb, 3B, ARI: A lot of people were asking me who was the real winner of the Trumbo trade and while it may have been easy to say Castillo or Trumbo, I believe the real winners were Tomas and Lamb. The Diamondbacks had a log jam on the left side of their field and although Tomas and Lamb are under preforming, this could be because of scattered PT. Now that this log jam has been broken up, these two have effectively locked down their position and now the fun starts. Don't be fooled by there sub-stellar numbers, Lamb was once considered the best ARI had to offer prospect wise and like Olivera, ARI wasn't going to pay those high posting fees to a bench warmer in Tomas. Tomas is owned in about 2/3 of all ESPN and Yahoo leagues but Lamb is owned in less than 15% of leagues. Picking up lamb and waiting for the hits to come in might not be such a bad idea.
Mitch Moreland 1B, TEX: Moreland was one of last weeks most exciting players hitting .360 with 2 homeruns and 9 RBIs. Surprisingly this has not been out of character for Moreland who is hitting a cool .300 with 30 RBIs this season. If your looking for a quick and cheap source of hitting, Moreland is probably your answer. Also I don't believe Texas is this bad, I am expecting their bats to heat up as the summer does, so Moreland hitting .300 may be a lot more valuable come July.
Pitchers
Jose Berrios SP, MIN: It must be an exciting time to be a Minnesotan baseball fan right now. A mere 2 games behind the Royals in the central the Twins have pushed the button for this year by promoting Buxton and the other names mentioned above are not far behind. Berrios and Meyers will be up this year either in the bullpen or as starters but both have the pedigree to be excellent starting pitchers. As Minnesota continues to thrive expect Berrios and Meyers to play big parts.
Vincent Velasquez SP, HOU: Just like Minnesota, Houston has also green lit a couple of their top prospects and Velasquez and Correa are the two to remember. Owned in 25% of ESPN leagues and 15% of Yahoo leagues, Velasquez got his first start last week did well throwing five innings of no run ball allowing 4 walks with 3 hits to go along with 5 Ks. The walks are a little concerning but how many walks did you give up on your first start?? Bothered by injuries for most of his career Velasquez was putting up excellent numbers in AA this year. Throwing 37 Ks with 9 walks. This excellent control plus a 6'3 frame could be the makings of an exciting young arm.
Steven Cishek RP, MIA: Those of you that drafted Cishek may be scoffing at the mere idea of picking him up but you may want to look again. Cishek really never got started this year after blowing up in a non-save scenario on opening day and it didn't get much better from there on. Cishek may have just had a semi case of the yips that was nothing a little time in AA couldn't fix. No one likes getting demoted but Cishek must have known that a strong performance in the minors would mean a quick return to the big club and now he is back. Although A.J. Ramos blew a save last week, the management has said that Ramos is their closer for the foreseeable future. However I see things differently. Cishek has always had excellent stuff and I believe that he will be back in the 9th inning soon. Now that he hopefully has some confidence back, keep Cishek on your radar should you need saves as the season progresses.
Charlie Morton, SP, PIT: On the cusp of a two start week, Morton is a good look for a quick pickup next week. In fours starts so far he has yet to give up more than three runs in each of his starts. That along with a scoreless 7 innings performance in his last outing gives him the hot hand. Moron may be worth owning next week but I would look elsewhere for more lasting value. Morton is owned in less than 20% of ESPN and Yahoo Leagues.
Finem Cogitationum
Final Thoughts
I called it at the beginning of the year and so far it looks like it will come true, Bryce Harper will win NL. MVP
This has been some of the best prospects seasons that I can remember with Buxton, Gallo, Russel, Correa, and Syndergaard.
Soon to be added to his list will be the very cool Corey Seager!
What was the best prospect season you remember? Are you still waiting for your favorite prospect to get the call?
While the prospects have been fun to watch, this year feels like a special drought for Shortstops. ESPN's Player Rater has Johnny Peralta as the best shortstop followed by Hanley Ramirez who isn't even playing SS anymore.
My dog named Smoke is a fan of Justin Smoak but not Jason Smolinski, interesting....
Monday, June 15, 2015
Saturday, June 13, 2015
This Week in Baseball History June 7-June 13
With the Draft fully behind us (unless they’re in some 50th round we didn’t know about), we continue our look at Baseball history this week. This time with comedy!
June 7, 1966
In the second amateur draft in sports history, the A's (then in Kansas City) select future Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson in the first round as the second overall pick. The Mets, with the first overall pick (again), choose Steve Chilcott, a high school catcher who will see a single day of major league action. Gosh, that’s a stark juxtaposition isn’t it? Thankfully, make-it or break-it guys like Chilcott are much less common then we saw back in the ‘good ole days’. Hey, how many of them would have ended up in a Lady Gaga outfit? The world may never know.
 |
| An unidentified Lady Gaga fan |
You can make it to the show, but sometimes you can end up being just another Wally Pipp. Take the case of tough time Tommy. After eight games and 13 innings, the Dodgers (then in Brooklyn) option rookie left-hander Tom Lasorda to Montreal (at the time they’re triple-A affiliate) to make room for a bonus baby who was also a southpaw. The kid is a guy by the name of Sandy Koufax, heard of him? Koufax had injured his ankle that spring, putting him on the 30-day disabled list to begin the season. While his first five seasons were forgettable, he would lock in by 1961, becoming the youngest player elected to the Hall of Fame in 1972. It just gives me chills down my spine to think of what would have happened if Tom Lasorda hadn’t been optioned after all had worn a Lady Gaga suit.
Bobby Valentine’s got a checkered history with the national pastime. He’s been known for some off-the-wall antics, but this probably steals the show(well?). After being ejected in the 12th inning for arguing a catcher's interference call, Bobby V. returns to the dugout wearing some new shades and lip hair. The National League suspends the Mets' manager for an additional two games and fine him for the stunt. Luckily for Bobby, being the manager of a New York team meant that he had access to some top-shelf acting talent on Broadway. While this performance wasn’t TONY worthy, we won’t close the book yet on a future acting career for this spunky manager. Even George Clooney had a bad film or two (I’m looking at you ‘Batman and Robin’).
June 10, 1944
At least for Bobby, his ‘debut’ was at a more ‘mature’ age of forty-nine. For some guys, they just get thrown out there to the lions. Just six weeks shy of his 16th birthday (voice change much?), Joe Nuxhall (that’s a keeper) becomes the youngest person to play in a major league contest in the 20th century. After being called in the ninth inning into a 13-0 rout by the Cardinals at Crosley Field, the 15 year-old high school southpaw will stay with the Reds organization for over sixty years (playing all of them? WOW!). He becomes best known as the voice for the team's radio broadcasts but his start was pretty memorable enough. He retired the first batter he ever faced, but was unable to get out of the inning, yielding five walks, two hits, one wild pitch and five runs. Well, at least he had time to develop for sure.
 |
| Joe Nuxhall (right) presumably being explained what a baseball is before his big day |
June 11, 1995
History has a funny way of making you thank your lucky stars things go your way after the fact. Just take the case of Yankee reliever Mariano Rivera as a startling reminder of this fact. After allowing five runs on seven hits in the first 2.1 innings in the team's eventual 10-7 victory over Seattle, Mariano is sent down and optioned to the minor leagues. By being sent down for the fifth time this season, Mariano was placed on waivers for an entire week before being cleared back to the Yankees triple-A farm team in Trenton. On that date, the American League team with the worst record would have had the first crack at acquiring the struggling starter. That team, was the Boston Red Sox. Oh boy that’s an image, Mariano with a big puffy beard. Along with Mariano, the Bombers' also sent down a 20 year-old infielder and fellow future Hall of Famer Derek Jeter, after his first trip to the big leagues. I think it’s safe to say both ended up okay.
June 12, 1970
Baseball stats have a way of making certain players look like their sky high in performances. This time, you’d have to say it was meant for real for on this memorable day, Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a 2-0 no-hitter against the Padres in San Diego (his hometown) during the first game of a day-night doubleheader. The eccentric former Pirates' right-hander, who later became a staunch proponent of drug decriminalization, would later famously claim that he was under the influence of LSD while tossing the most outstanding outing in his decade long career. Is it safe to say that he was the first guy to admit to using performance enhancing drugs or is that too much? A new movie on his tragically short life and story (No-No) is out if you want to know more.
June 13, 2006
Sure, sports have a love hate relationship with new technologies, but eventually the two have a way of reconciling their differences. Baseball back in its stone age used smoke scr . . . I mean, semaphore flags to signal for a pitcher from the bullpen (if they indeed had a bullpen), but soon landline phones came in vogue by the 50’s and 60’s. But times they were a changing. By 2006, Baseball bowed to the inevitable call (get it?) of progress when the first wireless bullpen communication system in baseball history was used at Wrigley Field (not U.S. Cellular?, that's ironic) on this day. A cell phone, which will be sent to the Hall of Fame, is first used to call the bullpen. From the dugout, Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild calls the bullpen during the third inning to start warming up reliever Angel Guzman (that early?). It only took 30 years for baseball to adopt it? That was fast! On a serious note, I wonder if the Cubs ended up getting a team plan and how they managed their roaming and data charges. Some baseball players were above the curve as we see in baseball phenom Brian Harper (any relationship to Bryce) who was rockin' the cell before it was cool.
We'll see you again next week.
A-Rod’s Wide Ride to 3000 Part 1:The Early Years (1994-1995)
Alex Rodriquez, just the name itself should evoke a stream of emotions and memories. For the man himself, he seems to have figured out (at least for now) that perhaps his outsized reputation has preceded him and has taken to let his performance at the plate speak for itself. It seems like a good thing too, as he’s been performing well above expectations for someone playing though their 39 career season. Along with his improved playing time and performance from last playing year in2013 (.244/.348/.423 through 181 Plate appearances and 44 games) he’s also been passing and moving though some historic offensive categories.
Early this May, A-Rod tied and then passed Willie Mays for fourth place all time in Home Runs and last week he passed Barry Bonds (for the sake of decency, I’ll refrain from mentioning him again by name) for second place all time in RBI’s (now behind only Hank Aaron). But as you all know, A-Rod is now at the doorstep of one of Baseball’s most coveted hitting clubs, the three thousand hit mark.
With his expected arrival to this austere group, I thought we’d take a moment and look at the long, checkered (being diplomatic here) and always colorful journey that A-Rod has taken over his two decades of play to mark the many hits that he’s taken to get to this great achievement, and perhaps get an idea of where he’ll be when his career is long over.
From the Minors to the Majors
Considering its draft time for baseball, you could be forgiven if you don’t remember where one of baseball’s greatest young prospect players came from. They all started somewhere, and for A-Rod, his start came as the first pick of the 1993 amateur player draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Miami, Florida by the Hapless (at the time anyway) Seattle Mariners.
The controversy would start almost immediately for the Baseball High School prodigy, when like John Elway, A-Rod expressed disinterest in going to the Mariners considering they were the furthest city from Miami in the lower 48 states. Despite his reservations, A-Rod began his laborious ascent to the Kingdome (remember that place?) where after only 114 minor league games (hitting a prodigious .312/.376/.577 in 475 PA’s and 114 Games) he finally made it to the show. Stroll with me, as we take a walk down memory lane and review the many hits of Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Hit #1
After being called up just after the July 4 weekend, Alex made his debut for Seattle at Fenway Park on July 8. His first hit came the next day in the fourth inning to third base, of Boston starter Sergio Valdez. On first, he promptly stole second, where the inning ended after shortstop Felix Fermin (remember him?) grounded out. He had gone 0-5 before his first two hits. Few could have realized that he had just begun a journey that would be one for the record books, as well as the tabloid covers.
After playing in seventeen games for the strike shortened 1994 season, A-Rod’s performance was un-inspiring for a mid-season call up, (.204/.241/.204 and 11 hits in 59 PA’s). 1995 however, would be the breakout year for this 18 year old as the strike came to an end.
Hit#24
After a short stint in triple A for most of April and May, A-Rod got the call to once again join the show. It would be the last time he would make over 200 plate appearances in the minors ever again. He was ready to stay. Coaches had been working on improving his power game and he did not disappoint. His twenty fourth hit came on June 12, and was the kind of hit he would long be known for; a Home Run off Kansas City starter(and father of current Marlin Second Baseman) Tom Gordon in the bottom of the fourth with no one on and his team trailing the Royals 3 to 8. A-Rod would continue to hit Tom Gordon very well (.316/.409/.579 in 22 PA’s) over the next four years while Gordon would play well for another decade.
As his second strike shortened season came to an end, A-Rod would play only a minor role with the Mariners as they completed their miracle comeback, first catching up to and then winning a one game playoff against the California Angels, then winning against the Yankees in a thrilling five game divisional series. In all, A-Rod didn’t participate in the play-in game and only made two plate appearances in the playoffs; but his spot as regular third-baseman for the Mariners was secured. The next year would be baseballs introduction to the nineteen year old that his agent said would one day “save baseball”.
Our next installment will cover his first of many All-Star caliber seasons of A-Rod Career as he passes 100 and 200 hits. A-Rod now sits on 2,993 hits, so the race is on to have this series close out before he closes in on the magic 3K mark. As for prediction about when and how, my calculations (based on multiple factors of current playing time and batting performance) say that he’ll tie Robert Clemente (3000) on the Sixteenth of June (in Miami, his birth town) at around the second plate appearance. Anyone willing to take pools on this shouldn’t take this as set in stone, because that’s why they play the game!
Early this May, A-Rod tied and then passed Willie Mays for fourth place all time in Home Runs and last week he passed Barry Bonds (for the sake of decency, I’ll refrain from mentioning him again by name) for second place all time in RBI’s (now behind only Hank Aaron). But as you all know, A-Rod is now at the doorstep of one of Baseball’s most coveted hitting clubs, the three thousand hit mark.
With his expected arrival to this austere group, I thought we’d take a moment and look at the long, checkered (being diplomatic here) and always colorful journey that A-Rod has taken over his two decades of play to mark the many hits that he’s taken to get to this great achievement, and perhaps get an idea of where he’ll be when his career is long over.
From the Minors to the Majors
Considering its draft time for baseball, you could be forgiven if you don’t remember where one of baseball’s greatest young prospect players came from. They all started somewhere, and for A-Rod, his start came as the first pick of the 1993 amateur player draft out of Westminster Christian High School in Miami, Florida by the Hapless (at the time anyway) Seattle Mariners.
The controversy would start almost immediately for the Baseball High School prodigy, when like John Elway, A-Rod expressed disinterest in going to the Mariners considering they were the furthest city from Miami in the lower 48 states. Despite his reservations, A-Rod began his laborious ascent to the Kingdome (remember that place?) where after only 114 minor league games (hitting a prodigious .312/.376/.577 in 475 PA’s and 114 Games) he finally made it to the show. Stroll with me, as we take a walk down memory lane and review the many hits of Alex Emmanuel Rodriguez.
Hit #1
After being called up just after the July 4 weekend, Alex made his debut for Seattle at Fenway Park on July 8. His first hit came the next day in the fourth inning to third base, of Boston starter Sergio Valdez. On first, he promptly stole second, where the inning ended after shortstop Felix Fermin (remember him?) grounded out. He had gone 0-5 before his first two hits. Few could have realized that he had just begun a journey that would be one for the record books, as well as the tabloid covers.
After playing in seventeen games for the strike shortened 1994 season, A-Rod’s performance was un-inspiring for a mid-season call up, (.204/.241/.204 and 11 hits in 59 PA’s). 1995 however, would be the breakout year for this 18 year old as the strike came to an end.
Hit#24
After a short stint in triple A for most of April and May, A-Rod got the call to once again join the show. It would be the last time he would make over 200 plate appearances in the minors ever again. He was ready to stay. Coaches had been working on improving his power game and he did not disappoint. His twenty fourth hit came on June 12, and was the kind of hit he would long be known for; a Home Run off Kansas City starter(and father of current Marlin Second Baseman) Tom Gordon in the bottom of the fourth with no one on and his team trailing the Royals 3 to 8. A-Rod would continue to hit Tom Gordon very well (.316/.409/.579 in 22 PA’s) over the next four years while Gordon would play well for another decade.
As his second strike shortened season came to an end, A-Rod would play only a minor role with the Mariners as they completed their miracle comeback, first catching up to and then winning a one game playoff against the California Angels, then winning against the Yankees in a thrilling five game divisional series. In all, A-Rod didn’t participate in the play-in game and only made two plate appearances in the playoffs; but his spot as regular third-baseman for the Mariners was secured. The next year would be baseballs introduction to the nineteen year old that his agent said would one day “save baseball”.
Our next installment will cover his first of many All-Star caliber seasons of A-Rod Career as he passes 100 and 200 hits. A-Rod now sits on 2,993 hits, so the race is on to have this series close out before he closes in on the magic 3K mark. As for prediction about when and how, my calculations (based on multiple factors of current playing time and batting performance) say that he’ll tie Robert Clemente (3000) on the Sixteenth of June (in Miami, his birth town) at around the second plate appearance. Anyone willing to take pools on this shouldn’t take this as set in stone, because that’s why they play the game!
Monday, June 8, 2015
The 3K Hit Club: A look at its newest (and future?) members
Somewhere
in the next week or so, Alex Rodriguez will become the 29 member of
the Three-thousand-hit club, becoming the newest member since Derek Jeters
arrival at the mark nearly four years (that long, yeesh!) ago in 2011. With
this milestone fast approaching, perhaps now is a good time as any to think
forward project not only Alex’s final hit mark, but who will be joining A-Rod
in this coveted list of hitters.
Alex Rodriguez (2,991 hits as of June 8) Passing another milestone in a rather rocky career
Despite
the controversy, the hatred, and yes, the numerous suspensions, A-Rod has
continued to deliver at the plate year in, year out. And while people sadly
sighed when he passed Willie Mays for the sixth place on the career Home Run list
with 661, few have seen his surpassing of the three-thousand mark as a milestone
worth observing and recognizing. Perhaps this is because the bubble has already
been burst with the attainment of that mark by Rafael Palmeiro in 2005.
But maybe we should look at these
two players in a different light; considering that while PED’s give you a
slight edge in hitting a ball farther (or in the case of A-Rod WAY Farther),
they can’t give you the skills you need to successfully hit a 93 MPH slider
through the gap for a clean safety. Hits are hits, in other words. So while A-Rod’s
‘real’ home run total should be debated every time he makes a trip to
Cooperstown (maybe they should at least let him in on an all-day senior pass if he visits)
lets appreciate his reaching of this mark as less tainted by fraud than most
other records he will certainly pass before his career ends.
As to where he’ll end up on the
list when all is said and done? No one can really be sure. His production this
year certainly dispels any notion that a years (forced anyway) semi-retirement
has diminished his skills at the plate at any rate. If his decline is kept at
an absolute minimum, there could be a real possibility in him approaching and
possibly lapping fellow Yankee Derek Jeter (3,465 hits; Sixth all time), but
only time will tell. For now, A-Rod is looking to likely reach and possibly pass the only inactive member of the list in Rickey Henderson by the end of this historic year for the bruised slugger. Only time will tell.
Ichiro Suzuki: (2,878 hits as of June 8) Biding (or fighting) for time
Things
have not come easy for the light hitting outfielder these last two seasons, as
his production (and thus his playing time) have quickly diminished. 2014 marked
the very first time in Ichiro’s American career that he did not qualify for the
batting title, instead settling as a late game pinch hitter and defensive
substitution in the outfield for the Yankees.
With
his signing with the Marlins (for one-year; five million dollars), Ichiro has
effectively acknowledged his role as the fourth outfielder in a team loaded
with young slugging outfielders. Under these circumstances, Ichiro is on pace
to have the lowest playing time in his fourteen years of major league service.
For a
man on the hunt for three thousand hits, this means that he faces a much more
daunting climb to the mark than the next likeliest player on our list. Still,
the Marlins might suffer some serious long term injuries and setbacks at the
corner outfield position. Christian Yelich is still very vulnerable at the
moment, batting .222/.287/.285 through this season; and Giancarlo Stanton,
while providing pop is still whiffing for a pallid .230/.318/.531.
The Marlins may also decide to cash
in on the celebration of the achievement (perhaps by moving his to another
position in the infield?) and have him play out the season should their playoff
dreams soon fall out of reach. Regardless, considering Ichiro’s current playing
time and batting performance (both better than Yelich and Stanton; at.279/.331/.410),
he looks set to roll the number dial over sometime early next season.
While it’s likely that he’ll get
three-thousand major league hits, once he passes that number, his days as an
ball player will be preciously numbered. Nearing nearly 4,100 hits by adding
his American and Japanese careers combined, he’ll likely shut it down sometime
after passing the magic 4,256 hit mark; buttressing his already strong resume
for the Hall of Fame, both in Japan and in Cooperstown as well.
Adrian Beltre (2,657 hits as of June 8) The 'Omega Man' just keeps Rolling along
Mr. Beltre as of this writing is on
the DL with a sprain on his left thumb, likely sidelining him for most of this
month. Still, this will be a rather short bump in the road as he tries to join
a group of only seventeen Halls of famers to primary man the hot corner. The
headline on that calling card will most certainly be his three-thousand plus
hits, likely to occur somewhere early in the 2018 season if he plays healthy
and proficiently enough. He’ll likely become the fifth third baseman to achieve
that mark, joining the likes of Brett, Molitor, and Ripken Jr., hallmarking a
career studded with offensive and defensive consistency, many highlight gems,
as well as some funny lighter moments in the game (got cup Adrian? Need I say more?).
All kidding aside however, his
consistency will also likely net him 450+ home runs, 1,500 Runs and RBI, and
over 5,000 total bases, all with a 110 OPS+ and lifetime .280/.330/.460-ish slash
line (assuming some natural regression due to age). Considering he began his playing time in 1998 as the youngest player in baseball
at the time, I think I wouldn’t be a stretch to see him crack the list of some
of the oldest ballplayers in the next half decade or so. Predicting his final
hit total makes it difficult as he’s still a season out. For now, it seems safe
to say he’ll land somewhere over 2,700 hits this year. Well on his way to become
member number thirty of the Three thousand hit club.
While there are numerous players
today that have an inside track on 3,000 hits, injuries and other setbacks make realistic
predictions beyond these three players more conjecture than an educated guess.
While the next man in line may be pretty controversial among baseball circles, the
club itself is still something we can all appreciate. If you want to see a
montage of players getting hit number 3000 you can find it here.
Enjoy!
Saturday, June 6, 2015
This Week in Baseball History May 31st to June 6th
Baseball is a game with a great future as well as a great past. Even though you might like its future prospects and fantasy projections, without its rich history, characters, and storylines baseball would be a lot less interesting than it is today. With that in mind, we at the AA Baseball Blog proudly present this weekly installment of ‘The Week in Baseball History’ column, where history, present and future meet. Here, you’ll find some interesting stories, amazing facts, and practically everything in between, from the amazing and incredible to the everyday and mundane, to the downright bizarre and odd. So without further ado, lets dive into the history, shall we?
Today, baseball is turning its focus from off the field today, to the impending amateur draft to be held in Baseballs Studio 42 in New Jersey. While it’s not the most compelling of television (being over 50 rounds long with compensation picks galore) it’s certainly not worth the honorable mention of this little dive into baseball history this week. However, our story takes us to the ends of baseball’s greatest careers rather than the beginning, as you’ll see below.
Tuesday, May 31st, 1927
Detroit First baseman John Neun completes the seventh unassisted triple play in MLB history by snagging Cleveland’s right fielder Homer Summa line drive. He then tagged left fielder Charlie Jamieson, who was on first, and beat pinch hitter Glenn Myatt to second base for the third out of the inning. Neun performs the feat in the top of ninth inning, sealing the Tigers 1-0 victory, making it the first time that a game ends on a triple killing. Incredibly, it makes for only the second unassisted triple play in as many days, following Cubs Second baseman similar feat of the day before. Another similar play would not be seen for another 42 seasons, during the days that men flew to the moon and hitters couldn’t hit the likes of Bob Gibson.
Unassisted triple plays are as rare as perfect games and happen in the blink of an eye. Luckily, a game ending triple play has occurred in our lifetime (get your lotto numbers ready!). Just ask the hapless Mets (especially Jeff Francouer) when their late game rally was unceremoniously snuffed out by dependable Chase Utley stand-in Eric Bruntlett. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DviV7CYrc-E)
Monday, June 1st, 1925
Lou Gehrig is the owner of many records (some attainable, most not) in the vaunted books of Baseball; but his most cherished began almost as an accident. By making his only appearance as pinch-hitter in his entire career (that’s 14 full seasons in the majors!), begins his streak of playing in 2,130 straight games when he comes off the Yankee bench to hit for rookie infielder Pee-Wee Wanninger. Ironically, Wanninger had ended a consecutive-game streak of 1,307 consecutive games when he started the May 5th contest in place of Everett Scott, the team's shortstop. Gehrig at the time was a benchwarmer (that’s right!) who mostly served as a defensive substitution in the outfield before he took his chance as an everyday (and boy was he every day!) player on the team.
As for Yankee First Baseman Wally Pipp, his days on the Yankees roster were numbered from that day on. He would be thankfully traded to the Cincinnati Reds later in the offseason, where he played decently (thought no less anonymously) hitting .279/.335/.379 for the remaining three seasons of his career (again 14 seasons). Lou Gehrig was, well Lou Gehrig, joining my favorite club in baseball statistics (the 300/400/500 club), and setting the bar for the next decade and a half of consistent day-in, day-out offense in some of the most vaunted lineups in baseball history.
If Gehrig knew of the incredible journey that he was embarking on, we can’t be sure. All we have is a simple film from that historic day, when FOX films showed up to film fellow teammate Babe Ruth’s return to baseball after recovering from abdominal surgery that spring, known as ‘the bellyache heard round the world’. Who knew that history could be captured like that? (http://mirc.sc.edu/islandora/object/usc%3A20955)
Sunday, June 2nd, 1935
Speaking of Babe Ruth, on this day the aging Braves outfielder Babe Ruth announced his retirement from baseball. The 40 year-old former slugger wanted to retire three weeks earlier, but Boston owner Emil Fuchs persuaded him to continue because the Braves hadn't played in every National League park, thereby increasing the turnstile flips for all owners despite the wreck that was the Sultan of Swat. On the scale of Boston owner mismanagement, this fax-pas ranks pretty low on the list. His worst campaign as a ball player (even though he played for 28 regular games) was still impressive as he swatted a .181/.359/.431 slash line (wow.250 ISO). He would spend the rest of the season as base coach for the Braves as they would post the worst winning percentage in National League history for the twentieth century; All for a team with Babe Ruth playing and coaching for it? smh
Friday, June 3rd, 1932
The Yankees 1927 Murderers Row didn’t end with Ruth and Gehrig, it also included the likes of Shortstop Mark Koening, Left fielder Bob Meusel, and Third baseman Joe Dugan, but it also included Hall of Famers Earle Combs and rookie Tony Lazzeri. His short but terrific career included many standout performances, but none as terrific as this. The young centerfielder blasted a grand slam on this day to complete a natural cycle, a cycle accomplished in sequential order: single, double, triple, home run. This rare and amazing feat was overshadowed by Yankee teammate and fellow murderer (not actual, only alleged) Lou Gehrig hitting four home runs in the same game, and the announcement of long-time Giants manager John McGraw's retirement on the same day. Talk about a big baseball news day.
Tuesday, June 4th, 1974
Ten Cent Beer Night! Few words evoke such extreme feelings of unadulterated joy on the part of sports fans, and such extreme terror on the part of sports executives and security personnel. Since there’s been professional sports there have been many a sporting promotion made by teams of all sports and all levels. In the annals of Baseball anyway, few are as successful, or as poorly thought out as this one was. On this day in 1974, approximately 60,000 cups were sold to a paying (and likely not so sober) crowd of 25,134. For those counting that’s 2.34 drinks for each attendant, likely more if the kiddies were left to drive home.
The Cleveland Indians (playing at the time at Cleveland municipal stadium) unfortunately were to suffer for their brief success and had to forfeit the game, due to the boisterous (and that’s being generous) behavior of their fans. Home plate ump Nestor Chylak stoped play with the score tied at five in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Rangers the victory (your forfeited score Rangers 9, Indians 0). Don’t believe me? Check out this retrospective and form your own thoughts about what happened hosted by Mike’s brother Bob Golick!?! Now we know why beers so expensive at the ball park these days! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeTpnOzoPdw)
Saturday, June 5th, 1982
Cal Ripken's 8,243 consecutive innings (not games) begins with the Baltimores 3-1 win over Minnesota at the Metrodome. The record streak, spanning the course of over nine-hundred games, will end when he is replaced in the eighth inning by pinch runner (and future Manager/Coach) Ron Washington during an 18-3 September loss to the Blue Jays in 1987. This streak runs along with, but is different to his vaunted consecutive game streak in which he started and played through the first five innings of each game to extend his streak, which he managed to do for 2,632 games in a row.
This record however, seems eminently more impressive as well as infinitely harder to achieve as it means Cal Ripken played in nearly 904 games straight from beginning to end, no substitutions/replacements or in-game adjustments. His consecutive games record seems more breakable then this one. I’d pay top dollar for that type of dependability.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Annabelle Lee, aunt of major league pitcher Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee, hurls the first of five perfect games in the 12-year history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The Minneapolis Millerettes southpaw knuckleballer, who’d also pitch a no-hitter for the Fort Wayne Daisies exactly one year later, throws the first perfect game in league history (and the first recorded for a women) in a 18-0 rout of the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Comets.
Her accomplishment however, was shadowed by the events across the sea, where Allied Expeditionary Forces began the largest amphibious assault in military history. The Normandy Invasion on Fortress Europe began the end of the armed conflict in Europe, and ultimately the end of popular appeal of the AAGPBL which would cease operations in 1954. Mrs. Lee and her companions would see their deeds enshrined in Cooperstown however, and on the silver screen by the Penny Marshall film ‘A league of their own’ starring Gena Davis, Tom Hanks, and singer/actor (really?) Madonna.
Today, baseball is turning its focus from off the field today, to the impending amateur draft to be held in Baseballs Studio 42 in New Jersey. While it’s not the most compelling of television (being over 50 rounds long with compensation picks galore) it’s certainly not worth the honorable mention of this little dive into baseball history this week. However, our story takes us to the ends of baseball’s greatest careers rather than the beginning, as you’ll see below.
Tuesday, May 31st, 1927
Detroit First baseman John Neun completes the seventh unassisted triple play in MLB history by snagging Cleveland’s right fielder Homer Summa line drive. He then tagged left fielder Charlie Jamieson, who was on first, and beat pinch hitter Glenn Myatt to second base for the third out of the inning. Neun performs the feat in the top of ninth inning, sealing the Tigers 1-0 victory, making it the first time that a game ends on a triple killing. Incredibly, it makes for only the second unassisted triple play in as many days, following Cubs Second baseman similar feat of the day before. Another similar play would not be seen for another 42 seasons, during the days that men flew to the moon and hitters couldn’t hit the likes of Bob Gibson.
Unassisted triple plays are as rare as perfect games and happen in the blink of an eye. Luckily, a game ending triple play has occurred in our lifetime (get your lotto numbers ready!). Just ask the hapless Mets (especially Jeff Francouer) when their late game rally was unceremoniously snuffed out by dependable Chase Utley stand-in Eric Bruntlett. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DviV7CYrc-E)
Monday, June 1st, 1925
Lou Gehrig is the owner of many records (some attainable, most not) in the vaunted books of Baseball; but his most cherished began almost as an accident. By making his only appearance as pinch-hitter in his entire career (that’s 14 full seasons in the majors!), begins his streak of playing in 2,130 straight games when he comes off the Yankee bench to hit for rookie infielder Pee-Wee Wanninger. Ironically, Wanninger had ended a consecutive-game streak of 1,307 consecutive games when he started the May 5th contest in place of Everett Scott, the team's shortstop. Gehrig at the time was a benchwarmer (that’s right!) who mostly served as a defensive substitution in the outfield before he took his chance as an everyday (and boy was he every day!) player on the team.
As for Yankee First Baseman Wally Pipp, his days on the Yankees roster were numbered from that day on. He would be thankfully traded to the Cincinnati Reds later in the offseason, where he played decently (thought no less anonymously) hitting .279/.335/.379 for the remaining three seasons of his career (again 14 seasons). Lou Gehrig was, well Lou Gehrig, joining my favorite club in baseball statistics (the 300/400/500 club), and setting the bar for the next decade and a half of consistent day-in, day-out offense in some of the most vaunted lineups in baseball history.
If Gehrig knew of the incredible journey that he was embarking on, we can’t be sure. All we have is a simple film from that historic day, when FOX films showed up to film fellow teammate Babe Ruth’s return to baseball after recovering from abdominal surgery that spring, known as ‘the bellyache heard round the world’. Who knew that history could be captured like that? (http://mirc.sc.edu/islandora/object/usc%3A20955)
Sunday, June 2nd, 1935
Speaking of Babe Ruth, on this day the aging Braves outfielder Babe Ruth announced his retirement from baseball. The 40 year-old former slugger wanted to retire three weeks earlier, but Boston owner Emil Fuchs persuaded him to continue because the Braves hadn't played in every National League park, thereby increasing the turnstile flips for all owners despite the wreck that was the Sultan of Swat. On the scale of Boston owner mismanagement, this fax-pas ranks pretty low on the list. His worst campaign as a ball player (even though he played for 28 regular games) was still impressive as he swatted a .181/.359/.431 slash line (wow.250 ISO). He would spend the rest of the season as base coach for the Braves as they would post the worst winning percentage in National League history for the twentieth century; All for a team with Babe Ruth playing and coaching for it? smh
Friday, June 3rd, 1932
The Yankees 1927 Murderers Row didn’t end with Ruth and Gehrig, it also included the likes of Shortstop Mark Koening, Left fielder Bob Meusel, and Third baseman Joe Dugan, but it also included Hall of Famers Earle Combs and rookie Tony Lazzeri. His short but terrific career included many standout performances, but none as terrific as this. The young centerfielder blasted a grand slam on this day to complete a natural cycle, a cycle accomplished in sequential order: single, double, triple, home run. This rare and amazing feat was overshadowed by Yankee teammate and fellow murderer (not actual, only alleged) Lou Gehrig hitting four home runs in the same game, and the announcement of long-time Giants manager John McGraw's retirement on the same day. Talk about a big baseball news day.
Tuesday, June 4th, 1974
Ten Cent Beer Night! Few words evoke such extreme feelings of unadulterated joy on the part of sports fans, and such extreme terror on the part of sports executives and security personnel. Since there’s been professional sports there have been many a sporting promotion made by teams of all sports and all levels. In the annals of Baseball anyway, few are as successful, or as poorly thought out as this one was. On this day in 1974, approximately 60,000 cups were sold to a paying (and likely not so sober) crowd of 25,134. For those counting that’s 2.34 drinks for each attendant, likely more if the kiddies were left to drive home.
The Cleveland Indians (playing at the time at Cleveland municipal stadium) unfortunately were to suffer for their brief success and had to forfeit the game, due to the boisterous (and that’s being generous) behavior of their fans. Home plate ump Nestor Chylak stoped play with the score tied at five in the bottom of the ninth, giving the Rangers the victory (your forfeited score Rangers 9, Indians 0). Don’t believe me? Check out this retrospective and form your own thoughts about what happened hosted by Mike’s brother Bob Golick!?! Now we know why beers so expensive at the ball park these days! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeTpnOzoPdw)
Saturday, June 5th, 1982
Cal Ripken's 8,243 consecutive innings (not games) begins with the Baltimores 3-1 win over Minnesota at the Metrodome. The record streak, spanning the course of over nine-hundred games, will end when he is replaced in the eighth inning by pinch runner (and future Manager/Coach) Ron Washington during an 18-3 September loss to the Blue Jays in 1987. This streak runs along with, but is different to his vaunted consecutive game streak in which he started and played through the first five innings of each game to extend his streak, which he managed to do for 2,632 games in a row.
This record however, seems eminently more impressive as well as infinitely harder to achieve as it means Cal Ripken played in nearly 904 games straight from beginning to end, no substitutions/replacements or in-game adjustments. His consecutive games record seems more breakable then this one. I’d pay top dollar for that type of dependability.
Tuesday, June 6th, 1944
Annabelle Lee, aunt of major league pitcher Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee, hurls the first of five perfect games in the 12-year history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). The Minneapolis Millerettes southpaw knuckleballer, who’d also pitch a no-hitter for the Fort Wayne Daisies exactly one year later, throws the first perfect game in league history (and the first recorded for a women) in a 18-0 rout of the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Comets.
Her accomplishment however, was shadowed by the events across the sea, where Allied Expeditionary Forces began the largest amphibious assault in military history. The Normandy Invasion on Fortress Europe began the end of the armed conflict in Europe, and ultimately the end of popular appeal of the AAGPBL which would cease operations in 1954. Mrs. Lee and her companions would see their deeds enshrined in Cooperstown however, and on the silver screen by the Penny Marshall film ‘A league of their own’ starring Gena Davis, Tom Hanks, and singer/actor (really?) Madonna.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)