Baseball Today – 2011 Major League Baseball

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Nov 282011
 

Baseball Money

A Baseball Team Got it Right

Congratulations to the Cleveland Indians for having the common sense to sign outfielder Grady Sizemore to a one-year, incentive-based contract. The former all-star has played in only 210 of a possible 486 games over the past three years. Sizemore’s base salary in 2012 will be $5 million, and he can make another $4 million based on plate appearances. All baseball contracts should be structured this way.

National League Most Valuable Player

Congratulations to Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun. Braun made

Milwaukee Brewer Ryan Braun

Milwaukee baseball history by becoming the first player from the city to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award since Henry Aaron in 1957 did it with the Milwaukee Braves. We got to see how great Braun is during the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Ryan Braun was also part of a record-tying four member 30-30 Club. Joining Braun were Matt Kemp, Jacoby Ellsbury and Ian Kinsler. For a while it looked like Kemp was going to have a shot at a Triple Crown but faded at the end.

Detroit Tiger Pitcher Justin Verlander

Cy Young and MVP!

I have to admit that I was disappointed when I heard that Justin Verlander had won the American League MVP honor. He received 13 of 28 first-place votes and 280 points.

Boston outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury was second in this year’s voting with four first-place votes and 242 points. Verlander got over 3 times the number of first place votes. He played in 34 games compared to Ellsbury’s 158 games. In those 158 games, he scored 119 runs, drove in 105 and batted .321. Add 32 home runs and 212 hits and not too many players have had better years. Toronto outfielder

Boston Red Sox Jacoby Ellsbury

Jose Bautista (five firsts, 231 points), had similar numbers in 148 games. Rounding out the top five are New York Yankees outfielder Curtis Granderson (three firsts, 215 points) and Detroit first baseman Miguel Cabrera (two firsts, 193 points).

I wonder what Adrian Gonzalez is thinking. In 159 games he scored 108 runs, drove in 117 and batted .338.

Major League Baseball is the Best

After watching the Cardinals and Rays complete remarkable comebacks to make the playoffs it would be hard to argue against baseball being the best sport. The 73,425,568 fans that attended baseball games in 2011 would agree. I would put Game 6 of the 2011 World Series in the top ten all time of best games played in any sport.

Two Wild Card Teams Added

Now baseball has agreed to add another wild card team. This will make for a higher number of playoff races coming down the wire. I am disappointed that the two wild card teams will play a one-and-done format. One bad game and your season is over. I would have liked to seen a best of three. Some would argue that playing three games would punish the division winners, because they would have to sit around and wait. Well, what happens when a team sweeps their opponent and the other league’s series goes seven games? The team that swept sits around and waits. If you are concerned that a three game format would extend the season into November, then take two games off the regular season.

Even after adding two more wild card teams, baseball still has the lowest percentage (33) of its teams making the postseason.

Could Instant Replay be Next?

I’m somewhat encouraged that baseball continues to improve its product. My hope is that they start to take a more proactive approach to implementing instant replay. The other thing that needs to be changed is having the All-Star game determine who gets home field advantage in the World Series. The team with the best record should have the home field advantage. This year, Texas had the best record, but St. Louis got to play game 7 at home.

I like the move of Houston to the American League. Even though the sale of the Astros was dependent of on the move, I think in the long run everybody in baseball benefits. An intrastate rivalry will develop between the Astros and the Texas Rangers that will make Astro fans forget about the National League.

I am also pleased that the inter-league games will be spread out. American League teams will no longer have to go through nine-game stretches without their designated hitter or National League teams having to use a DH spot they are not sufficiently equipped to fill.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

I would like to thank the players and management for working together that resulted in the announcement of a preliminary Collective Bargaining Agreement. This means we will have uninterrupted play through 2016.

A Hall of Fame Infield?

I wonder if the current Yankee infield of Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Can and Alex Rodriguez could someday all be members of the Hall of Fame.

The 2011 Major League Baseball Season

These are some of my favorite memories of the 2011 Major League Baseball season:

  1. On July 9, 2011, Derek Jeter fortified his place in baseball history with his

    Derek Jeter 3000th Hit

    3000th hit, becoming the 28th player in MLB history to reach the mark, and only the second shortstop after Honus Wagner. Derek Jeter homering for his 3,000 hit and going 5-for-5 with the game-winning RBI on that fairy tale day at Yankee Stadium.

  2. Mariano Rivera earning a record 602nd save.

  3. Minnesota Twins' Thome

    The secret assault of Jim Thome to record his 600th home run. Thome is only the 8th player in baseball history to hit 600+ home runs.

  4. Franciso Liriano, Justin Verlander and Ervin Santana pitching no-hitters
  5. The incredible pitchers’ duel between Chris Carpenter and Roy Halladay in a sudden-death elimination game.
  6. Watching Texas Ranger manager Ron Washington show his emotions in the dugout.

  7. St. Louis Cardinals' Albert Pujols

    Albert Pujols homering three times in a World Series game.Only Babe Ruth (twice) and Reggie Jackson had done it before.

  8. Tony La Russa managing his sixth league championship and third World Series title. He ranks third with 2,728 wins over 33 seasons as manager. Only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) won more. I wish he had stayed around long enough to at least pass McGraw.
  9. The thrill of watching Cardinal David Freese’s heroics.
  10. Tiger’s Justin Verlander and Dodger’s Clayton Kershaw both won the pitching Triple Crown in their respective leagues (Wins, ERA and Strikeouts). This is the first time there’s been dual pitching Triple Crowns since 1924.
  11. Toronto Blue Jays Jose Bautista proved that 2010 wasn’t a fluke as he

    Toronto Blue Jay Jose Bautista

    claimed the home run title again in 2011. His 43 home runs were two more than New York Yankees’ Curtis Granderson. Bautista is the first player to win the title in two straight years since Alex Rodriguez did it in 2002-03.

  12. Watching Tampa Bay Rays Sam Fuld play defense. There is no better example of his all-

    Tampa Bay Ray Sam Fuld

    out play that a game against the Chicago White Sox, soaring through the air to rob Juan Pierre of a bases loaded triple.

  13. Evan Longoria winning the wild-card with a solo home run in the bottom of the 12th inning.

    Tampa Bay Rays Evan Longoria

 

 

 

Baseball History – Baseball Firsts

 Baseball History  No Responses »
Nov 072011
 

As I do research for my blog posts I come across interesting bits of baseball trivia. One of the great things about baseball is its history. There so many stories to be told. Below are a few baseball firsts that you may or may not be aware of.

1901 Chicago White Sox

The New American League

The Chicago White Sox won the first American League game played in history. On April 24, 1901, it didn’t look good for the league’s debut. With four games scheduled, three were rained out. Chicago defeated Cleveland 8-2, with pitcher Roy Patterson getting the first win. The White Sox name was adopted only 10 days prior to the start of the season. Newspapers complained that they could not get the name ‘Chicago White Stockings’ on one line for a headline. The White Stockings name was the very first pro team in Chicago in the mid-1800s.

The Cubs in the World Series

Joe Tinker who was mostly known for being a part of a famous double-play combination hit the first Chicago Cub home run in a World Series. Tinker’s two-run shot came in game two of the 1908 World Series against the Tigers.

Joe Tinker

The Cubs won the game 6-1, then the series four games to one. Tinker is perhaps best known for the “Tinker to Evers to Chance” double play combination in the poem “Baseball’s Sad Lexicon,” written by the New York Evening Mail newspaper columnist Franklin Pierce Adams in July 1910. Tinker was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.

Extra, Extra, Extra

Babe Ruth in 1921

Babe Ruth was the first player in Major League history to slug over 100 extra base hits in one season. Ruth had 119 extra base hits in 1921 with the Yankees. He had 44 doubles, 16 triples and 59 home runs. The number that surprises me the most is the 16 triples. Ruth just missed 100 three other times with 99 (’20), 99 (’23) and 97 (’27). Since then, fourteen other players have compiled at least 100 extra base hits. The last time was in 2001 when four players reached or exceeded the century mark in extra base hits.

The Most Valuable Player

Jimmie Foxx was the first player in history to win three season MVP Awards. Foxx won two with

Jimmie Foxx

the Athletics in 1932 and 1933. His third came with the Boston Red Sox in 1938. He almost had his fourth in 1940, but finished runner-up to Joe DiMaggio of the Yankees. Barry Bonds has won the most MVP awards with seven. He won four in a row from 2001 to 2004.

A Dominating Lefty

Sandy Koufax was the first pitcher to throw four no-hitters, and they were all in a four-year span. His last one was a perfect game. Koufax of the Dodgers accomplished this from 1962-

Sandy Koufax

1965. He retired in 1966 at the age of 31 with elbow problems. Even so, he went 27-9 with a 1.76 ERA in that final season and won his third Cy Young Award. He finish his shorten career 165-87 record and a 2.76 ERA

The Hits King

Pete Rose was the first switch-hitter in the National League to win a batting title. Rose, a National League switch-hitter won his in 1968 with the ‘Big Red Machine’ of

Pete Rose

Cincinnati. Rose batted .335 and finished .003 points above Pittsburgh’s Matty Alou for the title, and .018 ahead of brother Felipe of Atlanta who finished third. Rose also finished second in the MVP voting in 1968 to pitcher Bob Gibson of the Cardinals. Mickey Mantle was the first American Leaguer to win a batting title in 1956.

Clemens in Better Times

In 2001, Roger Clemens was the first pitcher in Major League history to win 20 games and

Roger Clemens

have only one loss in the season. Clemens ended up going 20-3 in his 2001 Yankee season. For his efforts, he was awarded his sixth Cy Young Award.

A Great Beginning

On August 23, 2001, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings threw a shutout and hit a home run in his first Major League game. This was the first time in 100 years for this to happen. He appeared in seven games

Jason Jennings

with a 4-1 record. Jason went 4-for-15 with a double and home run, batting .267 for the season. In 2002, Jennings was 16-8 and batted .306. However, he never had another winning season, retiring in 2009 with a 62-74 career record.

 

Baseball History – 2010, Year of the Pitcher

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Dec 312010
 

Roy Halladay No Hitter

2010 – Year of the Pitcher

The pitching achievements during the 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) season were like no other year during my lifetime. It was as though we had traveled back in time to the 1960s when Sandy Koufax and Bob Gibson dominated major league batters. No-hitters and perfect games dominated the countryside, starting with Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay’s perfect games in May. Ubaldo Jimenez, Edwin Jackson, Matt Garza and Halladay again added 4 more no-hitters.

The 2010 Major League Baseball (MLB) season is being referred to as the year of the pitcher. The year saw 3 perfect games (unofficially) in less than one month. Roy Halladay’s no-hitter vs. Reds was only the second post season no-hitter in baseball history. The other one being the perfect game pitched by Don Larson in the 1956 World Series. Not to take anything away from Halladay’s no-hitter, but I think Larson’s perfect game is more impressive. Pitching in game 5 with the Series tied at 2 games apiece, Larson was under tremendous pressure. The Yankees only scored 2 runs in that game. Had the Yankees lost that game the Series probably would have gone to the Dodgers. They had won games 3 and 4 and came back and won game 6. Halladay’s impressive performance was in game one of the National League Division Series. Importance and pressure were certainly there, but I don’t think they were as high as a World Series game 5.

We didn’t have to wait long (April 17th) before the pitching gems started. The following is a recap of the “Year of the Pitcher”.

Ubaldo Jimenez’s no-hitter vs. Braves – 4/17/10

Once Ubaldo Jimenez found the strike zone, the Atlanta Braves had no chance — and the Colorado Rockies had their

Ubaldo Jimenez

first no-hitter in the Rockies’ 18-year history, and the majors’ first this season. It seems as thou during every no hitter there is at least one spectacular play. The catch by Dexter Fowler in the seventh inning helped preserve the no hitter in a 4-0 win over the Braves. There was nothing in Jimenez’s past that would suggest he was capable of this kind of performance. But for the first few months of the season, Jimenez was putting up numbers that made Zack Greinke‘s 2009 season look pedestrian. Eventually, Jimenez cooled off, but still won 19 games.

Dallas Braden’s perfect game vs. Rays – 5/9/10

Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in major league history. He shut down the Rays the majors’ hottest team at that time.

Dallas Braden

Dallas Braden was just one of the young arms the Athletics have stockpiled, but hadn’t really stood out from the rest of the pack. However, that changed on April 22, when he took offense to Alex Rodriguez trotting back to first base on a foul ball, walked across the mound. This story escalated to the point where Braden became known as the “Get Off My Mound” guy. The A’s, not wanting to miss a marketing opportunity produced “Get Off My Mound” T-shits. I know of one that sold on eBay for $132.51.

Roy Halladay’s perfect game vs. Marlins – 5/29/10

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ ace threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0. Continuing a season of dominance by pitchers around the majors, Roy Halladay delivered the second perfect game this season — but only the 20th in major league history. Halladay, known as “Doc” (a  Gunfight at the O.K. Corral reference),  surgically cut through the Blue Jays lineup.

6/2/10 Armando Galarraga’s perfect game robbery

Armando Galarraga lost a chance for the season’s third perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that the first base umpire, Jim Joyce later admitted he got wrong. Tigers’ first baseman Miguel Cabrera fielded the Indians’

Armando Galarraga - Blown Call

Jason Donald’s grounder to his right and threw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, but Joyce signaled the runner safe, stealing baseball immortality from Galarraga.

Commissioner Bud Selig was the only one who could have put Armando Galarraga’s perfect game back together. Selig could have overturned the blown call, but he chose not to. So it was another bad call against Armando Gallaraga. Selig could have made this right with his best-interest-of-the-game powers. Best interests of a perfect game. He chose not to. The way Galarraga handled the situation was remarkable. Galarraga is truly a man of character. This should have only the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Overturning Joyce’s call would have been the right thing to do, but this Commissioner blew it. In 21 subsequent starts, Galarraga was 2-8 and gave up 130 hits in 123.1 innings. How much of these statistics can be attributed the disappoint Galarraga carried with him for the remainder of the season.

Edwin Jackson’s no-hitter vs. Rays – 6/25/10

Edwin Jackson Arizona Diamondbacks

Jackson’s no hitter was remarkable in the sense that he threw 149 pitches and walked eight. According to STATS LLC, the 149 pitches were the most by an individual in a complete-game no-hitter since at least 1988.  STATS LLC reports that Tampa Bay is first team since the 2001 Padres to be no-hit twice in the same season and the second ever to be on the wrong end of a no-hitter and perfect game in the same season. I would think that no other team has ever been the victim of two no hitters and produced a no hitter in the same season. Ironically, Edwin Jackson played for the Rays from 2006 through 2008 before being traded to Detroit.

7/26/10 Matt Garza’s no-hitter vs. Tigers

The Tampa Bay Rays finally wound up on the right side of a memorable pitching performance. Matt Garza threw the first no-hitter in franchise history and at the time, the fifth in the major leagues this

Matt Garza, Rays

season, beating the Detroit Tigers 5-0.

Roy Halladay’s no-hitter vs. Reds – 10/6/10

Roy Halladay pitched the first no-hitter in National League post season history today when he shutout the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 in the 1st game of the 2010 NLDS at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. Halladay gave up only a 3rd inning walk to CF Jay Bruce and threw 104 pitches (79 for strikes) in the process.  He also struck out 8 batters and faced only one batter over the minimum (28) en route to one of the greatest pitching performances of all time in MLB history. Halladay becomes the last pitcher since Nolan Ryan in 1973 to throw two no-hitters in one year. He also is the last Nation League pitcher to do it since Reds’ righty Johnny Vander Meer threw back-to-back no-hitters in consecutive starts in 1938.

One-Hitters

You may not be aware of the fact that there 9 one hitters, 10 if you count Armando Galarraga’s perfect game during 2010 MLB season. You probably can’t count Ted Lilly’s one hitter because he didn’t finish the 9th inning. Image what might have been.

May 11 Johnny Cueto, Reds at Pirates, 9-0, Ronny Cedeno 3rd inning infield single

May 13 Mat Latos, Padres at Giants, 1-0, Eli Whiteside 6th inning infield single
May 28 Matt Cain, Giants vs Diamondbacks, 5-0, Mark Reynolds 2nd inning double
June 10 Jonathon Niese, Mets vs. Padres, 3-0, Chris Denorfia 3rd inning double

June 13 Ted Lilly, Cubs took a no-hitter into the ninth inning before pinch-hitter Juan Pierre led off with a single
July 8 Roy Oswalt, Astros vs. Pirates, 2-0, Neil Walker 1st inning single
July 29 Anibal Sanchez, Marlins at Giants, 5-0, Pablo Sandoval, 5th inning single
August 8 Brandon Morrow, Jays vs. Rays, 1-0, Evan Longoria two outs in the 9th inning infield single
August 13 R.A. Dickey, Mets vs. Phillies, 1-0, Cole Hamels, 6th inning single
August 16 Shaun Marcom, Blue Jays at Athletics, 3-1, Conor Jackson, 7th inning leadoff homer

A Few More Pitching Performances During the 2010 Season.

May 30 Max Scherzer, Tigers, struck out 14 in five and two-thirds shutout innings, becoming the first pitcher since 1900 with as many strikeouts pitching five and two-third innings or fewer.

Only Brandon Morrow of the Jays had a game with more strikeouts this season, whiffing 17 Rays on August 8, when he lost a no-hitter with two down in the 9th. Bud Norris of Houston had a 14 strikeout game, against the Pirates. Twice during the season, Scherzer struck out eight in five and two-third innings.

June 2

June 8 Stephen Strasburg, Nationals, struck out 14 in his highly anticipated major league debut against the Pirates.

Stephen Strasburg - Nationals Pitcher

Strasburg made 11 more starts before having season-ending Tommy John surgery Sept. 3. Strasburg ended up with 92 strikeouts in 68 innings.

June 27 Jamie Moyer, Phillies, gave up his record-breaking 506th home run, passing Robin Roberts for first on the career list.

Moyer ended his season having given up a career total of 511 homers. Of the 511, seven were grand slams, 298 were with the bases empty, and he has surrendered only one walk-off. Okay, so this isn’t a record you would be proud of.

Aug. 25 Felix Hernandez, Mariners, became the fourth-youngest pitcher to reach 1,000 strikeouts (24 years 139

Felix Hernandez - 2010 AL Cy Young Winner

days). Bob Feller (22-179), Bert Blyleven (23-121) and Dwight Gooden (23-249) did it at a younger age.

King Felix became the 10th pitcher in major-league history with 1,000 strikeouts at age 24. Blyleven finished his career with 3,701 career strikeouts, Feller with 2,581 and Gooden with 2,293.

Sept. 7 Trevor Hoffman, Brewers, baseball’s career saves leader, earned his 600th save.

Trevor Hoffman - 601 Saves

Hoffman finished the season, and perhaps his career, with 601 saves and 76 blown saves. He appeared in 1035 games, all in relief, and finished 856, which is also a record.

Player Spot Light – Remembering
Bob Feller

 Player Spot Light  No Responses »
Dec 162010
 

Bob Feller - Hall of Fame Pitcher

Bob Feller – The greatest pitcher of his time.

Robert William Andrew “Bob” Feller passed away yesterday. Mr. Feller died of pneumonia after having been in the

The Player Spot Light

hospital for almost two weeks. He was 92. The Sporting News ranked  him number 36 on their list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, saying he was “The greatest pitcher of his time”.

Feller’s Stellar Career

Feller’s baseball career started in 1936 at the age of 17. Feller joined the Cleveland Indians without having played in the minors. He spent his entire career of 18 years with the Indians. When he retired in 1956 with 266 victories and 2,581 strikeouts and led the American League in strikeouts seven times and bases on balls eight times. He pitched three no-hit games. One of the no hitters was against the Chicago White Sox on opening day, the only no-hitter to be thrown on Opening Day in major league history. Feller also shares the major league record with 12 one-hitters. Feller was the first pitcher to win 20 or more games before the age of 21. In 1962, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. When he was 17 years of age, he struck out 17 batters. Kerry Wood is the only other player to strike out their age. Wood struck out 20 on May 6, 1998.

Who was Faster – Feller or Ryan?

Bob Feller had several nicknames. The most recognizable were “The Heater from Van Meter”,”Bullet Bob” and ”Rapid Robert”. These were all in reference to the velocity of his pitches.  In the later years of his career he was clocked at 98.6. However, the machines used at that time, measured the speed of the ball as it crossed the plate. Today’s pitchers are measured as it leaves the pitcher’s hand. I’ve seen statistical formulas trying to determine who threw the ball faster; Bob Feller or Nolan Ryan. Apparently ESPN did a segment on sports science where they determined that the human

Nolan Ryan Hall of Fame Pitcher

body is physically incapable of throwing 106 mph. You can believe whatever story you want about who threw the fastest pitch , but the bottom line is that both men threw heat.

Cy Young Stats

Perhaps his best year was 1946, only one year after returning to the Major Leagues. In 1946, he registered an incredible 348 strikeouts while pitching in 48 games, starting 42 of those games. Feller’s record was 26-15. He pitched 36 complete games, while posting an ERA of 2.18. He also led the American League in strikeouts seven times and had 200 or more strikeouts five times. Feller pitched in 570 games during his career. That’s an average of a little over 31 games a year. In six seasons he pitched in 40 or more games . Feller also threw three no-hit games including the only opening day no-hitter in baseball history in 1940. In 1946 he pitched 10 of his 46 shutouts. Many baseball historians have speculated that Feller would have won perhaps 350 games with well over 3,000 strikeouts had he not joined the military.

Bob Feller was a True Patriot

Bob Feller not only a great baseball player, he was also a great patriot. On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service. He was the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7.

Bob Feller Museum

The Bob Feller Museum opened in 1995 in his home town of Van Meter, Iowa. It was designed by his son Stephen, an architect. The museum is made up of two rooms which contain both Feller memorabilia and items from his personal collection.

Career Highlights

Here are some of the highlights of Bob Feller’s great career:

  • The most wins in Cleveland Indians history (266 victories)
  • Led the American league in wins six times (1939–41, 1946–47, 1951)
  • Led the American league in ERA (1940)
  • Led the American league in strikeouts seven times (1938–41, 1946–48)
  • Pitched three no-hitters, including the only Opening Day no-hitter.
  • 8-time All-Star (1938–41, 1946–48, 1950)
  • Inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962
  • In 1999, he ranked Number 36 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

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