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All those honored in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park

8/12/2014

The New York Yankees are one of the most celebrated franchises in the history of professional sports. Like them or hate them- from the amount of World Series Championships they have won to the all time players who have worn the uniform, the Yankees have had a proud and distinct history. Another thing the organization has done right is allow its past to be remembered through its next generations of fans. They have their yearly Old Timers' Day and have a Park dedicated to the greats in the history of the team.
After Derek Jeter retires, the Yankees will then have honored 33 players, managers and executives in their museum located passed the outfield of the stadium. Jackie Robinson never wore the Yankees uniform, but his number deserves to be retired in every stadium in MLB. A criticism of the Yankees has been the fact that so many numbers are retired. Though immortal players such as Ruth, Gehrig, DiMaggio, Mantle and Berra could never be disputed, the Yankees have retired numbers of players who have not played more than 5-7 seasons with the Yankees. The point makes sense but the organization has the right to honor its players as they wish.
The Yankees, for years had three distinct monuments in the center field area honoring Miller Huggins, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. They were actually in the field of play until the Yankees remodeled their stadium after the 1973 season. Later on, after the deaths of Mickey Mantle (1994) and Joe DiMaggio (1999), their plaques were taken off the wall and mounted in their own granite- joining the likes of Huggins, Gehrig and Ruth. After George Steinbrenner's death in 2011, a monument was erected in his honor making it 6 monuments that stand in the Yankee Stadium CF. Of course, a monument is only created after a Yankee dies. You can compare the Yankee Stadium Monuments to statues erected in front of many ballparks throughout baseball. Currently, only the statues of Don Larsen throwing to Yogi Berra exist in Yankee Stadium.
The Yankees have retired 16 numbers; two of them have been retired twice- Bill Dickey and Yogi Berra-8 and Jackie Robinson and Mariano Rivera- 42. Likely within the next couple years, a Yankees player or coach will not be able to be issued a number 1 through 10. Derek Jeter's number 2 will never be reissued and HOF manager Joe Torre will likely have his number retired in addition to his plaque. For the record, the Yankees retired numbers are: 1 (Billy Martin), 3 (Babe Ruth), 4 (Lou Gehrig), 5 (Joe DiMaggio), 7 (Mickey Mantle), 8 (Berra and Dickey), 9 (Roger Maris), 10 (Phil Rizzuto), 15 (Thurman Munson), 16 (Whitey Ford), 23 (Don Mattingly), 32 (Elston Howard), 37 (Casey Stengel), 42 (Robinson and Rivera), 44 (Reggie Jackson) and 49 (Ron Guidry).
In addition to all the retired numbers, the Yankees have honored many players, managers and executives with plaques, including Paul O'Neill, Joe Torre and Goose Gossage this year alone. Though he is due a plaque of his own, Mariano Rivera has yet to have one dedicated to him though his number is already retired. All players with their numbers retired have a plaque. In addition to the before mentioned and the players with retired numbers (not including Rivera), plaques were put in Monument Park for former owner Jacob Ruppert, GM Ed Barrow, manager Joe McCarthy, broadcaster Mel Allen, public address announcer Bob Sheppard, pitchers Lefty Gomez, Red Ruffing and Allie Reynolds and 1B Tino Martinez.
Overall, including those that have more than one, the Yankees have 6 monuments, 17 retired numbers, 32 plaques and 2 statues to honor the greats to have represented the organization. Among them are two owners, 1 GM, 5 managers, 1 public address announcer and two broadcasters. (Of course, there are a couple others who have managed (Berra and Dickey) and others who have done broadcasting work for the Yankees (Jackson and O'Neill). Many have also represented the Yankees as coaches.
As a fan of baseball history, not a Yankees fan, I appreciate the history of the organization as well as the history of all teams that date back to the turn of the 20th century. Contrary to the view of those who think it is overdone, I feel that when celebrating what it means to be a member of a team can never be overdone. Looking at the way the organization has honored its players and those who represent the Yankees, it is no surprise that the goal of many athletic kids and professional athletes is to be a New York Yankee.

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If every MLB team had only one Hall of Famer, who would they be? (AL version)

1/24/2014

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I was inspired by a question posed on one of the baseball pages today, thinking about how most, if not all MLB teams that have Hall of Famers that represented their organizations likely have that one player that is their all time player. Teams like the Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, Tigers, Giants and others can say that there were more than one player that can be spoken about as their all time player. There are many ways this can be done. Should I include pitchers or just position players? I think it will create a better debate if we include pitchers on this list as well. I will first mention every existing franchise right now, including the Braves when they were in Boston and Milwaukee, the Athletics when they were in Philadelphia, the Orioles when they were in St Louis, the Twins when they were in Washington, the Rangers when they were in Washington and the Nationals when they were in Montreal. This will lead for a great debate and remember, only one player can represent each franchise.
Baltimore Orioles: While Jim Palmer, Brooks Robinson and Frank Robinson would all be great choices, there is only one player that would deserve this honor. Cal Ripken is the face of the Baltimore Orioles and would be their Hall of Famer if only one was allowed for each team. Satchel Paige would be a good representation for the St Louis Browns, but he did not play for them long enough. Urban Shocker was great for the Browns but is not a Hall of Famer. Baltimore Orioles: Cal Ripken
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox have had a long and storied history, from players like Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, Carl Yastrzemski, Carlton Fisk and Jim Rice. But when a player plays for your team that is one of the greatest of all time, its a no brainer. The fact that Ted Williams existed makes it an easy call. Boston Red Sox: Ted Williams
New York Yankees: The Yankees have been one of the most prestigious franchises in all of professional sports. But one man changed the game into what it is today. Guys like Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Lou Gehrig and eventually Derek Jeter can be many team's Hall of Famer. But not when the Babe played for your team. New York Yankees: Babe Ruth
Toronto Blue Jays: The Blue Jays have not been around for a long enough time to have the biggest choice between all time players. For me, it comes down to Dave Winfield and Roberto Alomar. Alomar gets the edge because unlike Winfield, he played a majority of his career in Toronto. Toronto Blue Jays: Roberto Alomar
Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays): Very difficult to declare a Hall of Famer for a team that has only been around since 1998. One Hall of Famer made a stop in Tampa and for that reason, he gets the nod. Wade Boggs got his 3000th hit in a Devil Rays uniform. Perhaps some day, the team will have a Hall of Famer they can call their own. Tampa Bay Rays (Tampa Bay Devil Rays): Wade Boggs
Detroit Tigers: The Tigers have had greats like Al Kaline, Mickey Cochrane, Jim Bunning, George Kell, Hank Greenberg and Hal Newhouser. And the list certainly goes on. But similar to Boston and New York, when you have an All Time player in your history, the choice is not difficult. Ty Cobb it is. Detroit Tigers: Ty Cobb
Cleveland Indians: The Indians have had a great series of Hall of Fame players as well. Cy Young played for the Indians, so did Speaker, Napoleon Lajoie, Bob Lemon and Addie Joss. But they were blessed to have had one of the more dominant pitchers to have ever pitched in this game. His numbers would have been more staggering had he not served his country in World War II. Bob Feller was an American hero, but not only that, one of the greats to ever throw off a mound. Cleveland Indians: Bob Feller
Minnesota Twins (Washington Senators): When you think of great Twins, the names Harmon Killebrew, Rod Carew, Kirby Puckett and Bert Blyleven are some of the names that come to mind. But tracing the roots to the Washington Senators, Walter Johnson was one of the most dominant and successful pitchers the game has ever seen. It is more impressive since he spent his entire career in Washington. Minnesota Twins (Washington Senators): Walter Johnson
Chicago White Sox: The White Sox may have one of the more serious debates. Frank Thomas getting in this year adds to the debate. Early Wynn, Fisk, Luis Aparicio, Luke Appling and Nellie Fox are some of the other Hall of Famers that have worn the uniform of the White Sox. I give the edge to Eddie Collins, who his over .330 in his career and was the best White Sox player of his generation and for generations after that. Chicago White Sox: Eddie Collins
Kansas City Royals: Similar to Ripken, George Brett is an easy call for the Royals. Kansas City Royals: George Brett
Oakland Athletics (Philadelphia Athletics): Hall of Famers Catfish Hunter, Reggie Jackson, Rollie Fingers, Dennis Eckersley and Rickey Henderson all played for the Athletics. But one of the most dominant right handed hitters to ever play this game spent most of his career playing for the Philadelphia Athletics. Jimmie Foxx gets the nod for the Athletics. Oakland Athletics: Jimmie Foxx
Houston Astros: Houston Astros: I do feel that there will be company for Nolan Ryan and Joe Morgan, who come to the forefront in regards to being the most notable Astros to be in the Hall. Craig Biggio and Jeff Bagwell will have their day, but for now they cannot be in contention. In regards to Ryan and Morgan, Morgan had his greatest success in Cincinnati. Ryan had as much of his career top numbers in Houston, so he gets the call for the Astros. Houston Astros: Nolan Ryan
Seattle Mariners: The Mariners only have one Hall of Fame player to have played for them. Soon they will have the likes of Randy Johnson and Ken Griffey Jr in the Hall to call their own. But for now, their Hall of Famer is Gaylord Perry. Seattle Mariners: Gaylord Perry
Los Angeles Angels: Rod Carew stands out as the elite Hall of Famer that played for the Angels, though Jackson, Blyleven and Ryan also spent time in LA. Los Angeles Angels: Rod Carew
Texas Rangers (Washington Senators): Nolan Ryan is the only AL player to be two team's Hall of Fame player. Texas Rangers (Washington Senators): Nolan Ryan

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Better California Angels team, 1979 or 1982?

12/1/2013

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If polled, MLB fans will undoubtedly say the 2002 Angels was the best team the organization ever put together. The Angels have had a solid team for the last several seasons, but much of the discussion has been about the lack of continuity and the disappointing win-loss record. The best all around Angels team was probably the 1986 version: the one that was a strike away from going to the World Series. While the Angels have had some success over the past decade plus. I want to take a couple minutes to remember the first two times the California Angels made it to the postseason.
The Angels made their debut in 1961 as one of two expansion teams in the AL. This was the first time either league had chosen to expand past each leagues 8 teams. Like most expansion teams, the Angels had their share of struggles. But, in just their second season, the Angels won 86 games and finished over .500 in 1964, 1967 and once again won 86 games in 1970. The seventies did not treat them very well as they had losing seasons from 1971-1977.
New manager Jim Fregosi took over during the 1978 season and the Angels had a winning season. By that time, the organization had put together a solid set of talent. Nolan Ryan, who was traded by the Mets to the Angels in the deal that sent Fregosi to the Mets. Ryan and Frank Tanana had formed a one-two punch that was good for most of the decade. Acquisitions of players like Bobby Grich, Don Baylor and Brian Downing laid the foundation for younger players like Carney Lansford and Willie Aikens. But it was the offseason of 1978, where the team made two very important trades with the Minnesota Twins. First they traded two players to Minnesota for OF Dan Ford. And in February of 1979, they traded four players to the Twins for future Hall of Famer Rod Carew. As the season started, it was the most optimism that had been built up for the organization in its history.
As the season went on, the younger Aikens and Lansford had established themselves as regulars. After the early season trade for SS Bert Campaneris, the Angels had the best set of regular players it had ever put together. Their lineup consisted of Downing C (.326, 12, 75), Lansford 3B (.287, 19, 79), Carew 1B (.318, 3, 44), Baylor LF (.296, 36, 139), Grich 2B (.294, 30, 101), Ford RF (.290, 20, 101), Aikens DH (.280, 21,81), Campaneris SS (.234, 0, 15) and veteran CF Rick Miller (.293, 2, 28). The bench had veterans Joe Rudi and Willie Davis along with Jim Anderson and youngsters Dickie Thon and Rance Mulliniks.
The pitching staff was led by Ryan (16-14, 3.60) and Tanana (7-5, 3.89). Tanana missed some time in 1979 due to injury. Dave Frost (16-10, 3.57), Jim Barr (10-12, 4.20) and Don Aase (9-10, 4.81) rounded out the rotation. Mark Clear (11-5, 3.63, 14 saves) shared the closer role with Dave LaRoche (7-11, 5.57, 10 saves).
Veteran manager Gene Mauch was brought in to run the club in 1981. For the 1982 season, the Angels still had Carew, Downing, Baylor and Grich. Prior to the season, the Angels had purchased veteran catcher Bob Boone from the Phillies. This allowed them to move Downing to the outfield. The team traded for veteran SS Tim Foli and sent Ford to the Orioles for 3B Doug Decinces. They then moved Tanana to the Red Sox for Fred Lynn. The bold move came when they signed future Hall of Fame OF Reggie Jackson to a multiyear contract. The 1982 lineup was certainly superior with Downing LF .281, 18, 84), Carew 1B (.319, 3, 44), Baylor DH (.263, 24, 93), Jackson RF (.275, 39, 101), Decinces 3B (.301, 30, 97), Lynn CF (.299, 21, 86), Grich (.261, 19, 65), Boone C (.256, 7, 58) and Foli (.252, 3, 56). The bench also had proven veterans like Juan Beniquez, Ron Jackson and Rick Burleson.
The pitching staff was without Tanana and Ryan, who left as a free agent to sign with Houston. The Angels were led by veterans Geoff Zaun (18-8, 3.73) and Ken Forsch (13-11, 3.87), who were both in their second seasons with the club. RHP Steve Renko (11-6, 4.44) was acquired along with Lynn in the Tanana deal. The team was depending a lot on 21 year old Mike Witt (8-6, 3.51), who was also in his second season with the club. They signed 41 year old Luis Tiant (2-2, 5.76 in 6 games, 5 starts), but he retired early on in the season. The Angels traded for veteran Tommy John (4-2, 3.86 in his 7 starts with the club) later on in the season from the Yankees.
Doug Corbett was acquired in a trade from the Twins and led the teams in saves with 8. RHP Bruce Kison (10-5, 3.17, 1 save in 33 games, 16 starts) and Luis Sanchez (7-4, 3.21 in 46 games) were their top relievers, but were far for dominant. Aase was still around, but this season pitched in 24 games, all in relief.
Based on the records and postseason results, the 1982 Angels were more successful. The 1982 club went 93-69 under Mauch and lost in 5 games of the ALCS to the AL Champion Brewers. The 1979 version went 88-74 under Fregosi and lost in 4 games to the AL Champion Orioles. The debate I have is with the pitching, both starters and relievers. The 1979 team had a stronger 1-2 in Ryan and Tanana and had a much better bullpen led by Clear. A lineup that adds Reggie, Lynn and Decinces is understandably better. But Baylor and Grich were much better in 1979 than in 1982, as Baylor won the AL MVP and Grich hit 30 HR. Another interesting thing to point out is the fact that Grich and Baylor had played in Baltimore just a couple years before and the Baltimore pitchers may have had an advantage in getting them out in the postseason. I think both teams were good, but it is difficult not to go with the 1982 team, who clearly had the better offense that was able to make up for the make shift pitching staff. Of course, the 1986 team was much better as it included both a solid offense and a very good pitching staff.

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Yankees/ Red Sox AL East one game playoff: 35 years later

10/2/2013

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35 years ago today, the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played one of the most memorable one game playoffs ever to determine the AL East winner. Both teams finished the 162 game regular season with identical 99-63 records. The Red Sox were managed by Don Zimmer, who would later serve as a Yankees coach under Joe Torre. The Yankees, coming off the World Series Championship in 1977, had started the season with Billy Martin at the helm. Martin was replaced after 94 games by Dick Howser for one game, then by Bob Lemon, who led the Yankees to a miraculous comeback. They had trailed the Red Sox by 14 games in the middle of July, but had gained a one game lead with seven games to play. The Yankees had won the next 6 games, but so did the Red Sox. The Red Sox won their final game of the season, with the Yankees dropping the finale to Cleveland to force the playoff.
The Yankees started LHP Ron Guidry, who came into the game with a 24-3 record. The Red Sox countered with Mike Torrez, who was an important of the 1977 Yankees pitching staff when they won the World Series. Torrez had lost, however, his last 6 decisions coming into the game. The game was held at Fenway Park, which could have been considered an advantage for Boston. But, just a couple of weeks before, it was the Yankees that came into Fenway and swept a four game series, outscoring the Red Sox 42-9 in the process.
Torrez was solid for the first 6 innings as the Red Sox built a 2-0 lead. Carl Yastrzemski hit an early solo HR and Jim Rice drove in a run with a single to put Boston ahead. Torrez started out the 7th inning by retiring the first batter. He then gave up singles to Graig Nettles and Chris Chambliss. After retiring the next batter, 9th place hitter Bucky Dent hit the memorable home run over the Green Monster to give the Yankees the lead. Bob Stanley, who would be added to the New York Mets history books 8 years later, relieved Torrez and gave up an RBI double to Thurman Munson. Reggie Jackson would homer off Stanley to start the 8th inning, putting the Yankees up 5-2.
Goose Gossage would relieve Guidry in the 7th inning. But, even though he did pitch the final 2 1/3 IP of the game, he struggled in the 8th inning, giving up RBI singles to Yastrzemski and Fred Lynn. Lou Piniella made the heads up play fooling Rick Burleson into holding up on a ball that wound up falling in. This prevented the tying run from scoring as Gossage got through the 9th inning, getting Yastrzemski on a foul pop up to Nettles to end the game. The Red Sox fans, to this day, refer to the Yankees SS as Bucky "F*@#$n" Dent. The Yankees, of course, advanced to the ALCS, where they beat Kansas City for the 3rd consecutive time and to the World Series, where they beat the Dodgers for the second time in as many years. For the record, the home plate umpire was Don Denkinger, who had his own controversial call in the 1985 World Series, and the 3rd base umpire was Steve Palmeiro, who was paralyzed during an altercation in 1991.

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The day Cesar Tovar played all 9 positions

7/14/2013

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On this date in baseball history, former MLB outfielder Cesar Tovar passed away 19 years ago at the age of 54. Tovar had a 12 year career that ran from 1965 to 1976. He spent the first eight years of his career with the Minnesota Twins and was part of the 1969 and 1970 teams that won the AL West division in the first two seasons of divisional play. He went 1-13 in the 1969 ALCS and 5-13 with a 2B and RBI in the 1970 ALCS, both vs the Baltimore Orioles. During his time in Minnesota, Tovar led the AL in a statistical category in five different seasons. (1966: sacrifice bunts-7, 1967: games played-164; plate appearances-726; at bats-649, 1970: 2Bs-36; 3Bs-13, 1971: hits-204; caught stealing-14, 1972: hit by pitch-14) Tovar would later play for the 1975 Oakland Athletics, the team that lost the ALCS to Boston, a series in which Tovar came off the bench to go 1-2 with a run scored.
Despite getting every day playing time during the later 1960s for the Twins, he managed to play a lot at different positions. His first season was split between 2B and SS, but he would spend the majority of his other seasons playing the OF and 3B. Over the course of his career, Tovar would play over 200 games at 5 different positions. He played the most in CF (469), then LF (394), 3B (227), 2B (215), RF (207). He played 77 games at SS, then 1 each at 1B, P and C (all the same day).
The date was September 22, 1968 and the Twins were home against the Oakland Athletics. Both teams were well out of the race with the Tigers planning to play in the World Series. This was also the last year of entire league play as the leagues would switch to the two division format starting in 1969. Twins manager Cal Ermer was wrapping up his managerial career with the Twins, being replaced by Billy Martin for the 1969 season. With both teams going nowhere, it was decided that Tovar would play all 9 positions over the course of the projected 9 inning game. Bert Campaneris was the only MLB player to accomplish the feat, playing all 9 positions in a 9/8/1965 game for the Kansas City Athletics against the California Angels. While Campaneris did the task, the game would go 13 innings with Bert removed for a catcher after the 9th inning.
What made this game interesting was the fact Tovar was the starting pitcher. Probably the only time in baseball history a long serving position player who had never made a pitching appearance before started a MLB game. Tovar went out to pitch to start the game, retiring Campaneris to start off the game, then striking out Reggie Jackson. He would allow a walk before retiring the side. The second inning saw Tovar go behind the plate, replacing catcher Jerry Zimmermann and being replaced on the mound by Tom Hall. Hall would give up just 1 unearned run in 6 1/3 IP of relief. After the Twins came back up to bat, centerfielder Ted Uhlaender was pinch hit for by Bruce Look, who would take over the next inning behind the plate. Tovar moved to 1B with Graig Nettles moving to CF.
Tovar's next move resulted with nobody being removed from the game. Tovar went to 2B, with 2B Rod Carew moving to SS and SS Jackie Hernandez moving to 1B. For the 5th inning, Tovar moved over to SS with Carew moving back to 2B. Tovar moved over to 3B for the 6th inning, with 3B Ron Clark moving to SS. The 7th inning saw Tovar making the move to left field, with LF Bob Allison moving to CF and Nettles moving from CF to 3B. Tovar moved to CF for the 8th inning with Allison moving back to LF and finished off the task by moving to RF, with Jim Holt moving from RF to LF and Allison moving back to CF.
Rich Reese pinch hit for Hernandez and remained at 1B. Al Worthington pitched the final 1 and 2/3 IP for the save, with Hall getting the win. The Twins won the game 2-1. In addition to playing in all 9 positions in a 9 inning game, Tovar also has the privilege of having an undefeated record as a starting pitcher in the major leagues. Since Tovar played all 9 positions in a game, only Scott Shelton on 9/6/2000 and Shane Halter on 10/1/2000 have done so. However, Halter faced only 1 batter in his and did not record an out (1 walk). Shelton's was a little more interesting as he did not even start the game. He came in the game in the bottom of the 4th inning. Over the next 6 innings, he played all 9 positions, including striking out Jeff Liefer, the only batter he faced as a pitcher.

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What % of the games best designated hitters actually DH(ed)

1/22/2013

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    Most know that Ron Bloomberg was the first DH in the history of MLB when he batted for the Yankees in 1973. But few know that the designated hitter was originally not used close to the way it is used now. American League teams looked at it as a way to get somebody up there that was a better hitter than a pitcher. In other words, most teams would set up their regular lineup 1-8, with the DH batting ninth. The DH originally consisted of a team's best pinch hitter and that batter would be guaranteed three or four ABs. Obviously, teams were quick to use the extra batter to their advantage, with veteran players getting a couple of extra seasons by not playing the field.
    The first major player to embrace the role was Hal McRae. McRae was entering the prime of his career and may not have not had the career success had it not been for the move. Some of the greats that happened to be playing from 1973 on took some advantage such as Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Al Kaline and Hank Aaron. While MLB Network's Prime 9 did a solid job in breaking down the best DHs in the history of the game, I decided it was time to figure out which players had the highest percentage of games played as a designated hitter. It is not fair to include Robinson, Killebrew, Kaline and Aaron in the discussion since they did not have as much of an opportunity to just hit. However, Robinson hit as a DH in 358 of his 2808 games played, which came out to 12.75%. Of the players I have chosen to compare, Robinson would rank 21st on my list.
    It is no secret that players come up with the intention of being a full time DH now as opposed to before. Brian Downing was an example of a player who was insulted by the move. So it is no surprise that David Ortiz was the highest percentage of games played at DH with the minimum total games played requirement of 1236. Though the list is unofficial, here is what I came up with.
Player        GP     nonDH      DH       percentage
1. David Ortiz     1832       257      1575        85.97%
2. Hal McRae      2084       516      1568        75.24%
3. Edgar Martinez 2055      592      1463       71.19%
4. Harold Baines    2830      1061     1769       62.51%
5. Frank Thomas   2322       971      1351       58.18%
6. Don Baylor        2292       970      1322       57.68%
7. Chili Davis         2436      1186     1250       51.31%
8. Paul Molitor       2683      1495     1188       44.28%
9. Hideki Matsui     1236       692       544       44.01%
10. Cecil Fielder     1470       915       555       37.76%
11. Brian Downing  2344      1460       884       37.71%
12. Jim Thome      2543      1599       944       37.12%
13. Reggie Jackson 2820      2102       718       25.46%
14. Vladimir Guerrero 2147    1608      539       25.10%
15. Dave Parker     2466        1887      579       23.48%
16. Juan Gonzalez   1689        1311      378      22.38%
17. Cecil Cooper     1896        1475      421      22.20%
18. Rafael Palmeiro 2831        2351      480      19.96%
19. Dave Winfield    2973        2479      494      16.62%
20. Albert Belle       1539        1311      228      14.81%
    Interesting parts of this list were players like Winfield, Parker and Thome who seem like they DHed more games than they did. However, Winfield and Parker were among the best OFs in the game during their prime. The all time percentage of games DHed will always be a more recent thing as many of the older DHs either were in the last couple of years of their career or did not stick around for a long time. With guys like Kendry Morales, Adam Dunn, Billy Butler and Travis Hafner being more DH only players, I am curious to see what percentage of DHed games those players end up with. As far as Bloomberg is concerned, he played in 461 career games, 239 as a DH, which came out to a percentage of 51.84%. If he qualified, he would have ranked 6th between Baylor and Davis.

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Gaylord Perry: Hall of Famer, compiler or cheater?

1/15/2013

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    One player whose name was brought up during the recent non-announcement of a MLB Hall of Fame player was Gaylord Perry. Perry was long known for throwing a spitball and doctoring the baseball in any different ways. Perry was inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame in 1991, with his 314 wins and over 3500 strikeouts. Those numbers are considered magic numbers and for a long time were automatic for nomination. Though 300 wins may not happen again, 3000 strikeouts may be losing its legend. We will see over the next several seasons if guys like Roger Clemens, Pedro Martinez, Curt Schilling and John Smoltz get in.
    It will not take long to take the compiler label off of Perry. He did, however, finish with 265 career losses and a .542 winning percentage. In addition to the wins and strikeouts, he did plan on retiring after his 1979 season in San Diego. When he was traded to the back to the Rangers, he pitched over 200 innings in 1980. After the 1979 season, he was 279-217, going just 35-48 from 1980-1983. in my opinion, Gaylord Perry had HOF numbers after the 1979 season, but the magic numbers stated he needed to win 300. So he did. To me, that is not a compiler.
    The bigger issue has been raised because of the players who have not and may not make the Hall of Fame. Players implicated with steroids such as Barry Bonds, Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro may never make it into the Hall because they [("cheated")]. Though the extent may never be proven completely, Perry cheated. He doctored the baseball, which is against the rules and gave him an unfair advantage. This is exactly what steroids did for those accused and that is why they are left out of the Hall. To me, it is a double standard. Steroids contribute to the whole body of work, while a doctored baseball may not effect every pitch. And that is how Perry got a way with it. He would always make gestures like he was doctoring the baseball when he wasn't. In fact, he was not caught doctoring a baseball until 1982, when he was pitching for 20 years already. However, there is no denying the fact that he doctored the baseball, which is against the rules. Ask Reggie Jackson. Gaylord Perry gave himself an unfair advantage by doing something that was against the rules. Yes, the steroids players did something that was against the law, both in both cases, there was a non level playing field.
    I feel if there is no reason to question whether Perry, a known cheater, should have made the Hall of Fame, there should be no reason to keep the players who did steroids out. We have hit a stage of the game where it is impossible to determine how many players were using and how many were not using. If a steroids player hits a homerun off a steroids pitcher, should it even out? If a steroids pitcher strikes out a steroids hitter, should it be considered a clean strikeout? I think there is some doubt over whether Perry would have been as dominant if he did not cheat. Maybe asking for a recall and to dig out all the spitballers of the 1920s and 1930s (before and after) may be asking to much. But is it such a bad point to question why such a blind eye has been pointed at Gaylord Perry while the players who have used steroids are getting bludgeoned. Especially when that same "blind eye" was in its prime when these players were obviously using and breaking the law.

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Dr Bobby Brown's WS numbers forgotten because of elongated playoff format

12/8/2012

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Many know of Bobby Brown as a former MLB player who got his doctorate in cardiology as well as serving a term as American League President long after his baseball career. Bobby, of course, was a member of the second (or third if you consider 1923, 1927, 1928 and 1932 one) major dynasty of the New York Yankees.

    Brown, who had ended his playing career after the 1954 season, had embarked on a successful medical career. On this date in 1983, he was elected American League President by the American League owners. Brown just celebrated his 88th birthday this past October. He was AL President from 1984-1994 and performed heart surgery for more than 30 years.
    This post-playing career success overshadows Brown's success as a player. Though he was not a regular player during his career which spanded from 1946-1954, he was heavily depended on during the Yankees World Series run. Playing as a 3B in the World Series in 1949-1951, he got a large chunk of playing time. As a 22 year old, in 1947, he was 3-3 as a pinch hitter in the World Series victory over the Brooklyn Dodgers. Two of his hits were 2Bs, he drove in three runs and managed to score two more. His other AB resulted in a walk. He kept up his success during the 1949 Series as he went 6-12 with a 2B, 2 3Bs, 5 RBI and 4 more RS. In the 1950 and 1951 World Series, he was a combined 9-24 with 2 2Bs, 1 3B, 1 RBI and 3 more RS. That put his World Series career numbers at 18-41, 9 RS, 5 2B, 3 3B, 9 RBI and .439 AVG. That is the highest average in the history of the World Series for a batter with 40 or more ABs. He also managed a 1.207 OPS, as he added 5 BB to his 8 extra base hits.
    Nowadays, it doesn't make much sense to separate numbers in the different postseason series. When evaluating players like Carlos Beltran and Albert Pujols; those who have had great postseason numbers, their performance in the DS and CS factor in heavily. Beltran has yet to play in a World Series game, but is considered a very good postseason player. But guys like Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra were known as WS stars. Reggie Jackson had his moment in the 1977 World Series and managed to win five in his career. Even Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera don't stand out for what they did in just the World Series. Brown had all his success in just the World Series, as divisional play did not start until 1969 and a second round of league playoffs did not start until 1995.
    Obviously, like many others, Brown's chances of playing in the World Series were increased severely by the fact that he played for the Yankees. From 1936-1953, the Yankees won 12 World Series Championships and lost one (1942 to the St Louis Cardinals). Thats 13 World Series appearances in 18 years! But that does not take away from what Brown did in the his 4 fall classics. Because of the expanded playoff format though, another player with such success may not be noted. It is just as important for teams to get through the first two rounds (plus the wild card round if necessary) to even get to the World Series. Perhaps a player who just shines in the World Series may be doing his team a disservice if he struggles in the DS or CS.

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Kluszewski VS Luzinski: Sluggers from two different eras

8/28/2012

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bbr.com

I find it pretty interesting that some people sometimes confuse power hitting OFs Ted Kluszewski and Greg Luzinski. They both did play for the Chicago White Sox during a portion of their careers. Kluszewski led the White Sox to the World Series in 1959, where they lost to the Dodgers. Luzinski helped them to the postseason in 1983, where they lost to the Orioles in the ALCS. Though they were both power hitters who happened to play at different time periods, they were not very similar hitters.

    Kluszewski (who lived from 1924-1988) made his debut in 1947 with the Cincinnati Reds and played from 1947-1957. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1958-1959 and for the White Sox in 1959-1960. He finished his career in 1961 with the Los Angeles Angels. His final line was .298, 290, 1028 with 290 2B, 492 BB and 365 Ks. Kluszewski had his best season in 1954, where he hit .326, 49, 141 while striking out 35 times. He had 40 Ks in 1955, while hitting 47, 117. Unfortunately, his run as a big time power hitter only lasted four seasons and was over by 1956.
    Luzinski, on the other hand, was more of a free swinger who sustained his power a little longer in his career. Luzinski played with the Phillies from 1970-1980 and the White Sox from 1981-1984. He compiled a .276, 307, 1128 career line with 344 2B, 845 BB and 1495 Ks. Yes, he struck out a lot in a time where only Reggie Jackson and Dave Kingman would K at that rate. But, he also had a solid on base percentage because of his ability to draw walks. His best season came in 1977 with the Phillies when he hit .309, 39, 130. He hit 30+ HR 4 times (1975, 1977, 1978 and 1983).
    Luzinski had more of a sustained success to his career. Kluszewski was more dominant; he was the top star on a Reds team that had Frank Robinson. Robinson was the better overall player, but Kluszewski was more dominant in those couple of years. Luzinski filled an important spot in the middle of the order, but was not as dominant as Mike Schmidt. I like Kluszewski's plate discipline, which had something to do with hitters not being as free swingers as they are now. 49 HR and 35 walks in a season is nothing short of amazing. Luzinski hit 32 HR in 1983 and only played one more season after that. Thinking about Kluszewski's career, injuries set him back in his last five or so seasons. I'd like to see what he could have accomplished had he stayed healthy.

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The 1971 All Star Game, and all its future Hall of Famers

7/13/2012

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    The 1971 All Star Game, held at Tigers Stadium, was known as the game that Reggie Jackson hit the home run off the transformer at the roof of the stadium. It was a game won by the AL, 6-4, with Vida Blue getting the win over Dock Ellis. This game was played 31 years ago on this date in history.
    Jackson was among six players (all of whom would end up in Baseball's Hall of Fame) who hit home runs in the game. Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, Roberto Clemente, Johnny Bench and Hank Aaron also homered. Similar to some of the other games, I have either seen tapes of or read transcripts of, it was a well played game with that featured some of the games best. Not all of the greats played, but it was a tremendous showing of future Hall of Famers. Hall of Famers in the starting lineups included Mays, Aaron, Willie Stargell, Willie McCovey, Bench, Rod Carew, Carl Yastrzemski, Robinson, and Brooks Robinson. Clemente, Lou Brock, Killebrew, Jackson, Ron Santo and Al Kaline all came off the bench.
    The Hall of Famers were not limited to just the position players. Future Hall of Famers Ferguson Jenkins, Juan Marichal and Jim Palmer all pitched in the game. Tom Seaver and Steve Carlton were on the NL roster but did not pitch. All in all, from what I counted, there were 20 players on the rosters of the teams in this game. If its not a record, it has to be close. Imagine how it must have felt to be a younger player on that team for the first time. Hopefully they soaked it in.
    Not only were there a lot of Hall of Fame players there, there was also a good amount of very good players including Pete Rose. Other attendees were Bobby Bonds, Bobby Murcer, Rusty Staub, Tony Oliva, Jim Perry, Norm Cash, Joe Torre, Boog Powell, Jim Perry, Mickey Lolich and Wliber Wood. Certainly would have been more enjoyable than watching the game from this year.

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All those honored in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park

If every MLB team had only one Hall of Famer, who would they be? (AL version)

Better California Angels team, 1979 or 1982?

Yankees/ Red Sox AL East one game playoff: 35 years later

The day Cesar Tovar played all 9 positions

What % of the games best designated hitters actually DH(ed)

Gaylord Perry: Hall of Famer, compiler or cheater?

Dr Bobby Brown's WS numbers forgotten because of elongated playoff format

Kluszewski VS Luzinski: Sluggers from two different eras

The 1971 All Star Game, and all its future Hall of Famers

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