tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68493590236077174712024-03-18T16:09:45.561-04:00Tubbs Baseball BlogJohn Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-44220545366739251692024-03-14T19:02:00.000-04:002024-03-14T19:02:22.467-04:00Former Atlanta Braves Hurler Tim Hudson Belongs in the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1A7vsXpLwKDSNzTxddlB5VChxgS9v-O66xdFZqptCZ07Znvu1-4Wml9SUJ-Lat3HqHXhGz06GdFMDxRtQC0dx6hQ-8xRPJnGm5wfWILeZ9QdCSWYYjUMS0v26wuMlpuUCbNjH0OOBGLQEIBdOMSbSDkaHsSYX1kWEu9PKsjob0RikSvyoP3hKKRmWYaQ/s1008/Huddy%202009%20Topps%20Heritage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1008" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ1A7vsXpLwKDSNzTxddlB5VChxgS9v-O66xdFZqptCZ07Znvu1-4Wml9SUJ-Lat3HqHXhGz06GdFMDxRtQC0dx6hQ-8xRPJnGm5wfWILeZ9QdCSWYYjUMS0v26wuMlpuUCbNjH0OOBGLQEIBdOMSbSDkaHsSYX1kWEu9PKsjob0RikSvyoP3hKKRmWYaQ/w640-h458/Huddy%202009%20Topps%20Heritage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />During his 17-year major league career, right-handed hurler Tim Hudson
posted a superb win-loss record of 222-133 while maintaining a steady
3.49 ERA. Yet, despite being one of the top pitchers of his era, thus
far, election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame has eluded him. For
players like Hudson, who have yet to be voted into Cooperstown, earning
induction into a state or team-level Hall of Fame serves as a great way
to have their achievements recognized. In 2018, Hudson received two
such honors when he was elected to both the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame
and the Braves Hall of Fame. The former honor centered on his standout
collegiate career which he split between Chattahoochee Valley Community
College and Auburn University. The latter distinction recognized his
nine seasons as an integral part of the Atlanta Braves starting
rotation. With a sizable chunk of his career achievements taking place
in the Peach State, Hudson would also be a worthy addition to the
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. For more than five decades, the Georgia
Sports Hall of Fame has enshrined sports figures who have a long or
significant association with the state of Georgia.<br />
<br />
Born in Columbus, Georgia on July 14, 1975, Hudson was raised just over
the state line in nearby Salem, Alabama. Growing up about 90 minutes
outside of Atlanta, Hudson dreamed of one day playing for the Braves. After establishing himself as a frontline starting pitcher while toeing
the slab for the Oakland Athletics during the initial six seasons of his
major league career, Hudson got the opportunity to play for the Braves
when he was dealt to the club prior to the 2005 campaign. In his first
season with Atlanta, the righty went 14-9 with a 3.52 ERA to help the
team secure its 14th-straight division title. Throughout his career,
Hudson displayed a competitive spirit and dedication to his craft. This
was never more evident than in 2010 when he battled back from an elbow
injury that required Tommy John surgery to post a 17-9 record and 2.83
ERA. Hudson’s gritty 2010 campaign played a key role in leading Atlanta
back to the playoffs after a four-year absence. At season’s end,
Hudson was the recipient of both the NL Comeback Player of the Year and
MLB Hutch Awards. He remained a top starter and wrapped up his
nine-year run with the Braves by helping the club make the playoffs in
both 2012 and 2013, contributing a combined record of 24-14 for those
campaigns. During his final season with Atlanta, he reached the 200-win
milestone in front of family and friends at Turner Field, earning a
memorable victory over the Washington Nationals. He aided his own cause
that day by hitting a home run. Hudson capped off his big league
career by spending his final two seasons with the San Francisco Giants,
winning the World Series championship with the team in 2014.<br />
<br />
During his nine seasons with the Braves, Hudson racked up an impressive
win-loss record of 113-72 while maintaining a solid 3.56 ERA. Since the
Braves’ 1966 move to Atlanta, Hudson’s 113 victories ranks fifth on the
franchise leaderboard, trailing only Phil Niekro, Tom Glavine, John
Smoltz, and Greg Maddux—each of whom have been enshrined in the National
Baseball Hall of Fame. In recent years, the Georgia Sports Hall of
Fame’s esteemed list of inductees has included seven of Hudson’s former
Braves teammates: Andruw Jones, Brian Jordan, Chipper Jones, Brian
McCann, Mark Teixeira, and the aforementioned Glavine and Smoltz.<br />
<br />
In addition to his exploits on the baseball diamond, Hudson has
contributed off the field. During his playing career, he was honored
for his charity work by receiving multiple nominations for the
prestigious Roberto Clemente Award. In 2009, Hudson and his wife Kim
co-founded their own non-profit charity organization, the Hudson Family
Foundation, which remains active to this day.<br />
<br />
The combination of Hudson’s brilliant 17-year major league career, nine
seasons as a frontline pitcher for the Braves, and dedicated charity
work make him a worthy addition to the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.georgiasportshalloffame.com/nominate-someone" target="_blank">Follow this link to nominate Tim Hudson for the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame</a><br />
<br />
----by John Tuberty<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMyjuizdKAZmGODxymK4vyCOktQEc6vhCqlF0JiF5uaLXbRrl3843ZX8Hqo9GokCaLuejTbNthW2iVZGLwZaY-uQqcoVzsdx9i3_5Xh9OJfQFyP0pxt5dlvQJBHrgbilvbtMn9BD89nwOWvMvJa9Q5-VplzOAnZY6ybUeDcYIDDIhbhAqUmij_80MnU1Z/s1043/Tim%20Hudson%202011%20Topps.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="1043" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRMyjuizdKAZmGODxymK4vyCOktQEc6vhCqlF0JiF5uaLXbRrl3843ZX8Hqo9GokCaLuejTbNthW2iVZGLwZaY-uQqcoVzsdx9i3_5Xh9OJfQFyP0pxt5dlvQJBHrgbilvbtMn9BD89nwOWvMvJa9Q5-VplzOAnZY6ybUeDcYIDDIhbhAqUmij_80MnU1Z/w640-h456/Tim%20Hudson%202011%20Topps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Stat links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsoti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Hudson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/niekrph01.shtml" target="_blank">Phil Niekro</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/glavito02.shtml" target="_blank">Tom Glavine</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smoltjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Smoltz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddugr01.shtml" target="_blank">Greg Maddux</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andruw Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jordabr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brian Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesch06.shtml" target="_blank">Chipper Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccanbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brian McCann</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teixema01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Teixeira</a><br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/sport/baseball/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_topnav_stathead&utm_content=lnk_top&_gl=1*532qk7*_ga*MTQzOTUyODk2My4xNzA4ODg0ODIz*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTcwODg4NDgyMy4xLjEuMTcwODg4NDk3NS4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank">Stathead</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/tim-hudson/" target="_blank">Joe Leisek, “Tim Hudson,” SABR Biography Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/Aces/weLBA1_h0qUC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=aces+mychael+urban&dq=aces+mychael+urban&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank">Mychael Urban, Aces: The Last Season on the Mound with the Oakland A’s Big Three: Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, (Trade Paper Press, 2005)</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.georgiasportshalloffame.com/full-list-of-inductees" target="_blank">Georgia Sports Hall of Fame Full List of Inductees</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://ashof.org/honorees/ashof-inductees/" target="_blank">Alabama Sports Hall of Fame Inductees</a> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/braves/history/braves-hall-of-famers" target="_blank">Braves Hall of Fame Members</a><br />
<br />
<u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSrBjGFquT4OtUHSuUk6exT6VqtNcxgW8QWTG-KPUmSn9AxVR6biVcW8HkBv6pUn3G4DkUtx0B_hg1kXabUPbZMwdHNcO2A4SvCt2bJGs93P7Pwu6C_FxIILWVZAnrPBAku76F3BPk0BceTwxYqxraP6b4U8YnO_JK0dbQSquH_q4eNnU_bEuiDdSSUS2/s2244/Tim%20Hudson%20Athletics%20Braves%20Giants.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2244" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLSrBjGFquT4OtUHSuUk6exT6VqtNcxgW8QWTG-KPUmSn9AxVR6biVcW8HkBv6pUn3G4DkUtx0B_hg1kXabUPbZMwdHNcO2A4SvCt2bJGs93P7Pwu6C_FxIILWVZAnrPBAku76F3BPk0BceTwxYqxraP6b4U8YnO_JK0dbQSquH_q4eNnU_bEuiDdSSUS2/w640-h298/Tim%20Hudson%20Athletics%20Braves%20Giants.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Additional Tim Hudson Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u><br />
<a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank">An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/hall-of-fame-candidate-tim-hudsons-pair.html" target="_blank">Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Pair of Late Season Undefeated Streaks That Played Key Roles in Securing the 2000 and 2002 AL West Division Titles for the Oakland Athletics</a><p></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-27518851304796409372024-02-29T15:24:00.000-05:002024-02-29T15:24:30.912-05:00The Rare Occasions in Which Colorado Rockies Pitchers Ranked on the NL Top-10 Leaderboard in ERA+<p></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPI0CSDELwgsBK4lAidD067Zjz1m1GOc3FhUXDgxRnldOgTOa6abAXqJYC2hswCB31JdMFWKKi_PZ30LZKyEXeaa830Ik5NAHlthDl_6zVBG8eH3v-gZ9hcYWM6mWHS2TF6EhyphenhyphenqrJAUqIoDvn5zFdP_1sLBihPVXnKnxdj7mJIAo6xQmm3aEC3Fdq7upO/s2984/Marvin%20Freeman%20Ubaldo%20Jimenez%20Kyle%20Freeland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="2984" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAPI0CSDELwgsBK4lAidD067Zjz1m1GOc3FhUXDgxRnldOgTOa6abAXqJYC2hswCB31JdMFWKKi_PZ30LZKyEXeaa830Ik5NAHlthDl_6zVBG8eH3v-gZ9hcYWM6mWHS2TF6EhyphenhyphenqrJAUqIoDvn5zFdP_1sLBihPVXnKnxdj7mJIAo6xQmm3aEC3Fdq7upO/w640-h298/Marvin%20Freeman%20Ubaldo%20Jimenez%20Kyle%20Freeland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Since the Colorado Rockies joined the NL in 1993, the Denver-based
franchise’s hitters have garnered an unparalleled number of batting
titles. In fact, during the 31-year existence of the franchise, nine
different Rockies hitters have captured 11 NL batting crowns while, over
the same stretch, no other MLB club can claim more than five batting
titles. Critics of the franchise frequently argue that Colorado’s
hitters benefit from playing in the thin air and high elevation of
Denver which causes the ball to travel further. While playing at high
altitude helps Rockies hitters produce standout offensive totals at
home, this same advantage works against the team’s pitchers who
routinely post poor home numbers. In addition to having to endure the
disadvantages of pitching in thin air and high elevation, Colorado’s
hurlers also deal with the challenges of adjusting to distinct elevation
changes and the potentially greater risk for injury that comes along
with it. As a result, Rockies pitchers have enjoyed little in the way
of success. In fact, over its 31 years of play, the team has finished
at the bottom of the NL in ERA a staggering 18 times while ranking
next-to-last on another five occasions. In stark contrast to the team’s
hitters who have collected 11 batting crowns, no Rockies hurler has
come anywhere close to winning the ERA title, as just three of the
club’s pitchers have even managed to finish the season ranked on the NL
top-10 leaderboard in ERA.</div><div><br /></div><div>Indeed, the
disadvantages that Colorado’s hurlers face are underscored by the
eye-popping park factor values the team’s home ballpark generates each
year which are typically the highest in the NL. Thus, instead of using
traditional ERA to evaluate Rockies pitchers, ERA+ is a more accurate
metric because it attempts to the level the playing field by taking into
account the impact the pitcher’s home ballpark had on their
performance. Yet, even with the adjustments of ERA+, there have only
been 11 occasions in which a Rockies pitcher produced an ERA+ figure
that cracked the NL top-10 leaderboard in the metric. Further
underscoring the disadvantage faced by Colorado’s hurlers, these 11
finishes on the ERA+ leaderboard represents the same number of batting
titles won by the team’s hitters. With this in mind, I decided to take a
deeper look at these rare occasions when a Rockies hurler overcame the
disadvantages of pitching in Denver to slot among the senior circuit’s
top moundsmen. Some of these hurlers actually pitched more effectively
at home than on the road, even though in each of these cases Colorado’s
home ballpark generated a NL-worst park factor for pitchers.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCxl8icUFPXoHRJnsXWFyGbbJTOud7ceQkh07W-LoutERoOyb1EO6a1DRk1bVR7223pHNYstlFIcWYziheZRofrlAQ5wii_hu5LHi-rzBN4scU8bcJbiNe3YkOyEaCWZf_JUupzvpelkK40P9Xuth58jQim8iQCYAW0etdRGt8EZKP_RFomXqldwtKGhR/s1500/Marvin%20Freeman.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1500" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCxl8icUFPXoHRJnsXWFyGbbJTOud7ceQkh07W-LoutERoOyb1EO6a1DRk1bVR7223pHNYstlFIcWYziheZRofrlAQ5wii_hu5LHi-rzBN4scU8bcJbiNe3YkOyEaCWZf_JUupzvpelkK40P9Xuth58jQim8iQCYAW0etdRGt8EZKP_RFomXqldwtKGhR/w640-h446/Marvin%20Freeman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />A
free agent acquisition for 1994, right-hander Marvin Freeman brought
parts of seven seasons of experience to the Rockies. Considered a long
shot to make Colorado’s rotation, Freeman got the opportunity to open
the year as the team’s number-five starter when fellow righty Kent
Bottenfield suffered a broken hand while taking batting practice. Freeman initially began his major league career as a starter for the
Philadelphia Phillies during the latter half of the 1980s but failed to
cement a permanent spot in the rotation. Freeman was then moved to the
bullpen just prior to a July 1990 trade that sent him to the Atlanta
Braves. He pitched effectively in relief for the Braves over the
remainder of 1990 and during each of the next two seasons as the club
captured the NL pennant in both 1991 and 1992. However, Freeman was
released by Atlanta at the conclusion of 1993 after struggling through
an injury-riddled year in which his ERA soared to 6.08.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLcTahLFJjlxGtyx3SNjxTQsE9KZMGP-w9wbIfUvandUSdVJiH7lO6SE3ADxUbOUlzhZZ89l06wO2yrsvVux4fuGiid7FAfNbN4juHDmu6Em3sAHd2WCpzLdNg1JXzNHGpU7dOMknp9Vo9h0Myat5G-dHLnk4CEenj-ctKQO7XIWAK9-gM8TG3dW95STH/s810/Marvin%20Freeman%201994.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="810" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcLcTahLFJjlxGtyx3SNjxTQsE9KZMGP-w9wbIfUvandUSdVJiH7lO6SE3ADxUbOUlzhZZ89l06wO2yrsvVux4fuGiid7FAfNbN4juHDmu6Em3sAHd2WCpzLdNg1JXzNHGpU7dOMknp9Vo9h0Myat5G-dHLnk4CEenj-ctKQO7XIWAK9-gM8TG3dW95STH/w640-h128/Marvin%20Freeman%201994.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Signing
on with Colorado for 1994, Freeman made the most of the opportunity
created by Bottenfield’s injury and excelled in his second chance at
starting, putting together a brilliant campaign for the second-year
Rockies. After compiling a 67-95 record during the franchise’s
inaugural season, Colorado improved to 53-64 in 1994 and became an
unlikely contender in a weak NL West, spending the majority of the
campaign within a handful of games of the division lead before the
strike brought a premature end to the season. One of the main factors
in the club’s surprising run was the superb pitching of Freeman who went
10-2 with a 2.80 ERA that translated to an even more impressive 179
ERA+. The righty finished on the NL leaderboard in both metrics as his
traditional ERA ranked third while his ERA+ slotted runner-up to former
Braves teammate Greg Maddux. Freeman’s 2.80 ERA stood out on a
beleaguered Rockies pitching staff that sported a NL-worst 5.15 mark
with David Nied’s 4.80 figure representing the next lowest ERA among the
team’s regular starters. Freeman went undefeated at Colorado’s Mile
High Stadium while producing similar home and road ERA numbers. In
fact, because each of Freeman’s unearned runs came on foreign terrain,
his home RA9 of 2.90 was actually lower than his 3.29 road mark. Moreover, the 31-year-old hurler was showing no signs of slowing down
as he went 3-0 with a 1.63 ERA in his final four starts before the
strike halted play on August 12. In addition to ranking among the
senior circuit leaders in both ERA and ERA+, Freeman also paced the loop
with a .833 win-loss percentage while his 4.5 WAR classified
fourth-best among NL hurlers. Freeman drew support from NL Cy Young
Award voters and tied for fourth in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>After
having dealt with injuries in 1989, 1991, and 1993, Freeman proved he
could put together a standout season as a starter. Unfortunately, his
injury issues resurfaced at the beginning of 1995 as elbow problems
plagued him throughout the year. The righty remained in Colorado’s
starting rotation but saw his ERA balloon to 5.89 and ERA+ slump to 91. Freeman fared no better in 1996, pitching to a 6.04 ERA for the Rockies
before being selected off waivers by the Chicago White Sox at the end
of August. Freeman made a single ineffective start for Chicago in what
turned out to be his final major league appearance.</div><div><br /></div><div>When
the strike ended and play resumed for the 1995 season, the Rockies
moved into their new home ballpark, Coors Field. While Mile High
Stadium generated respective park factors of 123 and 114 in 1993 and
1994, Coors Field proved to be even less pitcher-friendly than its
predecessor as Colorado’s newly-minted home registered an eye-popping
128 park factor for 1995. Rockies hurlers were battered to the tune of
6.17 ERA at home, compared to 3.71 on the road.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-yGottTzcepG0lMJOuBoKlb4hNNGFN7jSNuKrc1J-9ww6lhNVWVk1KcR7uvoxeGvYmFJ7as5xaShry3TlDYFkH0A5ll9tIVo1cJBV9bIjMDOIS4UbpFbaz460FDn5FKIS45PnMCtiNGtkxesScKRXr2OSuIVIG_wVtHQkjn2qYFJrEZDygc1vYaRXxCC/s1500/Kevin%20Ritz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1500" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-yGottTzcepG0lMJOuBoKlb4hNNGFN7jSNuKrc1J-9ww6lhNVWVk1KcR7uvoxeGvYmFJ7as5xaShry3TlDYFkH0A5ll9tIVo1cJBV9bIjMDOIS4UbpFbaz460FDn5FKIS45PnMCtiNGtkxesScKRXr2OSuIVIG_wVtHQkjn2qYFJrEZDygc1vYaRXxCC/w640-h448/Kevin%20Ritz.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Right-hander
Kevin Ritz took his lumps at Coors Field but pitched well enough on the
road to slot among NL ERA+ leaders for 1995. Ritz came to Colorado as
the 46th pick of the 1992 expansion draft after being left unprotected
by the Detroit Tigers. In parts of four seasons with Detroit, Ritz had
compiled an uneven 6-18 record and 5.85 ERA with the majority of his
outings coming as a starter. Attempting to return from an elbow injury
that brought an early end to his 1992 campaign, Ritz appeared to be
damaged goods as his elbow issues crept up again and caused him to miss
all of the 1993 season. Ritz began 1994 in the minors but earned the
call-up to Colorado in late May and made 15 starts for the club, going
5-6 with a 5.62 ERA that worked out to an ERA+ of 89.</div><div><br /></div><div>With
the prior year’s ace Marvin Freeman hampered by his own elbow injury,
Ritz picked up the mantle in 1995, posting an 11-11 record and 4.21 ERA
across 173 1/3 innings—in the process tossing nearly 70 more frames than
any other Rockies hurler. The 30-year-old righty pitched much more
effectively on the road than at home as three-quarters of the 16 long
balls he allowed came at Coors Field. Ritz’s 4.21 ERA translated to a
solid 128 ERA+ which ranked eighth-best in the NL. Additionally, Ritz’s
4.5 WAR slotted him in the same number-eight spot on the senior circuit
pitching leaderboard.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVguyW2_26xfSHHfMCyppkS9IrfJb9gMPqcX1SPMmeTFIDXRyA9w1Rie8OoTaHEfO-xdbw2Ie6Xou2veTVjF15zXcf5K7Xmrd7CovC431qY4-k-eXNyht6-TWVBo4OiQfMZCNCDcfDqo95DSuXI7ByEEXmdFtNPi6MgMCxLvcEQ0k_6cwLBn3He3kH2-8/s809/Kevin%20Ritz%201995.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="809" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDVguyW2_26xfSHHfMCyppkS9IrfJb9gMPqcX1SPMmeTFIDXRyA9w1Rie8OoTaHEfO-xdbw2Ie6Xou2veTVjF15zXcf5K7Xmrd7CovC431qY4-k-eXNyht6-TWVBo4OiQfMZCNCDcfDqo95DSuXI7ByEEXmdFtNPi6MgMCxLvcEQ0k_6cwLBn3He3kH2-8/w640-h128/Kevin%20Ritz%201995.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Fueled by a potent
offense that relished hitting at Coors Field, the Rockies racked up a
77-67 record and secured the NL wild card, thus reaching the postseason
in only the franchise’s third year of play despite the pitching staff
compiling a league-worst 4.97 ERA. Ritz toed the slab for Colorado in
the opening contest of the NLDS at home against the NL East champion
Braves. Ritz started the game opposite the senior loop’s eventual Cy
Young Award winner for the campaign, Greg Maddux. With each club
boasting formidable lineups, Ritz and Maddux did their best to limit the
damage at the unforgiving confines of Coors Field. Ritz lasted five
and one-third innings, being tagged for three runs, one of which was
unearned. Maddux tossed seven frames, also yielding a trio of runs. Neither starter factored in the decision as Atlanta won the opener by a
score of 5-4. With the Rockies facing elimination, Ritz returned to
the mound in Game Four, this time in relief of starter Bret Saberhagen
whom the Braves had routed for six runs over four frames. Ritz entered
the contest with Colorado trailing 6-3 and pitched poorly, allowing
Atlanta to extend the lead by giving up four runs in one and two-thirds
of an inning. The Braves won the game 10-4 to take the NLDS and
complete the first step of what would be a successful drive to the World
Series championship.</div><div><br /></div><div>Now the de facto ace of
Colorado’s beleaguered pitching staff, Ritz shouldered an even heavier
load in 1996, making 35 starts and hurling 213 innings, once again
leading the team by a healthy margin. Ritz and the Rockies both took a
step backwards from 1995, as the righty maintained a 5.28 ERA that
translated to a mediocre ERA+ of 98 while the club fell out of playoff
contention, going 83-79 to finish in third. Be that as it may, Ritz
crafted an impressive 17-11 record and set the single-season franchise
mark for wins that stood until 2010. Ritz further declined during a
difficult 1997 which saw his ERA rise to 5.87 and his record drop to
6-8, before a torn labrum brought a premature end to his season in late
July. The same injury sidelined Ritz for much of 1998 as he made just a
pair of starts for Colorado in what would be his final big league
campaign.</div><div><br /></div><div>After Marvin Freeman and Kevin Ritz
placed among the NL ERA+ leaders in back-to-back years, the Rockies
pitching staff began an eight-season stretch in which no hurler managed
to crack the top 10. During this period, a few of Colorado’s pitchers
came reasonably close as Roger Bailey, Pedro Astacio, and Brian Bohanon
each finished in the top 15 with Astacio matching Ritz’s
franchise-record 17 wins in 1999. This eight-year span also saw the
club sign marquee free agent pitchers Darryl Kile, Mike Hampton, and
Denny Neagle. Although each of these three hurlers had achieved success
prior to signing with Colorado, they struggled mightily while pitching
for the Rockies. After witnessing the substantial drop in performance
this trio suffered, henceforth very few high-profile free agent hurlers
signed deals to join the franchise. In an effort to cut down on scoring
at Coors Field, MLB approved the use of a climate-controlled humidor
during the 2002 campaign. The humidor, which was designed to keep
baseballs from drying out in the thin air of Denver, helped curtail
scoring to a degree as Coors Field’s park factors, which had generally
hovered in the mid-to-high 120s, mostly stayed in the 110s from that
point forward.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLX8_61FDlA8dO6i1E8bpHbI6hDKIinO-d1dani331loIGkzWmTR9qFeyagI3vMgXntkAjFKEZJaBRphXfNeej9GCaV-bo7Wtnb1ePUKAZ0WjDJNNL5guKNClUG8PxNnzsm6VoV95yigXWmLBmQvgQvORxOOWoQAmzEUGE4k7aRT9iNMusDbt4tJKmDEo/s1488/Joe%20Kennedy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1488" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxLX8_61FDlA8dO6i1E8bpHbI6hDKIinO-d1dani331loIGkzWmTR9qFeyagI3vMgXntkAjFKEZJaBRphXfNeej9GCaV-bo7Wtnb1ePUKAZ0WjDJNNL5guKNClUG8PxNnzsm6VoV95yigXWmLBmQvgQvORxOOWoQAmzEUGE4k7aRT9iNMusDbt4tJKmDEo/w640-h450/Joe%20Kennedy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The Rockies pitching staff’s
eight-year run of futility finally came to an end in 2004 when the
unlikely name of Joe Kennedy nudged his way onto the NL ERA+ top-10
leaderboard. Picked up from the Tampa Bay Devil Rays as part of an
offseason trade, the left-handed throwing Kennedy brought three years of
major league experience to Colorado, over which he had posted a
lackluster 4.98 ERA. Fresh off a disastrous 2003 where he went 3-12
with a 6.13 ERA while missing a month due to shoulder inflammation,
Kennedy quickly made a positive impression with his new team, winning
each of his first four decisions to begin 2004. He then labored through
a series of middling starts before the return of his shoulder
inflammation sent him to the sidelines in early July. The 25-year-old
hurler came back strong from his month-long stay on the disabled list
and ended the season on a high note with a 3.19 ERA over his final 10
starts. With his solid finish to the campaign, Kennedy rounded out 2004
with a 9-7 record and 3.66 ERA. One of the few bright spots on a
68-win Rockies club whose pitching staff assembled a NL-worst 5.54 ERA,
Kennedy ranked ninth in the loop with a 135 ERA+. The southpaw
maintained comparable home and road ERA figures while compiling a much
better win-loss record at Coors Field. Kennedy’s shoulder injury nearly
cost him a spot in the top 10 as he was only able to accumulate 162 1/3
innings, barely meeting the required number of frames to be eligible
for the ERA+ leaderboard. Despite his relatively low inning total,
Kennedy accrued 5.6 WAR, the sixth-highest figure among NL pitchers.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2CYfJs13Kqm6Z3oWHNdmF-1E66bIVOnr6LgSudWbA7jFgo8MCpiy9zL1-LRztej34r0QgvdYG8ehrPZdTpFSTgYWAGsOpWFHGm9T_vLxDwKkX3hzTAJmet3sAJFBe4ZM9rNcJvq3GU6GdjeZc5Ld-E94OsJS6KuXjOW59hD-u3yS4hnnli-wMzThX1nQ/s809/Joe%20Kennedy%202004.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="809" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2CYfJs13Kqm6Z3oWHNdmF-1E66bIVOnr6LgSudWbA7jFgo8MCpiy9zL1-LRztej34r0QgvdYG8ehrPZdTpFSTgYWAGsOpWFHGm9T_vLxDwKkX3hzTAJmet3sAJFBe4ZM9rNcJvq3GU6GdjeZc5Ld-E94OsJS6KuXjOW59hD-u3yS4hnnli-wMzThX1nQ/w640-h128/Joe%20Kennedy%202004.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />However,
Kennedy was unable to carry the momentum of his impressive 2004 into
2005 as opposing hitters freely pounded him both at Coors Field and on
the road. Finally, after posting an unsightly 7.04 ERA across 16
starts, Kennedy was shipped to the Oakland Athletics as part of a
four-player trade on July 13. The lefty recaptured some of his form
with the A’s, logging a 4.45 ERA over the balance of the campaign while
pitching better in relief. Kennedy remained in the bullpen for 2006
where he excelled as Oakland’s set-up man, registering a sparkling 2.31
ERA despite once again missing time due to shoulder inflammation. Following his brilliant 2006, the A’s gave him another shot at breaking
into their starting rotation for 2007 but he produced pedestrian
results and was subsequently selected off waivers by the Arizona
Diamondbacks on August 4. The southpaw only made three relief
appearances for Arizona before they released him on August 22. He then
finished out the campaign as a reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays. Tragically, during the offseason, Kennedy passed away from hypertensive
heart disease which caused his heart to stop beating. Kennedy was just
28 years old at the time of his death.</div><div><br /></div><div>The
initial three Rockies pitchers to crack the NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard
had respectively come to the team via free agency, the expansion draft,
and trade. But the 2006 campaign saw the first instance in which a
home-grown hurler, right-hander Jason Jennings, achieved the feat for
the franchise. The 16th overall pick in the first round of the 1999
draft, Jennings received the call-up to Colorado in late August 2001. Jennings debuted in grand style, earning himself the unique distinction
as the first—and to date only—Modern Era player to throw a
complete-game shutout and hit a home run in their major league debut. The following season, he went 16-8 with a 4.52 ERA for an uncompetitive
73-win Rockies team and was voted NL Rookie of the Year, becoming the
first Rockies player to secure top freshman honors. The subsequent
three campaigns were less impressive though, with the young hurler
racking up a combined record of 29-34 with a 5.25 ERA.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2LtxlFo1DAMJPUpaIHBCHSgqYFJ4DXeIANxpTZhItF_0YGAiNeC5rMHxNIidnFbBcbiyaTANuldqeVCbjZeB0AbXWtIF5248Lr80exuUJeUNXBUtx8NRI4S37ulS1idtH-N7Ms2UyCYUfJJaHsivWCu8-N0UXkhRYBKpN4OrU3dCdv66U7h5ULT0iYn9/s1520/Jason%20Jennings.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1520" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT2LtxlFo1DAMJPUpaIHBCHSgqYFJ4DXeIANxpTZhItF_0YGAiNeC5rMHxNIidnFbBcbiyaTANuldqeVCbjZeB0AbXWtIF5248Lr80exuUJeUNXBUtx8NRI4S37ulS1idtH-N7Ms2UyCYUfJJaHsivWCu8-N0UXkhRYBKpN4OrU3dCdv66U7h5ULT0iYn9/w640-h440/Jason%20Jennings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />However,
Jennings rediscovered his form in 2006, battling back from a broken
middle finger that cost him the final two months of the previous season,
to post a career-best 3.78 ERA. Although he notched an ERA nearly
three-quarters of a run lower than his rookie campaign, his solid
pitching was not reflected in his win-loss record as he only managed a
9-13 mark. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old etched his name on the NL
leaderboard, ranking sixth with a 130 ERA+ and slotting eighth among
hurlers with 5.0 WAR. He also tossed a pair of shutouts, matching the
franchise’s single-season record set by Roger Bailey in 1997. Jennings
produced a slightly lower ERA and a much better win-loss mark at home
than on enemy terrain. This was not a surprising outcome for the righty
who had gained a reputation earlier in his career for his ability to
win games at Coors Field after going a respective 9-4 at the ballpark in
2002 and 8-1 in 2003. In addition to Jennings, Colorado’s starting
rotation also featured fine pitching from Jeff Francis and Aaron Cook
who each classified just off the NL top-10 leaderboard in ERA+. Francis
went 13-11 with a 4.16 ERA which translated to a 118 ERA+ that ranked
12th. Cook, like Jennings, posted a hard-luck record that was not
reflective of his efforts, going an uneven 9-15 while maintaining a 4.23
ERA which worked out to a 116 ERA+ that slotted 14th. Yet, despite
being in the unusual position of having three effective starters heading
the team’s rotation, Colorado finished well out of playoff contention,
only mustering an uninspiring 76-86 record.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbkpTVKLWa6UL0hBZTrsXNNtFjps-5Zvo2vA14aoXG5yFNihyphenhyphenyAzVO11TMueGVk8OAZkklXz58THRiqf7uHrapKIv4hF9vqEIgWkcjO3j8p4AjKZZGPnEgx4bt8wpsoVyl3PveY4L-9IDJMF4TVLmzXgmjVFCdcD9YKt8zg6EYamt3lUGsgwGQGqKsBJF/s809/Jason%20Jennings%202006.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="809" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbkpTVKLWa6UL0hBZTrsXNNtFjps-5Zvo2vA14aoXG5yFNihyphenhyphenyAzVO11TMueGVk8OAZkklXz58THRiqf7uHrapKIv4hF9vqEIgWkcjO3j8p4AjKZZGPnEgx4bt8wpsoVyl3PveY4L-9IDJMF4TVLmzXgmjVFCdcD9YKt8zg6EYamt3lUGsgwGQGqKsBJF/w640-h128/Jason%20Jennings%202006.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />With
the completion of the 2006 campaign, Jennings had one year remaining on
his contract before he would be eligible for free agency. When
Jennings and the Rockies front office could not come to terms on a
contract extension, the club decided to part ways with the righty,
shipping him to the Houston Astros as part of a five-player trade on
December 12. Hampered by elbow problems that sent him to the disabled
list early in the 2007 season, Jennings pitched abysmally for Houston,
concluding the year with a 2-9 record and 6.45 ERA. Signing on with the
Texas Rangers for 2008, he experienced more elbow issues, missed a
significant chunk of the campaign, and performed poorly in the few
starts he did make. The 2009 season saw Jennings remain with Texas and
move into the bullpen. However, he only showed modest improvement in
his new role and was released by the Rangers on August 27, bringing an
end to his major league career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even though
trading Jennings weakened Colorado’s starting rotation, their pitching
staff put together a fine collective effort during the 2007 campaign,
logging a 4.32 ERA that slotted eighth-lowest among NL teams—easily the
best ERA figure and ranking the club had achieved up to this point. The
unusually strong showing by the pitching corps was an important factor
in helping the Rockies secure the NL wild card and advance to the
postseason for the first time in a dozen years. Colorado then went on
an impressive playoff run, sweeping both the Philadelphia Phillies in
the NLDS and the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS before themselves
being a victim of a sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox in the
World Series. Despite a solid overall performance from the Rockies
pitching staff, the starting rotation did not feature a standout effort
as Aaron Cook’s team-leading 117 ERA+ merely ranked 16th-best in the NL.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIG1EzsKT7lojqJQbiSItdHeutjkFdr5zBuifWMs2Cg_kfRcgbIg_D1XOwKudgRreNVT9fd0YQNyjUjju5pI1emyS7HB4HV6tY4qQ1wEaAfGEN-At9hRwRD8-HyY3o8qVX1x9Q_5PwQ9l-ltqn0GGia5F3Qv4Vx0medaQh6xG9t8lm3eIwA8aj87nHt1e/s2112/Ubaldo%20Jimenez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2112" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZIG1EzsKT7lojqJQbiSItdHeutjkFdr5zBuifWMs2Cg_kfRcgbIg_D1XOwKudgRreNVT9fd0YQNyjUjju5pI1emyS7HB4HV6tY4qQ1wEaAfGEN-At9hRwRD8-HyY3o8qVX1x9Q_5PwQ9l-ltqn0GGia5F3Qv4Vx0medaQh6xG9t8lm3eIwA8aj87nHt1e/w640-h446/Ubaldo%20Jimenez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The
2007 campaign also witnessed the emergence of the club’s next top
pitcher as right-hander Ubaldo Jiménez joined the starting rotation
during the second half of July and finished out the season with a 112
ERA+. Originally signed by the Rockies in 2001 as a 17-year-old amateur
free agent out of the Dominican Republic, Jiménez continued to pay
dividends as he rode the momentum into 2008, posting a 118 ERA+ that
ranked 16th in the senior circuit and barely a fraction behind Cook’s
team-pacing 118 figure which classified 14th. Jiménez followed that up
by notching a 15-12 record and 3.47 ERA in 2009 while slotting ninth
among NL hurlers with 5.5 WAR and just off the leaderboard in 13th place
with an ERA+ of 136. Although his traditional ERA only ranked
16th-best in the senior loop, up to this point his 3.47 mark represented
the lowest figure achieved by a Rockies pitcher over a full-length
162-game campaign. The righty’s sharp moundwork undoubtedly played a
key role in Colorado’s 2009 return to the postseason as the club set a
franchise record with 92 wins while the pitching staff established a new
low by registering a 4.22 ERA that matched its eighth-place rank among
NL teams from two years earlier. The Rockies subsequently fell to the
Phillies in the NLDS, with Jiménez taking the loss in the series opener
and pitching to a no-decision in the club’s Game Four defeat.</div><div><br /></div><div>Already
having cemented his reputations as one of the top young pitchers in
baseball, Jiménez kicked off 2010 in grand style, opening the campaign
with back-to-back victories before taking the mound in Atlanta and
holding the Braves hitless to become the first, and thus far, only
Rockies pitcher to throw a no-hitter. Named NL Pitcher of the Month for
both April and May, Jiménez check into midseason with a fantastic 15-1
record and 2.20 ERA, deservedly earning the nod as the senior circuit’s
starting pitcher for the All-Star Game. The 26-year-old sensation
tossed a pair of scoreless frames to help the NL win the Midsummer
Classic. However, Jiménez cooled off over the latter half of the
campaign, going 4-7 while maintaining a respectable 3.80 ERA to finish
2010 with a 19-8 record and 2.88 ERA. Part of Jiménez’s success stemmed
from his ability to pitch effectively at Coors Field. In fact, during
each of the initial three seasons of his career, he actually pitched
better at home than on the road. For 2010, Jiménez set new personal
bests at Coors Field in both win-loss record and ERA while greatly
improving on enemy terrain where, for the first time, he produced the
lower ERA figure.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z_eUolUDy27LczlgUt3wZRXsAvQB9RwsAM7v6AKgcozHpajfkQA5fiA4y6S4Qc0MM3JjyTjbrU3s6iC3gyQqIVhLMq9fRGOSfTL4Yi-LQ0WHTpC1Pk9gZPZrt3aeiPnO_g0Tw79FcMni7zTGexu42UyOhWJss8clUZSOqr2iEHyVeItZAWtMdKM1YxWc/s809/Ubaldo%20Jimenez%202010.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="809" height="126" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Z_eUolUDy27LczlgUt3wZRXsAvQB9RwsAM7v6AKgcozHpajfkQA5fiA4y6S4Qc0MM3JjyTjbrU3s6iC3gyQqIVhLMq9fRGOSfTL4Yi-LQ0WHTpC1Pk9gZPZrt3aeiPnO_g0Tw79FcMni7zTGexu42UyOhWJss8clUZSOqr2iEHyVeItZAWtMdKM1YxWc/w640-h126/Ubaldo%20Jimenez%202010.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />A disappointing aspect of
Jiménez’s campaign was that he failed to earn a victory over his final
three starts and, as a result, narrowly missed out on the chance to
become the first Rockies pitcher to reach the 20-win plateau. Nevertheless, he paced the senior loop with a .704 win-loss percentage. Additionally, the righty’s 7.5 WAR slotted runner-up among NL pitchers
as he also ranked third in both victories and strikeouts. On top of
that, his 2.88 ERA classified eighth in the circuit while his
more-illustrious 161 ERA+ was good for third-best. Thus, he joined
Marvin Freeman as the only Rockies hurlers to finish on the NL top-10
leaderboard in both traditional ERA and ERA+. Jiménez also established
multiple single-season records for the franchise as his 19 victories
broke Kevin Ritz’s mark of 17 from 1996 that had since been matched by
Pedro Astacio in 1999 and Jeff Francis in 2007. With his two shutouts,
Jiménez equaled the franchise-high total shared by Roger Bailey and
Jason Jennings. And, with 214 strikeouts, Jiménez surpassed the
franchise-leading number of 210 set by Astacio in 1999. What’s more,
not taking into account Freeman’s 2.80 ERA and 179 ERA+ from the
strike-shortened 1994 season, Jiménez’s respective 2.88 and 161 marks
established new franchise-bests for figures achieved over a full-length
campaign. Despite phenomenal pitching by Jiménez, the Rockies slipped
to an 83-79 record to finish third in the NL West. With Jiménez
fronting the rotation, Colorado’s pitching staff was able to shave a few
points off the previous year’s 4.22 ERA and produce a 4.14 mark, though
on this occasion the figure was only good enough to rank 12th-best
among senior circuit clubs. At the conclusion of the season, NL award
voters recognized Jiménez’s stellar campaign as he slotted third in the
Cy Young election and received a smattering of down-ballot support for
MVP, classifying 23rd.</div><div><br /></div><div>After putting together
one of the finest pitching campaigns in Rockies history, Jiménez took a
significant step backwards in 2011, seldom resembling the dominant
hurler from the prior year. Through his first 21 starts of 2011,
Jiménez posted a 6-9 record and 4.46 ERA, at which point Colorado
decided to trade the right-hander, sending him to the Cleveland Indians
in exchange for four prospects on July 30. Jiménez’s struggles
intensified in Cleveland as he rounded out the campaign by maintaining a
5.10 ERA in 11 starts for his new club. The hurler drew the ire of his
former team in April of the following year when he beaned Rockies
shortstop Troy Tulowitzki during a spring training contest and as a
result was suspended five games by MLB to open the 2012 season. The
campaign proved to be a disastrous one for Jiménez as he went 9-17 with a
5.40 ERA while dubiously leading the AL in losses. He rediscovered
some of his tempo in 2013, notching a 13-9 record and 3.30 ERA after
which he became a free agent and signed a four-year pact with the
Baltimore Orioles. Jiménez floundered in Baltimore, going a combined
32-42 with a 5.22 ERA for the club and wrapping up his major league
career with a particularly rough 2017 in which he logged an ugly 6.81
ERA. However, two years later, he returned to the mound to pitch in the
Dominican Winter League, and subsequently joined the Rockies as a
non-roster invitee for spring training in hopes of making the team for
the 2020 campaign. Jiménez failed to make the club and officially
decided to call it a career later in the year.</div><div><br /></div><div>In
addition to setting several single-season records for the Rockies
franchise during his banner 2010, Jiménez established multiple career
benchmarks for the team as well. Most notably, he currently stands atop
Colorado’s leaderboard in both ERA and ERA+, registering respective
3.66 and 128 figures in those metrics, while also pacing his pitching
peers with 18.9 WAR. Additionally, the righty shares a modest record
that highlights the difficulty of pitching for the Rockies as Jiménez
and Jason Jennings are the only pitchers to have thrown three shutouts
for the club.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWi58wlIH3yKm_3nwRMC_Zh3RetMxIzmlzfkICQMDOCLnI84atbn1BO85ZpP41k8RDXNthsk9fmXL3brg5zE1s-l4ifgCseU8VSBM30m__M219o-FlPAoOMUqH5s49tOyfFebrVke6jAXhDr5c6MGMlJteYfwSbQ-LYJXxV0xf_3YKqqVOSCDkwohOcQ1w/s1480/Jhoulys%20Chacin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1480" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWi58wlIH3yKm_3nwRMC_Zh3RetMxIzmlzfkICQMDOCLnI84atbn1BO85ZpP41k8RDXNthsk9fmXL3brg5zE1s-l4ifgCseU8VSBM30m__M219o-FlPAoOMUqH5s49tOyfFebrVke6jAXhDr5c6MGMlJteYfwSbQ-LYJXxV0xf_3YKqqVOSCDkwohOcQ1w/w640-h450/Jhoulys%20Chacin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />While Jiménez was dominating
opposing hitters during the 2010 campaign, fledgling right-hander
Jhoulys Chacín was putting together a fine effort to break into
Colorado’s starting rotation. Initially signed by the Rockies in 2004
as a 16-year-old amateur free agent out of Venezuela, Chacín made his
big league debut for the team during the middle of 2009. Sparingly
used, the youngster made just nine appearances, all except one of which
came in relief. Opening 2010 in the minors, he quickly earned the
recall back to Colorado and turned in a sound performance, primarily
working as a starter and finishing the season with a 9-11 record and
3.28 ERA over 137 1/3 innings. Chacín’s 3.28 mark translated to a nifty
142 ERA+ that would have easily been good enough to crack the NL top-10
leaderboard had he accumulated the required number of frames.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hi10NqQdrRhwQN9Bi9-JV5-zK_DNTqVyRBTlwLi7AUYgWrF5ackRpUfAz0VEuPwGcwuLhyphenhyphenYQ-k8iH93nB7wTLHRT2-JHC0gcg06pM3qgImM93ztw_4juBr7t0ODIsCRofHo1JAiQzvgkjHRkn59z9_U6hf03Lm-cpPQ1cooBeFg_5xJu3Z0x39n3DRmC/s809/Jhoulys%20Chacin%202011.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="809" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hi10NqQdrRhwQN9Bi9-JV5-zK_DNTqVyRBTlwLi7AUYgWrF5ackRpUfAz0VEuPwGcwuLhyphenhyphenYQ-k8iH93nB7wTLHRT2-JHC0gcg06pM3qgImM93ztw_4juBr7t0ODIsCRofHo1JAiQzvgkjHRkn59z9_U6hf03Lm-cpPQ1cooBeFg_5xJu3Z0x39n3DRmC/w640-h128/Jhoulys%20Chacin%202011.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Now
a solidified member of the Rockies starting rotation, Chacín’s strong
pitching continued into 2011 as he went 11-14 with a 3.62 ERA across 194
innings. Sporting a steady 126 ERA+, the righty slotted eighth among
senior circuit hurlers while additionally ranking sixth with 4.2 WAR. An effective pitcher despite battling control problems, Chacín issued
an average of four free passes per nine frames and dubiously paced the
loop with 87 walks. Nevertheless, he offset his wildness by being one
of the toughest pitchers to generate contact on as evidenced by the fact
that he allowed only 7.8 hits per nine innings—the eighth-stingiest
total in the NL. Chacín made 18 of his 31 starts at Coors Field,
pitching slightly better at the unforgiving ballpark than on the road. With Ubaldo Jiménez’s struggles and subsequent trade, Chacín
distinguished himself as Colorado’s most effective starter on a pitching
staff that compiled a 4.43 ERA which ranked next-to-last in the NL as
the club further tumbled out of contention, skidding to a 73-89 record.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuvpuoxGXOr9bQNDJYShThVC7911KIcKkG7tEXtX_bRhtW6l4EXIkKk4Jwbv-ZuljOMd8Ry_8KJVk3-o05rMZv-tb8VvwTM8BlGsVknyqOvIniwE6e6VfOM54Y6x1NJKumciLrb_OfeXuJsu1U293BoF0dOJgH2cNws7F9LH8t-jWEQDuqWa7S_gLwZJ/s810/Jhoulys%20Chacin%202013.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="810" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCuvpuoxGXOr9bQNDJYShThVC7911KIcKkG7tEXtX_bRhtW6l4EXIkKk4Jwbv-ZuljOMd8Ry_8KJVk3-o05rMZv-tb8VvwTM8BlGsVknyqOvIniwE6e6VfOM54Y6x1NJKumciLrb_OfeXuJsu1U293BoF0dOJgH2cNws7F9LH8t-jWEQDuqWa7S_gLwZJ/w640-h128/Jhoulys%20Chacin%202013.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />After
authoring a pair of impressive campaigns, Chacín plodded through a
difficult 2012 which saw him sidelined from early May to late August
with shoulder inflammation. Limited to just 14 starts and 69 innings,
the righty went 3-5 with a 4.43 ERA and 105 ERA+. With Chacín unable to
lead the rotation, the Rockies sank to the bottom of the NL West with a
mere 64 wins while the team’s pitching staff registered a senior
circuit-worst 5.22 ERA. Healthy in 2013, Chacín battled back to his
pre-injury form, going 14-10 with a 3.47 ERA. The 25-year-old hurler
also earned the unique distinction of becoming the first Rockies pitcher
to make multiple appearances on the NL top-10 leaderboard for ERA+ as
his solid 129 figure slotted sixth-best. Classifying one position
behind Chacín with a 128 ERA+ was his southpaw rotation-mate Jorge De La
Rosa, marking the first time multiple Rockies hurlers cracked the
top-10 leaderboard in the metric. Yet, despite boasting the formidable
righty-lefty combo of Chacín and De La Rosa, the team only made modest
improvements from 2012, remaining in the NL West basement with a 74-88
record as the pitching staff once again ranked last among senior circuit
clubs in ERA, though on this occasion with a less-woeful 4.44 figure. In addition to breaking back into the top 10 for ERA+, Chacín also
returned to the leaderboard in WAR, slotting fifth among NL moundsmen
with a 5.8 mark. Pitching more to contact and relying less on striking
out hitters, Chacín exhibited better control than he had in 2011,
bringing his walk total down while cutting the amount of home runs he
allowed by almost half. In a repeat of 2011, Chacín made 18 of his 31
starts at Coors Field. However, this time around, he pitched much more
effectively on the road but compiled a better win-loss record at home.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately,
Chacín’s shoulder issues crept back up in 2014, first sending him to
the sidelines for the start of the season before ending his campaign all
together in late June. In between stays on the DL, he made 11 starts,
producing a miserable 1-7 record and 5.40 ERA. He returned in time for
the following year’s spring training but struggled with his mechanics
while showing reduced velocity on his fastball. As a result, Colorado
decided to cut ties with the young righty and released him prior to the
start of the season. Chacín spent the next several years drifting
around MLB, pitching for six different teams between 2015 and 2020,
including two separate stints for the Atlanta Braves. Aside from a pair
of solid efforts in 2017 and 2018, he rarely was able to exhibit
anything close to the form he showcased while cracking the ERA+ top-10
leaderboard for Colorado during the 2011 and 2013 campaigns. Finally,
in 2021, the nomadic hurler’s travels brought him back to his original
club, as he rejoined the Rockies, this time in the less familiar role of
relief pitcher. After spending nearly all of his career as a starter,
at age 33, Chacín posted a serviceable 4.34 ERA as a middle reliever. The righty remained in Colorado’s bullpen for 2022 but after being
battered to the tune of a 7.61 ERA was released on September 15. Chacín
kept his skills sharp, returning to his home country to pitch in the
Venezuela Winter League and representing the nation in both the
Caribbean Series and the World Baseball Classic. However, he has likely
thrown his final big league pitch as he failed to draw any interest
from MLB clubs for 2023. Nevertheless, during his time in Colorado,
Chacín distinguished himself as one of the franchise’s top hurlers,
etching his name on the Rockies career leaderboard in several
categories, most notably ranking second only to Ubaldo Jiménez with a
4.05 ERA and slotting third with a 113 ERA+.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rqNPhou2BuvRfVfD4U89BgqqBBjEaGNwIwfZsAZcua7ftiTOdNSvzirStWmmJnqRn6KIhjFDC-cusq8VdVwavCo4jK5ub09R9OX3dOO_ZMgjwtvCAzCcJ7kLFDb-CHA1fryY_LBBBzhyAq9kPQi3Ti-tJgeEKaFPTF9AwJf_Pb54S4VF_TpSmdrm8amy/s1476/Jorge%20De%20La%20Rosa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1042" data-original-width="1476" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rqNPhou2BuvRfVfD4U89BgqqBBjEaGNwIwfZsAZcua7ftiTOdNSvzirStWmmJnqRn6KIhjFDC-cusq8VdVwavCo4jK5ub09R9OX3dOO_ZMgjwtvCAzCcJ7kLFDb-CHA1fryY_LBBBzhyAq9kPQi3Ti-tJgeEKaFPTF9AwJf_Pb54S4VF_TpSmdrm8amy/w640-h452/Jorge%20De%20La%20Rosa.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The
aforementioned southpaw half of the Colorado’s righty-lefty tandem that
cracked the 2013 NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard, Jorge De La Rosa initially
entered pro ball with the Arizona Diamondbacks after signing an amateur
free agent contract out of his native Mexico in 1998. Purchased by the
Boston Red Sox prior to the 2001 campaign, De La Rosa spent three
seasons in the franchise’s minor league chain before being sent back to
Arizona as one of four players to acquire marquee pitcher Curt Schilling
on November 28, 2003. However, De La Rosa’s reunion with the
Diamondbacks was brief as just three days later, he was shipped to the
Milwaukee Brewers as part of massive nine-player trade. The young lefty
earned his big league call-up to Milwaukee in August 2004 and was given
a handful of starts but pitched poorly, going 0-3 with a 6.35 ERA. He
was moved into the bullpen for 2005 where he only made small gains
before being dealt to the Kansas City Royals in July 2006. Primarily
used as starter by the Royals, he fared no better with his new team and
was sent to the Rockies as a player to be named later after opening the
2008 campaign in the minors.</div><div><br /></div><div>Remaining in the
starting role, De La Rosa pitched decently for Colorado, ending 2008
with a 10-8 record, 4.92 ERA, and 95 ERA+. The following year began
poorly for the southpaw as he dropped each of his first six decisions
before recovering to go 16-3 over the balance of the season and finish
2009 with a 16-9 mark, 4.38 ERA, and 108 ERA+. Interestingly, even
though his ERA was nearly two runs higher at home than on the road, he
picked up 10 of his 16 wins at Coors Field to match the franchise’s
single-season record for wins at home which had been oddly set by a
full-time reliever, Gabe White, in 2000. De La Rosa’s strong pitching
down the stretch helped the Rockies secure the NL wild card. Unfortunately, he suffered a groin strain in his final start of the
regular season and was unable to take the mound during Colorado’s
NLDS-loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Injuries continued to plague De
La Rosa, limiting him to a mere 33 starts over the next three years,
the most severe of which was a torn UCL that required Tommy John surgery
and shelved him for the majority of the 2011 and 2012 campaigns.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5adulsr4lDLwKGKPPx7hM41oAe8uvV8Us_MPUqZPHBu_ifISIwixsoBoBQ8jRF5kvbF7DJnLDeyjqJ-0xEz3StDsUvgfFgi5CzDEcoF3RafR_dy1eeKMCHB912CirDG4Ao6JPEIMmPcxqua3bTa1nNGlmBDg-a_LgYoYPDASCEjTOOnU7NeKdPT12PZP/s811/Jorge%20De%20La%20Rosa%202013.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="811" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju5adulsr4lDLwKGKPPx7hM41oAe8uvV8Us_MPUqZPHBu_ifISIwixsoBoBQ8jRF5kvbF7DJnLDeyjqJ-0xEz3StDsUvgfFgi5CzDEcoF3RafR_dy1eeKMCHB912CirDG4Ao6JPEIMmPcxqua3bTa1nNGlmBDg-a_LgYoYPDASCEjTOOnU7NeKdPT12PZP/w640-h128/Jorge%20De%20La%20Rosa%202013.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />However,
De La Rosa rebounded from his injuries to turn in his finest effort,
concluding 2013 with a 16-6 record and 3.49 ERA. De La Rosa’s superb
.727 win-loss percentage ranked second-highest in the senior loop while
his victory total slotted third. Additionally, he classified seventh
with a 128 ERA+, placing one spot behind his rotation-mate Jhoulys
Chacín. The southpaw also joined his righty colleague on the WAR
leaderboard, accruing a 4.4 mark that ranked eighth-best among NL
hurlers. De La Rosa pitched phenomenally at Coors Field, going 10-1
with a 2.76 ERA compared to a mediocre 6-5 record and 4.19 ERA on the
road. One of the toughest pitchers to take deep in 2013, the
32-year-old was particularly stingy at home where he surrendered just
three long balls across 81 2/3 innings.</div><div><br /></div><div>De La
Rosa continued to pitch masterfully at Coors Field during 2014, notching
a 10-2 record and 3.08 ERA. However, his struggles on foreign soil
became much more pronounced as he went 4-9 with a 5.09 ERA to give him
an overall 14-11 mark, 4.10 ERA, and 104 ERA+ for the season. The lefty
produced a similar 4.17 figure in 2015 before seeing his ERA soar to
5.51 for 2016, his final year with Colorado. De La Rosa then signed a
free agent deal to re-join the Diamondbacks. Converted into a relief
pitcher by Arizona, the veteran put together a respectable effort and
ended the 2017 campaign by getting the opportunity to pitch in the
postseason for the first time in his career. De La Rosa re-signed with
the Diamondbacks for 2018 but suffered a drop in performance and was
released in early August. Picked up by the Chicago Cubs a few days
later, he rediscovered his tempo and finished the year on a strong note,
in the process getting his second taste of postseason play. De La Rosa
attempted to return to Colorado in 2019, signing a minor league deal
with the club. However, he developed an oblique strain and was released
in June, a move that brought an end to his baseball career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although
he was denied the chance to return to the Rockies, De La Rosa stands
atop the franchise’s career leaderboard in both victories and strikeouts
while also pacing the team in the dubious categories of walks and wild
pitches. Be that as it may, the .585 win-loss percentage he compiled
over his nine seasons with Colorado represents the winningest mark among
the franchise’s starting pitchers. What’s more, with 53 of his 86
victories for the Rockies coming at Coors Field, De La Rosa is by far
the winningest pitcher in the history of the ballpark.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7N_ZnO49OpAWvTyEaxtECcWJkIDrkOsUcAAovKHe9sBTXQ_WAJ5oBNl_3OX7ChbhIVCeczN9e5vxxXa2hz39tGWvG6x3mGTp0ffLiDTAlrepK2CG0pDfzTiTiRZzbjT_sVENr97cZgqOzmEYD2GqASvd4Q_sKKcqJtwmr3SztvVwh5UCVVD8I9keEAek/s2152/Kyle%20Freeland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1508" data-original-width="2152" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs7N_ZnO49OpAWvTyEaxtECcWJkIDrkOsUcAAovKHe9sBTXQ_WAJ5oBNl_3OX7ChbhIVCeczN9e5vxxXa2hz39tGWvG6x3mGTp0ffLiDTAlrepK2CG0pDfzTiTiRZzbjT_sVENr97cZgqOzmEYD2GqASvd4Q_sKKcqJtwmr3SztvVwh5UCVVD8I9keEAek/w640-h448/Kyle%20Freeland.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Five
years after Chacín and De La Rosa became the first pair of Rockies
hurlers to simultaneously crack the NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard, the 2018
campaign witnessed Colorado’s lefty-righty combo of Kyle Freeland and
Germán Márquez turn the trick. A Denver native, Freeland was selected
by his hometown team with the eighth overall pick in the first round of
the 2014 draft. The franchise quickly reaped the benefits of signing
the local product as Freeland made Colorado’s roster to open the 2017
season and put together a solid rookie effort, going 11-11 with a 4.10
ERA across 156 innings that translated to a more impressive 123 ERA+. Had Freeland tossed six additional frames, his 123 mark would have been
good enough to crack the senior circuit top-10 leaderboard. The young
hurler’s steady pitching helped the Rockies capture the second NL wild
card and return to the postseason for the first time in eight years. However, Freeland was denied the opportunity to take the mound in the
playoffs as Colorado fell to the Diamondbacks in the NL Wild Card Game.</div><div><br /></div><div>Both
Freeland and the Rockies looked to carry the momentum into 2018. The
sophomore lefty tripped out of the gate, however, dropping his first
three decisions while registering a 5.85 ERA through his initial 20
innings. Freeland’s struggles did not last long as he quickly righted
the ship, bringing his ERA under 4.00 and his record back to .500 while
the club attempted to establish itself as a contender in the NL West
division and wild card races. During the second half of June, the
25-year-old hurler embarked on a brilliant run, going 11-1 over the
remainder of the campaign to finish 2018 with a 17-7 record and 2.85 ERA
across 202 1/3 innings. In his final start of the regular season,
Freeland earned the Rockies a postseason berth with a victory over the
Washington Nationals. Narrowly edged out by the Los Angeles Dodgers for
the NL West crown, Colorado once again secured the second wild card. This time around, Freeland was given the ball to start the NL Wild Card
Game and the young phenom did not disappoint, tossing six and two-third
scoreless frames versus the Chicago Cubs. When Rockies manager Bud
Black lifted Freeland from the game, his team held a slim 1-0 lead. However, Freeland did not factor into the decision as Colorado’s
bullpen was unable to hold the lead, allowing Chicago to even the score
in the eighth before the Rockies prevailed to win the game in the 13th
inning. Colorado advanced to the NLDS where they were defeated by the
Milwaukee Brewers in a three-game sweep. Because Freeland had taken the
hill against the Cubs on short rest, he was not scheduled to pitch
until Game Four of the NLDS. Thus, his Wild Card Game start proved to
be his only appearance of the playoffs. Nevertheless, Freeland’s clutch
pitching had been instrumental in the Rockies reaching the postseason
in consecutive years for the first time in franchise history.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8TSV4QRtXSzuGNJzE0n7avDdvonNODWqlheMsZvQKY1H4mHNGfNeUcRjhph-dF5s_Xf5Cs6nZ05D2yMmFKvyml1vDjv95g5EIo6Uz0YUhSX4X6GCmFLyYu0j3kIztgNqo3tJrvPQ_pNoVOM61msruoAck6PVPP6xIbZy05YK3CB8HqZK51AuCbAiola0/s810/Kyle%20Freeland%202018.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="810" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-8TSV4QRtXSzuGNJzE0n7avDdvonNODWqlheMsZvQKY1H4mHNGfNeUcRjhph-dF5s_Xf5Cs6nZ05D2yMmFKvyml1vDjv95g5EIo6Uz0YUhSX4X6GCmFLyYu0j3kIztgNqo3tJrvPQ_pNoVOM61msruoAck6PVPP6xIbZy05YK3CB8HqZK51AuCbAiola0/w640-h128/Kyle%20Freeland%202018.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />With
his superb sophomore effort, Freeland followed in the footsteps of
Marvin Freeman and Ubaldo Jiménez, becoming just the third Rockies
hurler to crack the NL top 10 in both ERA+ and traditional ERA as his
respective 166 and 2.85 marks ranked fourth and fifth on the
leaderboard. Each of these figures also represented new franchise-bests
achieved over a full-length 162-game campaign. Additionally,
Freeland’s 17 wins and 7.7 WAR slotted fourth among senior circuit
moundsmen while his .708 win-loss percentage classified sixth. Freeland
pitched magnificently at Coors Field, going 10-2 with a 2.40 ERA, thus
matching Gabe White’s and Jorge De La Rosa’s single-season franchise
record for wins at home while producing the lowest home ERA for any
Rockies starting pitcher with 50 or more innings. Award voters
recognized Freeland’s phenomenal pitching as he finished fourth on the
NL Cy Young ballot, joining Freeman and Jiménez as the only Rockies
hurlers to classify among the top five in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>After
putting together a solid rookie campaign and an excellent sophomore
season, Freeland had successfully established himself as one of the top
young pitchers in baseball. However, the southpaw slumped heavily in
2019, at one point even being demoted to the minors as he posted an
uneven 3-11 record and ghastly 6.73 ERA. Freeland’s abysmal year
mirrored the team’s struggles as Colorado sank to fourth place with a
71-91 mark. Freeland rallied back to recapture some of his form during
the pandemic-shortened 2020, notching a 4.33 ERA and 120 ERA+ while the
Rockies narrowly avoided finishing in the NL West cellar. A series of
fair to middling performances followed though, as the hurler registered
respective ERA+ figures of 111, 102, and 100 over the next three seasons
while maintaining sub-.500 records during each of those campaigns. After a third-straight fourth-place result in 2021, Colorado’s troubles
compounded with the team sinking to last in both 2022 and 2023. Nevertheless, early in the 2022 season, the Rockies front office showed
its faith in Freeland by signing him to an extension that runs through
the 2026. Thus, barring a substantial drop in performance, catastrophic
injury, or departing the club via trade, Freeland will soon become the
franchise leader in pitcher WAR as his 18.1 mark is within sight of the
18.9 total Jiménez compiled during his time with the Rockies.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnif-hYwe5MwWvHFTr5tbqKXeNJDp01uzOXGYkD_pBLLaBCM7dukQTvbi6evd6-ITFRD9fgVjaQLVfxp9z4zp5KwYb1rTCsltSQ_rWhUETDXQu12vvrpeXauPjSSBQdAElXiGJOYCL3F27g8ARtdeJ9zSkWOCw6aUigip43ghzfCV1Wr0eBh7BKTZkGvwX/s1468/German%20Marquez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="1468" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnif-hYwe5MwWvHFTr5tbqKXeNJDp01uzOXGYkD_pBLLaBCM7dukQTvbi6evd6-ITFRD9fgVjaQLVfxp9z4zp5KwYb1rTCsltSQ_rWhUETDXQu12vvrpeXauPjSSBQdAElXiGJOYCL3F27g8ARtdeJ9zSkWOCw6aUigip43ghzfCV1Wr0eBh7BKTZkGvwX/w640-h450/German%20Marquez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The
aforementioned right-handed half of Colorado’s lefty-righty combo that
cracked the 2018 NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard, Germán Márquez began his
professional baseball career in the Tampa Bay Rays organization after
being signed out of his native Venezuela at age 16 in July 2011. Márquez languished in the Rays minor league system, only having
progressed through high A-ball when he was swapped to the Rockies as
part of a four-player deal prior to the 2016 campaign. The youngster
immediately clicked with his new club and quickly climbed up Colorado’s
organizational ladder during 2016, going from Double A to Triple A
before making his big league debut for the Rockies in early September. Márquez then put together a steady rookie effort, finishing 2017 with
an 11-7 record and 4.39 ERA that translated to a 115 ERA+ which ranked
14th-best in the senior circuit.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3NazB48NT10xe87RwlMGxGKD5XzaBT6WMh-oqFu3g65SGrla4kx7ArvnEuAV1OGX3qxRe6Jk6aTS6GZCvPLTV9DYlWlNzGpaxlAwF70yKxOMVlF5NuMYYMZI8jqn2ingUQ1WoM_9TX6uEET1CY0NmuOYqnXYaPT9tlBuZhOoiXJCUNbhEmskIDr5Yl98/s810/German%20Marquez%202018.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="162" data-original-width="810" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit3NazB48NT10xe87RwlMGxGKD5XzaBT6WMh-oqFu3g65SGrla4kx7ArvnEuAV1OGX3qxRe6Jk6aTS6GZCvPLTV9DYlWlNzGpaxlAwF70yKxOMVlF5NuMYYMZI8jqn2ingUQ1WoM_9TX6uEET1CY0NmuOYqnXYaPT9tlBuZhOoiXJCUNbhEmskIDr5Yl98/w640-h128/German%20Marquez%202018.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Márquez
carried the momentum into 2018, going 14-11 with a 3.77 ERA while
grabbing the final spot on the NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard with a 125
mark. In stark contrast to his southpaw counterpart Freeland, Márquez
pitched much more effectively away from Coors Field. Like Freeland
though, the 23-year-old righty was at his best over the closing months
of the campaign, posting a 2.14 ERA in both August and September. During his final start of September, Márquez tied the major league
record shared by Jim Deshaies and Jacob deGrom by striking out the first
eight batters he faced. In the process of mowing down those eight
batters, Márquez surpassed the Rockies single-season franchise benchmark
of 214 strikeouts set by Ubaldo Jiménez in 2010. For his excellent
September, Márquez was named NL Pitcher of the Month. However, he ended
the regular season on a sour note, surrendering four runs over four and
two-third innings and taking the loss against the Dodgers in an October
1 tiebreaker game to decide the NL West title. As a result, Colorado
had to settle for the second NL wild card. Nevertheless, Márquez’s
superb late-season pitching had been instrumental in the team reaching
the playoffs. He toed the slab six days later for Game Three of the
NLDS with the Rockies facing elimination versus the Brewers. Márquez
pitched decently, allowing a pair of runs across five frames but was
tagged as the losing pitcher after Milwaukee shutdown Colorado’s offense
to win the game 6-0. The righty finished the campaign with 230
strikeouts, the NL’s fourth-highest total. Additionally, with 14
victories and 4.1 WAR, he slotted on the senior circuit moundsmen
leaderboard, ranking ninth in both categories. A strong hitter for a
pitcher, Márquez often helped his own cause, batting .300 for the year. At season’s end, he joined Mike Hampton as the second Rockies hurler to
earn the NL Silver Slugger Award.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although
Colorado took a significant step backwards and fell out of playoff
contention following the 2018 campaign, Márquez continued to pitch at a
productive level over the next three seasons, going a combined 28-22
with a 4.42 ERA and 113 ERA+. The young hurler put in a workhorse
effort, tossing the 12th-highest number of frames in MLB during that
stretch while pacing the NL in both games started and innings pitched in
2020 and complete games in 2021. On June 29, 2021, Márquez nearly
became the first Rockies pitcher to throw a no-hitter at Coors Field as
he held the Pittsburgh Pirates hitless for eight frames before finally
yielding a single to Ka’ai Tom to open the ninth inning. Márquez erased
Tom by inducing the next batter, Michael Perez to ground into a double
play and completed the one-hit shutout by retiring Adam Frazier to end
the game. In addition to nearly spinning a no-hitter, the 2021 campaign
also saw the righty earn his first All-Star selection.</div><div><br /></div><div>However,
Márquez slumped to a 9-13 record and 4.95 ERA in 2022. He had posted
an identical ERA through his initial four starts of 2023 when he was
sidelined with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery and cost
him the remainder of the season. Despite the injury, the Rockies front
office showed optimism in Márquez’s recovery, signing the hurler to a
two-year contract extension that runs through 2025. Márquez currently
sits just a pair of strikeouts behind Jorge De La Rosa’s
franchise-leading total of 985. Additionally, Márquez ranks third
all-time among Rockies hurlers in wins, fourth in WAR, and fifth in
games started. Márquez will be 29 years old entering the 2024 campaign
and provided he returns from injury and pitches effectively, he could
very well stand atop the franchise leaderboard in one or more of those
categories by the end of 2025.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxTTvUG_H675Bo3dlJ098_rAaBC-kpnwuv-L-QbNBaNunQsGBcj_ckNWFhaWTgJDm9DXzuCstLaxpGckOUc90eK8U66DCGyVYetVB-5z9ioLFlFqnd_rElryBDYMPU_6YTw43a_1yPVIeNlQs7Suygjurp2e2tlmTcVryCJ0b7gYXVtaJEeX2EMGUOtqg/s1492/Antonio%20Senzatela.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1492" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwxTTvUG_H675Bo3dlJ098_rAaBC-kpnwuv-L-QbNBaNunQsGBcj_ckNWFhaWTgJDm9DXzuCstLaxpGckOUc90eK8U66DCGyVYetVB-5z9ioLFlFqnd_rElryBDYMPU_6YTw43a_1yPVIeNlQs7Suygjurp2e2tlmTcVryCJ0b7gYXVtaJEeX2EMGUOtqg/w640-h450/Antonio%20Senzatela.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />After making the
playoffs in 2018, the Rockies quickly went into a tailspin as each of
the next five seasons saw the club finish well under .500 with
back-to-back last-place results in 2022 and 2023. One of the few strong
pitching performances over that span came from right-hander Antonio
Senzatela who delivered a steady 2020 effort to become the most recent
Rockies hurler to classify on NL ERA+ top-10 leaderboard. Like Márquez,
Senzatela hailed from Venezuela and was signed out of his native
country at age 16 in July 2011. In Senzatela’s case, he was signed by
the Rockies and slowly climbed up the franchise’s minor league chain
before making the team’s big league roster to begin the 2017 campaign. The youngster raced out to a 7-1 record with a 3.19 ERA over his first
10 starts but soon found himself relocated to the bullpen following a
series of tough outings. Senzatela concluded his rookie season with a
10-5 record, 4.68 ERA, and 108 ERA+. He remained in the bullpen to open
2018, ultimately making his return to the starting rotation in July and
for the second consecutive year, ended the campaign with a 108 ERA+. Senzatela maintained his spot in the rotation during 2019 despite
laboring through an ugly season in which he registered a 6.71 ERA that
translated to an ERA+ of 77.</div><div><br /></div><div>Senzatela shook
off his difficult 2019 and reestablished himself with an impressive
2020, going 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA during the 60-game, pandemic-shortened
season. The 25-year-old righty put in a workhorse effort, ranking
fourth in the NL with 12 starts while slotting fifth with 73 1/3
innings. Senzatela’s 151 ERA+ earned him the final spot on the senior
circuit top-10 leaderboard as he additionally classified seventh among
NL hurlers with 2.5 WAR. Senzatela pitched brilliantly at Coors Field
where he crafted a 3-0 record and 2.10 ERA compared to a 2-3 mark and
4.62 ERA on enemy turf. He surrendered nine long balls during the
campaign with only one of those coming at home.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmVmqAQm8EexyjVRfljcFibf3y2T0TkZy52BGFSMUT1G7NilQ-NdgM1q5cEUIawL2zoJ6OKjk3UewwI9W5OMT9JJkUSzkx3dxWA_igK4ZSf-vDWmwl33zNffnfuS2rm4SzhEry8WRnQdFAgbP9aLTV56uZ80qlcNCl5K9p-ylmYz8R7kMT42msuMZVIms/s809/Antonio%20Senzatela%202020.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="161" data-original-width="809" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMmVmqAQm8EexyjVRfljcFibf3y2T0TkZy52BGFSMUT1G7NilQ-NdgM1q5cEUIawL2zoJ6OKjk3UewwI9W5OMT9JJkUSzkx3dxWA_igK4ZSf-vDWmwl33zNffnfuS2rm4SzhEry8WRnQdFAgbP9aLTV56uZ80qlcNCl5K9p-ylmYz8R7kMT42msuMZVIms/w640-h128/Antonio%20Senzatela%202020.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Senzatela
followed up his strong 2020 by posting a respectable 4.42 ERA and 109
ERA+ in 2021, while being victimized by poor run support which resulted
in an uneven 4-10 record. Nevertheless, he continued to showcase his
best pitching at home. Likely with Senzatela’s ability to succeed at
Coors Field in mind, during the offseason, the Rockies front office made
a point of securing his services, signing him to a five-year contract
extension worth $50.5 million that runs through 2026 and includes a team
option for 2027. Senzatela floundered in 2022, however, going 3-7 with
a 5.07 ERA and 91 ERA+ before a torn ACL brought a premature end to his
season in mid-August. He returned to the mound during the following
May, only to be quickly sidelined once again, this time by an elbow
injury that required Tommy John surgery and closed the curtain on his
campaign after just two starts. With Márquez and Senzatela both on the
shelf due to season-ending injuries, the Rockies struggled to a
franchise-worst 59-103 record for 2023. Senzatela is expected to remain
sidelined for the majority of 2024. When the right-hander returns from
his latest injury, he will look to maintain his excellence at Coors
Field where, to date, he has compiled a nifty 27-14 record and 4.57 ERA. At the same time, he will aim to improve his fortunes on the road where
thus far he has registered a wretched 12-29 mark and 5.22 ERA.</div><div><br /></div><div>Through
31 seasons of Colorado Rockies baseball, only 10 of the club’s pitchers
have managed to produce 11 finishes among the NL ERA+ top-10
leaderboard. Although three of those 10 hurlers—Kyle Freeland, Germán
Márquez, and Antonio Senzatela—are currently part of the Rockies 40-man
roster, their recent battles with injuries and ineffectiveness
underscore the difficulty Colorado’s pitchers face by plying their trade
in the thin air and high elevation of Coors Field.</div><div><br /></div><div>by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freemma02.shtml" target="_blank">Marvin Freeman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ritzke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Ritz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kennejo04.shtml" target="_blank">Joe Kennedy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jennija01.shtml" target="_blank">Jason Jennings</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jimenub01.shtml" target="_blank">Ubaldo Jiménez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chacijh01.shtml" target="_blank">Jhoulys Chacín</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosajo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jorge De La Rosa</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freelky01.shtml" target="_blank">Kyle Freeland</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marquge01.shtml" target="_blank">Germán Márquez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/senzaan01.shtml" target="_blank">Antonio Senzatela</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddugr01.shtml" target="_blank">Greg Maddux</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saberbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Bret Saberhagen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamptmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Hampton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/degroja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jacob deGrom</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tulowtr01.shtml" target="_blank">Troy Tulowitzki</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kileda01.shtml" target="_blank">Darryl Kile</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/astacpe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pedro Astacio</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cookaa01.shtml" target="_blank">Aaron Cook</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francje01.shtml" target="_blank">Jeff Francis</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:</div><div>All statistics are drawn <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/sport/baseball/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_topnav_stathead&utm_content=lnk_top&_gl=1*kedgrf*_ga*NzgwNjI4MzA4LjE3MDc3NjU5NDU.*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTcwNzc2NTk0NS4xLjEuMTcwNzc2NjY4Mi4wLjAuMA.." target="_blank">Stathead</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/17852/marvin-freeman/" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus Marvin Freeman Player Card/Injury History</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/1052/joe-kennedy/" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus Joe Kennedy Player Card/Injury History</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/49925/jhoulys-chacin/" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus Jhoulys Chacín Player Card/Injury History</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats/earned-run-average-plus" target="_blank">MLB.com editorial staff, “Adjusted Earned Run Average (ERA+),” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://coloradosun.com/2023/08/22/colorado-rockies-coors-field-elevation/" target="_blank">John Ingold, “Are the Rockies bad because they’re too high? Let’s examine how elevation affects baseball.” The Colorado Sun</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-humidor-stories" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Why baseballs are stored differently at Coors,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.ajc.com/sports/baseball/whatever-happened-marvin-freeman/Ela2YKzOzsNNHQTmx8j0SO/" target="_blank">I.J. Rosenberg, “Whatever happened to: Marvin Freeman,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/article/Denver-s-Freeman-Has-Sore-Elbow-3033812.php" target="_blank">“Denver’s Freeman Has Sore Elbow,” SFGate</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/04/03/rockies-marvin-freeman-dream-season-1994/" target="_blank">Kyle Newman, “Amid the nightmare of no baseball, recalling the dream season put up by Rockies’ right-hander Marvin Freeman in 1994,” The Denver Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/kevin-ritz/" target="_blank">Chad Moody, “Kevin Ritz,” SABR Biography Project</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3197230" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Medical examiner rules Kennedy died of heart disease,” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/jason-jennings/" target="_blank">Michael T. Roberts, “Jason Jennings,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/7767204/mlb-bans-cleveland-indians-ubaldo-jimenez-5-games-hitting-colorado-rockies-troy-tulowitzki" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Ubaldo Jimenez suspended 5 games,” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2020/02/26/rockies-ubaldo-jimenez-spring-training-debut-vs-rangers/" target="_blank">Kyle Newman, “Ubaldo Jimenez makes 2020 spring training debut for Rockies, yielding one run across two innings,” The Denver Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.co.uk/mlb/story/_/id/10692333/jhoulys-chacin-colorado-rockies-open-season-disabled-list" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Jhoulys Chacin bound for DL,” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/11157921/colorado-rockies-place-rhp-jhoulys-chacin-disabled-list" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Jhoulys Chacin heads to DL” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2015/03/22/jhoulys-chacin-released-by-colorado-rockies-in-surprise-move/" target="_blank">Nick Groke, “Jhoulys Chacin released by Colorado Rockies in surprise move,” The Denver Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/world-baseball-classic/stats/pitching" target="_blank">“2023 World Baseball Classic Player Pitching Stats Team Venezuela,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.inquirer.com/" target="_blank">Kate Fagan, “De La Rosa won’t pitch against Phils,” The Philadelphia Inquirer</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=6624488" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Jorge De La Rosa undergoes surgery,” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/jorge-de-la-rosa-cut-loose-by-colorado/" target="_blank">RotoWire Staff, “Jorge De La Rosa: Cut loose by Colorado,” CBS Sports</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2018/09/28/colorado-rockies-clinch-consecutive-playoff-berths-first-time/1436836002/" target="_blank">Jesse Yomtov, “Colorado Rockies clinch consecutive playoff berths for first time in team history,” USA Today</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-freeland-doesn-t-pitch-in-2018-nlds-c297336826" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Hometown kid Freeland doesn’t pitch in NLDS,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/31/kyle-freeland-rockies-optioned-triple-a/" target="_blank">Patrick Saunders, “Struggling Rockies’ left-hander Kyle Freeland optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque,” The Denver Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/33759966/sources-pitcher-kyle-freeland-colorado-rockies-agree-five-year-645m-contract-extension" target="_blank">Jeff Passan, “Sources: Pitcher Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies agree to five-year, $64.5 million contract extension,” ESPN</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-pitcher-german-marquez-contract-extension" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Rockies sign Márquez to two-year extension,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-clinch-2018-postseason-berth-c296461956" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Rocktober once more: Rox secure playoff spot,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/antonio-senzatela-left-knee-injury-rockies" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Senzatela set for season-ending knee surgery,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/news/antonio-senzatela-to-have-tommy-john-surgery?affiliateId=mlbapp-ios_referral" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Senzatela set for season-ending Tommy John surgery,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Marvin Freeman 1994 Score Rookie & Traded, Ubaldo Jiménez 2010
eTopps, Kyle Freeland 2019 Bowman, Marvin Freeman 1995 Upper Deck
Collectors Choice, Marvin Freeman 1994 Fleer Update, Kevin Ritz 1995
Fleer, Kevin Ritz 1996 Pacific Crown Collection, Joe Kennedy 2004
Donruss Studio, Joe Kennedy 2004 Topps, Jason Jennings 2004 Leaf Second
Edition, Jason Jennings 2003 Fleer Double Header, Ubaldo Jiménez 2011
Topps, Ubaldo Jiménez 2011 Topps Checklist, Jhoulys Chacín 2014 Topps,
Jhoulys Chacín 2013 Topps, Jorge De La Rosa 2016 Topps, Jorge De La Rosa
2016 Topps Stadium Club, Kyle Freeland 2017 Bowman-Prospects, Kyle
Freeland 2022 Topps Heritage, Germán Márquez 2019 Topps Heritage, Germán
Márquez 2022 Topps Heritage, Antonio Senzatela 2022 Topps Series 2,
Antonio Senzatela 2018 Topps</div><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpkzJfaouubCKQssHLmwJB6OYrsuAD8ndDpVu-6_v_0RuUWCKInKSwc54ItMp0_xovVRo4aWSTHV_LN7Rc5Sz9LbTbt7Qb-m-7NOpjQm7bOgX8znv6IYKhiBynqQS6qlNLXk5MptQvZYZFOCWOy2l-r2qquPWeYEpHcysmxQMN7jcKIO4neg3GEbO_veQ/s2244/Larry%20Walker%20Rod%20Carew%20Charlie%20Hough.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2244" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpkzJfaouubCKQssHLmwJB6OYrsuAD8ndDpVu-6_v_0RuUWCKInKSwc54ItMp0_xovVRo4aWSTHV_LN7Rc5Sz9LbTbt7Qb-m-7NOpjQm7bOgX8znv6IYKhiBynqQS6qlNLXk5MptQvZYZFOCWOy2l-r2qquPWeYEpHcysmxQMN7jcKIO4neg3GEbO_veQ/w640-h298/Larry%20Walker%20Rod%20Carew%20Charlie%20Hough.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-11-batting-championships-won-by.html" target="_blank">The 11 Batting Championships Won by Colorado Rockies Hitters and the Opposing Players Who Were Denied Achieving the Honor by the Presence of the Mile-High Based Franchise</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a></div><div><br /></div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-1989-and-1990-texas-rangers.html" target="_blank">The 1989 and 1990 Texas Rangers Pitching Staffs That Featured Five Hurlers Who Would Each Retire with 200-Plus Victories</a>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-74111701286117139702024-02-06T18:50:00.000-05:002024-02-06T18:50:01.165-05:00The 11 Batting Championships Won by Colorado Rockies Hitters and the Opposing Players Who Were Denied Achieving the Honor by the Presence of the Mile-High Based Franchise<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRrF1O9WP_mJEwaQCnTDBfZgJjK6Nh57z82rPWe_K4FFSfVQd5bgBilmBPVQFtrteVO_oH094kqPnfmRT_JCuNCg7PSCz2nsX-bzUAi17hyowJ8xaOyUJ0LFT_U-cAoF5UoS0DjG1vUWMNssqlOcNGt3Gv9RPhXT5pnIdzth2sxYcktfK7PZk-ZYVcS3c/s2220/Moises%20Alou%20Joey%20Votto%20Daniel%20Murphy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="2220" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixRrF1O9WP_mJEwaQCnTDBfZgJjK6Nh57z82rPWe_K4FFSfVQd5bgBilmBPVQFtrteVO_oH094kqPnfmRT_JCuNCg7PSCz2nsX-bzUAi17hyowJ8xaOyUJ0LFT_U-cAoF5UoS0DjG1vUWMNssqlOcNGt3Gv9RPhXT5pnIdzth2sxYcktfK7PZk-ZYVcS3c/w640-h298/Moises%20Alou%20Joey%20Votto%20Daniel%20Murphy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Over the years, the AL and NL batting crowns have been dominated by
skilled hitters such as Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, and Tony Gwynn. A total
of 28 batting titles have been claimed by this trio of hitters with
Cobb securing the honor a dozen times while Wagner and Gwynn earned
eight apiece. When a player shared the league with one of these
perennial batting champions, achieving the honor proved to be an
especially difficult task. In the history of the sport, rarely have a
collection of players from one particular team dominated winning the
batting title the way individual players have. However, with the 1993
addition of the Colorado Rockies to the NL, this Denver-based franchise
has stood tall among other clubs when it came to having its players
capture the batting crown. In fact, in the 31-year history of the team,
nine different Rockies players have claimed 11 NL batting titles. Moreover, since the introduction of the Rockies franchise, no other
senior circuit club has come anywhere near matching that total as only
the San Diego Padres have secured four batting crowns—each of which were
won by the aforementioned Gwynn—while the Miami Marlins are the sole NL
team to have more than two players earn the distinction. And, during
that same 31-year period, no AL franchise has been able to run away from
the pack like Colorado, as the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers
share the lead with a handful of batting titles each with the Red Sox
also producing the most individual batting champions over that timeframe
with four.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yet, despite boasting an abundance
of batting crowns, the Rockies have only reached the postseason on five
occasions while generally finishing well out of contention with sub-.500
records. What’s more, critics are quick to point out that playing in
the thin air of Denver—a city which sits 5,280 feet above sea
level—inflates the offensive numbers of Colorado’s hitters, a belief
that is underscored by the significant disparity between batters’ home
and road totals. Of course that doesn’t tell the whole story as others
believe that because the Rockies play their home games at high
elevation, in turn, the team’s hitters struggle to adapt when going on
the road and playing at lower altitudes. Additionally, some suspect
that constantly adjusting to changes in altitude causes Colorado’s
players to become more susceptible to injury. Regardless of the
advantages or disadvantages of playing at high elevation, a hitter’s
ability to perform optimally at their home ballpark should be considered
a strength, as the hitter easily accumulates more plate appearances at
home than at any other ballpark. With this in mind, I decided to take a
deeper look at the seasons in which one of Colorado’s hitters won the
NL batting crown and see which players finished in the bridesmaid
position of the batting race and were thus denied the opportunity to
achieve the honor by the presence of this mile-high-based franchise. Each table below will also include the third and in some cases
fourth-place finisher to show how close the batting race would have been
without the Rockies players. The tables will feature each player’s
home and road splits as well as the park factor values for each player’s
home ballpark. While park factors are not a completely accurate
reflection of advantages or disadvantages in batting average, they give
some idea as to how much the ballpark played as hitter-friendly or
pitcher-friendly during the season in question.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZxpokFPBKP446b7yY3c1Z7TPSvE_4K89bWM0Pph5uZpHX4UOuRxeSnIXYi7r4mHD5uZYrCI-ZSx2Ww2Tulga1TbSbKQr4gabuGxeWA70FYyXT54KNBe1FoKtBqtxWEaU5thGKNBQ6qjyY7EmmvHPzuwyYTdCDy5jowsgKgupZyMxZZPvabHICLWCm9LP/s2488/1993.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2488" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZxpokFPBKP446b7yY3c1Z7TPSvE_4K89bWM0Pph5uZpHX4UOuRxeSnIXYi7r4mHD5uZYrCI-ZSx2Ww2Tulga1TbSbKQr4gabuGxeWA70FYyXT54KNBe1FoKtBqtxWEaU5thGKNBQ6qjyY7EmmvHPzuwyYTdCDy5jowsgKgupZyMxZZPvabHICLWCm9LP/w640-h298/1993.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsnJpflbecueTjHKYMdR2UiiQum-Hya_MCdYGVlfZTilZy-Ld2KmGcp5a1W0j-PgYVJP9hiTBM1dnfhAaD-EHLH84lMtuSrWQxh2R9x7l1Rx1VBka3JErsF3AxkTq-Rw3AyKysaNLvhD-05gYDdVzv_GndW8fVRqHlyZ-_xj-bAAjx4dPpbaBnuE2Qngx/s575/Table%201993.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="575" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWsnJpflbecueTjHKYMdR2UiiQum-Hya_MCdYGVlfZTilZy-Ld2KmGcp5a1W0j-PgYVJP9hiTBM1dnfhAaD-EHLH84lMtuSrWQxh2R9x7l1Rx1VBka3JErsF3AxkTq-Rw3AyKysaNLvhD-05gYDdVzv_GndW8fVRqHlyZ-_xj-bAAjx4dPpbaBnuE2Qngx/w640-h132/Table%201993.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Going
into the 1993 campaign, Rockies first baseman Andrés Galarraga seemed
like an extreme long shot to win the NL batting crown. As a young
player with the Montréal Expos, Galarraga had posted respective averages
of .305 and .302 in 1987 and 1988, slotting seventh in the senior loop
batting race during the former season and ranking fourth in the latter
campaign. However, he slumped during his next three years with the
Expos, batting a paltry .247 over that stretch. Galarraga fared no
better following a trade to the St. Louis Cardinals, managing to hit
only .243 for 1992. Yet, after joining the expansion Rockies as a free
agent, Galarraga shocked the baseball world by getting off to a dynamic
start in 1993 and carrying a .400-plus average into early July. The
slugger maintained a robust average for the reminder of the campaign and
captured the batting title with a .370 mark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finishing
directly behind Galarraga was Padres right fielder Tony Gwynn who
already had four NL batting crowns to his name, having achieved the
honor in 1984, 1987, 1988, and 1989. Gwynn suffered a season-ending
injury to his left knee on September 5, denying him the chance to
challenge Galarraga during the final weeks of the campaign. Nevertheless, Gwynn’s runner-up .358 figure represented the
second-highest average of his career up until that point, bettered only
by his own .370 mark from 1987. Galarraga was at his best in the thin
air of Colorado’s Mile High Stadium where he punished NL pitching to the
tune of a scorching .402 average. Despite playing his home games at
the much less-favorable Jack Murphy Stadium, Gwynn still batted 50
points higher in San Diego than on the road. St. Louis Cardinals first
baseman Gregg Jefferies slotted third in the batting race with a .342
average. After struggling to live up to the lofty expectations placed
on him as a top prospect for the New York Mets, Jefferies came over to
the Cardinals as part of a four-player trade following a mediocre year
with the Kansas City Royals. Jefferies had spent the previous few
seasons bouncing between second and third base but upon his arrival in
St. Louis, he was moved to first where he coincidentally replaced
Galarraga. Jefferies responded well to the position change and played
brilliantly for his new team, finally producing the standout campaign
that so many had forecast for him. Like Gwynn, Jefferies called a
tougher ballpark home yet he managed to register nearly identical home
and away averages. Though Galarraga took full advantage of the friendly
confines of Mile High Stadium, his impressive .328 mark on foreign
terrain was in-line with the road figures of Gwynn and Jefferies.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following
the 1993 campaign, Galarraga became a premier power hitter, smacking a
combined 194 home runs during the next five years. Though he logged a
.319 average in 1994 and hit .296 over the remainder of his career,
Galarraga never contended for another batting crown. For his part,
Jefferies proved 1993 was not a fluke by posting respective averages of
.325 and .306 in 1994 and 1995. However, his third-place result from
1993 would be his highest finish in a batting race. Gwynn, on the other
hand, began an incredible stretch, doubling his collection of batting
titles by leading the NL during each of the next four seasons—most
notably making a run at hitting .400 in 1994 before ultimately finishing
at .394 when the strike brought a premature end to the campaign. Although no one was able to unseat Gwynn over this four-year stretch,
each batting race saw a Rockies player classify in the top three as the
unlikely name of Mike Kingery finished third in 1994, followed by Dante
Bichette repeating the ranking in 1995 before Ellis Burks and Larry
Walker respectively occupied the bridesmaid role behind the Padres right
fielder for 1996 and 1997.</div><div><br /></div><div>After calling Mile
High Stadium home for the initial two years of the franchise’s
existence, the Rockies moved to Coors Field for the 1995 season. The
Rockies opened their new home in grand style by earning the club’s first
playoff appearance after securing the NL wild card. Although Colorado
fell to the NL West champion-Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS, the
freshly-minted franchise captivated the baseball world with its
exciting, offense-heavy style of play. The 1995 campaign also saw the
arrival of the aforementioned Larry Walker who signed with the Rockies
as a free agent following a series of impressive seasons as a right
fielder for the Expos. During his first two years in Colorado, Walker
played at a similar level to what he had in Montréal. However in 1997,
Walker broke out in a big way, winning the NL MVP Award after clubbing a
loop-high 49 home runs while ranking second to Gwynn with a .366
average. Though Rockies hitters made a habit of taking advantage of
Coors Field, no slugger swung the bat in a more dominant fashion at the
ballpark than Walker. Over the course of Walker’s career, he posted an
astounding .381 average and 1.172 OPS at Coors Field. Yet, he did not
solely rely on Denver’s high elevation and thin air to produce superb
offensive numbers as he maintained a .282 average outside of Coors Field
with an .872 OPS that ranks higher than the career OPS figures of
roughly two-thirds of the position players currently enshrined in
Cooperstown.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeidlFyvMsZjaUHgdvNMsSdz42fkyKaiprgcBaomTmbgUIuTRoVCPfZR_gwFJVTrc9lfySLjIAnMIBVesxXdg1DCFJTXuXoS9QsAEdj9Jc8SD6TLl63EmQXKerf1CFoivyHs3ySc64Ru4aOgrwPdope_ZBSa2bAo8eLjSJhDKPe_9ha649E_3mt3HNSZi/s2996/1998.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2996" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaeidlFyvMsZjaUHgdvNMsSdz42fkyKaiprgcBaomTmbgUIuTRoVCPfZR_gwFJVTrc9lfySLjIAnMIBVesxXdg1DCFJTXuXoS9QsAEdj9Jc8SD6TLl63EmQXKerf1CFoivyHs3ySc64Ru4aOgrwPdope_ZBSa2bAo8eLjSJhDKPe_9ha649E_3mt3HNSZi/w640-h224/1998.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5ZAkmblNirET51Qg1hM6_4bdIPTFQpdNaxK9lrSx3Outs9leAdJHx3eArNNl3u8A_9_MztYlzqEKrbEukDOccm7FDArf6KVBeWJ8ku0JfTww9-DEceOvUGhZfNvpFI0p0W6-b2Ros0R-HV1J8eIomuvOxyo2KDnr6MDfjyh_giGHTRRK_ZZC69PrBg1t/s610/Table%201998.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="178" data-original-width="610" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr5ZAkmblNirET51Qg1hM6_4bdIPTFQpdNaxK9lrSx3Outs9leAdJHx3eArNNl3u8A_9_MztYlzqEKrbEukDOccm7FDArf6KVBeWJ8ku0JfTww9-DEceOvUGhZfNvpFI0p0W6-b2Ros0R-HV1J8eIomuvOxyo2KDnr6MDfjyh_giGHTRRK_ZZC69PrBg1t/w640-h186/Table%201998.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Walker followed up his MVP-winning
1997 with a sensational 1998 effort, logging a .363 average en route to
earning his first NL batting title. He faced stout competition from a
former batting champion but on this occasion the challenge did not come
from Tony Gwynn as the perennial top dog slumped to a .321 average
that—while below par for him—still ranked ninth-best in the senior
circuit. Walker’s opposition instead came in the form of New York Mets
first baseman John Olerud who punished NL pitching to the tune of a .354
average. Olerud’s .354 mark represented the second-highest average of
his career as five years earlier he had captured the AL batting crown
with a .363 figure for the World Series champion Toronto Blue Jays,
ahead of a pair of future Hall of Fame teammates in Paul Molitor and
Roberto Alomar, to give the club a complete sweep of the top-three spots
on the leaderboard. However, this time around, Olerud was the one
playing runner-up to a .363 average as he was denied the opportunity to
join Ed Delahanty as the second player to win the batting title in both
the AL and NL. Nevertheless, Olerud’s outstanding .354 figure broke the
Mets single-season record for batting average, matching an achievement
from his banner 1993 when he set the same benchmark for the Blue Jays. Olerud currently stands as the only player to hold the single-season
batting average record for two different active franchises.</div><div><br /></div><div>Slotting
third in the batting race with a .331 average was Walker’s teammate
Dante Bichette who patrolled the left side of Colorado’s outfield. Bichette’s third-place result equaled his finish in the 1995 NL batting
race and represented his final appearance on the top-10 rundown. Both
Walker and Bichette hit over 100 points higher at home than on the road
with the right fielder notching an eye-popping .418 figure at Coors
Field. By contrast, Olerud hit nearly 40 points higher on the road than
at New York’s Shea Stadium which generated a neutral park factor of 100
for the 1998 campaign but was traditionally known to favor pitchers. Interestingly, aside from his respective first and second-place
finishes in the 1993 AL and 1998 NL batting races, Olerud—a career .295
hitter—never cracked the top-10 leaderboard in any other season. If not
for the presence of Walker and Bichette, Olerud would have easily
claimed the batting crown with his Mets teammate Mike Piazza a distant
runner-up at .328. The 1998 campaign was a nomadic one for Piazza who
began the year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, was traded to the Florida
Marlins on May 14, and was then swapped to New York eight days later. Like Olerud, Piazza registered a much higher batting average on the
road. Despite playing the physically-taxing position of catcher, Piazza
had established himself as a regular participant in the batting race,
achieving a bridesmaid finish in 1995, followed by successive
third-place efforts in 1996 and 1997. However, the 1998 campaign
essentially signaled the end of Piazza’s pursuit of the batting crown as
a 10th on the 2000 NL rundown amounted to his best result over the
remainder of his career.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloJ0priIa2pTnOqzbKX14-8cmMdhcHv0AIpESFj8A-oerHZ9GFVBMIUj0eLVVtPTxjryXL7RDhWxdfBZAESUgAm5zDcZRCmkyf-STKEtLs4qkUxHb9_eRkAkayj-jYPeZh0_zknhaSx9HLX-yMbhppCZLyKtq_dwFHcUM3OJRk3JtKdegqlAqAagu9q21/s2248/1999.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="2248" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjloJ0priIa2pTnOqzbKX14-8cmMdhcHv0AIpESFj8A-oerHZ9GFVBMIUj0eLVVtPTxjryXL7RDhWxdfBZAESUgAm5zDcZRCmkyf-STKEtLs4qkUxHb9_eRkAkayj-jYPeZh0_zknhaSx9HLX-yMbhppCZLyKtq_dwFHcUM3OJRk3JtKdegqlAqAagu9q21/w640-h296/1999.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURGB6-amaijajy3-PaJMMl6DCCbRa-8y-b2K-JHvJLJZHuuOHKjMInFazo9zc3NYN0QdBjx4vz85Afaf5D0pifljctJ1d8ERgnkZCEoaGrBGtE8FXv8wImJEyUUFWWG-egg3YQmBoEvMOhVk3GDcZa15qZG8YWiFCMAVDAu1Logsa9QP1zWfSwuJ61c8o/s570/Table%201999.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="117" data-original-width="570" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURGB6-amaijajy3-PaJMMl6DCCbRa-8y-b2K-JHvJLJZHuuOHKjMInFazo9zc3NYN0QdBjx4vz85Afaf5D0pifljctJ1d8ERgnkZCEoaGrBGtE8FXv8wImJEyUUFWWG-egg3YQmBoEvMOhVk3GDcZa15qZG8YWiFCMAVDAu1Logsa9QP1zWfSwuJ61c8o/w640-h132/Table%201999.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Larry Walker’s
domination of opposing pitching at Coors Field reached new heights in
1999 as the slugger posted an otherworldly .461 average at home on his
way to becoming a back-to-back NL batting champion, finishing the year
with an overall .379 mark. In the history of the AL and NL, only four
other players—Shoeless Joe Jackson, Rogers Hornsby, George Sisler, and
Chuck Klein—have produced superior home batting averages during a season
in which they qualified for their league’s respective batting title. With his .379 figure, Walker set the Rockies single-season record for
batting average that still stands today. Interestingly, his home/road
spilt was even more pronounced than it had been in prior years with
Colorado as he maintained an adequate but unspectacular .286 average
away from Coors Field.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finishing well behind
Walker in the number-two spot of the batting race was Arizona
Diamondbacks right fielder Luis Gonzalez who hit .336. Owning just a
.268 career batting average going into 1999, Gonzalez was an unlikely
bridesmaid in the rundown. Coming to Arizona by way of a trade from the
Detroit Tigers, Gonzalez helped the newly-minted Diamondbacks make an
incredible 35-game improvement from the franchise’s inaugural season of
play and win the NL West division title with a 100-62 record. Although,
the club’s Bank One Ballpark would become a hitter’s haven, during the
initial two years of the Diamondbacks’ existence, the stadium generated a
neutral park factor. Gonzalez hit better on the road in 1999 as his
.352 mark represented a 66-point advantage over Walker’s respective
figure on foreign soil. Had the Rockies slugger not been there to run
away with the batting crown, a tight battle for top honors would have
played out between Gonzalez and yet another right fielder, Bobby Abreu
of the Philadelphia Phillies. Gonzalez edged Abreu by a single point to
slot runner-up to Walker. Gonzalez proved his breakout 1999 effort was
no fluke by putting together a series of impressive campaigns, the most
notable of which came in 2001 when he hit .325 and capped the year with
a walk-off single in Game Seven of the Fall Classic to secure the World
Series championship for the Diamondbacks. Yet, Gonzalez’s .325 average
was only good enough for 10th in the NL and marked his final appearance
on the leaderboard. Abreu’s .335 average established a personal-best
for the slugger. Though he hit .300 or higher a half dozen times in his
career, outside of 1999, he never managed to crack the top 10.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMencsQYOiopovEHhP1TdmgvwiT49niqwFXSyCABKw2edx3HJOqINRIB0gX00kU5Is45zYOfkYObx3BHJLFFCzbgKZ5ixVfbZTvhG1VYvpCK8VYUi23b5wiKwx6kPbVEU5R7oTPJZ2phWH9ABS5axGcr2jfIpeqwgfbEYLZBvOr6UdpIyqaMdGU0ZKT3AC/s2208/2000.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="2208" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMencsQYOiopovEHhP1TdmgvwiT49niqwFXSyCABKw2edx3HJOqINRIB0gX00kU5Is45zYOfkYObx3BHJLFFCzbgKZ5ixVfbZTvhG1VYvpCK8VYUi23b5wiKwx6kPbVEU5R7oTPJZ2phWH9ABS5axGcr2jfIpeqwgfbEYLZBvOr6UdpIyqaMdGU0ZKT3AC/w640-h298/2000.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTpTdl8kOp5rL-IqpYmb8EQNI6bWPiFhlYKXWlLViWrVus_cSV3thfWCr9gDgRNXyI9y0-EDKq-HacvcMTfQUfbTxAHsXghm4E_FX_7bWkjpYLyiOpGWqgZ7WMJjowsiM6JUKc2Qtziz6c1DeuxjNy_-UkPAwHIxnKadNrWmjVf8NQ3L5Lrp6AXF_6YdF/s572/Table%202000.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="572" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheTpTdl8kOp5rL-IqpYmb8EQNI6bWPiFhlYKXWlLViWrVus_cSV3thfWCr9gDgRNXyI9y0-EDKq-HacvcMTfQUfbTxAHsXghm4E_FX_7bWkjpYLyiOpGWqgZ7WMJjowsiM6JUKc2Qtziz6c1DeuxjNy_-UkPAwHIxnKadNrWmjVf8NQ3L5Lrp6AXF_6YdF/w640-h134/Table%202000.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The
2000 season witnessed the third-consecutive year in which a Rockies
player captured the senior circuit batting crown. However, on this
occasion, the slugger to earn top batting honors was not Larry Walker as
the two-time defending champion suffered through a difficult year
plagued by an elbow injury that first sidelined him for close to a month
in early May before bringing a premature end to his campaign on August
19. Despite playing in a weakened state, Walker still took the field
for 87 games and hit .309 for Colorado. With Walker unable to factor
into the batting race, Rockies first baseman Todd Helton stepped up and
turned in a sensational effort, pacing the NL with a blistering .372
average. Originally signed by Colorado with the eighth overall pick in
the first round of the 1995 amateur draft, Helton quickly bore fruit for
the club, batting .315 as a rookie in 1998 and following it up with a
.320 mark in 1999. Helton clearly enjoyed the benefits of Coors Field
in 2000, hitting .391 at home, though he did not suffer quite as
dramatic of a drop off on the road as his predecessors Andrés Galarraga
and Larry Walker had during their batting crown-winning campaigns. In
fact, Helton’s .353 average on enemy terrain was not only in-line with
the road figures of the two sluggers who slotted directly behind him in
the batting race but also stands as the highest road mark achieved by a
Rockies batting champion.</div><div><br /></div><div>While an elbow injury
took Walker out of the running for top honors, the second-place
finisher in the rundown, Houston Astros outfielder Moises Alou, was
returning to the field after missing the entire 1999 campaign as a
result of an ACL tear suffered when he fell off a treadmill during
preseason training. Alou rebounded from his injury with a phenomenal
year at the plate, registering an electric .355 average—in the process
setting a new personal-best, surpassing his .339 mark from 1994 when he
classified fourth in the NL batting race as a member the Montréal Expos. Like Helton, Alou benefited from playing his home games in a favorable
environment as Houston’s Enron Field generated a 108 park factor which,
among senior circuit teams, was only eclipsed by the staggering 129
park factor of Coors Field. Despite the advantageous setting, Alou
actually hit slightly better on the road than at home. Slotting close
behind the former Expos outfielder was Montréal’s current right fielder,
Vladimir Guerrero, who rounded out the top three with an impressive
.345 average. A future Hall of Famer who ultimately retired with a
superb .318 career batting average, Guerrero’s .345 figure proved to be
the high-water mark for the slugger as did his third-place finish in the
batting race. However, he was able to match the ranking three more
times—once in the NL and twice in the AL.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvzqzKNd_4hhlQiCxfGRFseC8MubqWCHJgrR14ZMla4WfZbrf6OFgI9lA-zyN63GnSlkxLjjxPStVcWEup7YhYB5TWq7HlL4zq6AblC5FdXNBnZiCKfD-biLlWupmJCyxd9xrtn2UwUcvb1mHtUog8GFcPjYHXUqpHOyFi8sReb7RLj1nFWVnJ45yy9Aq/s2992/2001.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="2992" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhvzqzKNd_4hhlQiCxfGRFseC8MubqWCHJgrR14ZMla4WfZbrf6OFgI9lA-zyN63GnSlkxLjjxPStVcWEup7YhYB5TWq7HlL4zq6AblC5FdXNBnZiCKfD-biLlWupmJCyxd9xrtn2UwUcvb1mHtUog8GFcPjYHXUqpHOyFi8sReb7RLj1nFWVnJ45yy9Aq/w640-h220/2001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuqvBtxFbsApZhWu5TSCnNNJ3Dmax5Oxwfzd0Wh8Y_v_TAilCAKXqraWqPE6XiIPPe_uwU7RfCF_wHhUfjmGwOCSN6P7nueGoNutECjliIxoOGg0GS7lX2dktSeSwz8ha5gl2nqRyzIiKrZMBK5VOnyrA0Bye3N4vJGlX_jAzHuEApC_xOjlXk4wx42_R/s570/Table%202001.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="146" data-original-width="570" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcuqvBtxFbsApZhWu5TSCnNNJ3Dmax5Oxwfzd0Wh8Y_v_TAilCAKXqraWqPE6XiIPPe_uwU7RfCF_wHhUfjmGwOCSN6P7nueGoNutECjliIxoOGg0GS7lX2dktSeSwz8ha5gl2nqRyzIiKrZMBK5VOnyrA0Bye3N4vJGlX_jAzHuEApC_xOjlXk4wx42_R/w640-h164/Table%202001.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Larry
Walker returned to the diamond for the 2001 season and snapped back
into peak form, not only adding a third batting title to his collection
but also giving the Rockies franchise its fourth-straight batting
champion. The 34-year-old Walker held off the challenge of Todd Helton
to claim the honor, outclassing his younger teammate both at home and on
the road to stand atop the leaderboard with an overall .350 average to
the defending batting champion’s .336 mark. Just as in 1998 and 1999,
Walker made the most of his favorable surroundings, once again hitting
over .400 at Coors Field—this time logging a .406 home batting average. Moises Alou put together another standout performance for Houston,
returning to the leaderboard with a .331 figure that was only topped by
Walker and Helton. Thus, for the second year in a row, excluding
Rockies sluggers, Alou produced the NL’s highest batting average. In
contrast to the prior campaign though, Alou notched a better average at
home than on the road. Finishing an eyelash behind Alou in fourth place
was his Astros teammate, center fielder Lance Berkman. If not for
Walker and Helton, the batting race would have been a memorable one as
Alou and Berkman each hit .331 with the difference coming down to the
former’s .3314 mark narrowly edging the latter’s .3310 figure. And, hot
on the heels of the Astros outfielders were an additional four
sluggers—Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds, and Sammy Sosa—who
posted averages within three points of Alou and Berkman. Denied the
chance to win the batting crown or possibly even become a rare
back-to-back honoree, Alou managed to slot among the senior circuit
batting average leaders just one more time with a fifth-place finish in
2005. Berkman cracked the top-10 on three more occasions but like Alou
classified no better than the fifth place he would achieve in the 2008
NL batting race.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 2002 season witnessed
Colorado’s stranglehold on the NL batting title finally come to an end
as aforementioned San Francisco Giants left fielder Barry Bonds earned
top honors for the first time after recording a sparkling .370 average. Bonds’ .370 mark is all the more impressive considering he was age 37
and played his home games at cavernous Pacific Bell Park which generated
a pitcher-friendly park factor of 93. The 2002 campaign also saw MLB
approve the use of a climate-controlled humidor at Coors Field as a way
to cut down on scoring at the ballpark. The humidor, which was designed
to keep baseballs from drying out in the thin air of Denver, helped
curtail scoring to a degree as Coors Field’s park factor, which had
generally hovered in the mid-to-high 120s, dropped to 117 for 2002 and
typically stayed in the 110s from that point forward. However, even
with the lower park factor, Coors Field still maintained its reputation
as MLB’s most hitter-friendly ballpark. While unable to offer a true
challenge to Bonds in the batting race, a pair of familiar Rockies
sluggers slotted high in the final rundown as Larry Walker grabbed the
number-two spot with a .338 average and Todd Helton classified fourth
with a .329 mark. Though Walker still hit better at Coors Field,
possibly due to the effects of the humidor, he found the park less to
his liking than in previous years, batting .362 at home compared to .312
on the road. Nevertheless, Rockies batters as a whole continued to
produce massive home/road splits, including Helton who hit nearly 100
points higher at Coors Field than on foreign soil. Walker’s
second-place finish proved to be the last time the future Hall of Famer
was able to contend for the batting crown as age and injures began to
catch up with the veteran. Almost seven years Walker’s junior, Helton
took over as Colorado’s main threat in the batting race and made a fine
showing of himself by posting respective .358 and .347 averages in 2003
and 2004. However, Helton had to settle for the bridesmaid position
during both those campaigns as St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert
Pujols narrowly-edged the Rockies slugger with a .359 mark in 2003,
while Bonds returned to the head of the leaderboard and claimed his
second batting title with a .362 figure in 2004. The 2005 season
represented the first time since the franchise’s inception in which a
Colorado player failed to classify in the top three of the NL batting
race as Helton could only manage fourth even though his .320 average
trailed the leader, Chicago Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, by the same
15-point margin that he had when he finished runner-up behind Bonds
during the prior year.</div><div><br /></div><div>The 2006 campaign
signaled something of a changing of the guard for the Rockies as, after
ranking no lower than fourth in the NL batting race during each of
previous six seasons, Helton slid all the way down to 15th in the final
order despite maintaining a solid .302 average. In Helton’s place, a
pair of younger teammates took up the mantle as third baseman Garrett
Atkins and left fielder Matt Holliday slotted fourth and fifth on the
leaderboard. Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Freddy Sanchez captured
the senior circuit batting crown with a .344 average while Atkins and
Holliday respectively registered .329 and .326 figures, coincidentally
marking the third-straight campaign in which the highest-ranking Rockies
hitter ended the year 15 points behind the leader.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBmW2N1BzqAKVhoYYExY5ETqU15OcGBgrldKzNfyQfYuR2tndxxCs-IhFKiR6HG2OwRMnNlLeppKRaM_t7wtP33J1v9mX2Po5OwO4oosFNbqUl_cxgsORnyJ1c8al6ofPAlf-ITn7B3Art5QvUhYNanKMmJHx5zyt6aiLBm4WoKgUPd66Tz6KpE0r85va/s2964/2007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1380" data-original-width="2964" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBmW2N1BzqAKVhoYYExY5ETqU15OcGBgrldKzNfyQfYuR2tndxxCs-IhFKiR6HG2OwRMnNlLeppKRaM_t7wtP33J1v9mX2Po5OwO4oosFNbqUl_cxgsORnyJ1c8al6ofPAlf-ITn7B3Art5QvUhYNanKMmJHx5zyt6aiLBm4WoKgUPd66Tz6KpE0r85va/w640-h298/2007.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHHCyrqprmBCUD9oaw2uiG3UGqwZZkNxcrFqZOt-gqKdswZngWub2KHcX36ZTFgroGACgLI7TokTz0pMwuujlDmbeKjTK6ijj8f8iWJF6cVRiWLnnlXW50BLTxl_XElB8hEhh331JmjrusSW-bkGdQp9oX515RjJAenVkBowobYeT0wuXJJNX0ZPUz_XN/s566/Table%202007.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="566" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcHHCyrqprmBCUD9oaw2uiG3UGqwZZkNxcrFqZOt-gqKdswZngWub2KHcX36ZTFgroGACgLI7TokTz0pMwuujlDmbeKjTK6ijj8f8iWJF6cVRiWLnnlXW50BLTxl_XElB8hEhh331JmjrusSW-bkGdQp9oX515RjJAenVkBowobYeT0wuXJJNX0ZPUz_XN/w640-h134/Table%202007.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />While
Atkins’ fourth-place result proved to be his sole appearance on the NL
rundown, Holliday carried the momentum of his strong 2006 effort into
2007 and established himself as a contender in a tight batting race. Going into the final month of the regular season, Holliday sat fourth
in a six-player cluster separated by a mere 12 points with Philadelphia
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley leading the way over Washington
Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young, Atlanta Braves shortstop Edgar
Rentería, Florida Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramírez, and Braves third
baseman Chipper Jones. Utley maintained the lead for the majority of
the first half of September before Jones took over the top spot just
past the midway point of the month. Holliday traded the lead with both
Utley and Jones during September as the Rockies battled multiple teams
in the race for the NL West division title and wild card. From
September 16 to the end of the month, Colorado went on an incredible
run, winning 13 of their final 14 regular season contests to force a
tiebreaker game with the San Diego Padres. Holliday hit .457 during
this 14-game stretch to raise his average from .330 to .340, in the
process passing Jones for the batting lead on September 29. Holding a
scant, three-point edge over Jones, Holliday went 2 for 6 in the
tiebreaker game, thus maintaining his advantage and securing the NL
batting crown. In his final plate appearance, Holliday tied the score
in the bottom of the 13th inning, ripping an RBI-triple off Padres
closer Trevor Hoffman. Holliday then scored on Jamey Carroll’s
sacrifice fly to send the Rockies to their first postseason in a dozen
years. Colorado’s winning ways continued into the playoffs where the
team swept the Phillies in the NLDS and the Diamondbacks in the NLCS
before running out of gas and being the victim of a sweep at the hands
of the Boston Red Sox in the World Series. Holliday nearly became the
second Rockies player to win the NL MVP as he finished runner-up to
Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins in a close election.</div><div><br /></div><div>Holliday’s
batting title marked the first time a Rockies player had earned top
honors since the introduction of the humidor. Though Holliday hit 75
points higher at home than on the road, Coors Field generated a
less-extreme park factor of 109 for the year. By contrast, the batting
crown runner-up Jones—who called Atlanta’s spacious Turner Field
home—hit 33 points better on the road. Like Holliday, third-place
finisher Utley benefited from playing at a hitter’s park and produced
almost identical home/road splits to the Rockies slugger. Utley’s .332
average represented a personal-high for the keystoner as well as the
only time he would crack the top-10 leaderboard in the category. Though
Jones had seemingly been denied his best chance to win a batting title,
the 14-year veteran came back in 2008 and hit a career-high .364 en
route to claiming top honors for the NL. Holliday turned in his own
strong follow-up performance, batting .321 and slotting two spots behind
Jones in third. Marlins shortstop Hanley Ramírez vaulted to the head
of the leaderboard in 2009, earning the senior circuit batting crown
with a .342 average while Todd Helton cracked the top five one final
time, ranking fourth with a team-best .325 mark. Helton’s steady
campaign helped Colorado secure the NL wild card and return to the
postseason where the club subsequently lost to the Phillies in the NLDS. Helton retired in 2013 after spending the entirety of his 17-year
career with the Rockies. Over that span, he batted .316, notching a
superb .345 average at Coors Field compared to a less-illustrious but
more than respectable .287 figure on foreign soil. Though he hit far
better at home, like his former teammate Larry Walker, Helton produced
road batting numbers that rivaled many Hall of Famers. On January 23,
2024, Helton joined Walker as only the second Rockies player voted into
Cooperstown.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd39PBZtkEPnO77XwHX4O_SDpM5NuD4l9dXwh3MUw-vHsrPumeVzwSq0MQ_rBzNqbXT1FCQhQZLR6xl4vA9Q4APO-IwtLAlI6iin0uAe3M806PkmsDwuGRK0lwKzclsF3_brCCwhkowkP55_1kKG7EzMEBEfuitohoDDeSNIs4HDsozmiyogiGl4x8KAnB/s2928/2011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1372" data-original-width="2928" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd39PBZtkEPnO77XwHX4O_SDpM5NuD4l9dXwh3MUw-vHsrPumeVzwSq0MQ_rBzNqbXT1FCQhQZLR6xl4vA9Q4APO-IwtLAlI6iin0uAe3M806PkmsDwuGRK0lwKzclsF3_brCCwhkowkP55_1kKG7EzMEBEfuitohoDDeSNIs4HDsozmiyogiGl4x8KAnB/w640-h300/2011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadctEESrO4q93IPsextRLeqDLmNIjtQnahbIKuUQfaWhXsRZqk9hWyddK-nxkNuAicSadHjy6dTj9RlFG1xM0l568vWcxEGe2jrIM-DSoWRpSwvQ0w1WtY8AdeH0-3XwGZyxd_vVKHuy0eH6WuNlU3O-zFSpc8iwmI5KB1p2U90e-Zn3G-0g0MDp5tFnY/s563/Table%202010.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="563" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhadctEESrO4q93IPsextRLeqDLmNIjtQnahbIKuUQfaWhXsRZqk9hWyddK-nxkNuAicSadHjy6dTj9RlFG1xM0l568vWcxEGe2jrIM-DSoWRpSwvQ0w1WtY8AdeH0-3XwGZyxd_vVKHuy0eH6WuNlU3O-zFSpc8iwmI5KB1p2U90e-Zn3G-0g0MDp5tFnY/w640-h134/Table%202010.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />With Matt Holliday set to become
eligible for free agency at the conclusion of the 2009 season, prior to
the start of the campaign, the Rockies decided to be proactive and
traded the slugger to the Oakland Athletics in return for three players
including 23-year-old outfielder Carlos González. Fresh off a middling
rookie effort with Oakland in which he hit just .242, González began
2009 with the Rockies Triple-A affiliate Colorado Springs Sky Sox. After dominating Triple-A pitching, González earned the call-up to
Denver in early June and hit .284 the rest of the way. González then
broke out in a monumental fashion during 2010, pacing the senior loop
with a .336 average, thus becoming the fifth different Rockies player to
win the NL batting title. A noteworthy aspect of González’s campaign
is that he was able to maintain his high average and earn a Gold Glove
Award for his defensive work despite being shuttled back and forth
between all three outfield positions. Like many Rockies hitters before
him, he made the most of his advantageous home ballpark, batting .380 at
Coors Field while posting a road average that was almost 100 points
lower. González’s breakout batting crown-winning campaign represented
his only appearance on the top-10 leaderboard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cincinnati
Reds first baseman Joey Votto occupied the bridesmaid position,
finishing the year with a .324 average. In most seasons, Cincinnati’s
Great American Ball Park favored hitters, however, in 2010, the stadium
generated a park factor of just 98. Votto seemed more affected by this
than most Reds hitters as he recorded a 52-point higher average on the
road than at home. Though he fell short in the batting race, Votto
received substantial credit for helping Cincinnati reach the playoffs
for the first time in 15 seasons and was voted NL MVP while González
classified an impressive third in the election. Notoriously selective
at the plate, Votto registered a senior circuit-best .424 OBP, marking
the first of seven times he would pace the loop in the category. Slotting number three in the batting race was the unlikely name of Omar
Infante. Over the course of his eight-year big league career, Infante
had battled injuries and struggled to maintain a starting role. Finally
healthy, Infante put together a fine season for the Braves, seeing
regular action while serving the club as an invaluable utility player. While Colorado’s González alternated between the three outfield
positions, Infante fulfilled an even more nomadic role for Atlanta,
taking the field in slightly over half his games at second base while
splitting the rest of his starts between shortstop, third base, and the
two corner outfield positions. Infante hit a personal-best .321 for the
year and cracked the leaderboard in average for the only time in his
career. Infante found Turner Field particularly to his liking, batting
50-plus points higher at home than on the road.</div><div><br /></div><div>Through
the first 18 years of the franchise’s existence, at least one Rockies
hitter placed among the NL top five in batting average during each
season. However, the 2011 campaign saw that streak come to an end as
shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s team-leading .302 average only ranked
10th-best in the loop while New York Mets shortstop José Reyes secured
top honors with a .337 mark. The pattern repeated itself in 2012 with
no Rockies hitter managing to break into the top five, though rookie
third baseman Jordan Pacheco came close, logging a .309 figure that
classified sixth as San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey captured
the batting title with a .336 average.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdkyio31StmI90Yh1SxSDtX4wrZ9ImPicL0PScGP_Fq5u_04VzlGfZ9EmbickUiRKMVXZPuXtNkDHAwpzvHM-wB5l155gXUKgHdfLGqevPGFEUyn8p4s8_A4wSfUofxhl8Nb_flevrCNmpevnAt6rtWYXsIGM0TP5PGbt7kvUPyw-wp23aBnS6tbuvNKL/s2340/2013.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="2340" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPdkyio31StmI90Yh1SxSDtX4wrZ9ImPicL0PScGP_Fq5u_04VzlGfZ9EmbickUiRKMVXZPuXtNkDHAwpzvHM-wB5l155gXUKgHdfLGqevPGFEUyn8p4s8_A4wSfUofxhl8Nb_flevrCNmpevnAt6rtWYXsIGM0TP5PGbt7kvUPyw-wp23aBnS6tbuvNKL/w640-h308/2013.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-Zh5zcIGRTpexlXE1p6gwwYqCa5vhLy6dbx7rsdLlSfa4Uy7Inel8N0QpTGPITaolypmvuU_48GZxfICTYCEUNLt-ljN49w2VjDoc5zoHRbt_LDJthkMVJQYqX7CZyIlV-_9xKBlHIsCZmRuUnnU6GZGaKk-OrkhTFKrKIhgcnRKyPoxPMfCZSOt4byE/s567/Table%202013.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="116" data-original-width="567" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI-Zh5zcIGRTpexlXE1p6gwwYqCa5vhLy6dbx7rsdLlSfa4Uy7Inel8N0QpTGPITaolypmvuU_48GZxfICTYCEUNLt-ljN49w2VjDoc5zoHRbt_LDJthkMVJQYqX7CZyIlV-_9xKBlHIsCZmRuUnnU6GZGaKk-OrkhTFKrKIhgcnRKyPoxPMfCZSOt4byE/w640-h130/Table%202013.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />After
two consecutive seasons in which Rockies hitters uncharacteristically
failed to make a serious run at the batting crown, the franchise’s next
player to pace the senior circuit in average came in the unexpected form
of veteran right fielder Michael Cuddyer. A free agent acquisition
prior to the 2012 campaign, Cuddyer brought a .272 career batting
average to Colorado from parts of 11 major league seasons spent with the
Minnesota Twins. Cuddyer showed no indications of challenging for a
batting title, having never hit higher than .284 for Minnesota and
posting a middling .260 figure in his first year with the Rockies. However, he broke out in a big way during 2013, recording a NL-leading
.331 average to reclaim the batting crown for Colorado. Like all
Rockies batting champions before him, Cuddyer benefitted from
hitter-friendly Coors Field where he batted .356. Yet, he also thrived
outside of Colorado as he produced a personal-best .311 mark on the
road. Cuddyer hit at a comparable level in 2014, notching a .332
average, but was plagued by injuries and limited to just 49 games. The
veteran then signed with the Mets for 2015 and batted .259 in what would
be the final year of his big league career.</div><div><br /></div><div>Occupying
the two spots behind Cuddyer in the 2013 batting race were a pair of
Braves hitters in third baseman Chris Johnson and first baseman Freddie
Freeman. Johnson put together a career-best effort, slotting runner-up
with a .321 average that was an eyelash ahead of Freeman’s .319 figure. Generally known as a pitcher’s park, Atlanta’s Turner Field favored
hitters in 2013. While Johnson registered nearly identical home and
away averages, Freeman took advantage of the favorable conditions,
batting 48 points higher at Turner Field than on enemy turf, an even
greater difference than Cuddyer’s 45-point home/away split. The Braves
represented the third franchise for Johnson who had struggled to
distinguish himself in parts of four big league campaigns going into
2013. Johnson was unable to build on the momentum of his solid 2013,
slumping to a .252 average over his three remaining years in the majors. By contrast, 2013 marked the first of several trips to the top-five
batting leaderboard for Freeman.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvhyaQpgkVJzV0ndy8oCls7oQnBpfftDHaitCCmp5pmQ11wyaIC-C3gw5Cui0R0egB66bZlwzM_FSrZF19NZ5m7jmSeDlRPii2DhX5s9jXkgPWLV4VJHcAOblBSTULcv3QekxRjyaz1mfwEkHI3W_gTugrJoSY7Fs_sLsFZjWc_X2IkIQB0a_2JiGHrV0/s2232/2014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2232" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvhyaQpgkVJzV0ndy8oCls7oQnBpfftDHaitCCmp5pmQ11wyaIC-C3gw5Cui0R0egB66bZlwzM_FSrZF19NZ5m7jmSeDlRPii2DhX5s9jXkgPWLV4VJHcAOblBSTULcv3QekxRjyaz1mfwEkHI3W_gTugrJoSY7Fs_sLsFZjWc_X2IkIQB0a_2JiGHrV0/w640-h300/2014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyf0EDNpkj0J7Ips-nHHtdo3GMvyUi8iMIzSQ7px1ATkY-n9rto3QPzRR_FAz2pbKANjprCQ6P5rgVadBl9n7P0V_ybDyoJyb5B40b4adz_7ZuMkNDH6RWvPTHqPaA5xihUCc2D4lSiD2SwJiBuZC1iwxS14Q-yaOve0fRCRxtaWDYUzeVtT9syE7oo-Vn/s567/Table%202014.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="117" data-original-width="567" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyf0EDNpkj0J7Ips-nHHtdo3GMvyUi8iMIzSQ7px1ATkY-n9rto3QPzRR_FAz2pbKANjprCQ6P5rgVadBl9n7P0V_ybDyoJyb5B40b4adz_7ZuMkNDH6RWvPTHqPaA5xihUCc2D4lSiD2SwJiBuZC1iwxS14Q-yaOve0fRCRxtaWDYUzeVtT9syE7oo-Vn/w640-h132/Table%202014.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Similar to
2013, the 2014 NL batting race saw another unlikely player vault to the
head of the pack as Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau earned top
honors for the senior circuit. A standout player for several seasons
with the Twins, Morneau’s list of accomplishments included capturing the
2006 AL MVP Award after a stellar campaign which saw him bat .321 with
34 home runs and 130 RBI while playing an invaluable role in helping the
club secure the AL Central division title. Morneau’s .321 average
ranked seventh-highest in the junior loop as his MVP-winning effort
represented the first of a series of strong seasons by the first
basemen. He appeared to be in the midst of putting together another
MVP-caliber campaign through the first half of 2010 when disaster struck
on July 7: While sliding into second base, Morneau suffered a
season-ending concussion when his head made contact with the knee of
Toronto Blue Jays infielder John McDonald. At the time of Morneau’s
injury, the slugger ranked among the AL leaders with a .345 average. He
returned to the field for the beginning of 2011 but took a significant
step backwards, batting a respective .227, .267, and .259 over his next
three campaigns. With Morneau set to become eligible for free agency at
the conclusion of the 2013 season and not considered an integral part
of the Twins’ future plans, he was shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates on
August 31. Morneau provided a veteran presence for the playoff-bound
Pirates who subsequently fell to the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. During the offseason, the former MVP signed a two-year deal with the
Rockies. The move to Colorado revitalized Morneau as the 33-year-old
slugger regained his hitting stroke and followed in the footsteps of his
former Twins teammate Michael Cuddyer by claiming the NL batting title
with a .319 average. Coors Field generated a 120 park factor for 2014
with Rockies hitters collectively posting a .322 average at home while
logging a paltry .229 clip on the road. However, Morneau produced a
much less substantial split, batting .327 at Coors Field while
maintaining a comparable .309 figure away from Denver. In fact,
Morneau’s 18-point advantage at home was by far the smallest difference
for any of the Rockies batting champions. Morneau’s bat stayed strong
for 2015 with the slugger recording a .310 average in his second year
with Colorado. Unfortunately, like Cuddyer, Morneau was unable to
defend his batting crown as injures limited him to just 49 games. In
Morneau’s case, a head injury once again sidelined him as he missed
several months after suffering a concussion and whiplash while diving
for a ball during a May 13 game versus the Los Angeles Angels. Morneau
signed with the Chicago White Sox for 2016 but only managed to hit .261
and decided to call it a career at season’s end.</div><div><br /></div><div>Finishing
directly behind Morneau on the 2014 NL rundown were a pair of players
he had briefly shared the Pirates clubhouse with during the prior year,
third baseman Josh Harrison and center fielder Andrew McCutchen. Though
primarily used at third base, Harrison fulfilled a utility role for the
Pirates, also seeing action at each corner outfield position as well as
second base and shortstop. Harrison pulled up just a few points shy of
Morneau, concluding 2014 with a .315 average. The campaign represented
Harrison’s first true chance as a full-time player in the big leagues
after batting .250 in parts of three seasons. Had Morneau not earned
top honors, the batting race would have been a tight one between the two
Pirates teammates as McCutchen checked in immediately behind Harrison
with a .314 average. The defending NL MVP, McCutchen’s phenomenal play
had been the key component in the franchise’s reemergence as a contender
after a string of 20 consecutive losing seasons from 1993 to 2012. McCutchen’s .314 average had been proceeded two years earlier by a
personal-best .327 mark which slotted him runner-up to Buster Posey in
the 2012 NL batting race and followed by a .317 figure during his
MVP-winning 2013 campaign that ranked seventh-highest in the senior
circuit. However, since 2014, neither Harrison nor McCutchen have hit
.300 or come anywhere close to challenging for another batting crown.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZKylcKCUAOyhC-h3d3f4Kr9cd4JcVzu4huVipIQ9GaWmK8Z0IH6COV2aCPDHMIJ6UZXGGrRd5ljbPEywHXrofBBkW-ZIy0NXL1DKQluijIsBGTXgyJc9WCAMmCmN54yDVzk3zXO60UIcdfWmWO0LRGcQLi3rsrmhlTMGH1kY9fcwQYUF4vo_DF-tei0t/s2256/2016.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2256" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZKylcKCUAOyhC-h3d3f4Kr9cd4JcVzu4huVipIQ9GaWmK8Z0IH6COV2aCPDHMIJ6UZXGGrRd5ljbPEywHXrofBBkW-ZIy0NXL1DKQluijIsBGTXgyJc9WCAMmCmN54yDVzk3zXO60UIcdfWmWO0LRGcQLi3rsrmhlTMGH1kY9fcwQYUF4vo_DF-tei0t/w640-h298/2016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQ33AOL26_j0FDUhpt_27pQFjQpiypDxgGeGD_JYYoH0FM7baVQAq2TLqsHiMPOS5LcoHnpiLcPMLyzxHlOjHFaPzbsjttjwLO8ya3XTXyJHHAa2yXyGytb9_5IfZy-N2BsWayPrBqE9vhXpmG0ez3Hd7uLn2AFtMpjUKCLIp8GXY2vU-c3RmrGzFDZb1/s569/Table%202016.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="118" data-original-width="569" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvQ33AOL26_j0FDUhpt_27pQFjQpiypDxgGeGD_JYYoH0FM7baVQAq2TLqsHiMPOS5LcoHnpiLcPMLyzxHlOjHFaPzbsjttjwLO8ya3XTXyJHHAa2yXyGytb9_5IfZy-N2BsWayPrBqE9vhXpmG0ez3Hd7uLn2AFtMpjUKCLIp8GXY2vU-c3RmrGzFDZb1/w640-h132/Table%202016.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />After back-to-back seasons in which seemingly-past-their-prime-<wbr></wbr>veteran
Rockies sluggers snared batting championships, the 2015 campaign nearly
saw the first instance where the club failed to have one of its hitters
crack the top-10 leaderboard as second baseman DJ LeMahieu’s .301
average barely edged the .300 mark of Miami Marlins left fielder
Christian Yelich for the final spot on the NL rundown. On this
occasion, Yelich’s teammate second baseman Dee Gordon-Strange won the
batting title with a .333 average. However, LeMahieu put on a hitting
clinic in 2016, feasting on opposing pitching to the tune of a NL-best
.348 average, thus adding a 10th batting crown to the Denver-based
franchise’s collection. Acquired from the Chicago Cubs as part of a
four-player trade prior to the 2012 season, LeMahieu brought just 37
games of major league experience to the Rockies but paid huge dividends,
becoming a core member of the team.</div><div><br /></div><div>LeMahieu
claimed the batting title after holding off the challenge of fellow
keystoner Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals. A .288
career-hitter going into 2016, Murphy signed a free agent deal with the
Nationals, following seven seasons with the New York Mets. Murphy broke
out in a big way for Washington, getting off to an electric start and
standing atop the batting average leaderboard for much of the campaign. LeMahieu caught Murphy in late August and the pair traded the batting
lead back and forth until a glute strain sidelined the Nationals slugger
for much of the second half of September. With Washington headed to
the playoffs, the club rested Murphy, only having him make three
pinch-hitting appearances over the final 14 games of the regular season. LeMahieu passed Murphy for good on September 19 and with the Rockies
out of playoff contention, the team’s manager Walt Weiss chose to sit
LeMahieu for the final two regular season contests rather than risk
having him lose the batting crown. Thus, LeMahieu earned top NL honors,
finishing a single point ahead of Murphy’s .347 average. After an
uncharacteristically poor start to the 2016 campaign, Reds first basemen
Joey Votto righted the ship and recovered to a .326 mark that ranked
him third in the final order—his best result since slotting runner-up to
Carlos González in 2010. LeMahieu took advantage of hitting at Coors
Field and posted a 91-point higher batting average at home than on the
road. Normally a hitter’s haven, Nationals Park generated a neutral
park factor of 100 during 2016. Nevertheless, after seven seasons of
calling the pitcher-friendly confines of New York’s Shea Stadium and
Citi Field home, Murphy took a liking to his new abode, batting .361 at
Nationals Park. Similar to 2010, Votto hit better away from
Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park, though this time around his
home/road split was not quite as pronounced.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh8EbQ30OTsZ9SEwNFA5Owx2xlE4Ru75nUmNOI3kc8_jmi__7aXvGGCu42TgThyphenhyphent4lMex0t_Qa60klazMs9y3rBthwc3btnoSy-vMhaGYkJR6OZkvBnmDvcTekL1fMx7BGmm1usBGIWwOvKBi_2NUPMmDNr8JWnzPlwPHxAEjNvUT2tY1_1UKu5Zs0o63/s2250/2017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2250" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDh8EbQ30OTsZ9SEwNFA5Owx2xlE4Ru75nUmNOI3kc8_jmi__7aXvGGCu42TgThyphenhyphent4lMex0t_Qa60klazMs9y3rBthwc3btnoSy-vMhaGYkJR6OZkvBnmDvcTekL1fMx7BGmm1usBGIWwOvKBi_2NUPMmDNr8JWnzPlwPHxAEjNvUT2tY1_1UKu5Zs0o63/w640-h300/2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO433d0PC9eIvp9c4Z3yJFFQ63U8AfIiVAePPYYfKkknNIacuXMqzZd-deu6DU9qygKRh8oCWTrF0NwAb_E8C4fXSe1OdIed9cmdEgF0K-r48P_xQ0YVUXf4RZNruKmWlw-507HoEok6VLu45-RsbnWNusqsoZEPUluRpm35-DD3jdgnPovqzeCg89bGV/s566/Table%202017.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="119" data-original-width="566" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPO433d0PC9eIvp9c4Z3yJFFQ63U8AfIiVAePPYYfKkknNIacuXMqzZd-deu6DU9qygKRh8oCWTrF0NwAb_E8C4fXSe1OdIed9cmdEgF0K-r48P_xQ0YVUXf4RZNruKmWlw-507HoEok6VLu45-RsbnWNusqsoZEPUluRpm35-DD3jdgnPovqzeCg89bGV/w640-h134/Table%202017.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Just
behind Votto on the 2016 NL rundown was the Rockies’ next batting
champion, center fielder Charlie Blackmon who slotted fourth with a .324
average. Originally signed by Colorado as a second round draft pick in
2008, Blackmon had hit a combined .289 over parts of a handful of major
league campaigns before his breakout 2016 effort. The 30-year-old
slugger carried the momentum into 2017, capturing the NL batting title
with a .331 average—thus making him the fourth different Rockies player
in five seasons to earn top honors for the senior circuit. In addition
to pacing the loop in batting average, Blackmon also finished atop the
leaderboard in hits, runs scored, triples, and total bases. For the
first time since 2009, Colorado reached the postseason, albeit briefly
as the club secured the second NL wild card but fell to the Arizona
Diamondbacks in the Wild Card Game. MVP voters recognized Blackmon’s
contributions to the Rockies’ season as he picked up three first-place
tallies and classified fifth in the election, one spot behind his
teammate, third baseman Nolan Arenado. En route to claiming the NL
batting crown, Blackmon devoured opposing pitching at Coors Field where
he batted .391 but looked much more human on the road where he hit a
far-less illustrious .277. Blackmon’s .277 mark actually represented
the lowest road figure posted by a Rockies hitter during a season in
which the player won the batting title. Moreover, only Larry Walker—who
dominated at Coors Field like no one else before or since—managed to
win a batting crown for Colorado while registering a more severe
home/road split than Blackmon’s.</div><div><br /></div><div>Occupying the
bridesmaid position in the NL batting race for the second year in a row
was Nationals keystoner Daniel Murphy. While the prior campaign had
seen Murphy finish a single point behind DJ LeMahieu for the batting
crown, on this occasion, he checked up nine points in arrears of
Blackmon and narrowly-edged Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin
Turner for second place. The battle for runner-up had been a
razor-close one as both Murphy and Turner ended the season with a .322
average, the difference coming down to the former’s .3221 mark leading
the latter’s .3217 figure. Thus, had it not been for the presence of
Colorado’s LeMahieu in 2016 and Blackmon in 2017, Murphy likely would
have paced the loop during each of those years and become a back-to-back
NL batting champion. In a reverse of the previous season, Murphy hit
much better on the road despite Nationals Park generating a park factor
of 107. Votto put together another strong campaign, slotting a close
fourth with a .320 average. LeMahieu followed up his batting
crown-winning 2016 by notching a solid .310 mark that ranked
eighth-best, one spot ahead of the .309 figure of his teammate Arenado. As it currently stands, the 2017 senior circuit rundown witnessed the
final time Murphy, Turner, or Votto challenged for top honors.</div><div><br /></div><div>During
2017, the Denver-based franchise completed its 25th year of play. Over
that span, nine different Rockies hitters earned 11 NL batting titles
for the organization. Yet, after a period of such dominance in winning
the batting crown, the subsequent six seasons have not seen a single
Rockies hitter come close to claiming top honors for the franchise even
though Coors Field still produced lofty park factors between 110 and 119
which have ranked first or second-highest among NL stadiums each year. The 2018 campaign signaled a return to the postseason for Colorado with
the team securing the second NL wild card and defeating the Chicago
Cubs in the ensuing Wild Card Game before losing to the Milwaukee
Brewers in the NLDS. Despite the success on the field, the highest any
Rockies hitters could muster in the batting race was Nolan Arenado
finishing 10th with a .297 average while Brewers outfielder Christian
Yelich paced the senior loop with a .326 mark. In fact, for the first
time, one of Colorado’s pitchers ranked higher on the ERA leaderboard
than one of its hitters did in the batting race as left-hander Kyle
Freeland’s 2.85 ERA slotted fifth-best among NL hurlers. Prior to
Freeland, the only Rockies pitchers to crack the top-10 leaderboard in
ERA had been right-hander Marvin Freeman who crafted the senior
circuit’s third-lowest figure with a 2.80 mark during the
strike-shortened 1994 campaign and righty Ubaldo Jiménez who classified
eighth with a 2.88 ERA in 2010. At season’s end the club’s roster
weakened with the departure of DJ LeMahieu who signed with the New York
Yankees as a free agent. Yelich became a back-to-back NL batting
champion in 2019, cementing top honors with a .329 average for
Milwaukee. Colorado put a pair of sluggers on the leaderboard with
Arenado’s .315 mark good for fifth place and Blackmon’s .314 figure just
behind in sixth. During the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign,
Washington Nationals left fielder Juan Soto paced the NL with a .351
average while Rockies left fielder Raimel Tapia’s .321 mark slotted him
in eighth as the team’s sole representative on the rundown. Over in the
AL, LeMahieu posted a junior circuit-best .364 average for the Yankees
and in the process joined Ed Delahanty as just the second player to win
batting crowns in both the AL and NL. Colorado’s roster further
weakened during the offseason as the team shipped Arenado to the St.
Louis Cardinals in exchange for a handful of unproven prospects. Finally, after 28 seasons of placing at least one hitter among the NL
top 10 in batting average, the 2021 campaign witnessed the first
instance in which no Rockies hitters cracked the leaderboard as first
baseman C.J. Cron registered a team-leading .281 mark that only
classified 15th best in the loop. Although former batting champion
Blackmon remained on the roster, he no longer ranked among the leaders
as he hit .270 and subsequently produced respective .264 and .279
averages in 2022 and 2023. Infielder Trea Turner earned the 2021 NL
batting title, hitting a combined .328 during a season in which he began
the year with the Nationals and finished it with the Dodgers following a
late-July trade. Colorado’s pattern of futility in the batting race
repeated itself for 2022 as second baseman Brendan Rodgers paced the
team’s qualified hitters with a .266 figure that ranked nowhere near the
top-10 leaderboard while the club sank to the bottom of the NL West. Rodgers’ pedestrian .266 average checked in 60 points behind the
league-leading mark of New York Mets second baseman/outfielder Jeff
McNeil. The 2023 campaign saw more of the same with Colorado finishing
in the NL West cellar for the second year in a row and the eighth time
in the franchise’s existence. Catcher Elias Díaz’s middling .267
figure represented the highest average among qualified Rockies hitters
and slotted well off the top-10 leaderboard which was headed by Miami
Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez who paced the circuit with a .354
mark and joined Delahanty and LeMahieu as the third player to claim
batting titles in both the AL and NL and the first to accomplish the
feat in successive campaigns. However, Colorado’s rookie outfielder
Nolan Jones provided a glimmer of hope for the future as he batted .297
across 424 plate appearances.</div><div><br /></div><div>Even taking into
account the recent downturn by Rockies hitters, with nine different
players winning 11 NL batting crowns over the franchise’s 31-year
existence, the team has been able to produce batting champions at an
unmatched pace. While it has been six seasons since one of Colorado’s
hitters has captured the batting title, the team’s short history tells
us it is only a matter of time before a budding young player such as
Nolan Jones ascends to the top of the leaderboard like Todd Helton,
Carlos González, and DJ LeMahieu have or a veteran surprisingly steps to
the forefront the way Andrés Galarraga, Michael Cuddyer, and Justin
Morneau did. From Moises Alou to Daniel Murphy to Joey Votto, the
presence of this mile-high based franchise has denied some excellent
hitters the chance to add “batting champion” to their list of
accomplishments.</div><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fbloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stats
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkela01.shtml" target="_blank">Larry Walker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heltoto01.shtml" target="_blank">Todd Helton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joey Votto</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blackch02.shtml" target="_blank"> Charlie Blackmon</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arenano01.shtml" target="_blank">Nolan Arenado</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gwynnto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Gwynn</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml" target="_blank">Albert Pujols</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lemahdj01.shtml" target="_blank">DJ LeMahieu</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/turnetr01.shtml" target="_blank">Trea Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freemfr01.shtml" target="_blank">Freddie Freeman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arraelu01.shtml" target="_blank">Luis Arraez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesno01.shtml" target="_blank">Nolan Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/turneju01.shtml" target="_blank">Justin Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sotoju01.shtml" target="_blank">Juan Soto</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/yelicch01.shtml" target="_blank">Christian Yelich</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccutan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andrew McCutchen</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcneije01.shtml" target="_blank">Jeff McNeil</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/galaran01.shtml" target="_blank">Andrés Galarraga</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeffegr01.shtml" target="_blank">Gregg Jefferies</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olerujo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Olerud</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/piazzmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Piazza</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzalu01.shtml" target="_blank">Luis Gonzalez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/abreubo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bobby Abreu</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl01.shtml" target="_blank">Vladimir Guerrero</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aloumo01.shtml" target="_blank">Moises Alou</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollima01.shtml" target="_blank">Matt Holliday</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesch06.shtml" target="_blank">Chipper Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/utleych01.shtml" target="_blank">Chase Utley</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzaca01.shtml" target="_blank">Carlos González</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/infanom01.shtml" target="_blank">Omar Infante</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cuddymi01.shtml" target="_blank">Michael Cuddyer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsch05.shtml" target="_blank">Chris Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morneju01.shtml" target="_blank">Justin Morneau</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphda08.shtml" target="_blank">Daniel Murphy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harrijo05.shtml" target="_blank">Josh Harrison</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:</div><div>All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/sport/baseball/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_topnav_stathead&utm_content=lnk_top&_gl=1*17lin24*_ga*MTgwMTQ1ODU5My4xNzA2Mjg2NTIx*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTcwNjI4NjUxNC4xLjEuMTcwNjI4NzYzNi4zNC4wLjA." target="_blank">Stathead</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/rockies-humidor-stories" target="_blank">Thomas Harding, “Why baseballs are stored differently at Coors,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2015/06/05/colorado-rockies-justin-morneau-concussion-return-timetable" target="_blank">SI Wire, “Rockies have no timetable for Justin Morneau’s return from concussion,” SI.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/10076483/colorado-rockies-agree-deal-justin-morneau" target="_blank">ESPN.com news services, “Report: Rockies add Justin Morneau,” ESPN.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2015/09/04/justin-morneau-returns-to-rockies-after-concussion-starts-against-giants/" target="_blank">Nick Groke and Patrick Saunders, “Justin Morneau returns to Rockies after concussion, starts against Giants,” The Denver Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/nationals-journal/wp/2016/09/23/daniel-murphy-has-strained-left-buttocks-stephen-strasburgs-playoff-status-still-uncertain/" target="_blank">Chelsea Janes, “Daniel Murphy has strained left buttocks, Stephen Strasburg’s playoff status still uncertain,” The Washington Post</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/17698902/dj-lemahieu-colorado-rockies-wins-nl-batting-title-sitting-out" target="_blank">ESPN.com news services and The Associated Press, “DJ LeMahieu wins NL batting title after sitting weekend out,” ESPN.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-09-11-sp-33896-story.html" target="_blank">L.A. Times Archives and The Associated Press, “BASEBALL/DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE MAJORS : Gwynn to Have Surgery on Knee,” Los Angeles Times </a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Andrés Galarraga 1994 Bowman, Tony Gwynn 1994 Score, Gregg Jefferies
1993 Bowman, Larry Walker 1998 Pinnacle Plus, John Olerud 1998 Donruss
Signature Series, Dante Bichette 1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated, Mike
Piazza 1999 Pacific Aurora-Pennant Fever, Larry Walker 1998 Score Rookie
& Traded, Luis Gonzalez 2002 SP, Bobby Abreu 2000 Upper Deck MVP,
Todd Helton 2001 Fleer Game Time, Moises Alou 2001 Upper Deck, Vladimir
Guerrero 2001 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects, Larry Walker 2001 Topps,
Todd Helton 2001 Topps Home Team Advantage, Moises Alou 2001 Donruss
Signature Series, Lance Berkman 2002 Fleer Genuine, Matt Holliday 2009
Upper Deck, Chipper Jones 2008 Upper Deck First Edition, Chase Utley
2008 SP Authentic, Carlos González 2011 Topps, Joey Votto 2011 Topps,
Omar Infante 2009 Upper Deck, Michael Cuddyer 2013 Topps Update Series,
Chris Johnson 2013 Topps Update Series, Freddie Freeman 2013 Topps,
Justin Morneau 2016 Topps Archives, Josh Harrison 2015 Topps, Andrew
McCutchen 2016 Topps, DJ LeMahieu 2016 Topps Bunt, Daniel Murphy 2018
Topps, Joey Votto 2017 Topps Salute Spring Training, Charlie Blackmon
2018 Topps, Daniel Murphy 2016 Topps, Justin Turner 2017 Topps Bunt</div><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGheW5Cjy_cLCed95LYEiQRNjiuQ7AnIAu3jqVx9kmzj_OCe16uTqkkFmWAIKDo6ZC2fr3wEj0gX23neprkeOGhrABUJmHoSVzKRrweiK4JNk4fUORtdkteYs2BMBMOP3nh0UkGn9NS6zE_yQZPcRhw-lDx6GXVjvP7rQUujhK7Rr0Pn_ZhZXOMGXrKx7/s2240/Rod%20Carew%20Luis%20Arraez%20Nolan%20Ryan.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvGheW5Cjy_cLCed95LYEiQRNjiuQ7AnIAu3jqVx9kmzj_OCe16uTqkkFmWAIKDo6ZC2fr3wEj0gX23neprkeOGhrABUJmHoSVzKRrweiK4JNk4fUORtdkteYs2BMBMOP3nh0UkGn9NS6zE_yQZPcRhw-lDx6GXVjvP7rQUujhK7Rr0Pn_ZhZXOMGXrKx7/w640-h300/Rod%20Carew%20Luis%20Arraez%20Nolan%20Ryan.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-mlb-season-quick-hits-ronald-acuna.html" target="_blank">2023 MLB Season Quick Hits: Ronald Acuña Jr., Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and More</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-1989-and-1990-texas-rangers.html" target="_blank">The 1989 and 1990 Texas Rangers Pitching Staffs That Featured Five Hurlers Who Would Each Retire with 200-Plus Victories</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /></div><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-41842847301005543242024-01-05T07:45:00.000-05:002024-01-05T07:45:22.612-05:00The 1989 and 1990 Texas Rangers Pitching Staffs That Featured Five Hurlers Who Would Each Retire with 200-Plus Victories<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR6n_gnlk-xwI6zxPjSJTSXEfulQopZda2EhaZXj4aPVEKr4DO0PBsgyvcPIRjIRK1ICts65fQEC7AvPj51YiyCk0YhhDtPT0IDq46lKxRycHG7xrAYVrNSMYWbcUm-RqlOPXott-TBrxY_kBbtghuJuL9fsTMqJNoEHL7NsbsOG37P9htJ-dfU1eBc6h/s5264/1%20Topps%201989.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="5264" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsR6n_gnlk-xwI6zxPjSJTSXEfulQopZda2EhaZXj4aPVEKr4DO0PBsgyvcPIRjIRK1ICts65fQEC7AvPj51YiyCk0YhhDtPT0IDq46lKxRycHG7xrAYVrNSMYWbcUm-RqlOPXott-TBrxY_kBbtghuJuL9fsTMqJNoEHL7NsbsOG37P9htJ-dfU1eBc6h/w640-h180/1%20Topps%201989.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The 1989 and 1990 Texas Rangers teams are most remembered for the
pitching exploits of ageless hurler Nolan Ryan who, despite being in his
early forties, continued to overpower hitters with his blistering
fastball on his way to racking up 324 career victories. However, Ryan
was not the only pitcher on those Rangers clubs who retired with a lofty
win total as the fireballer’s teammates Charlie Hough, Jamie Moyer,
Kevin Brown, and Kenny Rogers would each go on to finish their careers
with 200-plus victories. In the history of MLB, this quintet stands
alone, as no other combination of five existing or future 200-win
pitchers have played together on the same team.<br />
<br />
On July 11, 1980, the Rangers made what seemed at the time like an
inconsequential move by purchasing the contract of 32-year-old
right-handed knuckleball pitcher Charlie Hough from the Los Angeles
Dodgers. A veteran of parts of 11 big league seasons, Hough had
initially broken into the majors with Los Angeles in August 1970. After
spending the bulk of 1971 and 1972 in the minors, Hough established
himself as an effective member of the Dodgers relief corps, most notably
contributing to the club’s pennant-winning drives in 1977 and 1978. However, when he began to struggle during the first half of 1979, the
team attempted to convert him into a starter. The righty posted a fine
6-3 record in 14 starts but was battered to the tune of a 4.84 ERA. Thus, to open the 1980 campaign, he was relocated back to the bullpen
where his troubles continued as he registered a woeful 5.57 ERA before
being sold to the Rangers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrpwKo3wN0j__iuz3dOSU6n_BN0i_BUZH3IWUtFajzNFOwnLdXMfOzvfCNz1uuzTKBYk1NG-QIdfiYKAjK_FOn0KLEdgBdoGlczRwLp0972MTToclP2U6SIAh-JZrYa8Am3YQPdNGXupT3niNBRxLGj4_y_IDueh6HlHCHelYsm4UjmJY8Yz6UUtTydpk/s2960/2%20Charlie%20Hough.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="2960" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihrpwKo3wN0j__iuz3dOSU6n_BN0i_BUZH3IWUtFajzNFOwnLdXMfOzvfCNz1uuzTKBYk1NG-QIdfiYKAjK_FOn0KLEdgBdoGlczRwLp0972MTToclP2U6SIAh-JZrYa8Am3YQPdNGXupT3niNBRxLGj4_y_IDueh6HlHCHelYsm4UjmJY8Yz6UUtTydpk/w640-h300/2%20Charlie%20Hough.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Upon joining his new club, Hough rediscovered some of his form,
producing a 3.96 ERA across 61 1/3 innings as a low-leverage reliever
for Texas. Pitching at a similar level as the Rangers mop-up man in
1981, Hough was given another shot at starting during the final month of
the season and made the most of the opportunity, going 4-1 with a
minuscule 1.83 ERA in five starts. With his strong finish to 1981,
Hough earned a spot in Texas’ starting rotation for 1982 and began the
year in glorious fashion, earning a complete-game victory as the team’s
Opening Day starter. Finally getting the chance to become a full-time
starter at age 34, the knuckleballer never looked back, cementing
himself as a workhorse pitcher and beginning a seven-season run in which
he threw an average of 252 innings. Often taking the mound in front of
uncompetitive Rangers clubs, Hough still managed to post a 111-95
record and 3.58 ERA over this stretch while winning at least 14 games
each year. In the process of accumulating a career-high 18 wins during
the 1987 campaign, Hough notched his 94th victory as a member of the
Rangers to pass Ferguson Jenkins and become the franchise’s all-time
leader in wins.<br />
<br />
While the 1980 acquisition of Hough drew little attention, the December
1988 free-agent signing of veteran righty Nolan Ryan created an ample
amount of buzz around the Rangers and represented a pivotal turning
point in the history of the franchise. Nicknamed “The Ryan Express,” he
was noted for attacking opposing hitters with his blazing fastball, a
stark contrast to the soft-throwing of the knuckleballer Hough. Set to
turn 42 before the start of the 1989 season, Ryan was a year older than
Hough and still going strong despite having thrown 4,500-plus innings
over parts of 22 big league campaigns. Already established as MLB’s
all-time leader in strikeouts with an incredible 4,775 on his ledger,
Ryan brought 273 career victories to Texas with designs on reaching the
vaunted 300-win plateau.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEpYUwFoIjGMaoPzZZ8XRsF7WUlHpTrAhnL46lZvcuSMsDvVWHAL9-HwlLTZxzW3KSaqpe131xeC8j4OChEyC6BLJFXWRPRHLQ5wxEqoIt69lvVO2iHled4IpfymHnt4-UmDJPOuOQ24IEWUa5rbuZqB5Aq4tccUd16PPgBrMJSMya49KTQ2y8HQttws3/s2244/3%20Nolan%20Ryan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2244" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhEpYUwFoIjGMaoPzZZ8XRsF7WUlHpTrAhnL46lZvcuSMsDvVWHAL9-HwlLTZxzW3KSaqpe131xeC8j4OChEyC6BLJFXWRPRHLQ5wxEqoIt69lvVO2iHled4IpfymHnt4-UmDJPOuOQ24IEWUa5rbuZqB5Aq4tccUd16PPgBrMJSMya49KTQ2y8HQttws3/w640-h298/3%20Nolan%20Ryan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ryan initially broke into the majors with the New York Mets in 1966 and
earned a World Series ring as a member of the team three years later. However, he did not truly hit his stride until he was traded to the
California Angels for the 1972 season. Upon joining the Angels, Ryan
worked with pitching coach Tom Morgan who focused on improving his
delivery and enhancing his curveball to complement his fastball. Ryan
immediately benefitted from Morgan’s guidance, winning 19 games in 1972
while leading the AL with 329 strikeouts. The righty continued
dominating opposing batters in 1973, picking up 21 victories while
setting a MLB record with an astounding 383 strikeouts. Ryan’s banner
1973 included throwing a pair of no-hitters, becoming just the fourth
pitcher to accomplish the feat multiple times in the same season. The
fireballer’s run of dominance carried into 1974 as he tossed a third
no-hitter, paced the junior circuit with 367 strikeouts, and also
reached the 20-win plateau for the second consecutive campaign despite
pitching in front of a last-place Angels team. However, Ryan’s
eye-popping strikeout totals were tempered by control issues as he
simultaneously became a perennial leader in walks. Ryan added a fourth
no-hitter while experiencing a down year in 1975 but came back to top
the circuit in strikeouts during each of the next four seasons, the
final of which saw the Angels franchise secure its first playoff
appearance after capturing the AL West division title. The righty then
left the Halos to sign a lucrative free agent contract to pitch in his
home state of Texas for the Houston Astros.<br />
<br />
Despite turning in what was, by his standards, a mediocre performance
during his initial campaign with the Astros, the club finished 1980 atop
the NL West. Thus, for the second year in a row, Ryan helped a
franchise reach the postseason for the first time. Houston returned to
the playoffs during the following year with Ryan making a much more
significant contribution as he accomplished a familiar feat by throwing
his record fifth no-hitter while also achieving a new feat by leading
the senior circuit with a microscopic 1.69 ERA. Ryan spent seven
additional seasons with the Astros, over which he produced an 84-79
win-loss mark and 3.24 ERA as the club generally hovered just above or
below .500, save for the 1986 campaign when the team captured the NL
West crown. While pitching for Houston, Ryan managed to bring his
wildness under better control and began relying less on his fastball
after perfecting the changeup. On April 27, 1983, he became MLB’s
strikeout king, eclipsing the career mark of Walter Johnson who had
stood as the all-time leader in the category for more than six decades. In 1987, at age 40, Ryan claimed his second NL ERA title and also
returned to the top of his respective league’s strikeout leaderboard for
the first time since 1979. The following season saw Ryan cap his
nine-year stint with the Astros by once again pacing the senior loop in
strikeouts.<br />
<br />
While Ryan brought 273 career victories to the Rangers, his grizzled
veteran colleague Hough entered 1989 with 164 wins. On the opposite end
of the pitching staff’s experience spectrum, 26-year-old southpaw Jamie
Moyer looked to solidify himself as a member of the rotation after
being acquired during the offseason as part of a nine-player trade with
the Chicago Cubs for whom the young hurler had gone 28-34 with a 4.42
ERA over his initial three major league campaigns. Possessing a
below-average fastball, Moyer relied on changing speeds to remain
effective. In addition, the righty-lefty rookie combo of Kevin Brown
and Kenny Rogers opened the 1989 season as 24-year-olds hoping to
establish themselves on the Rangers roster, the former having earned a
pair of wins during brief cups of coffee in 1986 and 1988 while the
latter had yet to make his big league debut. Selected by Texas with the
fourth overall pick in the first round of the June 1986 Amateur Draft,
Brown boasted a hard sinker that stymied opposing batters and caused
them to hit the ball into the dirt. By contrast, Rogers was considered a
long shot to even make the majors, having been selected by the Rangers
in the 39th round of the June 1982 Amateur Draft. Rogers did not
possess a standout pitch like Brown’s sinker, though he was able to make
due with a decent repertoire that included a fastball, changeup, and
curve.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q7vAAywS9s6yd6t2ECS6kGmGrwg5yjznLZwoh3OhnsFhzjJXXupr0VlQzcn8I5UKNb9XHIihbAyZVlylX3DhZJI87dqtMyqe2Lc64UgDGKjhpJZre3aRxw_z1c1xtUMefektqlFZGnO87IK40335rQsxv5AnxFFqDfmsVYFz0_k6cS_iS6ddBY7kEO5s/s5296/4%20Topps%201990.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1488" data-original-width="5296" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q7vAAywS9s6yd6t2ECS6kGmGrwg5yjznLZwoh3OhnsFhzjJXXupr0VlQzcn8I5UKNb9XHIihbAyZVlylX3DhZJI87dqtMyqe2Lc64UgDGKjhpJZre3aRxw_z1c1xtUMefektqlFZGnO87IK40335rQsxv5AnxFFqDfmsVYFz0_k6cS_iS6ddBY7kEO5s/w640-h180/4%20Topps%201990.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ryan pitched masterfully in 1989, going 16-10 with a 3.20 ERA while
pacing the AL with 301 strikeouts—marking the tenth time in which he led
his respective league in the category and the sixth occasion where he
reached 300. On August 22, he added to his already impressive list of
milestones by recording his 5,000th strikeout.<br />
<br />
After defying old age for so long, Hough finally started to slow down
during 1989, seeing his ERA rise by more than a run over the previous
year’s 3.32 figure while his inning total decreased by 70 as he
concluded the campaign with a 10-13 record and 4.35 ERA across 182
frames. Though the knuckleballer kicked off the season in style by
hurling an Opening Day shutout versus the Detroit Tigers, he struggled
to find his rhythm over the remainder of the year. Always susceptible
to giving up the long ball, Hough dubiously led the AL by allowing 28
home runs.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7o5-1IPKVBSU2ZYLiYWmtILHiO9r1Ugtu7RIFyhy0ZZ9do0wh3NVhVjf0QLKqoqRTnx11rwXU6gXNrb-hoYvHOzslmi2zqnnlG8dul1lNcQd1i_oSjn99nJxQ_PDVb4_OZzaee-e_lGk_xArlCaDXK5sRc3cxOdmnQ31u3_fR9cLKtB19ZhPUiqlqBkg/s1104/5%201989%20Table.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="1104" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7o5-1IPKVBSU2ZYLiYWmtILHiO9r1Ugtu7RIFyhy0ZZ9do0wh3NVhVjf0QLKqoqRTnx11rwXU6gXNrb-hoYvHOzslmi2zqnnlG8dul1lNcQd1i_oSjn99nJxQ_PDVb4_OZzaee-e_lGk_xArlCaDXK5sRc3cxOdmnQ31u3_fR9cLKtB19ZhPUiqlqBkg/w640-h118/5%201989%20Table.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Moyer also began the campaign in grand fashion, earning victories in
each of his initial three starts, only to drop his next five decisions
before suffering a lat strain at the end of May that kept him on the
sidelines until early September. Upon his return, Moyer pitched poorly
in four of his final five starts to finish the season at 4-9 with a 4.86
ERA.<br />
<br />
Brown lived up to the promise of his first-round pick status, putting
together a solid rookie effort, going 12-9 with a 3.35 ERA over 28
starts. In contrast to his veteran rotation-mate Hough, Brown proved to
be one of the toughest pitchers to take deep, yielding just 10 home
runs across 191 innings. Yet, despite turning in one of the 1989
season’s finest freshman performances, he did not factor into the AL
Rookie of the Year vote, only drawing a pair of third-place tallies to
classify sixth in the election.<br />
<br />
Rogers made his own strong freshman showing, spending the entire
campaign in the bullpen where he worked a set-up role and maintained a
2.93 ERA over 73 2/3 frames. Like his rookie colleague Brown, he was
stingy about surrendering the long ball, being victimized just twice
during the season.<br />
<br />
The Rangers finished 1989 with an 83-79 record and slotted fourth in the
AL West, 16 games behind the division-champion Oakland Athletics. This
marked a 13-game improvement from the prior year for Texas and
represented only the team’s second winning season since 1982. Also,
with Ryan attracting large crowds for his starts, the Rangers’
attendance at Arlington Stadium increased by nearly half a million from
the previous campaign as the franchise drew over 2 million fans for the
first time.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYMITYUoJl4fakcPWsDI6oEG_iFhREJb1vrS1FbUkm4wOUq0arhxLR6iEVClTNNsz1NQ5ya9qT4Htr4VMKRSuTNgQTzdbSbAt4ELtd8s8GM2ZO40jbsh9FcZ_nukk7mDhVTCcK5OClBwQAykHIo9z-fv7tJKGn27pCDh4IPdAsbfmMx_Cea9Ck0ASqBRk/s5488/6%20Topps%201991.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="5488" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYMITYUoJl4fakcPWsDI6oEG_iFhREJb1vrS1FbUkm4wOUq0arhxLR6iEVClTNNsz1NQ5ya9qT4Htr4VMKRSuTNgQTzdbSbAt4ELtd8s8GM2ZO40jbsh9FcZ_nukk7mDhVTCcK5OClBwQAykHIo9z-fv7tJKGn27pCDh4IPdAsbfmMx_Cea9Ck0ASqBRk/w640-h184/6%20Topps%201991.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The quintet of Ryan, Hough, Moyer, Brown, and Rogers remained with Texas
for 1990. The now 43-year-old Ryan showed no signs of breaking down,
posting a 13-9 record and 3.44 ERA while leading his respective league
in strikeouts for the eleventh time in his career, racking up 232 across
204 innings. Already the author of a MLB record five no-hitters, on
June 11, the fireballer added a sixth masterpiece to his collection when
he held the defending World Series champion Athletics hitless on the
road in Oakland. Ryan issued just a pair of walks and struck out 14 in
the Rangers’ 5-0 victory, in the process eclipsing Cy Young as the
oldest hurler to toss a no-hitter. Later in the season, Ryan achieved
another milestone when he defeated the Milwaukee Brewers on July 31 to
become the twentieth member of the 300-win club.<br />
<br />
Hough bounced back somewhat from his middling 1989, finishing 1990 with a
12-12 mark and 4.07 ERA over 218 2/3 frames. However, he once again
paced the loop in a dubious statistic, plunking an AL-high 11 batters. Because his fluttering knuckleball occasionally got away from him, Hough
had regularly ranked among the leaders in hit batters, topping the
junior circuit once prior in 1987.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9iGsC3bSHRJ0v0D-k6mP1qjqNkw5TrdlGf4JTdR5KrNo5iAZRKBjlRrbII4wu9EFBKww8fSnaGVRZyHGr78uMKBQ3B_Q9U0AW6M88xPviSPaOEudLd3L2W89WDpBjPJ0JpTMaPEwSt7Z3nPtQjRuXq1nu6NUYmVNHWw4DXPS4YzmXvRTY21IJQzSzp4D/s1104/7%201990%20Table.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="1104" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9iGsC3bSHRJ0v0D-k6mP1qjqNkw5TrdlGf4JTdR5KrNo5iAZRKBjlRrbII4wu9EFBKww8fSnaGVRZyHGr78uMKBQ3B_Q9U0AW6M88xPviSPaOEudLd3L2W89WDpBjPJ0JpTMaPEwSt7Z3nPtQjRuXq1nu6NUYmVNHWw4DXPS4YzmXvRTY21IJQzSzp4D/w640-h118/7%201990%20Table.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Moyer’s struggles compounded in 1990, as he lost his spot in the
starting rotation before the season was even a month old and found
himself relegated to a mop-up relief role. Returning to the rotation at
the end of July, the southpaw produced insufficient results and was
sent back to the bullpen in September. Moyer’s final line for 1990 saw
him register an uneven 2-6 record and 4.66 ERA with only 10 of his 33
appearances coming as a starter.<br />
<br />
Brown followed up his solid rookie campaign with a comparable sophomore
offering, going 12-10 with a 3.60 ERA over 180 innings. On June 20, the
25-year-old hurler spun his first career shutout, holding the Minnesota
Twins to just four hits in the Rangers’ 8-0 victory.<br />
<br />
Rogers remained in the bullpen during 1990, spending the bulk of the
season as the club’s main relief specialist after closer Jeff Russell
went down with an injury in late May. Rogers chalked up a team-leading
15 saves while compiling a 10-6 record and 3.13 ERA across 69
appearances and 97 2/3 frames. The young lefty’s campaign included
making his first starts of his career: a rocky spot start in late April
and a pair of excellent late September starts for his final two outings
of the season.<br />
<br />
The Rangers finished 1990 with an 83-79 record that was identical to the
year before, this time moving up to third place in the AL West but a
full 20 games in arrears to the division-winning Athletics. For the
second consecutive campaign, Arlington Stadium drew over 2 million fans
as large crowds continued to come out to witness “The Ryan Express” in
action.<br />
<br />
During the offseason, the Rangers parted ways with Charlie Hough,
allowing the knuckleballer to leave the team to sign a free agent deal
with the Chicago White Sox. Hough spent a pair of campaigns pitching in
the Windy City, crossing the 200-win mark in late 1992. The veteran
hurler then migrated south to join the expansion Florida Marlins for the
1993 season. Hough took the hill as the Opening Day starter in the
Marlins’ inaugural game and remained with the club through the 1994
campaign, after which he finally retired at age 46, leaving baseball
with 216 victories to his name, 139 of which he accrued while pitching
for the Rangers. With parts of 25 major league seasons under his belt,
Hough stands as one of just 10 men to play that long. Unlikely as it
may have seemed in 1980 when he joined Texas as a struggling 32-year-old
reliever, Hough continues to sit atop the franchise leaderboard in wins
with no current Rangers hurler having amassed even half his victory
total. What’s more, Hough also ranks number one in a slew of other
categories for the franchise including innings pitched, complete games,
strikeouts, and pitcher WAR.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckRON2Si3RQjFb_qkiTxkSOF1kdHycspFsJZr0lVVvEXFryZwaZym5pDrW3Um5k8i2XhqEWrZViogJi8OGFXKT45dEX9Lkx2KvQOxlbiEKd7q6aLFmJwgjabOwT0cdhjPBW-HvMYx65hR5K_hfCxuEXcZAk9o2hatlNXK-cORRFqyh3sxpie-UWUi80Rb/s3168/8%20Charlie%20Hough%20and%20Nolan%20Ryan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="3168" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckRON2Si3RQjFb_qkiTxkSOF1kdHycspFsJZr0lVVvEXFryZwaZym5pDrW3Um5k8i2XhqEWrZViogJi8OGFXKT45dEX9Lkx2KvQOxlbiEKd7q6aLFmJwgjabOwT0cdhjPBW-HvMYx65hR5K_hfCxuEXcZAk9o2hatlNXK-cORRFqyh3sxpie-UWUi80Rb/w640-h304/8%20Charlie%20Hough%20and%20Nolan%20Ryan.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Nolan Ryan remained with the Rangers and continued to make a mockery of
Father Time, putting together a fine 1991 effort in which he improved
his win-loss mark to 12-6 while reducing his ERA to 2.91. On May 1 of
that year, the flame-throwing righty broke his own record by hurling a
seventh no-hitter at age 44. On this occasion, he victimized the
Toronto Blue Jays at Arlington Stadium, racking up an astounding 16
strikeouts in the 3-0 victory. Despite seeing a lighter workload in
comparison to his prior two campaigns with Texas, Ryan still managed to
accumulate 203 strikeouts across 173 innings—marking the 15th time he
reached 200 strikeouts in a season.<br />
<br />
However, he took a step backwards in 1992, posting a 5-9 record and 3.72
ERA. Ryan’s performance continued to decline during a difficult 1993
campaign in which he was beset by a combination of knee, hip, and rib
cage injuries that limited him to just 13 starts over which he went 5-5
with a 4.88 ERA. In what proved to be his final start, on September 22,
he suffered a UCL tear in his right elbow and decided to call it a
career. At long last closing the book on 27 major league seasons, Ryan
retired with 324 career victories, a total that slotted him alongside
Don Sutton for 12th-most all-time and has since been surpassed by only
Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux. Ryan left the game as the holder of
dozens of records and, to this day, his 5,714 strikeouts is still 839
more than the total of second-place Randy Johnson and 2,347 ahead of the
leading active pitcher Max Scherzer. In 1999, Ryan was elected to the
Baseball Hall of Fame with 98.8% of the vote.<br />
<br />
The conclusion of the 1990 campaign saw the Rangers cut ties with Jamie
Moyer, releasing the beleaguered southpaw. Moyer signed with the St.
Louis Cardinals for 1991 where his difficulties persisted as he went 0-5
with a 5.74 ERA before being demoted to the franchise's Triple-A
affiliate in late May, where he remained for the balance of the
campaign. He attempted to return to the Cubs for 1992 but failed to
make the team out of spring training and spent the entire year pitching
for the Detroit Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate Toledo Mud Hens. Moyer
signed with the Baltimore Orioles for 1993 and began the season back in
the minors. However, after going 6-0 with a 1.67 ERA, he earned the
call-up to Baltimore in late May where he put together a solid rebound
effort, registering a 12-9 record and 3.43 ERA. The lefty experienced
some degree of stability, remaining with the Orioles through 1995,
though he suffered a downturn in performance each year. Moyer then
caught on with the Boston Red Sox for 1996 but soon found himself on the
move yet again when he was swapped to the Seattle Mariners in late
July.<br />
<br />
After years of bouncing around, the journeyman hurler was able to gain
his footing and became a steady presence in Seattle’s starting
rotation. Moyer spent the next decade with the Mariners, over which he
posted an excellent 145-87 record. Finally having perfected changing
speeds, his run in Seattle included a pair of 20-win seasons, the latter
of which came at age 40 in 2003. Traded to the Philadelphia Phillies
in August 2006, he helped the club secure the 2008 World Series title
when he collected a team-high 16 victories. Moyer toed the slab for the
final time with the 2012 Colorado Rockies, retiring from the game just a
few months shy of his 50th birthday, ranking 35th all-time with 269
wins, and having matched his former rotation-mate Charlie Hough by
pitching for 25 major league seasons.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJiVuWCtIjf1bHk4T8JFsS_hyphenhyphenqt6QbCWZt0RqOQlKM38RRK0_jbM2wFMXRMflwZnIxeyoRxEVT0pTu9mxisy4Nn3vhyGKBnkv3ucwGUebz0Jtj1YP46XUU_n4IDUruXzaqGO4PEHF31w6_WtWKYmR6kfUSuVuP7MbeWyX8Th2QUIIrJHzat60RjRGCcxI/s2244/9%20Jamie%20Moyer%20Kevin%20Brown%20Kenny%20Rogers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2244" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJiVuWCtIjf1bHk4T8JFsS_hyphenhyphenqt6QbCWZt0RqOQlKM38RRK0_jbM2wFMXRMflwZnIxeyoRxEVT0pTu9mxisy4Nn3vhyGKBnkv3ucwGUebz0Jtj1YP46XUU_n4IDUruXzaqGO4PEHF31w6_WtWKYmR6kfUSuVuP7MbeWyX8Th2QUIIrJHzat60RjRGCcxI/w640-h298/9%20Jamie%20Moyer%20Kevin%20Brown%20Kenny%20Rogers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Kevin Brown slumped to a 9-12 record and 4.40 ERA for Texas during 1991
but came back strong the following year, going 21-11 with a 3.32 ERA,
leading the AL in victories while also earning his first All-Star
selection. The sinkerballer put together a sound 1993 effort, only to
flounder in 1994, after which he left the Rangers to sign a one-year
free agent contract with the Orioles. Following a solid campaign in
Baltimore, he inked a deal to join the Florida Marlins for 1996 and
immediately paid dividends, pacing the senior circuit with a dazzling
1.89 ERA and finishing runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award. The 1997
season saw Brown turn in another brilliant campaign with the righty
joining the ranks of his former rotation-mate Nolan Ryan by spinning a
no-hitter against the San Francisco Giants on June 10. Brown capped the
year by winning the World Series championship as the Marlins outlasted
the Cleveland Indians in a closely-contested Fall Classic. With
Florida’s championship club immediately being dismantled, he signed with
the San Diego Padres for 1998 and pitched phenomenally, going 18-7 with
a 2.38 ERA. Brown’s sterling effort helped lead the Padres to the Fall
Classic where they were ultimately defeated by the New York Yankees.<br />
<br />
Eligible for free agency once again, the nomadic hurler joined his fifth
team in six seasons, this time finally inking a long-term deal, signing
baseball’s first nine-figure contract to be paid $105 million over
seven years by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brown pitched well for Los
Angeles, picking up his second NL ERA title in 2000, but missed ample
time with injuries in both 2001 and 2002. After failing to make the
playoffs during each of the first five years of Brown’s contract, the
Dodgers opted to trade the superstar pitcher, sending him to the
Yankees. Injuries and postseason failures sullied Brown’s time in the
Bronx and at the conclusion of the 2005 campaign, he chose to retire. During his 19-year career, Brown compiled an impressive 211-144 record
with a 3.28 ERA which translated into an ERA+ of 127 that is better than
the majority of the pitchers in the Hall of Fame. However, in 2007,
his name appeared in the Mitchell Report for purchasing human growth
hormone, thus dooming his chances of being voted into Cooperstown. Additionally, Brown’s stellar pitching was sometimes overshadowed by his
reputation as one of baseball’s orneriest characters as he often
developed poor relationships with the press and became notorious for
violent outbursts.<br />
<br />
Kenny Rogers opened the 1991 season as a member of the Rangers starting
rotation but floundered in the role and returned to working set-up
duties out of the bullpen in mid-June. After remaining in the bullpen
for all of 1992, he was given another crack at starting in 1993 and this
time cemented his spot in the rotation with a respectable campaign in
which he logged a 16-10 record and 4.10 ERA. Rogers was aided by
Rangers pitching coach Claude Osteen who helped hone the lefty’s skills
by improving his curve and encouraging him to use his fastball more
aggressively. Rogers built on his promising 1993 showing, putting
together similar results during the strike-shortened 1994 campaign. A
couple of weeks before the strike brought a halt to the season, he
accomplished a feat that had even eluded Nolan Ryan when he became just
the fourteenth AL/NL pitcher to throw a perfect game. Rogers turned the
trick on July 28 at Arlington Stadium against the California Angels,
with his perfecto marking the first of its kind by a junior circuit
southpaw. He rode the momentum into 1995, earning his first All-Star
selection while crafting a 17-7 record and 3.38 ERA.<br />
<br />
The 1996 campaign saw Rogers and the Rangers each make their first
postseasons—albeit on opposing sides as the hurler faced off against
Texas in the ALDS, having departed the team via free agency at the
conclusion of 1995 to sign a four-year contract with the Yankees. Following a mediocre regular season performance, Rogers pitched poorly
versus his former club in the ALDS, walking the only batter he faced in a
Game Two relief outing before surrendering a pair of runs while lasting
just two innings in his Game Four start. Nevertheless, New York won
each of these contests and took the ALDS in four games to eliminate the
Rangers from the playoffs. The lefty’s postseason struggles continued
into the ALCS and Fall Classic but the end result still saw the Bronx
Bombers repelling all challengers to claim the World Series
championship. More disappointments followed for Rogers as he was left
off the Yankees’ 1997 playoff roster after putting together a lackluster
regular season effort. Shipped to the Oakland Athletics for 1998, he
rebounded with an impressive campaign and finished out his contract by
splitting 1999 between the A’s and the New York Mets. Back on the free
agent market, the hurler returned to his original team, signing on with
the Rangers for 2000. Rogers sandwiched a pair of respectable seasons
around a difficult 2001, as the next three years saw him produce a 31-28
record and 4.64 ERA for Texas.<br />
<br />
The southpaw then inked a one-year deal to join the Minnesota Twins for
2003 before making his way back to the Rangers for a third stint. Rogers turned in some of his finest performances over the next two
seasons with Texas, including picking up a career-high 18 victories in
2004. Unfortunately, Rogers’ sharp mound work often took a backseat to
his temper. Like his former rotation-mate Kevin Brown, Rogers tarnished
his reputation with violent outbursts and cultivated a poor
relationship with the press. Most famously, in 2005, Rogers earned a
$50,000 fine and served a 13-game suspension for shoving a cameraman to
the ground at Arlington Stadium. Following the 2005 campaign, the
mercurial hurler departed the Rangers for the final time, signing as a
free agent with the Detroit Tigers. Over the span of a dozen seasons
spread across three tours of duty with the Rangers, Rogers accumulated
133 victories for the club, leaving him second all-time on the franchise
wins list, just six behind Charlie Hough. Rogers shined in his first
season in Motown, crossing the 200-win mark while notching 17 victories
en route to helping the Tigers capture the AL pennant. He spent two
more years with Detroit, retiring after the 2008 campaign with 20 big
league seasons to his name, over which he posted a sturdy record of
219-156. The latter stages of Rogers’ career saw him recognized for his
defensive prowess as he collected five Gold Glove Awards, four of which
were split between his second and third stints in Texas with his final
one coming in his initial year in Detroit.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi1fi0QKVkkemfIfyTPaB0DalZUest0QIoX8tlUpnDqSGppab_DKMQJnPgOMm2FEy5wFPdDLrMh3kFxjA5xtzAWkDaT1k6p3jQfJJBSDSdhFfQYpGELpPg3vy8_WSs3Xug2T2WdgCviE0nfXD_g3vrMUcImGdBt2wb6_NFu6v36CihcnayOAz4XydBXt2/s1160/10%20Career%20Table.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="1160" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHi1fi0QKVkkemfIfyTPaB0DalZUest0QIoX8tlUpnDqSGppab_DKMQJnPgOMm2FEy5wFPdDLrMh3kFxjA5xtzAWkDaT1k6p3jQfJJBSDSdhFfQYpGELpPg3vy8_WSs3Xug2T2WdgCviE0nfXD_g3vrMUcImGdBt2wb6_NFu6v36CihcnayOAz4XydBXt2/w640-h130/10%20Career%20Table.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcocNYAPOvNHrzKwVoZgGX9Bx-fegum1DZx1CqYhObi-CtvAtnSymZkQJOReVVNCV1uqz79Re6bMlKkppLcdUBd2F5M1IivobDcdKY0sxatvDiAqtttDcIJhrWyOg301gb-hVGg6ilUy8KdJr1LNcfzSVPboXMwPObGG1m912Kcx6dShYzlTLjJ99KoKow/s1161/11%20Rangers%20Career%20Table.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="233" data-original-width="1161" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcocNYAPOvNHrzKwVoZgGX9Bx-fegum1DZx1CqYhObi-CtvAtnSymZkQJOReVVNCV1uqz79Re6bMlKkppLcdUBd2F5M1IivobDcdKY0sxatvDiAqtttDcIJhrWyOg301gb-hVGg6ilUy8KdJr1LNcfzSVPboXMwPObGG1m912Kcx6dShYzlTLjJ99KoKow/w640-h128/11%20Rangers%20Career%20Table.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLES TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />During the course of their lengthy and distinguished careers, the
quintet of Nolan Ryan, Charlie Hough, Jamie Moyer, Kevin Brown, and
Kenny Rogers combined to earn 1,239 victories. Since the two seasons in
which these five hurlers shared the Rangers pitching staff, no team has
simultaneously housed more than four existing or future 200-game
winners with the most recent instance being the 2006 Boston Red Sox
where Jon Lester, Curt Schilling, Tim Wakefield, and David Wells plied
their trade alongside each other. The past few decades have seen
pitcher usage change with starters tossing fewer innings and complete
games becoming a rarity. Consequently, starting pitchers’ win totals
have also dropped, which has led to a much lower number of pitchers
reaching 200 victories. Thus, even the once semi-regular occurrence of
having three existing or future 200-game winners pitching together on
the same staff has become a thing of the past, as no team since the 2009
Red Sox, which featured John Smoltz along with aforementioned hurlers
Lester and Wakefield, has boasted such a trio.<br />
<br />
Going into the 2024 campaign, Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke, Max
Scherzer, and Clayton Kershaw represent the only active pitchers with
200 victories. Respectively set to be ages 41, 40, 39, and 36 at the
start of the 2024 season, Verlander, Greinke, Scherzer, and Kershaw are
running out of opportunities to pitch alongside each other or with
future 200-game winners. Moreover, few active hurlers have a realistic
shot at even approaching the 200-victory mark as slotting well behind
Verlander, Greinke, Scherzer, and Kershaw in fifth-place on the active
career wins list is Gerrit Cole who has 145 victories to his name. At
age 33, Cole is the only active hurler who is halfway to 200 wins with a
decent chance at reaching the milestone. The remaining pitchers who
have 100 or more victories are older and less effective than he is and
in most cases have suffered more injuries during their careers as well. Thus, it is likely that Ryan, Hough, Moyer, Brown, and Rogers will
stand alone as the sole quintet of existing or future 200-game winners
to share the same pitching staff.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEn6_uIJYQUFfK92mWs5EXdF_oJFz0Ir-PSa-N3Xkf5mmNO67wT12jUeOjOK2fSFUm3RYImfgbwczxj6-LCNj4dc2itBlTx3fnLEFI10cwF8jASTUsMVxHSeuXlhUjTosv0qymViLdDNMbsxuIcq3mahU_GXs59mROR4_F4_7zi7DpLcfUjhjDUBTESid/s5496/12%20Fleer%201990.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1568" data-original-width="5496" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEn6_uIJYQUFfK92mWs5EXdF_oJFz0Ir-PSa-N3Xkf5mmNO67wT12jUeOjOK2fSFUm3RYImfgbwczxj6-LCNj4dc2itBlTx3fnLEFI10cwF8jASTUsMVxHSeuXlhUjTosv0qymViLdDNMbsxuIcq3mahU_GXs59mROR4_F4_7zi7DpLcfUjhjDUBTESid/w640-h182/12%20Fleer%201990.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />----by John Tuberty<br />
<br />
Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fbloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a><br />
<br />
Stat links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ryanno01.shtml" target="_blank">Nolan Ryan</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/houghch01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Hough</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moyerja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jamie Moyer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Brown</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogerke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kenny Rogers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddugr01.shtml" target="_blank">Greg Maddux</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsra05.shtml" target="_blank">Randy Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smoltjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Smoltz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/verlaju01.shtml" target="_blank">Justin Verlander</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scherma01.shtml" target="_blank">Max Scherzer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/greinza01.shtml" target="_blank">Zack Greinke</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kershcl01.shtml" target="_blank">Clayton Kershaw</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colege01.shtml" target="_blank">Gerrit Cole</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lestejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jon Lester</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wakefti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Wakefield</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Wells</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnswa01.shtml" target="_blank">Walter Johnson</a> <br />
<br />
Sources:<br />
All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_srnav&_gl=1*fck9f2*_ga*MTUwNTg0NDg1MC4xNzA0Mzg2ODQ4*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTcwNDM4NjgzNi4xLjEuMTcwNDM4NzQzMy4yNi4wLjA." target="_blank">Stathead</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Nolan-Ryan/" target="_blank">Talmadge Boston, “Nolan Ryan,” SABR Biography Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/charlie-hough/" target="_blank">Justin Krueger, “Charlie Hough,” SABR Biography Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Jamie-Moyer/" target="_blank">Frederick C. Bush, “Jamie Moyer,” SABR Biography Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Kenny-Rogers/" target="_blank">Thomas E. Schott, “Kenny Rogers,” SABR Biography Project</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchers-with-two-no-hitters-in-the-same-season" target="_blank">Nick Aguilera, “2 no-nos in 1 year? These guys did it,” MLB.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/08/08/good-as-it-gets-kenny-rogers-of-the-texas-rangers-joined-an-elite-group-of-perfect-game-hurlers" target="_blank">Tim Kurkjian, “Good As It Gets,” Sports Illustrated, August 8, 1994, p.32-33. Accessed via SI Vault</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/oldest-pitchers-to-throw-mlb-no-hitter" target="_blank">Manny Randhawa, “The oldest pitchers to throw a no-hitter,” MLB.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/28363/nolan-ryan/" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus Nolan Ryan Player Card/Injury History</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1999/03/29/nasty-stuff-thats-what-made-kevin-brown-worth-105-million-to-the-dodgers-his-nasty-disposition-is-thrown-in-for-free" target="_blank">Tom Verducci, “Nasty Stuff That’s What Made Kevin Brown Worth $105 Million To The Dodgers. His Nasty Disposition Is Thrown In For Free,” Sports Illustrated, March 29, 1999, p.64-72. Accessed via SI Vault</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/2013/12/26/kenny-rogers-hall-of-fame-jaws" target="_blank">Jay Jaffe, “JAWS and the 2014 Hall of Fame ballot: Kenny Rogers,” SI.com</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1997/09/30/rogers-left-out-of-opening-round/" target="_blank">Marc Topkin, “Rogers left out of opening round,” Tampa Bay Times, October 30, 1997.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/02/sports/ryan-s-struggle-to-glory.html" target="_blank">Peter Alfano, “Ryan’s Struggle to Glory,” The New York Times, May 2, 1983.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/search_paper.asp?PaperId=834" target="_blank">“Rookie Walton’s First Year Is Almost Perfect,” The Sporting News, November 20, 1989, p.44. Accessed via Paper of Record</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://files.mlb.com/mitchrpt.pdf" target="_blank">George J. Mitchell, “Report to the Commissioner of Baseball of an Independent Investigation into the Illegal Use of Steroids and Other Performance Enhancing Substances by Players in Major League Baseball,” December 13, 2007, p.214-217.</a><br />
<br />
Fivefold Cards of Nolan Ryan, Charlie Hough, Jamie Moyer, Kevin Brown,
and Kenny Rogers: 1989 Topps/1989 Topps Traded, 1990 Topps, 1991 Topps,
1990 Fleer<br />
<br />
Additional cards: Charlie Hough 1977 Topps, 1984 Fleer, 1986 Donruss;
Nolan Ryan 1970 Topps, 1974 Topps, 1982 Topps; Charlie Hough 1992 Topps,
Charlie Hough 1993 Topps, Nolan Ryan 1994 Topps, Jamie Moyer 1998
Pinnacle, Kevin Brown 1997 Fleer Ultra, Kenny Rogers 1994 Bowman<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-xO267Gq0ixFu-S6poqOJ4RxTOt5EPVOHS1p-DtiGugrMEGjxUeOjdMo8qnxRpH60fUpSEPK-boMS4eF3dXHRxqdiKzfzY7NPBOktOomMSSW3SyY_A3qQLHvXGrMBzX-0kWucqMRT34n-XqX_SHfl-LtQ1Ae0YnzTFPB0iKtqIfWQADRj4HKF2VEgy3_/s2332/Rod%20Carew%20Luis%20Arraez%20Kyle%20Schwarber.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="2332" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-xO267Gq0ixFu-S6poqOJ4RxTOt5EPVOHS1p-DtiGugrMEGjxUeOjdMo8qnxRpH60fUpSEPK-boMS4eF3dXHRxqdiKzfzY7NPBOktOomMSSW3SyY_A3qQLHvXGrMBzX-0kWucqMRT34n-XqX_SHfl-LtQ1Ae0YnzTFPB0iKtqIfWQADRj4HKF2VEgy3_/w640-h296/Rod%20Carew%20Luis%20Arraez%20Kyle%20Schwarber.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><u><b>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</b></u><br />
<a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-mlb-season-quick-hits-ronald-acuna.html" target="_blank">2023 MLB Season Quick Hits: Ronald Acuña Jr., Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and More</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-oddly-productive-2023-campaign-of.html" target="_blank">The Oddly Productive 2023 Campaign of Sub-.200 Hitter Kyle Schwarber</a><br />
<p></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-89442447174880275362023-11-27T18:52:00.000-05:002023-11-27T18:52:17.556-05:00After Missing Hall of Fame Election by a Single Vote in His Most Recent Appearance on the Era Committee Ballot, Will This Finally Be the Year Lou Piniella Receives the Call to Cooperstown?<p> </p><div><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9obHv8Jxf3UgB0uUwiAzXZG2ZoMAknQ6WYATpMhoP2NpWJSQiudk1i5FIlni_jsp_QJQcTBWkc8DgPnMxSUJ_jU5KedrZXz9QFU6aP6hB55mlMf9Ik5PIpAL2IJ-6YerP3SvFPN2pXN7xjzMynBVPXV9SyZ29B-I_fKG9JNAsX-OB-L5TojxmL0Wdw8va/s2244/Piniella1%20Yankees%20Reds%20Mariners.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2244" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9obHv8Jxf3UgB0uUwiAzXZG2ZoMAknQ6WYATpMhoP2NpWJSQiudk1i5FIlni_jsp_QJQcTBWkc8DgPnMxSUJ_jU5KedrZXz9QFU6aP6hB55mlMf9Ik5PIpAL2IJ-6YerP3SvFPN2pXN7xjzMynBVPXV9SyZ29B-I_fKG9JNAsX-OB-L5TojxmL0Wdw8va/w640-h300/Piniella1%20Yankees%20Reds%20Mariners.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />In 2003, the
Baseball Hall of Fame began releasing voting percentages for the
Veterans and Era Committee elections. Since that time, seven
candidates—Dick Allen, John Fetzer, Marvin Miller, Tony Oliva, Lou
Piniella, Allie Reynolds, and Ted Simmons </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">have
each missed gaining entry into Cooperstown by a single vote. Of those
seven candidates, Miller, Oliva, and Simmons were elected on a later
ballot but the remaining four candidates still sit outside of the Hall
of Fame. The elections of Oliva and Simmons were particularly notable
as they were voted in on the next ballot they were eligible to appear on
after falling a single check mark shy. Piniella will have the
opportunity to continue this trend as he is one of eight candidates who
has been selected to appear on the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee
Ballot for executives, managers, and umpires which will be voted on
during the Baseball Winter Meetings on December 3. This upcoming vote
will mark Piniella’s first chance at Hall of Fame election since missing
by a single tally five years ago on the Today’s Game Era Committee. Piniella’s near miss at Cooperstown immortality was overshadowed by the
controversial election of Harold Baines who collected the exact 75%
required for election by the Today’s Game Era Committee. However,
during the spring of 2022, the Hall of Fame restructured the Era
Committee process and put player and non-player candidates on separate
ballots. This change helps Piniella who put together a long and
distinguished managerial career. After coming so close to election,
will this finally be the year Piniella receives the call to Cooperstown?</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Prior
to taking the managerial reigns, Piniella had a fine playing career
that spanned parts of 18 seasons. Piniella won the 1969 AL Rookie of
the Year as a member of the expansion Kansas City Royals but spent the
majority of his career with the New York Yankees. Piniella primarily
played left field and was a part of four pennant winners and captured
two World Series rings as a member of the Yankees. Nicknamed “Sweet
Lou” to describe his swing, the moniker proved to be somewhat
paradoxical for him as he was known for his fiery temperament that
occasionally resulted in the slugger destroying water coolers, batting
helmets, and other inanimate objects. However, Piniella’s
competitiveness and drive to win endeared him to teammates. Yankees
second baseman Willie Randolph said of Piniella, “He was one of the most
fiery and competitive players you'd ever want to be with. He was a
total team player and his attitude and will to win rubbed off on a
team.”</span><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCxUXczGRSF4WE4c293B-1z7qK4eE8rvV1szqBpzOeLOU13_mkoVhQ96EXPj4Fr6d3489sIPdXWdHqj0NFN92ZPfGpIKf4whUMQtGMgJmMHxY8VWALUHCoawBogXKTt45cE9lqdYdbPzyjRwrnzmCv_cpS042eZW0DZu6zovI3tZPQyDcjW26QwIb2nAq/s3184/Piniella2%20Yankees.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1484" data-original-width="3184" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCxUXczGRSF4WE4c293B-1z7qK4eE8rvV1szqBpzOeLOU13_mkoVhQ96EXPj4Fr6d3489sIPdXWdHqj0NFN92ZPfGpIKf4whUMQtGMgJmMHxY8VWALUHCoawBogXKTt45cE9lqdYdbPzyjRwrnzmCv_cpS042eZW0DZu6zovI3tZPQyDcjW26QwIb2nAq/w640-h298/Piniella2%20Yankees.png" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />As
his playing career was winding down, Piniella joined the Yankees
coaching staff. In 1986, at age 42 and less than two years removed from
taking his final at bat, Piniella replaced his former manager Billy
Martin as the Yankees skipper. Piniella took over a Bronx Bombers team
that had finished second in the AL East during the prior year, having
been narrowly edged out for the division title by the Toronto Blue Jays
despite winning 97 games. Under Piniella, New York repeated as AL East
runner-up with a 90-72 record in 1986. The following season, Pinella
steered the Yankees to a similar 89-73 mark but slid back to fourth
place in the division. At the conclusion of the 1987 campaign, Yankees
owner George Steinbrenner moved Piniella to the front office to serve as
the club’s general manager and brought Martin back to skipper the team
for a fifth time. Piniella soon became unhappy with the confinement of
the office job which took him away from the field and, in late May 1988,
stepped down as general manager and moved into a scouting and player
evaluation role. Yet, less than a month later, Piniella found himself
back at the manager’s helm when Martin was fired on June 23. Martin had
once again worn out his welcome with the Yankees as his mishandling of
the pitching staff, clashes with the front office and all too familiar
off-the-field controversies once again culminated in the volatile
manager’s dismissal. Piniella inherited a second place Yankees team
that was just two and half games out of the AL East lead with a 40-28
record but was coming off an abysmal stretch in which the club had lost
six of its last seven games. Piniella was unable to right the ship as
the Bronx Bombers went 45-48 following the managerial change </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">to
finish the season at 85-76, in fifth place, three and a half games
behind the division champion Boston Red Sox. At the conclusion of the
campaign, Piniella was relieved of his manager duties and replaced by
Dallas Green. Still under a personal services contract to the Yankees,
Piniella was moved into a broadcasting role by the organization. New
York’s AL East rival Toronto attempted to hire Piniella after firing
manager Jimy Williams early in the 1989 season but was blocked by
Steinbrenner when the two teams were unable to agree on which player to
send to the Yankees as compensation for letting Piniella out of his
contact. However, a few months later, Piniella permanently left
Steinbrenner’s managerial circus when the controversial owner let him
out of the final year of his personal services contract to manage the
Cincinnati Reds for 1990.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
assumed leadership of a Reds club which had registered four consecutive
second-place finishes from 1985 to 1988, under the direction of
franchise icon Pete Rose. Most recently though, the Reds had slumped to
a 75-87 record during the tumultuous 1989 campaign in which Rose was
banned from baseball for gambling. In Piniella’s first year as
Cincinnati’s skipper, the Reds not only rebounded but finally got over
the hump—leading the division from the first day of the season onward
and taking the NL West crown with a 91-71 record. After defeating the
Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS, Cincinnati faced the 103-win defending
World Series champion Oakland Athletics in the Fall Classic. Piniella
and the Reds shocked the baseball world by not only defeating the
heavily-favored A’s but sweeping them in the process. The Reds
experienced a post-championship malaise in 1991, sliding back to a 74-88
mark. The club re-emerged the following season, nearly matching their
1990 record with a 90-72 finish for 1992. However, Cincinnati’s 90 wins
were not enough to capture the NL West as the team concluded the
campaign eight games behind the Atlanta Braves. Despite winning a
championship and producing a second-place finish in his three years at
the Reds’ helm, in a surprising move, Piniella rejected Cincinnati’s
contract extension and left the franchise to become manager of the
Seattle Mariners.</span><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwPx_ClTN2VLbK-nFa8xL4RUpY7x6QeKKN7NOTQBLGXfxTNSfqAD5BDBtX-gCW1eAtDu1pquh276uxNrpO4LGw4RXRIMjTlDH0spjEeWYRZWdWoIkVDQaGypzIhuLFkjnh1BFZS0A6rpXiutGG0e0NYWz-ExhJS05H02IUw5OBudcZYEk4WQihhoypX__/s2232/3%20Lou%20Piniella%20Reds.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="2232" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEwPx_ClTN2VLbK-nFa8xL4RUpY7x6QeKKN7NOTQBLGXfxTNSfqAD5BDBtX-gCW1eAtDu1pquh276uxNrpO4LGw4RXRIMjTlDH0spjEeWYRZWdWoIkVDQaGypzIhuLFkjnh1BFZS0A6rpXiutGG0e0NYWz-ExhJS05H02IUw5OBudcZYEk4WQihhoypX__/w640-h302/3%20Lou%20Piniella%20Reds.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Piniella
had always been known as an intense competitor during his playing
career and further solidified this reputation as a manager. Piniella’s
animated, often amusing tirades directed at umpires became legendary as
the sight of the quick-tempered skipper storming out of the dugout to
argue with officials, tossing and kicking his cap, dislodging and
throwing bases, and kicking dirt on both home plate as well as on the
men in blue all provided fodder for highlight and blooper reels. However, Piniella’s temper led to a couple of infamous incidents during
his tenure with Cincinnati. Late in the 1992 season, Piniella engaged
in a locker room wrestling match with closer Rob Dibble that was
witnessed by reporters and recorded by television cameras. Despite the
tussle, the two combatants patched things up the next day with Piniella
even putting his arm around Dibble and kiddingly throwing fake punches
at Dibble’s stomach after the hurler closed out the game and earned the
save. The fracas proved to be an isolated incident as Piniella was
generally well-liked by his players—even Dibble. "We butted heads once. It's way more famous than it should be. We've been family ever since,”
Dibble reflected years later. “During batting practice every day, Lou
would go to every guy just to see how you were doing—not as a player,
but as a person. I'll always respect him for that. I always thought that
was one of the best qualities about him, that he always cared about you
as a person first, a baseball player second."</span><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While
the Piniella/Dibble locker room battle will forever live on as part of
the fiery manager’s highlight reel of outbursts, an incident the
previous year had a much more lasting impact on Piniella’s tenure with
the Reds. During a 7-4 loss on August 3, 1991, Piniella was ejected
from the game after home plate umpire Gary Darling overruled Dutch
Rennert’s call of a home run by Cincinnati second baseman Bill Doran,
saying the ball was foul. Piniella criticized Darling after the game,
stating: “I honestly feel that Darling has a bias against us and won’t
give us a call all year. It’s time he gets his act together now. We
have more complaints against him than against any other umpire.” A few
days later, Darling and the Major League Umpires Association filed a $5
million lawsuit against Piniella, contending that the Reds manager
“severely damaged” his reputation. Piniella found himself forced to pay
for legal services as the notoriously cheap Reds owner Marge Schott
refused to assist with the lawsuit. Ultimately, an out of court
settlement was reached during the offseason. Nevertheless, the lack of
support Piniella received from Schott resonated with the skipper and
played a key role in his decision to leave Cincinnati when his contract
expired after the 1992 campaign. “When I got sued by the umpires, I got
no backing from the organization,” Piniella explained. “That started
the wheels turning. I think any organization would back their manager. I
got nothing, financial or anything. I went back in '92 and fulfilled my
contract, but when it came time to extend, I chose not to."</span><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Unlike
the Yankees and Reds, the Mariners club Piniella took over in 1993 had
no real track record of success as a franchise. In fact, the Mariners
had just one winning season—an 83-79 campaign in 1991—in their 16-year
existence and were coming off a disastrous 64-98 record. Seattle’s
roster featured a young nucleus of future Hall of Famers in Ken Griffey
Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Randy Johnson who had been teammates since 1989
yet had achieved little success together. Intent on changing the
losing culture that existed within the Mariners franchise, Piniella
brought the club back above .500—going 82-80 during his initial season
at the helm. Just three years into his tenure with Seattle, Piniella
led the club to its first postseason, winning the AL West in a one-game
tiebreaker against the California Angels to advance to the ALDS, where
he faced his old team, the Yankees. After dropping the first two games
on the road in New York, the Mariners roared back to win the final three
games—the third in dramatic fashion with Edgar Martinez’s bottom of the
eleventh inning double driving in Ken Griffey Jr. to score the
Series-ending run. Seattle subsequently fell in six games to the
100-win Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. Nevertheless, with their
division title and ensuing playoff run, the 1995 Mariners are often
credited with saving baseball in Seattle. Piniella drew praise for
leading the franchise to its first postseason and was named AL Manager
of the Year.</span><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27cbRawZ4lAl59yK-iyY_w_bdYZi877LhyphenhyphenpNOvtBwdROhtUWzfodSIQXdq75_A9bMH4VtYx7gh2mJy0hhWwcP992sn3gTwvZT5QwlrzX3pZJCXH42Ive7tF8cXYr67Kn03Qy4PMcD6-sSANmKOa03I_LreCcFxu0TRGD_pyXWZjWdiGsz4STJi8QN3f0a/s2234/4%20Lou%20Piniella%20Mariners.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="2234" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27cbRawZ4lAl59yK-iyY_w_bdYZi877LhyphenhyphenpNOvtBwdROhtUWzfodSIQXdq75_A9bMH4VtYx7gh2mJy0hhWwcP992sn3gTwvZT5QwlrzX3pZJCXH42Ive7tF8cXYr67Kn03Qy4PMcD6-sSANmKOa03I_LreCcFxu0TRGD_pyXWZjWdiGsz4STJi8QN3f0a/w640-h296/4%20Lou%20Piniella%20Mariners.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Piniella
and Seattle won their second AL West crown in 1997 but were defeated by
the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. Piniella then watched as the
Mariners lost three of its core players in successive years as staff ace
Randy Johnson was dealt to the Houston Astros in July 1998, Ken Griffey
Jr. was traded to the Cincinnati Reds at the conclusion of the 1999
season, and young phenom Alex Rodriguez left to sign a blockbuster free
agent contract with the Texas Rangers following the 2000 campaign. Despite losing these key players, Piniella was able to weather the storm
and lead the Mariners to the playoffs as the AL Wild C</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ard
in 2000 and AL West champions in 2001. Seattle’s 2001 campaign was
particularly impressive as the team put together a dominant 116-46
mark—easily capturing the division title and tying the record set by
the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span dir="ltr">1906 Chicago</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Cubs
for most wins in a season. However, the Mariners were unable to
capture the pennant as the club was defeated in the ALCS in both 2000
and 2001 by the playoff-tested Yankees who were in the midst of an
incredible run which saw the Bronx Bombers win five pennants and four
World Series championships between 1996 and 2001. Nevertheless,
Piniella was once again recognized for his leadership abilities as he
picked up his second AL Manager of the Year Award in 2001. Piniella and
the Mariners followed up their record-matching 2001 with a solid 2002,
just missing the playoffs despite winning 93 games.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However,
after a series of family events, including a car accident involving his
daughter and granddaughter in September 2002, Piniella expressed a
desire to manage a team closer to his West Tampa home for the 2003
season. Seattle agreed to let Piniella out of the final year of his
contract to manage his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, after
the two clubs worked out a deal which sent Piniella and prospect Antonio
Pérez to the Devil Rays in exchange for one of Tampa Bay’s best
players, center fielder Randy Winn. In ten seasons with Seattle,
Piniella posted an excellent 840-711 record and played a key role in
helping the Mariners evolve from a struggling franchise that regularly
finished towards the bottom of the division into a perennial contender.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
his move to Tampa Bay, Piniella, for the second time in his career,
assumed control of a team with no history of winning. The Devil Rays
had finished last in the AL East during each of the franchise’s five
seasons in existence—the most recent of which was a 106-loss campaign. In Piniella’s first season at the helm, Tampa Bay made a modest
improvement, increasing from 55 to 63 wins. The following year,
Piniella led the Devil Rays to a franchise-best 70-91 record and their
first finish outside of the AL East cellar. However, when new ownership
bought into the Devil Rays during the 2004 season, the franchise
decided to build for the future rather than improve the current team. As Tampa Bay took a step back and struggled in 2005, Piniella became
fed up with the mounting losses and the lack of commitment from
ownership to increase the club’s payroll—which was by far the lowest in
MLB. Tampa Bay went 67-95 in 2005 and slid back into the AL East
cellar. At the end of the season, Piniella and the Devil Rays decided
to mutually part ways with the team buying out the final year of the
veteran skipper’s contract.</span><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_cu-1Kfva9UpH8zjVKYmZPHE3CKN6gYJCLviv3fMkeud8UOv8XHPv9cX_LOomRXRIB19FIaIEGov2aIMUxHzQo8gm9mKuOtI45shuVNYIeC0GyjdO4lHpBYuv-6f59R8_WECGJ7VMphEqSawbnR1hkuMsTpPQm3tefH-vxFrquBadiEiPDE4Oy9g3P8z/s2304/5%20Lou%20Piniella%20Tampa%20and%20Chicago.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="2304" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_cu-1Kfva9UpH8zjVKYmZPHE3CKN6gYJCLviv3fMkeud8UOv8XHPv9cX_LOomRXRIB19FIaIEGov2aIMUxHzQo8gm9mKuOtI45shuVNYIeC0GyjdO4lHpBYuv-6f59R8_WECGJ7VMphEqSawbnR1hkuMsTpPQm3tefH-vxFrquBadiEiPDE4Oy9g3P8z/w640-h286/5%20Lou%20Piniella%20Tampa%20and%20Chicago.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />After
sitting out the 2006 campaign, Piniella returned to the managerial
ranks when he signed with the Chicago Cubs for 2007. In his first year
on the Northside, Piniella improved the club from 66-96 to 85-77 and won
the NL Central. Although the Cubs were swept by the Arizona
Diamondbacks in the NLDS, Piniella proved he was still capable of
leading his team to the playoffs. The following season, Piniella joined
Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Jim Leyland as the fourth skipper to be
named Manager of the Year in both leagues when he was bestowed the honor
after piloting the Cubs to an NL-best 97-64 record. Despite their
excellent regular season, Piniella and Chicago were once again swept in
the NLDS, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though the 2008
campaign ended with another quick playoff exit, it marked the first time
since 1908 that the Cubs had made the postseason in consecutive years. After regressing to an 83-78 record in 2009, the club outright
struggled in 2010. With Piniella in the final year of his contract, the
66-year old skipper announced in July that he intended to retire at the
conclusion of the 2010 season. However, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">on August 22</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">—with
the Cubs well out of the NL Central and wild-card races—Piniella
decided to step down as manager to go home to care for his ailing
mother.</span><br /><p></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
finished his managerial career with an overall record of 1835-1713. The longtime skipper’s lofty win total ranks 17th all-time and places
him ahead of several Hall of Fame managers including Tom Lasorda, Dick
Williams, Earl Weaver, and Whitey Herzog—each of whom were still
piloting teams when Piniella made his managerial debut. Moreover, only
four non-Hall of Fame managers—Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Terry Francona,
and Gene Mauch—have a higher career win total than Piniella. In
addition to his impressive victory mark, Piniella is one of nine
skippers to be named Manager of the Year three or more times. The
crowning accomplishments of Piniella’s career were leading an underdog
Reds team to a shocking sweep over the heavily-favored A’s and
transforming the woefully-uncompetitive Mariners franchise into a
consistent winner. What’s more, Piniella guided three different
franchises to the postseason and engineered eight 90-win campaigns
spread across four organizations. The only managerial stop in which
Piniella failed to find any measure of success was Tampa Bay where he
found little support from ownership. If Piniella’s three difficult
seasons with the Devil Rays are omitted from his ledger, his career
record would shift to 1635-1428 and his win-loss percentage would jump
from .517 to a more illustrious .534.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However,
Piniella was a contemporary of Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Joe
Torre—the respective second, fourth, and fifth-winningest managers of
all-time and in many ways his career suffers in comparison to those
three legendary skippers. Piniella also had the misfortune of becoming
eligible for the Hall of Fame at the same time as La Russa, Cox, and
Torre. As a result, Piniella was not included on the December 2013
Expansion Era ballot in which La Russa, Cox, and Torre were unanimously
voted into Cooperstown. Three years later, Piniella was selected to
appear on the Today’s Game Era ballot. With La Russa, Cox, and Torre
each already elected, Piniella shared the ballot with just one other
manager, Davey Johnson. Like Piniella, Johnson had a World Series
championship to his credit, having led the 1986 New York Mets to a
memorable Fall Classic victory over the Boston Red Sox. Johnson held a
significant edge in career win-loss percentage over Piniella—.562 to
.517—though Johnson’s superior mark came in just 2,445 games managed,
more than 1,000 fewer than Piniella’s 3,548 total. Piniella picked up 7
of 16 tallies for 43.8% of the vote, the third-highest drawing
candidate—trailing former executive John Schuerholz and former
commissioner Bud Selig who were easily elected with 100% and 93.8% of
the vote, respectively. It appeared the electorate had valued the sum
of Piniella’s lengthy career over Johnson’s higher win-loss percentage
as his managerial peer was listed among the remaining seven candidates
as having received fewer than five votes.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
returned to the ballot when the Today’s Game Era Committee convened for
their second election in December 2018. Once again, Piniella was
joined on the ballot by Davey Johnson along with a second manager
candidate, Charlie Manuel. Similar to Johnson, Manuel had a better
career win-loss percentage than Piniella while equaling his one World
Series championship. However, Manuel managed just 1,826 games—barely
half of Piniella’s total. As the highest drawing holdover from the
December 2016 Today’s Game Era ballot, Piniella seemed to have the
advantage over the other returning candidates. Moreover, with
Schuerholz and Selig elected and no longer on the ballot and Lee Smith
being the only newly-eligible candidate with strong BBWAA support,
Piniella appeared poised for at the very least an increase in support. In the ensuing election, Piniella picked up 11 votes, leaving him just
one tally shy of Cooperstown. Once again Piniella collected the
third-highest vote total, finishing behind the unanimously-elected Smith
and the controversially-elected Harold Baines who garnered exactly 75%. Piniella easily outpaced his managerial peers, Johnson and Manuel, who
were among the seven candidates listed as having received fewer than
five votes.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After
checking up a single vote short of Cooperstown, Piniella was slated to
be eligible for the next Today’s Game Era ballot scheduled to be
released in fall 2022. However, during the spring of that year, the
Hall of Fame restructured the Era Committee process and made several
changes to the format, including separating player and non-player
candidates. Although these changes resulted in Piniella having to wait
an additional two years before his next opportunity for election, by
being moved to the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for executives,
managers, and umpires, the former skipper avoided having to share the
ballot with an incoming crop of newly-eligible player candidates
highlighted by Fred McGriff and a trio of impressive yet controversial
figures in Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling. In addition
to Piniella, the eight-candidate Contemporary Baseball Era ballot
features Cito Gaston, Jim Leyland, Ed Montague, Hank Peters, Joe West,
and Bill White as well as Davey Johnson popping up alongside Piniella
for a third-straight vote. Peters and White are primarily on the ballot
for their work as executives while Gaston, Johnson, and Leyland are
recognized for their managerial achievements, and Montague and West for
their multiple decades as umpires.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGFREBf3OKlcfVnSq2JXXyXlIV_DqobRrT-2aopIVsWB88XqsyFGtNk8_1kIhuPl-HV3rDzcwBGLaekUIxImBNECRK8dloH-lr1EJunHIJ0LzdLKawa410Lgk4rwRKeciYkBYL31cDPgdeU75tqw_FvYVXVbMJE1an-kvxQK8bZ5R1zvqYlP6ugqFjE_q/s2272/Piniella6%20Managers.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="2272" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGFREBf3OKlcfVnSq2JXXyXlIV_DqobRrT-2aopIVsWB88XqsyFGtNk8_1kIhuPl-HV3rDzcwBGLaekUIxImBNECRK8dloH-lr1EJunHIJ0LzdLKawa410Lgk4rwRKeciYkBYL31cDPgdeU75tqw_FvYVXVbMJE1an-kvxQK8bZ5R1zvqYlP6ugqFjE_q/w640-h294/Piniella6%20Managers.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />As the top returning
managerial candidate who missed election by a single tally in his
previous appearance on the Era Committee ballot, Piniella carries
momentum into the forthcoming Contemporary Baseball Era vote. While the
returning Johnson presents little challenge to Piniella, the other two
managerial candidates each bring impressive career accomplishments that
rival Piniella’s. Forging a similar path to Piniella, Gaston began his
MLB career as an outfielder and smoothly transitioned into a successful
post-playing career, first making his mark as batting coach for the
Toronto Blue Jays, before taking over the club’s managerial reigns
during the 1989 season. Coincidentally, prior to settling on Gaston as
the team’s skipper, Blue Jays general manager Pat Gillick had attempted
to hire Piniella for the position but was blocked by Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner. Gaston led Toronto to back-to-back World Series
championships in 1992 and 1993. By accomplishing this feat, he broke
new ground as the first Black manager to pilot his team to a World
Series title. Gaston managed a total of 12 seasons, each of which came
during two separate stints for the Blue Jays and retired with 894 wins
and a .516 winning percentage.<p></p><p>While Gaston’s victory total
represents less than half of Piniella’s, Leyland brings a comparable
number of wins to the ballot, checking in one spot behind “Sweet Lou” on
the all-time list with 1,769 triumphs on his ledger. Leyland managed
for 22 seasons, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates, Florida Marlins, and
Detroit Tigers to the postseason at different points in his career. Leyland matches Piniella with three Manager of the Year Awards to his
name but trails Piniella by 66 victories, and lags behind his .517
winning percentage with .506. However, Leyland was able to capture
three pennants to Piniella’s one while equaling his World Series triumph
by taking the Marlins all the way in 1997. What’s more, Leyland
piloted Team USA to the 2017 World Baseball Classic championship.</p><p>If
Piniella fails to be elected on the forthcoming Contemporary Baseball
Era vote, he will face stiff competition on future ballots as recently
retired skippers Dusty Baker and Terry Francona will both be eligible in
three years when the committee plans to hold its next vote for
non-players. With Baker and Francona set to hit the Contemporary
Baseball Era ballot for the 2026 election, Piniella could face a tough
road to gain entry into Cooperstown if he is not voted in on December 3. But, regardless of how many impressive new candidates become eligible,
Piniella put together a solid managerial career and has a strong enough
Hall of Fame case that if he is not elected this fall, he will continue
to remain a relevant candidate on future ballots.</p><p>----by John Tuberty</p><p>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2Fbloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></p><p>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pinielo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Piniella</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allendi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dick Allen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olivato01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Oliva</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/simmote01.shtml" target="_blank">Ted Simmons</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Rose</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffke02.shtml" target="_blank">Ken Griffey Jr.</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martied01.shtml" target="_blank">Edgar Martinez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsra05.shtml" target="_blank">Randy Johnson</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Álex Rodríguez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitebi03.shtml" target="_blank">Bill White</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baineha01.shtml" target="_blank">Harold Baines</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgrifr01.shtml" target="_blank">Fred McGriff</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reynoal01.shtml" target="_blank">Allie Reynolds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/leylaji99.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Leyland</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/gastoci01.shtml" target="_blank">Cito Gaston</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/bakerdu01.shtml" target="_blank">Dusty Baker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/francte01.shtml" target="_blank">Terry Francona</a></p><p><u>Sources and Quote credit:</u></p><p>All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/06/archives/lou-piniella-yankees-last-angry-man-puts-reins-on-his-tempestuous.html" target="_blank">Murray Chass, “Lou Piniella: Yankees’ Last Angry Man Puts Reins on His Tempestuous Nature,” The New York Times, March 6, 1974.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/30/sports/piniella-changes-his-job-with-yanks.html" target="_blank">Michael Martinez, “Piniella Changes His Job With Yanks,” The New York Times, May 30, 1988.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/08/sports/quinn-to-get-yankee-job.html" target="_blank">“Quinn to Get Yankee Job,” The New York Times, June 8, 1988.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/24/sports/from-spring-training-to-end-martin-was-same-old-billy.html" target="_blank">Michael Martinez, “From Spring Training to End, Martin Was Same Old Billy,” The New York Times, June 24, 1988.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/27/sports/baseball-piniella-is-no-1-choice-for-blue-jays-job.html" target="_blank">Murray Chass, “BASEBALL; Piniella Is No. 1 Choice for Blue Jays’ Job,” The New York Times, May 27, 1989.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/08/sports/umpire-files-lawsuit-against-piniella.html" target="_blank">The Associated Press, “Umpire Files Lawsuit Against Piniella,” The New York Times, August 8, 1991.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/19/sports/baseball-dibble-and-piniella-avoid-round-2.html" target="_blank">The Associated Press, “BASEBALL; Dibble and Piniella Avoid Round 2,” The New York Times, September 19, 1992.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/22/sports/baseball-a-sweet-lou-primer-on-marge-and-loyalty.html" target="_blank">Murray Chass, “BASEBALL; A Sweet Lou Primer On Marge and Loyalty,” The New York Times, February 22, 1993.</a> (<u>includes Lou Piniella’s quote about leaving the Reds</u>)</p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-24-sp-5992-story.html" target="_blank">Ronald Blum, “Yankees Dismiss Martin a 5th Time; Piniella Is Named,” Los Angeles Times, June 24, 1988.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-05-sp-171-story.html" target="_blank">L.A. Times Archives, “Umpire Accused of Bias Against Reds,” Los Angeles Times, August 5, 1991.</a> (<u>includes Lou Piniella’s quote about Gary Darling</u>)</p><p><a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-10-17-0610170213-story.html" target="_blank">Dave van Dyck and Tribune staff reporter, “New manager tempers his temper with smarts,” Chicago Tribune, October 17, 2006.</a> (<u>includes Willie Randolph’s quote about Lou Piniella</u>)</p><p><a href="https://www.deseret.com/1989/5/28/18808897/yanks-won-t-let-piniella-go-to-jays" target="_blank">Deseret News, “YANKS WON’T LET PINIELLA GO TO JAYS,” Deseret News, May 28, 1989.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/baseball/article/dibble-keeps-his-promise-1074941.php" target="_blank">Seattle Post-Intelligencer News Services, “Dibble keeps his promise,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, December 18, 2001.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/a-decade-of-lou-1098645.php" target="_blank">David Andriesen, “A decade of Lou,” Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 16, 2002.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/09/19/piniella-dibble-rift-repaired-in-meeting/" target="_blank">Archive, “Piniella-Dibble rift repaired in meeting,” Tampa Bay Times, September 19, 1992.</a></p><p><a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/03/19/sweet-lou-age-success-and-a-good-woman-have-mellowed-mariners-manager-lou-piniella-so-whom-can-we-rely-on-now-to-storm-out-of-the-dugout-in-a-righteous-rage" target="_blank">Frank Deford, “SWEET & LOU,” SI Vault, March 19, 2001.</a></p><p><a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2003/03/03/safe-at-home-why-would-lou-piniella-leave-a-winner-in-seattle-to-manage-the-tampa-bay-devil-rays-the-worst-team-in-baseball-to-be-with-his-family" target="_blank">Michael Bamberger, “SAFE AT HOME WHY WOULD LOU PINIELLA LEAVE A WINNER IN SEATTLE TO MANAGE THE TAMPA BAY DEVIL RAYS, THE WORST TEAM IN BASEBALL? TO BE WITH HIS FAMILY” SI Vault, March 3, 2003.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/1015/1446284.html" target="_blank">ESPN.com news service, “MLB - Mets, Devil Rays call Mariners regarding Piniella,” ESPN, October 15, 2002.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2083511" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Piniella wants owners to answer for D-Rays struggles,” ESPN, June 12, 2005.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2176867" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Devil Rays buy out Piniella’s final season for $2.2M,” ESPN, September 30, 2005.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.espn.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5395615" target="_blank">ESPN.com news services, “Piniella to retire as Cubs manager,” ESPN, July 20, 2010.</a> (<u>includes Rob Dibble’s quote about Lou Piniella</u>)</p><p><a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jun/17/agent-for-chagrined-piniella-talks-to-rays/" target="_blank">Associated Press, “Agent for chagrined Piniella talks to Rays,” The Spokesman-Review, June 17, 2005.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/mlb/2010/08/24/bob-hunter-commentary-volatile-piniella/24086506007/" target="_blank">Bob Hunter, “Bob Hunter commentary: Volatile Piniella was a rare breed of manager,” The Columbus Dispatch, August 24, 2010.</a></p><p><a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-08-11-1991223090-story.html" target="_blank">Peter Schmuck, “Umpire Darling’s lawsuit against Piniella is nothing but legal stunt,” Baltimore Sun, August 11, 1991.</a></p><p><a href="https://baseballhall.org/news/era-committee-candidates-announced" target="_blank">“CONTEMPORARY BASEBALL ERA COMMITTEE CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED,” Baseball Hall of Fame, October 19, 2023.</a></p><p>Cards:
Lou Piniella cards-1987 Topps, 1991 Kahn’s Cincinnati Reds, 1996
Mother’s Cookies, 1976 Topps, 1983 Topps, 1986 Topps Traded, 1990 Topps
Traded, 1991 Topps, 1992 Topps, 1993 Mother’s Cookies, 1994 Mother’s
Cookies, 2001 Keebler Seattle Mariners, 2002 Keebler Seattle Mariners,
2004 Topps, 2009 Topps Heritage, 2008 Topps; Cito Gaston 1992
O-Pee-Chee, Jim Leyland 1997 Pacific Nations-Bank Florida Marlins</p><p><u><b></b></u></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><u><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDoY6ZbtHxWn-F0LdXPnMjSbW2oLe9Zpe_ayEbWVsO9tZtlLtEhRYtmajmJFlRFk2PR-0A7_tcha3_ciQX1bneKY6k9TZ-uVmwKS7vuVil4ma-zizNzvY9hfZH3544pEwbDcoQxOJEQKbKLuHuxz3QoncasmnBy5oioox8ACCnyBdNvj-qJl3aFI8R-eE/s3376/Schwarber%20Freeman%20Carew.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1584" data-original-width="3376" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDoY6ZbtHxWn-F0LdXPnMjSbW2oLe9Zpe_ayEbWVsO9tZtlLtEhRYtmajmJFlRFk2PR-0A7_tcha3_ciQX1bneKY6k9TZ-uVmwKS7vuVil4ma-zizNzvY9hfZH3544pEwbDcoQxOJEQKbKLuHuxz3QoncasmnBy5oioox8ACCnyBdNvj-qJl3aFI8R-eE/w640-h300/Schwarber%20Freeman%20Carew.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></u></div><u><b><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</b></u><p></p><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/11/the-oddly-productive-2023-campaign-of.html" target="_blank">The Oddly Productive 2023 Campaign of Sub-.200 Hitter Kyle Schwarber</a></p><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-mlb-season-quick-hits-ronald-acuna.html" target="_blank">2023 MLB Season Quick Hits: Ronald Acuña Jr., Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and More</a></p><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a></p></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-27505689601279818692023-11-07T20:10:00.000-05:002023-11-07T20:10:55.653-05:00The Oddly Productive 2023 Campaign of Sub-.200 Hitter Kyle Schwarber<p> </p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsawnBz6L0IkNb46sfaqunA4P0B9QeD8ogjhUzlLM_EAm6WY9FAYjypDafqfUptiCkgtErUtcHx_EGwaCrkPfAtjPo2ygO0vrbg_tI0ZVTwd41dTxNkhaW4BebddoRsxupxZMFDdm1NwdPXtD4dmW-g9AYgHjelTCVe0bIjSt_RCTeo3hJfagkAHYCUuY4/s2224/Schwarber1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="2224" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsawnBz6L0IkNb46sfaqunA4P0B9QeD8ogjhUzlLM_EAm6WY9FAYjypDafqfUptiCkgtErUtcHx_EGwaCrkPfAtjPo2ygO0vrbg_tI0ZVTwd41dTxNkhaW4BebddoRsxupxZMFDdm1NwdPXtD4dmW-g9AYgHjelTCVe0bIjSt_RCTeo3hJfagkAHYCUuY4/w640-h298/Schwarber1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Perhaps no slugger fits the definition of “three-true-outcomes
hitter” more accurately than Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle
Schwarber, as a large percentage of his plate appearances result in
either a home run, walk, or strikeout. During the 2022 season,
Schwarber led the NL with 46 home runs and 200 strikeouts while drawing
86 walks and batting a paltry .218. For 2023, Schwarber’s propensity to
have his plate appearances end in one of the “three-true-outcomes”
reached new heights as he finished the campaign with 47 home runs, 126
walks, and 215 strikeouts—once again pacing the senior circuit in the
latter category. Schwarber’s rise in walks and strikeouts was
accompanied by a drop in batting average which saw him fall below the
dreaded Mendoza Line to .197. However, he did not allow his low batting
average to keep him from being one of the game’s most productive
hitters as he reached triple digits in both RBI and runs scored—a feat
accomplished by only seven other players in 2023. By reaching those
plateaus, Schwarber earned the unique distinction of becoming the first
player to drive in or score 100 runs while hitting below .200. Additionally, Schwarber established new benchmarks for sub-.200 hitters
in nearly every traditional statistical category including hits, home
runs, and OPS.</div><div><br /></div><div>Since signing with the Phillies
as a free agent in 2022, Schwarber has seen the majority of his plate
appearances come from the leadoff spot in the batting order. As a
thickly-built, slow-footed, power-hitter who regularly strikes out,
Schwarber seemed to be an odd choice for leadoff. Yet, in both 2022 and
2023, he ignited the offense and helped the club capture NL wild cards
in back-to-back seasons. After making 123 starts as Philadelphia’s
leadoff hitter in 2022, Schwarber opened 2023 by splitting time between
batting out of the two and three-holes. The 30-year-old slugger
returned to the leadoff spot for a few games in early May before being
shifted to fifth in the order where he slumped heavily. With
Schwarber sporting an anemic .160 average, the Phillies decided to send
him back to leadoff at the beginning of June. The move quickly paid
dividends as he rediscovered his tempo and hit a more palatable .215
from that point forward with each of his remaining 104 starts coming out
of the leadoff spot. Following the move back to leadoff, Schwarber
belted 34 home runs while amassing 80 runs scored and 77 RBI. He was
particularly home run-happy during the latter stages of the campaign as
he launched 10 long balls over the fence in both August and September. Philadelphia’s season closely matched Schwarber’s as the team overcame a
bleak month of May to reassert themselves as a contender and secure the
top NL wild card seed. Though he finished with a sub-.200 average, his
47 round-trippers slotted runner-up to the 54 of Atlanta Braves first
baseman Matt Olson, while his 126 walks only trailed San Diego Padres
left fielder Juan Soto’s 132. Additionally, Schwarber ranked a
respective seventh and ninth among senior circuit batters with 108 runs
scored and 104 RBI.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6BFCFkbroib1v1EIRhqT95JOR7HAciqe8JBOi2fFa46M2zxnX-6EP3pqeZ_YX40Qyaiht4-FHOdRuPIEmIek7fOoOVbf28AAAslo_mGlXlP9ns_Ifp1WBSg0cdMj5wZluzOhtV16HjTK1NRhyphenhyphenVIJoe35QpcUUP-2EVGR3CU7Xfxb-D-Zmbybp1WKozyF/s1300/Table1%20Runs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="402" data-original-width="1300" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6BFCFkbroib1v1EIRhqT95JOR7HAciqe8JBOi2fFa46M2zxnX-6EP3pqeZ_YX40Qyaiht4-FHOdRuPIEmIek7fOoOVbf28AAAslo_mGlXlP9ns_Ifp1WBSg0cdMj5wZluzOhtV16HjTK1NRhyphenhyphenVIJoe35QpcUUP-2EVGR3CU7Xfxb-D-Zmbybp1WKozyF/w640-h198/Table1%20Runs.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Schwarber played in 160
games during 2023 with 108 of his starts coming out of the leadoff spot. By batting at the top of the order and accruing so much playing time,
Schwarber stepped to the plate an inordinately-high number of times for a
low-average hitter. While his .197 batting mark classified 53 points
under the NL average, because he racked up so many walks, his .343 OBP
checked in 20 points above the NL average. Thus, the combination of
Schwarber’s ability to get on base in front of a potent Phillies offense
coupled with his capacity to drive himself in via the long ball, set
the stage for him to become the first sub-.200 hitter to reach triple
digits in runs scored. Prior to Schwarber, the lowest batting figure
registered during a 100-run campaign came in 1891 when shortstop Shorty
Fuller hit .212 for the St. Louis Browns of the American Association. An almost polar opposite to the “three-true-outcomes” batting style of
Schwarber, the light-hitting Fuller played during the high-scoring late
19th century when teams plated an average of five or even six-plus runs
per game despite home runs being a rare occurrence. Slotted behind
Fuller is another 19th century player, right fielder Hugh Nicol who not
only reached triple digits in runs scored but also set the pre-Modern
Era stolen base record despite logging a meager .215 average for the
1887 Cincinnati Reds. During the era in which Nicol played, the
definition of what constituted a stolen base was more liberal than what
it is today. Nevertheless, only Rickey Henderson has approached Nicol’s
138 swiped bags. The remainder of the bottom-five is rounded out first
by Schwarber’s 2022 campaign in which he batted .218, followed by an
additional light-hitting 19th century player in Emmett Seery who
furnished a .224 mark for the 1887 Indianapolis Hoosiers. Similar to
his 2023 stat line, Schwarber’s 2022 effort saw him produce slightly
higher OPS+ and Rbat figures. Although it may be considered a dubious
honor to post the lowest and fourth-lowest batting averages for a
100-run season, Schwarber’s offensive output in both 2022 and 2023 was
far superior to the respective performances of Fuller, Nichol, and Seery
who each put together sub-100 OPS+ marks and compiled negative Rbat
during their low-average/100-run campaigns.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmg2O89mRHte7ge_mfowxA3-eVJaEYIfAqU8jbvg3cvsH3M2f3-idjhs8ANdnhcNmR4bXbdYNkdd-HAO2vNFE9vHXA40YVoCjvtdthkTTn9y3oD3NdtNwpFExE1bxQxbw3otoVYkPEsKxqiYO1xjFLXTzMGkSB8DIL4N9vrfI_nvZZsNt2yWPVtDETYv/s2956/Schwarber2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1384" data-original-width="2956" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhmg2O89mRHte7ge_mfowxA3-eVJaEYIfAqU8jbvg3cvsH3M2f3-idjhs8ANdnhcNmR4bXbdYNkdd-HAO2vNFE9vHXA40YVoCjvtdthkTTn9y3oD3NdtNwpFExE1bxQxbw3otoVYkPEsKxqiYO1xjFLXTzMGkSB8DIL4N9vrfI_nvZZsNt2yWPVtDETYv/w640-h300/Schwarber2.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Standing
just outside the bottom-five are two more 19th century hitters, Tom
Brown and William Robinson, followed by the first 20th century player to
appear, Detroit Tigers shortstop Donie Bush. While Robinson’s and
Bush’s respective 1888 and 1912 campaigns much more closely resemble
Fuller’s 1891 season than Schwarber’s 2022 or 2023 showings, the pair
racked up walks at an equivalent rate to the Phillies left fielder. Checking in behind Bush with a .232 average is the first player who
possessed a comparable skill set to Schwarber, New York Yankees center
fielder Curtis Granderson. Finishing the 2012 season with 43 home runs,
75 walks, and 195 strikeouts, Granderson embodied the
“three-true-outcomes” batting style that has come to define sluggers
like Schwarber. What’s more, prior to Schwarber, Granderson’s .232
average from 2012 represented the lowest batting mark for a player to
reach triple digits in both RBI and runs scored. Yet, Granderson still
fell shy of the OPS+ or Rbat numbers that Schwarber produced in 2022 or
2023. In fact, Schwarber’s 122 and 131 OPS+ figures stand tall among
more than two dozen of the lowest-average 100-run campaigns as you have
to go all the way back to 28th-ranked Jay Buhner who notched a 132 mark
while batting .243 for the 1997 Seattle Mariners before finding a hitter
with a higher OPS+ than Schwarber’s. Also, after Schwarber and
Granderson, Buhner’s .243 average ranks next-lowest among batters who
put together the 100 run/100 RBI combo. </div><div><br /></div><div>By
becoming the first player to reach triple digits in RBI with a sub-.200
batting average, Schwarber simultaneously earned the dubious distinction
of posting the lowest average for a 100-RBI campaign. While spending
the majority of the season batting out of the leadoff spot undoubtedly
helped the 30-year-old slugger reach the century mark in runs scored,
hitting at the top of order also decreased his chances of attaining 100
RBI as he was guaranteed to have at least one plate appearance with no
runners on base. In fact, over the course of the 2023 campaign,
Schwarber stepped into the batter’s box with 396 runners on base—40
fewer opportunities than the number an average MLB hitter with his 720
plate appearances would see. Nevertheless, he did not allow the lower
number of opportunities to keep him from consistently driving in runs as
he finished the season with 104 RBI, 77 of which came while batting out
of the leadoff spot. Schwarber utilized his power to rack up RBI as he
drove in 76 runs with his 47 round-trippers.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yKtdbT9MGoaTBIeUoUIJfwQ2jx6LnVcSlETgDcdezCw723DgYbG6Ltm7EG_l9f8pa8DOjKE2So5vLG6bWN-Z9uD00xecN3fc_ddzjP5mS3PUnG9PEaeN4Eqy6C1EJZt5Dw1fSBuL3GrQbv03pP8_t8Qdn7YighCxrAvcNAgzb-RaxUF8ZJKcXzS-0mJU/s1300/Table2%20RBI.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="1300" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yKtdbT9MGoaTBIeUoUIJfwQ2jx6LnVcSlETgDcdezCw723DgYbG6Ltm7EG_l9f8pa8DOjKE2So5vLG6bWN-Z9uD00xecN3fc_ddzjP5mS3PUnG9PEaeN4Eqy6C1EJZt5Dw1fSBuL3GrQbv03pP8_t8Qdn7YighCxrAvcNAgzb-RaxUF8ZJKcXzS-0mJU/w640-h180/Table2%20RBI.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />While
the players who registered the lowest batting averages during 100-run
campaigns were mostly light-hitting 19th century players of the distant
past, the bulk of the players with the lowest batting marks in 100-RBI
seasons have come in recent times. As hitters began placing a greater
emphasis on power and a reduced focus on batting average, the once rare
combination of a player driving in 100 runs while logging a
woefully-poor batting mark has become much more common. Indeed, seven
of the 10 worst batting averages maintained during 100-RBI campaigns
have occurred within the past 15 years. Three of those took place in
2023 as, in addition to Schwarber, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max
Muncy and New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso reached triple digits
in RBI while posting respective batting figures of .212 and .217 that
were only slightly less anemic than the Phillies slugger’s .197 mark. With his paltry batting average, Schwarber established a new level of
futility for a 100-RBI season, shattering the previous low of .212 that
had been set two years before by Seattle Mariners third baseman Kyle
Seager. What’s more, because Muncy’s .212 average worked out to a .2116
mark that was a fraction lower than Seager’s .2123 figure, the Dodgers
slugger slotted directly behind Schwarber while Alonso’s .217 average
classified fourth-lowest. Another unique aspect of Muncy’s 2023
campaign was that he accrued more RBI than hits during the season. Prior to Muncy, only Mark McGwire reached the 100-RBI plateau with a
greater number of RBI than hits. McGwire achieved this odd statistical
combination while playing for the 1999 St. Louis Cardinals.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmHQnjvrmm-aqgI4Kr4iinLIcP55IQOXPKFKmWIUhxDMJn4ukGoXZT2z5t5QYiF3QciXjpDfZWaDVx2ypbHzhARtewOUzgD3myowDggztYkRLbHNZiN63mBGu9X0gmKOiDxdB9cpjQ7S4XSDqaViHMjDm8aUinY4c8wA7v84xPIwfSsrF5IoKlLzA5dXi/s3184/Schwarber3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1493" data-original-width="3184" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmHQnjvrmm-aqgI4Kr4iinLIcP55IQOXPKFKmWIUhxDMJn4ukGoXZT2z5t5QYiF3QciXjpDfZWaDVx2ypbHzhARtewOUzgD3myowDggztYkRLbHNZiN63mBGu9X0gmKOiDxdB9cpjQ7S4XSDqaViHMjDm8aUinY4c8wA7v84xPIwfSsrF5IoKlLzA5dXi/w640-h300/Schwarber3.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Although
Schwarber earned the dubious distinction of producing the lowest
batting mark in a 100-RBI campaign, by consistently hitting home runs
and drawing walks, he was more than able to offset his meager .197
average and finish 2023 with a solid 122 OPS+. Schwarber’s 122 figure
put him alongside Alonso whom the Phillies slugger owned a small edge
over in Rbat but slightly trailed in traditional OPS. Among the 10
players who registered the lowest batting averages in 100-RBI campaigns,
only Carlos Peña of the 2009 Tampa Bay Rays notched an OPS+ or Rbat
number higher than Schwarber’s and Alonso’s 2023 totals. What’s more,
the 11th through 30th-lowest batting marks featured just three players
who bested Schwarber’s and Alonso’s OPS+ and Rbat figures. By contrast,
when Seager set the record-low batting mark in 2021, he did so while
only logging a league-average 100 OPS+ and accruing -2 Rbat, well below
Schwarber’s numbers in both categories. Prior to Seager, the dubious
honor of owning the lowest batting mark was held for nearly four decades
by Tony Armas who collected 107 RBI while batting .218 for the 1983
Boston Red Sox. Though Seager and Armas were power-hitters who racked
up high strikeout totals like Schwarber, they lacked the patience at the
plate which enabled the Phillies slugger to maintain above-average OBP
and OPS+ figures. Interestingly, before Armas, the previous holder of
the lowest batting mark for a 100-RBI campaign was Roy Sievers who hit
.232 for the 1954 Washington Senators. A free-swinger during an era in
which strikeouts were much less common, Sievers’ 77 strikeouts actually
ranked third-highest in the AL in 1954.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5G15W2gSeySh6peUHrHIgtwVTq3TFoq9I6LASoaKz1B3gp_xvE9cdCDij3MilogdcSeOT9XfFJhtS5ybwCrn6Sr-Bv2E9ICsl6UUBHCtgv8BjTGU1kTvxfi_doNpM1Y8_jwXxoJVBjg1G4IWYnY2Vt0ODf14gSFUy4gwV8yt3kqk5-1oCIiVpEvjhkik/s3012/Schwarber4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="3012" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh5G15W2gSeySh6peUHrHIgtwVTq3TFoq9I6LASoaKz1B3gp_xvE9cdCDij3MilogdcSeOT9XfFJhtS5ybwCrn6Sr-Bv2E9ICsl6UUBHCtgv8BjTGU1kTvxfi_doNpM1Y8_jwXxoJVBjg1G4IWYnY2Vt0ODf14gSFUy4gwV8yt3kqk5-1oCIiVpEvjhkik/w640-h224/Schwarber4.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />In
addition to becoming the first player to drive in or score 100 runs
while batting below the Mendoza Line, Schwarber also established new
benchmarks for sub-.200 hitters in a slew of other categories, some of
which had been recently set, as well as a few that had stood for several
decades.</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOA7r0uDjHl76spNxe8YbHL3P-uekxDoL962wa-XagSE3wfe5hkA5og7wnZqznCbtCXVYuYpqL8_c8nCHI_4TCp6_lsW1f8Ls5kALzOGarAYnAbAK7NHP2DI0UUFBJgOP3wnc5s-4vTevRUKrSt2AlidMTnxVaGagdboyZpVeGLU7dc1e1VvJM6RNArkc/s1272/Table3%20Sub200.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="243" data-original-width="1272" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWOA7r0uDjHl76spNxe8YbHL3P-uekxDoL962wa-XagSE3wfe5hkA5og7wnZqznCbtCXVYuYpqL8_c8nCHI_4TCp6_lsW1f8Ls5kALzOGarAYnAbAK7NHP2DI0UUFBJgOP3wnc5s-4vTevRUKrSt2AlidMTnxVaGagdboyZpVeGLU7dc1e1VvJM6RNArkc/w640-h122/Table3%20Sub200.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />With his 108 runs scored, Schwarber
surpassed Joey Gallo’s total of 90 from 2021. A near carbon-copy of
Schwarber in his batting approach, Gallo equally personifies the
definition of a “three-true-outcomes hitter.” The owner of a .208
career-average going into 2021, Gallo began the season with the Texas
Rangers and was in the process of putting together a solid campaign when
he was sent to the New York Yankees in a late-July trade deadline deal. While Schwarber did his best hitting during the final months of the
2023 season, the opposite proved to be the case for Gallo as he batted a
woeful .160 after the trade to finish the year just below the Mendoza
Line at .199. Nevertheless, in addition to runs scored, Gallo set new
benchmarks for sub-.200 hitters in home runs, walks, OBP, slugging
percentage, OPS, OPS+, total bases, and Rbat. During 2023, Schwarber
surpassed Gallo in each of those categories, save for OBP as his .343
mark checked up shy of Gallo’s .351 figure. Schwarber also wiped his
free-swinging peer’s name off the top of a dubious category as his 215
strikeouts exceeded the 213 of Gallo.</div><div><br /></div><div>With his
104 RBI, Schwarber eclipsed the total of third baseman Mark Reynolds who
accrued 85 RBI while batting .198 for the 2010 Arizona Diamondbacks. A
“three-true-outcomes hitter” in the same vein as Schwarber and Gallo,
Reynolds’ overall skill set even more closely resembled the Phillies
left fielder’s as both struggled on defense. During Reynolds’ and
Schwarber’s respective 2010 and 2023 campaigns, the former produced -6
DRS (defensive runs saved below average) at third base while the latter
compiled an unsightly -20 DRS that ranked worst among NL outfielders. A
different fielding metric, total zone, viewed Schwarber’s defense less
harshly, crediting him as -10 fielding runs below average, a number that
only slotted 10th-worst among NL outfielders. By contrast, during the
2021 season, Gallo took home his second Gold Glove Award after providing
steady defense as a right fielder for the Rangers and a left fielder
for the Yankees, racking up 15 defensive runs saved above average and 12
fielding runs above average—the third-highest total among AL
outfielders in each metric. The 2010 campaign represented a step
backwards for Reynolds following a solid 2009 effort which saw him smack
44 home runs and collect 102 RBI while batting .260 despite setting a
dubious MLB record that still stands by striking out an astounding 223
times. Although the 2010 season was a disappointing one for Reynolds,
he was able to establish new benchmarks for sub-.200 hitters in home
runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS, and total bases. Not surprisingly,
Reynolds also set a new high for strikeouts by a sub-.200 hitter with
his 211 topping Rob Deer’s 175 from 1991. In 2021, Gallo overtook
Reynolds in each of these categories excluding RBI. This pattern
repeated itself in 2023 when Schwarber eclipsed Gallo in each of those
categories while also bettering Reynolds’ RBI total.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hEdGlAaL4bWGshOA0Ku8-h0kZI727-dBkCBOBcdXsOGr3mO3AZ5cJVsoPh5o8gIwOFdR-QQ893a0bpqWv7HJsy_clAKkVyj_1hr3z3sOGIUW3B5NPIpXj5zR5LEyHF2X5SqWj99Ao2p3l2Tq-9mB7esbHIj1YGM0eN1VeROmBYuDPNSRjIrtj3xOYvte/s3848/Schwarber5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1452" data-original-width="3848" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_hEdGlAaL4bWGshOA0Ku8-h0kZI727-dBkCBOBcdXsOGr3mO3AZ5cJVsoPh5o8gIwOFdR-QQ893a0bpqWv7HJsy_clAKkVyj_1hr3z3sOGIUW3B5NPIpXj5zR5LEyHF2X5SqWj99Ao2p3l2Tq-9mB7esbHIj1YGM0eN1VeROmBYuDPNSRjIrtj3xOYvte/w640-h242/Schwarber5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
2023, Schwarber only missed two contests and finished the season with
160 games played, matching the sub-.200 hitter mark set by Carlos Peña
in 2012. Because Schwarber rarely missed a contest and the Phillies
were comfortable with batting him out of the leadoff spot, he was able
to establish new benchmarks for sub-.200 hitters in plate appearances,
at bats, and hits—each of which had been set by New York Yankees
shortstop Frank Crosetti in 1940. Noted more for his slick fielding and
competitive spirit than his hitting, Crosetti had already been part of a
handful of World Series championship Yankees teams, winning his first
ring as a rookie in 1932 and four more in consecutive years from 1936 to
1939. The primarily leadoff hitter for New York since 1934, Crosetti
carried just a .255 career mark into 1940 but offset his low average by
regularly drawing walks. In contrast to Schwarber, Gallo, and Reynolds,
Crosetti was not a serious power threat as he generally hit only around
10 home runs per season. Yet, like each of those three sluggers,
Crosetti experienced the dishonor of leading the league in strikeouts,
pacing the AL on two occasions with 105 in 1937 and 97 in 1938. Remaining at the top of the batting order for 1940, the veteran
shortstop slumped heavily, hitting below .200 for much of the spring and
summer before the team decided to drop him back to the eight-hole in
early August. Crosetti finished the year with a .194 average but
managed to set new highs for sub-.200 hitters in a host of categories. Crosetti held onto many of these benchmarks for multiple decades until
Gallo surpassed his runs scored total in 2021 and Schwarber eclipsed his
numbers in the aforementioned categories of plate appearances, at bats,
and hits in 2023. New York’s 1940 struggles were not solely limited to
Crosetti as the four-time defending champions fell to third in the AL
pennant race. During the following season, Crosetti lost his starting
role at shortstop to future Hall of Famer Phil Rizzuto but remained with
the Yankees and won two more World Series rings with the team as a
bench player.</div><div><br /></div><div>Schwarber continued to exhibit
his colossal power in the 2023 postseason, blasting five home runs, each
of which came during the NLCS where the slugger batted an
uncharacteristically-high .364 and was arguably Philadelphia’s top
hitter in the club’s upset loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. This
followed a 2022 playoffs which saw him belt six long balls in 17 games
en route to helping the Phillies claim the NL pennant. A solid
postseason performer throughout his career, Schwarber passed Reggie
Jackson to set the record for playoff home runs by a left-handed batter. With 20 postseason long balls, Schwarber currently ranks alongside
Derek Jeter in a tie for fourth all-time, trailing only the 29 of Manny
Ramírez, 27 of Jose Altuve, and 22 of Bernie Williams. However,
Schwarber has launched his playoff round-trippers at a much more
prolific rate than the sluggers ahead of him, racking up his 20 long
balls over a mere 65 playoff games and 259 plate appearances. With the
Phillies positioned to remain a contender and the 30-year-old Schwarber
signed to the team through 2025, it is likely he will continue to add to his
playoff home run total.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76GMsrbE6FxZoX4Rt0U3v7_kw9AIe46F4h1n-E0YbY5k-uXPBp62ZhrxJE1V1UFs1dK8oMZ5PTzawY1NVvkV3MNCfb-u7SqzNRZaTlnT9wHdoKh6QQE0SlyU5p_6vwwCZqH1LtcUkABHJ0yrw00g4-B3HTJGBV3UornkSee9Q7wzI-23cfAuNJpVb94hg/s1292/Table4%20Postseason%20HR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="1292" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi76GMsrbE6FxZoX4Rt0U3v7_kw9AIe46F4h1n-E0YbY5k-uXPBp62ZhrxJE1V1UFs1dK8oMZ5PTzawY1NVvkV3MNCfb-u7SqzNRZaTlnT9wHdoKh6QQE0SlyU5p_6vwwCZqH1LtcUkABHJ0yrw00g4-B3HTJGBV3UornkSee9Q7wzI-23cfAuNJpVb94hg/w640-h104/Table4%20Postseason%20HR.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CLICK TABLE TO ENLARGE<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schwaky01.shtml" target="_blank">Kyle Schwarber</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olsonma02.shtml" target="_blank">Matt Olson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sotoju01.shtml" target="_blank">Juan Soto</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gallojo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joey Gallo</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grandcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curtis Granderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/muncyma01.shtml" target="_blank">Max Muncy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alonspe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Alonso</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seageky01.shtml" target="_blank">Kyle Seager</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buhneja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jay Buhner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgwima01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark McGwire</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml" target="_blank">Rickey Henderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksre01.shtml" target="_blank">Reggie Jackson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirma02.shtml" target="_blank">Manny Ramírez</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/altuvjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jose Altuve</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibe02.shtml" target="_blank">Bernie Williams</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fullesh01.shtml" target="_blank">Shorty Fuller</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nicolhu01.shtml" target="_blank">Hugh Nichol</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/penaca01.shtml" target="_blank">Carlos Peña</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/armasto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Armas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sievero01.shtml" target="_blank">Roy Sievers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reynoma01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Reynolds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crosefr01.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Crosetti</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:</div><div>All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/sport/baseball/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_topnav_stathead&utm_content=lnk_top&_gl=1*i6lvbs*_ga*MjYwMjA0NTE1LjE2OTkxOTc5OTY.*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTY5OTE5Nzk5Ni4xLjEuMTY5OTE5OTU4MC4yNy4wLjA." target="_blank">Stathead</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Frankie-Crosetti/" target="_blank">Tara Krieger, “Frank Crosetti,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/kyle-schwarber-has-most-homers-by-lefty-in-postseason-history" target="_blank">Jesus Cano, “Schwarber passes Mr. October on all-time lefty HR list,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Kyle Schwarber cards-2022 Topps Update Series 1987 Topps Baseball,
2022 Topps Heritage High Number, 2022 Topps Archives 1978 Topps Design,
2023 Topps Big League, 2023 Topps, 2022 Topps Stadium Club, 2022 Topps
Update; Shorty Fuller 1887-1889 Old Judge Cabinets, Curtis Granderson
2013 Topps, Max Muncy 2013 Topps Series 2, Pete Alonso 2023 Topps, Kyle
Seager 2022 Topps, Tony Armas 1984 Topps, Roy Sievers 1954 Topps
Archives, Joey Gallo 2019 Topps Vintage, Mark Reynolds 2010 Topps, Frank
Crosetti 1936 Goudey Wide Pen Premiums</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTJEQqKwmxuQCsWkxGMEIeNDsaj8-KndU6_-r8_RaVX_FXgLwem4YupDS7Mh__pecI4UzYj5mHeRqy5wUY38nHthhrZz9AaTF5FCBmGo9kUZ4Y5RSSUvc4eeTdl1r4wsarOUk62Z2gAjMzK92wtolwnuZQp3bN5DCMbhVPnWsaILFguyndZvxUsYhyjJ/s2920/Rod%20Carew%20Trea%20Turner%20Dave%20Parker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="2920" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KTJEQqKwmxuQCsWkxGMEIeNDsaj8-KndU6_-r8_RaVX_FXgLwem4YupDS7Mh__pecI4UzYj5mHeRqy5wUY38nHthhrZz9AaTF5FCBmGo9kUZ4Y5RSSUvc4eeTdl1r4wsarOUk62Z2gAjMzK92wtolwnuZQp3bN5DCMbhVPnWsaILFguyndZvxUsYhyjJ/w640-h302/Rod%20Carew%20Trea%20Turner%20Dave%20Parker.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><u><b>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</b></u></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/10/2023-mlb-season-quick-hits-ronald-acuna.html" target="_blank">2023 MLB Season Quick Hits: Ronald Acuña Jr., Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and More</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/veteran-players-who-were-forced-to.html" target="_blank">Veteran Players Who Were Forced to Shave Their Mustaches and Beards Due to the Cincinnati Reds’ Ban on Facial Hair: Dave Parker</a></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-79399142264493840442023-10-08T17:05:00.000-04:002023-10-08T17:05:39.375-04:002023 MLB Season Quick Hits: Ronald Acuña Jr., Luis Arraez, Freddie Freeman, Trea Turner, and More<p> </p><p>The 2023 baseball season witnessed several position players set records,
earn distinctions, and accomplish feats. Below are a few of the
notable achievements realized during 2023.<br /></p><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztIFu_oEeHN3LEB-bhs8xGdnMCpugKtjSmk310j8bQyUnCLiyLdb0ubkIdVZFscaZEE9SK32P0JCGjy-tJsmxb6TBDsw2GztI83Tt6Qnl-kS0pWoHbsGYGagQNOWoubTHQBt3e7HvnfJpHythX9To21CAVUY9aW4XBkPCJXQE03WqztT3ZJE8zgaW7FfI/s3124/Luis%20Arraez%20Hanley%20Ramirez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1485" data-original-width="3124" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztIFu_oEeHN3LEB-bhs8xGdnMCpugKtjSmk310j8bQyUnCLiyLdb0ubkIdVZFscaZEE9SK32P0JCGjy-tJsmxb6TBDsw2GztI83Tt6Qnl-kS0pWoHbsGYGagQNOWoubTHQBt3e7HvnfJpHythX9To21CAVUY9aW4XBkPCJXQE03WqztT3ZJE8zgaW7FfI/w640-h304/Luis%20Arraez%20Hanley%20Ramirez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Luis Arraez Becomes the First Player to Capture the AL and NL Batting Crowns in Consecutive Seasons</u></div><div>After
leading the AL with a .316 batting average in 2022, Minnesota Twins
second baseman Luis Arraez found himself suiting up for a different club
for 2023, as he had been traded across leagues to the Miami Marlins on
January 20 in exchange for pitcher Pablo López and a pair of minor
league prospects. Arraez quickly adapted to his new surroundings and
feasted on opposing pitching, becoming one of the main stories for the
early part of 2023 as he batted .438 in April and carried a .400-plus
mark into parts of May and June. Arraez’s batting average did not
permanently fall under .400 until Miami’s 79th game of the year on June
25. The last player to carry a .400 average that deep into the season
was in 2000 when Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra sported a
.400 figure for Boston’s 92nd game of the year on July 20. Arraez’s
blistering early-season pace included becoming the first player in the
31-year history of the Marlins franchise to hit for the cycle. He
accomplished this feat in just his twelfth game for the club on April
11. Arraez checked into the All-Star break batting .383 and for the
second season in a row earned a trip to the Midsummer Classic. Although
the latter half of the campaign saw his bat cool off by comparison, he
managed to hold off all challengers and claim the NL batting crown with a
.354 average. By securing top batting honors, the 26-year-old joined
Ed Delahanty and DJ LeMahieu as the only players to capture batting
titles in both the AL and NL. However, Arraez became the first to turn
the trick in consecutive seasons. What’s more, excluding the
pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, Arraez’s .354 mark represented the
highest MLB batting average since Josh Hamilton’s AL-pacing .359 figure
from 2010.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokfsllPl0EhH80uHE-UYmkBxjV2bey4mNE1w9zdQDsIyxN48HNR1IVPyvlENmbzC7W2xUW4MPPaIAVzXK4y9f8KckUDNYpjlXdJT6v5PVp3Jbp2Bmcjj2iX57SPTLoJIx7fucdDjqCJY9wwlmcCAspu3Q6-Pld-ViHcxYWvPmHX83JsPwSWezf1pnbbY2/s1291/Arraez%20Batting%20Titles.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="1291" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhokfsllPl0EhH80uHE-UYmkBxjV2bey4mNE1w9zdQDsIyxN48HNR1IVPyvlENmbzC7W2xUW4MPPaIAVzXK4y9f8KckUDNYpjlXdJT6v5PVp3Jbp2Bmcjj2iX57SPTLoJIx7fucdDjqCJY9wwlmcCAspu3Q6-Pld-ViHcxYWvPmHX83JsPwSWezf1pnbbY2/w640-h134/Arraez%20Batting%20Titles.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Arraez’s impressive year helped
Miami transform from a 93-loss 2022 club into winners of the second NL
wild card. In addition to becoming the first player in team history to
hit for the cycle, Arraez also set a new single-season record for the
Marlins franchise with his .354 batting average surpassing the previous
benchmark of .342 achieved by Hanley Ramírez in 2009 when the club was
known as the Florida Marlins. Like Arraez, Ramírez paced the senior
loop in average when he established his franchise-leading figure.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFsdIFZj82WEzatRAjYnsn3aX30wQdnEw1Uff0A0xqFMbZuVs1SnBa1P5Vytzt3EIC6HODf3XzwAZWUWNdKC8m5QzRQ6ntvr-g0Newf4d_I0tlLXBYpM5gaAcFj7m5P8nkxw-AEERHGdZ5OK7BkDuowVw77vKEvVCgx6WaI0qJfQcI-EjdAOVZk4fuGco/s1289/Arraez%20Ramirez.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="1289" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFsdIFZj82WEzatRAjYnsn3aX30wQdnEw1Uff0A0xqFMbZuVs1SnBa1P5Vytzt3EIC6HODf3XzwAZWUWNdKC8m5QzRQ6ntvr-g0Newf4d_I0tlLXBYpM5gaAcFj7m5P8nkxw-AEERHGdZ5OK7BkDuowVw77vKEvVCgx6WaI0qJfQcI-EjdAOVZk4fuGco/w640-h46/Arraez%20Ramirez.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
an era of free-swinging sluggers, Arraez’s ability to avoid being the
victim of the strikeout stood out among his peers. With a MLB-low
strikeout rate of just 5.5%, the Marlins keystoner struck out less than a
quarter of the 22.7% MLB average. Arraez not only produced the lowest
strikeout rate in MLB but also checked in well ahead of New York Mets
infielder Jeff McNeil who registered the next-lowest average of 10.0%.
Sacrificing power to focus on hitting for a high average, Arraez’s
batting approach conjured up memories of skilled contact-hitters such as
Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, and Ichiro Suzuki who each earned multiple
batting titles during their distinguished Hall of Fame careers<span face="-apple-system-body">.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU1E5JCeFsUVlmaxFAc4DKjao8CA_njcOr02a-Q5JDDsitd5OiliXDNuzajB7Ds1Q4XZxeFSZen9p6b50owd3kMblHCIHxvXKfJqvth7iw9NWRd3_6tvwLG0TIqSUe92u7i4wYciPF4FkuSl0kOGA811meS9HrCRVUFBkTVJBFlv38EOAvtIo2mahDHZN/s2260/Yandy%20Diaz%20Corey%20Seager%20Jason%20Bartlett.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="2260" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxU1E5JCeFsUVlmaxFAc4DKjao8CA_njcOr02a-Q5JDDsitd5OiliXDNuzajB7Ds1Q4XZxeFSZen9p6b50owd3kMblHCIHxvXKfJqvth7iw9NWRd3_6tvwLG0TIqSUe92u7i4wYciPF4FkuSl0kOGA811meS9HrCRVUFBkTVJBFlv38EOAvtIo2mahDHZN/w640-h294/Yandy%20Diaz%20Corey%20Seager%20Jason%20Bartlett.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Yandy Díaz Captures the AL Batting Crown</u></div><div>Over
in the junior circuit, Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Díaz outlasted
Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager to secure the batting title. Going
into the final month of the campaign, it appeared Seager would claim
top batting honors for the AL, standing at the front of the leaderboard
with a .346 average while Díaz trailed behind with a .327 mark.
However, Seager slumped in September, batting .277 for the month as
Díaz posted a .345 figure over the same span. Thus, entering the final
day of the regular season, the two sluggers each boasted .330 averages
with Seager’s .3298 mark just a whisker ahead of Díaz’s .3295 figure.
Towards the end of September, the Rays first baseman was sidelined by
hamstring tightness. With Tampa Bay having already clinched a playoff
berth, the team opted to rest Díaz who only stepped into the batter’s
box four times during the last week of the campaign. On the contrary,
Seager’s Rangers found themselves still very much in the thick of a
three-way battle for the AL West division title with the Houston Astros
and Seattle Mariners. As a result, while the Rays had the luxury of
sitting Díaz on the final day of the regular season to preserve him for
the playoffs, Texas required the full services of their All-Star
shortstop. The Rangers entered Game 162 having already eliminated the
Mariners from postseason contention with a 6-1 triumph over their
division rival during the previous day. The victory secured Texas one
of the AL wild card seeds but the club could only capture the division
crown with an additional win over the Mariners or an Astros’ loss to the
Arizona Diamondbacks on the final day of the regular season. With the
division title at stake, Seager suited up for Texas as Houston
simultaneously faced Arizona. Seattle’s pitching staff managed to keep
Seager in check, holding the slugger hitless in four plate appearances
while shutting down the Rangers offense and prevailing 1-0. In
contrast, the Astros pummeled the Diamondbacks 8-1 to claim the team’s
sixth AL West flag in seven seasons. Seager’s hitless-performance
against the Mariners dropped him to a final mark of .327 as Díaz became
the first player in the 26-year history of the Rays franchise to earn
the AL batting title.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXwoAEwTYAxQWBOA6Y7zBQGlEmrDU0l22lrDCKN-U5pA5RduVGf2LsPbt4uZ0E53MwmQvwmejt0juyM3-dTeEEBPVg-N9oBbVT8XCJLivx9q3tQgxwRgnlLN3rpZW-qq5y73FZYbv9uVZsLYZMBTX9bSQ19QnQPcfHIwCuBMucAA7UNk71ggjkmgA8WhF/s1251/Diaz.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="134" data-original-width="1251" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMXwoAEwTYAxQWBOA6Y7zBQGlEmrDU0l22lrDCKN-U5pA5RduVGf2LsPbt4uZ0E53MwmQvwmejt0juyM3-dTeEEBPVg-N9oBbVT8XCJLivx9q3tQgxwRgnlLN3rpZW-qq5y73FZYbv9uVZsLYZMBTX9bSQ19QnQPcfHIwCuBMucAA7UNk71ggjkmgA8WhF/w640-h68/Diaz.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />In addition to securing
top batting honors, like Arraez in the NL, Díaz shattered his team’s
single-season record for average as his .330 figure surpassed the
previous benchmark of .320 set by shortstop Jason Bartlett in 2009.
Interestingly, when Bartlett etched his name atop Tampa Bay’s all-time
leaderboard, his .320 average was only good enough for seventh-best on
the 2009 AL rundown and well behind the league-pacing .365 figure of
Minnesota Twins catcher Joe Mauer. While Arraez’s ability to avoid the
strikeout stood out across baseball, Díaz himself did a respectable job
at not being the victim of punch outs and whiffs as his 15.7% strikeout
rate checked in comfortably below the 22.7% MLB average.</div><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarQFSN-9Ar1KHmY0lUn3dc7yGA08LUkL-lTo8KkICpXnr78M60bWr-52PZ_UcjNHpWictUUJQzBunrs1s_ekG0CU-txlQeegF9vRCp7_lZ_Ps9XyrdzDCS1VNCpVfQ-_cRT0V6ijydLgRsyBrxIPW9ZyRnnbT3SQV9Y_oOUHW261nguxwBUV_8Kc2Mr8_/s2976/Eugenio%20Suarez%20Teoscar%20Hernandez%20Luis%20Castillo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1392" data-original-width="2976" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiarQFSN-9Ar1KHmY0lUn3dc7yGA08LUkL-lTo8KkICpXnr78M60bWr-52PZ_UcjNHpWictUUJQzBunrs1s_ekG0CU-txlQeegF9vRCp7_lZ_Ps9XyrdzDCS1VNCpVfQ-_cRT0V6ijydLgRsyBrxIPW9ZyRnnbT3SQV9Y_oOUHW261nguxwBUV_8Kc2Mr8_/w640-h300/Eugenio%20Suarez%20Teoscar%20Hernandez%20Luis%20Castillo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Eugenio Suárez and Teoscar Hernández Become the First Teammates to Strikeout 200 Times During the Same Season</u></div><div>While
Luis Arraez did an exemplary job of avoiding strikeouts, a pair of
Seattle Mariners sluggers, third baseman Eugenio Suárez and right
fielder Teoscar Hernández, finished the campaign ranked number one and
two in the dubious category for the AL. With Suárez’s 214 and
Hernández’s 211 strikeouts, the Mariners duo became the first pair of
teammates to strikeout 200 times in the same season. Standing atop the
strikeout-leaderboard was not a new experience for Suárez who had
previously paced the senior loop while playing for the Cincinnati Reds
in 2019 and also led the junior circuit during his first year with the
Mariners in 2022.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25TiE-YJ4FYmVi4lMMn3eDlJSS9bHpCK50r3y5H1dkUDfzDMOF4wEAywoBkx3jfORnMfxUPb3LfOKNaCKs8ASWrOAJA2U7IWbJSl_KMM4lBPOiE8KQF0vXSh89LmopDN8fVA-2a-3IEO0wavnA-VPYjha7jgt99sUG-PM3p27dR1a8lneSMbPkKjY7lMt/s1254/Mariners.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="1254" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25TiE-YJ4FYmVi4lMMn3eDlJSS9bHpCK50r3y5H1dkUDfzDMOF4wEAywoBkx3jfORnMfxUPb3LfOKNaCKs8ASWrOAJA2U7IWbJSl_KMM4lBPOiE8KQF0vXSh89LmopDN8fVA-2a-3IEO0wavnA-VPYjha7jgt99sUG-PM3p27dR1a8lneSMbPkKjY7lMt/w640-h46/Mariners.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Oddly, by each striking out
200 times, the free-swinging pair of Suárez and Hernández reached a
plateau that has yet to be achieved by two of the team’s pitchers during
the same season. Despite having hard-throwing hurlers such as Mark
Langston, Randy Johnson, and Félix Hernández anchoring Seattle’s
starting rotation at different points in the 47-year history of the
franchise, the closest two Mariners pitchers have ever come to
simultaneously reaching the plateau was in 1990 when Erik Hanson struck
out 211 batters while the aforementioned Johnson narrowly missed the
mark with 194. The 2023 edition of the team featured one 200-strikeout
pitcher in Luis Castillo, who amassed 219 for the campaign, and another
just shy of the plateau as Logan Gilbert finished with 189.</div><div><br /></div><div><u>Ronald Acuña Jr. Joins the 40/40 Club and Becomes the Charter Member of the 40/70 Club</u></div><div>The
2023 season witnessed a banner campaign from Atlanta Braves right
fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Throughout the history of baseball, few
players have combined power and speed in as dominant a form as Acuña.
Finally healthy after missing ample time during each of the previous
two seasons, the 25-year-old slugger was truly at his best in 2023,
hitting for both power and average while showcasing his speed on the
basepaths. A free-swinger in the past, for 2023, Acuña cut his
strikeout rate by more than half from his career norm going into the
campaign. Blistering opposing pitching and dazzling fans with his
electric style of play, Acuña put together a phenomenal effort, leading
the NL in a slew of categories while also joining José Canseco, Barry
Bonds, Álex Rodríguez, and Alfonso Soriano to become just the fifth
player to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.
However, in Acuña’s case, he waged an assault on the basepaths like no
prior member of the 40/40 club before him, easily pacing the senior
circuit by swiping an astounding 73 bags. With his lofty stolen base
total and 41 home runs, the youngster became the first player to author a
40/70 campaign.</div><div><br /></div><div>Critics of Acuña will point
out that he benefitted from MLB rule changes for 2023 which saw the
introduction of larger bases and limits on throws to first base as ways
to increase base-stealing attempts. Though speedy players such as Acuña
undoubtedly benefitted from these rule changes, barring injury the
Braves slugger’s admission to the 40/40 club was an inevitability as
during his last fully-healthy season in 2019, he launched 41 home runs
while stealing a league-leading 37 bases. Prior to Acuña, the highest
stolen base total for a 40/40 campaign was Álex Rodriguez’s 46 in 1998.
Also, before Acuña, no player had come remotely close to hitting 40
home runs while swiping 70 bags as Rickey Henderson’s 1986 combo of 28
round-trippers and 87 stolen bases represented the loftiest long ball
mark during a 70-stolen base season.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9RCkULeU0QuTM7RZolHE5CN_UquHj5Z17lq15v0vvU9R2q1tcQCUt5ihgbchxIziyIs_-WITtDQ5RdCKnF5iyfOCIz03QTm_zgmxldR7Dzw353VK7pDRuzBGWexjEXxkOdTK2ZEh12ghJl5isbQvxM9ipbAyOsdR3KqneqOtzxDNGQTEesM1snwlGh0y/s1290/Acuna.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="1290" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq9RCkULeU0QuTM7RZolHE5CN_UquHj5Z17lq15v0vvU9R2q1tcQCUt5ihgbchxIziyIs_-WITtDQ5RdCKnF5iyfOCIz03QTm_zgmxldR7Dzw353VK7pDRuzBGWexjEXxkOdTK2ZEh12ghJl5isbQvxM9ipbAyOsdR3KqneqOtzxDNGQTEesM1snwlGh0y/w640-h60/Acuna.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><u>Matt Olson Sets a New Single-Season Home Run Record for the Braves Franchise</u></div><div>In
addition to Acuña, the Braves offense also featured a sterling effort
from first baseman Matt Olson. Acquired from the Oakland Athletics in
exchange for four players on March 14, 2022, Olson faced the tall task
of replacing Atlanta’s popular veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman who
departed the club via free agency to sign with the Los Angeles
Dodgers. Olson put together a respectable 2022, though his performance
was a
step below his best showings in Oakland. However, the 29-year-old’s bat
came alive in 2023 as his prodigious power reached new heights, leading
the NL with 54 home runs while also pacing the circuit with 139 RBI.
The premier long-ball hitter in a dynamic Braves lineup that featured
an impressive collection of sluggers, Olson helped the Braves tie the
MLB team record of 307 home runs set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Atlanta’s round-tripper total established a NL team record, shattering
the previous mark of 279 also achieved in 2019 by the Dodgers. On an
individual level, Olson’s 54 home runs set a new single-season benchmark
for the franchise, topping Andruw Jones’ 51 long balls from 2005.
Additionally, because RBI did not become an official statistic until
1920, MLB recognizes Olson as setting a new RBI record for the club as
well, surpassing the prior mark of 135 attained by Eddie Mathews in
1953. Note: <i>Baseball Reference</i> recognizes unofficial RBI totals from before 1920 and credits Hugh Duffy’s 145 RBI from 1894 as the franchise record.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-uxdxL2wKOL2g-qWfz0WJnJtLh8rs74sZCQ44socjQWTbxDDMPbHuRimV2CAiqHZLx8FTzyUyx8SpsiS3CrgyamxZ_PA77KW1DlBjFJnuTsDR-X5AMVXL9_ybh4DVbgBSpNnSk4oqlZpqjkzRnbiaeQyvlp87LCOFxYZ290lIj_ld216ZGMRZRQKgd6p/s1252/Olson.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="90" data-original-width="1252" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-uxdxL2wKOL2g-qWfz0WJnJtLh8rs74sZCQ44socjQWTbxDDMPbHuRimV2CAiqHZLx8FTzyUyx8SpsiS3CrgyamxZ_PA77KW1DlBjFJnuTsDR-X5AMVXL9_ybh4DVbgBSpNnSk4oqlZpqjkzRnbiaeQyvlp87LCOFxYZ290lIj_ld216ZGMRZRQKgd6p/w640-h46/Olson.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pBrHz9IDTqrljKQWAmDZLPri_eSF8vLQTZHHMvug8L36INN9efF2h8qr7hJSxGYsbyDJ9C-WJFIK5uS6Eo38K3kbPxixmclySrdY2K-QG1ZifgXRCUwU9l23FAmiFqwia4VeoCpIPW8ryF9-eWzyzaW2n8GynXdOqlgN7rplCz2j0CXCS_v-8yWO_V4C/s2948/Ronald%20Acuna%20Jr%20Matt%20Olson%20Freddie%20Freeman%20Mookie%20Betts.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2948" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8pBrHz9IDTqrljKQWAmDZLPri_eSF8vLQTZHHMvug8L36INN9efF2h8qr7hJSxGYsbyDJ9C-WJFIK5uS6Eo38K3kbPxixmclySrdY2K-QG1ZifgXRCUwU9l23FAmiFqwia4VeoCpIPW8ryF9-eWzyzaW2n8GynXdOqlgN7rplCz2j0CXCS_v-8yWO_V4C/w640-h226/Ronald%20Acuna%20Jr%20Matt%20Olson%20Freddie%20Freeman%20Mookie%20Betts.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Freddie Freeman Nearly Reaches the 60 Doubles Plateau While Pacing the NL in the Catgeory for the Fourth Time in His Career</u></div><div>As
Olson was consistently blasting four-baggers, the man he replaced as
Braves first baseman, Freddie Freeman, put together his own sensational
campaign for the Dodgers. At age 33, Freeman showed no signs of slowing
down, establishing personal-bests in multiple categories. Despite
turning in a terrific performance, the veteran only managed to top the
NL in one major traditional category, as he headed the doubles
leaderboard for the fourth time in his career. Freeman stroked doubles
at a maniac pace during 2023, particularly in May and August when he
racked up a respective 17 and 16 two-base hits. Thus, going into the
final month of the campaign, the slugger already sat at 51 doubles—four
more than his previous career-high—with a decent shot at becoming the
first hitter since 1936 to finish the year with 60 two-baggers, as well
as a slim chance to eclipse the single-season MLB record of 67 set by
Boston Red Sox right fielder Earl Webb in 1931. In the history of MLB,
just six players—George Burns, Charlie Gehringer, Hank Greenberg, Joe
Medwick, Paul Waner, and the aforementioned Webb have reached the
60-doubles plateau. What’s more, each of those 60-double campaigns took
place between 1926 and 1936 during an era which saw unusually high
scoring in MLB. Since that time, the closest anyone had come to
accruing 60 two-base hits was Colorado Rockies first baseman Todd Helton
who finished one shy of the mark with 59 in 2000. While Freeman
managed to hit doubles at a steady pace during September, he was unable
to make a serious run at Webb’s record and, like Helton, checked up just
short of the plateau with 59. Nevertheless, the slugger easily topped
the senior loop, ending the year 19 ahead of teammate Mookie Betts who
slotted runner-up in the category.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5f_CMy-3G4ZiADD5Nta6d9XysynNCTDiib5cm0FrM5sPl-ev6JgAuI-nj4xDD2YYQrJbSQo_hWoK01vDVRVSIqIM_qP054CSdUAnaq7Oxxrt-ZfwAASwEcUzcI-GX1-GsbO4P7F-XvYWdKQbPPQNywFbNOAcCpf2gb-bO_TQfpTHEKzpncz-vUWowGnp/s1252/Freeman%20Betts.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="91" data-original-width="1252" height="46" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg5f_CMy-3G4ZiADD5Nta6d9XysynNCTDiib5cm0FrM5sPl-ev6JgAuI-nj4xDD2YYQrJbSQo_hWoK01vDVRVSIqIM_qP054CSdUAnaq7Oxxrt-ZfwAASwEcUzcI-GX1-GsbO4P7F-XvYWdKQbPPQNywFbNOAcCpf2gb-bO_TQfpTHEKzpncz-vUWowGnp/w640-h46/Freeman%20Betts.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><u>Mookie Betts Leads His Respective League in WAR for the Third Time in His Career</u></div><div>While
Braves sluggers Ronald Acuña Jr. and Matt Olson were heading the
majority of the traditional statistical leaderboards, Mookie Betts was
quietly crafting a brilliant campaign for the Dodgers. Acquired by Los
Angeles in a stunning trade with the Boston Red Sox prior to the 2020
season, Betts has continued to maintain his reputation as one of
baseball’s finest players. A true five-tool player, he was voted AL MVP
in 2018 and has already claimed a half-dozen Gold Gloves and a handful
of Silver Sluggers during his career. However, in 2023, Betts showcased
his value in a new way by bouncing between his natural position of
right field to split time at second base while also making the
occasional appearance at shortstop when needed. In all, he made 77
starts at right, 62 at second, and 12 at short. In 40 of his 152 games
on defense, he shuttled between multiple positions during the contest.
Most impressively, Betts did not allow the Dodgers’ nomadic use of him
to affect his performance in the field or at the plate as he provided
value on both sides of the diamond to finish the season with a
NL-leading 8.4 WAR. This marked the third time Betts topped his
respective league in the metric as he had previously paced the AL with
10.7 WAR during his MVP-winning 2018 campaign before accruing a senior
circuit-best 3.6 figure over the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Betts’
8.4 WAR edged Acuña’s runner-up figure of 8.1 and was followed by
Olson’s 7.4 and Freeman’s 6.6 marks to give the NL a clear top-four
players for 2023. In addition to fronting the NL WAR leaderboard, this
quartet of sluggers each played significant roles in their team’s
success as the Braves easily claimed the NL East title with a MLB-high
104 victories while the 100-win Dodgers secured the NL West crown by a
comfortable 16-game margin. </div><div><br /></div><div><u>Trea Turner Establishes a New Benchmark for Most Stolen Bases in a Season Without Being Caught</u></div><div>As
Freddie Freeman was drawing attention for racking up doubles, few were
noticing that he was recording a personal-best total in stolen bases.
The 33-year-old slugger swiped 23 bags in 2023, 10 more than he had
during any prior season. Most intriguing though is Freeman eclipsed his
personal-best while only being caught stealing a single time. On top
of that, Freeman was caught in his first attempt, meaning he was
successful 23 times in a row from that point forward. However, one
player not only stole bases with greater frequency than Freeman but also
did so while maintaining a perfect success rate. Philadelphia Phillies
shortstop Trea Turner attempted 30 steals during 2023 and was
successful each time. With his 30 thefts, Turner established a new
record for most steals in a season without being caught—coincidentally
surpassing the previous benchmark achieved by a former Phillies player,
second baseman Chase Utley who went 23 for 23 in 2009. Coming to
Philadelphia as a blockbuster free-agent signing during the offseason,
Turner drew comparisons to Utley as he possessed a similar skill set to
the scrappy keystoner by blending power and speed while exhibiting the
defensive capacity to occupy a middle infield position. Turner logged
his 24th steal on September 2 but did not choose to rest on breaking
Utley’s record as he continued swiping bags with the same frequency over
the final weeks of the regular season. Like Utley, who boasted a
superb 87.5% stolen base percentage for his career, Turner has
maintained an excellent success rate of 86.1% through his first nine
seasons in MLB. Both Turner and the Phillies team overcame slow starts
to the campaign and played their best baseball during the second half to
come from behind and claim the top NL wild card seed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZazQXywvBvD3-xbbA3RPXYimtTzgqdWqM-8hpGbAePynAnaoVPAl3j9-iIVfo4lSg54adLaV-t0p0B_pQszYNvveLpPYFbSkfw3qvcF-EQ8-LNgA4hYotqgtcwoCcIQwna9hyphenhyphen1RLiiPHF921uQ3XGPi6jd-DFmk3KPHnyA861XFhEw4WjNR-F7WA4jU6/s1251/Turner.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="92" data-original-width="1251" height="48" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZazQXywvBvD3-xbbA3RPXYimtTzgqdWqM-8hpGbAePynAnaoVPAl3j9-iIVfo4lSg54adLaV-t0p0B_pQszYNvveLpPYFbSkfw3qvcF-EQ8-LNgA4hYotqgtcwoCcIQwna9hyphenhyphen1RLiiPHF921uQ3XGPi6jd-DFmk3KPHnyA861XFhEw4WjNR-F7WA4jU6/w640-h48/Turner.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAH41y47RybbTL2uPuTHXvsUcslC7OyInvgPzel-aorZ8kSQOujjGfcAvs6QoM_zs0LellEMzMIQxRqVgXNf1gKyYY-zR411yuUgD0IsaWdkSyYmV2nwNMh3836894__d8b4JlvDCPffNprPbPFPRNUfZakTG1tAMy2Z8hyphenhyphenIO5vI8guqVJTkmJfrWVIEy/s2272/Trea%20Turner%20Chase%20Utley%20TJ%20Friedl.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2272" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHAH41y47RybbTL2uPuTHXvsUcslC7OyInvgPzel-aorZ8kSQOujjGfcAvs6QoM_zs0LellEMzMIQxRqVgXNf1gKyYY-zR411yuUgD0IsaWdkSyYmV2nwNMh3836894__d8b4JlvDCPffNprPbPFPRNUfZakTG1tAMy2Z8hyphenhyphenIO5vI8guqVJTkmJfrWVIEy/w640-h294/Trea%20Turner%20Chase%20Utley%20TJ%20Friedl.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />TJ Friedl Achieves the Rare Feat of Finishing the Season Without Grounding into a Double Play</u></div><div>Another
under-the-radar accomplishment that occurred during 2023 was Cincinnati
Reds center fielder TJ Friedl managing to go the entire year without
grounding into a double play. Friedl spent the majority of the campaign
alternating between batting out of the leadoff spot and the two-hole
for Cincinnati. Leadoff hitters often see less opportunities to ground
into double plays as they are guaranteed at least one plate appearance
with no runners on base. Nevertheless, over his 556 plate appearances
for the season, Friedl stepped into the batter’s box on 101 occasions
with a runner on first and less than two outs—giving him a number of
double play chances that was only slightly below the NL average of 112
per 600 plate appearances. During 2023, senior circuit batters grounded
into double plays at a rate of 10.2% when they had the opportunity to
do so. Thus, a NL hitter with Friedl’s 101 opportunities, on average
would have grounded into 10 double plays.</div><div><br /></div><div>The
ground into double play stat started being tracked by the NL in 1933 and
AL in 1939. Friedl joined an exclusive club in 2023 as he became just
the eighth player to finish the season without grounding into a double
play while accumulating the required number of plate appearances to
qualify for the batting title during a campaign that was completed under
a 154 or 162-game schedule. The first batter to achieve this rare
feat, George Watkins, did so in 1934 when players were only required to
appear in 100 games to qualify for the batting crown. Interestingly,
Rob Deer is the sole AL player to turn the trick since the junior
circuit’s 1973 adoption of the designated hitter. However, Friedl is
the first NL player to do so after the senior loop made the use of
designated hitters universal in 2022. Since breaking into the big
leagues with Cincinnati at the tail end of the 2021 campaign, Friedl has
distinguished himself as one of the toughest batters to turn two on as
he has grounded into a mere three doubles plays over his first 850 plate
appearances. Moreover, with Friedl being only age 28 entering 2024, it
is possible that he could be the first hitter to accomplish the feat of
finishing the season without grounding into a double play multiple
times during his career.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WtW1yQgFAXeFXLlh9-GE2oU2M0kZYVUdtK3GD7fiHU43Se2mSwBzswVtmBxWbmutmKbmQoUqUu3u19Ul0PaLBqhcoKNbwFKZYIsxaV3ezAvNpMrN-p71RNSpfeki16KKV-mGKpMeDhVpBKYMKtSZic5BV__6wpRAn_q8T1WtanHunY-XoU3jSkki0GTf/s1293/GDP.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="303" data-original-width="1293" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6WtW1yQgFAXeFXLlh9-GE2oU2M0kZYVUdtK3GD7fiHU43Se2mSwBzswVtmBxWbmutmKbmQoUqUu3u19Ul0PaLBqhcoKNbwFKZYIsxaV3ezAvNpMrN-p71RNSpfeki16KKV-mGKpMeDhVpBKYMKtSZic5BV__6wpRAn_q8T1WtanHunY-XoU3jSkki0GTf/w640-h150/GDP.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div>--by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arraelu01.shtml" target="_blank">Luis Arraez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/diazya01.shtml" target="_blank">Yandy Díaz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seageco01.shtml" target="_blank">Corey Seager</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/suareeu01.shtml" target="_blank">Eugenio Suárez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernate01.shtml" target="_blank">Teoscar Hernández</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/acunaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Ronald Acuña Jr.</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olsonma02.shtml" target="_blank">Matt Olson</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freemfr01.shtml" target="_blank">Freddie Freeman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bettsmo01.shtml" target="_blank">Mookie Betts</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/turnetr01.shtml" target="_blank">Trea Turner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/friedtj01.shtml" target="_blank">TJ Friedl</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/castilu02.shtml" target="_blank">Luis Castillo</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gilbelo01.shtml" target="_blank">Logan Gilbert</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcneije01.shtml" target="_blank">Jeff McNeil</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Álex Rodríguez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lemahdj01.shtml" target="_blank">DJ LeMahieu</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/delahed01.shtml" target="_blank">Ed Delahanty</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirha01.shtml" target="_blank">Hanley Ramírez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml" target="_blank">Rickey Henderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bartlja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jason Bartlett</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/u/utleych01.shtml" target="_blank">Chase Utley</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/deerro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rob Deer</a></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Sources:</u></div><div>All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a> and <a href="https://stathead.com/?utm_source=br&utm_medium=sr_xsite&utm_campaign=2023_01_srnav&_gl=1*1m1mzvj*_ga*MTM3NzY1MjYzNC4xNjk2Nzk3NTI5*_ga_80FRT7VJ60*MTY5Njc5NzUyOS4xLjEuMTY5Njc5ODIzNy40Mi4wLjA." target="_blank">Stathead</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Christina De Nicola, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/luis-arraez-hits-for-marlins-first-cycle" target="_blank">“Arraez collects 1st cycle in Marlins’ history: ‘This guy can hit!’</a><a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/luis-arraez-hits-for-marlins-first-cycle" target="_blank">,” </a><a href="http://MLB.com">MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sarah Langs, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/latest-player-has-hit-400-by-season" target="_blank">“Year-by-year look at the latest threat to hit .400 since Ted Williams in 1941,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Mark Bowman, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/matt-olson-sets-braves-rbi-record" target="_blank">“Olson sets Braves’ RBI mark as Atlanta clinches MLB’s best record,” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.mlb.com/glossary/rules/base-sizes" target="_blank">“Base Sizes (2023 rule change),” MLB.com</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Anthony Castrovince, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-2023-rule-changes-pitch-timer-larger-bases-shifts" target="_blank">“Pitch timer, shift restrictions among announced rule changes for ‘23,” MLB.com</a> </div><div><br /></div><div>RotoWire Staff, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/fantasy/baseball/news/rays-yandy-diaz-resting-again-sunday/" target="_blank">“Rays’ Yandy Diaz: Resting again Sunday,” CBS Sports</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Luis Arraez 2020 Topps Stickers, Luis Arraez 2023 Topps
Pristine-Refractor, Hanley Ramírez 2009 Upper Deck-Starquest-Emerald
Super Rare, Yandy Díaz 2022 Topps Series 2, Corey Seager 2023 Bowman,
Jason Bartlett 2008 Topps Updates & Highlights, Eugenio Suárez 2023
Topps Heritage, Teoscar Hernández 2023 Topps Heritage, Luis Castillo
2023 Topps Chrome-1988 Topps Baseball, Ronald Acuña Jr. 2023 Topps
Series 1, Matt Olson 2023 Topps Series 2, Freddie Freeman 2023 Topps
Series 1, Mookie Betts 2023 Topps Series 1, Trea Turner 2023 Bowman,
Chase Utley 2008 Topps Heritage, TJ Friedl 2022 Topps Stadium Club</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IZPVnLjs9la2k8uaOk2vIkUQHQkqXMpm8jLbQI5uYG1DeQVGkJxmsgyvyAh-tqmCbP4vwP1IynZWEN4J0uWDnTPW10QQ6KdVQFL0k-N7tZ2S_dYX0e2_tT9CDNcQ9293AnAOhOCBciBb3Y7bs2zr97dU22D7qepbe6dpJm_xwi_RZTbljbE_YjgDzHy3/s1416/Rod%20Carew%20Jorge%20Soler%20Mudcat%20Grant.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1416" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IZPVnLjs9la2k8uaOk2vIkUQHQkqXMpm8jLbQI5uYG1DeQVGkJxmsgyvyAh-tqmCbP4vwP1IynZWEN4J0uWDnTPW10QQ6KdVQFL0k-N7tZ2S_dYX0e2_tT9CDNcQ9293AnAOhOCBciBb3Y7bs2zr97dU22D7qepbe6dpJm_xwi_RZTbljbE_YjgDzHy3/w640-h308/Rod%20Carew%20Jorge%20Soler%20Mudcat%20Grant.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><u><b>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</b></u></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2023/08/rod-carews-seven-batting-titles-and.html" target="_blank">Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/salvador-perez-jorge-soler-bob-cerv.html" target="_blank">Salvador Perez, Jorge Soler, Bob Cerv, Heavy Johnson, and the Rich History of Kansas City’s Single-Season Home Run Record</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/mudcat-grant-true-renaissance-man-of.html" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant: A True Renaissance Man of Baseball</a></div><div><br /><br /></div><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-40207061245177253332023-08-24T18:57:00.000-04:002023-08-24T18:57:22.815-04:00Rod Carew’s Seven Batting Titles and the Players He Denied the Honor by Annually Capturing the Crown<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkJ9ZdFVrqFZtOd34Qzro4-VdKL-kZxgGsHrQv3dp8aYti6nIoKb8ucnBreeuy4CluORwoFYXwwK5G3a4WELrLDQRQ4bLvQB2xtLUCgKzAu7SY5AVcJY-JLZjManoAEcUrvM4mIRu4wYkGZLzmgA7G2rAekV4v32w3zMCC9QBxUF2EBhxq2SS2fwN626X/s4124/Rod%20Carew%20Kelloggs%207%20batting%20titles.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="944" data-original-width="4124" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkJ9ZdFVrqFZtOd34Qzro4-VdKL-kZxgGsHrQv3dp8aYti6nIoKb8ucnBreeuy4CluORwoFYXwwK5G3a4WELrLDQRQ4bLvQB2xtLUCgKzAu7SY5AVcJY-JLZjManoAEcUrvM4mIRu4wYkGZLzmgA7G2rAekV4v32w3zMCC9QBxUF2EBhxq2SS2fwN626X/w640-h146/Rod%20Carew%20Kelloggs%207%20batting%20titles.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />During Rod Carew’s Hall of Fame baseball career, his name became
synonymous with winning batting championships. Carew made his major
league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 1967 and earned his first AL
batting crown in 1969. He then proceeded to dominate the 1970s, leading
the AL in batting average on six occasions during the decade—four times
in a row from 1972 to 1975 and back-to-back in 1977 and 1978. All
told, Carew secured seven batting titles, each of which came over a
ten-year stretch from 1969 to 1978. For players who plied their trade
in the AL during this era, winning the batting crown proved to be a
particularly difficult feat as they essentially had to go through Carew
to achieve the honor. What’s more, only two of Carew’s seven batting
titles were decided in a remotely close battle as he usually ran away
from the pack and won by as much as forty or even fifty-plus points over
his nearest rival, in effect creating a “best of the rest” scenario for
the remainder of the AL. With this in mind, I decided to research
which players were denied the opportunity to win the batting crown by
the presence of a perennial top dog such as Carew.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUYbZv_5oXFn5e84qVpmV6rKWt-UmjVu2ZYmprfoKioDQTaJmzRUYoWp2x4gxVUVmHcOyS0RO-4gYhpzY5-zeLZznywBb_Y9lDfXzrp4xqz8dBLingAvJ_yyT_yQwgFy8Y66G9bj35mQGsMYBsOg5YNu3tLsGO_Ym8kViXlvymahmJbR_jt46-hH05MF3/s1392/1970%20Topps%20Carew%20Smith%20Oliva%201392x646.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="1392" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxUYbZv_5oXFn5e84qVpmV6rKWt-UmjVu2ZYmprfoKioDQTaJmzRUYoWp2x4gxVUVmHcOyS0RO-4gYhpzY5-zeLZznywBb_Y9lDfXzrp4xqz8dBLingAvJ_yyT_yQwgFy8Y66G9bj35mQGsMYBsOg5YNu3tLsGO_Ym8kViXlvymahmJbR_jt46-hH05MF3/w640-h298/1970%20Topps%20Carew%20Smith%20Oliva%201392x646.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB_h6Q3fyILfM_rRb9CCRyD093JYgD89_yZxgf478HGl2kY8pky3HMTdJjRrJiUYIp-KNRWOECqDX73PI2QIVIhkogPvV0DuabMgNwzj2QTKL8MpyEZa4KB9UE8oemaQXMAehnI5Nmzk7F8RWJwZYMojs0zhMq9Aa9rKv6uBw5duk_ykQcHZMyZyo5BtG/s1156/1969%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="1156" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLB_h6Q3fyILfM_rRb9CCRyD093JYgD89_yZxgf478HGl2kY8pky3HMTdJjRrJiUYIp-KNRWOECqDX73PI2QIVIhkogPvV0DuabMgNwzj2QTKL8MpyEZa4KB9UE8oemaQXMAehnI5Nmzk7F8RWJwZYMojs0zhMq9Aa9rKv6uBw5duk_ykQcHZMyZyo5BtG/w640-h66/1969%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Carew
burst onto the big league scene at age 21 in 1967 and immediately
established himself as a skilled hitter, winning the AL Rookie of the
Year Award after posting a .292 batting average that ranked
sixth-highest in the junior circuit. In addition to claiming top rookie
honors, he also represented the AL as the team’s starting second
baseman in the All-Star Game. Carew’s All-Star selection marked the
first of what would be an incredible 18-straight trips to the Midsummer
Classic for the future Hall of Famer. During an era filled with
“all-glove, no-bat” type players manning the middle infield, Carew’s
superb hitting noticeably stood out as AL second basemen as a whole hit
just .245 in 1967. Carew took a step back during his sophomore
campaign, batting .273. However, he got off to a blistering start in
1969, finishing May with a sizzling .403 average. On the strength of
his excellent start, Carew was able to maintain a healthy lead and win
his first batting title with a .332 mark. The battle for runner-up
proved to be a close one with Boston Red Sox center fielder Reggie Smith
securing the bridesmaid position by the slimmest of margins ahead of
Carew’s teammate and good friend Tony Oliva as both sluggers ended the
season at .309. The difference came down to less than a point as
Smith’s .3094 mark bested the .3093 figure of Oliva while Baltimore
Orioles right fielder Frank Robinson finished just a tick behind in
fourth place with a .308 average. Since Carew’s arrival in the big
leagues, Oliva had acted as a veteran mentor for the youngster. Years
later, Carew reflected on winning his first batting crown while leaving
Oliva and the rest of the AL in his wake saying, “It was like beating my
teacher.” The Twins spent nearly the whole season atop the AL West and
comfortably won the division title but were subsequently swept by the
AL East-champion Orioles in the ALCS. Carew drew MVP support for the
first time, classifying 10th in the election. Smith’s runner-up finish
marked the closest the slugger would come to winning a batting crown. Smith cracked the top 10 in average three more times in his career,
peaking at seventh in the AL the following year. The relative ease with
which Carew won his first batting title is particularly impressive
considering that his season was interrupted on multiple occasions by
military obligations which required him to spend one weekend per month
and two full weeks in August with the US Marine Reserves.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carew
got off to another blistering start in 1970 and was leading the AL with
a .376 batting average on June 22 when disaster stuck. In the process
of turning a double play, Carew suffered a broken left leg when
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Mike Hegan upended the keystoner while
attempting to break up the twin-killing. The injury kept Carew out of
action until September 22, leaving him well shy of the required plate
appearances to qualify for the batting crown. For the second year in a
row, Minnesota won the AL West title but once again were swept by
Baltimore in the ALCS. With Carew out of the running for the batting
crown, California Angels left fielder Alex Johnson paced the junior loop
with a .329 average. Fully healthy in 1971, Carew slotted fifth in the
AL with a .307 mark while Tony Oliva earned the third and final batting
title of his career with a .337 average. Yet, Oliva’s and Carew’s
strong hitting could not keep the Twins from tumbling out of contention
and finishing the campaign in fifth place with a 74-86 record.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFD3bB57Izbvn-4PjH_sTeqE9OnkvTq2K1dRdD8izWp9SawaSAbdKqA3E-pSQ-Xv8yGdSl-u7lFKACPX-SY7mzvRFye1uV4UbkvyHP_Io-K3KTzXvnFcmmDMwthcUDOz42BMbLmTwOj3ybd_ptAWb7lZaqwZI-3seUuwr0fQ-FM2qBu-lDAyw8uNOUUhN/s1400/1973%20Topps%20Carew%20Piniella%20Allen.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="1400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFD3bB57Izbvn-4PjH_sTeqE9OnkvTq2K1dRdD8izWp9SawaSAbdKqA3E-pSQ-Xv8yGdSl-u7lFKACPX-SY7mzvRFye1uV4UbkvyHP_Io-K3KTzXvnFcmmDMwthcUDOz42BMbLmTwOj3ybd_ptAWb7lZaqwZI-3seUuwr0fQ-FM2qBu-lDAyw8uNOUUhN/w640-h300/1973%20Topps%20Carew%20Piniella%20Allen.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7TB39lDRU0Hg6nKBpvW_JDD0vANyu5gcI8WPSYh3xX0cEov2Jnz3W_5GIIWXxCkSNA4PKw3yYyWRVUkWMO9xTJi6LOmaoZKLEYJizW9KaPvf553LGanOZuS6v4rjB2ZdkwiJk1QM-apJRXo6ysex2nIfQb_AGVwnnmwwPZ5toIFljhExNj1CQLCJhiw4/s1155/1972%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="1155" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg7TB39lDRU0Hg6nKBpvW_JDD0vANyu5gcI8WPSYh3xX0cEov2Jnz3W_5GIIWXxCkSNA4PKw3yYyWRVUkWMO9xTJi6LOmaoZKLEYJizW9KaPvf553LGanOZuS6v4rjB2ZdkwiJk1QM-apJRXo6ysex2nIfQb_AGVwnnmwwPZ5toIFljhExNj1CQLCJhiw4/w640-h68/1972%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
Carew’s initial two seasons in MLB, batting average and scoring had
declined to alarmingly low levels. In an effort to increase offense,
MLB reduced the height of the pitching mound for the 1969 campaign. However, in 1972, the AL saw a temporary drop in both batting average
and scoring that mirrored the 1967 and 1968 seasons. Carew returned to
the head of the AL leaderboard during the offense-starved 1972 campaign,
collecting his second batting crown with a .318 figure that was by far
his lowest average in the seven seasons he claimed top honors. At the
time, Carew’s .318 average also represented the fifth-lowest mark
produced by a batting champion in the 72-year history of the junior
circuit. While Carew captured the 1969 batting title after racing out
to a big lead, in 1972 he came from behind to win. At the All-Star
break, a trio of Kansas City Royals outfielders occupied the top-three
spots with right fielder Richie Scheinblum’s .324 average leading the
respective .317 and .314 clips of left fielder Lou Piniella and center
fielder Amos Otis. Carew ranked a few positions lower, finishing the
first half in sixth place with a .301 average. However, Carew’s bat
heated up in August as he hit .359 for the month and began climbing up
the leaderboard. Going into September, Carew sat third with a .316
average, trailing the .318 figure of Chicago White Sox first baseman
Dick Allen who held a hairline advantage of less than a point over
Scheinblum. An offseason trade acquisition for Chicago, Allen was in
the process of putting together a brilliant campaign as he challenged
for the Triple Crown—entering the season’s final month atop the batting
average, home run, and RBI leaderboards—while keeping the surprising
White Sox within striking distance of the first-place Oakland Athletics
in the AL West division title hunt. Allen and Carew traded the batting
lead back and forth early in the month before the Twins keystoner took
over for good on September 9 and finished the year with an AL-best .318
mark. In contrast to his fellow Royals outfielders who each faded from
contention, Piniella remained in the batting race and came on strong at
the very end, closing the campaign with four consecutive multi-hit games
to snag the runner-up position with a .312 average. Allen easily
secured the home run and RBI leads but slipped to third in the batting
race, barely edging teammate Carlos May, as both finished at .308 with
Allen’s .3083 figure a whisker ahead of May’s .3078. Piniella’s and
Allen’s respective second and third-place results represented high-water
marks for each player, though Piniella slotted fourth two seasons later
during his initial campaign with the New York Yankees and repeated the
ranking in 1978 when he helped the club win the World Series
championship.</div><div><br /></div><div>After capturing his second
batting title, Carew reflected on the advice Tony Oliva gave him during
his rookie campaign. “He told me not to worry about who was pitching,
or what pitch he might be throwing,” Carew explained. “He said I should
just concentrate on hitting the ball. It’s something I’ve tried to do
all the time. If you do that, you don’t guess, and guessing is the
worst habit you can develop as a hitter. When you guess, you get fooled
and you lose your timing.” While Carew took home his second batting
title in 1972, the season was a lost one for Oliva who missed all but 10
games due to a knee injury. With the Twins offense weakened by the
loss of Oliva, the team finished a distant third in the AL West after
posting a 77-77 record. Though the junior circuit’s introduction of the
designated hitter during the following season enabled Oliva to play for
four more years, the slugger was never able to rediscover the form that
made him a perennial contender and three-time winner of the batting
crown. Allen won the AL MVP Award by a wide margin—garnering 21 of 24
first-place votes—while Carew classified 14th in the election. On
completely opposite sides of the spectrum in terms of power hitting,
Allen clubbed a loop-high 37 long balls as Carew earned the unique
distinction of becoming the first AL player to win a batting title
without going deep.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHZJlfXCmSdCpqzQcsHa_JBXqI5nKiDMen3hVGKKdjC-tjaGsF7gvR01rffDrcgXPMppJxGBilVqE4_j6QQR1f9aTS6-Waepv7kDlWxWsAp6UeknAjm_X0WTlOe0I2l3hG2S8px8IEm5sph6mNqdIVcJtG1hs4X6YjYVMQn0iVfw3sa8q5_vXGn1uMTiH/s1400/1974%20Topps%20Carew%20Scott%20Davis.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="653" data-original-width="1400" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCHZJlfXCmSdCpqzQcsHa_JBXqI5nKiDMen3hVGKKdjC-tjaGsF7gvR01rffDrcgXPMppJxGBilVqE4_j6QQR1f9aTS6-Waepv7kDlWxWsAp6UeknAjm_X0WTlOe0I2l3hG2S8px8IEm5sph6mNqdIVcJtG1hs4X6YjYVMQn0iVfw3sa8q5_vXGn1uMTiH/w640-h298/1974%20Topps%20Carew%20Scott%20Davis.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkrhHjFS5PKU9Z2LVKOiMRCy34htDGrb0IxZs2lXwndIGcl-3_dpQtsvgkYiEjZc_9M4ET8LznyPQ6DvAuG_BRN2I3SbGC46xXwqtKYjN0xd6OSvzq9-46ZE4iFIUi2LR_by2o8JGTB0qcHpaVSWZGzA6RgXhLsyH5UdY5JJLBAlSaPZjIFrtVtZXcIk7/s1156/1973%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="1156" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOkrhHjFS5PKU9Z2LVKOiMRCy34htDGrb0IxZs2lXwndIGcl-3_dpQtsvgkYiEjZc_9M4ET8LznyPQ6DvAuG_BRN2I3SbGC46xXwqtKYjN0xd6OSvzq9-46ZE4iFIUi2LR_by2o8JGTB0qcHpaVSWZGzA6RgXhLsyH5UdY5JJLBAlSaPZjIFrtVtZXcIk7/w640-h68/1973%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Following a noticeable
downturn in average and scoring in 1972, AL offense returned to more
normal levels in 1973. Carew got off to slow start, batting just .246
in April. However, he quickly regained his hitting stroke, assumed the
batting lead during the second half of June and never looked back,
easily claiming the honor for a third time. Carew ended the year with a
.350 mark, boasting a forty-plus point advantage over the rest of the
field. Similar to 1969, the battle for runner-up came down to a
minuscule difference as Milwaukee Brewers first baseman George Scott and
Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Tommy Davis each finished at .306
with the former’s .3063 mark barely nosing out the latter's .3062
figure. Scott’s .306 average proved to be a career-high for the slugger
who had previously slotted in the AL top five once before in 1967 when
he ranked fourth with a .303 mark. Davis’ third-place finish was his
best result since capturing back-to-back NL batting crowns as a member
of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1962 and 1963. Neither Scott nor Davis
came close to contending for a batting title over the remainder of their
careers. Although junior circuit offense as a whole picked back up in
1973, had Carew not been there to dominate the number-one spot, Scott
would have paced the loop while posting the second-worst average for a
batting champion, with only Carl Yastrzemski’s AL-topping .301 mark from
1968 representing a lower figure. In addition to leading in average,
Carew also paced the circuit with 203 hits and 11 triples. Minnesota
repeated its third-place finish from 1972, once again concluding the
campaign at exactly .500, going 81-81 on this occasion. With his lofty
batting average, Carew drew greater support from MVP voters and slotted
in a three-way tie for fourth in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZB_043giA4O2i6iB6iYFyoJGUhrYfz_rUdY2Q7zCw0svaMgS7TJl-i4ZejmlBhMZ0bTKFKhV_-KbBi68vSB3DC7s2pMbOTUIjQfjlqrbDqAsMNTOUOIA6L9A_w78cbXX2ECaJRj4FaGPVLjmfc8mECK_jFV1I_cdFiwR5nbKqgmSuA3bwxXEd1NFD_LI/s1386/1975%20Topps%20Carew%20Orta%20McRae.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1386" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSZB_043giA4O2i6iB6iYFyoJGUhrYfz_rUdY2Q7zCw0svaMgS7TJl-i4ZejmlBhMZ0bTKFKhV_-KbBi68vSB3DC7s2pMbOTUIjQfjlqrbDqAsMNTOUOIA6L9A_w78cbXX2ECaJRj4FaGPVLjmfc8mECK_jFV1I_cdFiwR5nbKqgmSuA3bwxXEd1NFD_LI/w640-h302/1975%20Topps%20Carew%20Orta%20McRae.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4Qvskf5PrSiArcFZec7XCueuop8Mgm_wlpTCgeg0ag76Z1EsKSji32p2FEB72GpnhWNjWXLyU-IXYx-GxRC91HMCBXPjujrWhTm3Nxhm0r005hCq0yuDISy8yYuhuRmh53nfstqzKmguJzTXHTE8Xqydi5EqEWAI59wqCT9ppHuYHEyZoJ_c_oCqGZ6w/s1155/1974%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="1155" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ4Qvskf5PrSiArcFZec7XCueuop8Mgm_wlpTCgeg0ag76Z1EsKSji32p2FEB72GpnhWNjWXLyU-IXYx-GxRC91HMCBXPjujrWhTm3Nxhm0r005hCq0yuDISy8yYuhuRmh53nfstqzKmguJzTXHTE8Xqydi5EqEWAI59wqCT9ppHuYHEyZoJ_c_oCqGZ6w/w640-h68/1974%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />In
contrast to the previous season, Carew came out of the gate strong in
1974, beginning the year in grand fashion by notching a .398 average in
April. Carew’s bat continued to sizzle as he sported a .400-plus mark
for much of May and early June. While Carew’s average hovered around
.400 during the opening months of the campaign, he had unlikely company
at the top of the leaderboard in Oakland Athletics right fielder Reggie
Jackson. Known much more for posting eye-popping home run figures and
alarming strikeout totals than for producing high batting averages,
Jackson stayed in close proximity to Carew through the end of May. Following a May 22 game against Minnesota, Jackson, who had won the
prior season’s AL MVP while pacing the junior circuit in home runs and
RBI remarked, “I could win the Triple Crown if Rod Carew retires before
he gets the required plate appearances.” Jackson subsequently faded
from contention in June and finished the year ranked 17th in the AL with
a .289 average. As Jackson’s challenge fell by the wayside, Carew
opened up a commanding lead in the batting race, holding a .400 average
as late as June 27, and checking into the All-Star break with a .382
mark. Carew maintained a wide gap for the balance of the season and
cemented his fourth batting title with a .364 average. Slotting well
behind Carew in the bridesmaid position was fellow keystoner Jorge Orta
who batted .316 for the White Sox. Carew’s 48-point edge over Orta
represented the largest margin of victory in an AL batting race since
the circuit’s inaugural campaign in 1901 when Nap Lajoie secured top
honors with an 86-point advantage over second-place Mike Donlin. Royals
designated hitter Hal McRae grabbed the number-three spot with a .310
average. A third-year player, Orta’s .316 average was a healthy
increase from the respective .202 and .266 figures he registered during
his partial rookie and sophomore seasons. Orta delivered a solid
follow-up performance in 1974, ranking eighth in the AL with a .304
average, but otherwise never classified among the batting leaders for
the remainder of his career. By contrast, McRae’s third-place result
marked the first of five trips to the top-10 rundown for the slugger. With his fourth batting crown, Carew surpassed the total of his mentor
Oliva. Aside from earning top batting honors, Carew also led the AL
with a .433 OBP and paced the loop for the second season in a row in
hits with 218. Additionally, his 7.5 WAR ranked first among junior
circuit position players. Minnesota continued to stay mired in the
mid-pack of the AL West, improving by only a single game, compiling an
82-80 record while finishing in third for the third-straight year. Carew slotted seventh in the MVP election.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ArAfb9N4N4UWgsLgWaVzgjUQYXc2__VezBtd1smNCIQ1cconeUpsZdqpZoEXrJzXYdaLvy-feJLgDFROHeC5wvhGBF28iYfGOVH__e7RBzEO11W9HqIFa71vis15AsQOWHmUBBkg8OGPUEDS-8mcWCZ43KN9OhmlWROxeeQxji8sCdUYy25j4dYML5n2/s1400/1976%20Topps%20Carew%20Lynn%20Munson.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="656" data-original-width="1400" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ArAfb9N4N4UWgsLgWaVzgjUQYXc2__VezBtd1smNCIQ1cconeUpsZdqpZoEXrJzXYdaLvy-feJLgDFROHeC5wvhGBF28iYfGOVH__e7RBzEO11W9HqIFa71vis15AsQOWHmUBBkg8OGPUEDS-8mcWCZ43KN9OhmlWROxeeQxji8sCdUYy25j4dYML5n2/w640-h300/1976%20Topps%20Carew%20Lynn%20Munson.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpdFjzkiBKSVBfQggz-wgpWY_DSIEi6EXgWHuYSBbMwXR54N8pBQB0aS6ZYh8YbNl_pAIWt4ambCfw6s7UYRFc8n48x1PpqVug7UOqIHE2UXbmez8XzM8HGZiTEkSjUrs3U_Gsueplwba7yOu33gNY50R5cvZz-tGAoQDaE0yekwz5C_kDlJjA9XlpS9u/s1151/1975%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="122" data-original-width="1151" height="68" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUpdFjzkiBKSVBfQggz-wgpWY_DSIEi6EXgWHuYSBbMwXR54N8pBQB0aS6ZYh8YbNl_pAIWt4ambCfw6s7UYRFc8n48x1PpqVug7UOqIHE2UXbmez8XzM8HGZiTEkSjUrs3U_Gsueplwba7yOu33gNY50R5cvZz-tGAoQDaE0yekwz5C_kDlJjA9XlpS9u/w640-h68/1975%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />The
1975 AL batting race played out in a similar fashion to 1974 with Carew
getting off to a scorching hot start, dashing out to an early lead,
flirting with .400 as the calendar turned to June, and comfortably claim
the honor once more. However, in this case, he overcame pulled leg
muscles in April to conclude the month with a .448 average. After
dipping below .400 in early May, Carew raised his average back up to
.425 with an incredible stretch that saw him collect a trio of hits
during the final game of May and ride the momentum into the following
month by recording three hits in each of the first four contests to
begin June. Carew stayed above .400 through June 16, still boasted a
.375 mark at the All-Star break, and ended the season at .359 to easily
win his fifth batting crown. Red Sox rookie center fielder Fred Lynn
finished second to Carew with a .331 average while Yankees catcher
Thurman Munson’s .318 figure ranked third. Lynn shared Boston’s
outfield with another standout freshman in left fielder Jim Rice who
grabbed the number-four spot with a .309 average. Lynn’s and Rice’s
impressive showings in the batting race represented the first of
multiple trips to the leaderboard for the rookie pair. Munson’s
third-place finish was the best result for an AL catcher since Yankees
backstop Elston Howard slotted third in 1964. Munson never again ranked
as high as third or hit better than .318 but managed to win the
following year’s MVP Award after playing a key role in New York’s AL
East division title victory while posting a .302 mark.</div><div><br /></div><div>By
adding a fifth batting crown to his collection, Carew put his name in
the exclusive company of Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Rogers Hornsby, Stan
Musial, Ted Williams, and Dan Brouthers as the only players to achieve
the honor that many times. He also joined Cobb, Wagner, and Hornsby as
just the fourth batter to accomplish the feat in four consecutive
seasons. What’s more, for the second year in a row, Carew led AL
position players in WAR and OBP with respective figures of 7.9 and .421. Additionally, he topped all batters in the loop with 5.1 WPA. Never
known for his power, Carew showed extra pop in his bat, setting a new
personal-best with 14 home runs—nearly doubling his previous career-high
of eight. Twins owner Calvin Griffith and manager Frank Quilici
noticed Carew was growing into a leadership role and on July 25 named
him captain of the team. Going into the season, the idea of moving
Carew from second base to first base had been toyed with but when the
campaign got underway, he took his familiar spot at the keystone. However, on September 12, with the club out of the AL West pennant race
and laboring to a fourth-place finish and disappointing 76-83 record,
the decision was finally made to move Carew to first. Breakout rookies
Lynn and Rice helped the Red Sox leap from an 84-78 mark in 1974 to go
95-65 and win the AL East division title. Lynn subsequently became the
first player to secure both MVP and Rookie of the Year Awards in the
same season. Rice finished runner-up to Lynn for rookie honors and
slotted third in the MVP election, just a hair behind Royals first
baseman John Mayberry. Carew classified ninth in the MVP vote.</div><div><br /></div><div>The
1976 campaign witnessed a memorable batting race in which Royals
teammates George Brett and Hal McRae dominated the top-two positions,
trading the lead back and forth over the second half of the season. Carew maintained a steady pace throughout the campaign but was unable
to build up enough momentum to catch the Royals pair as he ended the
year in third with a .331 average, ranking close behind Brett’s batting
crown-winning .333 mark and McRae’s .332 runner-up figure. Although
Carew fell short in the batting race, he did manage to slot fifth in the
MVP vote as Minnesota rebounded to an 85-77 record and finished third
in the AL West. Carew did not lead the junior circuit in any major
categories but he did conclude the campaign with exactly 200 hits, thus
reaching the 200-hit plateau for the third time in four seasons.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8g2bgIrOAOi-3aTrWhZTFbsR6cWhpBOLJ7iEk4tgFqg_wSRTxm2J7_6cjZK_M65DeUbOtrL1hA1WAHgejjT_GtPz9N_VnDaO2NZhrg7EB077JkSeyJ-pVP1PToEojXjENBz_d4QUrpquZOIZFpXi2cjnUYBQ_5GOCd36lhQqxMieV6h-gnv5ar2IbGHO/s1388/1977%20Topps%20Carew%20Bostock%20Singleton.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="655" data-original-width="1388" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO8g2bgIrOAOi-3aTrWhZTFbsR6cWhpBOLJ7iEk4tgFqg_wSRTxm2J7_6cjZK_M65DeUbOtrL1hA1WAHgejjT_GtPz9N_VnDaO2NZhrg7EB077JkSeyJ-pVP1PToEojXjENBz_d4QUrpquZOIZFpXi2cjnUYBQ_5GOCd36lhQqxMieV6h-gnv5ar2IbGHO/w640-h302/1977%20Topps%20Carew%20Bostock%20Singleton.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_bswW6xaoH0o5_aXiB8lXsF0Lzgao39n51UuwsdaiOZ4hwHyp50aalzrHRkSs0o4T54Uc0yzNU8KKwOhGqxBKVphCOpwqENRod-qzJKyAcU5o5H-nObu2KAf7211jk22yVLJP44g9Mu0RZyyzxq5D5da9-OWdhqYcmR4MdAAxNon5W-nT7jNF6eRNuWg/s1157/1977%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="1157" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf_bswW6xaoH0o5_aXiB8lXsF0Lzgao39n51UuwsdaiOZ4hwHyp50aalzrHRkSs0o4T54Uc0yzNU8KKwOhGqxBKVphCOpwqENRod-qzJKyAcU5o5H-nObu2KAf7211jk22yVLJP44g9Mu0RZyyzxq5D5da9-OWdhqYcmR4MdAAxNon5W-nT7jNF6eRNuWg/w640-h66/1977%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />While
Carew had played a supporting role in the tight 1976 batting race, the
1977 edition proved to be a cakewalk for the future Hall of Famer with
the only intrigue being whether or not he could become the first AL
hitter to finish the season with a .400 average since Ted Williams in
1941. A few weeks prior to the beginning of the 1977 campaign, Carew
was honored for his charitable work off the field as the recipient of
the prestigious Roberto Clemente Award. When the season got underway,
Carew raced out to a fine start, hitting .356 in April. He then took
over the batting lead during the second half of May and never
relinquished the top spot. Carew’s pursuit of .400 got serious in June
as he hit a blistering .487 for the month and entered July with a .411
average. Boasting a .400-plus mark so late into the season drew Carew
ample attention and praise. Twins manager Gene Mauch said of Carew, “I
have never seen a better hitter. I really believe he’d hit .400 on
artificial turf. I’ve never seen a hitter make as solid contact as
consistently as Rod.” Yankees skipper Billy Martin echoed similar
sentiments stating, “He is the greatest hitter I’ve ever seen, bar none. In the National League, with all the artificial turf, he’d be hitting
.400 every year.” Carew led all of MLB in fan balloting for the
All-Star Game, setting a new record by receiving a whopping 4,292,740
votes. Carew simultaneously graced the covers of the July 18 editions
of <i>Time Magazine</i> and <i>Sports Illustrated</i>, with the latter
publication featuring an article penned by Ted Williams in which the
famous Red Sox slugger stated that he hoped Carew would hit .400. Although Carew slipped under .400 on July 11, he remained within
striking distance of the vaunted mark for the balance of the campaign
while playing a vital role in keeping Minnesota in the AL West pennant
race. After struggling for much of the previous six seasons, the Twins
succeeded in establishing themselves as an early contender by leading
the division for all May and most of June. Similar to Carew’s pursuit
of .400, the club stayed in touch with first place, even briefly
retaking the division lead in mid-August. However, the team slumped
heavily, going 7-18 in September, and fell out the pennant race. Minnesota finished the year in fourth with an 84-77 record, 17 1/2
games behind the AL West champion Royals. While most of his teammates
floundered during the club’s September swoon, Carew’s bat heated up as
he posted a .416 average for the month and got three hits in each of the
two October contests to conclude the season with a magnificent .388
mark. Carew finished 52 points ahead of his next closest challenger,
eclipsing the 48-point margin with which he won the 1974 AL batting
crown. What’s more, Carew owned a 50-point lead over all qualified MLB
hitters as Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Dave Parker earned the NL
batting title with a .338 average. In addition to picking up his sixth
batting crown, Carew also paced the loop in a slew of categories
including hits, runs scored, triples, OBP, OPS, OPS+, Rbat, WPA, and
WAR. Carew set new personal bests in most offensive categories and
reached the 100-RBI plateau for the first time.</div><div><br /></div><div>Though
he fell short of joining Williams as a .400 hitter, his .388 average
represented the highest AL mark since Williams registered a
slightly-greater .388 figure during the 1957 campaign. Also, Carew’s
239 hits were the most for a junior circuit batter since Heinie Manush’s
241 in 1928. At season’s end, Carew was named the Major League Player
of the Year by <i>The Sporting News</i>. Then in November, he garnered
12 of 28 first-place votes to win the AL MVP Award. The 16 additional
first-place tallies were split among 10 other players. Carew remained
humble throughout his pursuit of .400 and realistic about the chances of
achieving the feat. After capturing the MVP Award, Carew said, “I’m
thrilled, it’s just great. I’m just happy to have gotten it. I didn’t
have myself geared to winning it, because so many other players had such
good years and I didn’t want to be too disappointed if I lost.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Well
behind Carew in the runner-up spot of the batting race with a .336
average was his young teammate, outfielder Lyman Bostock. Only 26 years
of age, 1977 represented the third big league campaign for Bostock who
had already established himself as a batting crown threat by posting a
.323 mark during the previous season which slotted him in fourth place,
just behind the tightly-clustered triumvirate of George Brett, Hal
McRae, and Carew. Bostock built on his strong 1976 effort with a solid
start to 1977. While Carew easily ran away from the pack, Bostock spent
much of the campaign leading the remainder of the AL. Bostock
encountered a late challenge from Baltimore Orioles right fielder Ken
Singleton as the pair traded the number-two position in the batting race
during September. Bostock successfully held off Singleton to secure
bridesmaid honors with a .336 average while the O’s slugger settled for
third with a .328 figure. Seen as a key player in Baltimore’s runner-up
finish in the AL East, Singleton collected a trio of first-place MVP
votes and classified third in election. With Carew earning most of the
credit for Minnesota’s pennant push, Bostock did not factor in the MVP
election, only drawing a sole ninth-place vote. Singleton’s .328
average and number-three result in the batting race each marked
personal-bests for the right fielder.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although
Bostock was a veteran of just three major league campaigns, he became
eligible for free agency at the conclusion of 1977 and left the Twins to
sign a lucrative five-year contract with the California Angels. During
the same offseason, Minnesota lost another marquee player when
outfielder Larry Hisle, who was fresh off a standout effort in which he
led the AL with 119 RBI, also departed the club via free agency to sign a
six-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Prior to the start of the
1978 campaign, Bostock took the opportunity to detail the benefits of
learning from former teammates Carew and Tony Oliva, the latter of whom
had transitioned into a player-coach role during his final big league
season in 1976 before focusing exclusively on his hitting coach duties
for 1977. “Tony was the teacher and Rodney was the demonstrator,”
Bostock explained. “Tony taught me how to set pitchers up, what to look
for against certain guys. Tony illustrated everything and Carew
demonstrated it. Carew would go in and do the thing Tony was talking
about.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Bostock unexpectedly struggled to open
the 1978 season, batting an anemic .147 in April. Feeling he was not
earning his lucrative contract, Bostock attempted to return his April
salary to Angels owner Gene Autry. When Autry refused, the young
outfielder donated the money to a variety of charities. Bostock soon
broke out of his uncharacteristic slump and by September 23 had raised
his average to a solid .296 with a two-hit performance versus the
Chicago White Sox. Sadly, later that night, while visiting his uncle in
Gary, Indiana and reconnecting with two female friends from his
childhood, Bostock was shot by one of the ladies’ estranged husband. Bostock passed away from the gunshot wound early the next morning, he
was just 27.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqioI3pxF_okSIfE4GAmrR5s5wGKaSfZapf3H4hRM015TEu-rdZ7jE1HJIw3-PjCN0I9ysYhf896y0qTFNIEXjIKBjZpsIY6e3I6bTogC5umWMguhlfkXCVrO8DfnpGiDy0MiixIRDBSlmlKSgvKHEt83BJwbbEZg-uTAB8UHOgINbhLwHwml9UaKG_Rf/s1386/1979%20Topps%20Carew%20Oliver%20Rice.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="1386" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfqioI3pxF_okSIfE4GAmrR5s5wGKaSfZapf3H4hRM015TEu-rdZ7jE1HJIw3-PjCN0I9ysYhf896y0qTFNIEXjIKBjZpsIY6e3I6bTogC5umWMguhlfkXCVrO8DfnpGiDy0MiixIRDBSlmlKSgvKHEt83BJwbbEZg-uTAB8UHOgINbhLwHwml9UaKG_Rf/w640-h304/1979%20Topps%20Carew%20Oliver%20Rice.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXMJiP1waI0mnLoBQk0a31vPwxYhwdZPl9EnW_1i_DlMmJtll0yfJTqZMqkqb7QdqAKKMdksrNk4uR_SMd0QxLu69o4tdFwzaoLRkDBJlwK93-gYOoliMSBdX_DD2Ow5-7AhH6wogkYlRvMK6IVLTPchALQz6RDVkDUSqaj3oVnS4juWrhZKdxSmpnqQn/s1156/1978%20stats.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="1156" height="66" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijXMJiP1waI0mnLoBQk0a31vPwxYhwdZPl9EnW_1i_DlMmJtll0yfJTqZMqkqb7QdqAKKMdksrNk4uR_SMd0QxLu69o4tdFwzaoLRkDBJlwK93-gYOoliMSBdX_DD2Ow5-7AhH6wogkYlRvMK6IVLTPchALQz6RDVkDUSqaj3oVnS4juWrhZKdxSmpnqQn/w640-h66/1978%20stats.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />After easily claiming his sixth AL
batting crown during his MVP-winning 1977 campaign, Carew once again
dominated the leaderboard in 1978 but this time around secured the honor
by a much slimmer margin. Carew began 1978 in identical fashion to
1977, posting a .356 average in April. He then took over the lead in
early May and briefly raised his average above .400 during the latter
half of the month. Going into the All-Star break it appeared that the
batting race might play out similarly to 1975 as Carew ranked first with
a .349 average, followed by the respective .331 and .323 figures of Red
Sox sluggers Fred Lynn and Jim Rice. Carew never managed to run away
from the pack but continued to maintain a comfortable advantage over the
rest of the AL for the remainder of the campaign—only relinquishing the
top spot for a single day in early August—before earning the batting
title with a final mark of .333. With his latest batting crown, Carew
became one of just five players to accomplish the feat seven times as he
matched the total of Rogers Hornsby and Stan Musial while only trailing
the eight of Honus Wagner and 12 of Ty Cobb. Unfortunately, Carew’s
achievement was overshadowed when the Twins regular season ended in
controversy after a series of racist comments made by team owner Calvin
Griffith became public. Griffith’s remarks further stained an already
contentious relationship between Carew and the notoriously-cheap owner
as the veteran vowed to never sign another contract with the Twins
organization.</div><div><br /></div><div>Slotting just nine points behind
Carew in the bridesmaid position of the batting race was Texas Rangers
left fielder Al Oliver. After spending his initial 10 big league
campaigns with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Oliver came to Texas as part of a
massive 11-player, four-team trade during the offseason. A career .296
hitter going into 1978, Oliver was no stranger to playing second fiddle
in the batting race, having finished runner-up on the 1974 NL
leaderboard with a .321 average that was only bested by the .353 figure
of Atlanta Braves outfielder Ralph Garr. Oliver did not immediately
establish himself as a threat in the 1978 AL batting race, registering a
.288 average through the first half. Returning to the field after
being sidelined for a month by a pulled muscle under his rib cage,
Oliver opened the season’s second act slotted behind 19 qualified junior
circuit hitters. However, he quickly rose up the rankings as his bat
got scorching hot. At one point, Oliver even snatched the lead from
Carew for a single day in early August before spending the final weeks
of the campaign battling Rice and Yankees outfielder Lou Piniella for
the number-two spot. Oliver hit .350 during the second half to
ultimately finish runner-up to Carew with a .324 average, followed by
the respective .315 and .314 marks of Rice and Piniella. The close
fight for third in the batting race played out in opposite fashion to
the AL East pennant race which saw Rice’s Red Sox and Piniella’s Yankees
end the season tied atop the standings. New York then beat Boston in a
one-game tiebreaker playoff to capture the division title and advance
to the playoffs where the club defeated the Kansas City Royals in the
ALCS and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series.</div><div><br /></div><div>With
Minnesota’s lineup weakened by the departures of Lyman Bostock and
Larry Hisle, the team slumped heavily and finished the 1978 campaign
well out of contention in fourth place. In fact, the Twins’ 73-89
record represented the franchise’s worst win-loss mark since 1961. Despite having less protection in the lineup, Carew still managed to
cement his seventh batting crown while also pacing the junior circuit in
OBP for the fourth time in five years. Rice stood atop the AL
leaderboard in most offensive categories and won the MVP Award while
Carew classified 11th in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>With
Carew’s contract set to expire at the conclusion of the upcoming 1979
season and the disgruntled superstar publicly stating that he intended
to test the free agent market rather than sign an extension to stay with
Minnesota, the club began actively shopping the veteran. On February
3, the Twins traded Carew to the California Angels in exchange for four
players. Carew quickly adjusted to his new surroundings and appeared to
be in the process of making a strong run at claiming his eighth batting
title when he sprained his right thumb on June 1. Carew who, was
hitting .355 at the time, missed the next 45 games. When he returned
from injury, he struggled to rediscover his tempo, batting an
uncharacteristically-low .287 over the remainder of the season to finish
with a .318 average for the year. With Carew hampered by the thumb
sprain, one of the players who previously slotted runner-up to him in
the batting race stepped up to earn top honors as Red Sox center fielder
Fred Lynn’s .333 mark paced the AL. While Carew’s .318 average was not
far off from Lynn, he classified outside the top-10 leaderboard because
he only made 493 plate appearances, nine short of the number required
to qualify for the batting crown. Thus, when the nine plate appearances
were added to Carew’s total, his average decreased from a .318 figure
that ranked 10th-best in the loop to a .311 mark which slotted 12th. Despite the injury, Carew helped the Angels reach the playoffs for the
first time in the franchise’s 19-year existence as the club won the AL
West title with an 88-74 record. Carew’s bat heated back up in the ALCS
where he went 7 for 17 and registered a team-high .412 average. However, California fell to the Orioles in four games.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carew
raised his batting average to .331 for 1980 but only finished fifth on
the rundown and well behind the eye-popping .390 figure of Royals third
baseman George Brett who claimed his second AL batting crown. The
strike-shortened 1981 campaign saw Carew miss cracking the top-10
leaderboard for the second time in three seasons as his .305 mark
slotted him 11th while Red Sox third baseman Carney Lansford paced the
circuit with a .336 figure. The following year, Carew posted a .296
average through the first half which ranked 20th in the AL but came on
strong during the season’s second act to climb all the way up to third
on the leaderboard and finish the year at .319 as Royals left fielder
Willie Wilson secured top honors with a .332 mark, edging Milwaukee
Brewers shortstop Robin Yount by a single point. Carew’s solid campaign
was one of several by an ensemble of Angels hitters that led the club
to its second playoff appearance. Unfortunately, for California the
outcome was the same as three seasons earlier with a loss in the ALCS,
on this occasion in five games to Yount’s Brewers. Over in the NL,
another one of the players who previously finished runner-up to Carew in
the batting race joined the ranks of the elite as Montreal Expos first
baseman Al Oliver concluded the 1982 campaign atop the senior circuit
leaderboard with a .331 average.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6puDB0bPzeqk0nNhlK9bn8gXWv5fmCzgB-zMcb8Kg2C3Mgu3gk2IWQsF-n1nYDwkUhwG8pGrtFm0jRxTcdscfZd1Cotc-GaFvvSA4hlADEZW7PpWP7MzL2kUZOvFpyK1-J0zx53gnTIGUXvP_ImWgYnpJ0bd1uQBvgBGTaBb84ACAxXJ1fMVO3tge29/s2260/1984%20Topps%20Drakes%20Carew%20Boggs%201986%20Fleer%20Carew.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="2260" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa6puDB0bPzeqk0nNhlK9bn8gXWv5fmCzgB-zMcb8Kg2C3Mgu3gk2IWQsF-n1nYDwkUhwG8pGrtFm0jRxTcdscfZd1Cotc-GaFvvSA4hlADEZW7PpWP7MzL2kUZOvFpyK1-J0zx53gnTIGUXvP_ImWgYnpJ0bd1uQBvgBGTaBb84ACAxXJ1fMVO3tge29/w640-h304/1984%20Topps%20Drakes%20Carew%20Boggs%201986%20Fleer%20Carew.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Six seasons
removed from his last serious attempt at batting .400, the now
37-year-old Carew got off to a blistering start in 1983, posting a .449
average in April followed by .438 mark in May. Similar to his
MVP-winning 1977 campaign, Carew began garnering attention for his
latest run at .400. As part of a June 13 <i>Sports Illustrated</i>
cover story on Carew, teammate Doug DeCinces said of the ageless wonder,
“The difference between this guy and the rest of us is that when we get
hot, we go up to .300. When he gets hot, he goes up to .500.” Carew
continued to boast a .400-plus average throughout June and into July,
checking into the All-Star break batting .402—a figure nearly 50 points
ahead of his nearest challenger, young Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs. Carew finally fell below .400 on July 15, then labored through a
difficult second half of the month at which point Boggs quickly began to
close the gap. A .349 hitter across 381 plate appearances as a rookie
in 1982, the idea of the 25-year-old Boggs contending for a batting
title was not a surprising development. Boggs hit exactly .400 during
the latter half of July while Carew slumped to .200 over the same
stretch. This enabled Boggs to catch Carew and the pair swapped the
batting lead during late July and early August. Boggs maintained his
pace and pulled away from Carew in September, ultimately winning his
first batting crown with a .361 average while the veteran finished
runner-up with a .339 mark. Although it had been five years since Carew
won his last batting title, the final result of the seven-time batting
champion playing bridesmaid to Boggs represented something of a changing
of the guard as the young third baseman went on to become the AL’s next
perennial batting champion, earning top honors for four straight
seasons from 1985 to 1988. The emergence of Boggs denied Carew the
chance to become the first player to win batting crowns in three
different decades—an achievement since accomplished only by George Brett
who stood at the head of the junior circuit leaderboard in 1976, 1980,
and 1990.</div><div><br /></div><div>Carew’s second-place finish to Boggs
proved to be his last serious run at winning another batting title. During the 1984 and 1985 campaigns, Carew posted respective .295 and
.280 averages that would have satisfied most hitters but were below-par
for the seven-time batting champion. On August 4, 1985, Carew became
the 16th player to reach the 3,000-hit plateau. Ironically, Carew’s
3,000th hit came during an Angels’ 6-5 win against his old team, the
Minnesota Twins. After achieving the milestone, Carew humbly said,
“It’s something I thought I’d never accomplish but I’ve been around for
19 years, and if you stay around long enough, good things happen to
you.” The 1985 season marked the end of the veteran’s distinguished
career as he retired with 3,053 hits and a lifetime .328 batting
average. Six years later, Carew received the call to the Hall of Fame,
easily being voted in on his first appearance on the ballot with 90.5%
of the vote. Few players have dominated the batting leaderboard over a
lengthy stretch of seasons the way Carew did. In fact, since Carew’s
retirement only eight-time NL batting champion Tony Gwynn has equaled or
surpassed Carew’s total of seven batting crowns.</div><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty </div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter/X <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carewro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rod Carew</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olivato01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Oliva</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allendi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dick Allen</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksre01.shtml" target="_blank">Reggie Jackson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lynnfr01.shtml" target="_blank">Fred Lynn</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riceji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Rice</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/munsoth01.shtml" target="_blank">Thurman Munson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml" target="_blank">George Brett</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/boggswa01.shtml" target="_blank">Wade Boggs</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Robinson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml" target="_blank">Ted Williams</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/oliveal01.shtml" target="_blank">Al Oliver</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pinielo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Piniella</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/decindo01.shtml" target="_blank">Doug DeCinces</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parkeda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Parker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithre06.shtml" target="_blank">Reggie Smith</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/scottge02.shtml" target="_blank">George Scott</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisto02.shtml" target="_blank">Tommy Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortajo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jorge Orta</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcraeha01.shtml" target="_blank">Hal McRae</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bostoly01.shtml" target="_blank">Lyman Bostock</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/singlke01.shtml" target="_blank">Ken Singleton</a></div><div><br /></div><div><u>Sources and Quote credit:</u> </div><div>All statistics are drawn from <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/player/19985/rod-carew/" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus Rod Carew Player Card/Injury History</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Rod-Carew/" target="_blank">Joseph Wancho, “Rod Carew,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Tony-Oliva/" target="_blank">Peter C. Bjarkman, “Tony Oliva,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Lyman-Bostock/" target="_blank">Tim Connaughton, “Lyman Bostock,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Larry-Hisle/" target="_blank">David E. Skelton, “Larry Hisle,” SABR Biography Project</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Associated
Press, “Reaching That .400 Percentage,” Santa Cruz Sentinel, June 28,
1977, Volume 121, Number 251, p.16. Accessed via <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc" target="_blank">California Digital Newspaper Collection</a>. (<u>includes both Gene Mauch’s and Billy Martin’s quotes about Rod Carew</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Associated
Press, “Carew Nabs AL MVP,” Desert Sun, November 16, 1977, p.B7.
Accessed via <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc" target="_blank">California Digital Newspaper Collection</a>. (<u>includes Rod Carew’s quote about winning the AL MVP Award</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Sun-Telegram
news services, “Hunter fired, Carew fired up as regular season ends,”
San Bernardino Sun, October 2, 1978, p.C4. Accessed via <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc" target="_blank">California Digital Newspaper Collection</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ted Williams with
John Underwood, “I Hope Rod Carew Hits .400,” Sports Illustrated, July
18, 1977, p.20-23. Accessed via <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1977/07/18/43697" target="_blank">SI Vault</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Ron
Fimrite, “Portrait Of The Artist As A Hitter: The Man Behind The Camera
Is Rod Carew, Part-Time Photographer, Full-Time Batting Star, Whose
Phenomenal .435 Average Has Made Him The Focus Of Unwanted Attention,”
Sports Illustrated, June 13, 1983, p.74-85. Accessed via <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1983/06/13/43685" target="_blank">SI Vault</a>.(<u>includes Doug DeCinces quote about Rod Carew</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>“Rod Carew to Be Sidelined 4 Weeks by Thumb Injury,” <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/05/archives/rod-carew-to-be-sidelined-4-weeks-by-thumb-injury.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, June 5, 1979.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mike
Downey, “Carew: Rod Carew Has Never Been Much for Talking About His
Feats, or the Good Things He Does Off the Field. He Has Let His Bat Do
the Speaking and It Has Done So, Eloquently, for 19 Seasons,” <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-08-05-sp-3668-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times</a>, August 5, 1985 (<u>includes Rod Carew’s quote about reaching 3,000 hits</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/search_paper.asp?PaperId=834" target="_blank"><u>All Sporting News articles accessed via Paper of Record</u></a></div><div>Arno Goethel, “Carew Best Bet For .400 Swat Mark, Cal Says,” The Sporting News, May 31, 1969, p.22, 32.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Oliva’s 1967 Tip Helped Carew to Batting Title,” The Sporting News, October 28, 1972, p.19. (<u>includes
quote from Rod Carew about beating Tony Oliva in 1969 AL batting race
and also Carew quote about advice he received from Oliva as a rookie</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Who’s Premier Swatter in A.L.? Rod Carew,” The Sporting News, June 29, 1974, p.3. (<u>includes Reggie Jackson quote about Rod Carew</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Schedule Favors Twins’ Effort To Leave Starting Gate Fast,” The Sporting News, April 12, 1975, p.27.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Carew Taking on Bat Title Complexion Again,” The Sporting News, June 14, 1975, p.19.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Twins Tab Carew for Killer’s Old Role,” The Sporting News, August 16, 1975, p.8.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Twins Turns to Carew to Halt Gateway Turnover,” The Sporting News, October 11, 1975, p.23.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jack Lang, “Well-Rounded Rod Wins Clemente Award,” The Sporting News, April 9, 1977, p.24, 30.</div><div><br /></div><div>A.L. flashes, “Sky’s Limit For Rod,” The Sporting News, July 2, 1977, p.30.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Twins’ Hot Rod Knocks for All-Time Honors,” The Sporting News, July 16, 1977, p.11.</div><div><br /></div><div>Oscar Kahan, “Record Votes for Carew, Garvey as All-Stars,” The Sporting News, July 23, 1977, p. 47.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “The Real Rod Carew: Majors’ Player of Year,” The Sporting News, October 15, 1977, p.3.</div><div><br /></div><div>Jack Lang, “MVP Prize Caps Carew’s Greatest Season,” The Sporting News, November 26, 1977, p.45.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dick Miller, “Lyman’s Pie in Sky Proves to Be Angel Food,” The Sporting News, April 15, 1978, p.3. (<u>includes Lyman Bostock quote about being helped by Tony Oliva and Rod Carew</u>)</div><div><br /></div><div>Leonard Koppett, “More Credit to Carew’s Batting,” The Sporting News, May 20, 1978, p.4.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dick Miller, “Charity Big Winner in Bostock Slump,” The Sporting News, May 20, 1978, p.11. </div><div><br /></div><div>Dick Miller, “Bostock Death Stuns Angels, All of Baseball,” The Sporting News, October 7, 1978, p.51.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bob Fowler, “Twins’ Players Raging Over Cal’s Remarks,” The Sporting News, October 14, 1978, p.29.</div><div><br /></div><div>Randy Galloway, “Rangers’ Sag No Fault of Swatter Oliver,” The Sporting News, November 4, 1978, p.54.</div><div><br /></div><div>Dick Miller, “Injured Carew Tries Hypnosis,” The Sporting News, June 23, 1979, p.12.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Kellogg’s 3-D Superstar Rod Carew cards-1970, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976,
1978, 1979; Topps-Rod Carew, Reggie Smith, Tony Oliva; 1973 Topps-Rod
Carew, Lou Piniella, Dick Allen; 1974 Topps-Rod Carew, George Scott,
Tommy Davis; 1975 Topps-Rod Carew, Jorge Orta, Hal McRae; 1976 Topps-Rod
Carew, Fred Lynn, Thurman Munson; 1977 Topps-Rod Carew, Lyman Bostock,
Ken Singleton; 1979 Topps-Rod Carew, Al Oliver, Jim Rice; 1984 Topps
Drake’s Big Hitters-Rod Carew, Wade Boggs; 1986 Fleer Rod Carew </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7zynWhj1SYMvQkLSMDD7eo_9bJ5DuTkk4dfaj8MBqXSOy5PtveuvFLpr3d7Ape6KnuWvVKKIGwnwwQ7_dkRVPjOpgBpnZh--HJruSkAl6qZj-__xON7O6WOVc40lnIgetAbrqqbi7wlfYPmm7NH4ZWwiYpICigj-YbvDYCHOuvrfhpSrcP2dzlj6O0XN/s2232/Mudcat%20Grant%20Don%20Mattingly%20Bobby%20Grich.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="2232" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh7zynWhj1SYMvQkLSMDD7eo_9bJ5DuTkk4dfaj8MBqXSOy5PtveuvFLpr3d7Ape6KnuWvVKKIGwnwwQ7_dkRVPjOpgBpnZh--HJruSkAl6qZj-__xON7O6WOVc40lnIgetAbrqqbi7wlfYPmm7NH4ZWwiYpICigj-YbvDYCHOuvrfhpSrcP2dzlj6O0XN/w640-h288/Mudcat%20Grant%20Don%20Mattingly%20Bobby%20Grich.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><u><b>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</b></u></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/mudcat-grant-true-renaissance-man-of.html" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant: A True Renaissance Man of Baseball</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-unforgettable-topps-cards-from-don.html" target="_blank">The Unforgettable Topps Cards From Don Mattingly’s Dominant Peak</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/bobby-grich-was-victim-of-some-bad.html" target="_blank">Bobby Grich Was The Victim of Some Bad Baseball Cards and Some Even Worse Hall of Fame Voting</a></div><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-16526757527226688682022-06-29T08:08:00.000-04:002022-06-29T08:08:25.527-04:00Mudcat Grant’s Underrated Late-Career Run as a Fireman<p></p><div class="a3s aiL" id=":nf"><div dir="auto"><div style="color: #454545;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-f2_N2EM66FRHstcL3TdxzsRGBS-QG4tU--jlnIGnMTl9WRZOkLZLPxGlKvUmKTu3pGTVY7_ioHIbey54VEVEkZecLBzg-8VVuvXlUrh3CUxwg_qBx3KR1PiarzPESl-qYhVYKHljx-bvnNGV1Qr-1d5SOG-PEcfhFA3YL0rmjZ_Gk4iycYY9kNU69g=s1500" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1500" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi-f2_N2EM66FRHstcL3TdxzsRGBS-QG4tU--jlnIGnMTl9WRZOkLZLPxGlKvUmKTu3pGTVY7_ioHIbey54VEVEkZecLBzg-8VVuvXlUrh3CUxwg_qBx3KR1PiarzPESl-qYhVYKHljx-bvnNGV1Qr-1d5SOG-PEcfhFA3YL0rmjZ_Gk4iycYY9kNU69g=w640-h454" width="640" /></a></div><br />Jim
“Mudcat” Grant’s major league career spanned from 1958 to 1971, the
majority of which was spent as a starting pitcher for the Cleveland
Indians and Minnesota Twins. Grant’s most memorable season came in
1965 when he made history by becoming the first African-American pitcher
to post a 20-win campaign in the AL. That same year, the right-handed
hurler picked up a pair of victories in Minnesota’s narrow World Series
loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, just a few seasons later,
Grant found himself moving from team to team through a series of
transactions, bouncing in and out of the starting rotation, at times
exiled to a mop-up role in the bullpen. Finally, in 1970, Grant found
stability as a member of the Oakland Athletics where he became the
leader of the club’s relief corps. An overlooked aspect of Grant’s
career is his successful transformation from a top-of-the-rotation
starting pitcher to an effective relief pitcher who could be counted on
to close out tight games.</div><div style="color: #454545;"><br /></div><div style="color: #454545;">During
this era, a team's primary relief pitcher was commonly referred to as a
fireman or stopper. Unlike today, where one-inning saves by closers
are the norm, the top relievers of this era were often asked to come
into the game with runners on base and pitch multiple innings. Grant’s
journey from frontline starter to fireman was not without its
difficulties. After going 21-7 with a 3.30 ERA while leading the AL in
victories, win-loss percentage, and shutouts during his banner 1965
campaign, Grant saw his record slump to 13-13 in 1966 despite posting a
slightly lower 3.25 ERA. The righty’s middling record was largely the
result of a decrease in run support. After being provided an average of
5.63 runs per game in 1965, his run support dropped by a full run and
three-quarters to 3.88 in 1966. Grant fell out of favor with the Twins
during a difficult 1967 season in which his ERA ballooned to a
career-high 4.72 as he battled knee injuries, was removed from the
starting rotation in mid-July, and gathered dust as a seldom used member
of the bullpen for the remainder of the year. During the offseason,
the hurler was packaged in a trade to the Dodgers where he had a nice
rebound campaign, posting a 2.08 ERA across 95 innings. Although
Grant’s 1968 season was successful from a performance standpoint, it was
unsatisfying professionally as he was unable to break into the
rotation—drawing just four starting assignments—and rarely received the
call in high leverage situations out of the bullpen. Grant’s stay in
Los Angeles lasted just a single year as he was left unprotected during
the expansion draft and subsequently selected by the Montreal Expos. Joining the startup Expos franchise presented the veteran with the
opportunity to become a starter again. Grant rose to the occasion,
having an excellent spring training and was named Opening Day starter
for the club’s inaugural game. However, Grant was largely ineffective
as a starter for Montreal and after producing an ugly 1-6 record and
4.80 ERA, was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals in early June. Shortly
after the trade, Grant drew a few starts for the Redbirds but following
back-to-back rough outings, the righty was sent back to the bullpen. Unlike Los Angeles the year before though, St. Louis called upon Grant
in tight games and high leverage situations. Towards the end of the
season, he became one the club’s main options to close out games. Grant
finished 1969 with seven saves, five of which came in September. His
combined record for Montreal and St. Louis stood at 8-11 with a 4.42
ERA. However, there was a significant gap between his 5.46 ERA as a
starter and 3.16 mark in relief.</div><div style="color: #454545;"><br /></div><div style="color: #454545;">After
splitting the 1969 season between Montreal and St. Louis, Grant once
again found himself on the move when he was sold to the Oakland
Athletics on December 5 for the hefty sum of $50,000—an amount which was
double the $25,000 waiver price. Grant joined an A’s club that, after
spending decades as an AL-doormat, had finally emerged into a contender. Led by the breakout performances of young sluggers Reggie Jackson and
Sal Bando, Oakland finished the 1969 campaign in second place with an
88-74 record. The A’s had done a good job of remaining in striking
distance of the division lead until the Minnesota Twins finally pulled
away in September to win the AL West by nine games. The acquisition of
Grant was part of a busy winter in which the team also picked up veteran
players Felipe Alou, Al Downing, Diego Segui, and Don Mincher. A’s
owner Charlie Finley explained his strategy behind bringing in Grant and
the other seasoned players. “Oakland’s big problem in the past was its
youth,” Finley remarked. “Now we’re sprinkling a little experience
along with the youth, which I think will pay dividends.”</div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><div><br /></div><div>On
March 28, a little over a week before the start of the regular season,
Grant played in the East-West Major League Baseball Classic to honor the
late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The charity exhibition game, which was
held at Dodgers Stadium, featured more than a dozen future Hall of
Famers including Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Tom
Seaver. Players were divided geographically into two teams of East and
West. During the pregame ceremonies, Grant, who was an accomplished
singer who took bookings as an entertainer in his spare time, delighted
the crowd with a soulful rendition of the National Anthem. Grant
pitched the eighth inning for the West but was unable to help his team
win. Sensing a good promotional opportunity, Charlie Finley called upon
Grant to sing the National Anthem before the A’s April 13 home opener
against the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked the first time an active
player sang the Anthem before a major league game. In addition to
Grant’s singing, the home opener was also notable for the use of bright
gold bases as part of a one-game experiment commissioner Bowie Kuhn
allowed Finley to try.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant started the season
in the all too familiar role of mop-up reliever. Nevertheless, he made
the most of the situation, throwing seven and two-thirds scoreless
innings in six appearances through the first month of the campaign. By
late May, Grant sported a minuscule 1.57 ERA when he embarked on a five
appearance stretch in which he gave up just one unearned run over nine
and two-thirds innings while racking up four saves. With the A’s record
hovering around .500, the team began using Grant as their primary
reliever to protect late game leads. Despite thriving in the fireman
role, Mudcat still was hoping for a chance to prove himself as a starter
in Oakland. “Everyone prefers starting,” the 34-year-old veteran said. “There’s just something about starting and relieving. Starters are
still considered to be better pitchers, even when that isn’t true in all
cases. It’s something that’s left over from the past. We’re still
living in the past in some respects.” After Grant secured Oakland
victories with back-to-back saves on June 9 and 10 against his original
club, the Cleveland Indians, the righty drew praise from A’s manager
John McNamara. “You can’t say anything but superlatives about Grant,”
the skipper proclaimed. “He’s been great. He’s done the job every time
we’ve called on him.” The hurler was particularly stingy on opposing
hitters during a month-long stretch from May 17 to June 16 in which he
gave up just a single unearned run across 27 innings in 16 appearances,
going 2-0 while picking up seven saves. During the impressive stretch,
the A’s record improved from 17-17 to 34-28. Mudcat picked up his
eleventh save on June 30 and in the process lowered his ERA to 0.93. Aside from his stellar work on the mound, Grant was also showcasing his
musical talents, making appearances at Oakland’s Jack London Inn night
club.</div><div><br /></div><div>With the emergence of Grant as one of the
game’s top fireman, the A’s bullpen had a relief pitcher they could
count on to consistently close out tight games, something the team had
lacked for the past few seasons. Based on the veteran’s postgame
comments, it seemed he was becoming more accepting of pitching out of
the bullpen. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d still like to start,” Grant
remarked. “But there’s a lot to say about the bullpen. There’s the
drama involved and key situations where you have to produce or a game is
lost. It forces you to do your thing.” Grant finished the first half
of the season with a 4-0 record, 13 saves, and an otherworldly 0.79 ERA. Despite his dominant pitching, Grant was not selected for the All-Star
Game. AL skipper Earl Weaver opted to only select starting pitchers to
fill out the junior circuit’s roster for the Midsummer Classic,
essentially underscoring Grant’s comments about starters being widely
viewed as better pitchers than relievers.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg350gUMNe_2MRKZp4yx4k20Ms4WDvUQe6kJHoa10VdsdGcdY7unjaVZeee-mR5ag-PT8CRBNX8PlqAGXSXSBwNc7bGxbaIvkcBuayA4Klw8SURPnrk9R6BGUW-ZSwjLZOe_54k9SoPUrw9Vga1hlwPygBiNRglmImXvTGVF2QqeFd4ooTAKF83TdGJEg=s1514" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1514" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg350gUMNe_2MRKZp4yx4k20Ms4WDvUQe6kJHoa10VdsdGcdY7unjaVZeee-mR5ag-PT8CRBNX8PlqAGXSXSBwNc7bGxbaIvkcBuayA4Klw8SURPnrk9R6BGUW-ZSwjLZOe_54k9SoPUrw9Vga1hlwPygBiNRglmImXvTGVF2QqeFd4ooTAKF83TdGJEg=w640-h434" width="640" /></a></div><br />When
play resumed after the All-Star break, Grant picked up right where he
left off, garnering saves in five straight appearances to close out the
month of July. Included in that stretch was a July 26 outing in which
Grant protected a one-run lead with two scoreless innings over the New
York Yankees to give Oakland the 4-3 win. In the process, Grant
collected his sixteenth save of the season while also securing starting
pitcher Catfish Hunter’s fourteenth victory. Hunter’s postgame praise
of Grant highlighted the reliever’s importance to the club. “In other
years, I didn’t want to come out of the game because we didn’t have good
relief pitchers,” Hunter stated. “Now that we have Grant, I don’t
worry.” Securing Hunter victories was a running theme throughout the
1970 season for Mudcat as he ultimately saved eight of Catfish’s
team-leading 18 wins. Sportswriters had fun with the two hurlers having
such similar nicknames—one scribe even began referring to them as “The
Cat People.” However, Grant was in some ways a victim of his own
success. After the veteran’s July 26 save against New York, McNamara
was asked about the possibility of moving Grant out of the bullpen to
start. “Not a chance,” the manager said. “His effectiveness in the
bullpen is obvious.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Although the acquisition
of Grant gave Oakland a reliable reliever who could be counted on to
secure victories in tight games, the club was still having trouble
closing the gap the first-place Twins had opened up on them early in the
season. Many of Grant’s former teammates still called Minnesota home
and, on August 9 and 10, he picked up saves number 19 and 20 at their
expense. These wins helped the A’s draw closer in the division race and
by the middle of the month, the club had moved into second place and
pulled to within three and a half games of the Twins. However, Oakland
lost ground with a disastrous 1-11 stretch during the latter part of
August. Then, on September 14—with the A’s eight games in arrears of
the Twins—Finley abandoned any efforts to win the division when he sold
Grant to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two days later, the eccentric owner
departed with another one of his key veterans when he sold outfielder
Tommy Davis to the Chicago Cubs. Finley’s late season moves drew
criticism from members of the press as well as his own players but the
team owner defended the sales explaining he had acquired Grant and Davis
to finish first and didn’t need them to finish second. Prior to his
sale to Pittsburgh, Mudcat was putting the finishing touches on his
finest season as a reliever with a 6-2 record and 1.82 ERA while
successfully converting 24 of 25 save attempts. In addition, Grant had
proved to be a great fit in the A’s clubhouse, providing a strong
veteran presence for the young team. The well-traveled hurler would now
be moving to his seventh organization and sixth in the space of four
seasons. Yet, in leaving Oakland, Grant expressed a level of
disappointment that had not been present when he departed other teams. “Everything I did was for the Oakland A’s,” Grant said after learning
he was sold to Pittsburgh. “You join the club, you put your worth into
the club, you hurt for the club, you have an outstanding year for the
club, and two weeks before the end of the season, someone (Finley)
phones you that you’ve been sold. Finley thanked me for the season I
had and for the help I gave some of the players. This really hurt.”</div><div><br /></div><div>At
the time of Grant’s sale to Pittsburgh, the Pirates were in the midst
of a close three-team NL East pennant race with the New York Mets and
Chicago Cubs. However, since the hurler had been acquired by the
club after August 31, he was ineligible for postseason play should the
Pirates win the NL East. Nevertheless, Grant was still able to make a
big impact in the pennant race. On September 16, the righty made his
first appearance with his new team, protecting a two-run lead with three
scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies to help ensure a
5-3 victory before giving way to Pittsburgh’s fireman, Dave Giusti, in
the ninth. Grant’s outing impressed Pirates manager Danny Murtaugh who
had never seen the veteran pitch. “This was a nice unveiling,” the
skipper said of Grant. “He gave this club a real shot in the arm
tonight.” With Pittsburgh holding a two and a half game edge over both
New York and Chicago, the club hosted the Mets for a crucial September
25-27 three-game series. During the series opener, Grant was called
upon to pitch with one out in the top of the seventh after a bases
loaded walk by Giusti allowed the Mets to tie the score. Grant induced
New York’s number three hitter Cleon Jones to ground into an inning
ending double play. Pittsburgh then scored the go-ahead run in the
bottom of the seventh, thus making Grant the pitcher of record in the
4-3 victory. The following day, Grant once again entered a tied game
during the top of the seventh inning, this time facing Ken Boswell with
two out and runners on first and second. Grant forced Boswell to ground
out to him to end the threat. Pittsburgh hitters repeated their
heroics of the night before, scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of
the seventh while Grant closed out the game to earn his second
consecutive win. The next day, the Pirates beat the Mets in the final
game of the series to complete the sweep and clinch the NL East pennant. Mets manager Gil Hodges later admitted he had passed on the chance to
claim Grant through waivers, which had allowed Pittsburgh to acquire the
veteran. The Pirates were unable to ride their regular season momentum
into the playoffs as they were subsequently swept by the Cincinnati
Reds in the NLCS. Although Grant was ineligible for Pittsburgh’s
postseason roster, he did have a memorable moment during the NLCS,
singing the National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium prior to Game Two. Mudcat finished 1970 with an 8-3 record, 24 saves, and a 1.86 ERA in
135 1/3 innings. Because he was traded away from the AL, his 72
appearances did not lead the junior circuit but his 80 overall
appearances split across the two leagues led all of baseball. With his
24 saves for the year, Grant joined Ellis Kinder and one of his former
pitching coaches Johnny Sain as the only hurlers to have achieved both a
20-win and 20-save season. Technically, Grant is recognized as the
first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Kinder’s and Sain’s
respective 20-save campaigns took place in 1953 and 1954 before saves
became an official MLB statistic in 1969.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVgPwzSoZv1BNUMONQCze9gaVViM7mf_M-VRba3cI39IWHZp8wZ9OjUoUkp9KhpJ__Hqw1KZoKTjkxtDwmO9vKo8Py4f44t2pYuTcmu1crg6iBHeJ0IfT6fNPVw5gqAhCPl39WsfxDMTBdkxPX2fDvj4pkaF6SGu5Mt0F0G0k6TUqOkbc_N_GlsTzJHA=s1042" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="457" data-original-width="1042" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhVgPwzSoZv1BNUMONQCze9gaVViM7mf_M-VRba3cI39IWHZp8wZ9OjUoUkp9KhpJ__Hqw1KZoKTjkxtDwmO9vKo8Py4f44t2pYuTcmu1crg6iBHeJ0IfT6fNPVw5gqAhCPl39WsfxDMTBdkxPX2fDvj4pkaF6SGu5Mt0F0G0k6TUqOkbc_N_GlsTzJHA=w640-h280" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
the offseason, the Pirates completed the Grant sale by sending outfield
prospect Angel Mangual to Oakland. Charlie Finley addressed Grant’s
absence in the bullpen during a January 26 press conference to introduce
new A’s manager Dick Williams. “Grant did a great job last year,”
Finley said. “But he kept some of our other relief pitchers from getting
a chance to show what they could do.” However, despite Finley’s
comments, according to Pirates general manager Joe L. Brown, the A’s
owner expressed interest in reacquiring Grant in March. “I told Charlie
we were counting on Grant,” Brown explained. “But if we ever decided
to deal him, we’d try to give him first crack.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Mudcat
picked up right where he left off in 1970 with an excellent first two
months to start his 1971 campaign. While Pittsburgh’s fireman Dave
Giusti was given the bulk of closing duties, Grant was regularly used in
tight games and saw his share of save opportunities as well. After a
difficult April 14 outing in which the righty blew a save and was
charged with the loss, he went on a 25-inning stretch without giving up a
run. Grant drew attention, not only for his success on the mound but
also for his appearance. Long known as one of the most stylish players
of his day, Grant sported thick mutton chop sideburns that reflected the
mod subculture that was growing in popularity. In late May, the former
20-game winner spoke about his career renaissance in the bullpen. “I’m
having success at a late age. I could have folded up, after not
starting and falling into the relief pitching thing. But I count it as
another experience.” At the end of May the veteran’s record stood at
3-1 with a 0.67 ERA and four of five save opportunities successfully
converted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately, NL hitters began
teeing off Grant in June as he posted a 5.32 ERA for the month and
followed it up with an even more unsightly 5.82 mark in July. After not
giving up a home run during the first two months of the season, he was
taken deep a combined eight times in June and July. In addition, Grant
had uncharacteristically been struggling with control issues throughout
the campaign, allowing an average of more than three walks per nine
innings. By August 9, Grant’s ERA had climbed to 3.60 when Pittsburgh
decided to part ways with the veteran and sold him back to the Oakland
Athletics. Grant was leaving a Pirates team that appeared poised to
return to the postseason, comfortably sitting atop the NL East with a
six and a half game edge over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals. Fortunately for the righty, the A’s club he was rejoining looked to be
an even safer bet to make the playoffs, leading the AL West by a
commanding 13 1/2 game margin over the runner-up Kansas City Royals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Shortly
after learning of his sale back to Oakland, Grant was contacted by
Finley who insisted the hurler immediately meet the team in Boston where
the A’s were set to play the Red Sox in a doubleheader the following
day. Oakland manager Dick Williams wasted no time in using the veteran,
bringing him in to relieve starter John “Blue Moon” Odom during the
second game of the doubleheader. Grant earned the save by pitching the
final three and one-third innings of Oakland’s 7-5 victory. Following
the win, Williams spoke glowingly about Grant’s performance. “I was
thrilled,” the A’s skipper said. “He was excellent, excellent,
excellent. He threw strikes and brought it in. It looks like he picked
up right where he left off last year.” As Grant settled back in with
Oakland, he quickly became impressed with improvements the club was
making under the direction of their new manager, Williams. “I’ve seen
more guys give themselves up, like hit behind the runner, in one
week than I did all last year,” Grant said. “You’ve got to give
Williams credit. He’s done a tremendous job to orchestrate things. He’s put things together.”</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjU0S_R7ddRVh75AcWzqjdyk1GNsri5QN1Y_GHfDLtGP8IlaH2g1M3wxSHI8yPKyih_PlnsCligzTcgDpduD18VD0jVnZrVKqfhMysx73TOp1ynspbS6Xu08A52tzRYf-2ojwXhmmeWWIx2Vxo8eGPHwNocG9XSitO5HBoIjZ-4tm4I1ns4E_JNC8ISQQ=s2248" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1058" data-original-width="2248" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjU0S_R7ddRVh75AcWzqjdyk1GNsri5QN1Y_GHfDLtGP8IlaH2g1M3wxSHI8yPKyih_PlnsCligzTcgDpduD18VD0jVnZrVKqfhMysx73TOp1ynspbS6Xu08A52tzRYf-2ojwXhmmeWWIx2Vxo8eGPHwNocG9XSitO5HBoIjZ-4tm4I1ns4E_JNC8ISQQ=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grant impressed his managers with his work out of the bullpen for the A's and Pirates<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Following his sale
to the A’s, Grant reclaimed his pinpoint control which had abandoned him
in Pittsburgh, pitching 10 innings for Oakland before issuing his first
walk. Home runs were initially a cause for concern as the righty
surrendered three longballs in his first four appearances for the A’s. However, from that point forward, he did not allow another batter to go
deep on him for the remainder of the year. Grant was generally used in
close games and shared the fireman role with Rollie Fingers and Darold
Knowles as each of the three pitchers saw their share of save
opportunities. On September 15, Grant earned the win, throwing three
scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. With Kansas City’s
loss to the California Angels later that evening, Oakland officially
clinched the AL West. The A’s finished the season 16 games ahead of the
second-place Royals with a 101-60 record. In his month and a half with
Oakland, Grant went 1-0 while posting an excellent 1.98 ERA and
successfully converting three of four save attempts. Adding his totals
from Pittsburgh, the veteran’s final ledger for 1971 was an overall mark
of 6-3, supported by a respectable 3.17 ERA, and 10 saves.</div><div><br /></div><div>With
their division title victory, the A’s advanced to the postseason for
the first time in four decades. Oakland’s opponent in the ALCS was the
defending World Series champion Baltimore Orioles who were also winners
of the past two AL pennants. Like Oakland, Baltimore easily clinched
their division, posting a nearly identical 101-57 record. Unfortunately, the youthful A’s inexperience showed against the
playoff-tested O’s as they dropped the first two games of the series on
the road in Baltimore despite sending a pair of 20-game winners, Catfish
Hunter and Vida Blue, to the hill. The series moved back to Oakland
for Game Three where the A’s, facing elimination, started veteran
right-hander Diego Segui. Prior to the game, Grant sang the National
Anthem in front of the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum fans. With the
A’s down 5-2 in the top of the eighth inning, Grant entered the game to
face the top of Baltimore’s order. After surrendering a leadoff triple
to Don Buford, the hurler settled down and dispatched of Paul Blair,
Boog Powell, and Frank Robinson in succession. Reggie Jackson took O’s
starter Jim Palmer deep in the bottom of the eighth to make the score
5-3. In what would ultimately be the final inning of his fourteen-year
major league career, Grant quickly retired Andy Etchebarren and Brooks
Robinson on fly outs before surrendering back-to-back singles to Davey
Johnson and Mark Belanger. Grant then ended Baltimore’s two-out threat
by striking out Palmer. After Gene Tenace and Mike Hegan were fanned to
open the bottom of the ninth, Grant’s spot in the batting order came
up. Dick Williams pinch-hit slugger Curt Blefary for Grant. Palmer
mowed down Blefary to strike out the side and complete the sweep over
the A’s, giving Baltimore its third consecutive AL pennant. The Orioles
were then defeated in a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic against the
club that sold Grant to Oakland, the Pittsburgh Pirates.</div><div><br /></div><div>While
Grant had missed out on winning the World Series title with his sale
from Pittsburgh to Oakland, the A’s had turned a corner from contender
into division champion and were in good shape to make another postseason
run in 1972. However, at the end of November, Oakland decided to
release Grant. Charlie Finley called the pitcher personally to deliver
the news. The release of Grant was surprising considering he had been
among the game’s best relief pitchers for the A’s in 1970 and had
returned to the team for a strong finish to his 1971 campaign, all while
providing veteran leadership to a young clubhouse. Grant’s release
perhaps can be traced to Finley not being interested in paying his
lucrative salary, which Pittsburgh had increased to $60,000 prior to the
1971 season. Finley was likely fine with absorbing a portion of
Grant’s salary to obtain him for the stretch drive but parted ways with
the hurler rather than pay his full salary for the upcoming 1972
campaign. “This whole thing of being released means having to prove
myself all over again,” Grant said. “I figure if you do the job, you
should get paid for it. If I play for a smaller amount and do well,
then we’re back into that again—my salary.” Grant did his best to take
the release in stride adding, “I want to remember the game of baseball
as something nice, something I enjoyed playing.” Although the
possibility of retirement loomed, the 36-year-old still showed
confidence in his abilities. “They keep telling me I’m an old man and
that I’m through, but I look around and see guys as old as me not doing
as well.”</div><div><br /></div><div>After being let go by Oakland it
looked as if Grant might retire and pursue a full-time career as an
entertainer. However, Grant chose to continue playing professional
baseball and joined his original club, the Cleveland Indians, for spring
training. “This is like being back home,” Grant said. “This is where
everything started for me. I hope I can finish my career just as it
began—pitching in Cleveland.” Unfortunately, Grant was unable to make
the Tribe’s Opening Day roster but the franchise did offer the veteran a
chance to pitch for their Triple-A team in Portland. Nevertheless,
after a phone conversation with Charlie Finley, the hurler decided to
return to the A’s organization for a third stint, this time in the dual
role of reliever and pitching coach for Oakland’s Des Moines-based
Triple-A affiliate, Iowa Oaks of the American Association. “It’s a good
deal.” Grant said. “I can continue to pitch and get some coaching
experience.” Grant’s deal with the Oaks also gave the righty
flexibility. “Charlie says if any big league club wants to sign me at
any time this season he’ll let me go. Actually, on my record, I don’t
see how anybody let me go this year. I’ll never go to a camp as a free
agent like I did with the Indians.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant
pitched well for the Oaks, working as the team’s fireman, a role he had
flourished in during parts of the past two seasons with the A’s. However, with young reliever Rollie Fingers coming into his own and
veteran hurlers Darold Knowles and Bob Locker also available to close
out tight games, Oakland’s bullpen had the late innings covered. Nevertheless, Grant remained hopeful for a call up to Oakland. On
August 3, the Oaks hosted the A’s for an exhibition game between the two
clubs. Oakland was in the midst of another excellent campaign, sitting
atop the AL West with a six-game lead over the second-place Chicago
White Sox. The A’s won the exhibition game, 5-3, defeating the Oaks in
extra innings with Grant taking the loss. Sportswriter Ron Bergman, who
covered the A’s beat for the <i>Oakland Tribune</i> and contributed to <i>The Sporting News</i>,
was on hand for the game and printed an exchange between Grant and A’s
pitching coach Bill Posedel in the August 26 edition of <i>The Sporting News</i>. “You going to hang ‘em up after this year?” Posedel asked Grant. “Not
as long as I know I can pitch better than some of the guys they’ve got
up in the big leagues now,” Grant replied. Bergman also printed another
quote from Grant speaking to an Oakland beat writer. “Don’t let them
forget about me down here,” Grant said to the scribe. The righty
finished the season with a 5-5 record and an impressive 2.38 ERA while
collecting 16 saves—a mark that trailed only Ron Tompkins among American
Association pitchers. Oakland captured their second consecutive AL
West crown and won their first of three straight World Series
championships. Despite his solid pitching for Iowa, Grant was unable to
earn a promotion to Oakland or draw interest from another club, a
puzzling outcome considering his success with the A’s and the Pirates
over the previous two campaigns.</div><div><br /></div><div>After the 1972
season, Grant decided to retire, bringing an end to a professional
career that began in 1954 when he left tiny Lacoochee to try out for the
Cleveland Indians. In 14 major league seasons, Grant compiled a
145-119 record with a 3.63 ERA and 54 saves. With his playing career
behind him, Mudcat chose to, once again, return to his original team,
this time joining the Tribe as a broadcaster. After several years in
the booth with Cleveland, Grant made his way back to his final club,
briefly working as a broadcaster for the A’s in 1979. Grant also
continued to be a sought-after entertainer for singing and public
speaking engagements. In 1992, Grant’s former teammate Rollie Fingers
was elected to the Hall of Fame. Fingers, who retired as the all-time
saves leader in 1985, became just the second reliever, after Hoyt
Wilhelm, to be voted into Cooperstown. During Fingers’ acceptance
speech, he recognized Grant for the key role the veteran played in
helping him develop into a successful relief pitcher. “I learned a lot
from watching and in 1970, I had the opportunity to sit in the bullpen
with a guy who was on his way out of the game,” Fingers said. “He had
some great years with Cleveland and Minnesota. He was our stopper in
1970 in the bullpen. I had the chance to sit and talk with him and
watch him pitch and I learned a lot from this man and I’d like to thank
him, Jim “Mudcat” Grant. Thank you, Jim.”</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN93HZIK1iOy12heBC4_MNrEJr-jrhxxORJZnAxpnJ5sTNKbvzxXpQEiKNDprZN6PPzssT-PMtwmd9-16cqbNko6AqhksJUx5OT7s0mmGaTHbnQmxl4If_NLVC7AocYyrVUtMvlupRs1ViFCpVn2RBjzMkHzZem_USm1V8s45_GZ0QA6liArpCi095aQ=s2232" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2232" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgN93HZIK1iOy12heBC4_MNrEJr-jrhxxORJZnAxpnJ5sTNKbvzxXpQEiKNDprZN6PPzssT-PMtwmd9-16cqbNko6AqhksJUx5OT7s0mmGaTHbnQmxl4If_NLVC7AocYyrVUtMvlupRs1ViFCpVn2RBjzMkHzZem_USm1V8s45_GZ0QA6liArpCi095aQ=w640-h300" width="640" /></a></div><br />At age 70, the multi-talented Grant displayed his skills as an author when he released <i>The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners</i>. The book profiled each of the African-American pitchers to win 20
games in a season and also included Negro League hurlers who were denied
the chance to play in the American and National Leagues due to the
color barrier. Among the hurlers profiled in Grant’s book was San
Francisco native Mike Norris who won 22 games for the A’s in 1980. Norris spoke of the impact that seeing Grant succeed as an
African-American pitcher had on him during his childhood. “Mud pitched
here in Oakland when I was a kid, but he was at the end of his career.” Norris said. “What that let me know was that it was possible that a
black pitcher could pitch in the big leagues. That’s what Mud was to
me. He was reality.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant and several of his
fellow Black Aces made appearances at charity events and benefits. In
February 2007, President George W. Bush honored the Black Aces at the
White House as part of an event celebrating Black History Month. In
addition, to Grant, fellow Black Aces Ferguson Jenkins, Dontrelle
Willis, and Mike Norris were in attendance. President Bush said he
viewed the Black Aces as “a way not only to herald success, but to
inspire others” and thanked Grant for “showing courage, character and
perseverance.” In May of that same year, Grant returned to the Oakland
Coliseum for a pregame ceremony honoring the Black Aces. Alongside
Grant were Norris, Vida Blue, and Dave Stewart, each of whom posted
20-win seasons while pitching for the Athletics. For the ceremony, the
four hurlers wore Kansas City Monarchs jerseys made famous by Negro
League pitching icon Satchel Paige. Fittingly, Grant sang the National
Anthem during the pregame festivities while Stewart threw out the first
pitch.</div><div><br /></div><div>On June 11, 2021 Grant passed away at
age 85. After learning of his passing, Stewart honored Grant on Twitter
saying, “I can hear you singing now. Sitting at the piano, putting on a
Mudcat concert. People who know you, and some who don’t making song
requests. What was once a small crowd has now turned into a big one. You fill the room with happiness, laughter and love. RIP Mud! You are
loved.”</div></div><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grantmu01.shtml" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml" target="_blank">Hank Aaron</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml" target="_blank">Willie Mays</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero01.shtml" target="_blank">Roberto Clemente</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/seaveto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tom Seaver</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksre01.shtml" target="_blank">Reggie Jackson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hunteca01.shtml" target="_blank">Catfish Hunter</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fingero01.shtml" target="_blank">Rollie Fingers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palmeji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Palmer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinfr02.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Robinson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jenkife01.shtml" target="_blank">Ferguson Jenkins</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bluevi01.shtml" target="_blank">Vida Blue</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stewada01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Stewart</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paigesa01.shtml" target="_blank">Satchel Paige</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hodgegi01.shtml" target="_blank">Gil Hodges</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/search_paper.asp?PaperId=834" target="_blank">The Sporting News via SABR’s Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc" target="_blank">San Bernardino Sun via California Digital Newspaper Collection and SABR’s Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html" target="_blank">Albany NY Knickerbocker News Union Star via Fulton Newspapers and SABR Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mudcat-grant/" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant SABR bio</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/04/08/coochee-coos-another-tune" target="_blank">SI Vault</a>,
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F35C9kY4Nw" target="_blank">Rollie Fingers’ Hall of Fame speech via National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum You Tube channel</a>, <a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070212-5.html" target="_blank">George W. Bush White House Archives</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Dsmoke34/status/1403814628027555841?cxt=HHwWgoCjoe39rPsmAAAA" target="_blank">Dave Stewart’s Twitter</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19690409&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">Montreal Gazette via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/270530111" target="_blank">ESPN</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Black_Aces.html?id=e9d2GgAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Jim
“Mudcat” Grant, Tom Sabellico, and Pat O’Brien-<i>The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners </i>(Aventine Press)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/We_Played_the_Game.html?id=DtjtAAAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Danny Peary-<i>We Played the Game: 65 Players Remember Baseball’s Greatest Era, 1947-1964</i> (Hyperion)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Curse_of_Rocky_Colavito.html?id=wQIWEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Terry Pluto-<i>The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump</i> (Gray & Company, Publishers)</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/A_Baseball_Dynasty/K4YCAAAACAAJ?hl=en" target="_blank">Bruce Markusen-<i>A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’</i>s (Saint Johann Press)</a></div><div><br /></div><div><div>Quotes credit:</div><div>-Charlie
Finley quote about bringing in seasoned players is from p.39 of the
December 20, 1969 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via
SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote about preferring
starting over relieving is from p.17 of the May 23, 1970 edition of The
Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-John
McNamara quote praising Grant is from p.12 of the June 11, 1970 edition
of the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was retrieved from California Digital
Newspaper Collection via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant
quote about enjoying the drama of pitching out of the bullpen is from
p.14 of the July 1, 1970 edition of the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was
retrieved from California Digital Newspaper Collection via SABR access
to Paper of Record</div><div>-Catfish Hunter quote about Grant is from
p.8 of the July 27, 1970 edition of the Santa Cruz Sentinel and was
retrieved from California Digital Newspaper Collection via SABR access
to Paper of Record</div><div>-John McNamara quote about not moving Grant
out of the bullpen is from p.30 of the August 15, 1970 edition of The
Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant
quote about trade from Oakland is from p.8 of the October 3, 1970
edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper
of Record</div><div>-Danny Murtaugh quote about Grant is from the
September 17, 1970 edition of the Nassua NY Newsday and was retrieved
from Fulton Newspapers via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Charlie
Finley addressing Grant’s absence in the A’s bullpen is from the
January 27, 1971 edition of the Herkimer NY Evening Telegram and was
retrieved from Fulton Newspapers via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Joe
L. Brown quote about Charlie Finley trying to reacquire Grant is from
p.9 of the August 28, 1971 edition of The Sporting News and was
retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote
about career resurgence as reliever is from p.29 of the May 25, 1971
edition of the San Bernardino Sun and was retrieved from California
Digital Newspaper Collection via SABR access to Paper of Record<br /></div><div>-Dick
Williams quote about Grant and Grant’s quote about Williams improving
the A’s are from p.10 of the September 11, 1971 edition of The Sporting
News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant
quote about being released by Oakland is from p.47 of the December 11,
1971 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to
Paper of Record<br /></div><div>-Grant quote about joining Cleveland is
from p.41 of the March 11, 1972 edition of The Sporting News and was
retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote
about joining Iowa Oaks is from the April 8, 1972 edition of the Albany
NY Knickerbocker News Union Star and was retrieved from Fulton
Newspapers via SABR access to Paper of Record<br /></div><div>-Bill
Posedel and Grant quotes to each other and Grant quote to Oakland beat
writer are from p.5 of the August 26, 1972 edition of The Sporting News
and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Rollie
Fingers quote about Grant was transcribed from his 1992 Hall of Fame
acceptance speech and retrieved from the National Baseball Hall of Fame
Museum You Tube video of the acceptance speech</div><div>-Mike Norris quote about Grant is from p.232 of Black Aces<br /></div><div>-George W. Bush quotes about the Black Aces was retrieved from George W. Bush White House Archives</div><div>-Dave Stewart quote about Grant is from Dave Stewart’s Twitter</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Mudcat Grant cards-1971 Topps, 1972 Topps, crop of picture from 1991
Swell Baseball Greats, crop from 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates Picture Pack,
Black Aces book cover; Catfish Hunter 1987 Mother’s Cookies, Ellis
Kinder 1954 Topps, Johnny Sain 2003 Topps All-Time Fan Favorites, John
McNamara 1970 Topps, Danny Murtaugh 1971 Topps, Dick Williams 1972
Topps, Rollie Fingers 1972 Topps, Mike Norris 1984 Fleer</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXcLREL_SoN5UrLWDeVKy6rzpgwW5oOxNqf5EBOoHHev1coJqL20boJ-ScLCFQh_LFERdNINWHqMD0bBfYEGD8MJP-6WgmBDVVmieoE2Cp8KWPE1JEKXT-Wxdkn27KsoEHIeHTMt4EUijTbYdb8WmoFVmaQ07Rz4SqfGEarqeu9MIUNgJuMIBdln90Ng=s2236" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="2236" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgXcLREL_SoN5UrLWDeVKy6rzpgwW5oOxNqf5EBOoHHev1coJqL20boJ-ScLCFQh_LFERdNINWHqMD0bBfYEGD8MJP-6WgmBDVVmieoE2Cp8KWPE1JEKXT-Wxdkn27KsoEHIeHTMt4EUijTbYdb8WmoFVmaQ07Rz4SqfGEarqeu9MIUNgJuMIBdln90Ng=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2022/02/mudcat-grant-true-renaissance-man-of.html" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant: A True Renaissance Man of Baseball</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2022/03/veteran-players-who-were-forced-to.html" target="_blank">Veteran Players Who Were Forced to Shave Their Mustaches and Beards Due to the Cincinnati Reds’ Ban on Facial Hair: Dave Parker</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-break-up-of-oakland-as-dynasty-how_7675.html" target="_blank">The Break-up of The Oakland A’s Dynasty, How The Players Fared After Leaving as Free Agents, and Their Airbrushed 1977 Topps Cards</a></div></div></div></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-68457366493383221602022-03-14T07:44:00.000-04:002022-03-14T07:44:16.739-04:00Veteran Players Who Were Forced to Shave Their Mustaches and Beards Due to the Cincinnati Reds’ Ban on Facial Hair: Dave Parker<p> <span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKfWVY5MFFjQDLHyC-DD2mmlimIlMPeJRIlpXmpTCxKMPM8y6FNgmDVObCGgXHvfxnZsardgQ4UX8mRWasbQE0ffj21I6HCHLjyohYVD4v1dXeFfHhiQ4ndYfYKN2Fv6w5MbPiXWozWGcjoSlmjhOsG82NnXU04U0YXxPOlQVK5WaNbD5EjluF_vYLqg=s1256" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="887" data-original-width="1256" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhKfWVY5MFFjQDLHyC-DD2mmlimIlMPeJRIlpXmpTCxKMPM8y6FNgmDVObCGgXHvfxnZsardgQ4UX8mRWasbQE0ffj21I6HCHLjyohYVD4v1dXeFfHhiQ4ndYfYKN2Fv6w5MbPiXWozWGcjoSlmjhOsG82NnXU04U0YXxPOlQVK5WaNbD5EjluF_vYLqg=w640-h452" width="640" /></a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In
1972, the Oakland Athletics broke a longstanding baseball tradition
when the franchise began allowing their players to grow facial hair.
Other
clubs quickly followed the A’s lead and, as the decade wore on, more
and more teams permitted their players to sport whiskers. Once a very
conservative sport, it soon became common to see mustaches and beards on
the baseball diamond. However,
through the 1970s, 1980s, and well into the 1990s, one franchise, the
Cincinnati Reds, stood firm on its ban of facial hair. Despite
enforcing this ban, over the years, the Reds acquired several prominent
veteran players who had worn facial hair for the majority of their
careers. Some of these players were traded to the club and thus found
themselves forced to adhere to their new club’s grooming policy. Others
signed with the team as free agents, well aware they would be required
to shave their facial hair—although many of these veterans were in the
twilight of their careers and found their options limited. Oftentimes,
it was amusing to see these now clean-shaven players take the field for
Cincinnati, some of whom were almost unrecognizable without their
whiskers. One of these players was slugger Dave Parker who signed a
free agent contract to join the Reds for the 1984 season. As
a former MVP who stood an imposing 6’5” and sported a full-faced beard,
Parker was one of the most recognizable and intimidating figures on the
ball field.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Born
on June 9, 1951 in Grenada, Mississippi, Parker moved with his family
to Cincinnati as a young child. Parker grew up rooting for the Reds and
lived less than a block from the club’s home ballpark, Crosley Field.
As a teenager, he worked as a vendor at Crosley Field and dreamed of one
day playing for the Reds. Parker was a multi-sport star in high school
but suffered an injury to his left knee while playing football. The
knee injury required surgery and hurt his draft value. Parker was
selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fourteenth round of the 1970
MLB June Amateur Draft. He
made his major league debut on July 12, 1973 and by 1975 had
established himself as one of the young stars of the game, batting .308
with 25 home runs and 101 RBI while finishing third in the NL MVP vote
after helping lead Pittsburgh to the NL East division title. With
the ability to hit for both power and average while also possessing a
cannon-like throwing arm and speed on the basepaths, Parker was a true
five-tool talent. Nicknamed “Cobra”, Parker hit .300 each year between
1975 and 1979, winning a pair of batting titles in 1977 and 1978. Brash
and cocky, the towering slugger carried himself with swagger and was
not afraid to make bold statements like, “When the leaves turn brown,
I’ll be wearing the batting crown.” Parker also earned three straight
Gold Glove Awards from 1977 to 1979 for his defense in right field. In
1978, Parker reached the pinnacle of the baseball world when he was
named NL MVP after hitting .334 with 30 home runs and 117 RBI. As
the decade drew to a close, Parker appeared to be in the early stages
of putting together a Hall of Fame career and was regarded by many as
the game’s most dominant player. Prior to the 1979 season,
the right fielder signed a multi-million dollar, five-year contract
extension to stay with the Pirates. In this first year of
his contract extension, Parker played a pivotal role in Pittsburgh’s
championship run when he batted .333 against the Cincinnati Reds in the
NLCS and followed it up by hitting .345 in the Fall Classic to help
defeat the Baltimore Orioles in a closely-contested seven-game series.
However,
in the aftermath of the World Series victory, his abilities sharply
declined as the former MVP spent the next four seasons battling a
combination of injuries and dealing with weight problems. Parker
particularly struggled after undergoing surgery on both knees prior to
the 1981 campaign. In
addition, Parker became a target of abuse from Pittsburgh’s largely
blue-collar fan base, many of whom felt they could no longer relate to
the slugger after he signed his multi-million dollar extension.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">At
the conclusion of the 1983 season, Parker became a free agent for the
first time. Coming
off a lackluster campaign in which he hit .279 with just 12 home runs
and 69 RBI in 144 games, the 32-year-old only drew serious interest from
two teams, the Seattle Mariners and his hometown Cincinnati Reds. As
a flashy player with a bold personality and a full beard, Parker seemed
like an odd fit for a button-down franchise like the Reds who had, up
until this point, shied away from signing free agents. However,
after last place finishes in 1982 and 1983, Cincinnati’s attendance had
dropped substantially and the club was looking to improve the results
on the baseball diamond and at the turnstiles. Opening
discussions between Parker and the Reds went well with the team’s
general manager Bob Howsam showing an interest in signing the free agent
right fielder. In advance of their next face-to-face
meeting together, Parker underscored his commitment to signing with
Cincinnati by shaving off his facial hair, a wise move seeing as Howsam
had been the architect of the franchise’s long-standing grooming
policy. On December 7, Parker signed a two-year contract with the
Reds. “You’re seeing a different Dave Parker now,” the slugger said to
the press after the signing. “It was hard to break the relationships in
Pittsburgh after 10 years. But I had three injury years and didn’t
produce the numbers I’d grown accustomed to. But I’m healthy now, I’m
content with a two-year contract and I’m going back to my hometown,
Cincinnati. It’s a transfusion for me.” During the offseason, Parker
had been working on losing weight to help alleviate the pressure on his
knees. He
made light of his weight loss and new stubble-free look after the
signing, saying, “I lost 10 pounds last night when I shaved the beard.”
Parker’s
new baby-face look took away some of his swagger and aura of
intimidation but fortunately the veteran had an abundance of both
traits. </span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3T5FlBW_ncVfC3eizEjizaYR7vllOhS5RLhkSVXoYUJknzQ15Ls5l85YG-mjSQJQgJcifWMy33gtI5DVRG2DO4ak9125ARyWxB1IOk7eVSA8ILPTqtvVdZQrawRm9nYME2YOsKdWSZbYIM3EIgA-5Rt81g9lIQRlHDOAWbGQklAKMYms5Rv55niofqQ=s1492" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1492" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3T5FlBW_ncVfC3eizEjizaYR7vllOhS5RLhkSVXoYUJknzQ15Ls5l85YG-mjSQJQgJcifWMy33gtI5DVRG2DO4ak9125ARyWxB1IOk7eVSA8ILPTqtvVdZQrawRm9nYME2YOsKdWSZbYIM3EIgA-5Rt81g9lIQRlHDOAWbGQklAKMYms5Rv55niofqQ=w640-h448" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">In
his first season with Cincinnati, Parker led a weak-hitting, 70-win
club in each of the three Triple Crown categories, batting .285 with 16
home runs and 94 RBI. Finally healthy for the first time in several
years, Parker’s 156 games played was his highest total since 1979.
Although
the Reds lost four more games than the prior season, the team improved
one spot in the standings and avoided a third-straight last place finish
in the NL West. Despite the club’s poor record, the
campaign ended on a high note as Parker was joined by another Cincinnati
native when franchise icon Pete Rose returned to the Reds in mid-August
to serve in the dual role of player-manager. Rose
immediately designated Parker as one of his leaders in the clubhouse and
the two veterans quickly formed a friendship away from the ball field.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Content
to be playing for his hometown team, Parker signed a three-year
contract extension that ran through the 1988 season and included an
option for 1989. Parker’s new contract immediately paid
dividends as the clean-shaven slugger and the franchise both experienced
a resurgence in 1985. The 34-year-old resembled the
dominant player of seasons past, batting .312 with a .365 OBP, 34 home
runs, and a league-best 125 RBI. Parker also led the NL
with 350 total bases, 80 extra-base hits, 42 doubles, and 24 intentional
walks while trailing only Willie McGee in hits, Dale Murphy in
longballs, and Pedro Guerrero in slugging percentage. In addition, the
veteran right fielder earned his fifth career All-Star selection and
first in four years. Parker’s
potent bat helped Cincinnati re-emerge as a contender and battle the
Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the NL West pennant race.
Los Angeles took the division lead just before the All-Star break and
never relinquished it. The
Reds mounted a strong drive in the latter half of the campaign to
finish in second place with an 89-72 record, five and a half games
behind the Dodgers.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">However,
as Parker was experiencing his on-field renaissance, his off-the-field
problems reared their ugly head when he was called to testify in the
Pittsburgh drug trial late in the season. Under oath,
Parker admitted to experimenting with cocaine as early as 1976 and using
the drug with more regularity after the Pirates’ 1979 World Series
victory before kicking the habit in late 1982 when he felt his game was
being adversely affected. Despite the controversy, Parker
won the Silver Slugger Award and received substantial support for the NL
MVP, collecting six first place votes and finishing runner-up to McGee
in the election. Parker’s manager, Pete Rose, was a vocal
critic of the election results, “I’ve never played with someone who was
more consistent for the entire year than Parker was in 1985,” the
skipper said. “A lot of guys had great years, but I personally do not
think anyone had as good a year as Dave Parker. I have been around a
lot of MVPs during my career, including myself. I played with John
Bench, Joe Morgan, George Foster, and Mike Schmidt. None meant more to
the team in the year they won it than Dave Parker did to us this
season. And he wasn’t surrounded with as much talent as those other
guys—or Willie McGee this year.” During the offseason, Parker reflected
on his resurgent 1985 campaign, saying, “It wasn’t my best season.
That had to be 1978. And my team didn’t win a world championship like
it did in 1979. But I sure had more fun in 1985 than I did in any other
year. Coming back to Cincinnati, my hometown, was like the start of my
second life in baseball.”</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmNiRte24nyrW9cZHOmImJaTDjzNxQmjZcfr-BGWxY0tqHQpNZl5qnCqI0ScnXQJPyLhrqcKh6c0TdOr1krafUH-3TN0BDanziN8W6M3aKGM_1tOrrU_7HhQLCU2merZukRBHspzxelJ1PyGDnArnzoeGnPRqPRxBqBHU1Rx9--wYsQhQKk_c7i5e1uQ=s1480" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="1480" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmNiRte24nyrW9cZHOmImJaTDjzNxQmjZcfr-BGWxY0tqHQpNZl5qnCqI0ScnXQJPyLhrqcKh6c0TdOr1krafUH-3TN0BDanziN8W6M3aKGM_1tOrrU_7HhQLCU2merZukRBHspzxelJ1PyGDnArnzoeGnPRqPRxBqBHU1Rx9--wYsQhQKk_c7i5e1uQ=w640-h456" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Parker
followed up his excellent 1985 campaign with a solid 1986, once again
leading the circuit in total bases with 304 while his 31 home runs and
116 RBI were eclipsed only by the season’s NL MVP winner Mike Schmidt.
However, Parker’s production totals were tempered by struggles on
defense. He also struck out a career-high 126 times and saw his batting
average dip to .273 and OBP slide to .330. Nevertheless, Parker’s home
run and RBI marks drew him enough support to rank fifth in the NL MVP
vote. In addition, he earned his second straight trip to the Midsummer
Classic and was a repeat winner of the Silver Slugger Award. Cincinnati
spent the majority of the season under .500 after playing abysmally
during April and the first half of May. A
strong close to the campaign gave the club an 86-76 record which was
good enough for another runner-up result, this time finishing 10 games
behind the Houston Astros.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">After
having played a respective 156, 160, and 162 games in his first three
seasons with Cincinnati, Parker’s knee issues, which had hampered him on
and off throughout his career, returned during the summer of 1987.
Parker
delayed surgery until the offseason, opting instead to take cortisone
shots and have his knee drained in an effort to stay on the field as the
Reds battled the San Francisco Giants and Houston Astros in the NL West
pennant race. “I said when I left Pittsburgh I’d never play hurt
again,” Parker explained. “But this club has a chance to win, and I
want to be part of it. So I’ll try to make it. Then I’ll have the
surgery and be a lean, mean machine next year.” Parker
played through the pain, still managing to appear in 153 games but saw a
decline in his production, particularly during the second half of the
season. The 36-year-old slugger completed the campaign
with 26 home runs and 97 RBI but these totals were accompanied by a
pedestrian .253 average and .311 OBP. For the third straight season,
Cincinnati finished second in the NL West. However,
unlike their two previous runner-up finishes, the Reds stood atop the
standings for most the summer before relinquishing the lead during the
latter half of a disastrous August. Cincinnati tumbled all the way to
third place before a September surge moved the team back into second.
The Reds concluded the campaign with an 84-78 record, six games behind
the Giants. Parker’s
struggles at the plate coincided with Cincinnati’s August skid but the
lack of effective starting pitching, which plagued the club throughout
the season, was the main culprit in the team falling short in the
division race.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">As
the 1987 season drew to a close, Parker’s name began popping up in
trade rumors, a surprising development since he was recognized as one of
the veteran leaders in the clubhouse and had forged a strong bond with
manager Pete Rose. However, with center fielder Eric Davis
and left fielder Kal Daniels establishing themselves and outfield
prospects Paul O’Neill and Tracy Jones in need of playing time, it
became apparent that Parker would likely be the odd man out in
Cincinnati’s crowded outfield. Rather than part with one
of its blossoming young outfielders, the club could solve two problems
by reducing payroll and addressing the need for pitching by dealing the
well-paid Parker. The trade rumors grew louder during the
offseason with Parker being linked to deals involving the New York
Yankees and Oakland Athletics. During a meeting with
Cincinnati’s newly appointed general manager Murray Cook, Parker was
disappointed to learn that Rose felt the slugger was misguiding the
young players on the team. “I heard I was supposed to have provided
negative leadership last season,” Parker said. “I don’t know why Pete
is saying the things he is saying. All I know, is I played hurt and I
played under all conditions. If they trade me, it’ll be Cincinnati’s
loss and New York’s or Oakland’s gain.” On
December 8, the Reds pulled the trigger on the deal and sent Parker to
the Athletics for a pair of young hurlers, Tim Birtsas and Jose Rijo.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2EQJpnIgkreUDBvms-k_1B-ACZjk3_7oqJgLPPSf6i0OAqj6cbcxcVRpnuEJmelVJMvIUmhM_p6MoTMzUa8YYZ5M6L2JfeB8p21pXeFrs_xc1G11V3DIJGwS23FqdSwotsjoZ_lF3zPLDQZXFHohf2WBTy62cYqQ2CjJdJtZoY6Nd1ZHQIZiynKnlYg=s2208" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2208" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2EQJpnIgkreUDBvms-k_1B-ACZjk3_7oqJgLPPSf6i0OAqj6cbcxcVRpnuEJmelVJMvIUmhM_p6MoTMzUa8YYZ5M6L2JfeB8p21pXeFrs_xc1G11V3DIJGwS23FqdSwotsjoZ_lF3zPLDQZXFHohf2WBTy62cYqQ2CjJdJtZoY6Nd1ZHQIZiynKnlYg=w640-h304" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Contrary
to Rose’s accusation of negative leadership, many of Parker’s
Cincinnati teammates have spoken highly of his leadership abilities and
how his guidance helped shape their careers. Hall of Fame shortstop
Barry Larkin played his first two major league seasons alongside
Parker. In 2012, Larkin invited Parker to attend his Hall of Fame
induction ceremony. During
Larkin’s induction speech, he detailed how Parker helped instill
confidence in him as a young ballplayer and challenged him to reach his
full potential. Eric Davis shared the Reds outfield with Parker during
his initial four major league seasons. In
his autobiography, Davis wrote about the veteran’s positive impact on
his career: “Dave Parker was the teammate who was most important, my
instructor and mentor on all things peculiar and particular to the big
leagues, my guide and benefactor, my model and the one who showed me by
example what the Man is supposed to do on a team. Not everybody has the
capability of carrying a team. Parker
had that capability, even though he was getting older by then and had
come to the Reds from the Pirates a few seasons after they won the World
Series in 1979.” Davis described Parker as a being “like a
second father” to him and mentioned how Parker stressed the importance
of staying away from drugs.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Parker’s trade from Cincinnati to Oakland benefited both teams. Parker
promptly grew his full-face beard back and once again embraced the
veteran leadership role, passing along his knowledge to the A’s budding
superstars, Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Slowed by
offseason knee surgery and a mid-season thumb injury, Parker had a
disappointing year at the plate in 1988 but helped Oakland reach the
World Series where the club was upset by the<span> </span>Los
Angeles Dodgers. Parker
moved into the full-time designated hitter role for 1989, batting .264
with 22 home runs while leading the A’s potent offense with 97 RBI.
Parker’s rebound campaign netted him the Designated Hitter of the Year
Award. Oakland returned to the Fall Classic and swept the San Francisco
Giants, giving Parker his second World Series championship.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhekVUKWnQcDf1XgW6rsBnxcQ-UAJX-Xw6NXMIHW7dY8GpLHl7JeDuNId5NGYrzKAvy__Sr-XkTEE12bNyTp_BV5Sk2xC_fBfUSjmuAB2SCSjl5lwa3UXVy-e7F9cJg5uKdTKOS-5DXnE_5Hm6AmGPBqgF7Qu3AbQbPsKqPQrpFDtb-dgruY1fGgM0RMw=s1476" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1476" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhekVUKWnQcDf1XgW6rsBnxcQ-UAJX-Xw6NXMIHW7dY8GpLHl7JeDuNId5NGYrzKAvy__Sr-XkTEE12bNyTp_BV5Sk2xC_fBfUSjmuAB2SCSjl5lwa3UXVy-e7F9cJg5uKdTKOS-5DXnE_5Hm6AmGPBqgF7Qu3AbQbPsKqPQrpFDtb-dgruY1fGgM0RMw=w640-h454" width="640" /></a></div><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Left-handed
pitcher Tim Birtsas adequately filled the mop-up role out of the Reds
bullpen for the 1988, 1989, and 1990 seasons. Although
Jose Rijo was just 22 years old at the time of the trade, the
right-handed hurler already had four major league seasons under his
belt. Rijo had shown potential but had yet to succeed at
the big league level, bringing a career record of 19-30 and a 4.75 ERA
to Cincinnati—having just finished a horrendous 1987 campaign in which
he went 2-7 with a 5.90 ERA. Rijo shaved off his mustache
to join the Reds but more importantly shaved a few runs off his ERA,
going 13-8 with a 2.39 ERA in his first season with his new club. The
young righty proved his breakout 1988 campaign was no fluke, becoming
one of the finest starting pitchers in baseball. The
highlight of Rijo’s career came in 1990 when he won a pair of World
Series games against his former team and was named MVP of the Fall
Classic after the Reds completed an improbable sweep over the powerhouse
A’s. Cincinnati’s roster had largely turned over since Parker’s final
season with the team. However, among the key contributors to club’s
championship run were two players mentored by Parker, Barry Larkin and
Eric Davis.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Parker
was not part of the Reds/Athletics World Series matchup, having joined
the Milwaukee Brewers as a free agent for the 1990 season. Parker
played well for Milwaukee, batting .289 with 21 home runs and 92 RBI.
Parker’s
impressive campaign earned the veteran his seventh All-Star selection,
third Silver Slugger, and second straight Designated Hitter of the Year
Award. During the offseason, Parker underwent his fourth knee surgery.
A
few weeks before the beginning of the 1991 campaign, Parker was traded
to the California Angels in exchange for outfielder Dante Bichette.
Parker hit just .232 for the Angels and was released by the club on
September 7. A week later, the 40-year old signed with the Toronto Blue
Jays. Parker finished the season strong, batting .333 in 13 games for
Toronto and helped the team clinch the AL East division title. Since
Parker joined the Blue Jays after August 31, he was ineligible to
participate in the postseason. Parker’s
difficult 1991 proved to be the final campaign for the towering slugger
who retired with a .290 career batting average, 2,712 hits, 339 home
runs, and 1,493 RBI.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Dave
Parker came to the Cincinnati Reds as a humbled superstar looking to
rebuild his reputation. The former MVP experienced a resurgence at the
plate and proved he was still one of the most dangerous hitters in
baseball. Parker also established himself as a clubhouse leader and
embraced the elder statesman role. The
clean-shaven slugger’s four seasons in Cincinnati helped the franchise
breakout of its post-Big Red Machine malaise and re-emerge as a
contender.</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">----by John Tuberty</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parkeda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Parker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Rose</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgeewi01.shtml" target="_blank">Willie McGee</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphda05.shtml" target="_blank">Dale Murphy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benchjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Johnny Bench</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morgajo02.shtml" target="_blank">Joe Morgan</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fostege01.shtml" target="_blank">George Foster</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Schmidt</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/larkiba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Larkin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/daviser01.shtml" target="_blank">Eric Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cansejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jose Canseco</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgwima01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark McGwire</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/o'neipa01.shtml" target="_blank">Paul O’Neill</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rijojo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jose Rijo</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrpe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pedro Guerrero</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/birtsti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Birtsas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonestr01.shtml" target="_blank">Tracy Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/danieka01.shtml" target="_blank">Kal Daniels</a></span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Sources:
Baseball Reference, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dave-parker/" target="_blank">Dave Parker SABR bio</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/dave-parker-reds-best-free-agent-signing-c214186526">MLB.com</a>, <a href="https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/search_paper.asp?PaperId=834" target="_blank">The Sporting News via SABR’s Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/08/sports/reds-sign-parker-for-2-years.html" target="_blank">New York Times December 1983 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1985/09/12/sports/parker-admits-to-cocaine-use.html" target="_blank">New York Times September 1985 article</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1985/02/15/parker-and-reds-3-more-years/59f93c7e-0645-4291-97e5-12e0850b0de1/" target="_blank">Washington Post February 1985 article</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1985/09/12/parker-says-he-arranged-drug-deals/41fdca49-9a3b-46e7-bee2-726d7c0761ad/" target="_blank">Washington Post September 1985 article</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XU6A0iHes4s" target="_blank">Barry Larkin’s Hall of Fame induction speech via MLB YouTube channel</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Cobra.html?id=pH0eEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Dave Parker and Dave
Jordan-</a></span><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Cobra.html?id=pH0eEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;">Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood</span></a><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Cobra.html?id=pH0eEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank"> (University of Nebraska Press)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Born_to_Play.html?id=ZrV5x1XshJsC&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Eric Davis with Ralph Wiley-</a></span><a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Born_to_Play.html?id=ZrV5x1XshJsC&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleItalicBody; font-style: italic;">Born to Play: The Eric Davis Story: Life Lessons in Overcoming Adversity On and Off the Field</span><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"> (Signet)</span></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Quotes credit:</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Parker quote about signing with Cincinnati is from a New York Times December 8, 1983 Joe Durso article</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Pete
Rose quote about Parker deserving the 1985 NL MVP is from p.56 of the
December 2, 1985 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR
access to Paper of Record</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Parker
quote about his 1985 season is from p.12 of the March 24, 1986 edition
of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper of
Record</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Parker
quote about playing through 1987 knee injury is from p.21 of the
September 21, 1987 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via
SABR access to Paper of Record</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Parker
quote about 1987 trade rumors is from p.55 of the December 14, 1987
edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper
of Record</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">-Eric Davis quotes about Parker are from p.109 and 112 of Davis’ autobiography</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Cards:
Dave Parker crop of 1982 Topps, 1987 Topps Album Stickers, 1984 Topps,
1987 Fleer, 1986 Topps, 1988 Topps, 1989 Topps; Pete Rose 1986 Topps,
Barry Larkin 1988 Topps, Eric Davis 1988 Topps, Jose Rijo 1989 Topps</span></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMAYiOux1faLd2SW7aDU9Vd6W7R0ycUnAV-mO8wRfyW541zoECOq9slfZWii54GdL7l35fhakFpFCIquUWDSQ1vduZkPKwVLNgblnNyQl74kqUBYtMdcaz6Vnbf6qvFjSq1oHxPAzdS2F2_epTps2hg1f_gjkzVqE_ODLWRU-6RbCu57SbpsC34gpBXQ=s2236" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="2236" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiMAYiOux1faLd2SW7aDU9Vd6W7R0ycUnAV-mO8wRfyW541zoECOq9slfZWii54GdL7l35fhakFpFCIquUWDSQ1vduZkPKwVLNgblnNyQl74kqUBYtMdcaz6Vnbf6qvFjSq1oHxPAzdS2F2_epTps2hg1f_gjkzVqE_ODLWRU-6RbCu57SbpsC34gpBXQ=w640-h296" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleEmphasizedBody; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;"><br />Other articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</span><p></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</span></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-favorite-baseball-cards-of-jimmy-key.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">My Favorite Baseball Cards of Jimmy Key During His Nine Seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays</span></a></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 22px;"><br /></p><p style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/06/dave-parker-brings-his-unforgettable.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Dave Parker Brings His Unforgettable Career to Life in “Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood”</span></a></p><p> </p><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-67947596247762360782022-02-17T07:46:00.001-05:002022-06-21T09:12:09.316-04:00Mudcat Grant: A True Renaissance Man of Baseball<div class="a3s aiL" id=":ng"><div dir="auto"><div style="color: #454545;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmIjZMDjWo7-J97tKr9O8hbIJL8RpPHT97ytWU6NBdOETMIUi8ZivkoSKnsnC21tVeSOtw1m4Uu5fGdG3otmvyiXCs_ph6uJePPgENFGTEW5p6NrYWLQadkYezL1acrkx90qxYw2SVFksxHng1xJEVOorTk917HuSDLVsPEy8fE3qTqNKzscJRvFW-TQ=s2260" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2260" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmIjZMDjWo7-J97tKr9O8hbIJL8RpPHT97ytWU6NBdOETMIUi8ZivkoSKnsnC21tVeSOtw1m4Uu5fGdG3otmvyiXCs_ph6uJePPgENFGTEW5p6NrYWLQadkYezL1acrkx90qxYw2SVFksxHng1xJEVOorTk917HuSDLVsPEy8fE3qTqNKzscJRvFW-TQ=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br />Jim
“Mudcat” Grant’s major league career spanned from 1958 to 1971. Grant
is most remembered for his impressive 1965 season when he made history
by becoming the first African-American pitcher to post a 20-win campaign
in the AL. During the era he played in, Grant was one of the few
pitchers to excel as both a starter and a reliever. However, the
right-handed hurler’s skills were not limited to the baseball diamond as
he also was an entertainer who appeared at night clubs and on
television. Years after his playing career ended, Grant became an
author and wrote about the accomplishments and experiences of his fellow
African-American 20-game winners. With his many talents, Mudcat Grant
was a true renaissance man of baseball.</div><div style="color: #454545;"><br /></div><div style="color: #454545;">Grant
was born on August 13, 1935 in Lacoochee, Florida, a small town roughly
40 miles north of Tampa. Grant described Lacoochee as a “company town”
developed by a lumber mill which set up tiny row houses that acted as
workers’ quarters for the company’s employees. Grant and his family
lived in impoverished conditions with no electricity or running water.
Growing up as an African-American in the segregated South, he also
faced discrimination and often had to endure verbal and physical
punishment due to the color of his skin. At age 13, Grant went to work
in the lumber mill, an exhausting and dangerous job for anyone, much
less a young teenager. “Working in the lumber mill was tough work,”
Grant recalled. “You come home bone tired. You can get fingers, arms,
and legs cut off. You can get buried in sawdust. You could even get
killed. I had relatives who were hurt, but none died in the mills. But
people did die. When it happened, there was a chilling sound of a
whistle coming from the mill. It was a whistle between shifts, which
wasn’t supposed to sound. That was when you knew something bad had
happened.”</div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><br /></div><div>Grant’s
baseball career started during his early teen years playing for a local
semi-pro black team, the Lacocchee Nine Devils. In 1951, a scout from
the Boston Braves offered Grant a contract but tore it up when he found
out the youngster was only 16. Fortunately, Grant had also caught the
eye of the Cleveland Indians who invited him to their Daytona Beach
spring training camp in 1954. Grant was given the nickname “Mudcat” at
the camp by an older player, Leeroy Irby, who thought he looked like he
was from Mississippi. “He began to call me Mudcat,” the pitcher
explained. “You know the saying, ‘Mississippi Mud.’ There must be
mudcats in Mississippi. All of a sudden I realized I had a nickname.
Everybody called me Mudcat.” The young hurler initially resented the
moniker but eventually came to accept and embrace being called
“Mudcat.” The Indians sent Grant to their Fargo-Moorehead Class C
affiliate
where he went 21-5 with a 3.40 ERA and was named the Northern League’s
Rookie of the Year. The following season, he was moved up to Class B
Keokuk where he posted a similar 19-3 record and 3.46 ERA. Grant spent
1956 in Class A Reading but struggled by comparison, seeing his record
slide back to 12-13 and his ERA rise to 3.72. Nevertheless, for 1957,
the righty was promoted to San Diego of the Pacific Coast League where
he dominated opposing hitters, going 18-7 with a 2.31 ERA. After four
years in the Indians minor league system, Grant made Cleveland’s roster
to open the 1958 season. On April 17, he took the hill for his first
major league start against the Kansas City Athletics. The 22-year old
rookie showed a veteran’s poise, keeping the A’s bats in check but
trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the ninth. With two out and
runners on 1st and 2nd base, Grant’s spot in the batting order came up.
Indians manager Bobby Bragan pinch-hit veteran slugger Mickey Vernon
for Grant. Vernon stroked a double to left field which scored both
runners to give the Tribe the 3-2 win and Grant credit for a complete
game victory. At the time of his major league debut, he was one of
barely a handful of black pitchers regularly used in the starting role.
Grant made 44 appearances during his rookie campaign, 28 as a starter
and 16 in relief. He finished the year with a 10-11 record and a 3.84
ERA.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn1YzCQs6GoSGKVlhWHtVJEcQfZbVS3jqYpx11MzLgq4YS8U16G4y0JXChsOE5WLuxq2XPYiXIVq9c7tadWya0r5VIRE98twCvsc6NsbUy2YRWXcaecO0QFUH0-aIHVcGnJGRbc6JdoivSi4yILZ4NPtvD9g2zVMY5Aeq_qhZvy_UOLV9Kjy-CFSXN2Q=s2232" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="2232" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn1YzCQs6GoSGKVlhWHtVJEcQfZbVS3jqYpx11MzLgq4YS8U16G4y0JXChsOE5WLuxq2XPYiXIVq9c7tadWya0r5VIRE98twCvsc6NsbUy2YRWXcaecO0QFUH0-aIHVcGnJGRbc6JdoivSi4yILZ4NPtvD9g2zVMY5Aeq_qhZvy_UOLV9Kjy-CFSXN2Q=w640-h300" width="640" /></a></div><br />One of the highlights of Grant’s rookie
season, was getting the opportunity to become teammates with his
childhood hero, Larry Doby. In July 1947, Doby achieved the pioneer
role of becoming the AL’s first black player less than three months
after Jackie Robinson integrated Major League Baseball. Doby took Grant
under his wing and proved to be a great role model for the rookie
pitcher. Grant reflected on the positive impact Doby had on him as a
young player, “The most I ever learned about the game was from him. He
taught me everything from how to dress and mix colors to how to become
part of the community. Larry made sure he went out into his community
and spoke to people. He knew people by name everywhere from Kansas City
to Washington, D.C.” Doby also advised Grant on how to deal with the
prejudice he faced being a black player in a sport that had only been
integrated a decade before.</div><div><br /></div><div>In addition to
Doby, Grant received guidance from legendary hurler Satchel Paige.
“Doby taught me about life, but Satchel Paige taught me about pitching,
so I had the best coaches in the world right there,” Grant recalled.
“I met Satch in 1955 when we were both in the minor leagues and he was
so smart and funny. One day he told me, ‘You’re gonna need a titty
pitch if you want to pitch in the majors.’ I thought it was a dirty
joke, but no, he was serious. ‘A titty pitch is right here,’ he said,
pointing to his chest. What he was trying to tell me is that if you
can’t pitch inside at the top level, you can’t succeed. But he had to
communicate it in his style, which was always fun, because you never
knew what he was going to say next.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Following
his rookie campaign, Grant bounced back and forth between the starting
rotation and bullpen in 1959 and 1960, going a combined 19-15 with a
4.26 ERA. Sadly, an ugly incident brought a premature end to the young
hurler’s 1960 season. On September 16, the Indians hosted the Kansas
City Athletics. Grant stood in the bullpen and sang along during the
playing of the National Anthem. When the “land of the free and the home
of the brave” line came up, Grant instead sang something to the effect
of “This land is not so free, I can’t even go to Mississippi.” Bullpen
coach Ted Wilks took exception to Grant’s improvised lyrics and called
the pitcher a racial slur. Grant left the ballpark in disgust. As a
result, he was suspended by the club for the final two weeks of the
season for leaving the ballpark without permission. Fortunately, Grant
and Wilks never again shared a clubhouse as the bullpen coach left the
organization at the season’s end.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant shook
off the ugly ending to his 1960 campaign and opened the following year
strong, winning his first seven decisions. The young righty finished
the season with a solid 15-9 record and 3.86 ERA. In the process, he
became a mainstay in the Tribe’s starting rotation. Grant also emerged
as one of the leaders in the locker room. Barry Latman, who served as
Cleveland’s player representative and pitched alongside Grant for four
seasons said the young hurler acted as a “go-between between black and
white players,” adding that “if there was ever a problem I’d go to
Mudcat Grant, who had a good relationship with everybody.”</div><div><br /></div><div>During
his career, Grant had the opportunity to become acquainted with many
famous entertainers like Miles Davis and Billie Holliday as well as
important figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy.
When Grant was invited to a face-to-face meeting with Kennedy, he took
the opportunity to make the President aware of the poor conditions in
Lacoochee. Grant’s meeting with Kennedy helped lead to Lacoochee being
part of a federal assistance program.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant
earned his first All-Star selection in 1963. Despite Cleveland playing
host to the Midsummer Classic and being the Tribe’s sole representative
for the AL All-Star team, Mudcat was not called upon to pitch in the
game. During Grant’s 1963 All-Star campaign, he shared the clubhouse
with 43-year-old hurler Early Wynn, who had previously played for
Cleveland from 1949 to 1957. With 299 career victories to his credit,
Wynn was signed by the Tribe to give the veteran the chance to win his
300th game. On July 13, Wynn successfully accomplished his goal and
reached the 300-win plateau. Wynn retired at the end of the year but
remained with the Indians organization, replacing the club’s longtime
pitching coach Mel Harder for the 1964 season. Grant struggled mightily
under the direction of Wynn, who insisted on tinkering with the
right-hander’s delivery. “He (Wynn) wanted me to throw overhand
although that was not my natural delivery and I was uncomfortable doing
it,” Grant explained. “It was much more natural for me to throw
side-armed. I don’t know if that was the only reason for my lousy start
in 1964, but it was certainly a main contributing factor.” On June 15,
Grant’s record stood at 3-4 with an unsightly 5.95 ERA when he was
traded to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for pitcher Lee Stange, minor
league third baseman George Banks, and a reported $75,000 in cash
considerations. “I hate to leave Cleveland,” Grant said after the
trade. “I started here and I wanted to finish here. But ball players
are like streetcars—we come and go. I was always proud to be an
Indian. Larry Doby was my idol and I always aspired to play on the team
he had
been with.” In six-plus seasons with Cleveland, Grant went 67-63 while
posting a slightly-higher than the league average 4.02 ERA during that
stretch.</div><div><br /></div><div>With his trade to the Twins, the
28-year-old Grant joined an impressive roster that featured a solid
young core of players including Harmon Killebrew, Tony Oliva, Zoilo
Versalles, and Jim Kaat. Grant flourished in his new environment going
11-9 with a 2.82 ERA, following the trade, to finish the season with an
overall 14-13 record and a respectable 3.67 ERA. One of the main
reasons for Grant’s significant improvement in Minnesota was his ability
to get his walks under control. During the majority of his years in
Cleveland, Grant averaged around four walks per nine innings. However,
with his trade to the Twins, he was able to essentially cut that total
in half.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant started off his 1965 campaign by
winning his first five decisions and was 9-2 when he earned his second
trip to the All-Star Game. With the game being held in Minnesota’s
Metropolitan Stadium, once again, Mudcat’s home ballpark played host to
the Midsummer Classic. Yet, on this occasion, Grant was not his team’s
sole representative as the hurler was one of six Minnesota players on
the AL squad. With the junior circuit trailing 3-0, Grant was called
upon to pitch the second and third innings. Grant’s performance was
shaky as he gave up a two-run homer to Willie Stargell, which gave the
NL a 5-0 lead, before he settled down and struck out sluggers Dick
Allen, Ernie Banks, and Pete Rose. The AL came back to even the score
in the fifth inning but ultimately lost the game, 6-5. Going into the
All-Star break, Minnesota stood atop the AL standings with a five-game
lead over the second-place Indians. Grant and the Twins continued
winning in the second half of the season while his former club
floundered and fell out of the pennant race. On September 25, Grant
took the mound against the Washington Senators with a chance to win his
twentieth game. Grant pitched brilliantly, going the distance in
Minnesota’s 5-0 triumph. The righty gave up just one hit—a third inning
double to Don Blasingame—and a pair of walks while striking out seven.
With his one-hit shutout, Grant made history by becoming the first
African-American pitcher to post a 20-win season in the AL. Prior to
Grant, the only African-American hurlers with 20-win campaigns were Don
Newcombe and Sam Jones, who each accomplished the feat in the NL.</div><div><br /></div><div>The
day after Grant’s one-hit gem, the Twins clinched the AL pennant.
Minnesota ended the year at 102-60, seven games in front of the
second-place Chicago White Sox. A key contributor to the pennant,
Mudcat finished the season with a 21-7 record and 3.30 ERA. Grant’s 21
victories led the AL while his .750 win-loss percentage and six shutouts
also paced the junior circuit. In addition, he ranked second in the
league with 14 complete games and third with 270 1/3 innings pitched.
Grant credited Twins pitching coach Johnny Sain, who joined the club
prior to the 1965 campaign, with helping him develop into a more
effective pitcher. “Johnny’s first project with me was to teach me a
new pitch,” Grant explained. “He boiled down my repertoire to a
fastball, a change of pace and a slow curve, and he wanted me to learn a
fast curve, which is similar to the slider. That extra pitch, improved
control, and the Twins’ ability to score runs when I was pitching, were
the keys to my becoming a twenty-game winner in 1965.”</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU8u_2CJXFRAhDJ5hA5224tfluc5MeDcrOshESIqftd41bsGDaJWT3PM_tAawha1GfIU-UvIahFpXMHJNTrR5oqFPRAcPcJBIjYDTkUp_UqTCR0tXgcnDnK-uIIukAOWJmTgIUOLXnq-GJvGkmPYUjG7Li257ZgK6M1hJ8fO_uVPeyXqfj6kBMHT1mLQ=s2264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2264" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiU8u_2CJXFRAhDJ5hA5224tfluc5MeDcrOshESIqftd41bsGDaJWT3PM_tAawha1GfIU-UvIahFpXMHJNTrR5oqFPRAcPcJBIjYDTkUp_UqTCR0tXgcnDnK-uIIukAOWJmTgIUOLXnq-GJvGkmPYUjG7Li257ZgK6M1hJ8fO_uVPeyXqfj6kBMHT1mLQ=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></div><br />Minnesota
showed their confidence in Grant by naming him starting pitcher for
Game One of the World Series against the NL champion Los Angeles
Dodgers. Grant faced off against veteran hurler Don Drysdale at
Metropolitan Stadium. Grant outdueled his Dodger counterpart, going the
distance and allowing just a pair of runs in Minnesota’s 8-2 victory.
With the Twins up 2-1 in the Series, Grant took the hill for Game Four,
once again opposing Drysdale, this time on the road at Dodger Stadium.
In a reversal of Game One, Drysdale gave up just two runs and went the
distance while Grant failed to make it out of the sixth inning and was
touched up for five runs as Los Angeles evened the Series with a 7-2
victory. After the Dodgers won Game Five, the Series returned to
Minnesota with the Twins facing elimination. Despite suffering from
achy knees and a cold that had plagued him throughout the Series, Grant
took the ball for Game Six on two days’ rest opposite Claude Osteen.
Grant rose to the occasion and pitched his finest game of the Series,
once again going the full nine innings, this time allowing no walks
while holding Los Angeles to just six hits and a single run in the Twins
5-1 victory. Mudcat also helped his own cause in the bottom of the
sixth inning when he launched a three-run home run off reliever Howie
Reed to make the score 5-0. Grant’s blast came after Reed had
intentionally walked number eight hitter Frank Quilici with two out and a
runner on second to face the righty. Years later Grant reflected on
his home run, “He threw me a hanging curve and I said to myself, ‘Oh, my
goodness, look at this.’ I remember after I hit that home run the fans
were so excited, it was deafening. I played that whole Series in a
fog, floating on air.” Grant’s victory forced a decisive seventh game.
However, Minnesota’s bats were no match for Los Angeles’ Game Seven
starter, Sandy Koufax, who held the Twins to just three hits in a 2-0
shutout victory to give the Dodgers the World Series championship.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant’s 21-win campaign earned him AL Pitcher of the Year honors from <i>The Sporting News</i>.
Additionally, the righty finished sixth in the AL MVP vote. As Grant
began gaining more recognition for his achievements on the mound, he
also started drawing attention for his talents off the field as well.
Grant’s delightful nature made him a sought-after speaker for banquets
and schools. At these speaking events he would often recite a poem he
wrote called “Life” which compared life to a game of baseball umpired by
God where emotions like love, ambition, and courage play on your team
while feelings such as greed, anger, and fear are part the opposing
side. The hurler’s notoriety in baseball helped opened up opportunities
for him to follow his other passion, singing. He began taking bookings
at night clubs, sometimes performing solo or fronting a group he formed
called Mudcat and the Kittens which featured a full band with three
female dancers providing backing vocals. Grant sang a wide variety of
music including rhythm and blues, ballads, rock n’ roll, pop, and jazz.
In addition, he also danced and told jokes as part of his act. Grant
made a television appearances on <i>The Tonight Show</i> <i>Starring Johnny Carson </i>shortly after the conclusion of the World Series and was also spotlighted on <i>The Jimmy Dean Show</i> a
few weeks before the start of the 1966 season. As a pitcher, singer,
speaker, and poet, the multi-talented Grant truly was a renaissance man
of baseball. Grant’s engaging personality not only served him well as
an entertainer but also endeared him to his teammates. Just as he had
in Cleveland, Grant established himself as a leader in Minnesota’s
locker room. Bob Fowler, a beat writer who covered the Twins during
this era, described Grant as the catalyst and synergy of the club.
Fowler also added, “He was a guy that players, whether they were black
or white, looked up to.”</div><div><br /></div><div>With his 21-win
season, pair of World Series victories, and television appearances,
Grant was quickly becoming one of baseball’s most recognizable players.
Prior to the 1966 season, Grant sought a raise after his banner 1965
campaign. When the Twins countered with a much lower offer than what he
was seeking, the righty decided to stage a holdout. In the days before
free agency, players were bound by the reserve clause, thus one of the
few ways a player could increase their salary when they reached an
impasse with management was to holdout. Grant was one of three Twins
players whose holdouts stretched into March. Grant’s holdout lasted the
longest of the three and drew the most media attention which, in the
process, raised the ire of Minnesota’s penny-pinching owner Calvin
Griffith. While Grant was able to increase his salary with the holdout,
he still wound up settling for a much lower raise than what he had been
seeking.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although Grant missed part of spring
training due to his holdout, he showed no signs of rust when the 1966
campaign began, going the distance in a 2-1 victory over the Kansas City
Athletics on Opening Day. However, unlike the previous year, luck and
run support were not on Grant’s side as his record stood at an ugly 5-12
through the first half of the season despite a 3.28 ERA that was nearly
identical to his 1965 mark. Meanwhile, the Twins appeared to be
suffering from a World Series-hangover as the beleaguered club had
managed just a 40–45 record going into the All-Star break and was
already 17 games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles.
Nevertheless, both Grant and Minnesota found their footing in the
season’s second act. The hurler posted an excellent 8-1 record to
finish the year at 13-13 with a 3.25 ERA while the Twins went an
MLB-best 49-28 after the All-Star break to close at 89-73 and end the
campaign as runner-up to Baltimore who won the AL pennant by nine
games. Grant’s middling record was largely the result of a decrease in
run
support. After being provided an average of 5.63 runs per game in 1965,
the righty’s run support dropped by a full run and three-quarters to
3.88 in 1966. Overall, Minnesota’s offense scored 100 fewer runs than
the year before. By contrast, the Twins pitching staff allowed 19 less
runs. Even though their staff had remained among the league’s best, the
club decided to part ways with pitching coach Johnny Sain at the end of
the season. The firing of Sain drew criticism from multiple Twins
pitchers including Grant. In Sain’s place, the team hired one of
Grant’s former pitching coaches in Cleveland, Early Wynn. During the
offseason, Minnesota acquired right-hander Dean Chance to bolster their
already impressive rotation. Chance, along with Grant and Kaat, gave
the Twins a trio of former 20-game winners as well as the three most
recent recipients of <i>The Sporting News</i> AL Pitcher of the Year Award.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite
Grant’s banner 1965 season and strong finish to 1966, he found himself
the odd man out in Minnesota’s rotation just a few months into the 1967
campaign. Grant’s record stood at 4-5 with a 3.28 ERA on May 27 when he
missed a couple of turns in the rotation due to his troublesome knees.
On June 9, manager Sam Mele was fired after the team’s disappointing
25-25 start. When Grant returned from injury, Mele’s replacement, Cal
Ermer, used him erratically, starting him only four times over the next
month and a half. Grant struggled to find consistency under Ermer and
clashed with both his new manager as well as his pitching coach Wynn.
The situation came to a head in late July when the Twins were on the
road in New York to face the Yankees. Following the opening game
between the two clubs, Ermer ran a curfew check at the team’s hotel and
discovered several players, including Grant, were not in their rooms.
The righty explained he had gone to the hotel clerk and asked to stay
in a different room because his roommate Earl Battey was nursing a
bruised arm and did not want to sleep in an air-conditioned room.
Nevertheless, Ermer fined Grant $250 and pulled him from his scheduled
start the next day. As a result, Grant asked to be traded. The hurler
informed Ermer of his trade request and then made his intentions public,
giving his side of the incident and why he was set on leaving the
Twins. “I do not mind so much the $250 fine,” Grant said. “I do object
to Ermer not believing in me.” The incident highlighted the growing
disconnect between Grant and Ermer. “I never thought it was necessary
to notify him I had changed rooms,” Grant explained. “The fact that I
was scheduled to pitch, in my mind, was an automatic understanding that I
would be in bed before curfew.” Despite making his trade request
public, Grant completed the season with Minnesota. The disgruntled
pitcher was used sparingly for the remainder of the campaign, drawing
just one more start after Ermer’s fine while being relegated to mostly
mop-up duty out of the bullpen. Grant finished his bitter 1967 season
with a 5-6 record and a career-worst 4.72 ERA as the Twins lost out to
the Boston Red Sox by a single game in a close pennant race.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTMNQeKVu5lBG7ZYiyoNTFRfyZxPwT0K1pkR02H1MSaID6X4lr4zZsC8uu2sUaApQ18H3R18U8_V6pJljNzTwN94AWcHa05-R9ua3vqRWhRAF2v6M4PxHOj5SIKeeGfqPu4qi6212bz5Zyxxo-4p8KmywuAU8SuF2mVZhOY4iodtEYKFGeJ2Uv3b0VbA=s2268" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="2268" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhTMNQeKVu5lBG7ZYiyoNTFRfyZxPwT0K1pkR02H1MSaID6X4lr4zZsC8uu2sUaApQ18H3R18U8_V6pJljNzTwN94AWcHa05-R9ua3vqRWhRAF2v6M4PxHOj5SIKeeGfqPu4qi6212bz5Zyxxo-4p8KmywuAU8SuF2mVZhOY4iodtEYKFGeJ2Uv3b0VbA=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></div><br />On
November 28, Minnesota finally dealt Grant, packaging him with
shortstop Zoilo Versalles in a blockbuster trade to the club’s World
Series opponent from two years earlier, the Los Angeles Dodgers. In
exchange for Grant and Versalles, the Twins received catcher John
Roseboro and a pair of relief pitchers, Bob Miller and Ron Perranoski.
Like Grant, Versalles had been one of the main contributors to
Minnesota’s 1965 pennant-capturing drive, winning that season’s AL MVP
Award. Versalles also experienced his own issues with Ermer who chose
to bench the shortstop for late inning defensive substitutes during the
closing weeks of the season. Shaken by the trade, Versalles commented
on his icy relationship with Ermer, “I said ‘good morning’ to him; he
said ‘good morning’ to me. That’s about all. You know that when you
play all these years and then they bench you in the eighth or ninth
innings, something’s wrong. I was playing brokenhearted.” While Grant
was pleased to be leaving the Twins, he took the opportunity to take the
team’s owner and manager to task, telling Stan Issacs of <i>Newsday</i>,
“Even if it was Piston, Georgia in the Piedmont League, it would have
been better than Minnesota. Spiritually and mentally I’ll have peace of
mind by getting away from Minnesota, from Griffith and the new manager,
Cal Ermer. That team is a mess, mostly because of Griffith and his
meddling.”</div><div><br /></div><div>After Grant’s difficult 1967
campaign, some were ready to write the 32-year-old veteran off,
suggesting that one more bad season would likely bring an end to his
career. Nevertheless, Grant flourished in his new environment, playing
alongside many of his former World Series foes. The righty hoped to
make the Dodgers starting rotation but was primarily used in a mop-up or
long relief role. Grant did make four spot starts during the first
half of the season and pitched well, going 1-2 with a 2.88 ERA.
However, the hurler was at his best out of the bullpen where he posted a
minuscule 1.80 ERA. Grant was particularly good from late August-on,
allowing just a pair of runs over his final 36 innings to close out the
season with an excellent 2.08 ERA. Los Angeles finished the campaign
tied for seventh with a 76-86 record, a three-game improvement from the
previous year. Meanwhile, Minnesota struggled in their first full
season with Cal Ermer at the helm, going 79-83 to slide back to seventh
in the AL. After the disappointing campaign, Ermer was replaced as
manager by Billy Martin.</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite
re-establishing himself as an effective pitcher, Los Angeles left Grant
unprotected during the 1968 expansion draft where he was subsequently
selected by the Montreal Expos. Joining the startup Expos franchise
presented the veteran with the opportunity to become a starter again.
Mudcat rose to the occasion, yielding just one earned run during spring
training. Having a dominant spring was out of character for the
Florida native, who usually struggled during baseball’s preseason.
Montreal was so impressed by Grant’s outstanding spring, he was given
the honor of being the franchise’s first Opening Day starter. For the
Expos’ initial game, the club faced the New York Mets, on the road, at
Shea Stadium with Grant pitching opposite Tom Seaver. Although the
righty struggled with effectiveness and was lifted from the game in the
second inning with Montreal trailing, 3-2, the Expos ultimately came
back to win an 11-10 slugfest. Unfortunately, Grant’s poor Opening Day
outing was a sign of things to come for the hurler. After beating the
Cubs in his second start of the season, he lost his next six decisions.
On June 3, Montreal traded Grant to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher
Gary Waslewski. While being sent from the Expos to the Cardinals put
Grant with a more competitive club, he knew he had lost his opportunity
to prove he belonged in the starting rotation. “I’ll have to go back to
the bullpen and I don’t dig that,” Grant remarked after the trade.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mudcat
was the pitcher of record for each of his first six appearances with
the Cardinals. The veteran took the loss in a rough debut for St.
Louis on June 7 when he allowed the go-ahead run after entering the
seventh inning of a tied game against the Houston Astros. Four nights
later, he made a lengthy relief appearance, pitching the final seven
frames to earn the win against the Cincinnati Reds. On June 19, Grant
made the Expos pay for trading him by finishing the game with five and
one-third scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Grant subsequently drew
a June 25 starting assignment on the road in Montreal where for the
second time in the space of a week, he triumphed over his former club,
going the distance in an 8-3 win. St. Louis then decided to start Grant
on three days’ rest against the Chicago Cubs. In a stark contrast to
his previous start, Grant pitched miserably, retiring only one batter
before giving up four runs en route to taking the loss in a 12-1
drubbing. On July 3, Grant made his second straight start on three
days’ rest and faced the Mets. Once again, the results were not pretty,
as he was tagged with his ninth loss of the season after surrendering
five runs in three and two-thirds of an inning as part of an 8-1
defeat. Grant had no way of knowing at the time but his loss against
the Mets
would be the final start of his career. After his pair of rough
outings, the righty settled back into the bullpen. Unlike Los Angeles
the year before, St. Louis called upon Grant in tight games and high
leverage situations. Towards the end of the season, he became one the
club’s main options to close out games. Grant finished the campaign
with seven saves, five of which came in September. His combined record
for Montreal and St. Louis stood at 8-11 with a 4.42 ERA. However,
there was a significant gap between his 5.46 ERA as a starter and 3.16
mark in relief. St. Louis ended the year at 87-75 but was unable to
factor into the NL West pennant race.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCS5bxyrKyzItcLkKTOe_AaGUS3B2HIDhQXlk2fXKcIh8wbLqvGZO1KR1L1BJ0iGJsQ7Goz6o63yHJYMsQfk_cFWqJyDncl8qXDNXoKvB6XZ5eWnTDAMQ60VWcTskK3COPIQu7is1jeHIFJQ5xnxOkuJjoVrg7Yk2E41aGuuzauMT92Sf0ESf6S-iiMQ=s1620" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1620" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhCS5bxyrKyzItcLkKTOe_AaGUS3B2HIDhQXlk2fXKcIh8wbLqvGZO1KR1L1BJ0iGJsQ7Goz6o63yHJYMsQfk_cFWqJyDncl8qXDNXoKvB6XZ5eWnTDAMQ60VWcTskK3COPIQu7is1jeHIFJQ5xnxOkuJjoVrg7Yk2E41aGuuzauMT92Sf0ESf6S-iiMQ=w640-h304" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
this era, the United States was embroiled in the controversial Vietnam
War. Grant made multiple offseason trips with the USO to visit soldiers
stationed in South Vietnam. As part of these goodwill tours, Grant and
a group of baseball players traveled to remote bases to meet with
troops serving on the front lines and also visited wounded service
members in hospitals and intensive care wards. Grant was touched by
these experiences and did his best to raise the soldiers’ spirits by
singing and dancing to entertain the troops and taking time to read
letters from home to critically injured soldiers.</div><div><br /></div><div>After
splitting the 1969 season between Montreal and St. Louis, Grant once
again found himself on the move when he was sold to the Oakland
Athletics on December 5 for the hefty sum of $50,000—an amount which was
double the $25,000 waiver price. Grant joined an A’s club that, after
spending decades as an AL-doormat, had finally emerged into a
contender. Led by the breakout performances of young sluggers Reggie
Jackson and
Sal Bando, Oakland finished the 1969 campaign in second place with an
88-74 record.</div><div><br /></div><div>On March 28, a little over a week
before the start of the regular season, Grant played in the East-West
Major League Baseball Classic to honor the late Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr. The charity exhibition game, which was held at Dodgers Stadium,
featured more than a dozen future Hall of Famers including Hank Aaron,
Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, and Tom Seaver. Players were divided
geographically into two teams of East and West. Grant put his
non-baseball talents to use by singing a soulful rendition of the
National Anthem during the pregame ceremonies. Grant took the mound
late in the game for the West but was unable to help his team win.
Sensing a good promotional opportunity, A’s owner Charlie Finley called
upon Grant to sing the National Anthem before the club’s April 13 home
opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. This marked the first time an
active player sang the Anthem before a major league game. In addition
to Grant’s singing, the home opener was also notable for the use of
bright gold bases as part of a one-game experiment commissioner Bowie
Kuhn allowed Finley to try.</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant started the
season in the all too familiar role of mop-up reliever
but by late May with his ERA sitting well below 2.00, the team began
using the veteran as their primary reliever to protect late game leads.
During this era, the top relief pitchers were commonly referred to as
firemen or stoppers. Unlike today, where one-inning saves are the norm,
primary relievers of this era were often asked to come into the game
with runners on base and pitch multiple innings. Despite thriving in
the fireman role, Mudcat still was hoping for a chance to prove
himself as a starter in Oakland. “Everyone prefers starting,” the
34-year-old veteran said. “There’s just something about starting and
relieving. Starters are still considered to be better pitchers, even
when that isn’t true in all cases. It’s something that’s left over from
the past. We’re still living in the past in some respects.” Mudcat
excelled in the fireman’s role and by the end of June had picked up 11
saves and lowered his ERA to 0.93. Aside from his stellar work on the
mound, Grant was also showcasing his musical talents, making appearances
at Oakland’s Jack London Inn night club.</div><div><br /></div><div>Although
the acquisition of Grant gave Oakland a reliable reliever who could be
counted on to secure victories in tight games, the club was still having
trouble closing the gap the first-place Twins had opened up on them
early in the season. Many of Grant’s former teammates still called
Minnesota home though, manager Cal Ermer and pitching coach Early Wynn,
the two men the righty clashed with during his final year with the
Twins, had since been replaced in their respective roles. Grant locked
down saves number 19 and 20 against Minnesota on August 9 and 10 and by
the middle of the month, the A’s had pulled to within three and a half
games of the Twins. However, Oakland lost ground with a disastrous 1-11
stretch during the latter part of August. Then, on September 14—with
the A’s eight games in arrears of the Twins—Finley abandoned any efforts
to win the division when he sold Grant to the Pittsburgh Pirates. Two
days later, the eccentric owner departed with another one of his key
veterans when he sold outfielder Tommy Davis to the Chicago Cubs.
Finley’s late season moves drew criticism from members of the press as
well as his own players but the team owner defended the sales explaining
he had acquired Grant and Davis to finish first and didn’t need them to
finish second. Prior to his sale to Pittsburgh, Mudcat was putting the
finishing touches on his finest season as a reliever with a 6-2 record
and 1.82 ERA while successfully converting 24 of 25 save attempts. In
addition, Grant had proved to be a great fit in the A’s clubhouse,
providing a strong veteran presence for the young team. The
well-traveled hurler would now be moving to his seventh organization and
sixth in the space of four seasons. Yet, in leaving Oakland, Grant
expressed a level of disappointment that had not been present when he
departed other teams. “Everything I did was for the Oakland A’s,” Grant
said after learning he was sold to Pittsburgh. “You join the club, you
put your worth into the club, you hurt for the club, you have an
outstanding year for the club, and two weeks before the end of the
season, someone (Finley) phones you that you’ve been sold. Finley
thanked me for the season I had and for the help I gave some of the
players. This really hurt.”</div><div><br /></div><div>At the time of
Grant’s sale to Pittsburgh, the Pirates were in the midst of a close
three-team NL East pennant race with the New York Mets and Chicago
Cubs. However, since the hurler had been acquired by the club after
August
31, he was ineligible for postseason play should the Pirates win the NL
East. Nevertheless, Grant was still able to make a big impact in the
pennant race. On September 16, the righty made his first appearance
with his new team, protecting a two-run lead with three scoreless
innings against the Philadelphia Phillies to help ensure a 5-3 victory
before giving way to Pittsburgh’s fireman, Dave Giusti, in the ninth.
With the Pirates holding a two and a half game edge over both New York
and Chicago, the club hosted the Mets for a crucial September
25-27 three-game series. During the series opener, Pirates manager
Danny Murtaugh called upon Grant with one out in the top of the seventh
after a bases loaded walk by Giusti allowed the Mets to tie the score.
Grant induced New York’s number three hitter Cleon Jones to ground into
an inning ending double play. Pittsburgh then scored the go-ahead run
in the bottom of the seventh, thus making Grant the pitcher of record in
the 4-3 victory. The following day, Grant once again entered a tied
game during the top of the seventh inning, this time facing Ken Boswell
with two out and runners on first and second. Grant forced Boswell to
ground out to him to end the threat. Pittsburgh hitters repeated their
heroics
of the night before, scoring the go-ahead run in the bottom of the
seventh while Grant closed out the game to earn his second consecutive
win. The next day, the Pirates beat the Mets in the final game of the
series to complete the sweep and clinch the NL East pennant. Mets
manager Gil Hodges later admitted he had passed on the chance to claim
Grant through waivers, which had allowed Pittsburgh to acquire the
veteran. The Pirates were unable to ride their regular season momentum
into the playoffs as they were subsequently swept by the Cincinnati Reds
in the NLCS. Although Grant was ineligible for Pittsburgh’s postseason
roster, he did have a memorable moment during the NLCS, singing the
National Anthem at Three Rivers Stadium prior to Game Two. Mudcat
finished 1970 with an 8-3 record, 24 saves, and a 1.86 ERA in 135 1/3
innings. Because he was traded away from the AL, his 72 appearances did
not lead the junior circuit but his 80 overall appearances split across
the two leagues led all of baseball. With his 24 saves for the year,
Grant joined Ellis Kinder and his former pitching coach Johnny Sain as
the only hurlers to have
achieved both a 20-win and 20-save season. Technically, Grant is
recognized as the first pitcher to accomplish the feat since Kinder’s
and Sain’s respective 20-save campaigns took place in 1953 and 1954
before saves became an official MLB statistic in 1969.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivn-fexMl_9zbVpK_gH6lLCPopL6zwQDU4WQFbza_WphqwR0gqpG85mgHAsMvnSo5SgV06w_HOl-vjnmqCqLCExmYrRYr8zuObyEWOPiS6xXQBVjPV5vXpfUT_wCTF77VhEXNewJQ1VOSlvRYisJJsIXlE2kwPZlBJNwmK307_azRkEEQetGcBxA4Huw=s2272" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="2272" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivn-fexMl_9zbVpK_gH6lLCPopL6zwQDU4WQFbza_WphqwR0gqpG85mgHAsMvnSo5SgV06w_HOl-vjnmqCqLCExmYrRYr8zuObyEWOPiS6xXQBVjPV5vXpfUT_wCTF77VhEXNewJQ1VOSlvRYisJJsIXlE2kwPZlBJNwmK307_azRkEEQetGcBxA4Huw=w640-h300" width="640" /></a></div><br />During
the offseason, the Pirates completed the Grant sale by sending outfield
prospect Angel Mangual to Oakland. Mudcat picked up right where he
left off in 1970 with an excellent first two months to start his 1971
campaign. While Pittsburgh’s fireman Dave Giusti was given the bulk of
closing duties, Grant was regularly used in tight games and saw his
share of save opportunities as well. After a difficult April 14 outing
in which the righty blew a save and was charged with the loss, he went
on a 25-inning stretch without giving up a run. Grant drew attention,
not only for his success on the mound but also for his appearance. Long
known as one of the most stylish players of his day, Grant sported
thick mutton chop sideburns that reflected the mod subculture that was
growing in popularity. In late May, the former 20-game winner spoke
about his career resurgence as a reliever. “I’m having success at a
late age. I could have folded up, after not starting and falling into
the relief pitching thing. But I count it as another experience.”
Always introspective, Grant also gave insight into how he dealt with
racism that had been directed his way during his life, “Somebody can
hate me, but that person can’t make me hate him. If I do I’ve become
just as sick as him.” At the end of May the veteran’s record stood at
3-1 with a 0.67 ERA and four of five save
opportunities successfully converted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately,
NL hitters began
teeing off Grant in June as he posted a 5.32 ERA for the month and
followed it up with an even more unsightly 5.82 mark in July. After not
giving up a home run during the first two months of the season, he was
taken deep a combined eight times in June and July. In addition, Grant
had uncharacteristically been struggling with control issues throughout
the campaign, allowing an average of more than three walks per nine
innings. By August 9, Grant’s ERA had climbed to 3.60 when Pittsburgh
decided to part ways with the veteran and sold him back to the Oakland
Athletics. Grant was leaving a Pirates team that appeared poised to
return to the postseason, comfortably sitting atop the NL East with a
six and a half game edge over the second-place St. Louis Cardinals.
Fortunately for the righty, the A’s club he was rejoining looked to be
an even safer bet to make the playoffs, leading the AL West by a
commanding 13 1/2 game margin over the runner-up Kansas City Royals.</div><div><br /></div><div>Following
his sale to the A’s, Grant reclaimed his pinpoint control which had
abandoned him in Pittsburgh, pitching 10 innings for Oakland before
issuing his first walk. Home runs were initially a cause for concern as
the righty surrendered three longballs in his first four appearances
for the A’s. However, from that point forward, he did not allow another
batter to go deep on him for the remainder of the year. Grant was
generally used in close games and shared the fireman role with Rollie
Fingers and Darold Knowles as each of the three pitchers saw their share
of save opportunities. On September 15, Grant earned the win, throwing
three scoreless innings against the Chicago White Sox. With Kansas
City’s loss to the California Angels later that evening, Oakland
officially clinched the AL West. The A’s finished the season 16 games
ahead of the second-place Royals with a 101-60 record. In his month and
a half with Oakland, Grant went 1-0 while posting an excellent 1.98 ERA
and successfully converting three of four save attempts. Adding his
totals from Pittsburgh, the veteran’s final ledger for 1971 was an
overall mark of 6-3, supported by a respectable 3.17 ERA, and 10 saves.</div><div><br /></div><div>With
their division title victory, the A’s advanced to the postseason for
the first time in four decades. Oakland’s opponent in the ALCS was the
defending World Series champion Baltimore Orioles who were also winners
of the past two AL pennants. Like Oakland, Baltimore easily clinched
their division, posting a nearly identical 101-57 record.
Unfortunately, the youthful A’s inexperience showed against the
playoff-tested O’s as they dropped the first two games of the series on
the road in Baltimore despite sending a pair of 20-game winners, Catfish
Hunter and Vida Blue, to the hill. The series moved back to Oakland
for Game Three where the A’s, facing elimination, started Diego Segui.
Prior to the game, Grant sang the National Anthem in front of the
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum fans. With the A’s down 5-2 in the top
of the eighth inning, Grant entered the game and pitched the final two
frames. The veteran righty managed to keep Baltimore off the board but
Oakland was unable to mount a challenge and the Orioles completed the
sweep to give the club their third consecutive AL pennant. Baltimore
was then defeated in a thrilling seven-game Fall Classic against the
team that sold Grant to Oakland, the Pittsburgh Pirates.</div><div><br /></div><div>While
Grant had missed out on winning the World Series title with his sale
from Pittsburgh to Oakland, the A’s had turned a corner from contender
into division champion and were in good shape to make another postseason
run in 1972. However, at the end of November, Oakland decided to
release Grant. Charlie Finley called the pitcher personally to deliver
the news. The release of Grant was surprising considering he had been
among the game’s best relief pitchers for the A’s in 1970 and had
returned to the team for a strong finish to his 1971 campaign, all while
providing veteran leadership to a young clubhouse. Grant’s release
perhaps can be traced to Finley not being interested in paying his
lucrative salary, which Pittsburgh had increased to $60,000 prior to the
1971 season. Finley was likely fine with absorbing a portion of
Grant’s salary to obtain him for the stretch drive but parted ways with
the hurler rather than pay his full salary for the upcoming 1972
campaign. “This whole thing of being released means having to prove
myself all over again,” Grant said. “I figure if you do the job, you
should get paid for it. If I play for a smaller amount and do well,
then we’re back into that again—my salary.” Grant did his best to take
the release in stride adding, “I want to remember the game of baseball
as something nice, something I enjoyed playing.” Although the
possibility of retirement loomed, the 36-year-old still showed
confidence in his abilities. “They keep telling me I’m an old man and
that I’m through, but I look around and see guys as old as me not doing
as well.”</div><div><br /></div><div>After being let go by Oakland it
looked as if Grant might retire and pursue a full-time career as an
entertainer. However, Grant chose to continue playing professional
baseball and joined his original club, the Cleveland Indians, for spring
training. Unfortunately, Grant was unable to make the Tribe’s Opening
Day roster but the franchise did offer the veteran a chance to pitch for
their Triple-A team in Portland. Nevertheless, after a phone
conversation with Charlie Finley, the hurler decided to return to the
A’s organization for a third stint, this time in the dual role of
reliever and pitching coach for Oakland’s Des Moines-based Triple-A
affiliate, Iowa Oaks of the American Association. “It’s a good deal,”
Grant said. “I can continue to pitch and get some coaching
experience.” Grant’s deal with the Oaks also gave the righty
flexibility. “Charlie says if any big league club wants to sign me at
any time this season he’ll let me go. Actually, on my record, I don’t
see how anybody let me go this year. I’ll never go to a camp as a free
agent like I did with the Indians.”</div><div><br /></div><div>Grant
pitched well for the Oaks, working as the team’s fireman, a role he had
flourished in during parts of the past two seasons with the A’s.
However, with young reliever Rollie Fingers coming into his own and
veteran hurlers Darold Knowles and Bob Locker also available to close
out tight games, Oakland’s bullpen had the late innings covered. The
righty finished the season with a 5-5 record and an impressive 2.38 ERA
while collecting 16 saves—a mark that trailed only Ron Tompkins among
American Association pitchers. Oakland captured their second
consecutive AL West crown and won their first of three straight World
Series championships. Despite his solid pitching for Iowa, Grant was
unable to earn a promotion to Oakland or draw interest from another
club, a puzzling outcome considering his success with the A’s and the
Pirates over the previous two campaigns.</div><div><br /></div><div>After
the 1972 season, Grant decided to retire, bringing an end to a
professional career that began in 1954 when he left tiny Lacoochee to
try out for the Cleveland Indians. In 14 major league seasons, Grant
compiled a 145-119 record with a 3.63 ERA and 54 saves. With his
playing career behind him, Mudcat chose to, once again, return to his
original team, this time joining the Tribe as a broadcaster. Away from
the ball field, the former pitcher continued to be a sought-after
entertainer for singing and public speaking engagements. After several
years in the booth with Cleveland, Grant made his way back to his final
club, briefly working as a broadcaster for the A’s in 1979. Grant
returned to the baseball diamond for the 1985 season to serve as the
pitching coach for the Atlanta Braves’ Single-A affiliate Durham Bulls.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbtDz1c2dIu1r5D0pQuU3yEQMc9JCSJwKj0CH7kcC81tci5W26ZbfDySov-3Jr-sJmvbdkMbjh377iB7J-Zf9aVn8gKaMoZGY84HU4VUrNaV7TBbMeRmW97dQUj2OH-mcSpY5lTL2qBfNdz0_QfyjCJFJy-T2zOaeTJIsR2zFiuJ7CXKeE2eW9cN2yw=s2272" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="2272" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjTbtDz1c2dIu1r5D0pQuU3yEQMc9JCSJwKj0CH7kcC81tci5W26ZbfDySov-3Jr-sJmvbdkMbjh377iB7J-Zf9aVn8gKaMoZGY84HU4VUrNaV7TBbMeRmW97dQUj2OH-mcSpY5lTL2qBfNdz0_QfyjCJFJy-T2zOaeTJIsR2zFiuJ7CXKeE2eW9cN2yw=w640-h300" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div>At age 70, the multi-talented Grant displayed his skills as an author when he released <i>The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners</i>.
The book profiled each of the African-American pitchers to
win 20 games in a season and also included Negro League hurlers who were
denied the chance to play in the American and
National Leagues due to the color barrier. Among the hurlers profiled
in Grant’s book was San Francisco native Mike Norris who won 22 games
for the A’s in 1980. Norris spoke of the impact that seeing Grant
succeed as an African-American pitcher had on him during his childhood.
“Mud pitched here in Oakland when I was a kid, but he was at the end of
his career,” Norris said. “What that let me know was that it was
possible that a black pitcher could pitch in the big leagues. That’s
what Mud was to me. He was reality.”<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Grant
and several of his fellow Black Aces made appearances at charity events
and benefits. In February 2007, President George W. Bush honored the
Black Aces at the White House as part of an event celebrating Black
History Month. In addition, to Grant, fellow Black Aces Ferguson
Jenkins, Dontrelle Willis, and Mike Norris were in attendance.
President Bush said he viewed the Black Aces as “a way not only to
herald success, but to inspire others” and thanked Grant for “showing
courage, character and perseverance.” In May of that same year, Grant
returned to the Oakland Coliseum for a pregame ceremony honoring the
Black Aces. Alongside Grant were Norris, Vida Blue, and Dave Stewart,
each of whom posted 20-win seasons while pitching for the Athletics.
For the ceremony, the four hurlers wore Kansas City Monarchs jerseys
made famous by Negro League pitching icon Satchel Paige. Fittingly,
Grant sang the National Anthem during the pregame festivities while
Stewart threw out the first pitch.</div><div><br /></div><div>In <i>Black Aces</i>,
Grant said the hardest pitcher to write about was himself. Nevertheless, he did a great job putting his 20-win season and
distinguished career in perspective saying, “I won 21 games, but that’s
the only time I won 20 or more. Maybe it was a reward, or a blessing,
or something like that. But I got a chance to get in that number one
time, and in this small career that I had, I only won 145 games, but
look at it this way: I am one of the few pitchers to win 20 and save
20; I’m the first black pitcher to win 20 games in the American League; I
led the American League in shutouts in 1965 with 6, I was second in the
League with complete games with 14; I was second in the League in
appearances in 1970 with 72, for Oakland. Take all of those things
piled on in that small career and I consider myself blessed.”</div><div><br /></div><div>On
June 11, 2021 Grant passed away at age 85. After learning of his
passing, Twins president and CEO Dave St. Peter honored Grant on Twitter
saying, “God Bless Mudcat. An amazing body of work on the mound. A
HUGE personality off the mound. Will never forget his smile, his voice
or the way he could light up a room.”</div><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grantmu01.shtml" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dobyla01.shtml" target="_blank">Larry Doby</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/paigesa01.shtml" target="_blank">Satchel Paige</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinja02.shtml" target="_blank">Jackie Robinson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allendi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dick Allen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olivato01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Oliva</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kaatji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Kaat</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/killeha01.shtml" target="_blank">Harmon Killebrew</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/aaronha01.shtml" target="_blank">Hank Aaron</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mayswi01.shtml" target="_blank">Willie Mays</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/drysddo01.shtml" target="_blank">Don Drysdale</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/koufasa01.shtml" target="_blank">Sandy Koufax</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero01.shtml" target="_blank">Roberto Clemente</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hodgegi01.shtml" target="_blank">Gil Hodges</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fingero01.shtml" target="_blank">Rollie Fingers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=irby--001lee" target="_blank">Leeroy Irby</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wynnea01.shtml" target="_blank">Early Wynn</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/osteecl01.shtml" target="_blank">Claude Osteen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/versazo01.shtml" target="_blank">Zoilo Versalles</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/norrimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Norris</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stewada01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Stewart</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bluevi01.shtml" target="_blank">Vida Blue</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willido03.shtml" target="_blank">Dontrelle Willis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jenkife01.shtml" target="_blank">Ferguson Jenkins</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonessa02.shtml" target="_blank">Sam Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/newcodo01.shtml" target="_blank">Don Newcombe</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sainjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Johnny Sain</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://paperofrecord.hypernet.ca/search_paper.asp?PaperId=834" target="_blank">The Sporting News via SABR’s Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc" target="_blank">San Bernardino Sun via California Digital Newspaper Collection and SABR’s Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://www.fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html" target="_blank">Albany NY Knickerbocker News Union Star via Fulton Newspapers and SABR Paper of Record</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/mudcat-grant/" target="_blank">Mudcat Grant SABR bio</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1968/04/08/coochee-coos-another-tune" target="_blank">SI Vault</a>,
<a href="https://www.newsbank.com/" target="_blank">The Virginian-Pilot via NewsBank</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1987/10/17/sports/twins-success-kindles-memories-of-65.html" target="_blank">New York Times October 17, 1987 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/12/obituaries/mudcat-grant-dead.html" target="_blank">New York Times June 12, 2021</a>, <a href="https://thisgreatgame.com/mudcat-grant/" target="_blank">This Great Game</a>, <a href="https://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/02/20070212-5.html" target="_blank">George W. Bush White House Archives</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/TwinsPrez/status/1403806105747312645" target="_blank">Dave St. Peter’s Twitter</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19690604&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">Montreal Gazette via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/recap/_/gameId/270530111" target="_blank">ESPN</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Black_Aces.html?id=e9d2GgAACAAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Jim “Mudcat” Grant, Tom Sabellico, and Pat O’Brien-<i>The Black Aces: Baseball’s Only African-American Twenty-Game Winners </i>(Aventine Press)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/We_Played_the_Game.html?id=DtjtAAAAMAAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Danny Peary-<i>We Played the Game: 65 Players Remember Baseball’s Greatest Era, 1947-1964</i> (Hyperion)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Curse_of_Rocky_Colavito.html?id=wQIWEAAAQBAJ&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Terry Pluto-<i>The Curse of Rocky Colavito: A Loving Look at a Thirty-Year Slump</i> (Gray & Company, Publishers)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/A_Baseball_Dynasty.html?id=K4YCAAAACAAJ" target="_blank">Bruce Markusen-<i>A Baseball Dynasty: Charlie Finley’s Swingin’ A’</i>s (Saint Johann Press)</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Quotes credit:</div><div>-Grant quote about growing up in a Lacoochee and working in the lumber mill is from p. 65 of The Curse of Rocky Colavito</div><div>-Grant
quote about origin of Mudcat nickname is from p.5 of the February 1,
1964 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to
Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote about Larry Doby is from p.404 if We Played The Game</div><div>-Grant quote about Satchel Paige is from This Great Game Interview with Grant</div><div>-Grant quote about Ted Wilks incident is from the June 12, 2021 New York Times Mudcat Grant obituary</div><div>-Barry Latman quotes about Grant are from p.482 and 578 of We Played The Game</div><div>-Grant quote about Early Wynn tinkering with his delivery is from p. 224 of Black Aces</div><div>-Grant
quote about being traded from Cleveland is from p. 17 of the June 27,
1964 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to
Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote about working with Johnny Sain is from p.226 of Black Aces</div><div>-Grant quote about hitting a home run during the 1965 World Series is from the October 17, 1987 New York Times</div><div>-Bob Fowler quotes about Grant are from p.53 of A Baseball Dynasty</div><div>-Grant quote about Cal Ermer’s fine is from p.35 of the July 28, 1967 The Virginian-Pilot retrieved via NewsBank</div><div>-Zoilo
Versalles quote about Cal Ermer is from p.44 of the December 16, 1967
edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper
of Record</div><div>-Grant quote about Calvin Griffith and Cal Ermer is
quoted by Stan Isaacs from the December 5, 1967 edition of Newsday and
included on p. 231 of Black Aces</div><div>-Grant quote about trade from
Montreal is from the June 4, 1969 edition of the Montreal Gazette and
was retrieved via Google News Archive</div><div>-Grant quote about
preferring starting over relieving is from p.17 of the May 23, 1970
edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via SABR access to Paper
of Record</div><div>-Grant quote about trade from Oakland is from p.8 of
the October 3, 1970 edition of The Sporting News and was retrieved via
SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quotes about career
resurgence as reliever and dealing with racism are from p.29 of the May
25, 1971 edition of the San Bernardino Sun and was retrieved from
California Digital Newspaper Collection via SABR access to Paper of
Record</div><div>-Grant quote about being released by Oakland is from
p.47 of the December 11, 1971 edition of The Sporting News and was
retrieved via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Grant quote
about joining Iowa Oaks is from the April 8, 1972 edition of the Albany
NY Knickerbocker News Union Star and was retrieved from Fulton
Newspapers via SABR access to Paper of Record</div><div>-Mike Norris quote about Grant is from p.232 of Black Aces</div><div>-George W. Bush quotes about the Black Aces was retrieved from George W. Bush White House Archives</div><div>-Grant career quotes is from p.227 of Black Aces</div><div>-Dave St. Peter quote about Grant is from Dave St. Peter’s Twitter</div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Mudcat Grant cards-1962 Topps, 1978 TCMA, 1972 Topps, 1961 Topps, 1966
Topps, 1967 Topps, 1990 Target Dodgers, 1989 Pacific Baseball Legends
2nd Series, 1969 St. Louis Cardinals Photocards, 1971 Topps, 1991 Swell Baseball Greats, 1985 TCMA
Minor League, Black Aces book cover; Larry Doby 1954 Bowman, Satchel
Paige 2018 Topps Archives, Don Drysdale 1966 Topps, Claude Osteen 1966
Topps, Zoilo Versalles 1965 Topps, Cal Ermer 1968 Topps, Ellis Kinder 1954 Topps, Johnny Sain 1952 Topps<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbm4HV2CUxzARDhqkWWK3lRIKPLdNM9JJ2dUl9vvY8_pESCIDb0IGY1HS7puYCNAXr1khNJ1fmKvTnXpEuHnhgIXqn45bobB6UMrNe1-xxs2n7ih_2YOfACxvtycFmtGMegyGZU74mLX9VQdmF-dfXyCjsrBLN-mzD8kGpg-OlwTDHKhVl7a4gobHsxA=s2240" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="2240" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhbm4HV2CUxzARDhqkWWK3lRIKPLdNM9JJ2dUl9vvY8_pESCIDb0IGY1HS7puYCNAXr1khNJ1fmKvTnXpEuHnhgIXqn45bobB6UMrNe1-xxs2n7ih_2YOfACxvtycFmtGMegyGZU74mLX9VQdmF-dfXyCjsrBLN-mzD8kGpg-OlwTDHKhVl7a4gobHsxA=w640-h300" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/salvador-perez-jorge-soler-bob-cerv.html" target="_blank">Salvador Perez, Jorge Soler, Bob Cerv, Heavy Johnson, and the Rich History of Kansas City’s Single-Season Home Run Record</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/the-unforgettable-topps-cards-from-don.html" target="_blank">The Unforgettable Topps Cards From Don Mattingly’s Dominant Peak</a> </div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/11/ryan-mountcastle-and-ian-anderson-join.html" target="_blank">Ryan
Mountcastle and Ian Anderson Join Gregg Jefferies as the Only Players
to Garner Rookie of the Year Support in Two Different Seasons</a></div></div></div></div><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-92031363710057761012022-01-27T07:31:00.003-05:002023-11-16T10:12:57.334-05:00Despite an Impressive Managerial Career and Missing Hall of Fame Election by a Single Check Mark, Lou Piniella Faces a Tough Road to be Voted into Cooperstown on a Future Ballot<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYTBcBOQaq0pyW_xOlF7NtQetRW1-S1wY7nDyS1fzYvIOs23Q5Z9eI3i7Mo_TXk3BaCdWzM0TsLPjleoe8QXo2PfiWBO8q5aSaSqg0l89bmeNtVWFmNVi7zdItp0--YzNEv4k1NcwdkHEeEncDRvGdbz9IexLY5wNcFb8vBz60Ff9O3Bho6GfYlRbazQ=s2230" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1026" data-original-width="2230" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYTBcBOQaq0pyW_xOlF7NtQetRW1-S1wY7nDyS1fzYvIOs23Q5Z9eI3i7Mo_TXk3BaCdWzM0TsLPjleoe8QXo2PfiWBO8q5aSaSqg0l89bmeNtVWFmNVi7zdItp0--YzNEv4k1NcwdkHEeEncDRvGdbz9IexLY5wNcFb8vBz60Ff9O3Bho6GfYlRbazQ=w640-h294" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In
2003, the Hall of Fame began releasing voting percentages for the
Veterans and Era Committee elections. Since that time, seven
candidates—Dick Allen, John Fetzer, Marvin Miller, Tony Oliva, Lou
Piniella, Allie Reynolds, and Ted Simmons </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">have
each missed gaining entry into Cooperstown by a single vote. Of those
seven candidates, Miller, Oliva, and Simmons were elected on a later
ballot while the remaining four candidates still sit outside of the Hall
of Fame. The elections of Oliva and Simmons were particularly notable
as they were voted in on the next ballot they were eligible to appear on
after falling a single check mark shy. With a cycle of elections for
the Early Baseball and Golden Days timeframes recently completed, the
Today’s Game epoch will be the next focus of the Era Committee when the
voting body convenes later this year. On the previous Today’s Game Era
election, Piniella fell one tally short of being voted in. Piniella’s
near miss at Cooperstown immortality was overshadowed by the
controversial election of Harold Baines who collected the exact 75%
required for election by the Today’s Game Era Committee. After coming
so close to election, Piniella will undoubtedly be included on
December’s Today’s Game Era ballot. Like Oliva and Simmons, Piniella
could have some momentum due to coming a single vote away on the
previous Today’s Game Era ballot. However, Piniella may have missed his
best chance at being elected as he faces a tough road to Cooperstown
with a solid slate of candidates set to become eligible for December’s
Today’s Game Era ballot. Nevertheless, Piniella’s long and
distinguished managerial career gives the former skipper a strong Hall
of Fame case that is worthy of a long look from Era Committee voters.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Prior
to taking the managerial reigns, Piniella had a fine playing career
that spanned parts of 18 seasons. Piniella won the 1969 AL Rookie of
the Year as a member of the expansion Kansas City Royals but spent the
majority of his career with the New York Yankees. Piniella primarily
played left field and was a part of four pennant winners and captured
two World Series rings as a member of the Yankees. Nicknamed “Sweet
Lou” to describe his swing, the moniker proved to be somewhat
paradoxical for him as he was known for his fiery temperament that
occasionally resulted in the slugger destroying water coolers, batting
helmets, and other inanimate objects. However, Piniella’s
competitiveness and drive to win endeared him to teammates. Yankees
second baseman Willie Randolph said of Piniella, “He was one of the most
fiery and competitive players you'd ever want to be with. He was a
total team player and his attitude and will to win rubbed off on a
team.”</span><br /></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijtHOpUA_2Uyv-HAZ8zTM-l9K8R2IMTpdbna2dzZZ4T3jth76KECAlAmFFr3FZuvxz7aRlYrF79GLd3c09jsUxFEzrggl2eHJFh-KF5tj_3JTBfE9I6zlmlNIToCkZQETJLtZ9wTMxWan7UymONQ77p7ij7CIL1SMH6OMJRYwW4e208Ej3gkyDG9idHw=s2232" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="2232" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEijtHOpUA_2Uyv-HAZ8zTM-l9K8R2IMTpdbna2dzZZ4T3jth76KECAlAmFFr3FZuvxz7aRlYrF79GLd3c09jsUxFEzrggl2eHJFh-KF5tj_3JTBfE9I6zlmlNIToCkZQETJLtZ9wTMxWan7UymONQ77p7ij7CIL1SMH6OMJRYwW4e208Ej3gkyDG9idHw=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As
his playing career was winding down, Piniella joined the Yankees
coaching staff. In 1986, at age 42 and less than two years removed from
taking his final at bat, Piniella replaced his former manager Billy
Martin as the Yankees skipper. Piniella took over a Bronx Bombers team
that had finished second in the AL East during the prior year, having
been narrowly edged out for the division title by the Toronto Blue Jays
despite winning 97 games. Under Piniella, New York repeated as AL East
runner-up with a 90-72 record in 1986. The following season, Pinella
steered the Yankees to a similar 89-73 mark but slid back to fourth
place in the division. At the conclusion of the 1987 campaign, Yankees
owner George Steinbrenner moved Piniella to the front office to serve as
the club’s general manager and brought Martin back to skipper the team
for a fifth time. Piniella soon became unhappy with the confinement of
the office job which took him away from the field and, in late May 1988,
stepped down as general manager and moved into a scouting and player
evaluation role. Yet, less than a month later, Piniella found himself
back at the manager’s helm when Billy Martin was fired on June 23.
Martin had once again worn out his welcome with the Yankees as his
mishandling of the pitching staff, clashes with the front office and all
too familiar off-the-field controversies once again culminated in the
volatile manager’s dismissal. Piniella inherited a second place Yankees
team that was just two and half games out of the AL East lead with a
40-28 record but was coming off an abysmal stretch in which the club had
lost six of its last seven games. Piniella was unable to right the
ship as the Bronx Bombers went 45-48 following the managerial change </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">to
finish the season at 85-76, in fifth place, three and a half games
behind the division champion Boston Red Sox. At the conclusion of the
campaign, Piniella was relieved of his manager duties and replaced by
Dallas Green. Still under a personal services contract to the Yankees,
Piniella was moved into a broadcasting role by the organization. New
York’s AL East rival Toronto attempted to hire Piniella after firing
manager Jimy Williams early in the 1989 season but was blocked by
Steinbrenner when the two teams were unable to agree on which player to
send to the Yankees as compensation for letting Piniella out of his
contact. However, a few months later, Piniella permanently left
Steinbrenner’s managerial circus when the controversial owner let him
out of the final year of his personal services contract to manage the
Cincinnati Reds for 1990.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
assumed leadership of a Reds club which had finished second place four
consecutive seasons, from 1985 to 1988, under the direction of franchise
icon Pete Rose. Most recently though, the Reds had slumped to a 75-87
record during the tumultuous 1989 campaign in which Rose was banned from
baseball for gambling. In Piniella’s first year as Cincinnati’s
skipper, the Reds not only rebounded but finally got over the
hump—leading the division from the first day of the season onward and
taking the NL West crown with a 91-71 record. After defeating the
Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS, Cincinnati faced the 103-win defending
World Series champion Oakland Athletics in the Fall Classic. Piniella
and the Reds shocked the baseball world by not only defeating the
heavily-favored A’s but sweeping them in the process. The Reds
experienced a post-championship malaise in 1991, sliding back to a 74-88
mark. The club re-emerged the following season, nearly matching their
1990 record with a 90-72 finish. However, Cincinnati’s 90 wins were not
enough to capture the NL West as the team finished eight games behind
the Atlanta Braves. Despite winning a championship and producing a
second-place finish in his three years at the Reds’ helm, in a
surprising move, Piniella rejected Cincinnati’s contract extension and
left the franchise to become manager of the Seattle Mariners.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSDv8TQkXvIpfTgB4lNks2-lkycJt7tgNW1OMEuT6onoBEBs5h_mNEHJU0RwMxkilydP-1scOOgVpYw4Z8ntAFlIPKJNSTVrFO_FvofJLZWYmbvLmQo_7gTQ4kWjsxmlv8SC2xzN2VldFikp7a1SlFLvixAz1yNNiYUn532iVKhUEAftoduUmSF-iN4A=s2232" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1055" data-original-width="2232" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiSDv8TQkXvIpfTgB4lNks2-lkycJt7tgNW1OMEuT6onoBEBs5h_mNEHJU0RwMxkilydP-1scOOgVpYw4Z8ntAFlIPKJNSTVrFO_FvofJLZWYmbvLmQo_7gTQ4kWjsxmlv8SC2xzN2VldFikp7a1SlFLvixAz1yNNiYUn532iVKhUEAftoduUmSF-iN4A=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
had always been known as an intense competitor during his playing
career and further solidified this reputation as a manager. Piniella’s
animated, often amusing tirades directed at umpires became legendary as
the sight of the quick-tempered skipper storming out of the dugout to
argue with officials, tossing and kicking his cap, dislodging and
throwing bases, and kicking dirt on both home plate as well as on the
men in blue all provided fodder for highlight and blooper reels.
However, Piniella’s temper led to a couple of infamous incidents during
his tenure with Cincinnati. Late in the 1992 season, Piniella engaged
in a locker room wrestling match with closer Rob Dibble that was
witnessed by reporters and recorded by television cameras. Despite the
tussle, the two combatants patched things up the next day with Piniella
even putting his arm around Dibble and kiddingly throwing fake punches
at Dibble’s stomach after the hurler closed out the game and earned the
save. The fracas proved to be an isolated incident as Piniella was
generally well-liked by his players—even Dibble. "We butted heads
once. It's way more famous than it should be. We've been family ever
since,”
Dibble reflected years later. “During batting practice every day, Lou
would go to every guy just to see how you were doing—not as a player,
but as a person. I'll always respect him for that. I always thought
that
was one of the best qualities about him, that he always cared about you
as a person first, a baseball player second."</span><br /></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While
the Piniella/Dibble locker room battle will forever live on as part of
the fiery manager’s highlight reel of outbursts, an incident the
previous year had a much more lasting impact on Piniella’s tenure with
the Reds. During a 7-4 loss on August 3, 1991, Piniella was ejected
from the game after home plate umpire Gary Darling overruled Dutch
Rennert’s call of a home run by Cincinnati second baseman Bill Doran,
saying the ball was foul. Piniella criticized Darling after the game,
stating: “I honestly feel that Darling has a bias against us and won’t
give us a call all year. It’s time he gets his act together now. We
have more complaints against him than against any other umpire.” A few
days later, Darling and the Major League Umpires Association filed a $5
million lawsuit against Piniella, contending that the Reds manager
“severely damaged” his reputation. Piniella found himself forced to pay
for legal services as the notoriously cheap Reds owner Marge Schott
refused to assist with the lawsuit. Ultimately, an out of court
settlement was reached during the offseason. Nevertheless, the lack of
support Piniella received from Schott resonated with the skipper and
played a key role in his decision to leave Cincinnati when his contract
expired after the 1992 campaign. “When I got sued by the umpires, I got
no backing from the organization,” Piniella explained. “That started
the wheels turning. I think any organization would back their manager. I
got nothing, financial or anything. I went back in '92 and fulfilled my
contract, but when it came time to extend, I chose not to."</span><br /></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Unlike
the Yankees and Reds, the Mariners club Piniella took over in 1993 had
no real track record of success as a franchise. In fact, the Mariners
had just one winning season—an 83-79 campaign in 1991—in their 16-year
existence and were coming off a disastrous 64-98 record. Seattle’s
roster featured a young nucleus of future Hall of Famers in Ken Griffey
Jr., Edgar Martinez, and Randy Johnson who had been teammates since 1989
yet had achieved little success together. Intent on changing the
losing culture that existed within the Mariners franchise, Piniella
brought the club back above .500—going 82-80 during his initial season
at the helm. Just three years into his tenure with Seattle, Piniella
led the club to its first postseason, winning the AL West in a one-game
tiebreaker against the California Angels to advance to the ALDS, where
the fiery manager faced his old team, the Yankees. After dropping the
first two games on the road in New York, the Mariners roared back to win
the final three games—the third in dramatic fashion with Edgar
Martinez’s bottom of the eleventh inning double driving in Ken Griffey
Jr. to score the Series-ending run. Seattle subsequently fell in six
games to the 100-win Cleveland Indians in the ALCS. Nevertheless, with
their division title and ensuing playoff run, the 1995 Mariners are
often credited with saving baseball in Seattle. Piniella drew praise
for leading the franchise to its first postseason and was named AL
Manager of the Year.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipbQKK9Os4dwpVkZuSXzqxT7J6c06MDUGGP6mf8OUuDe6akyDQZ3LYvzZJ4mr_qxU-JtoM06iUTjgQEkaM9TCTbuw9jWK1v43ZxowJxe_oniun-GWfPxOBmUvcsbiM74xytO7XjHhaNSg-8LGcPlv1z3OGIV0uJ1hm6UODg1SGo-XFru0iLu-EVZ6lFg=s2234" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="2234" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipbQKK9Os4dwpVkZuSXzqxT7J6c06MDUGGP6mf8OUuDe6akyDQZ3LYvzZJ4mr_qxU-JtoM06iUTjgQEkaM9TCTbuw9jWK1v43ZxowJxe_oniun-GWfPxOBmUvcsbiM74xytO7XjHhaNSg-8LGcPlv1z3OGIV0uJ1hm6UODg1SGo-XFru0iLu-EVZ6lFg=w640-h296" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
and Seattle won their second AL West crown in 1997 but were defeated by
the Baltimore Orioles in the ALDS. Piniella then watched as the
Mariners lost three of its core players in successive years as staff ace
Randy Johnson was dealt to the Houston Astros in July 1998, Ken Griffey
Jr. was traded to the Cincinnati Reds at the conclusion of the 1999
season, and young phenom Alex Rodriguez left to sign a record-setting
free agent contract with the Texas Rangers following the 2000 campaign.
Despite losing these key players, Piniella was able to weather the
storm and lead the Mariners to the playoffs as the AL Wild C</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">ard
in 2000 and AL West champions in 2001. Seattle’s 2001 campaign was
particularly impressive as the team put together a dominant 116-46
mark—easily capturing the division title and tying the record set by
the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">1906 Chicago</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> Cubs
for most wins in a season. However, the Mariners were unable to
capture the pennant as the club was defeated in the ALCS in both 2000
and 2001 by the playoff-tested Yankees who were in the midst of an
incredible run which saw the Bronx Bombers win five pennants and four
World Series championships between 1996 and 2001. Nevertheless,
Piniella was once again recognized for his leadership abilities as the
fiery skipper picked up his second AL Manager of the Year Award in
2001. Piniella and the Mariners just missed the playoffs in 2002
despite winning 93 games.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However,
after a series of family events, including a 2002 car accident
involving his daughter and granddaughter, Piniella expressed a desire to
manage a team closer to his West Tampa home for the 2003 season.
Seattle agreed to let Piniella out of the final year of his contract to
manage his hometown team, the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, after the two clubs
worked out a deal which sent Piniella and prospect Antonio Pérez to the
Devil Rays in exchange for one of Tampa Bay’s best players, center
fielder Randy Winn. In ten seasons with Seattle, Piniella posted an
excellent 840-711 record and played a key role in helping the Mariners
evolve from a struggling franchise that regularly finished towards the
bottom of the division into a perennial contender. Since the departure
of Piniella, Seattle has been unable to return to the postseason and
currently has the dubious distinction of having the longest playoff
drought, not only in MLB but, among the four major North American team
sports. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Thus, the Mariners’ quartet of postseason appearances under Piniella are the only ones in the 45-year history of the franchise.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
his move to Tampa Bay, Piniella, for the second time in his career,
assumed control of a team with no history of winning as the Devil Rays
had finished last in the AL East during each of the franchise’s five
seasons in existence—the most recent of which was a 106-loss campaign.
In Piniella’s first season at the helm, Tampa Bay made a modest
improvement, increasing from 55 to 63 wins. The following year,
Piniella led the Devil Rays to a franchise-best 70-91 record and their
first finish outside of the AL East cellar. However, when new ownership
bought into the Devil Rays during the 2004 season, the franchise
decided to build for the future rather than improve the current team.
As Tampa Bay took a step back and struggled in 2005, Piniella became
fed up with the mounting losses and the lack of commitment from
ownership to increase the club’s payroll—which was by far the lowest in the
major leagues. Tampa Bay went 67-95 in 2005 and slid back into the AL
East cellar. At the end of the season, Piniella and the Devil Rays
decided to mutually part ways with the team buying out the final year of
the veteran skipper’s contract.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbxfyCp7QEivhJeXzdFkiIi7c_RFa3jeS7pgjeoyDIcE-Amx9_z0W68ZnnMadhUlxN7BVIkp9jtRYYsPY6hXgAzk8wmeSn-9WRQzcT08NZqQzNk4VC7FoHSVObIdOT_uenohljKRTi1zf0sLsU1G9UaFPdex3oOz0SmAjHL09UPAnSqPgmEMJ1WCWFLQ=s2304" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="2304" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbxfyCp7QEivhJeXzdFkiIi7c_RFa3jeS7pgjeoyDIcE-Amx9_z0W68ZnnMadhUlxN7BVIkp9jtRYYsPY6hXgAzk8wmeSn-9WRQzcT08NZqQzNk4VC7FoHSVObIdOT_uenohljKRTi1zf0sLsU1G9UaFPdex3oOz0SmAjHL09UPAnSqPgmEMJ1WCWFLQ=w640-h286" width="640" /></a></span></div><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After
sitting out the 2006 campaign, Piniella returned to the managerial
ranks when he signed with the Chicago Cubs for 2007. In his first year
on the Northside, Piniella improved the club from 66-96 to 85-77 and won
the NL Central. Although the Cubs were swept by the Arizona
Diamondbacks in the NLDS, Piniella proved he was still capable of
leading his team to the playoffs. The following season, Piniella joined
Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Jim Leyland as the fourth skipper to be
named Manager of the Year in both leagues when he was bestowed the honor
after piloting the Cubs to an NL-best 97-64 record. Despite their
excellent regular season, Piniella and Chicago were once again swept in
the NLDS, this time by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Even though the 2008
campaign ended with another quick playoff exit, it marked the first time
since 1908 that the Cubs had made the postseason in consecutive years.
After sliding back to 83-78 in 2009, the club struggled in 2010. With
Piniella in the final year of his contract, the 66-year old skipper
announced in July that he intended to retire at the conclusion of the
season. However, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">on August 22</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">—with
the Cubs well out of the NL Central and wild-card races—Piniella
decided to step down as manager to go home to care for his ailing
mother.</span><br /></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
finished his managerial career with an overall record of 1835-1713.
The longtime skipper’s lofty win total ranks 16th all-time and places
him ahead of several Hall of Fame managers including Tom Lasorda, Dick
Williams, Earl Weaver, and Whitey Herzog—each of whom were still
piloting teams when Piniella made his managerial debut. Moreover, only
three non-Hall of Fame managers—Bruce Bochy, Gene Mauch, and Dusty
Baker—have a higher career win total than Piniella. In addition to his
impressive victory mark, Piniella is one of eight skippers to be named
Manager of the Year three or more times. The crowning accomplishments
of Piniella’s career were leading an underdog Reds team to a shocking
sweep over the heavily-favored A’s and transforming the woefully
uncompetitive Mariners franchise into a consistent winner. What’s more,
Piniella guided three different franchises to the postseason and
engineered eight 90-win campaigns spread across four organizations. The
only managerial stop in which Piniella failed to find any measure of
success was Tampa Bay where he found little support from ownership. If
Piniella’s three difficult seasons with the Devil Rays are omitted from
his ledger, his career record would be 1635-1428 and improve his
win-loss percentage from .517 to a more illustrious .534.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However,
Piniella was a contemporary of Tony La Russa, Bobby Cox, and Joe
Torre—the respective second, fourth, and fifth-winningest managers of
all-time and in many ways his career suffers in comparison to those
three legendary skippers. Piniella also had the misfortune of becoming
eligible for the Hall of Fame at the same time as La Russa, Cox, and
Torre. As a result, Piniella was not included on the December 2013
Expansion Era ballot in which La Russa, Cox, and Torre were unanimously
voted into Cooperstown. Three years later, Piniella was selected to
appear on the Today’s Game Era ballot. With La Russa, Cox, and Torre
each already elected, Piniella shared the ballot with just one other
manager, Davey Johnson. Like Piniella, Johnson had a World Series
championship to his credit, having led the 1986 New York Mets to a
memorable Fall Classic victory over the Boston Red Sox. Johnson held a
significant edge in career win percentage over Piniella—.562 to
.517—though Johnson’s superior mark came in just 2,445 games managed,
more than 1,000 fewer than Piniella’s 3,548 total. Piniella picked up 7
of 16 tallies for 43.8% of the vote, the third highest drawing
candidate—trailing former executive John Schuerholz and former
commissioner Bud Selig who were easily elected with 100% and 93.8% of
the vote, respectively. It appeared the electorate had valued the sum
of Piniella’s lengthy career over Johnson’s higher win percentage as his
managerial peer was listed among the remaining seven candidates as
having received fewer than five votes.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Piniella
returned to the ballot when the Today’s Game Era Committee convened for
their second election in December 2018. Once again, Piniella was
joined on the ballot by Davey Johnson along with a second manager
candidate, Charlie Manuel. Similar to Johnson, Manuel had a better
career win percentage than Piniella while equaling his one World Series
championship. However, Manuel managed just 1,826 games—barely half of
Piniella’s total. As the highest drawing holdover from the December
2016 Today’s Game Era ballot, Piniella seemed to have the advantage over the
other returning candidates. Moreover, with John Schuerholz and Bud
Selig—the two top vote getters from the December 2016 ballot—elected and
no longer on the ballot along with Lee Smith being the only newly
eligible candidate with strong BBWAA support, Piniella appeared poised
for at the very least an increase in support. In the ensuing election,
Piniella picked up 11 votes leaving him just one tally shy of
Cooperstown. Piniella once again drew the third highest total,
finishing behind the unanimously elected Lee Smith and one check mark
behind the controversially elected Harold Baines who garnered exactly
75%. Piniella easily outpaced his managerial peers, Johnson and Manuel,
who were among the seven candidates listed as having received fewer
than five votes.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWMf9ZZybgoSFuvvY7h2w8PYkIjTzPTlu98eN6xkx7YefrAKAwAAA6msi9cUjmyb3W3Bxf_Jrr6IdyyfWMfN6L50R4SYuWmmFZrBgO8yVbbezrwvNDIs3SzN8MBwTCoV0gthaqBOt5Y4MYOVx1Nm6tdAWXQRd-nhRfQTSrr3xPE8_a56eAaN06ff00fA=s2264" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2264" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgWMf9ZZybgoSFuvvY7h2w8PYkIjTzPTlu98eN6xkx7YefrAKAwAAA6msi9cUjmyb3W3Bxf_Jrr6IdyyfWMfN6L50R4SYuWmmFZrBgO8yVbbezrwvNDIs3SzN8MBwTCoV0gthaqBOt5Y4MYOVx1Nm6tdAWXQRd-nhRfQTSrr3xPE8_a56eAaN06ff00fA=w640-h298" width="640" /></a></span><br /></div><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After
falling a single vote shy of Cooperstown, Piniella will undoubtedly be
included on the ballot when the Today’s Game Era Committee meets again
this fall. However, Piniella may have missed his best chance at
election as the next Today’s Game Era ballot could potentially include a
couple of impressive new manager candidates, Bruce Bochy and Jim
Leyland, who will both eligible for the ballot. With three World Series
championships, four pennants, and 2,003 victories on his Hall of Fame
résumé, Bochy should not only supplant Piniella as the top drawing
manager candidate but will almost certainly be elected by the Today’s
Game Era Committee the first time he appears on the ballot. Leyland
could also meet or exceed Piniella’s support as his Hall of Fame
credentials rival the Tampa-born skipper’s. Leyland and Piniella each
have three Manager of the Year Awards to their name. Leyland trails
Piniella in both victories—1,835 to 1,769—and winning percentage—.517 to
.506. Nevertheless, Leyland was able to capture three pennants to
Piniella’s one while matching his World Series triumph by taking the
Florida Marlins all the way in 1997. Leyland was technically eligible
to be included on the previous Today’s Game Era ballot but was curiously
excluded. Leyland retired from managing following the 2013 season but
returned to the dugout to lead Team USA to the 2017 World Baseball
Classic championship. Perhaps the Historical Overview Committee, which
screens and selects the candidates for the Era Committee ballots, felt
that by taking the helm of Team USA, Leyland could possibly come out of
retirement and manage a major league team again. Bochy had planned to
return to the dugout to manage Team France in the 2021 World Baseball
Classic but with that event now postponed indefinitely, there is no
telling how or if that will affect Bochy’s eligibility. In addition,
Bochy’s name still periodically pops up for managerial openings and the
former skipper himself has not completely ruled out returning to the
dugout one day.</span><br /></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Along
with the possible additions of Bochy and Leyland, controversial player
candidates Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Sammy Sosa
who recently aged off the BBWAA ballot will each be eligible for the
first time. The similarly controversial Rafael Palmeiro is newly
eligible as are impressive player candidates Fred McGriff, Bernie
Williams, and Kenny Lofton. Unfortunately for Piniella, this influx of
fresh candidates may stall any momentum the former skipper brings as the
top returning holdover from the previous election and could potentially
create a crowded ballot and backlog similar to the one that affected
the BBWAA vote for a number of years. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bonds,
Clemens, Schilling, and Sosa were not initially slated to be eligible
on the upcoming ballot, however, when the Golden Days and Early Baseball
Era Committee ballot elections were canceled in 2020 and pushed back a
year, these four candidates, along with Lofton, each became eligible.
In addition, depending on how the next few BBWAA ballots play out, Gary
Sheffield and Jeff Kent could both potentially be eligible</span> for the December 2024 Today’s Game Era ballot<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Also, by this point, a prominent front office figure or another manager
such as Dusty Baker or Terry Francona could have retired and become
eligible which would further crowd the ballot.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
so many prominent candidates set to hit the Today’s Game Era ballot
over the next two elections, Piniella faces a tough road to be voted
into Cooperstown. But, regardless of how many impressive new candidates
become eligible, Piniella put together a solid managerial career and
has a strong enough Hall of Fame case that he will continue to remain a
relevant candidate on future Today’s Game Era ballots.</span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">----by John Tuberty </span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pinielo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Piniella</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allendi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dick Allen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olivato01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Oliva</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/simmote01.shtml" target="_blank">Ted Simmons</a>, </span><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Pete Ros</span></a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">e</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffke02.shtml" target="_blank">Ken Griffey Jr.</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martied01.shtml" target="_blank">Edgar Martinez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Alex Rodriguez</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank"> Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sosasa01.shtml" target="_blank">Sammy Sosa</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sheffga01.shtml" target="_blank">Gary Sheffield</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsra05.shtml" target="_blank"> Randy Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgrifr01.shtml" target="_blank">Fred McGriff</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kentje01.shtml" target="_blank">Jeff Kent</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibe02.shtml" target="_blank">Bernie Williams</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/loftoke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kenny Lofton</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/reynoal01.shtml" target="_blank">Allie Reynolds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithle02.shtml" target="_blank">Lee Smith</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/baineha01.shtml" target="_blank">Harold Baines</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/francte01.shtml" target="_blank">Terry Francona</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/bakerdu01.shtml" target="_blank">Dusty Baker</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/bochybr01.shtml" target="_blank">Bruce Bochy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/leylaji99.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Leyland</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dibblro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rob Dibble</a></span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1974/03/06/archives/lou-piniella-yankees-last-angry-man-puts-reins-on-his-tempestuous.html" target="_blank">New York Times articles~March 1974</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/30/sports/piniella-changes-his-job-with-yanks.html" target="_blank">May 1988</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/08/sports/quinn-to-get-yankee-job.html" target="_blank">June 1988</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/24/sports/from-spring-training-to-end-martin-was-same-old-billy.html" target="_blank">June 1988</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/27/sports/baseball-piniella-is-no-1-choice-for-blue-jays-job.html" target="_blank">May 1989</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/08/08/sports/umpire-files-lawsuit-against-piniella.html" target="_blank">August 1991</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/19/sports/baseball-dibble-and-piniella-avoid-round-2.html" target="_blank">September 1992</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1993/02/22/sports/baseball-a-sweet-lou-primer-on-marge-and-loyalty.html" target="_blank">February 1993</a>,
<a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-06-24-sp-5992-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times June 1988</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-08-05-sp-171-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times August 1991</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2006-10-17-0610170213-story.html" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune</a>, <a href="https://www.deseret.com/1989/5/28/18808897/yanks-won-t-let-piniella-go-to-jays" target="_blank">Deseret News</a>, <a href="https://www.seattlepi.com/sports/baseball/article/Dibble-keeps-his-promise-1074941.php" target="_blank">Seattle Post-Intelligencer December 2001</a>, <a href="https://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/A-decade-of-Lou-1098645.php" target="_blank">Seattle Post-Intelligencer October 2002</a>, <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1992/09/19/piniella-dibble-rift-repaired-in-meeting/" target="_blank">Tampa Bay Times September 1992</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2001/03/19/sweet-lou-age-success-and-a-good-woman-have-mellowed-mariners-manager-lou-piniella-so-whom-can-we-rely-on-now-to-storm-out-of-the-dugout-in-a-righteous-rage" target="_blank">Sports Illustrated Vault March 2001</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2003/03/03/safe-at-home-why-would-lou-piniella-leave-a-winner-in-seattle-to-manage-the-tampa-bay-devil-rays-the-worst-team-in-baseball-to-be-with-his-family" target="_blank">Sports Illustrated Vault March 2003</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/2002/1015/1446284.html" target="_blank">ESPN October 2002</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2083511" target="_blank">ESPN June 2005</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2176867" target="_blank">ESPN September 2005</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com/chicago/mlb/news/story?id=5395615" target="_blank">ESPN July 2010</a>, <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2005/jun/17/agent-for-chagrined-piniella-talks-to-rays/" target="_blank">The Spokesman-Review</a>, <a href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/sports/mlb/2010/08/24/bob-hunter-commentary-volatile-piniella/24086506007/" target="_blank">The Columbus Dispatch</a>, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1991-08-11-1991223090-story.html" target="_blank">Baltimore Sun</a>, <a href="https://www.sportico.com/leagues/baseball/2021/bochy-still-in-play-1234640377/" target="_blank">Sportico</a></span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cards: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Lou Piniella 1988 Topps, 1990 Kahn's, 2002 Keebler, 1975 Topps, 1984 Topps, 1987 Topps, 1990 Topps Traded,
1991 Topps, 1992 Topps, 1993 Mother's Cookies, 1994 Mother's Cookies,
2001 Keebler, 2004 Topps, 2009 Topps Heritage, 2008 Topps, 1996 Mother's
Cookies; Jim Leyland 1987 Topps, Bruce Bochy 2012 Topps Heritage</span></span></p><p style="color: #454545;"><b><u></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCr6jBKZ0eZ0Crku1mR3RQcugq8Zk95jOjvLA1jDQ-b_m9UgXgXDWtLJ-oS4l4N_2P4MUVQzA3POSe9lWKNbJBgeL_-MoT5efqGXAPY56c5NwQ9xQascW2c6Wki9jslohpuF9Z4or34feUXr5cmgWdQ-VT2WTUJf8y9Hzwxuxla5eVCzzMlHnh3qf7Gg=s2300" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="2300" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiCr6jBKZ0eZ0Crku1mR3RQcugq8Zk95jOjvLA1jDQ-b_m9UgXgXDWtLJ-oS4l4N_2P4MUVQzA3POSe9lWKNbJBgeL_-MoT5efqGXAPY56c5NwQ9xQascW2c6Wki9jslohpuF9Z4or34feUXr5cmgWdQ-VT2WTUJf8y9Hzwxuxla5eVCzzMlHnh3qf7Gg=w640-h302" width="640" /></a></div></u></b></div><b><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b><p></p><p style="color: #454545;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and.html" target="_blank">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Thurman Munson</a></p><p style="color: #454545;"><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</a></p><p style="color: #454545;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</a></p><p> </p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-9977753764472991502021-12-20T07:44:00.000-05:002021-12-20T07:44:27.856-05:00Nineteenth Century Slugger Harry Stovey's Hall of Fame-Worthy Career<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tzKmGGGaZiw/YXwBo1n7nfI/AAAAAAABclo/bXtgQwsAhcIYg7rW0ncocWfeUrGaC4xFgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1052/Harry%2BStovey12.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1052" height="612" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tzKmGGGaZiw/YXwBo1n7nfI/AAAAAAABclo/bXtgQwsAhcIYg7rW0ncocWfeUrGaC4xFgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h612/Harry%2BStovey12.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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</xml><![endif]--> <span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Nineteenth century slugger Harry Stovey was one of the greatest players during the early days of baseball. </span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Stovey
played the bulk of his major league career in the American Association, which
was a rival league to the National League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stovey dominated the game with power and speed and was arguably the finest player in the American Association's ten-year history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's career may have ended more than a
century ago but his significant accomplishments make him worthy of election to the Baseball Hall of Fame.</span><br /></p><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">
Stovey was born Harold Duffield Stowe in Philadelphia on December 20, 1856.
Stowe began playing baseball at a young age and developed a passion for the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Stowe's mother was not fond of the
sport so at age 20, he changed his last name to Stovey to keep her from
learning that he had embarked on a career as a professional baseball
player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After spending three years playing for minor league clubs, Stovey made his major league debut in 1880 with the Worcester Ruby
Legs during the team's inaugural season in the National League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey made an immediate impact during his
rookie campaign, leading the NL in home runs, triples, and extra-base hits
while also finishing runner-up in runs scored and total bases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's league-pacing total of six
round-trippers is low by today's standards but at the time home runs were an
extremely rare occurrence because the baseball itself was softer and ball
fields of the day were vast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, teams only played around an 85-game schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moreover, Stovey's six home runs represented
nearly a tenth of the 62 longballs hit in the NL that year and his one-man
total was higher than the team totals of three of the eight NL clubs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On defense, Stovey split his time between
first base and outfield. Stolen base records were not kept for the first six
years of Stovey's career but his speed not only made him a constant threat to
swipe a bag but also enabled him to hit inside-the-park home runs, take extra bases on would-be singles, and make the opposition pay for errors and
wild pitches.<br />
<br />
Following the 1882 season, the Worcester Ruby Legs disbanded and Stovey was
quickly signed by the Philadelphia Athletics of the American Association, </span>which
had just completed its first year of operation as a direct competitor to the National
League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey took the AA by storm,
pacing his new league in several categories, including runs scored, doubles,
slugging percentage, and total bases--in addition to setting the major league
record for home runs with 14.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The young
power-hitter once again towered over the league in longballs with his
round-tripper total making up nearly an eighth of the 114 homers hit in the AA
and equaling or bettering five of the eight AA clubs in four-baggers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey led the Athletics to a first place
finish in a close race over the St. Louis Browns with the speedster even
scoring the go-ahead run against the Louisville Eclipse in the pennant-clinching
game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What's more, Stovey accomplished
all this despite battling serious ankle injuries during the latter part of the
season. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upePwJuhen0/YXwCJJunaOI/AAAAAAABclw/5bf_C6wsuDoIPKizWdSfca-SXmmWYpnmwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1964/Harry%2BStovey19.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1389" data-original-width="1964" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upePwJuhen0/YXwCJJunaOI/AAAAAAABclw/5bf_C6wsuDoIPKizWdSfca-SXmmWYpnmwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Harry%2BStovey19.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stovey was arguably the greatest player in the history of the American Association<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">After leading the Athletics to the pennant, Stovey continued to dominate the AA
with a series of strong campaigns.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's
potent power and electric speed continued to be hallmarks of his game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the AA proved to be a formidable
competitor to NL, the two leagues expanded their schedules from just under 100
games in 1883 to nearly 140 by the end of the decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his first few seasons with Philadelphia,
Stovey saw most of his time at first base before being used more regularly in
one of the three outfield positions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
1886, the AA and NL both started keeping stolen base records.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this time, the definition of what
constituted a stolen base was more liberal than what it is today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, the documenting of stolen base
records showcased the speed part of Stovey's game and he is recognized as the
AA's initial leader in swiped bags with 68 in 1886.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three seasons later, Stovey paced the AA and
set personal bests with 19 home runs and 119 RBIs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's excellent 1889 campaign proved to be
his last with Philadelphia as the fleet-footed slugger joined the Boston Reds
of the Players League--a rival league that the Brotherhood of Professional
Baseball Players formed because they were fed up with the reserve clause which
bound a player to one club in perpetuity and kept salaries low.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many of the AA's and NL's top players jumped
to the Players League.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey remained a
standout talent in his new league--leading the PL with 97 stolen bases and ranking
third with 12 home runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's
stellar year helped Boston win the Players League's only pennant as the new
league folded after one season.<br />
<br />
With the folding of the Players League, Stovey's rights as a player laid with the Philadelphia
Athletics in the American Association.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, in an
apparent oversight, the Athletics had failed to include Stovey on their reserve
list--unintentionally making him a free agent of sorts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey opted to stay in Boston to play for
the Beaneaters of the NL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now a 34-year
old veteran, Stovey proved he could still dominate at the plate as well as on
the basepaths--leading the NL in a slew of categories including home runs,
triples, and extra-base hits while also stealing 57 bases--good for fifth
highest in the league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's potent
bat and quick feet proved key to the Beaneaters who captured the NL
flag--giving the veteran the unique accomplishment of having won three pennants in three different leagues.<br />
<br />
Stovey got off to an uncharacteristically poor start the following season and,
with the Beaneaters looking to cut their payroll, the veteran was released in
June.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey was signed by the Baltimore
Orioles a couple of weeks later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps
the time off helped Stovey, as the slugger rebounded in Baltimore, posting a 140 OPS+ over the balance of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, Stovey struggled to start the 1893 campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After seeing a drop in his playing time, he
asked for and was granted his release from Baltimore in late May.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey then caught on with the Brooklyn
Grooms in what would ultimately be his final year playing major league
baseball.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey played professionally
in 1894 for former teammate King Kelly's Allentown club and later that season
as player-manager for a team in New Bedford, Massachusetts--the same town where
the slugger had met his wife, Mary, while playing for the city's minor league
club in 1879.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey joined the New
Bedford Police in 1895 and made news again in 1901 when he jumped into the
water to save a 7-year old boy from drowning while patrolling the
waterfront.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey was named Police
Chief in 1915, a position he held until he retired in 1923.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey passed away at age 80 in 1937.<br />
<br />
At the time of his retirement from major league baseball, Stovey was the career
leader in home runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey initially
set the career home run record while still active in 1885, then was briefly passed
by Dan Brouthers in 1887, before recapturing the top career mark during his
stellar 1889 campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's final
career total of 122 was ultimately overtaken in 1895 by Roger Connor, who retired
with 138 round-trippers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite playing
during an era of 85 to 140-game schedules, Stovey still ranked fourth in career
home runs in 1921 when Connor was finally surpassed for the career longball
mark by Babe Ruth.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's speed played a key role in his ability to hit home runs as 27 of his 122
round-trippers were of the inside-the-park variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not surprisingly, Stovey retired as the
career leader for inside-the-park home runs and more than a century since his
final game, still ranks tied for 15th all-time.<br />
<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuCTN6gr15M/YXwC2r8ROzI/AAAAAAABcl4/ubCr8CTZCugjhBjqcM2x3wDTU4OCiWovQCLcBGAsYHQ/s561/Harry%2BStovey20.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="318" data-original-width="561" height="362" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EuCTN6gr15M/YXwC2r8ROzI/AAAAAAABcl4/ubCr8CTZCugjhBjqcM2x3wDTU4OCiWovQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h362/Harry%2BStovey20.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stovey retired as the career home run leader<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">In addition to setting the career home run and inside-the-park home run records,
Stovey's 509 swiped bags placed him second only to Arlie Latham in career
stolen bases when he played his final major league game in 1893.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Stovey's stolen base totals may be
incomplete due to the statistic not being recorded until his seventh major
league season, the speed aspect of his game is also highlighted by his ability
to hit triples and produce incredible runs scored totals--two categories in which
the fleet-footed slugger ranked number three all-time when he hung up his
spikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because the baseball itself was
softer and the playing fields were vast, triples were much more common than
home runs during the nineteenth century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Stovey smacked 176 triples during his career and with 1,495 runs
scored in just 1,489 games, Stovey holds the unique distinction of being one of only
three players--along with Billy Hamilton and George Gore--to play more
than 600 games and finish their career with more runs scored than games
played.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The speed and aggressiveness
with which Stovey took to the basepaths were undoubtedly key factors in how he
was able to amass such amazing triples and runs scored totals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During the era in which Stovey played,
baseball equipment was archaic compared to what is used today so fielding
errors were much more common.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Errors
themselves were tracked but many other important details such as reached on
errors, extra bases taken from errors, stolen bases, and wild pitches were
unrecorded during much or all of Stovey's career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His quickness and daring put pressure on
opposing defenses, causing them to make errors and pay significantly for them.<br />
<br />
Stovey is also notable for being recognized as either the inventor--or at the
very least an early adopter--of base running advancements such as sliding into
bases feet first, wearing sliding pads to combat injuries, and using the pop up
slide to better position himself for advancing to the next base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey played during an era plagued by poor
sportsmanship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, despite his
propensity for sliding into bases feet first, Stovey was recognized as one of
the game's cleanest players, earning him the nickname "Gentleman Harry."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alfred Henry Spink, author of the book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National Game</i>, wrote this of Stovey
in 1910: "He always slid feet first but was not "nasty" with his
feet in the way of trying to hurt the baseman, as some of his imitators
were."<br />
<br />
On the defensive side of the diamond, Stovey played the bulk of his games in
the outfield but also saw his share of action at first base. </span>During Stovey's era, first base was considered a much more challenging position on defense than it is today. Overall for his career, Stovey played 550 games at first base and 947 in the outfield with 519 of those in left field, 251 in right, and 176 in center. In 1888, Stovey showcased his arm strength in
a distance-throwing contest held by <i>The Cincinnati Enquirer</i>, finishing second
to only Ned Williamson with a mark of 369 feet, 2 inches.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Despite holding the career home run record for several seasons and regularly
leading his respective league in several important categories, Stovey has yet
to be honored with a bronze Hall of Fame plaque in Cooperstown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey was arguably the greatest player in
the ten-year history of the American Association--ranking as the defunct
league's all-time leader in position player WAR, home runs, extra-base hits,
and runs scored even though he only spent seven seasons in the AA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, having played a significant portion
of his career in the AA has likely hindered Stovey's Hall of Fame case since the league is widely viewed as inferior to the NL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fifty-six percent of Stovey's career plate
appearances took place in the AA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus
far, the only players in the Hall of Fame who have anywhere near that high a
percentage of their career plate appearances in the AA are Tommy McCarthy and
Bid McPhee, who each had just over two-fifths of their turns at the plate come
in the defunct league.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McCarthy was
voted into Cooperstown by the Old Timers Committee in 1946 as a player but was largely
elected due to the innovative strategies he devised such as the hit-and-run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>McPhee's
career is less associated
with the AA since the Cincinnati Reds franchise where he spent the
entirety of his career joined the NL when the AA dissolved and also
because his years in
the senior circuit came during the high offense 1890s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although McPhee made it into the Hall of
Fame, his time in the AA may have delayed his election to Cooperstown, which finally
came by way of the Veterans Committee in 2000--more than a century after he
played his last major league game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps
because the AA folded after ten seasons while its direct competitor the
NL survived and continues to thrive, the accomplishments of its
players have been discounted by Hall of Fame voters.<br />
<br />
Another factor that has likely hurt Stovey's Hall of Fame case is that his
career took place during an era with shorter schedules.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey spent the majority of the first half of his
career only playing between 83 to 113-game schedules before the ledger finally
expanded to around 140 games at the outset of his seventh season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The timing of Stovey's career also worked
against his Hall of Fame case as during his final major league campaign the pitching distance
was moved from 55 feet to 60 feet 6 inches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This change resulted in a significant increase in scoring that--along
with playing their career under longer schedules--helped strengthen the Hall of
Fame cases of hitters who played their prime years in the 1890s and made
sluggers from Stovey's era look weaker by comparison.</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsIJxgnEZ8M/YXwDPG9rPfI/AAAAAAABcmA/MKzysBPMeX8peUVrvWVcpwpvYLm6bl7oACLcBGAsYHQ/s814/Harry%2BStovey21.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="574" data-original-width="814" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JsIJxgnEZ8M/YXwDPG9rPfI/AAAAAAABcmA/MKzysBPMeX8peUVrvWVcpwpvYLm6bl7oACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Harry%2BStovey21.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stovey holds the unique distinction of winning pennants in three different leagues<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Nevertheless, Stovey's dominance as player is underscored by the frequency in which
he led his respective league in a variety of important categories:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey was a five-time leader in home runs
and extra-base hits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He stood atop
the league leader chart in triples and runs scored on four occasions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also ranked first in total bases and
slugging percentage three times. Although stolen base totals were only recorded
for the final eight seasons of Stovey's 14-year career, the daring speedster twice paced the circuit in swiped bags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey also led the league in doubles and RBI on one occasion each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to establishing the record for career
home runs, he also set single-season records for home runs, extra-base hits,
triples, and stolen bases.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey's
dominance was not limited to just his time in the American Association as the
fleet-footed power-hitter led the National League in home runs and triples on
two occasions and also paced the senior circuit in total bases and slugging
percentage one time each--all despite spending only the first three and the
final three years of his career in the NL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Moreover, Stovey was the most prolific base stealer in the Players League's single year of existence.<br />
<br />
Stovey's dominance is further showcased by the Black Ink Test metric designed
by sabermetrician Bill James which measures how often a player led their
respective league in important offensive categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey ranks 28th all-time in position player
career Black Ink--ahead of countless Hall of Famers and trailing only four
players--Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Pete Rose, and Ross Barnes--who have yet to be enshrined
in Cooperstown. </span>Stovey's career also looks strong through another James metric, the Gray
Ink Test, which measures how often a player finished in their league's top ten
in important categories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Stovey is tied for 46th all-time among position players in Gray Ink, once again ahead of scores of
enshrined players, with Bonds, Rose, Albert Pujols, and Miguel Cabrera as the only non-Hall of Famers in front of him.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">Stovey's career value is highlighted by two of today's more popular advanced metrics, WAR and OPS+. Although Stovey's 45.0 WAR looks modest by contemporary standards, his career total was accumulated in just 6,848 plate appearances due to playing in an era with shorter schedules. To put Stovey's WAR in better perspective, the speedy slugger averaged an impressive 4.9 WAR per 162 games during his career. In addition, Stovey finished his career with an excellent 144 OPS+. Only 34 position players have retired with more plate appearances and produced a career OPS+ equal to or greater than Stovey’s. Of those 34 position players, just five--Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Dick Allen, Manny Ramirez, and Lance Berkman--have yet to be elected to the Hall of Fame. Bonds, McGwire, and Ramirez undoubtedly would have been voted into Cooperstown had it not been for their ties to PEDs, while Allen seems destined for eventual enshrinement, having come a single tally shy of election in his two most recent appearances on Era Committee ballots. Moreover, the only active position players who currently exceed Stovey in both plate appearances and OPS+ are Joey Votto, Miguel Cabrera, and Albert Pujols, each of whom have won at least one MVP award and will likely be first-ballot Hall of Famers when they become eligible.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Stovey’s Hall of
Fame case has long been championed by writers and
historians familiar with nineteenth century baseball. In 2011, the Society for American Baseball
Research selected Stovey as its Overlooked 19th Century Baseball Legend. Stovey made his most recent appearance on a Hall of Fame ballot in December 2015 when he was included on the Pre-Integration Era ballot which considered candidates who made their greatest contributions to the sport prior to Jackie Robinson's breaking of baseball's color line in 1947. Stovey drew 50% of the vote, coming four tallies shy of gaining the 75% required for election from the 16-member panel. Stovey tied fellow nineteenth century slugger Bill Dahlen for the second-highest vote total among the ten candidates on the ballot, trailing only nineteenth century pioneer Doc Adams who came the closest to enshrinement, falling two check marks shy with 62.5% of the vote.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Stovey was next eligible for consideration by the Early Baseball Era Committee which replaced the Pre-Integration Era Committee. Two key differences between the Pre-Integration Era Committee and the Early Baseball Era Committee were the timeframe cutoff was changed from 1946 to 1949 and eligibility was restored to black candidates who made their greatest contributions to the sport while participating in the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues. The Hall of Fame had ceased considering these candidates for enshrinement after the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues elected 17 candidates in 2006. By restoring the eligibility of the Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues candidates, the Hall of Fame essentially reopened a road to Cooperstown that never should have been closed. In December 2021, the Early Baseball Era Committee held its first election with the 16-member panel voting in a pair of worthy candidates, Buck O'Neil and Bud Fowler, who were each eligible due to the restoration of Negro Leagues and pre-Negro Leagues candidates to the ballot. Two notable exceptions who were not selected to appear among the Early Baseball Era Committee's ten-candidate ballot were Doc Adams and Harry Stovey. The exclusions of Adams and Stovey highlighted the difficulty of selecting candidates for the Early Baseball Era which covers, by far, the most expansive timeframe of the four Era Committees. Moreover, unlike the Today's Game, Modern Baseball, and Golden Days Era Committees, the Early Baseball Era is tasked with considering candidates from more than just the American and National Leagues, drawing its pool from a wide variety of defunct leagues such as the American Association where Stovey spent the majority of his career or one of the Negro Leagues or pre-Negro Leagues where O'Neil and Fowler made their respective marks on the game.<br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Barring a restructuring of the Era Committees, the Early Baseball Era Committee is not scheduled to hold another election until December 2031. Thus, Stovey's Hall of Fame candidacy is on hold for now. Nevertheless, Stovey's
incredible combination of power-hitting and base running gave him the ability
to regularly lead his respective league in a number of important categories and
dominate the game like few players have. Stovey was one of the nineteenth century's greatest players and his outstanding career is worthy of a bronze plaque in Cooperstown and Hall of Fame immortality.<br />
<br />
----by John Tuberty</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif">Stat links to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stoveha01.shtml" target="_blank">Harry Stovey</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dahlebi01.shtml" target="_blank">Bill Dahlen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml" target="_blank">Babe Ruth</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Alex Rodriguez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Rose</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pujolal01.shtml" target="_blank">Albert Pujols</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cabremi01.shtml" target="_blank">Miguel Cabrera</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vottojo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joey Votto</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgwima01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark McGwire</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allendi01.shtml" target="_blank">Dick Allen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirma02.shtml" target="_blank">Manny Ramirez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/berkmla01.shtml" target="_blank">Lance Berkman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinja02.shtml" target="_blank">Jackie Robinson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/oneilbu01.shtml" target="_blank">Buck O'Neil</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/nonmlbpa/fowlebu99.shtml" target="_blank">Bud Fowler</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barnero01.shtml" target="_blank">Ross Barnes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lathaar01.shtml" target="_blank">Arlie Latham</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willine01.shtml" target="_blank">Ned Williamson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gorege01.shtml" target="_blank">George Gore</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=adams-001doc" target="_blank">Doc Adams</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamilbi01.shtml" target="_blank">Billy Hamilton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kellyki01.shtml" target="_blank">King Kelly</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/connoro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Connor</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcphebi01.shtml" target="_blank">Bid McPhee</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccarto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tommy McCarthy</a> <br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><br />
Sources: <a href="http://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://stathead.com/baseball/" target="_blank">Stathead</a>, <a href="http://baseballhall.org/" target="_blank">Baseball Hall of Fame</a>, <a href="http://sabr.org/research/overlooked-19th-century-legend-harry-stovey" target="_blank">SABR</a>, <a href="http://www.19cbaseball.com/" target="_blank">19th Century Baseball</a>, <a href="http://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_isphr.shtml" target="_blank">Baseball Almanac</a>, <a href="http://articles.philly.com/1999-08-19/sports/25484119_1_committee-on-baseball-veterans-minor-league-harry-stovey" target="_blank">Philly.com</a>, <a href="http://virginiachronicle.com/cgi-bin/virginia?a=d&d=RT18930705.1.6&srpos=13&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN-harry+stovey------" target="_blank">The Roanoke Times Virginia Chronicle</a>, <a href="http://www.southcoasttoday.com/article/20060408/news/304089946" target="_blank">SouthCoastToday.com</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Xjd_ni5VuOAC&dq=the+beer+and+whiskey+league&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">David Nemec and Mark Rucker-The Beer and Whiskey League (Globe Pequot)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=_dciBQAAQBAJ&dq=summer+of+beer+and+whiskey&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">Edward Achorn-The Summer of Beer and Whiskey (PublicAffairs)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HXAxPvFtwqIC&dq=david+l+porter+q&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">David L. Porter-Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: Q-Z (Greenwood Publishing Group)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=cClHAQAAMAAJ&dq=alfred+henry+spink+national&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">Alfred Henry Spink-The National Game (National Game Publishing Company)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ZvAWd-Aq5UMC&dq=connie+mack+norman&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">Norman L. Macht-Connie Mack and the Early Years of Baseball (University of Nebraska Press)</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=vZ6dAgAAQBAJ&dq=john+thorn+volume+7&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">John Thorn-Base Ball: A Journal of the Early Game, Volume 7 (McFarland</a><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=vZ6dAgAAQBAJ&dq=john+thorn+volume+7&source=gbs_navlinks_s" target="_blank">)</a>, <a href="https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/news/baseball-hall-of-fame-president-jeff-idelson-election-process-pete-rose-buck-oneil/ljnb9g3yv6g11o85iu26nj75" target="_blank">The Sporting News</a>, <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-era-committee-ballots-bring-a-double-dose-of-hall-of-fame-candidates/" target="_blank">Fangraphs</a><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> <br />
</span><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHC2RFvUpnXCduFZYdF_xJOetQEUfguflZJhQ5oby7afipHsvcVsUSF3msb76FxS4v_eShWPkndcs7EpCS-_Q4tSgfA3qye01SZYRCcFZTVDycWrzajqG6bQ6mvL6-Vit-G562KihtFmviB_4V20Q5P2C0HEWgT-RiM4exE74fpYY8DiEzm_9dBVSB4w=s2180" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2180" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHC2RFvUpnXCduFZYdF_xJOetQEUfguflZJhQ5oby7afipHsvcVsUSF3msb76FxS4v_eShWPkndcs7EpCS-_Q4tSgfA3qye01SZYRCcFZTVDycWrzajqG6bQ6mvL6-Vit-G562KihtFmviB_4V20Q5P2C0HEWgT-RiM4exE74fpYY8DiEzm_9dBVSB4w=w640-h308" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b><br />
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John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-49562626474837399712021-11-29T20:12:00.000-05:002021-11-29T20:12:34.090-05:00Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Pair of Late Season Undefeated Streaks That Played Key Roles in Securing the 2000 and 2002 AL West Division Titles for the Oakland Athletics<div class="a3s aiL" id=":pa" style="text-align: left;"><div><div style="color: #454545;"><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grUot959qUo/YYL3WpfboKI/AAAAAAABcyI/F0-qQKhpnpIeiP1p5iEJ60V62XqID8CdACLcBGAsYHQ/s1472/Tim%2BHudson%2BPristine%2Bcombo2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1472" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-grUot959qUo/YYL3WpfboKI/AAAAAAABcyI/F0-qQKhpnpIeiP1p5iEJ60V62XqID8CdACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/Tim%2BHudson%2BPristine%2Bcombo2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />The
majority of the focus on the upcoming Hall of Fame election will center
on the final appearances of Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt
Schilling on the BBWAA ballot along with the debuts of David Ortiz and
Alex Rodriguez. One candidate who will struggle to draw the attention
that his Hall of Fame case warrants is Tim Hudson. In my <a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank">previous article on Hudson</a>, I took an in-depth look into his excellent .625
win-loss percentage and compared his career to recent Hall of Fame
inductees and other prominent pitchers from his era. For this piece, I
will examine Hudson’s pair of late season undefeated streaks that played
key roles in helping the Oakland Athletics rally from behind to secure
the 2000 and 2002 AL West division titles. In 2000, Hudson dominated
the opposition with a microscopic 1.16 ERA and won each of his last
seven starts, including the division-clinching game on the final day of
the regular season. Two years later, he made another significant impact
on the playoff race by posting a stellar 8-0 mark and 1.75 ERA over his
final 11 starts, which included four wins during the A’s
record-breaking run of twenty consecutive victories.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Originally
signed by Oakland as a 6th round draft pick in the 1997 Amateur Draft,
Hudson made his major league debut for the club on June 8, 1999. Hudson
quickly established himself as one of the top young pitchers in the
game, finishing his rookie campaign with a superb 11-2 record and a 3.23
ERA. In the process, the right-hander helped the A’s complete their
first winning season since 1992. During the first half of his sophomore
campaign, Hudson went 10-2 with a 4.27 ERA and earned his first
All-Star selection. After a rough patch of outings following the
Midsummer Classic, Hudson entered his August 28 home start versus the
Chicago White Sox with a 13-6 mark and 5.23 ERA. However, Hudson’s ERA
was deceptively high as, up until that point, his season had been
feast-or-famine: In nine of his 13 victories he had pitched seven or
more innings while giving up two or fewer runs. Conversely, in each of
his six losses he had allowed more than a run per inning pitched.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Toeing
the rubber against the potent White Sox offense was an unlikely place
for Hudson’s undefeated streak to begin. After all, the South Siders
held a commanding lead atop the AL Central division with a league-best
77-53 record while also pacing the junior circuit with an average of
6.12 runs scored per game. Moreover, just three weeks before in
Chicago, Hudson had been chased from the mound in the third inning and
taken the loss versus the White Sox. Going into Hudson’s August 28
start, the A’s were 68-61 and locked in a three-team race for the AL
West, trailing the Seattle Mariners by two and a half games and a game
and a half ahead of the third place Anaheim Angels. Oakland was also
one of six clubs in a close battle for the AL Wild Card. At this point,
the Boston Red Sox led the wild card standings by a half game over the
Cleveland Indians and a full game over the A’s. Hudson was opposed by
White Sox starter Jim Parque who was in the process of putting together a
career year and carried a 10-5 record and 4.39 ERA into the contest. Unlike his previous outing against Chicago, this time around Hudson
dominated the White Sox offense, tossing a one-hit shutout in a 3-0
Oakland victory. The righty only allowed two baserunners the entire
game—a top of the third inning walk to Paul Konerko and a single to
Frank Thomas in the fourth. Neither White Sox baserunner advanced past
first base as Konerko was forced out at second on a groundout before a
strikeout closed the frame while Thomas was erased on an inning-ending
double play. Hudson struck out eight and induced 13 ground ball outs
including a Ray Durham tap back to the mound to end the game. Parque
matched zeroes with Hudson through the first four innings until the A’s
offense broke through with a pair of runs in the fifth before adding
another run in the sixth. Hudson’s win moved his record to 14-6 and
brought his ERA back below 5.00 to 4.93. The combination of Oakland’s
victory and losses by Seattle and Boston pulled them within a game and a
half of the Mariners and a half-game of the wild card.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudson
drew his next start on September 3 in Toronto against the Blue Jays. The two clubs were in the thick of the wild-card race and came into the
game with near identical records of 70-64 for the A’s and 71-64 for the
Blue Jays. Hudson outpitched Toronto starter Esteban Loazia in a tight
4-3 win to give the hurler his 15th win of the season. Hudson allowed
three runs, one of which was unearned, over seven and two-thirds innings
of work while Loazia yielded four runs, three earned, across eight
innings. Both Hudson and Loazia exhibited pinpoint control with neither
pitcher surrendering a walk. Longballs proved to be the difference as
Hudson kept the ball in the yard while Oakland sluggers Terrence Long,
Miguel Tejada, and Jason Giambi each took Loazia deep in the A’s 4-3
victory.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_jyJ_1OjMk/YYL3q7QG71I/AAAAAAABcyQ/98y84bInFA8ELUKUadHn9kSRu7iFO7ErwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1868/Tim%2BHudson%2BJim%2BParque%2BAlbie%2BLopez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="1868" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R_jyJ_1OjMk/YYL3q7QG71I/AAAAAAABcyQ/98y84bInFA8ELUKUadHn9kSRu7iFO7ErwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h360/Tim%2BHudson%2BJim%2BParque%2BAlbie%2BLopez.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Hudson returned home for his September
9 start to face the last place Tampa Bay Devil Rays. Similar to his
performance less than two weeks before against Chicago, Hudson gave
Devil Rays hitters nothing to work with as he pitched a two-hit shutout
for win number 16 on the year. Meanwhile, Oakland’s offense played Home
Run Derby in the 10-0 rout, crushing five longballs in the first four
innings to chase Devil Rays starter Albie Lopez from the game before
adding a sixth round-tripper off reliever Trevor Enders in the following
frame. Hudson’s control was precise as he yielded no walks for his
second straight start. Also like his shutout of the White Sox, the
young hurler did not allow Tampa Bay’s offense to advance past first as
the only hitters to reach base, John Flaherty and Gerald Williams, each
did so with singles and were left stranded when the inning ended. Exactly a week later, Hudson took the hill versus the Devil Rays again,
this time on the road in Tampa Bay opposite former first overall draft
pick Paul Wilson. The A’s scored three runs off Wilson in the top of
the fourth and added two more in the fifth which proved to be enough for
a 5-2 victory. Hudson battled all day, allowing a pair of runs on six
hits and four walks in six and two-thirds innings of work. The righty’s
117-pitch outing gave him his fourth straight win to bring his record
to 17-6 and his ERA down to 4.49. Seattle won so Oakland was unable to
make up ground and sat two games back in the division race. However,
the combination of the A’s victory and Cleveland’s loss to the New York
Yankees moved them into a tie with the Indians for the wild card.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Following
Hudson’s win over Tampa Bay, Oakland continued their road trip,
proceeding to Baltimore to face the Orioles. The A’s won the first two
games but then, after splitting a September 20 doubleheader, the club
traveled across the country to Seattle for a crucial four-game series
with the Mariners who now led the AL West by three games. Oakland
tapped Hudson to pitch the September 21 opening contest of the series
while Seattle countered with veteran lefty Jamie Moyer. The Mariners
drew first blood, taking a 2-0 lead after a shaky first inning by
Hudson. However, the young righty was able to settle down and did not
allow another Seattle player to cross the plate while the A’s offense
cut the lead in half in the top of the fourth before breaking the game
open and chasing Moyer from the hill with a four-run outburst two
innings later. Oakland’s 5-2 victory brought them back within a pair of
games of Seattle and gave them a share of the wild card lead with
Cleveland. Hudson’s final line of two runs allowed, one of which was
unearned, through six innings secured the eighteenth win of the year for
the hurler.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">After Oakland concluded their
final road trip of the season by taking two of the next three games
against Seattle and winning the opener of a four-game home series versus
the Angels, the club stood atop the wild card standings with a one and a
half game lead over the Indians and now trailed the Mariners by just a
half game in the AL West. The A’s looked to continue this momentum with
their hottest pitcher toeing the slab for the September 26 match up
with the Angels. Just like his previous start, Hudson survived a shaky
first inning but surrendered a pair of runs to give Anaheim an early
lead. The A’s sluggers wasted no time in getting on the board, scoring
five in the bottom of the first and adding two more in the second to
knock Angels starter Scott Schoeneweis out of the game. Hudson pitched
masterfully the rest of the way, not allowing another run and earning
the victory for his eight innings of work. With the Mariners and
Indians both winning their games, the standings remained unchanged. However, Oakland and Cleveland both won three of the next four games
while Seattle went 2-2 over the same span. Thus, going into the
tentative final day of the regular season, the A’s held a half game lead
over the Mariners which gave Oakland the opportunity to clinch the
division with a victory over the Texas Rangers on October 1. Yet,
because the A’s had played one less game than their rivals, if they lost
to the Rangers and both the Mariners and Indians won their respective
games, Seattle would win the division and Oakland would be forced to
travel to Tampa Bay to play the Devil Rays in a makeup game to decide
the wild card.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dr6562KxvJk/YYL3_0Lv2EI/AAAAAAABcyY/wW6Gydr2KjQUGIVOTnCi9e1LRgbNNPuMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1492/Tim%2BHudson%2BRyan%2BGlynn.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1492" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dr6562KxvJk/YYL3_0Lv2EI/AAAAAAABcyY/wW6Gydr2KjQUGIVOTnCi9e1LRgbNNPuMQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h450/Tim%2BHudson%2BRyan%2BGlynn.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />With their playoff hopes hanging
in the balance, the A’s handed the ball to Hudson to start the
potential division-clinching game in front of Oakland’s rabid home
crowd. While Texas had long since been eliminated from playoff
contention, after being on the receiving end of an embarrassing 23-2
drubbing by Oakland the previous day, the Rangers had plenty of
incentive to want to play spoiler for the A’s. In addition, Texas
started struggling young pitcher Ryan Glynn who was trying his best to
stay on the team’s major league roster and had every reason to want to
end his season on a high note. Hudson showed up in top form, allowing
just a walk and a pair of hits while striking out five through the first
four innings. Texas threatened in the top of the fifth, getting
runners on second and third base, but Hudson was able to keep the ball
on the ground and work his way out of trouble. Despite carrying a 5.84
ERA into the game, Glynn proved to be very much up to the task, matching
zeros with Hudson. With the game still scoreless in the sixth, Hudson
implored his teammates to just get him one run. Finally, the A’s got on
the board in the seventh when the bottom of the batting order delivered
with number eight hitter Jeremy Giambi smacking a two-out double down
the right field line followed by a Ramon Hernandez single to center
which scored Giambi. Texas made things interesting in the top of the
eighth with Royce Clayton’s two-out double. However, after an
intentional walk to cleanup hitter Rafael Palmeiro, Hudson got Chad
Curtis to ground into a force out at second to end the inning. The A’s
extended their lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the frame when Randy Velarde
homered off Glynn and Olmedo Saenz took reliever Tim Crabtree deep. Having matched his season high of 120 pitches, Hudson gave way to
closer Jason Isringhausen for the bottom of the ninth who got the final
three outs as Oakland captured the AL West division title. Hudson was
credited as the winning pitcher, thus reaching the 20-victory plateau. With his win over the Rangers, the right-hander had successfully run
the AL West gauntlet, beating each of the A’s division rivals in
sequence to close the regular season.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudson’s
division-clinching victory wrapped up a seven-start stretch in which he
went 7-0 with a minuscule 1.16 ERA across 54 1/3 innings. With his
excellent finish to the campaign, Hudson had played a significant role
in helping Oakland rally past Seattle to win the division title and was
named AL Pitcher of the Month for September. The young righty did not
allow a home run over his final seven starts, and lowered his ERA from
5.23 to 4.14. While Hudson finished the year with a seemingly mediocre
ERA, it was actually the ninth lowest mark in the AL. At the time,
baseball was experiencing one of its most extreme scoring periods. In
fact, the league average 4.91 ERA for the 2000 season ranks
third-highest in the one-hundred and twenty plus year history of the
junior circuit. Hudson’s 20-6 record gave him an AL-best .769 win-loss
percentage and tied him with Blue Jays pitcher David Wells for the top
victory total in the circuit. Hudson finished runner-up to Red Sox
hurler Pedro Martinez in the AL Cy Young Award vote.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Following
their division-clinching win over Texas, the A’s advanced to the
postseason for the first time since 1992. Oakland faced the AL East
champion Yankees who beat them in a closely-contested five-game ALDS. Hudson made his playoff debut, starting Game Three of the series on the
road in New York. Even though the righty took the loss, he pitched
reasonably well, going the distance and allowing three earned runs in
the 4-2 defeat.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudson continued his winning
ways in 2001, posting an impressive 18-9 record with a solid 3.37 ERA
which ranked fifth lowest in the AL. The young hurler’s excellent
campaign helped Oakland capture the AL Wild Card and return to the
postseason. Unfortunately, the A’s once again fell to the Yankees in a
hard-fought five-game ALDS. After losing key players Jason Giambi,
Johnny Damon, and Jason Isringhausen to free agency over the offseason,
Oakland found itself on the outside of the playoff picture as the 2002
season reached its final two months. Going into Hudson’s August 3 home
start versus the Detroit Tigers, the A’s owned a 62-48 record and sat
third in the AL West, trailing the division-leading Mariners by six
games and the runner-up Angels by three. Oakland also ranked third in
the wild-card race with a three-game deficit to both the Red Sox and the
Angels. Hudson entered the game with just a 7-9 record despite a 3.63
ERA. However, the righty’s record was misleading as he had been denied
five potential victories due to his bullpen blowing the lead in games
where he was in line to be the winning pitcher. Opposing Hudson was
Tigers starter Jose Lima. Since winning 21 games for the 1999 Houston
Astros, the eccentric Lima had struggled mightily in the ensuing years
and brought an ugly 6.90 ERA into the contest despite ending July with a
pair of solid starts. Oakland’s offense got to Lima early and chased
the Tigers hurler from the hill in the fourth after he surrendered his
sixth run. Hudson pitched seven innings and gave up three runs, one of
which was unearned, to pick up the victory in the A’s 8-4 triumph.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On
August 9, Hudson took the mound on the road in New York against the
Yankees who held a league-best 71-42 record. New York starter Orlando
Hernandez left the game after pitching a scoreless first inning due to
numbness in his left leg. Hudson kept the Yankees potent offense off
the board for seven frames before muscle cramps in his legs forced his
own departure from the game with Oakland up, 2-0. Unfortunately for
Hudson, the A’s bullpen was unable to hold the lead and allowed the
Bombers to tie the score in the eighth, marking the sixth time the
club’s relief corps had cost the hurler a potential victory. Oakland
ultimately won the game, 3-2, in the sixteenth inning after six hours of
play. Hudson shook off his leg cramps and was back for his next start
five days later, facing the Blue Jays at home. The righty pitched well,
giving up just a pair of runs, one of which was unearned, in seven and
one-third innings of work to secure the victory in the A’s 4-2 win. Toronto starter Pete Walker surrendered four runs in six frames and
took the loss. Hudson’s solid pitching performance moved him to 9-9 for
the year and lowered his ERA to 3.35. Oakland’s record improved to
70-51 but still ranked third in both the division and wild card
standings.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">On August 19, the A’s opened a
ten-game road trip with Hudson taking the hill in Cleveland, opposite
Indians starter Danys Báez. Hudson overpowered the Tribe’s offense for
his tenth win of the year, allowing only one run in eight and one-third
innings of pitching. The combination of Oakland’s 8-1 victory, which
was the club’s sixth in a row, along with Seattle’s loss put the A’s
just a single game behind the Mariners and Angels in both the AL West
and wild-card races. Oakland continued their winning ways, taking the
next three games to complete the sweep over Cleveland and in the process
moved into a tie for the division lead. The A’s then kicked off the
second leg of their road trip with a victory over the Tigers to bring
their winning streak to ten straight and gain sole possession of the
division lead for the first time since the opening weeks of the season. Holding a respective one and two-game edge over Seattle and Anaheim in
the tight AL West, the club called upon Hudson for the second game in
Detroit. In a rematch of three weeks before, Jose Lima toed the slab
against the right-hander. Once more, Hudson stymied Detroit’s offense,
allowing just three runs and going the distance to earn the complete
game victory. By contrast, Lima was unable to make it out of the third
before being touched for 11 runs in the 12-3 rout. The following day,
the A’s completed the sweep over the Tigers and then rolled into Kansas
City where the club beat the Royals on three successive nights to finish
their ten-game road trip undefeated and extend their winning streak to
15. With the victories, Oakland widened their lead in the AL West to
four games over the Angels and four and a half over the Mariners.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMF7QhVnKzw/YYL4V3Py7-I/AAAAAAABcyg/fuXZR6izAW0fDh19aCKF9Pcor6lZlnELgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2230/Tim%2BHudson%2BAthletics%2B20%2Bgame%2Bwin%2Bstreak.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2230" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rMF7QhVnKzw/YYL4V3Py7-I/AAAAAAABcyg/fuXZR6izAW0fDh19aCKF9Pcor6lZlnELgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/Tim%2BHudson%2BAthletics%2B20%2Bgame%2Bwin%2Bstreak.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Hudson
drew his next starting assignment on August 30 at home versus the
Minnesota Twins who led the AL Central division by a healthy 16-game
margin. Hudson and Twins starter Brad Radke matched each other pitch
for pitch until A’s third baseman Eric Chavez broke a 2-2 tie with a
two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fifth. Oakland added another
run in the seventh off reliever Tony Fiore and prevailed by a final
score of 4-2 to give the team its sixteenth victory in a row and Hudson
wins in each of his last four starts. The righty limited Minnesota’s
offense to just a pair of runs in six and one-third innings of work,
thus lowering his ERA to 3.22 and improving his record to 12-9. With
two more wins over the Twins and a victory over the Royals, Oakland
extended the streak to 19 in a row which tied the AL mark set by the
1947 New York Yankees. The final two victories had been dramatic, ninth
inning walk-off wins delivered by slugger Miguel Tejada. Thus, Hudson
entered his September 4 start against the Royals with a chance to pitch
the A’s into the AL record books with their twentieth consecutive win. Oakland raced out to an early lead, scoring six runs in the bottom of
the first off Royals starter Paul Byrd. In the top of the fourth with
the score 11-0, an error by Tejada helped fuel a five-run inning by
Kansas City. Hudson departed the game in the top of the seventh, having
thrown six and two-thirds innings with five runs allowed, three of
which were unearned. Despite not pitching quite up to his recent form,
with his team comfortably ahead 11-5, Hudson was still in line to be the
winning pitcher. However, Oakland’s bullpen was unable to hold the
lead as the Royals scored five runs in the top of the eighth before
tying the game off closer Billy Koch in the ninth. While the A’s relief
corps had blown the lead and cost Hudson the chance at earning the
victory, it set the stage for Scott Hatteberg’s dramatic bottom of the
ninth, pinch-hit walk-off home run that gave the club its
record-breaking twentieth consecutive win. Hudson had been one of the
main contributors to the A’s amazing run, picking up four victories—two
at home and two on the road—during the stretch. Oakland’s streak
finally came to an end two nights later with a loss versus the Twins in
Minnesota. Nevertheless, during their record-setting run, the A’s
surged from third place, four and a half games back in the AL West to
standing atop the division with a three and a half game lead.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hudson’s
next start came on September 9, in Anaheim, facing the second place
Angels who, by this point, had cut Oakland’s lead to just two games. Taking the mound for the Halos was veteran Kevin Appier who had pitched
alongside Hudson in the A’s starting rotation during the 1999 and 2000
seasons and brought a solid 14-9 record and 3.66 ERA into the game. Hudson and Appier were each able to keep the opposing team’s offenses
in check and engage in a pitching duel. Appier lasted six and
two-thirds innings, with his only runs allowed coming on solo home runs
by Jermaine Dye and Terrence Long in the top of the fourth and fifth
innings, respectively. Hudson grinded through seven and one-third
innings of work, surrendering just one run on a bottom of the fifth
inning solo shot by Garrett Anderson which cut Oakland’s advantage to
2-1. This time, the A’s bullpen successfully protected the lead, giving
Hudson his thirteenth win of the season and extending the division lead
to three games. The righty’s narrow win proved to be vital as Anaheim
beat Oakland in each of the next three nights to draw even in the AL
West standings. Five days later, Hudson was back at home to take on the
A’s other main rival in the division race, the Mariners. Fresh off
getting the better of Appier, Hudson now faced Seattle’s veteran hurler
Jamie Moyer who had won 20 games during the prior season and carried an
impressive 13-7 record and 3.23 ERA into the game. After leading the AL
West from the second week of April into the latter part of August, the
Mariners had fallen to third, eight games behind Oakland and Anaheim who
remained tied for first in both the division and the wild-card races. With the A’s looking to push Seattle further out of the playoff
picture, Hudson pitched, perhaps, his finest game of season, allowing
only four hits and a pair of walks to earn the shutout win in a tense,
1-0, Oakland victory. Moyer proved to be a formidable foe, going the
distance while giving up just one unearned run following a pair of
infield errors to open the bottom of the second inning which set the
stage for Scott Hatteberg’s RBI single. Hudson’s shutout win pushed his
record to 14-9 and lowered his ERA to 3.01. With the victory, Oakland
now sat nine games ahead of Seattle but due to Anaheim’s win over Texas,
the A’s and the Halos remained tied. For his pair of key victories
against Oakland’s division rivals, Hudson was named co-AL Player of the
Week, sharing the honor with Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1887oN1wrQU/YYL4izhnNmI/AAAAAAABcyk/vBSyAW3sFAUm5urZqes39x0YYMs5ft4IQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2240/Tim%2BHudson%2BKevin%2BAppier%2BJamie%2BMoyer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="2240" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1887oN1wrQU/YYL4izhnNmI/AAAAAAABcyk/vBSyAW3sFAUm5urZqes39x0YYMs5ft4IQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h296/Tim%2BHudson%2BKevin%2BAppier%2BJamie%2BMoyer.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Hudson’s
next turn in the rotation came at home on September 19 to pitch the
final matchup of a four-game series with the Angels. After
relinquishing the lead to Anaheim twice since Hudson’s most recent
start, Oakland came into the game, having drawn even in the division
race with a 7-4 victory the night before. Opposing the A’s hurler for
the second time in September was veteran Kevin Appier. While neither
starter was quite as effective as in their battle earlier in the month,
once again, Hudson managed to outpitch his more experienced foe,
allowing three runs in seven and one-third innings compared to the four
runs surrendered by Appier in five and one-third frames. Oakland took
the game by the final score of 5-3 to reclaim the division lead and give
the right-hander his fifteenth victory of the year as well as his third
campaign in a row reaching the 15-win mark. Hudson’s final start of
the regular season came in Seattle on September 25. Sporting a 99-58
record, the A’s were inching closer to the divisional title, now leading
the AL West by three games over the Angels while the Mariners were all
but mathematically eliminated at eight games back. Hudson rematched his
second veteran in September when Jamie Moyer toed the rubber for
Seattle. Both hurlers exited the game after completing seven innings,
with Hudson getting the better of the duel, giving up just one run
compared to Moyer’s two. However, Oakland’s bullpen coughed up the lead
in the bottom of the eighth inning and the A’s lost the game, 3-2. The
frustrating outcome was an all too familiar one for Hudson as it marked
the eighth time during the season the club’s relief corps had cost him a
potential victory by surrendering the lead in a game in which he was in
line to be the winning pitcher. In spite of this, Hudson still managed
to finish the 2002 campaign with a solid 15-9 record supported by an
excellent 2.98 ERA. Oakland and Anaheim each won their respective games
the following day which clinched the AL West division title for the A’s
and secured the wild card for the Angels.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Oakland
faced the AL Central champion Twins in the ALDS but, once again came up
short in the opening round of the postseason, losing to Minnesota in
five games. Hudson started Games One and Four of the ALDS. Unfortunately, the righty suffered a strained left internal oblique
muscle during his final regular season start in Seattle. Hampered by
the injury, Hudson struggled against Minnesota, going 0-1 with a 6.23
ERA in his pair of ALDS starts.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">While the
poorly-timed muscle strain prevented Hudson from pitching at his best
during the ALDS, just as in 2000, the hurler’s late season undefeated
stretch had proved to be indispensable in helping the A’s overtake their
division rivals and clinch the AL West crown. Over the final two
months of the season, Hudson went 8-0 with a spectacular 1.75 ERA in 82
1/3 innings pitched across 11 starts. During Hudson’s dominant stretch,
Oakland surged from six games behind the Mariners in the AL West
standings to win the division by four games, going 10-1 in the righty’s
final 11 starts. In the closing weeks of the campaign, the righty took
the hill versus the A’s main rivals in the division race, Anaheim and
Seattle, outdueling grizzled veterans Kevin Appier and Jamie Moyer a
pair of times each. Throughout his stellar late season run, Hudson
exhibited impeccable control, surrendering just 11 walks over 82 1/3
innings and never more than two in any one start.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke80AjWJf9w/YYL421Cqi2I/AAAAAAABcyw/xjuEOMJ77eoGZLPIITZ96T9r07C7M9g2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2244/Tim%2BHudson%2BBarry%2BZito%2BMark%2BMulder%2B2003%2BDonruss.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1050" data-original-width="2244" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ke80AjWJf9w/YYL421Cqi2I/AAAAAAABcyw/xjuEOMJ77eoGZLPIITZ96T9r07C7M9g2QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/Tim%2BHudson%2BBarry%2BZito%2BMark%2BMulder%2B2003%2BDonruss.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Between
2000 and 2004, Hudson shared the A’s starting rotation with Mark Mulder
and Barry Zito. This impressive trio of young starters came to be
known as the Big Three. In their five seasons together, the Big Three
helped Oakland win three AL West division titles and one AL Wild Card. Perhaps, the Big Three’s finest run as a collective unit was during the
final two months of the 2002 season: Hudson’s 8-0 record and 1.75 ERA
led the way; Mulder went 7-1 with a 3.16 ERA; and Zito also did his
part, posting an 8-2 mark supported by a 2.24 ERA. Combined, the Big
Three posted an incredible 23-3 record and 2.38 ERA over the final two
months of the campaign. Oakland’s number four starter Cory Lidle also
pitched sensationally, being named AL Pitcher of the Month in August
after going 5-0 with an otherworldly 0.20 ERA. Lidle’s amazing August
included a streak of 32 consecutive scoreless innings but was followed
by a difficult September in which he went 0-1 with a 4.64 ERA. Each of
these four hurlers were instrumental in the A’s record-breaking run of
20-straight victories with Hudson and Zito both winning four games while
Mulder and Lidle were credited with three apiece.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Despite
completing yet another strong season, Hudson did not factor into the
2002 Cy Young Award vote. Zito, who finished the year with a 23-5
record and a 2.75 ERA, took home the award, edging out Red Sox hurler
Pedro Martinez in a close election. Although it is true Zito had a
better overall season than Hudson, their numbers were a lot closer than
reflected in the Cy Young vote. Zito edged his teammate in ERA,
strikeouts, and WHIP while Hudson held the upper hand in innings
pitched, complete games, and shutouts. Of course the WAR metric was
still several years away from being a factor in Cy Young elections, yet,
the two hurlers’ WAR totals show their value as almost identical with
Zito ranking third in the AL with a 7.2 mark while Hudson is slotted one
spot behind his teammate at 6.9. Nevertheless, the disparity in their
support from award voters largely stemmed from Zito’s advantage in wins. Had Hudson not been snake bitten by the A’s bullpen blowing several of
the righty’s potential victories, it is likely he would have reached
the twenty-win plateau and been a more serious candidate in the 2002 Cy
Young Award vote.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">With his pair of late season
undefeated streaks, Hudson played key roles in the Oakland A’s
come-from-behind rallies to clinch the 2000 and 2002 AL West division
titles. These dominant runs represent strong bullet points in Hudson’s
underrated Hall of Fame case. While the upcoming Hall of Fame election
will be dominated by the controversial legacies of Barry Bonds, Roger
Clemens, Curt Schilling, and Alex Rodriguez, hopefully voters will take a
longer look at one of the more overlooked candidates and consider Tim
Hudson.</span></p></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">----by John Tuberty</span></p></div><div><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Link to my previous Hudson article: An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era</span></a></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a><br /></span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsoti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Hudson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Ortiz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Alex Rodriguez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomafr04.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Thomas</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirma02.shtml" target="_blank">Manny Ramirez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martipe02.shtml" target="_blank">Pedro Martinez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/giambja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jason Giambi</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tejadmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Miguel Tejada</a>, </span><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chaveer01.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Eric</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chaveer01.shtml" target="_blank"> Chavez</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zitoba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Zito</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/muldema01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Mulder</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moyerja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jamie Moyer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/appieke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Appier</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/isrinja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jason Isringhausen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lidleco01.shtml" target="_blank">Cory Lidle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/limajo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jose Lima</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hattesc01.shtml" target="_blank">Scott Hatteberg</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parquji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Parque</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lopezal02.shtml" target="_blank">Albie Lopez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/glynnry01.shtml" target="_blank">Ryan Glynn</a></span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Sources: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>,
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/s/2000/0922/767549.html" target="_blank">ESPN September 2000</a>, <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/mlb/recap/_/gameId/220809110" target="_blank">ESPN August 2002 article</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2000/09/25/straight-as-student-oakland-ace-tim-hudson-a-remarkably-quick-study-has-moved-to-the-head-of-the-class-of-the-games-young-pitchers" target="_blank">Sports Illustrated Vault</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/27/sports/american-league-roundup-angels-make-playoffs-a-s-clinch-al-west.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2002/09/16/Hudson-Ramirez-share-AL-Player-of-Week/30281032218157/" target="_blank">UPI</a>, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/sports/kroichick/article/Green-and-Golden-Young-A-s-join-Giants-in-3326304.php" target="_blank">San Francisco Chronicle</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Aces.html?id=Z6IAY3eYPu0C&source=kp_book_description" target="_blank">Mychael Urban-<i>Aces: The Last Season on the Mound with the Oakland A’s Big Three—Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, Barry Zito</i> (Wiley)</a><br /></span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Tim
Hudson cards: 2003 Topps Pristine, 2004 Topps Pristine, 2002 Fleer
Triple Crown, 2004 Fleer Tradition, 2003 Donruss Champion, 2003 Upper
Deck Authentics, 2001 Upper Deck, 2002 Topps Reserve, 2003 Donruss</span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Other
players cards: Jim Parque 2000 Pacific, Albie Lopez 2000 Pacific Crown
Collection, Ryan Glynn 1999 Fleer Tradition Update, Oakland Athletics
Team 2003 Topps, Kevin Appier 2003 Leaf, Jamie Moyer 2002 Fleer Triple
Crown, Mark Mulder 2003 Donruss, Barry Zito 2003 Donruss</span></p></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u></u></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svIpl08NmzI/YYP1HQ6QsWI/AAAAAAABczE/Tvvk_2JuBogCiAgp1SSzSGgQsoL29MLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2272/Tim%2BHudson%2BRollie%2BFingers%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="2272" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-svIpl08NmzI/YYP1HQ6QsWI/AAAAAAABczE/Tvvk_2JuBogCiAgp1SSzSGgQsoL29MLYwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h298/Tim%2BHudson%2BRollie%2BFingers%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski.jpg" width="640" /></a></u></b></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b> </span><p></p><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era</span></a></p></div><div><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-break-up-of-oakland-as-dynasty-how_7675.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Break-up of The Oakland A’s Dynasty, How The Players Fared After Leaving as Free Agents, and Their Airbrushed 1977 Topps Cards</span></a></p></div><div><p><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-fathers-memories-of-working-with.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">My Father’s Memories of Working with Carl Yastrzemski at Kahn’s-Hillshire Farm in the Early Eighties</span></a></p></div></div></div></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-36535652273333381552021-11-17T07:49:00.000-05:002021-11-17T07:49:53.686-05:00Ryan Mountcastle and Ian Anderson Join Gregg Jefferies as the Only Players to Garner Rookie of the Year Support in Two Different Seasons<p></p><div class="a3s aiL" id=":nf"><div dir="auto"><div style="color: #454545;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qzJNmQZWes/YZMUOBme8dI/AAAAAAABdLg/V6PqIolnazMO2X3mv-mTzqTGVOGjO_TYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2240/Ryan%2BMountcastle%2BIan%2BAnderson%2BGregg%2BJefferies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2240" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5qzJNmQZWes/YZMUOBme8dI/AAAAAAABdLg/V6PqIolnazMO2X3mv-mTzqTGVOGjO_TYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/Ryan%2BMountcastle%2BIan%2BAnderson%2BGregg%2BJefferies.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Going
into the 2021 campaign, Gregg Jefferies was the only player to garner
Rookie of the Year support in two different seasons. With his excellent
stint as a late season call up in 1988, Jefferies drew a single second
place vote to finish tied for sixth in the NL Rookie of the Year
election. Jefferies followed that up with a respectable full-length
1989 campaign and finished third on the NL rookie ballot, in the process
becoming the first player to pick up votes in multiple seasons. However, the special circumstances of the abbreviated 60-game 2020
campaign, set the stage for four players—Atlanta Braves pitcher Ian
Anderson, Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, Baltimore
Orioles first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, and Miami Marlins pitcher Sixto
Sanchez—to draw support on the 2020 Rookie of the Year ballot and still
retain their rookie status for 2021. After completing their solid 2021
campaigns and finishing a respective sixth in the AL Rookie of the Year
vote and fifth in the NL vote, Ryan Mountcastle and Ian Anderson have
now joined Jefferies as the only players to accomplish this unique feat.</div><div style="color: #454545;"><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div style="color: #454545;"><b><u>Ryan Mountcastle</u></b></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div>The
Baltimore Orioles selected Ryan Mountcastle in the first round of the
2015 Amateur Draft with the thirty-sixth overall pick which the club had
received as compensation for losing Nelson Cruz to free agency. Originally drafted as a shortstop, Mountcastle was slid over to third
base when he was promoted to Double-A Bowie for the 2017 season. With
his move up to Triple-A Norfolk for 2019, the organization abandoned
playing him at the hot corner and decided to split him between the less
defensively demanding positions of first base and left field. While in
Norfolk, Mountcastle showcased his power, finishing 2019 with 25 home
runs and ranking among the International League leaders in multiple
offensive categories. After earning his late August call up,
Mountcastle scorched opposing pitchers and finished 2020 with a 137 OPS+
while batting .333 with 5 home runs and 23 RBI in 35 games. Mountcastle collected a sole third place vote on the 2020 AL Rookie of
the Year ballot from Baltimore-based <i>Associated Press</i> writer Dave Ginsburg which put him in a three-way tie with Jesus Luzardo and Brady Singer for eighth in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>Perhaps
due to his limitations on defense, Mountcastle ranked well out of the
top-ten in the preseason prospect lists, only checking in at 28th on <i>Baseball Prospectus’</i> index and slotting all the way down in 63rd on <i>Baseball America’s</i> registry. While Mountcastle did not garner as high a ranking as many of the
other potential Rookie of the Year candidates, with his ability to hit
for power, it was not hard to imagine him being able to factor into the
vote. The 24-year-old slugger got off to a slow start in 2021, batting
just .226 with a .628 OPS through the first two months of the season. However, Mountcastle’s bat came alive in June as he clubbed nine home
runs, hit .327, and posted a sensational 1.015 OPS while driving in 26
runs in 26 games. Mountcastle received two awards for his outstanding
June, being named AL Rookie of the Month as well as AL Player of the
Week for a six-game stretch from May 31 to June 6 in which he went deep
four times, collected 10 RBI, and batted .458 with an eye-popping 1.563
OPS. His dominant month also included a June 19 game in Baltimore where
he went 4 for 4, hitting home runs in each of his first three plate
appearances before adding a single in his final at bat. Mountcastle
drove in four runs and scored three times but it wasn’t enough as the
O’s bullpen coughed up a 7-4 lead, allowing the Toronto Blue Jays to
cross the plate six times in the top of the ninth inning to lose, 10-7. The youngster’s excellent June moved his batting average up to .263 and
increased his OPS to .770. Yet, when the calendar turned to July,
Mountcastle began to struggle again. Then, just as his bat started to
heat back up with an eight-game hitting streak, he went on the 7-day
injured list with a concussion after receiving a hard tag to the head
from shortstop Wander Franco while attempting to steal second base
during an August 6 game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Mountcastle
returned to the field on August 17 and got exactly one hit in each of
the next five contests to extend his hitting streak to a career-high 13
games. Mountcastle’s hitting streak came in the midst of Baltimore’s
19-game losing streak which spanned from August 3 to 24. Despite the
concussion and the O’s losing streak, Mountcastle had an outstanding
August, smacking 8 home runs and driving in 16 runs in just 19 games
while dominating pitchers with a .357 batting average and 1.183 OPS. Although Mountcastle’s bat cooled in September, he continued to blast
round-trippers and on September 12 hit his 28th longball of the season
to tie the O’s rookie home run record set by franchise icon Cal Ripken
Jr. in 1982. Four nights later, Mountcastle launched New York Yankees
starter Jordan Montgomery’s pitch deep over Camden Yards’ center field
wall to establish a new O’s rookie benchmark.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mountcastle
finished his official rookie season with 33 home runs, 89 RBI, a .255
batting average, .309 OBP, and .796 OPS. The young slugger’s impressive
longball total led all MLB rookies while his 89 RBI was just one shy of
the rookie-leading mark set by Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis García. Mountcastle saw the majority of his at bats come out of the clean-up
spot and the two-hole in the batting order. He spent the bulk of his
time on defense at first base but also was used as the club’s designated
hitter and occasionally played left field as well. Mountcastle’s home
run and RBI marks led the Orioles as he was one of the few bright spots
for a club that scored the next-to-the least amount of runs in the AL
and tied the Arizona Diamondbacks with an MLB-worst 52-110 record. Despite his longball power, Mountcastle accumulated a surprisingly low
0.9 WAR, a mark that was brought down by playing less demanding
positions and producing poor defensive numbers in his limited
appearances in left field. In addition, the huge disparity in his home
and road splits took some of the bite out of his power numbers as 22 of
his 33 home runs came at hitter-friendly Camden Yards where his .871 OPS
was well above the .713 mark he attained on the road. When park
adjusted, Mountcastle’s impressive .796 OPS translated to a less
illustrious 112 OPS+. Moreover, strikeouts and plate discipline were
constant struggles for the slugger as he whiffed 161 times while taking
just 41 walks. Although Mountcastle experienced his share of
difficulties at the plate during the 2021 season, on the strength of his
sensational hitting in June and August, he was able to paste his name
all over the AL rookie leaderboard. Mountcastle not only paced the
junior circuit rookies in home runs, but also finished runner-up in RBI,
runs scored, extra-base hits, slugging percentage, and total bases
while ranking in the top-five in several other categories.</div><div><br /></div><div>Mountcastle
earned a pair of second place votes and four third place check marks on
the 2021 AL Rookie of the Year ballot. The power-hitter’s 10 points
placed him sixth in the election. Mountcastle received votes from each
of the Baltimore BBWAA chapter representatives, collecting a second
place tally from at-large writer Peter Schmuck and a third place check
mark from MLB.com’s Joe Trezza. His remaining second place vote came
from Boston BBWAA chapter representative Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena secured 22 of 30 first place votes and
amassed 124 points to win the AL Rookie of the Year Award. By gathering
support in both 2020 and 2021, Mountcastle joined Gregg Jefferies and
Ian Anderson as the only players to accrue votes in multiple seasons.<br /></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-slpIdOBuyM0/YZMU3DzkynI/AAAAAAABdLo/Yo_SKfl4q74k5t0Fnz0QMBDU9KRmWTXQgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1508/Ryan%2BMountcastle%2Band%2BIan%2BAnderson%2BBowman%2BROY%2BFavorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="1508" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-slpIdOBuyM0/YZMU3DzkynI/AAAAAAABdLo/Yo_SKfl4q74k5t0Fnz0QMBDU9KRmWTXQgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h446/Ryan%2BMountcastle%2Band%2BIan%2BAnderson%2BBowman%2BROY%2BFavorites.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Ian Anderson</u></b></div><div><div>Originally
selected by the Atlanta Braves with the third overall pick of the 2016
Amateur Draft, Ian Anderson progressed through the minor leagues and
earned his first major league call up midway through the abbreviated
2020 season in late August. The young right-hander immediately
announced his presence with an impressive debut, holding the New York
Yankees to just one hit, a Luke Voit home run, across six innings of
work to outpitch veteran Gerrit Cole and pick up the win in Atlanta’s
5-1 victory. Anderson finished the season with a 3-2 record and a
phenomenal 1.95 ERA to help lead the Braves to the NL East division
title. Anderson rode his regular season momentum into the playoffs
where he won both Game Two of the NL Wild Card Series over the
Cincinnati Reds and Game Two of the NLDS versus the Miami Marlins. In
each of his playoff victories, Anderson did not allow a run. He then
started Games Two and Seven of the NLCS on the road against the Los
Angeles Dodgers but did not factor into the decision of either contest. Overall, Anderson went 2-0 with a minuscule 0.96 ERA in 18 2/3 innings
across four postseason starts. Despite only taking the mound for six
regular season starts, Anderson made the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year
ballot with a sole third place vote from Philadelphia BBWAA chapter
member Jack McCaffery of the <i>Delaware County Daily Times</i>. The
single point Anderson collected from McCaffery’s vote put him in a
three-way tie with Andres Gimenez and Sixto Sanchez for seventh place in
the election.</div><div><div><br /></div><div>Anderson came into the 2021
season as one of the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year,
ranking as the number five prospect according to <i>Baseball Prospectus</i> and number eight for <i>Baseball America</i>. The young hurler got off to an excellent start, posting a 2.48 ERA in
April. He concluded the month by picking up his first two victories of
the year, throwing six and two-thirds scoreless innings on the road
against the Yankees and tossing seven frames of one-hit ball at home
versus the Chicago Cubs. On May 15, Anderson grabbed his third win of
the season with another outstanding road start, holding the Milwaukee
Brewers hitless for six innings before allowing a single and a double to
open the seventh. While Anderson was able to display flashes of
brilliance, he also struggled with consistency, owning a 5-5 record with
a 3.56 ERA when he went on the injured list after experiencing shoulder
soreness during a July 11 start against the Marlins. The right-hander
returned to the mound on August 29 and pitched five and two-thirds
scoreless innings to earn the win at home against the first place San
Francisco Giants. Anderson’s struggles resurfaced in early September
but he finished the regular season strong with a pair of crucial
victories in his final two outings to help the Braves hold off the
Philadelphia Phillies and win their fourth straight NL East division
title. In his penultimate start, Anderson pitched seven innings and
gave up just one run on the road versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. Anderson capped off his regular season by holding off the Phillies to a
pair of runs across six frames to clinch the division crown in front of
the Braves fans at Truist Park.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anderson
finished his official rookie campaign with a 9-5 record and a 3.58 ERA
in 24 starts while averaging just under a strikeout per inning. The
opening outs were often the hardest for Anderson to get as he compiled
an ugly 6.38 ERA in the first inning compared to an impressive 2.93 mark
thereafter. Anderson’s overall 3.58 ERA was second-lowest among NL
rookies with more than 75 innings pitched. Anderson’s nine victories
tied Reds pitcher Vladimir Gutiérrez for the NL rookie lead. The young
right-hander also ranked among the NL rookie top-five in several other
categories including strikeouts, innings pitched, and WHIP. His 2.6 WAR
trailed only Marlins hurler Trevor Rogers among NL rookie pitchers and
slotted fifth overall for NL rookies. For the second year in a row,
Anderson carried the momentum of a strong regular season into the
playoffs, throwing five scoreless frames at home against the NL Central
champion Brewers to earn the victory in Game Three of the NLDS. Atlanta
once again faced the Dodgers in the NLCS with Anderson making a pair of
starts at Truist Park. The rookie hurler took the hill for Game Two
and the pennant-clinching Game Six but did not factor into the decision
of either contest. Anderson’s next start came in Game Three of the
World Series against the Houston Astros. With the series even at one
game apiece and moving back to Truist Park, Anderson pitched
brilliantly, throwing five no-hit innings to earn the victory and swing
the momentum back in favor of the Braves who ultimately captured the
World Series championship in six games. Had Houston been able to force a
decisive seventh game, it is likely Anderson would have been called
upon to make the start. The 23-year-old further cemented his status as
an excellent playoff pitcher, posting a 1.59 ERA across 17 innings
during the 2021 postseason. Anderson’s crucial NLDS and World Series
victories improved his playoff record to 4-0. Moreover, with a
magnificent 1.26 ERA from his combined 2020 and 2021 playoff
appearances, Anderson is one of just four pitchers to produce a sub-1.50
ERA through his first eight career postseason starts.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anderson’s
solid campaign secured him a trio of third place tallies on the 2021 NL
Rookie of the Year ballot. The young righty’s three points gave him a
fifth place finish in the election. Since award ballots are submitted
prior to the start of the postseason, Anderson’s role in the Braves
championship run was not factored into the election. Two of Anderson’s
votes came from Atlanta’s BBWAA chapter representatives, Charles Odum
of <i>The Associated Press</i> and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, while the other check mark came from <i>The New York Post’s</i> Joel
Sherman who represented the Milwaukee BBWAA chapter. Reds second
baseman Jonathan India picked up 29 of 30 first place votes and
accumulated 148 points to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award. By
accruing votes in both 2020 and 2021, Anderson joined Gregg Jefferies
and Ryan Mountcastle as the only players to draw Rookie of the Year
support in two separate seasons.<br /></div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u>Ke’Bryan Hayes</u></b></div></div></div><div>The
Pittsburgh Pirates selected Ke’Bryan Hayes in the first round of the
2015 Amateur Draft with the thirty-second overall pick which the club
had received as compensation for losing Russell Martin to free agency. Hayes was selected in the same draft as fellow Rookie of the Year
candidate Mountcastle, with the Pirates calling his name four picks
ahead of the O’s slugger. Hayes is the son of former major leaguer
Charlie Hayes who shared the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year ballot with
Gregg Jefferies and finished tied with Andy Benes for fifth in the
election after garnering a single second place vote. The younger Hayes
proved to be a stalwart on defense, winning the minor league equivalent
of the Gold Glove Award in 2017, 2018, and 2019, thus becoming the first
player since Ramón Conde in 1961 to win the honor in three consecutive
seasons. However, when Hayes earned his call up to Pittsburgh in the
latter half the 2020 campaign, the slick-gloved rookie made his mark by
standing out on offense. In his major league debut against the Chicago
Cubs on September 1, Hayes hit a solo home run and stroked an RBI
double. He continued swinging a hot bat for the remainder of the
season, hitting safely in 20 of the 24 games he appeared in. During
Pittsburgh’s penultimate game of the year, Hayes went 5 for 5, scoring
three runs and hitting a trio of doubles to help the club to an 8-0
victory against the Cleveland Indians. By the end of the campaign, he
had raised his average to an incredible .376 with a .442 OBP, 1.124 OPS,
and 201 OPS+. Hayes capped the season by being named NL Rookie of the
Month for September. In the 2020 Rookie of the Year election, Hayes was
the only candidate among Anderson, Mountcastle, and Sanchez to pick up
more than a single third place vote as he collected a second place tally
from Los Angeles BBWAA chapter member Christina Kahrl of ESPN.com along
with a pair of third place check marks from the two Pittsburgh-based
voters, Will Graves of the <i>Associated Press</i> and Dejan Kovacevic
of DKPittsburghSports.com. The three votes gave Hayes five points and a
sixth place finish in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>After
going on an offensive tear during the final month of 2020, Hayes entered
2021 as one of the favorites to win top NL rookie honors and was
classified as the number seven prospect by <i>Baseball Prospectus</i> and number fifteen by <i>Baseball America</i>. Hayes kicked off his 2021 campaign by taking Cubs hurler Kyle
Hendricks deep in his first plate appearance on Opening Day. Unfortunately, during Pittsburgh’s second game of the season, he
injured his left wrist and departed the contest early. As a result, the
second generation slugger went on the injured list and missed two
months of the season. Hayes returned to the field on June 3 and hit
safely in each of his first ten games back from injury. The next few
weeks were highlighted by a series of multi-hit games in both late June
and early July as Hayes entered the All-Star Break with a solid .787
OPS. However, Hayes slumped at the plate during the second half,
posting just a .632 OPS. His season came to a premature end on
September 29 when he was placed back on the IL with soreness in his left
wrist. With Pittsburgh sitting last in the NL Central and Hayes
experiencing pain in a different part of his wrist than he had in April,
the club decided to shut the third baseman down rather than risk
further injury. Hayes’ wrist had periodically hampered him following
his first stint on the IL and undoubtedly played a role in his struggles
at the plate.</div><div><br /></div><div>Injuries limited Hayes’ official
rookie campaign to 96 games and he finished the year with a .689 OPS
which translated to a below league average OPS+ of 87. Nevertheless,
Pittsburgh showed their confidence in the youngster, primarily batting
him out of the two-hole in the lineup before moving him to the leadoff
spot in September. Hayes hit 6 home runs and drove in 38 runs while
batting .257 with a .316 OBP. Hayes showcased his speed, going 9 for 10
in stolen base attempts. Although Hayes was unable to rekindle the
magic in his bat from 2020, he lived up to his reputation as an elite
defender, leading NL third basemen with 16 Defensive Runs Saved. In
addition, Hayes’ .988 fielding percentage and range factor per 9 innings
of 2.89 were both well above the respective .957 and 2.56 league
averages for third baseman. Hayes also ranked third among his NL hot
corner peers with 28 double plays turned. Largely due to his sterling
defense, Hayes produced 2.4 WAR, the fifth-highest total for NL rookie
position players and seventh overall among senior circuit rookies. However, Hayes’ slick glovework was not enough to secure the
24-year-old any votes on the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year ballot.</div><div><b><u><br /></u></b></div><div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCTTt0SLrTk/YZMVPDMJwKI/AAAAAAABdLw/6KK9QyE8vDMLNsN2jk6MM3UUVouTbgBhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1488/KeBryan%2BHayes%2Band%2BSixto%2BSanchez%2BBowman%2BROY%2BFavorites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1488" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCTTt0SLrTk/YZMVPDMJwKI/AAAAAAABdLw/6KK9QyE8vDMLNsN2jk6MM3UUVouTbgBhQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h450/KeBryan%2BHayes%2Band%2BSixto%2BSanchez%2BBowman%2BROY%2BFavorites.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Sixto Sanchez</u></b></div><div>Miami
Marlins pitcher Sixto Sanchez also had the chance to join Gregg
Jefferies, Ryan Mountcastle, and Ian Anderson as the only players to
draw Rookie of the Year support in two different campaigns before a
shoulder injury caused the hurler to miss the entire 2021 regular
season. Originally signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015 as an
amateur free agent, Sanchez was acquired by the Marlins four years later
as part of the J.T. Realmuto trade. Miami promoted Sanchez in late
August and he was able to deliver some big wins and help the club
capture one of the wild card spots in the special 2020 postseason
tournament. One of Sanchez’s key performances was a seven-inning
complete game victory in the first half of a September 13 doubleheader
that the Marlins swept over his former club, the Phillies. Sanchez
finished the 2020 regular season with a 3-2 record and 3.46 ERA. The
young right-hander made a pair of postseason starts, throwing five
scoreless innings but not factoring into the decision in Miami’s Game
Two victory against the Chicago Cubs in the NL Wild Card Series. His
next start was a rough outing versus the Atlanta Braves in Game Three of
the NLDS in which he gave up four runs across three innings and took
the loss. Sanchez’s solid regular season earned the pitcher a single
third place vote on the 2020 NL Rookie of the Year ballot from Arizona
BBWAA chapter member David Venn of MLB.com to put him in a three-way tie
with Ian Anderson and Andres Gimenez for seventh in the election.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sanchez entered 2021 as the top prospect among Anderson, Hayes, and Mountcastle, ranking number four according to <i>Baseball Prospectus</i> and number six on <i>Baseball America’s</i> list. Unfortunately the Dominican-born hurler’s season seemed doomed from
the start as his arrival to the club’s spring training camp was first
delayed by a visa issue followed by a false positive on a COVID-19 test. Sanchez was then sidelined by shoulder soreness and in early July was
shut down for the remainder of the season after an MRI showed a small
tear in his right shoulder. On July 20, he underwent arthroscopic
surgery on the shoulder. Following the surgery, Marlins general manager
Kim Ng said the club is hopeful Sanchez will ready by Opening Day 2022. Technically, since Sanchez did not exceed his rookie limits in 2020 or
2021, he will be eligible for the 2022 NL Rookie of the Year.</div><div><br /></div><div>When
Gregg Jefferies became the first player to garner Rookie of the Year
support in two separate seasons, he did so under much different
circumstances than Ryan Mountcastle and Ian Anderson. During Jefferies’
1988 call up, he made his first appearance of the year for the Mets on
August 28 and was with the club through the end of the campaign which
represented roughly one-fifth of the regular season. Since Jefferies
had spent fewer than 45 days on the Mets major league roster prior to
September 1 and the 115 career at bats he had accumulated up until that
point did not exceed the 130 at bat threshold, the young slugger’s
rookie status stayed intact for 1989. By contrast, Mountcastle and
Anderson made their 2020 debuts on August 21 and August 26,
respectively. Thus their time on their club’s roster represented more
than half of the barely two-month long campaign. Had Mountcastle and
Anderson appeared on their team’s roster for anything close to half of a
normal 162-game regular season, they would have easily blown past the
service time threshold and would not have had their rookie status intact
for 2021.</div><div><br /></div><div>However, when Jefferies accomplished
the feat over the course of the 1988 and 1989 seasons, the
circumstances under which he was operating were also different from
prior eras. At the time the Rookie of the Year Award was established in
1947, only first place votes were counted and it was not until a tie
between Alfredo Griffin and John Castino in the 1979 AL vote that the
5-3-1 voting format of five points for first place, three points for
second, and a single point for third was adopted for the following
year’s election. In addition, the 50-inning, 130-at bat, and fewer than
45 days of pre-September 1 service time did not become the standard
thresholds until 1971. Thus, it is possible that other players may have
turned the trick before Jefferies had they been operating under the
same criteria. Regardless though, for three-plus decades Jefferies
stood as the only player to garner Rookie of the Year support in two
separate seasons and it took a unique set of circumstances for another
player to achieve this result.</div><div><br /></div><div>----by John Tuberty</div><div><br /></div><div>Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></div><div><div><br /></div><div>Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderia01.shtml" target="_blank">Ian Anderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hayeske01.shtml" target="_blank">Ke’Bryan Hayes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mountry01.shtml" target="_blank">Ryan Mountcastle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchsi01.shtml" target="_blank">Sixto Sanchez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/i/indiajo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jonathan India</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arozara01.shtml" target="_blank">Randy Arozarena</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francwa01.shtml" target="_blank">Wander Franco</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garciad02.shtml" target="_blank">Adolis García</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogertr01.shtml" target="_blank">Trevor Rogers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cruzne02.shtml" target="_blank">Nelson Cruz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/voitlu01.shtml" target="_blank">Luke Voit</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/realmjt01.shtml" target="_blank">JT Realmuto</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ripkeca01.shtml" target="_blank">Cal Ripken Jr.</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeffegr01.shtml" target="_blank">Gregg Jefferies</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hendrky01.shtml" target="_blank">Kyle Hendricks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hayesch01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Hayes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/condera01.shtml" target="_blank">Ramón Conde</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Sources: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>,
<a href="https://bbwaa.com/" target="_blank">BBWAA</a>, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/2211203/ryan-mountcastle" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a>, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-ryan-mountcastle-american-league-player-of-the-week-20210607-6yd4swa4vreuripcpiwoowxa4y-story.html" target="_blank">Baltimore Sun</a>, <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2021/09/26/Ke-Bryan-Hayes-reflect-left-wrist-2021-season-look-back-improvements-riding-bike/stories/202109260204" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>,
<a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31765528/with-shoulder-surgery-looming-pitching-prospect-sixto-sanchez-shut-miami-marlins" target="_blank">ESPN</a>, <a href="https://www.milb.com/indianapolis/news/hayes-craig-selected-as-2019-rawlings-gold-glove-award-winners-311152810" target="_blank">MiLB.com</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ke-bryan-hayes-promotion-to-pirates" target="_blank">September 2020 MLB.com article</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ke-bryan-hayes-wrist-injury-update" target="_blank">May 1 MLB.com article</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ke-bryan-hayes-transferred-to-60-day-injured-list" target="_blank">May 9 MLB.com article</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/june-2021-mlb-rookies-of-the-month" target="_blank">July 2 MLB.com article</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/sixto-sanchez-right-shoulder-surgery" target="_blank">July 21 MLB.com article</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/ke-bryan-hayes-out-for-rest-of-2021-with-left-wrist-soreness" target="_blank">September 29 article MLB.com article</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Cards:
Gregg Jefferies 1988 Score, Ryan Mountcastle 2021 Bowman, Ian Anderson
2021 Bowman, Ryan Mountcastle 2021 Bowman-Rookie of the Year Favorites,
Ian Anderson 2021 Bowman-Rookie of the Year Favorites-Mojo Refractor,
Ke’Bryan Hayes 2021 Bowman-Rookie of the Year Favorites, Sixto Sanchez
2021 Bowman-Rookie of the Year Favorites</div><div><br /></div><div><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-219esIbKcgg/YZMVbKXDeYI/AAAAAAABdL0/MokG64q77kUOxQ9YkCdNOHoepTXg2l-rACLcBGAsYHQ/s2176/Gregg%2BJefferies%2BSalvador%2BPerez%2BCal%2BRipken%2BJr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="2176" height="308" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-219esIbKcgg/YZMVbKXDeYI/AAAAAAABdL0/MokG64q77kUOxQ9YkCdNOHoepTXg2l-rACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h308/Gregg%2BJefferies%2BSalvador%2BPerez%2BCal%2BRipken%2BJr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/gregg-jefferies-unique-feat-of-drawing.html" target="_blank">Gregg Jefferies’ Unique Feat of Drawing Rookie of the Year Votes in Two Different Seasons</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/10/salvador-perez-jorge-soler-bob-cerv.html" target="_blank">Salvador Perez, Jorge Soler, Bob Cerv, Heavy Johnson, and the Rich History of Kansas City’s Single-Season Home Run Record</a></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2017/09/polaroids-of-cal-ripken-jr-and-1987_3.html" target="_blank">Polaroids of Cal Ripken Jr. and the 1987 Baltimore Orioles from On Field Photo Night</a></div></div></div></div></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-61323254200852630562021-11-06T19:26:00.000-04:002021-11-06T19:26:52.890-04:00The Unforgettable Topps Cards From Don Mattingly’s Dominant Peak<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #454545;">During
the prime years of his career, New York Yankees first baseman Don
Mattingly established himself as one of the best players in baseball. Between 1984 and 1989, Mattingly’s impressive list of accomplishments
included winning the MVP Award, earning five Gold Gloves, picking up
three Silver Sluggers, capturing a batting title, producing five
100-plus RBI campaigns, and securing All-Star selections in all six of
these seasons. As youngster growing up, I became aware of Mattingly
while he was racking up these achievements and the slugger soon became
one of my favorite players. One of the joys of my childhood was
collecting baseball cards. I loved studying Mattingly’s cards and
memorizing the statistics on the back. Based on how deeply his batting
average, home run, and RBI totals have been seared into my brain, their
level of importance ranks somewhere just below my date of birth and
social security number but above my license plate and credit card
numbers. Although I collected packs of all card manufacturers, Topps
were the most readily available and I generally preferred their designs
over their competitors. Thus, I associate Mattingly’s dominant peak
with his main card from each year’s Topps set.</span></span><br /></p><div class="a3s aiL" id=":nf"><div dir="auto"><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
can trace the origins of becoming a Don Mattingly fan back to my
elementary school years in 1986. One of my neighbors, Eric, shared my
passion for baseball card collecting and was a huge fan of both the New
York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. Not surprisingly, Eric’s
favorite players were the top hitters for these two teams, Mattingly and
Mike Schmidt. For whatever reason, Schmidt and the Phillies didn’t
appeal to me but I was drawn to Mattingly and the Yankees. Soon, like
many kids, I was collecting Mattingly cards and had a poster of the
slugger in my room.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MWrKdKWSas/YYBVVgMXjvI/AAAAAAABct4/FrVmuBW5xXI4hFXNTrlsNMoPDp5VODNKgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1487/Don%2BMattingly%2B1984%2Band%2B1985%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1487" height="446" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6MWrKdKWSas/YYBVVgMXjvI/AAAAAAABct4/FrVmuBW5xXI4hFXNTrlsNMoPDp5VODNKgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h446/Don%2BMattingly%2B1984%2Band%2B1985%2BTopps.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />1984 and 1985 Topps</u></b></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
started buying packs of baseball cards in 1983 but my first serious
year as a collector was 1984. For this reason, the 1984 Topps set will
always be special to me and among my favorite designs. Although
Mattingly made his major league debut late in the 1982 season, he was
not included on either Topps’ 1983 base or Traded sets. Thus,
Mattingly’s first appearance on a Topps card came with his 1984 rookie. Mattingly’s 1983 stat line on the back of the card was good for a
first-year player—4 home runs, 32 RBI, and a .283 batting average in 91
games across 305 plate appearances—but not enough to factor into the AL
Rookie of the Year vote. However, Mattingly’s rookie numbers were
accompanied by a series of minor league campaigns in which he hit well
over .300. These impressive minor league statistics were a better
foreshadowing of the dominance that was to come. The main shot on the
card shows Mattingly, sans his trademark mustache, playing off the first
base bag. Though he is playing first in the picture, the card lists
his position as OF-1B since he had spent slightly more of his rookie
season patrolling the outfield than manning first. The card also
displays Mattingly wearing a different number than his customary 23 as
he used 46 during his initial campaign. One of the criticisms often
directed at the 1984 Topps design is the square headshot of the player
inside a solid-colored box. The previous year’s design used a photo of
the player inside a circle featuring a sky or a stadium background so
many felt the solid-colored box was a step backward. Unlike the main
shot, the photo of Mattingly inside the box captures him sporting his
familiar mustache. Topps used purple for the lettering and orange for
the box, two colors the manufacturer had often featured on Yankees cards
for their late 1970s and early 1980s designs.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
spending the opening weeks of the 1984 season bouncing back and forth
between the outfield and first, Mattingly finished April with a .324
batting average to cement himself as the club’s starting first baseman. The young slugger continued scorching opposing pitching and ranked
among the AL leaders in batting average throughout the year. On the
final day of the regular season, Mattingly went 4 for 5 to raise his
average to .343 and in the process passed veteran teammate Dave Winfield
to win the AL batting title. In addition, Mattingly’s 207 hits and 44
doubles also led the AL while his 110 RBI tied him with Eddie Murray for
fifth-best in the junior circuit. He also showcased his superb contact
skills, striking out just 33 times and ranking second to only Marty
Barrett with 18.3 at bats per strikeout. Mattingly’s excellent
sophomore campaign also earned him a fifth-place finish in the AL MVP
vote. New York concluded the season with a solid 87-75 record, good for
third place in the AL East, but a full 17 games behind the dominant
Detroit Tigers who raced out to an early division lead and never looked
back. Had the Yankees been able to present more of a challenge to the
Tigers, Mattingly may very well have won the AL MVP since there was no
clear front-runner for the award.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">While
Mattingly’s 1984 Topps features him playing off the bag on defense, his
1985 card shows him leading off the bag as a base runner. Topps once
again used purple on the Yankees cards in this set but this time opted
for a shade that has a slightly more blueish hue. Mattingly’s 1985
Topps marks the last time during his playing career that he appears
clean shaven on his main Topps card. Although I opened dozens of packs
of Topps in 1984, I never was fortunate enough to pull a Mattingly
rookie. By the time I became a fan of the slugger, his 1984 Topps was
selling for prices that were out of my childhood budget. It wasn’t
until years after his retirement that I finally got around to purchasing
Mattingly’s rookie. I did, however, buy his more reasonably-priced
1985 Topps at a hobby shop shortly after becoming his fan. While I had
loved the design of the 1984 Topps and bought packs every chance I could
get, I found the look of the 1985 series underwhelming and my interest
in collecting temporarily waned. But, as you get older, often times
even the stuff you didn’t care for when you were young becomes nostalgic
and you grow to have more of an appreciation for it later on. That is
certainly the case for me with the 1985 Topps set.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_fJTb3_7-A/YYBViWsNykI/AAAAAAABct8/bmen8CQSc7wPE-QO8wKzcUtn0HiaEwe_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1048/Don%2BMattingly%2B1986%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="737" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-f_fJTb3_7-A/YYBViWsNykI/AAAAAAABct8/bmen8CQSc7wPE-QO8wKzcUtn0HiaEwe_wCLcBGAsYHQ/w450-h640/Don%2BMattingly%2B1986%2BTopps.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br />1986 Topps</u></b></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mattingly
followed up his excellent sophomore campaign with an even more dominant
1985 season. Mattingly led the AL with 145 RBI, well in front of Eddie
Murray’s runner-up total of 124. Mattingly also ranked among the AL
top-five in the other Triple Crown categories with his .324 batting
average good for third-highest and his 35 home runs slotting in
fourth-best, only a handful behind the 40 of league-leader Darrell
Evans. Mattingly finished atop the AL in doubles for the second year in
a row with 48 while also pacing the circuit with 86 extra-base hits and
370 total bases. In addition, the young slugger’s 211 hits trailed
only Wade Boggs. Despite Mattingly’s incredible season, the Yankees had
to settle for second place, finishing just a pair of games behind the
Toronto Blue Jays in a close division race. New York got off to a slow
start and were unable to catch Toronto who took over the division lead
for good in mid-May. Mattingly did his best to help his club catch the
Blue Jays, being named AL Player of the Month for both August and
September as he hit .350 from August 1-on with 23 home runs and 66 RBI
in 62 games. Over that stretch, the Yankees went 42-20. Although, New
York fell short of making the postseason, Mattingly was recognized for
his outstanding campaign, winning the AL MVP. He picked up 23 of 28
first-place votes with the remaining five going to the runner-up, George
Brett. Mattingly’s award-winning season also included his first of
what would be three straight Silver Sluggers. In addition, the
slick-gloved first baseman was recognized for his defense, winning the
first of five consecutive Gold Gloves.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
being unimpressed with Topps’ 1985 design, when I opened my first pack
of their 1986 offering, I jumped back into collecting with both feet and
bought cards with more frequency than ever before. Mattingly’s 1986
Topps immediately was one of my favorites of this set and will always be
memorable to me because it was the first card of the slugger I pulled
out of a pack. The black and white colors featured throughout this card
are in perfect symmetry. Some of the color coordination is
coincidental like the black and white borders, the Topps logo in right
corner, and the player’s name lettering at the bottom. Other parts are
intentional such as the team lettering at the top and the position
bubble. The black and white design fits the image of the mustached
Mattingly, eye black smeared across his face, clad in New York’s
midnight navy pinstriped home jersey, dropping his bat as he jogs out of
the batter’s box after making contact.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Throughout
Mattingly’s career, the Triple Crown line of home runs, RBI, and
batting average along with hits were the most commonly used stats to
evaluate a slugger. However, in the last couple of decades, advanced
metrics like WAR and OPS+ have become the primary tools to judge
hitters. In addition, previously overlooked stats such as walks, OBP,
and runs scored are now viewed alongside the Triple Crown and more
traditional means of evaluation. As I learned about baseball
statistics, seeing the bold and italicized league-leading numbers on the
back of Mattingly’s card let me know he was a phenomenal hitter. The
one statistic of Mattingly’s that stood out to me more than any other
was his eye-popping 145 RBI which was the highest total since George
Foster’s 149 in 1977. During my main baseball card collecting years,
which ranged from 1983 to 1995, no one was able to match Mattingly’s RBI
mark. The closest any hitters came over that period of time were Andre
Dawson and Mark McGwire, whose respective totals of 137 and 134 were
each attained in 1987, a season which saw scoring reach unusually high
levels due to a curiously live baseball known as the “rabbit ball.” Mattingly at least owed some of his lofty RBI total to the presence of
Rickey Henderson at the top of the batting order. Prior to the 1985
season, New York acquired the speedy Henderson from the Oakland
Athletics in multi-player trade. Henderson finished 1985 with a superb
.419 OBP, led the AL with 80 stolen bases, and also paced the circuit by
scoring an astonishing 146 times in 143 games. Similar to how
Mattingly’s 145 RBI stood out in this era, Henderson’s 146 runs scored
was the highest total since Ted Williams crossed the plate 150 times in
1949. While Mattingly took home MVP honors for his brilliant campaign,
voters also recognized Henderson’s excellence as he finished third in
the election. Mattingly and Henderson played together from 1985 to
1988. During their four seasons as teammates, the combination of
Henderson’s top of the order on-base skills and Mattingly’s timely
hitting from the heart of the lineup fueled New York’s potent offense. This was never more apparent than in 1985 when Henderson was driven in
56 times by Mattingly and the Yankees led the AL in scoring.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYWzDPhF1OE/YYBV65Dol3I/AAAAAAABcuI/TE_6oiSZ0-AqRNq9iJyjoEXuRN0jvePOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1053/Don%2BMattingly%2B1987%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1053" data-original-width="746" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iYWzDPhF1OE/YYBV65Dol3I/AAAAAAABcuI/TE_6oiSZ0-AqRNq9iJyjoEXuRN0jvePOQCLcBGAsYHQ/w454-h640/Don%2BMattingly%2B1987%2BTopps.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br />1987 Topps</u></b></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mattingly’s
dominance continued into 1986 with another marvelous campaign. The
reigning MVP both paced the league and set career highs with 238 hits,
53 doubles, and 388 total bases. Mattingly achieved another
personal-best by hitting .352. Only the presence of perennial batting
champion Wade Boggs’ .357 mark kept him from taking home the batting
crown for a second time. Mattingly also ranked among the AL leaders
with 31 home runs and 113 RBI. New York once again finished second in
the AL West, this time five and a half games behind the Boston Red Sox. Mattingly did his best to help the Yankees catch the Red Sox down the
stretch, batting .434 during a career-high 24-game hitting streak which
ran from August 30 through September 26. He was also named the AL
Player of the Month for second September in a row. Mattingly drew ample
MVP support, garnering five first-place votes and finishing runner-up
to Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens in the election.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For
their 1987 design, Topps used wood grain borders that were similar to
the look of their 1962 and 1968 sets. It took a while for me to warm up
to the wood grain design since it clashed with the colors of several
teams, particularly the blue jerseys of the Kansas City Royals and
Toronto Blue Jays, who were two of my favorite teams to collect cards
of. However, the refined wood grain design complements Mattingly’s
classic Yankees pinstripes while the red box at the bottom of the card
matches the red from the team’s logo. The shot of Mattingly shows the
slugger in the batter’s box, readying for the pitch. Although I felt
Topps had taken a step backward with their 1987 set, it didn’t stop me
from buying oodles of packs. Over time, the wood grain design grew on
me and now this is one of the main sets I associate with my childhood.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EP4GPDK-B8E/YYBWcuynbHI/AAAAAAABcug/ASnboIbMSKgLGVinraczIIFviRPaTLukwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Don%2BMattingly%2B1987%2BStarline%2BPoster.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1341" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EP4GPDK-B8E/YYBWcuynbHI/AAAAAAABcug/ASnboIbMSKgLGVinraczIIFviRPaTLukwCLcBGAsYHQ/w420-h640/Don%2BMattingly%2B1987%2BStarline%2BPoster.jpg" width="420" /></a></div><br />That
same year, I purchased my first baseball poster when I brought home a
Starline poster of Mattingly. I remember my friend Eric having a
Mattingly poster and, like countless other fans, I wanted a framed shot
of the slugger to proudly display in my room. The poster image captures
Mattingly at a similar angle to the one used for his 1987 Topps. However, this shot, taken a moment later in his batting sequence,
showcases his coiled stance as he is crouched down, awaiting the
delivery of the ball. Starline’s poster designs always did a good job
of using colors that matched the ones used by the player’s team. The
navy borders, white lettering, and thin square outline form a suitable
frame for the photo of Mattingly in his pinstriped uniform. A year or
so after buying Mattingly’s Starline poster, I came across a poster
which features six Yankee legends—Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio,
Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Thurman Munson. I felt the six legends
each symbolized a different decade of success for the franchise with
Ruth representing the 1920s, Gehrig the 1930s, DiMaggio the 1940s,
Mantle the 1950s, Maris the 1960s, and Munson the 1970s. It was fitting
to bring this portrait into my room alongside my poster of Mattingly
who I felt was the Yankee great who best represented the 1980s. Years
later I found out the image of the six legends had been originally used
for the Yankees 1985 yearbook.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><u><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bV69eVqcVmQ/YYBWEu0DxjI/AAAAAAABcuM/9BvJkm54r1czKvm4Olnya-e7zIvCjadmACLcBGAsYHQ/s1028/Don%2BMattingly%2B1988%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="739" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bV69eVqcVmQ/YYBWEu0DxjI/AAAAAAABcuM/9BvJkm54r1czKvm4Olnya-e7zIvCjadmACLcBGAsYHQ/w460-h640/Don%2BMattingly%2B1988%2BTopps.jpg" width="460" /></a></div><br />1988 Topps</b></u></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
1987 season was an eventful one for Mattingly. In early June, he was
in the midst of a 15-game hitting streak when he was placed on the
15-day disabled list due to injured discs in his lower back. Mattingly
shook off the injury and on July 8 hit a pair of homers in a 13-4 win
against the Minnesota Twins to begin a stretch in which he went deep in
eight consecutive games. With his incredible eight-game stretch,
Mattingly matched the record previously set by Dale Long in 1956. Mattingly tied a different home run mark on September 25 when he hit a
grand slam during an 8-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. The bases
loaded shot was Mattingly’s fifth of the year, equaling the
single-season grand slam mark attained by Ernie Banks in 1955 and Jim
Gentile in 1961. Four nights later, Mattingly broke the record with his
sixth slam in a 6-0 win against the Boston Red Sox. Mattingly finished
the year with a .327 batting average, 30 home runs, and 115 RBI despite
being limited to 141 games due to his back injury.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On
the surface, Mattingly’s 1987 season looks like a conglomeration of his
previous two campaigns as his batting average was similar to his 1985
mark and his home run and RBI totals were almost identical to his 1986
numbers. However, 1987 was the year of the “rabbit ball” which saw home
runs hit at a never-before-seen rate and runs scored per game rise to
its highest level since 1950. Thus, Mattingly’s 1987 numbers, while
statistically similar to 1985 and 1986, were actually a slight step
below those prior campaigns. Modern analytics bare out this difference
as Mattingly’s 146 OPS+ for 1987 was below the 156 figures he produced
in both 1984 and 1985 as well as his 161 mark from 1986. Moreover,
after pasting his name all over the leaderboard in such categories as
hits, doubles, RBI, and batting average over the past three seasons,
1987 represented the first time since his rookie season that Mattingly
did not lead the AL in any major offensive category. Nevertheless,
Mattingly’s 1987 campaign was impressive and would represent a
career-year for most players. The Yankees led the AL East standings as
late as August 8 but struggled down the stretch and did not factor into
the late season division race, slipping to fourth place by the end of
the campaign. The combination of missing time due to his back injury
and New York’s inability to stay in the division race, kept Mattingly
out of the conversation for the MVP but the slugger still received his
share of support and finished seventh in the election.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
remember opening my first pack of 1988 Topps and immediately loving the
design of the card. After a year of looking at wood grain, the clean
white borders of the 1988 set were a welcomed sight. As I explore the
cards of my youth, I noticed that I preferred designs that featured
clean white borders. This makes sense because the 1983 and 1984 Topps
sets that served as my entry into the hobby both featured clean white
borders. For their 1988 set, Topps used a different color for the
team’s name, the player name, and the thin square box which outlines the
photo. Examining other cards in this set, it appears Topps tried to
choose colors that matched the team’s uniforms but, for the most part,
was only partially successful. With the purple box outlining
Mattingly’s photo, we see the return of one of Topps’ favorite colors to
use for the Yankees. In addition, there is also the reappearance of
red from the previous year, this time spelling out the team’s name. Although I really liked this set when I was younger, I notice that on a
lot of cards the player’s head covers the team’s name which can look
pretty goofy. Fortunately, on Mattingly’s card his head only obstructs
the bottom of a couple of the letters. Another odd choice is Topps’ use
of yellow for the strip surrounding the slugger’s name. The photo of
Mattingly is the closest shot Topps has used for his main card. It is
also the first standard issue Topps card featuring the former MVP in the
Yankees’ road gray uniform. The image of Mattingly is similar in
sequence to his 1986 Topps where he is shown in the process of dropping
his bat and running out of the batter’s box after making contact. Here
we see Mattingly, bat in hand, taking a longer gaze at the ball,
preparing to run but with less urgency. By the expression on his face,
it looks as though he has hit a fly ball that he hopes will drop but
fully expects to be caught.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT26T59-r_0/YYBWOjpylcI/AAAAAAABcuU/XUVn3MA7BJAuOzVnuoz65FuKnUCjNznEwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1046/Don%2BMattingly%2B1989%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="730" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QT26T59-r_0/YYBWOjpylcI/AAAAAAABcuU/XUVn3MA7BJAuOzVnuoz65FuKnUCjNznEwCLcBGAsYHQ/w446-h640/Don%2BMattingly%2B1989%2BTopps.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br />1989 Topps</u></b></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the year of the “rabbit ball”, the 1988 campaign saw the beginning of a
five season stretch in which AL scoring was much lower in comparison to
1987. For the second year in a row, Mattingly made a trip to the
15-day disabled list, this time being sidelined at the end of May after
straining a muscle in his right rib cage during pregame batting
practice. The injury limited Mattingly to 144 games and he finished the
campaign with 18 home runs, 88 RBI, and a .311 batting average. While
Mattingly’s stats were impressive, they represented another step down
from his peak seasons as evidenced by his 128 OPS+. This also marked
the first time since his rookie campaign that he failed to draw support
in the MVP vote. Although Mattingly did not stand atop the AL
leaderboard in any of the major offensive categories, due to his
outstanding contact skills he was able to pace the circuit with 20.7 at
bats per strikeout. New York led the standings for the majority of the
first two and a half months of the season but ultimately wound up at the
tail end of a razor close five-team division race despite finishing
just three and a half games behind the AL East champion Red Sox.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
always felt the 1989 Topps was an appropriate follow up to the 1988
set. Topps retained the large white borders from 1988 while also
bringing back the square outline, albeit with rounded corners on the top
left and bottom right. Topps made a nice change by moving the team’s
name towards the bottom of the card and placing it overtop of the
player’s name to form a ribbon extending out of the rounded right
corner. The card manufacturing giant also did an excellent job of
matching the team and player names with colors similar to their club’s
uniform. The color coordination is evident on the Yankees cards where
the ribbon is decorated with a pleasing blend of purplish-blue and gray
while the player’s name is spelled out in white lettering. For the
third consecutive year, we see the presence of red on Mattingly’s card,
this time forming the square outline. The use of red here is the only
curious color selection on the card. In my opinion, black or a
different shade of blue would have been a more suitable choice for the
outline. Mattingly is shown wearing the Yankees’ practice or spring
training jersey with his first baseman’s glove tucked under his arm,
having just walked into the dugout from the field. Mattingly’s eyes are
fixed on the freshly grabbed bat in his hands. The image captures all
of the slugger’s trademark facial features: his perfectly groomed
mustache, lantern jaw, and cleft chin. While I certainly have good
memories of collecting 1989 Topps during my childhood, I don’t think I
truly appreciated the superb design or the classic shot of Mattingly. I
now put this card alongside his 1986 Topps as my favorite of the
slugger. For the remainder of Mattingly’s career, I considered Topps’
card designs hit-or-miss. Aside from 1992, I never collected packs as
aggressively as I had during the 1980s. Thus, Mattingly’s 1989 card is
the final in a memorable succession of Topps cards that I associate with
the first baseman’s peak seasons.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mattingly
finished out the decade with yet another solid campaign, batting .303
with 23 home runs and 113 RBI. After back-to-back seasons with stints
on the disabled list, he was able to stay healthy throughout 1989 and
play in 158 games. The slick-gloved first baseman continued to be one
of the game’s most respected players and among its best on defense,
earning both his sixth straight trip to the All-Star Game and his fifth
consecutive Gold Glove Award. Mattingly ranked in the top-ten of
several categories, with his 113 RBI eclipsed only by Ruben Sierra’s
mark of 119. Mattingly’s RBI total was even more impressive considering
New York traded leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson back to Oakland on June
21, depriving the slugger of his main table setter. On top of that,
power-hitter Dave Winfield missed the entire season due to a back
injury. Without the presence of Winfield, who normally batted behind
him in the order, Mattingly had little protection in the lineup. Newer
metrics show Mattingly’s 1989 campaign to be a slight improvement over
the prior year as he raised his OPS+ from 128 to 133. Ever the contact
hitter, Mattingly averaged a career-best 21.0 at bats per strikeout,
good for second-best in the AL and his sixth straight finish of fourth
or higher. Nevertheless, he was unable to keep the Yankees from
nosediving to a 74-87 record and suffering their first losing season
since 1982. Despite his lofty RBI total, New York’s poor record
prevented Mattingly from drawing serious MVP consideration and he
finished fifteenth in the election.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
1989 campaign represented the end of a spectacular six-year run in
which Mattingly averaged 203 hits, 43 doubles, 27 home runs, and 114
RBI, while batting .327. Over that six-year span Mattingly posted a 147
OPS+ and struck out an average of just 34 times. Unfortunately, the
back problems that sent Mattingly to the disabled list in 1987
resurfaced in a much more serious way during 1990 and caused the first
baseman to miss nearly a third of the season. Mattingly continued to be
plagued by back problems and went from being one of the game’s most
dominant sluggers to a slightly above average hitter over the remainder
of his career. However, Mattingly was still regarded as one of the
finest defensive players in the game and picked up four more Gold Glove
Awards to bring his total to nine for his career. Among first basemen,
Mattingly’s nine Gold Gloves are the most attained by an AL player and
trail only the 11 achieved by Keith Hernandez. Mattingly was also
recognized for his leadership qualities and was named captain of the
Yankees prior to the 1991 campaign. Mattingly finally experienced his
first taste of the postseason in 1995, batting a scorching .417 during a
closely-contested ALDS in which New York was narrowly defeated by the
Seattle Mariners. After taking the 1996 season off, Mattingly
officially announced his retirement on January 22, 1997, bringing an end
to his distinguished 14-year playing career. Later that year, on
August 31, the Yankees held a ceremony to retire Mattingly’s number 23.</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">----by John Tuberty</span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Stat
links to main players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mattido01.shtml" target="_blank">Don Mattingly</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Schmidt</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/winfida01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Winfield</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/boggswa01.shtml" target="_blank">Wade Boggs</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml" target="_blank">George Brett</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml" target="_blank">Rickey Henderson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willite01.shtml" target="_blank">Ted Williams</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruthba01.shtml" target="_blank">Babe Ruth</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gehrilo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Gehrig</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dimagjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joe DiMaggio</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mantlmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mickey Mantle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marisro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Maris</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/munsoth01.shtml" target="_blank">Thurman Munson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernake01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Hernandez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgwima01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark McGwire</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dawsoan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andre Dawson</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/longda02.shtml" target="_blank">Dale Long</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gentiji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Gentile</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bankser01.shtml" target="_blank">Ernie Banks</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sierrru01.shtml" target="_blank">Ruben Sierra</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barrema02.shtml" target="_blank">Marty Barrett</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/evansda01.shtml" target="_blank">Darrell Evans</a></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Sources: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-almanac.com/hitting/higs2.shtml" target="_blank">Baseball Almanac</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/09/sports/doctor-s-orders-rest-for-mattingly.html" target="_blank">New York Times articles from June 1987</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/29/sports/baseball-mattingly-sidelined-at-least-2-weeks.html" target="_blank">May 1988</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/01/sports/baseball-mattingly-is-named-captain-will-he-go-down-with-ship.html" target="_blank">March 1991</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1997/01/23/sports/mattingly-says-farewell-and-so-does-his-number.html" target="_blank">January 1997</a></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SVmXxRTekI/YYBW3-LIAnI/AAAAAAABcuw/Ix8JstlXh_URuBrXF5pCKYyExcenZE4wwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2192/Thurman%2BMunson%2BTommy%2BJohn%2BKeith%2BHernandez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="2192" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0SVmXxRTekI/YYBW3-LIAnI/AAAAAAABcuw/Ix8JstlXh_URuBrXF5pCKYyExcenZE4wwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h302/Thurman%2BMunson%2BTommy%2BJohn%2BKeith%2BHernandez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Thurman Munson</span></a></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</span></a></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/keith-hernandez-whitey-herzog-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Keith Hernandez, Whitey Herzog, and the Controversial Trade That Revived The New York Mets</span></a></div></div></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-34349897474506379012021-10-04T11:18:00.001-04:002023-03-16T10:28:02.834-04:00Salvador Perez, Jorge Soler, Bob Cerv, Heavy Johnson, and the Rich History of Kansas City’s Single-Season Home Run Record<div class="a3s aiL" id=":o6"><div dir="auto"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #454545;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EH4xfeJRDLk/YVsJrfXCuyI/AAAAAAABcC0/0Dgc0_Do8NULCqnz-_zYvvCg2FZIpAdpACLcBGAsYHQ/s1980/Salvador%2BPerez%2BJorge%2BSoler%2BBob%2BCerv%2BHeavy%2BJohnson.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="1980" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EH4xfeJRDLk/YVsJrfXCuyI/AAAAAAABcC0/0Dgc0_Do8NULCqnz-_zYvvCg2FZIpAdpACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h224/Salvador%2BPerez%2BJorge%2BSoler%2BBob%2BCerv%2BHeavy%2BJohnson.png" width="640" /></a></div><br />Kansas
City Royals catcher Salvador Perez received a substantial amount of
attention for his impressive 2021 season. A five-time AL Gold Glove
Award winner, the 31-year-old Perez has spent the bulk of his career
drawing more praise for his expertise behind the plate than for his
production in the batter’s box. However, in 2021, Perez established
himself as one of the premier power hitters in baseball, battling
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Shohei Ohtani for the AL home run crown. In
addition, by hitting his 46th longball of the season, on September 20,
Perez passed Johnny Bench to set the single-season record for home runs
by a primary catcher. Another intriguing but less publicized aspect of
Perez’s excellent 2021 campaign was his pursuit of the Kansas City major
league and Royals franchise single-season home run records. Most major
league cities and their residing franchise have the same single-season
home run record holder. Yet, for the majority of the fifty-plus history
of the Kansas City Royals this was not the case as the city and the
franchise had two separate record holders. In fact, Kansas City
baseball has its own rich history of major league play which predates
the existence of the Royals franchise and traces its origins back to the
19th century. Over the years, a variety of sluggers have held the
city’s home run record. These sluggers have taken the field for such
franchises as the Monarchs and Athletics with some competing in now
defunct major leagues like the American Association and the Negro
Leagues.</span></span></span><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></u></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u style="font-weight: bold;">The Unions, Cowboys, Packers, and the Early Days of Major League Baseball in Kansas City</u></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Kansas
City’s first foray into major league level baseball came in 1884 as
part of the upstart Union Association. Established as a competitor to
the National League and American Association, the Union Association was a
short-lived third major league. Most accounts refer to Kansas City’s
team as the Unions while other reports cite the club as the Cowboys. By
either name, Kansas City proved to be one of the Union Association’s
most uncompetitive franchises, positing a horrid 16-63 record. The
team’s pitiful .203 win-loss percentage was only eclipsed in its
futility by the .111 mark of the Wilmington Quicksteps who went 2-16 and
dropped out of the league before the season ended. Home runs were a
rare occurrence during the early days of baseball because the ball was
softer and fields were more vast. Kansas City only hit six home runs as
a team with six players—Charlie Bastian, Charlie Berry, Bob Black,
Frank McLaughlin, Lou Say, and Peek-A-Boo Veach—each being credited with
exactly one round-tripper. The categorizing of the Union Association
as a major league has often been questioned since very few top players
joined the league which ultimately folded after just one season of play.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With
the dissolution of the Union Association, Kansas City was out of major
league baseball. However, just two seasons later, Kansas City returned
to major league play, fielding a team in the National League. The new
franchise, which was unaffiliated with the Union Association team,
adopted the Cowboys moniker and was admitted to the NL on a trial basis
for the 1886 campaign. The Cowboys achieved wretchedly similar results
as their predecessor, going 30-91 while finishing next-to-last among the
NL’s eight teams. First baseman Will McQuery and second baseman Al
Myers tied for the Cowboys home run lead with four a piece. McQuery and
Myers became permanent franchise leaders when the fledgling club went
out of business after the season.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Once again,
Kansas City was not without major league baseball for long as the third
incarnation of the Cowboys took the field in 1888 as part of the
American Association. Formed in 1882 as a rival league to the NL, the
American Association proved to be a much more serious competitor than
the Union Association. The AA differentiated itself from the NL by
offering cheaper ticket prices, selling alcohol in the stands, and
permitting games to be played on Sunday. Just like before, the Cowboys
proved to be a short-lived major league franchise, surviving only two
years and enjoying no more success than their forerunners—finishing a
respective last and next-to-last in the eight-team AA. During the
club’s initial campaign, second baseman Sam Barkley and center fielder
Jim McTamany matched the four home runs of McQuery and Myers from the NL
Cowboys. The following year, Cowboys center fielder Jim Burns set a
new Kansas City record by hitting five home runs.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two
and half decades later, Kansas City made its fourth attempt at playing
host to a major league franchise when the Packers took the field in the
fledgling Federal League for the 1914 season. In the team’s first year,
second baseman Duke Kenworthy smashed the Kansas City single-season
home run record by clubbing 15 round-trippers. Kenworthy’s impressive
longball total ranked second in the Federal League, trailing only the 16
hit by Chicago Chi-Feds center fielder Dutch Zwilling. Kenworthy was
one of the league’s finest hitters, pacing the circuit with 69 extra
base hits while ranking a respective fifth and sixth with 91 RBI and a
.317 batting average. In addition, the slugger’s 4.9 WAR slotted him
fourth among position players while his 159 OPS+ was also good for
fourth-best. The Packers were a much more competitive team than the
three incarnations of the Cowboys, concluding the 1914 campaign in sixth
place among the eight Federal League clubs before delivering the city
its first winning major league season in 1915 with an 81-72 record and
fourth place finish. The Federal League folded following the 1915
campaign, temporarily bringing an end to major league baseball in Kansas
City.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>The Kansas City Monarchs</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On
February 13, 1920, at the urging of Rube Foster, a group of black
baseball team owners met at the Paseo YCMA in Kansas City to form the
Negro National League. The new enterprise represented the first
structured black baseball league. Last December, as part of a yearlong
celebration of the formation of the Negro Leagues, MLB officially
recognized seven distinct leagues which operated during the 1920 to 1948
timeframe as major leagues. When play began in the spring of 1920, the
Kansas City Monarchs took the field as one of the Negro National
League’s eight original teams. The Monarchs primarily featured players
from two clubs: the All Nations barnstorming team which played
throughout the Midwest and the Twenty-Fifth Infantry Wreckers, an Army
Regiment outfit based out of Camp Stephen D. Little in Arizona. The
Monarchs were immediately one of the Negro National League’s most
successful teams, finishing the inaugural season as runner-up to the
pennant-winning Chicago American Giants.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During
the Monarchs’ second year of play, super-utility player George Carr
nearly matched Duke Kenworthy’s Kansas City home run record when he went
deep 14 times as part of an excellent season in which he also batted
.323 with 73 RBI and 22 stolen bases. The slugger finished in the
top-ten in several offensive categories with his 14 longballs ranking
second only to the 15 hit by St. Louis Giants center fielder Oscar
Charleston. Carr was a true utility player, taking the field at seven
different positions with 47 of his appearances coming at first base, 17
at third, 16 at second, 12 at right field, 11 at shortstop, 10 at
catcher, and 1 at left field. Negro League schedules were not quite as
expansive as white baseball leagues. Thus, Carr’s 14 home runs was
achieved in 101 games while Kenworthy played in 146 when he attained his
record mark in 1914.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sE19qOzrQBA/YVsKDXC4Z7I/AAAAAAABcC8/V6KcqFiRm04u93algOCD03YvgVijIj1qACLcBGAsYHQ/s1482/George%2BCarr%2BBullet%2BRogan%2BHeavy%2BJohnson.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1482" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sE19qOzrQBA/YVsKDXC4Z7I/AAAAAAABcC8/V6KcqFiRm04u93algOCD03YvgVijIj1qACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/George%2BCarr%2BBullet%2BRogan%2BHeavy%2BJohnson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />The following season,
Kenworthy’s Kansas City home run record was matched by two-way superstar
Bullet Rogan. An even more unique player than Carr, Rogan was able to
dominate both in the batter’s box as well as on the pitching mound. At
the plate, Rogan belted 15 home runs, collected 55 RBI, stole 16 bases,
posted a 199 OPS+, and hit .369 in 74 games. Toeing the rubber, Rogan
went 14-8 with a 2.93 ERA, completed a league-leading 20 of 21 starts,
and is credited with a league-high two saves in an additional five
relief appearances. Rogan paced the circuit with an eye-popping 9.0 WAR
while ranking among the league leaders in several hitting and pitching
categories, including runner-up in both home runs and wins. When he was
not pitching, Rogan split time between center and right field. Rogan’s
amazing season played a vital role in helping the Monarchs capture
their first pennant. Statistics from the Negro Leagues are incomplete
and constantly updated as more game logs are discovered, meaning that
both Carr’s and Rogan’s respective home run totals from 1921 and 1922
could very well surpass Kenworthy’s mark in the future.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Rogan
shared the longball record for just a single year before his teammate
Heavy Johnson wrote his name into Kansas City history, clobbering 20
four-baggers. Johnson was a thickly-built slugger known for swinging a
particularly heavy bat but also notorious for his surly demeanor. Nevertheless, Johnson’s superb 1923 campaign was one for the ages as he
is retroactively credited as winning the Triple Crown, having led the
league with not only his 20 home runs but also his 120 RBI and .406
batting average. He also led in a slew of other offensive categories
including hits, runs scored, doubles, slugging percentage, and OPS+. He
also paced the circuit with 98 games played, checked in at second place
with 5.8 WAR, and did not let his size keep him from swiping 17 bags,
the fifth-best total in the league. On defense, Johnson split time
between the corner outfield positions. Johnson’s historic season helped
lead the Monarchs to their second straight pennant. Kansas City
continued winning pennants, bringing their total to an amazing five in a
row in 1926. The Monarchs added a sixth pennant in 1929 before the
Negro National League was disbanded followed the 1930 season. After the
dissolution of the league, the Monarchs became a barnstorming
independent club. However, in 1937 the team became a charter member of
the newly formed Negro American League and immediately returned to their
dominant ways, capturing their first of five consecutive pennants. Even though the Monarchs and the Negro American League both continued
to operate into the 1960s, the 1948 campaign represents the final season
the Negro Leagues are categorized as major league level since rosters
were depleted by the exodus of players to the recently integrated
American and National Leagues as well as their minor league feeder
teams. Overall, the Monarchs won an incredible 10 pennants in 23 years
of recognized major league play. The closest any Monarchs hitter came
to matching Johnson’s 20 home runs during his Triple Crown-winning
campaign was in 1937 when Willard Brown hit 10 home runs.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>The Kansas City Athletics</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">During
the first half of the twentieth century, the majority of white baseball
in Kansas City was being played at the minor league level. Teams using
the familiar Cowboys moniker or the Blues name took the field in
various minor leagues as early as the mid-1880s. In 1902, the Cowboys
joined an upstart minor league calling itself the American Association. Two years later, the Cowboys permanently changed their name to the
Blues who remained in the AA for the next five decades. As minor league
clubs began operating as farm teams for the majors, the Blues first
became an affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1935 before starting a
lengthy partnership with the New York Yankees that ran from 1936 to
1954. In 1955, the Philadelphia Athletics of the American League
relocated to Kansas City after Arnold Johnson bought the franchise from
the Mack family. The A’s had a rich history which dated back to 1901
when the club began play as one of the AL’s eight charter franchises. Under the direction of the legendary Connie Mack, the team won nine
pennants and five World Series championships. However, the A’s fell on
hard times during the latter years of Mack’s ownership and finished at
or near the bottom of the AL during the majority of the franchise’s
final two decades in Philadelphia.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">With the
return of major league action, Kansas City’s home run record was quickly
shattered when left fielder Gus Zernial belted 30 longballs during the
A’s inaugural season at their new residence. Although Zernial set a new
Kansas City benchmark, his 30 home runs were well shy of the A’s
overall franchise record of 58 established in Philadelphia by Jimmie
Foxx during the 1932 campaign. Nevertheless, Zernial was the ideal
slugger to break Heavy Johnson’s mark, having been the A’s main power
threat during the franchise’s last few years in Philadelphia, which
included hitting a league-leading 33 home runs in 1951 and clubbing a
career-high 42 two seasons later. Zernial’s 30 round-trippers ranked
second in the AL to Mickey Mantle while his 13.8 at bats per home run
paced the circuit. Zernial’s longball total was even more impressive
considering he accomplished the feat despite playing in only 120 games
and was coming off an injury-shortened 1954 season which saw him
sidelined for a month and a half with a broken collarbone. Though he
batted just .254, his .508 slugging percentage and 84 RBI were a
respective third and ninth-best in the league. Unfortunately, the A’s
on-field play more closely resembled the futility of Kansas City’s older
franchises than the dominance of the Monarchs as the club completed
their initial campaign in Kansas City with a 63-91 record and sixth
place finish in the AL.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJGGmoRs5L4/YVsKQbmy7nI/AAAAAAABcDA/FLk9Pc-Pal8V5UJj_iogrKBYa-gpd2m-QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1652/Gus%2BZernial%2BBob%2BCerv%2BRocky%2BColavito.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1652" height="264" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eJGGmoRs5L4/YVsKQbmy7nI/AAAAAAABcDA/FLk9Pc-Pal8V5UJj_iogrKBYa-gpd2m-QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h264/Gus%2BZernial%2BBob%2BCerv%2BRocky%2BColavito.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />One of the major
criticisms of Arnold Johnson’s ownership was a series of transactions
between the A’s and the Yankees which Kansas City rarely seemed to get
the better of. However, one deal the A’s came out on the winning side
of took place just after the 1956 campaign when New York sold Bob Cerv
to Kansas City. The 31-year-old Cerv had spent parts of six seasons
with the Bronx Bombers as a rarely used backup outfielder and pinch
hitter. Over the previous two seasons, Cerv had showed promise, batting
.320 with 6 home runs in 200 at bats. Cerv was familiar with Kansas
City and the A’s home ballpark, Municipal Stadium, having spent four
seasons playing there for New York’s farm team, the Blues. In his
first season with the A’s, Cerv hit 11 home runs, 44 RBI, and batted
.272 in 124 games. Cerv was still being used as a backup, though,
splitting time between the three outfield positions and pinch hitting. During that same 1957 campaign, Gus Zernial challenged his own Kansas
City home run record but settled for 27 longballs while the A’s
franchise completed their fifth consecutive losing season and third
straight since relocating to the Heartland. In November, Kansas City
sent Zernial to the Detroit Tigers as part of a massive thirteen-player
trade. The dealing away of Zernial opened up left field for Cerv and he
made the most of the opportunity, setting a new Kansas City benchmark
by slamming 38 home runs during the 1958 season. In addition to his
lofty longball total, Cerv also batted .305 and drove in 104 runs. Although Cerv did not lead the AL in any offensive categories, he
appeared all over the leaderboard, ranking in the top-five in home runs,
RBI, runs scored, total bases, extra base hits, and slugging
percentage. Moreover, his 6.3 WAR and 159 OPS+ were each the
fourth-best marks in the junior circuit. AL MVP voters recognized Cerv
for his outstanding campaign as he picked up three first place tallies
and finished fourth overall in the election.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Perhaps
most impressive though, was that Cerv put together his marvelous season
despite sustaining a broken jaw in a home plate collision with Detroit
Tigers catcher Red Wilson while trying to score from second base during
a May 17 game. Cerv only missed three games and then played the next 28
contests with his jaw wired shut while being forced to live on a liquid
diet. Over that 28-game stretch, the slugger hit 6 home runs. The
broken jaw was not the only injury that afflicted Cerv during his
breakout campaign, as he also suffered a broken toe and a hand injury
from crashing into an outfield fence, in addition to a bruised elbow as a
result of being hit by a pitch from Yankees reliever Ryne Duren. A’s
shortstop Joe DeMaestri said of his teammate, “Cerv leads the major
leagues this year in pain.” However, even with Cerv’s bat sparking the
offense, the A’s still finished next to last in the AL, though the
club’s 73-81 record was their best since moving to Kansas City.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
December 1960, Charlie Finley purchased the A’s franchise from the
estate of the recently deceased Arnold Johnson. The eccentric Finley
adopted a hands-on approach and constantly meddled with his team. Finley often altered the dimensions of Municipal Stadium in an attempt
to give his team an advantage. One of his ideas was to bring in the
right field fence for the 1964 season to mimic Yankee Stadium as closely
as league rules allowed. Finley reasoned that New York won pennants
due in part to their short porch in right field. Finley acquired
power-hitters Rocky Colavito and Jim Gentile to add punch to the A’s
lineup. Colavito, who had reached the 40-home plateau three times in
his career, challenged Cerv’s Kansas City home run record with 34
round-trippers. Gentile, just three seasons removed from clubbing 46
home runs, chipped in with 28 longballs. Overall, the A’s offense hit
166 four-baggers, the third highest total in the AL. However, Finley’s
tinkering backfired as the A’s pitchers gave up an MLB-record 220 home
runs, a dubious mark that stood until the 1987 Baltimore Orioles served
up 226 longballs. The A’s not only finished dead last in the standings
but their 57-105 record was the team’s worst since relocating to Kansas
City. During Finley’s ownership reign, he regularly threatened to
relocate the franchise. Prior the 1968 season, the outlandish owner
followed through on his threats, abandoning Kansas City and moving the
club to Oakland. Throughout the 13-year stretch the A’s called Kansas
City home, the team failed to post a single winning season and remained a
perennial cellar dweller. The A’s sixth place finish during their
inaugural season in the Heartland and 73-81 record during Bob Cerv’s
38-home run 1958 campaign proved to be high water marks for the club.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>The Kansas City Royals</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Fortunately,
local baseball fans did not have to wait long for the return of major
league action as Kansas City was granted an expansion team for the 1969
season. The debuting franchise took the name Royals and began play in
the newly-created American League West Division. The Royals quickly
established themselves as a competitive franchise, finishing runner-up
in the AL West in just their third year of existence. Outfielder Ed
Kirkpatrick set the initial Royals franchise home run record by going
deep 14 times in the club’s inaugural season. The following year,
outfielder Bob Oliver more than doubled Kirkpatrick’s mark, belting 27
longballs. No Royals hitter came close to challenging Bob Cerv’s Kansas
City home run record for the first several years of the franchise until
first baseman John Mayberry smacked 34 round-trippers in 1975. Mayberry’s impressive season resembled Cerv’s 1958 campaign with the
slugger batting .291 with 106 RBI. In addition, Mayberry finished
runner-up in the AL MVP vote and paced the circuit in walks and OPS+. He also ranked second in runs scored, RBI, OBP, slugging percentage,
and OPS. Mayberry’s potent bat had played a key role in securing the
club their third runner-up finish in five years.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Over
the next decade, the Royals became a regular participant in the
playoffs, winning the AL West crown seven of the next ten seasons while
finishing second in each of the other three campaigns. This run
concluded with the team defeating the St. Louis Cardinals in a thrilling
seven-game 1985 Fall Classic to capture the franchise’s first World
Series title. One of the highlights of the championship run was first
baseman Steve Balboni setting a new club record by launching 36 home
runs over the fence. Balboni’s impressive longball total ranked third
highest in the AL and came just two shy of matching Cerv’s Kansas City
mark. Acquired in a trade with the Yankees prior to the 1984 season,
Balboni had hit 28 four-baggers during his initial year with the Royals,
the most since Mayberry’s 34 in 1975. However, Balboni was a more
one-dimensional hitter than his predecessors who held their respective
franchise’s home run record or challenged for the Kansas City mark as
his 36 drives were accompanied by a .243 batting average, .307 OBP, 112
OPS+, and 1.2 WAR. Balboni also led the AL in the dubious category of
strikeouts with 166. Nevertheless, Balboni did manage to stroke 28
doubles, drive in 88 runs, and rank fifth in the circuit with an average
of 16.7 at bats per home run. Balboni’s teammate, franchise icon
George Brett had one of his finest campaigns in 1985, smacking a
career-high 30 round-trippers, collecting 112 RBI, and batting .335
while accumulating 8.3 WAR and posting a league-best 179 OPS+. At the
time, Brett’s 30 longballs trailed only Balboni’s 36 and Mayberry’s 34
for the most in the 17-year history of the Royals.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67V5uac-vCw/YVsKdIfIiDI/AAAAAAABcDE/WrDVfb1pXUEik1JdHccspZ8E_7KX8AWQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1394/John%2BMayberry%2BSteve%2BBalboni%2BBob%2BHamelin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1394" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-67V5uac-vCw/YVsKdIfIiDI/AAAAAAABcDE/WrDVfb1pXUEik1JdHccspZ8E_7KX8AWQACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/John%2BMayberry%2BSteve%2BBalboni%2BBob%2BHamelin.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />After
the winning the franchise’s first World Series championship, the Royals
entered a malaise period in which the team went almost three decades
before returning to the postseason in 2014. However, Cerv’s Kansas City
home run record and Balboni’s franchise mark both managed to outlast
the club’s lengthy playoff drought. During this time period, just seven
Royals hitters managed to reach the 30-home plateau as year after year
no slugger was able to eclipse the respective benchmarks set by Cerv and
Balboni. Right fielder Danny Tartabull came close in 1987, going deep
34 times, during the season of the “rabbit ball” when home runs were
being hit at a never before seen rate. Two years later, left fielder Bo
Jackson clubbed 32 four-baggers in 135 games. Jackson seemed destined
for several 30-home run campaigns before a football injury brought a
premature end to the two-sport star’s career on the gridiron and damaged
his baseball abilities. In 1991, Tartabull made another run at
Balboni’s mark, ripping 31 homers during his final year with the Royals
before departing via free agency and signing with the Yankees. Designated hitter Bob Hamelin was in midst of putting together an
excellent rookie campaign when the player’s strike brought a premature
end to the 1994 season. At the time of the work stoppage, Hamelin had
hit 24 home runs and was on pace to finish with 37. Had the full season
been completed, Hamelin may very well have been able to challenge
Balboni’s and Cerv’s respective marks. Aside from his 24
round-trippers, Hamelin also collected 65 RBI while producing a .282
batting average and 147 OPS+. Hamelin was recognized for his fine
freshmen campaign, garnering 25 of 28 first place votes to win the AL
Rookie of the Year. Similar to 1987, the game saw an unusual rise in
home runs during the 1994 season. Although, unlike the “rabbit ball”
year, this time the increase in longballs sustained itself for more than
a decade. Since the player’s strike was not settled until April of the
following year, the 1995 season was shortened from 162 to 144 games. Veteran third baseman Gary Gaetti presented a serious challenge to
Balboni’s franchise record when he finished the abbreviated campaign
with 35 four-baggers. Gaetti looked to be on pace to overtake the
franchise mark when he sat at 34 home runs with 14 games left to play. However, Gaetti fell into a slump, batting an abysmal .082 over next 13
games while failing to go deep. In the final game of the Royals
season, Gaetti snapped out of his homerless-drought and put the ball
over the fence in his second at bat of the game to bring him to within
one four-bagger of matching Balboni. But in his last three plate
appearances, Gaetti grounded out, hit a line drive single, and then flew
out for the final out of the game. Had the season not been delayed and
shortened by the strike, it is possible, Gaetti would have been able
surpass Balboni’s and Cerv’s records. Gaetti concluded the year with 96
RBI, a .261 batting average, and 116 OPS+.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
1995 campaign represented the start of a bleak 18-year period in which
the Royals produced only one winning season. Over that span, just three
sluggers managed to put together 30-home run campaigns for Kansas City:
designated hitter Chili Davis belted exactly 30 in 1997, third baseman
Dean Palmer cracked 34 in 1998, and right fielder Jermaine Dye smacked
33 in 2000. By contrast, other baseball cities such as Baltimore,
Chicago, St. Louis, and San Francisco witnessed sluggers set new
single-season benchmarks with 50, 60, or even 70-home run campaigns
during this high-offense era. The franchise finally snapped out of
their funk in 2013 with a solid 86-76 record. The following season the
club went 89-73, ended their lengthy playoff drought, and came up just
short against the San Francisco Giants in a razor-close seven-game World
Series. In 2015, Kansas City improved to 95-67 and returned to the
Fall Classic where they defeated the New York Mets to claim the
franchise’s second World Series championship. However, the Royals did
not rely on the home run for their success as the 2014 club’s 95
longballs were fewest in MLB while the 2015 team went deep just 139
times, the next-to-the lowest total in the AL. In 2016, Kansas City’s
record slipped back to 81-81 despite designated hitter Kendry Morales
chipping in 30 home runs. The 2016 season represented the first in a
series of campaigns in which the average home run per game rate soared
to never before seen heights even greater than the high-offense period
of the late 1990s and early 2000s as more and more players focused on
hitting the ball in the air. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On April 6,
2017, Bob Cerv passed away at age 91. Nearly six decades after clubbing
38 longballs for the 1958 Athletics, Cerv still held the Kansas City
major league home run record. Coincidentally, during the subsequent
2017 season, third baseman Mike Moustakas appeared to be on pace to
easily break Cerv’s mark by going deep 25 times before the All-Star
break. Although Moustakas’ home run pace slowed down after the
Midsummer Classic, he managed to tie Balboni’s franchise record with a
three-run blast on September 1. Moustakas failed to leave the yard over
his next 15 games before finally homering on September 20 to set a new
franchise benchmark. Five days later, Moustakas matched Cerv’s Kansas
City record with a majestic shot over the right field wall at Yankee
Stadium. Moustakas stepped to plate 16 more times but was unable to add
to his home run total and finished the year tied with Cerv at 38. Unfortunately, Moustakas hit each of his final three longballs on the
road so the Royals fans at Kauffman Stadium did not get the opportunity
to see the slugger equal and pass the franchise record or tie the Kansas
City mark. An impressive aspect of Moustakas’ season was that he had
broken Balboni’s 32-year-old franchise record despite missing nearly all
of the 2016 campaign after suffering a torn ACL in a collision with
left fielder Alex Gordon while chasing a foul pop up. Moustakas’ return
from injury netted him the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. The
power-hitting third baseman’s 38 home runs ranked fifth-best in the AL. In addition, he collected 85 RBI and batted .272 with a .314 OBP. Moustakas also posted a 117 OPS+ and 1.6 WAR as value-wise, his
campaign much more resembled Balboni’s 1985 than Cerv’s 1958. Once
again, the Royals were unable to recapture their championship form from
two seasons before, posting a middling 80-82 record.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Following
Kansas City’s lackluster 2017 campaign, the club’s young core of
players started becoming eligible for free agency. As a small market
team, the Royals did not have the finances to compete for their services
on the open market. During the offseason, first baseman Eric Hosmer
and center fielder Lorenzo Cain departed the team to sign lucrative free
agent contracts with the San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers,
respectively. Not surprisingly, Kansas City immediately tumbled to the
bottom of the AL Central standings once the 2018 campaign got underway. Four days before the July 31 Trade Deadline, the Royals traded
free-agent-to-be Mike Moustakas to the Brewers. Kansas City ended the
year in the AL Central cellar with an abysmal 58-104 record, the
franchise’s worst since 2005.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The club
continued to struggle mightily in 2019 despite the emergence of right
fielder Jorge Soler as a new challenger to the dual Kansas City and
Royals franchise single-season home run marks. Picked up from the
Chicago Cubs prior to the 2017 season, in exchange for relief pitcher
Wade Davis, the 27-year-old Soler had battled injuries throughout his
career and seen his 2018 campaign cut short when he suffered a broken
bone in his left foot in mid-June. Similar to Mike Moustakas two years
before, Soler established himself as a threat to the home run records,
going deep 23 times before the All-Star break. However, where
Moustakas’ longball pace slowed after the Midsummer Classic, Soler’s
production ramped up in the season’s second half. On August 30, Soler
tied Cerv’s and Moustakas’ shared record with his 38th drive of the
season. Just three games later, on September 3, Soler set a new
benchmark, hitting home run number 39 as part of a 6-5 win over the
Tigers. Soler’s record-breaking longball was a three-run blast which
put him at exactly 100 RBI for the year. Although the club was
suffering through a difficult season, Soler was able to treat the
Kauffman Stadium faithful as both his record-tying and record-breaking
drives had taken place in front of Royals fans as part of a ten-game
homestand. Soler continued to scorch opposing pitching over the
closing weeks of the season, connecting in the Royals last game of 2019
to finish the year with an AL-best 48 home runs. Soler had not only
obliterated Cerv’s and Moustakas’ shared mark of 38, but also became the
first Royals hitter to pace the junior circuit in four-baggers. Moreover, with his final blast of 2019, Soler passed Rafael Palmeiro to
set the single-season home run record for Cuban-born players.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In
addition to his eye-popping longball total, Soler tied for second in
the AL with 117 RBI while also ranking in the top-five in total bases,
slugging percentage, extra base hits, and at bats per home run. Soler
batted a mediocre .265 but, due in part to his 73 walks, managed to get
on base at a more impressive .354 clip. He did, however, lead the
circuit in one dubious category, striking out 178 times. The
free-swinging slugger finished the season with 3.5 WAR and slotted just
outside the top-ten with a solid 137 OPS+. Despite carrying the
reputation of being injury-prone, he proved to be durable during the
2019 campaign, appearing in all 162 games. A right fielder by trade,
Soler only saw limited time on defense and spent the majority of the
year being used as the club’s designated hitter. However, Soler’s
record-setting season was not enough to pull Kansas City out of the
doldrums as the team posted an ugly 59-103 mark. Soler’s colossal power
was one of the few bright spots in a depleted offense that scored the
next-to-the least amount of runs in the AL. The Royals lack of success
likely played a role in MVP voters almost completely ignoring Soler as
the home run champ drew just one tenth-place tally in the election.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although
Soler had smashed the Kansas City major league and Royals franchise
records, catcher Salvador Perez quickly emerged as the next challenger
to the dual benchmarks. Originally signed in 2006 as a 16-year-old
amateur free agent from his native Venezuela, Perez made his major
league debuted for Kansas City late in the 2011 season. Perez had been
part of the young core of players who helped the Royals develop into a
back-to-back pennant winner and 2015 World Series champion after a
decade-plus as a losing ball club. Through his career, Perez had shown
pop in his bat, clubbing 27 home runs in both 2017 and 2018, but was
recognized more for his defense which had netted him five Gold Glove
Awards. Prior to the 2019 campaign, Perez suffered an elbow injury
which required Tommy John surgery and forced him to miss the entire
season. When the backstop made his return during the pandemic-shortened
2020 campaign, he went on an offensive tear, belting 11 home runs in
only 37 games while batting .333 with a 159 OPS+. Prior to 2020, Perez
had generally been a league average hitter, posting a career OPS+ of 98
with his seasonal marks slightly above or just below 100. With his
offensive breakout, Perez was named AL Comeback Player of the Year.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcHS26eSsJQ/YVsKtseoAAI/AAAAAAABcDQ/bpLxJmkWGlQS5rRSABCyKJzcB4hOBfp-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s2400/Mike%2BMoustakas%2BJorge%2BSoler%2BSalvador%2BPerez.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1116" data-original-width="2400" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TcHS26eSsJQ/YVsKtseoAAI/AAAAAAABcDQ/bpLxJmkWGlQS5rRSABCyKJzcB4hOBfp-ACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h298/Mike%2BMoustakas%2BJorge%2BSoler%2BSalvador%2BPerez.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />With
right fielder Alex Gordon’s retirement following the 2020 season, Perez
was the only core position player to remain from Kansas City’s 2015
championship team. Before the start of the 2021 campaign, the veteran
catcher underscored his commitment to the Royals franchise by signing a
lucrative four-year contract extension. Though he wasn’t quite able to
replicate his breakout 2020, Perez put together a solid first half,
posting a 115 OPS+ while appearing to be on pace for a personal best in
longballs with 21 at the All-Star break. Like Soler two years before,
Perez started driving the ball out of the yard with even more regularity
in the season’s second act. The power-hitting backstop had a
particularly impressive month of August in which he went deep 12 times,
including an August 25 to 29 stretch where he homered in five straight
games, with grand slams coming in back-to-back contests on August 26 and
27. Perez’s longball surge put him at 38 going into September and he
began drawing attention for his pursuit of Johnny Bench’s 51-year-old
single-season home run record for catchers who spent at least of 75% of
their games behind the plate. Perez quickly closed in on Bench’s
record, hitting home run numbers 43, 44, and 45 in successive contests
with the final blast on September 16 matching the Hall of Fame catcher’s
mark. Four days later, on the road against the Cleveland Indians, Perez
put the ball over the fence to stand alone in the record books. Perez’s drive not only set a new standard for catchers but also was the
198th of his career and moved him past Mike Sweeney for number two on
the Royals all-time home run list, trailing only the 317 hit by George
Brett.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Perez next set his sights on Soler’s
Kansas City major league and Royals franchise single-season home run
records. Coincidentally, Soler had been swapped to the Atlanta Braves
in a trade deadline deal on July 30 but Perez maintained contact with
his friend and former teammate who wished the backstop well in his
pursuit of the record. On September 28, the Royals hosted the Indians
to begin a six-game homestand to close out the season. Perez went deep
in the opening contest for his 47th longball. The following evening,
Perez tied Soler’s record with a bottom of the first inning home run off
Cleveland starter Zach Plesac. Unfortunately, at the conclusion of the
top of the second, Perez suffered a sprained ankle slipping on the
dugout steps. Perez took one more at bat before the injury forced him
to leave the game. Despite the sprain, the resilient slugger returned
to the field without missing a game. Though Perez stepped to the plate
18 more times after taking Plesac deep, he was unable to add to his
longball total and thus had to settle for sharing the Kansas City major
league and Royals franchise single-season home run records with Soler.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Perez
finished his sensational 2021 campaign with 48 round-trippers, 121 RBI,
a .273 batting average, and .316 OBP. As the season drew to a close,
Perez battled Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Shohei Ohtani for the AL home
run crown. Guerrero was able to go deep on the final day of the regular
season and match Perez’s 48 drives which led not only the AL but all of
MLB. In addition to sharing the longball lead with Guerrero, Perez’s
lofty RBI total also paced both the junior circuit and MLB. Perez
produced a 126 OPS+, an impressive mark for a catcher along with 5.3 WAR
which ranked tenth among AL position players. Perez showcased his
durability, playing in 161 games. His 124 games caught was the second
highest total in the AL while his 43.9% caught stealing rate was the
best among MLB backstops. Perez’s record-breaking season put him in the
conversation for a high finish in the AL MVP vote. Despite Perez’s
stellar campaign, Kansas City finished the year with a 74-88 record, the
franchise’s fifth straight losing season. However, the club’s 38-35
second half mark, when Perez swung a particularly hot bat, possibly
foreshadowed a return to prominence for the Royals.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It
will be interesting to see how long Perez and Soler hold the Kansas
City major league single-season home run record. Will the two sluggers
hold the mark for multiple decades like Heavy Johnson and Bob Cerv or
relinquish the honor after just a few seasons like Gus Zernial and Mike
Moustakas?</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NCAMeudlTo/YVsa-BNNM3I/AAAAAAABcDo/NVVdOB8JsAwriHuwX56DZC1yaBs1iIJAgCLcBGAsYHQ/s792/Kansas%2BCity%2BHR%2Btables.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="792" height="312" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8NCAMeudlTo/YVsa-BNNM3I/AAAAAAABcDo/NVVdOB8JsAwriHuwX56DZC1yaBs1iIJAgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h312/Kansas%2BCity%2BHR%2Btables.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----by John Tuberty</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stat
link to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/perezsa02.shtml" target="_blank">Salvador Perez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/guerrvl02.shtml" target="_blank">Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ohtansh01.shtml" target="_blank">Shohei Ohtani</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benchjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Johnny Bench</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml" target="_blank">George Brett</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moustmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Moustakas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hosmeer01.shtml" target="_blank">Eric Hosmer</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cainlo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lorenzo Cain</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/solerjo01.shtml" target="_blank">Jorge Soler</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/plesaza01.shtml" target="_blank">Zach Plesac</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gordoal01.shtml" target="_blank">Alex Gordon</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palmera01.shtml" target="_blank">Rafael Palmeiro</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/daviswa01.shtml" target="_blank">Wade Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mantlmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mickey Mantle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jacksbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bo Jackson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bastich01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Bastain</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/berrych01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Berry</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blackbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Black</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mclaufr01.shtml" target="_blank">Frank McLaughlin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saylo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Say</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/veachpe01.shtml" target="_blank">Peek-A-Boo Veach</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcquemo01.shtml" target="_blank">Will McQuery</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/myersal01.shtml" target="_blank">Al Myers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/barklsa01.shtml" target="_blank">Sam Barkley</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mctamji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim McTamany</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burnsji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Burns</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kenwobi01.shtml" target="_blank">Duke Kenworthy</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zwilldu01.shtml" target="_blank">Dutch Zwilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/fosteru99.shtml" target="_blank">Rube Foster</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carrge01.shtml" target="_blank">George Carr</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/roganbu99.shtml" target="_blank">Bullet Rogan</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnshe01.shtml" target="_blank">Heavy Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/charlos99.shtml" target="_blank">Oscar Charleston</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brownwi02.shtml" target="_blank">Willard Brown</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcnaihu01.shtml" target="_blank">Hurley McNair</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/mackco01.shtml" target="_blank">Connie Mack</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foxxji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jimmie Foxx</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zernigu01.shtml" target="_blank">Gus Zernial</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cervbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Cerv</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wilsore01.shtml" target="_blank">Red Wilson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/durenry01.shtml" target="_blank">Ryne Duren</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/demaejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joe DeMaestri</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colavro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rocky Colavito</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gentiji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Gentile</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kirkped01.shtml" target="_blank">Ed Kirkpatrick</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olivebo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Oliver</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maybejo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Mayberry</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/balbost01.shtml" target="_blank">Steve Balboni</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tartada01.shtml" target="_blank">Danny Tartabull</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hamelbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Hamelin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gaettga01.shtml" target="_blank">Gary Gaetti</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/davisch01.shtml" target="_blank">Chili Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/palmede01.shtml" target="_blank">Dean Palmer</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dyeje01.shtml" target="_blank">Jermaine Dye</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/moralke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kendrys Morales</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sweenmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Sweeney</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, </span></span><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Baseball</span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/" target="_blank"> Reference Bullpen</a>, <a href="https://seamheads.com/blog/" target="_blank">Seamheads</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/" target="_blank">MLB</a>, <a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/history/top100.jsp?idx=18" target="_blank">MiLB</a>,
<a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/charlie-finley/" target="_blank">Charlie Finley SABR biography</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/bob-cerv/" target="_blank">Bob Cerv SABR biography</a>, <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/kansas-city/story/kansas-city-s-home-run-king-bob-cerv-just-turned-90-and-he-still-doesn-t-miss-a-trick-051415" target="_blank">Fox Sports</a>, <a href="http://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/i_played_without_eating.pdf" target="_blank">Saturday Evening Post</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/how-to/online-newspapers" target="_blank">The Sporting News via SABR Paper of Record: July 16, 1958 and July 30, 1958 editions</a>, <a href="https://sportsecyclopedia.com/team/named-after-the-previous-team-that-played-in-the-nl-in-1886/" target="_blank">Sports Encyclopedia</a>,
<a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/negro-leagues-given-major-league-status-for-baseball-records-stats" target="_blank">MLB article about which leagues are Major League</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/press-release/press-release-mlb-officially-designates-the-negro-leagues-as-major-league" target="_blank">MLB article recognizing Negro Leagues as Major League</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/royals-mike-moustakas-has-right-knee-injury-c180406208" target="_blank">MLB article on Mike Moustakas’ injury</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/jorge-soler-exits-game-with-fracture-in-foot-c281445524" target="_blank">MLB article on Jorge Soler’s injury</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/salvador-perez-ties-royals-home-run-record" target="_blank">MLB article about Salvador Perez tying Jorge Soler</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-29-2019-jorge-soler-sets-royals-cuban-single-season-home-run-records/" target="_blank">SABR article about Jorge Soler setting Cuban home run record</a>, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=6r6ownl3ywQC&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=heavy+johnson+baseball+nasty&source=bl&ots=sbY144Bsd-&sig=ACfU3U06UO2nTqxizMNAmBO44A4UXqfNLg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiw4ITxg7HzAhVYF1kFHeldBRAQ6AF6BAgoEAM#v=onepage&q=heavy%20johnson%20baseball%20nasty&f=false" target="_blank">Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Larry Lester-<i>Baseball’s First Colored World Series: The 1924 Meeting of the Hilldale Giants and Kansas City Monarchs</i> (McFarland)</a>, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/playerpage/1793168/salvador-perez" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a>, <a href="https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article254604987.html" target="_blank">Kansas City Star</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cards:
Salvador Perez 2016 Topps, Jorge Soler 2018 Topps, Bob Cerv 1959 Topps,
Heavy Johnson 2020 Dreams Fulfilled Negro Leagues Legends, George Carr
2020 Dreams Fulfilled Negro Leagues Legends, Bullet Rogan 2020 Dreams
Fulfilled Negro Leagues Legends, Gus Zernial 1957 Topps, Bob Cerv 1958
Topps, Rocky Colavito 1964 Auravision Records, John Mayberry 1975 Topps,
Steve Balboni 1986 Topps, Bob Hamelin 1995 Topps, Mike Moustakas 2018
Topps Heritage, Jorge Soler 2020 Topps 1985 35th Anniversary, Salvador
Perez 2017 Topps Heritage</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23TrdfBRhH0/YVsLIQyURCI/AAAAAAABcDg/8F_v6RT9Stct0iK2cCOIVomCH9-Cb7scwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2412/Tim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJoe%2BRudi%2Btrio%2Bcard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="2412" height="272" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-23TrdfBRhH0/YVsLIQyURCI/AAAAAAABcDg/8F_v6RT9Stct0iK2cCOIVomCH9-Cb7scwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h272/Tim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJoe%2BRudi%2Btrio%2Bcard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></span></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</a> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-break-up-of-oakland-as-dynasty-how_7675.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Break-up of The Oakland A’s Dynasty, How The Players Fared After Leaving as Free Agents, and Their Airbrushed 1977 Topps Cards</span></span></a></div></div></div></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-25842454898573483502021-08-26T15:29:00.000-04:002021-08-26T15:32:39.357-04:00My Interview with Derek Stevenson, Umpire from the 2021 Perfect Game All-American Classic<div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aQAv1ZVzk4/YSfhS1AnHPI/AAAAAAABbLs/1cNLVFdaUOQNeANg4QmKFhAuzWcWvpHaQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1796/Derek%2Bumpire%2Bpicture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1796" height="428" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2aQAv1ZVzk4/YSfhS1AnHPI/AAAAAAABbLs/1cNLVFdaUOQNeANg4QmKFhAuzWcWvpHaQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h428/Derek%2Bumpire%2Bpicture.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Derek Stevenson umpires games in the greater Atlanta area<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />On August 22, 2021, San Diego’s
Petco Park hosted the 19th edition of the Perfect Game All-American Classic. This annual event brings together the nation’s top amateur players
heading into their senior year of high school to face off in an East
versus West battle. Elijah Green, Dylan Lesko, and Jayson Jones each
took part in this year’s contest along with many other top high school
prospects from the Class of 2022. The game also featured the sons of
former major leaguers CC Sabathia (Carsten), Andruw Jones (Druw), Matt
Holliday (Jackson), Carl Crawford (Justin), and Lou Collier (Cam). Coverage of the event was broadcast live on the MLB Network. Over the
years this game has showcased dozens of future first-round draft picks. Moreover, five recipients of the MVP Award—Freddie Freeman, Bryce
Harper, Buster Posey, Kris Bryant, and Andrew McCutchen—have played in
the All-American Classic along with 2016 AL Cy Young Award winner Rick
Porcello and frontline starting pitchers Gerrit Cole, Kevin Gausman, and
Zack Wheeler. Each club was managed by a former major league player
with Clint Hurdle helming the East and Luis Gonzalez in charge of the
West. Hurdle skippered the Colorado Rockies to the 2007 NL Pennant and managed in the majors as recently as 2019. Gonzalez hit 354 home
runs during his impressive 19-year playing career and is most remembered
for his Game Seven, Series-ending walk-off RBI single to help the
Arizona Diamondbacks triumph over the New York Yankees in the 2001 Fall
Classic.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The East won this year’s game, 9-1,
with ten pitchers combining to no-hit the West. The no-hitter was the
first in the history of the All-American Classic. Catcher Luke Heyman
hit the only home run of the night, a two-run shot in the bottom of the
third inning to put the East up 3-0, and was named the game’s MVP. It
was neat to get a glimpse into the future as I expect to see several of
these players selected in the 2022 Amateur Draft and popping up in the
major leagues over the next few seasons. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">However,
what made this year’s All-American Classic special for me was seeing my
friend Derek Stevenson in uniform as the game’s third base umpire. Derek and I worked together in 2012 and 2013. Since that time, our
mutual love of baseball has helped us stay in touch and it has been
wonderful to see Derek follow his career path and become an umpire. Derek currently works games in the greater Atlanta area and was nice
enough to answer some of my questions about his participation in the
All-American Classic and his career as an umpire.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Derek,
first of all congratulations for getting the opportunity to work this
game and thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. Can you
tell us what it was like to receive the invite to work the Perfect Game
All-American Classic and about your experiences during the event?</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank
you so much. Getting this opportunity was a blessing. When I received
the invite, I was shocked. Very unexpected. I believe I was speechless. The experience was amazing. Seeing all of that talent from these young
men just motivates me to be a better umpire for the game. During the
pregame Home Run Derby, I got to see some of these young men 16, 17
years old hit upper deck home runs at Petco Park. And I got to stand in
the same spot as some of the great umpires, Joe West, Hunter
Wendelstedt, Jansen Visconti, and Tom Hallion. It was an honor to be a
part of this and I wish all these young men the best in the future. <br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What types of games do you generally work as an umpire in the greater Atlanta area?</b></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I generally work high school, college, and travel ball games here in Georgia.<br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="color: #454545;">When did you first become a baseball fan and who were your favorite teams and players growing up?</b></span></span><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
was a baseball fan probably when I was in the womb. Hahahaha. I
remember playing baseball since I was 5 and watching the Yankees, Mets,
and Braves. I gravitated towards the Braves because I watched Greg
Maddux pitch one time and just was in shock at how great of a pitcher he
was. Chipper Jones was and is my favorite player. His ability to switch
hit amazed me and I wanted to play just like him and tried. <br /></span></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>When did you start umpiring and what made you realize you wanted to pursue this as a career?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
started umpiring about 4 years ago. The moment I put on my uniform I
knew this was what I wanted to do forever. I was doing a travel ball
game and I was the home plate umpire and it was an amazing close game,
fans were into the game, the players were great—playing hard and making
amazing plays. I said to myself “this is where I belong!” The joy and
feeling I get on the field makes me want to continue this. These players
are so talented.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Can you tell us about
the progression of your umpiring career that led to you getting the call
to work the Perfect Game All-American Classic?</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
have had a lot of help along the way. My trainers, instructors, and my
umpire brothers have all helped me. They saw that I had raw talent and a
drive to be a better umpire, so they took me under their wing and have
and continued to mold me into a good umpire. Going to umpire camps every
year, working on your mechanics at home in the mirror, and the most
important thing, being in your rule book, have all helped with my
progress. I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be. I
believe that Perfect Game has some of the best umpires you can find and
we all work hard together and push each other to be better than
yesterday. It’s a blessing.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>You
mentioned umpire camps, what were some of the things you learned or felt
you were able to improve on by attending these camps?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">“What
can’t you learn” is probably the better question and easier question
haha. I can go on for years about this topic. When you go to these
camps, you’re learning everything about the game of baseball. They
improve your rules knowledge of the game which helps your confidence on
the field. They improve your mechanics so they are nice, crisp, and
sharp. You come out these camps gaining a confidence you didn’t have
going in. There so much more these camps offer you as well. They offer
you a chance to be a part of something special. Seeing these talented
players on the field up close is a blessing and these camps humble you
and make you feel special.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What is the most unbelievable moment that has happened during a game you were working?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
think the most unbelievable moment for me was doing a quarterfinal game
for Perfect Game and I got to see a kid throw a seven-inning no-hitter
at the age of 17.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Occasionally we see umpires get hit by the ball, what’s the worst injury you’ve sustained working behind the plate?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The worst one I had was getting hit in the mask by a foul ball. I had to be taken out of that game. <br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ouch. Sounds painful. I know concussions are a concern for umpires too.</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes they are. The catchers do a great job in trying make sure we don’t get hit but it happens.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Have you officiated any other sports besides baseball?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes. I do football and softball.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>As
we know umpires get more than their fair share of verbal abuse. What
is the funniest or strangest (family-friendly) thing a player or coach
has said while arguing a call?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hahahahahaha
yes we do from time to time. I think the funniest thing was when a
parent told me that I’m supposed to ask for help on a check swing every
time. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>What is your advice for someone looking to pursue a career in umpiring or officiating?</b><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Always
be humble, work hard on your mechanics on and off the field. Always
remember someone is watching you no matter the level game you’re
calling. Be professional, don’t be afraid to fail or make a mistake. Get
and stay in your rule book. And lastly have fun. As Harry Wendelstedt
once said, “You can’t hide a good umpire.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Derek,
thank you for taking the time with me today. I look forward to seeing
the continued progress of your umpiring career. And once again congrats
for working the Perfect Game All-American.</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you so much John. I had a great time doing this interview.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGdYmHC4B5s/YSfiCO6j8hI/AAAAAAABbL0/JgR-m7AhAocJpCqI23D0157K0zwcynFjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2891/Derek%2Bin%2Baction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="2891" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iGdYmHC4B5s/YSfiCO6j8hI/AAAAAAABbL0/JgR-m7AhAocJpCqI23D0157K0zwcynFjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h240/Derek%2Bin%2Baction.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Derek working the third base line during the Perfect Game All-American Classic<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----by John Tuberty </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources: <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/allamerican/" target="_blank">Perfect Game</a>, MLB Network telecast of Perfect Game All-American Classic</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stat
links to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freemfr01.shtml" target="_blank">Freddie Freeman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/poseybu01.shtml" target="_blank">Buster Posey</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/harpebr03.shtml" target="_blank">Bryce Harper</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bryankr01.shtml" target="_blank">Kris Bryant</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mccutan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andrew McCutchen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/colege01.shtml" target="_blank">Gerrit Cole</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gausmke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Gausman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wheelza01.shtml" target="_blank">Zack Wheeler</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/porceri01.shtml" target="_blank">Rick Porcello</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesch06.shtml" target="_blank">Chipper Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maddugr01.shtml" target="_blank">Greg Maddux</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sabatc.01.shtml" target="_blank">CC Sabathia</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andruw Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hollima01.shtml" target="_blank">Matt Holliday</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crawfca02.shtml" target="_blank">Carl Crawford</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/collilo01.shtml" target="_blank">Lou Collier</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/hurdlcl01.shtml" target="_blank">Clint Hurdle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gonzalu01.shtml" target="_blank">Luis Gonzalez</a><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Links to Perfect Game All-American
players mentioned: <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=535648" target="_blank">Elijah Green</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=442743" target="_blank">Dylan Lesko</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=454249" target="_blank">Jayson Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/Players/Playerprofile.aspx?ID=579206" target="_blank">Carsten Sabathia</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=451995" target="_blank">Druw Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=590150" target="_blank">Jackson Holliday</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=590764" target="_blank">Justin Crawford</a>, <a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=577291" target="_blank">Cam Collier</a>,
<a href="https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=523746" target="_blank">Luke Heyman</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0gJVtKSXrU/YSfipcFEDjI/AAAAAAABbL8/OeR_b3Uagmc56lraBDuTH4c2Th85JPNYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2244/Tim%2BHudson%2BJImmy%2BKey%2BFred%2BMcGriff%2Btrio%2Bcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="2244" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U0gJVtKSXrU/YSfipcFEDjI/AAAAAAABbL8/OeR_b3Uagmc56lraBDuTH4c2Th85JPNYgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h304/Tim%2BHudson%2BJImmy%2BKey%2BFred%2BMcGriff%2Btrio%2Bcard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></span></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2021/07/an-in-depth-look-at-hall-of-fame.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-favorite-baseball-cards-of-jimmy-key.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Favorite Baseball Cards of Jimmy Key During His Nine Seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2012/07/had-fred-mcgriff-played-in-second_20.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Had Fred McGriff Played in the “Second Deadball Era” Rather than the Steroid Era, He’d Already be in the Hall of Fame</span></span></a></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-3143390538038539622021-07-09T21:27:00.000-04:002021-07-09T21:27:43.641-04:00An In-Depth Look at Hall of Fame Candidate Tim Hudson’s Career and How it Compares to Recent Cooperstown Inductees and Prominent Pitchers From His Era<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oL45DNQ1xpY/YOYHHXJ_8CI/AAAAAAABY_4/zAu9LnNqNQIoQQEhXjI-1hf1LN0vdMSbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2594/octet%2Bof%2Bhurlers%2Bpic2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="2594" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oL45DNQ1xpY/YOYHHXJ_8CI/AAAAAAABY_4/zAu9LnNqNQIoQQEhXjI-1hf1LN0vdMSbQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/octet%2Bof%2Bhurlers%2Bpic2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The 2021 BBWAA
Hall of Fame election marked one of the few times in which no candidate was voted into Cooperstown. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While
the controversy surrounding the three highest drawing candidates on the
ballot, Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens, garnered most
of the attention,</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> an
overlooked story of the election was the debut of first-time candidate
Tim Hudson. Despite a distinguished 17-year career, Hudson barely
picked up enough support to be eligible for next January’s upcoming
election. Nevertheless, Hudson brings an underrated Hall of Fame case
to the table that hopefully members of the electorate will take the time
to reconsider.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s career spanned from 1999 to 2015, during which time the right-hander pitched for three different teams: </span>the
Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, and San Francisco Giants. Noted for
his mastery of the sinkerball, Hudson used the pitch to frustrate
opposing hitters by generating weak contact and inducing ground balls. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson
retired with a career win-loss record of 222-133 and a 3.49 ERA. When
Hudson’s career ERA is ballpark and league adjusted, his 3.49 mark
translates into a more illustrious 120 ERA+. In addition, Hudson
accumulated 57.9 career WAR during his career. Yet, what might be Hudson’s most
impressive career statistic is his excellent .625 win-loss percentage,
which is the equivalent of a team posting a 101-61 record over the
course of a full season. Historically, a pitcher with the combination</span> of
Hudson’s 222 victories and .625 win-loss percentage has been voted into
the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA or through one of the incarnations of the
Era Committee. However, wins have become devalued by some in the
baseball community, which likely played a role in Hudson receiving less support in January's election than he
would have from previous generations of voters. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
this in mind, I decided to take a deeper look into the validity of
Hudson’s win-loss percentage by comparing the righty to seven prominent
pitchers in a variety of categories that affect wins and losses. Rather
than just rely on the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">popular
traditional and sabermetric methods, I chose to take a different
approach by using some alternative advanced metrics and statistics to
analyze the pitchers.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The seven hurlers I am comparing Hudson to include:</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•the three starting pitchers most recently voted into the Hall of Fame: Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, and Jack Morris; </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•the highest returning holdover candidate on the BBWAA ballot: Curt Schilling;</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•two of Hudson’s contemporaries whom he currently shares the BBWAA ballot with: Andy Pettitte and Mark Buehrle;</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•as well as another contemporary who is not yet eligible but has a strong chance at being elected to Cooperstown: CC Sabathia.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u>The Rare Combination of Hudson’s 222 Wins and .625 Win-Loss Percentage</u></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Before
delving into the comparisons, I wanted to see how rare it is for a
pitcher to retire with Hudson’s impressive combination of career
victories and win-loss percentage. In fact</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
only 16 pitchers have completed their careers with more victories than
Hudson’s 222 while also posting a higher win-loss percentage than the
righty’s .625 mark. To date, 14 of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">those 16 pitchers have been voted into the Hall of Fame while the two hurlers who have yet to be elected</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, are still on the BBWAA ballot. Of
course, Clemens’ and Pettitte’s Hall of Fame candidacies have each been
adversely affected by their ties to PEDs</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Had it not been for the PED allegations, Clemens would have been an
easy first ballot or even unanimous Hall of Fame selection while
Pettitte would have certainly drawn a much higher vote total than the
respective 9.9%, 11.3%, and 13.7% he collected in his first three years on the
ballot.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, Hudson’s 222 victories and .625 win-loss percentage represent the minimum of the standard. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
if the standard is changed to pitchers with 200 victories and a .600
win-loss percentage, Hudson still belongs to a very exclusive club as he
is one of just 37 hurlers to retire with this impressive statistical
combination. Moreover, at present, 28 of those 37 pitchers have been
voted into the Hall of Fame. Aside from Hudson and the aforementioned
Clemens and Pettitte, the remaining hurlers</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;"> sitting outside of Cooperstown </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">who
retired with the 200 victory/.600 win-loss percentage combination
includes the
yet-to-be eligible Sabathia along with David Wells, early 20th century
right-hander Carl Mays, and a trio of 19th century pitchers—Charlie
Buffinton, Bob Caruthers, and Jack Stivetts. Other</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> than Sabathia, Hudson’s career is a healthy step above these additional hurlers </span>as
Mays and Stivetts only just clear the 200-victory threshold while
Wells, Buffinton, and Stivetts barely meet the .600 win-loss percentage
standard. Mays <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">has appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in the past but has never come close to election. His Hall of Fame case has been </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">overshadowed
by throwing the errant pitch that killed Ray Chapman and suspicion that he
purposely lost World Series games during the 1921 and 1922 Fall
Classics. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
trio of 19th century hurlers have never been serious Hall of Fame
candidates as each had careers that were barely a decade long and also played
during an era when two or three-man pitching rotations were the norm
and the disparity between the best and worst teams was more pronounced. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wells
is the only pitcher of recent times to retire with the 200 victory/.600
win-loss percentage combination and fall off the BBWAA ballot. However, Wells’ </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hall of Fame case was likely doomed by his 4.13 career ERA which would be, by far, the highest in Cooperstown.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JB14icaDozw/YOYHfW3s5GI/AAAAAAABZAA/3V1y-60qkAU9roTqy1ru68myIS37ROy5QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2216/Tim%2BHudson%2BTrio%2BCard2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="2216" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JB14icaDozw/YOYHfW3s5GI/AAAAAAABZAA/3V1y-60qkAU9roTqy1ru68myIS37ROy5QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h304/Tim%2BHudson%2BTrio%2BCard2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only 16 pitchers have retired with more victories & a higher W-L% than Hudson, 14 of those 16 are HOFers<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><u>Career Totals as a Starting Pitcher</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Since
the majority of the stats I am using reflect the hurlers’ performances
in games in which they were the starting pitcher, their career record,
win-loss percentage, and ERA shown below </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">slightly differ from their overall career totals.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aNNGAemG4k/X5XLuzZvdfI/AAAAAAABMPM/QLjJdYA_TFE5PKu9S1pQLXQ8s3P9oX3OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s298/1%2BCareer%2BTotals%2BStarting%2BPitcher.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aNNGAemG4k/X5XLuzZvdfI/AAAAAAABMPM/QLjJdYA_TFE5PKu9S1pQLXQ8s3P9oX3OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/1%2BCareer%2BTotals%2BStarting%2BPitcher.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
pitchers I consider most fitting to compare Hudson with are Buehrle,
Halladay, Pettitte, and Sabathia because their career timelines most
overlap with Hudson’s. Keep in mind, Hudson is being judged against
hurlers who have promising Hall of Fame cases or are already enshrined
in Cooperstown. It is certainly possible that each of these pitchers
will one day find their way into the Hall of Fame either through the
BBWAA vote or on a later Era Committee ballot. Thus, being at or near
the mean of these pitchers in these categories is impressive.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Percentage of Games Started Won and Lost</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During his career, Hudson regularly won while rarely losing. In fact, Hudson finished with a sub-.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">500
win-loss percentage in just two of his 17 major league seasons.
Moreover, Hudson had just four double-digit loss campaigns, including
two where he lost exactly ten games</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. By contrast, Hudson had 13 seasons</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with double-digits in wins. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s career-high total of defeats was just 13—a total he met or exceeded in victories ten times during his career. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxo87usqghc/X5Xf746Y49I/AAAAAAABMPk/82A4DgBA6QwJw2DPvmjXyyFDDzeQEhjuACLcBGAsYHQ/s672/2%2BGames%2BStarted%2BWon%2Band%2BLost.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="672" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxo87usqghc/X5Xf746Y49I/AAAAAAABMPk/82A4DgBA6QwJw2DPvmjXyyFDDzeQEhjuACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h229/2%2BGames%2BStarted%2BWon%2Band%2BLost.png" width="640" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
tables above show Hudson is slightly below the mean among the eight
hurlers in percentage of games started where he was credited as the
winning pitcher. However, Hudson really shines in the low percentage of
games started where he was tagged as the losing pitcher. Hudson took
the loss in just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">27.77%
of his starts, trailing only Halladay who easily leads the octet of
hurlers in both categories—underscoring why “Doc” is the only
first-ballot Hall of Famer of the group. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">These
two categories also illustrate how Hudson won with more regularity than
contemporaries Buehrle and Sabathia and lost with less frequency than
Pettitte, Buehrle, and Sabathia.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Quality Start Percentage and Average Game Score (Version 2.0)</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Quality start and game score are two useful metrics to evaluate a starting pitcher’s performance.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A pitcher is given credit for a quality start when they pitch six or more innings while giving up three or fewer earned runs. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When
a starting pitcher is removed from the game, you’ll often hear a
commentator remark, “he gave his team a chance to win” or “he kept his
team in the game</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.” If a hurler has a quality start, they’ve essential pitched well enough
to earn the win or have, at the very least, kept the game close by
limiting the opposing team’s scoring.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Game
score is a metric which gauges a starting pitcher’s performance by
converting it into a number figure based on the quantity and quality of
the outing. Game score was originally devised by Bill James, however, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I
prefer Tom Tango’s refined version of the metric because it uses a
slightly different formula which penalizes pitchers for giving up home
runs, something James’ version does not do.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-371uAHi8a5s/X5XgoSMhq6I/AAAAAAABMPs/Ongkpz38rnEzMmCjs-t1FCQyXAROI4xigCLcBGAsYHQ/s477/3%2BQuality%2BStarts%2Band%2BGame%2BScore.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="477" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-371uAHi8a5s/X5XgoSMhq6I/AAAAAAABMPs/Ongkpz38rnEzMmCjs-t1FCQyXAROI4xigCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/3%2BQuality%2BStarts%2Band%2BGame%2BScore.png" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At
63.05%, Hudson is comfortably above the mean in percentage of quality
starts and a good distance ahead of Pettitte, Sabathia, and Morris. For
average game score, Hudson’s 56.25% is an eyelash below the 56.34%
mean. The three pitchers Hudson trails in average game score are a pair
of Hall of Fame hurlers, Halladay and Mussina, along with Schilling—who
if it hadn't been for a crowded ballot and his off-the-field
controversies, would have been voted into Cooperstown several years ago.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Cheap Wins and Tough Losses</u></b></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A cheap win is when a starting pitcher earns the victory in a non-quality start by </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">pitching fewer than 6 innings or allowing more than 3 earned runs.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XM7y3N2Flos/X5XhR1q6MkI/AAAAAAABMP4/yoZpxLq-gPUmVAHSovMBC4DLTpZHGVScQCLcBGAsYHQ/s263/4%2BCheap%2BWins.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XM7y3N2Flos/X5XhR1q6MkI/AAAAAAABMP4/yoZpxLq-gPUmVAHSovMBC4DLTpZHGVScQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/4%2BCheap%2BWins.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
just 28 of his 222 career triumphs being classified as cheap wins,
Hudson rarely was the recipient of a gifted victory despite making a
non-quality start. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s 12.61% mark ranks a strong third among the eight hurlers and is easily better the 15.70% mean</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Essentially
the opposite of a cheap win, the pitcher is credited with a tough loss
when they are the losing pitcher of record in a quality start.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfBj5iHExEU/X5Xh4ivywMI/AAAAAAABMQA/fX8ZbHe683ciJG_cdt-yS2kl4ti9c1vSACLcBGAsYHQ/s280/5%2BTough%2BLosses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfBj5iHExEU/X5Xh4ivywMI/AAAAAAABMQA/fX8ZbHe683ciJG_cdt-yS2kl4ti9c1vSACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/5%2BTough%2BLosses.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This
is the first category in which Hudson looks poor in comparison to the
featured hurlers. With 35 of his 133 career defeats coming in quality
starts, Hudson is about 5 tough losses below the mean. Nevertheless,
Hudson’s solid average game score mark somewhat nullifies his lower
number of tough losses. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Interestingly,
Hudson’s highest percentage of tough losses came in 2014 when the
righty posted a career-worst 9-13 record for the San Francisco Giants
despite making quality starts in seven of those defeats. Hudson’s
losing record was largely the byproduct of being a victim of
particularly poor run support as San Francisco’s offense scored zero or
one run in each of the seven games in which the sinkerball-specialist
made a quality start but was tagged with the loss. Yet, it all worked
out for Hudson and the Giants as the season ended with the veteran
lifting the World Championship trophy over his head after the club beat
the Kansas City Royals to win the 2014 Fall Classic.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wins Lost and Losses Saved</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
wins lost table shows how often the eight pitchers were in the position
to be credited for the victory at the time they faced their final
batter, only to be denied the win due to their bullpen blowing the lead.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uD7yiC0cJ8/X5XincFiK-I/AAAAAAABMQQ/-l1wvuGCcRUPZ5mtYpmZJrriuGcSp_e9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s257/6%2BWins%2BLost.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uD7yiC0cJ8/X5XincFiK-I/AAAAAAABMQQ/-l1wvuGCcRUPZ5mtYpmZJrriuGcSp_e9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/6%2BWins%2BLost.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson has the dubious honor of leading the octet of hurlers in wins lost. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Over
the course of his career, Hudson lost out on a staggering 50 potential
wins due to his bullpen blowing leads. In fact, the </span>lead
Hudson holds over the other pitchers is so significant that the difference
between the sinkerballer’s 10.44% wins lost mark and the 8.46% of the
second-highest placing hurler, Roy Halladay, is greater than the gap
from Halladay to the 6.61% total of the next-to-last ranked CC Sabathia.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
spent the early part of his career with the Oakland Athletics. Along
with Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, Hudson was part of an impressive trio
of young starters known as the Big Three. Before being split up by
Hudson’s and Mulder’s respective trades to the Atlanta Braves and St.
Louis Cardinals following the 2004 season, the Big Three helped lead the
A’s to three AL West Division Titles and one AL Wildcard.
Unfortunately for Hudson, Oakland’s bullpen had a bad habit of costing
him wins. Hudson was particularly victimized between 2002 and 2004 when
the A’s relief corps cost the sinkerballer 18 potential wins. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Taking
a deeper look into the game logs, only one of those 18 probable
victories were lost as a result of Hudson leaving a runner on base. </span>What’s
more, Hudson’s leads were often blown by the A’s closers during those
years as Billy Koch squandered 3 of the 8 potential victories the
bullpen cost Hudson in 2002 while Keith Foulke accounted for all 4 of
Hudson’s probable wins that were lost in 2003. However, because
Oakland’s potent offense was able to retake the lead when they were the
pitcher of record, Koch was <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">credited with the win for all three of the potential victories he cost Hudson while</span> Foulke
picked up the “W” for two of the four probable victories he cost
Hudson. Despite blowing Hudson’s potential wins, Koch and Foulke were
each named the respective AL Rolaid Relievers of the Year in 2002 and
2003. While Oakland’s bullpen struggled to hold Hudson’s leads, it was
certainly not due to the righty coming out of games too quickly as he
regularly pitched deep into ballgames, averaging 7 innings per start
between 2002 and 2004. Moreover, <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson ranked third among AL hurlers for innings pitched in both 2002 and 2003.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UStBTPLrST8/YOYKspkAHfI/AAAAAAABZAQ/tebRNVzHP4M5V1aQHYmNtRRJSQ-bMiO7QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2228/Tim%2BHudson%2BTrio%2BCard1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1045" data-original-width="2228" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UStBTPLrST8/YOYKspkAHfI/AAAAAAABZAQ/tebRNVzHP4M5V1aQHYmNtRRJSQ-bMiO7QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/Tim%2BHudson%2BTrio%2BCard1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Over the course of his career, Hudson lost out on 50 potential wins due to his bullpen blowing leads<br /></td></tr></tbody></table> <br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
antithesis of wins lost, losses saved accounts for the number of times
the eight hurlers were in position for the loss but their team came back
to tie the game or take the lead, thus saving them from being the
losing pitcher of record.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkT_4k32GZI/X5XjS3lGaZI/AAAAAAABMQg/khYSjys8kw0WvEIQ51MSfdfZ3MexWVIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s273/7%2BLosses%2BSaved.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkT_4k32GZI/X5XjS3lGaZI/AAAAAAABMQg/khYSjys8kw0WvEIQ51MSfdfZ3MexWVIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/7%2BLosses%2BSaved.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
ranks fifth with an 8.56% losses saved mark that is a tick better than
the mean. Hudson is a good distance in front of sixth place Schilling
and is well ahead of his contemporaries, Buehrle and Sabathia, who bring
up the rear. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Among
the eight pitchers, Hudson along with Hall of Famers Halladay and
Mussina are the only ones with more wins lost than losses saved.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>“Adjusted” Win-Loss Percentage</b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cheap
wins and tough losses essentially have their respective opposites in
wins lost and losses saved. As the previous tables illustrate, some
hurlers excel amongst their fellow pitchers in one category while
struggling by comparison in another. However, by deducting cheap wins
and tough losses from the pitcher’s career totals while adding wins lost
and losses saved to their ledger, an “adjusted” career win-loss
percentage is created which gives an idea of the eight hurlers’ overall
performance in those four categories. The table below shows each
pitcher’s “adjusted” starting pitcher career win-loss record and the
increase or decrease from their “adjusted” to their actual starting
pitcher win-loss percentage.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8acBOmA8Sw/X5XjppIclvI/AAAAAAABMQo/WCoanUa9HEI8_4FGX8LCFEorbUnX_mT2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s456/8%2BAdjusted%2BWin-Loss%2BPct.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8acBOmA8Sw/X5XjppIclvI/AAAAAAABMQo/WCoanUa9HEI8_4FGX8LCFEorbUnX_mT2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/8%2BAdjusted%2BWin-Loss%2BPct.png" /></a></div></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
once again finds himself among Hall of Famers as his .0117 increase
from his actual to “adjusted” win-loss percentage ranks second, in
between Halladay and Mussina. Hudson and Halladay are the only two
hurlers who have more tough losses than cheap wins as well as a greater
number of wins lost than losses saved. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s
contemporaries, Pettitte and Sabathia, stand out in a different way as
they are the only two pitchers to see a decrease from their actual to
“adjusted” win-loss percentage. In </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">fact,
Pettitte’s and Sabathia’s decreases are so significant that they bring
the mean all the way down to .0040 with each of the other six hurlers
comfortably above it.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u>Run Support</u></b></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aside
from National League pitchers occasionally helping their own cause, the
level of run support a hurler receives from their offense is out of
their control. Nevertheless</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
run support can have a major effect on a pitcher’s win-loss record.
Run support is judged in two different ways: run support per game which
measures runs scored for the entire game per 27 outs and run support
per innings which accounts for runs scored per 27 outs while the
starting pitcher was in the game. Below are each of the hurler’s career
run support per game and per innings versus the MLB average which is in
parentheses. These tables are followed by the </span>combined differences between each pitcher’s run support per game and per inning versus the MLB average during their career.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EtfYY-pehI/X5XkQvpCxNI/AAAAAAABMQw/7S48FlIYoC4aiDuED4hSzGXoqOeuOaMpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s412/9%2BRun%2BSupport%2Bvs%2BAverage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="412" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EtfYY-pehI/X5XkQvpCxNI/AAAAAAABMQw/7S48FlIYoC4aiDuED4hSzGXoqOeuOaMpwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h233/9%2BRun%2BSupport%2Bvs%2BAverage.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-tzNjLHwQY/X5XkYMFG5rI/AAAAAAABMQ0/3TCym56kuG85QS5-Vj7_RdMY6FQ5Mn9AACLcBGAsYHQ/s262/10%2BRun%2BSupport%2BDifferences.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-tzNjLHwQY/X5XkYMFG5rI/AAAAAAABMQ0/3TCym56kuG85QS5-Vj7_RdMY6FQ5Mn9AACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/10%2BRun%2BSupport%2BDifferences.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
ranks an impressive second on all three tables, trailing only Schilling. However,
calculating a true ranking based on run support is difficult since a
pitcher’s run support is affected by a variety of factors that are
unique to each hurler including the pitcher’s home ballpark, the
division their team played in, and the era during which their career
took place. For example, the hurler with, by far, the lowest run
support is Schilling who spent eight-and-a-half years of his career
playing for the offensively-challenged Philadelphia Phillies who
finished at or near the bottom of the NL in runs scored during the bulk
of his time with the club. Conversely, the pitchers with highest run
support are Pettitte and Mussina who respectively spent the majority and
entirety of their career’s playing in the high-offense AL East during
what is often referred to as the Steroid Era. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
aside from Schilling, it does not appear Hudson benefited from higher
run support in comparison to the featured hurlers.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>Individual Starting Pitcher Win-Loss Percentage vs. Team Win-Loss Percentage</b></u></span></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During
his career, Hudson generally pitched for competitive teams. In fact,
just two seasons of Hudson’s 17-year career were spent with a team that
finished the campaign with a sub-.500 record. Thus, a Hall of Fame
voter</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> might
assume the hurler’s excellent .625 win-loss percentage is a byproduct of
playing the majority of his career with competitive teams. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
it is also true that the best pitchers will generally play the bulk of
their careers with winning teams, in part, because their services will
be sought by the most competitive franchises. This is certainly true of Hudson's career: the Braves made a
deal with the A’s to acquire the right-hander as he was approaching
free agency and quickly signed him to a lucrative contract extension to
keep him from testing the open market</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. And, towards the end of Hudson’s career, the Giants signed the hurler
to add veteran depth to their rotation as the club embarked on its third
Championship run in five seasons. While Hudson’s services were in
demand by contending teams, it is undoubtedly true his win-loss record
was enhanced by playing for competitive franchises. However, most of
the featured hurlers followed the same pattern of spending a significant
portion of their careers with winning ballclubs. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The table below </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">illustrates which pitchers </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">benefited most from playing for competitive franchises by </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">showing
the difference between each’s individual win-loss percentage as a
starting pitcher versus the accumulated win-loss percentage for the
teams they played for during their career.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAU2d0L0UqY/X5XknQAouRI/AAAAAAABMQ8/DllVNqysWEwfq98H2BcKia5yqJ5U4aRpACLcBGAsYHQ/s299/11%2BDifferences%2BBetween%2BIndividual%2Band%2BTeam%2BWin%2BPct.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAU2d0L0UqY/X5XknQAouRI/AAAAAAABMQ8/DllVNqysWEwfq98H2BcKia5yqJ5U4aRpACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/11%2BDifferences%2BBetween%2BIndividual%2Band%2BTeam%2BWin%2BPct.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The teams Hudson played for during his career put together an overall win-loss percentage of .553 which is roughly the </span>equivalent
of a club posting a 90-72 regular season record while the righty’s .625
individual career win-loss percentage translates to a 101-61 record
over the course of a full season. The .072 difference between Hudson’s
individual win-loss percentage versus the .553 mark of the teams he
played for ranks the sinkerball-specialist fourth among the eight
hurlers, just shy of the .077 mean. Hudson’s win-loss percentage was
aided by playing for competitive franchises but it is also evident that
he outperformed his teams in comparison to his contemporaries <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sabathia, Buehrle, and Pettitte </span>as his .072 mark is comfortably ahead of each of these hurlers.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Average Finish in the Ranked Categories</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To
give an overall picture of how Hudson stacks up among the eight
pitchers here is the average finish of the featured hurlers based on
their classification in the ranked categories. I <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">chose
to omit the three run support tables from the rankings because there
are too many variables and not a clear enough picture to give an
accurate ranking. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I
also excluded “adjusted” win-loss percentage from the rankings since it
is a composite of cheap wins, tough losses, wins lost, and losses
saved.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Srfg8COd1Oc/X5Xk4Gi4xDI/AAAAAAABMRI/B-E4YvOLHYkhCYafauoKbg9u7s64tRRCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s216/12%2BAverage%2BFinish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Srfg8COd1Oc/X5Xk4Gi4xDI/AAAAAAABMRI/B-E4YvOLHYkhCYafauoKbg9u7s64tRRCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/12%2BAverage%2BFinish.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s
3.89 average finish ranks the sinkerballer fourth among the eight
pitchers. Hudson’s combined rankings from the nine categories add up
to 35 points, putting him just three points behind Schilling and two
points away from Mussina. Hudson is above the mean in five of the nine
ranked
categories. What’s more, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the
righty sits well above the mean in four of those categories: lowest
percentage of games started lost, average quality start percentage,
lowest percentage of cheap wins, and highest percentage of wins lost.
By contrast, Hudson is well below the mean in only one metric: highest
percentage of tough losses.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUDieqw52sk/X5XlMyvhzdI/AAAAAAABMRQ/Z4LUTSppmikapqghgGmNF2kDif2n4kjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2244/Tim%2BHudson%2BCurt%2BSchilling%2BMike%2BMussina.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="2244" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUDieqw52sk/X5XlMyvhzdI/AAAAAAABMRQ/Z4LUTSppmikapqghgGmNF2kDif2n4kjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/Tim%2BHudson%2BCurt%2BSchilling%2BMike%2BMussina.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hudson's average finish in the nine categories puts him just behind Schilling and Mussina<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As
for the seven other featured hurlers, not surprisingly Halladay leads
his fellow pitchers by a sizable gap. In fact, Halladay ranks first or
second in seven of the nine categories and his 17 points from the
combined rankings translates to an average finish of 1.89. With such a
wide margin separating Halladay from the three-way battle for second
place between Schilling, Mussina, and Hudson, it is clear that among the
nine ranked categories the</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> first-ballot
Hall of Famer is truly in a class by himself. A ways back from the
Schilling-Mussina-Hudson triumvirate, Buehrle and Pettitte are tied for
fifth place with their equivalent </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">48
points giving them each a 5.33 average finish. Further back is Morris
with 55 points and a 6.11 average finish while Sabathia is dead last</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with 56 points and a 6.22 average.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Morris’
seventh place rank is not surprising since his 3.90 ERA is the highest
among Hall of Fame pitchers. Nevertheless, Morris’ Hall of Fame case
was greatly strengthened by his stellar World Series performances during
the 1984 and 1991 Fall Classics, each of which played a role in his
election to Cooperstown. However, Sabathia’s last place finish is
somewhat unexpected. During the final season of his career, Sabathia
joined the prestigious 3,000-strikeout club while also reaching the
secondary milestone of 250 wins. Reaching these dual milestones will
undoubtedly help Sabathia draw support when he becomes eligible to
appear on the BBWAA ballot in three years. That being said, Sabathia’s
low ranking is due, in part, to his pitching several seasons past his
prime. With 3577.1 innings pitched, Sabathia ranks second among the
eight hurlers, behind only Morris’ 3824 frames. This longevity enabled
Sabathia to reach the 250-win/3000-strikeout milestones but the quantity
he added also came at the expense of quality as, over the final seven
seasons of his career, the hurler often struggled to pitch at a league
average level, going 60-59 with a 4.33 ERA while posting a pedestrian
ERA+ of 97. Moreover, during Sabathia’s final seven campaigns, the
veteran was the beneficiary of 16 cheap wins and saved from a staggering
31 potential losses compared to being the victim of 14 tough losses
with just 5 potential wins lost.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While Hudson’s 3.89 average finish and fourth place ranking puts him in the neighborhood of Schilling and Mussina,</span> many
of the popular sabermetric stats such as WAR and JAWS judge the
sinkerball-specialist’s career value as being closer to his
contemporaries, Buehrle, Pettitte, and Sabathia. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
with Hudson’s strong overall showing in the nine categories, the righty
sets himself apart from Buehrle and Pettitte, whom he currently
shares the ballot with. Hudson also distinguishes himself from
Sabathia, who will be eligible for the 2025 vote. </span>In addition,
Hudson’s solid ranking and the edge he holds over three of his
contemporaries underscores the validity of his 222 victories and .625
win-loss percentage. Wins may be devalued by some in the baseball
community, however, the rarely seen combination of Hudson’s <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">victory
total and win-loss percentage are key elements of a Hall of
Fame-caliber career that should one day earn the hurler a bronze plaque
in Cooperstown.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><u><b>The Long But Not Impossible Road to Cooperstown</b></u> <br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Despite an impressive list of accomplishments and being one of the top pitchers of his era,</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> when
the results of the 2021 BBWAA ballot were announced, Hudson </span></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">garnered just
5.2% of the vote and </span></span></span>barely
retained his eligibility for next January’s election. With such a disappointing debut, Hudson’s chances of
election to Cooperstown via the BBWAA ballot are slim and his Hall of
Fame candidacy may ultimately be determined by the Era Committee some
years down the road. However,
one need only look at a few of the names on the current ballot to see
examples of candidates overcoming humbling debuts to accumulate
significant support: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Andruw
Jones drew an underwhelming 7.3% and 7.5% in his initial pair of
appearances on the ballot but began trending in the right direction and
amassed 33.9% in year four. </span>Billy Wagner hovered around 10% in
his first three years of eligibility before a series of gains brought
his total to a promising 46.4% in his sixth year in the ballot. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Scott Rolen debuted at 10.2% but </span>just three years later <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">has
seen his support steadily increase all the way up to 52.9% and looks to
be on his way to eventual election. Larry Walker’s total dropped as
low as 10.2% in his fourth try before a surge in support resulted in him
picking up momentum and being elected with 76.6% of the vote in his
tenth and final year of eligibility in 2020.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Unfortunately
for Hudson, the controversy surrounding Curt Schilling, Barry Bonds,
and Roger Clemens resulted in the electorate pitching a shutout on the
2021 ballot. The elections of Schilling, Bonds, or Clemens would have
cleared space on the ballot for voters to consider new candidates such
as Hudson. Instead, each of those candidates will return to the ballot
as the three highest drawing holdovers for what will be each of their
final
shots at election through the BBWAA. On top of that, a pair of
prominent newcomers, </span>David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez,<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> are
slated to make their debut on the upcoming ballot. Ortiz and Rodriguez
will undoubtedly garner a significant amount of support and as a
result, Hudson could lose votes from members of the electorate who run
out of room on their ballot to include him. However, if Hudson is able
to obtain the necessary 5% in the next election and retain his
eligibility, the eliminations of Schilling, Bonds, and Clemens will help
clear the crowded ballot. Moreover, with only a few strong candidates
due to become eligible for the next several ballots, Hudson may be able
to build momentum and see his support trend upward in future elections.</span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">----by John Tuberty </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stat links to players
mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsoti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Hudson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hallaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roy Halladay</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mussimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Mussina</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morrija02.shtml" target="_blank">Jack Morris</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pettian01.shtml" target="_blank">Andy Pettitte</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buehrma01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Buehrle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sabatc.01.shtml" target="_blank">CC Sabathia</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jonesan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andruw Jones</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rolensc01.shtml" target="_blank">Scott Rolen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkela01.shtml" target="_blank">Larry Walker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/ortizda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Ortiz</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rodrial01.shtml" target="_blank">Alex Rodriguez</a>, </span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wagnebi02.shtml" target="_blank">Billy Wagner</a>,</span></span></span></span></span></span>
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/muldema01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Mulder</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zitoba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Zito</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kochbi01.shtml" target="_blank">Billy Koch</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foulkke01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Foulke</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maysca01.shtml" target="_blank">Carl Mays</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buffich01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Buffinton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carutbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Caruthers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stiveja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jack Stivetts</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chapmra01.shtml" target="_blank">Ray Chapman</a></span></span></span> <br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://stathead.com/?utm_source=web&utm_medium=br&utm_campaign=sr-nav-bar-top-link" target="_blank">Baseball Reference Stathead</a>, <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/game-score-v2-0/" target="_blank">Fangraphs</a>, <a href="http://m.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats/game-score" target="_blank">MLB</a>,
<a href="https://www.cooperstowncred.com/andy-pettitte-complicated-hall-of-fame-case/" target="_blank">Cooperstown Cred Andy Pettitte article</a>, <a href="https://www.cooperstowncred.com/is-cc-sabathia-a-hall-of-famer/" target="_blank">Cooperstown Cred CC Sabathia
article</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cards: Tim Hudson 2004 Donruss,
Mark Buehrle 2002 Upper Deck Ballpark Idols, CC Sabathia 2010 Topps, Roy
Halladay 2006 Fleer Ultra, Mike Mussina 1996 Topps, Andy Pettitte 1996
Fleer, Curt Schilling 2000 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects, Jack Morris
1984 Fleer, Tim Hudson 2003 Plumbers Steamfitters Refrigeration Local Union 342,
Tim Hudson 2008 Topps Heritage, Tim Hudson 2015 Topps Heritage, Tim Hudson 2002 SP Authentic, Tim Hudson 2008 Topps, Tim Hudson 2014 Bowman Chrome, Tim Hudson 2006 Upper Deck Sweet Spot
Update, Curt Schilling 2004 Fleer Ultra, Mike Mussina 2003 Upper Deck
First Pitch</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX9UoFyEwIM/X5Xlep-eOgI/AAAAAAABMRY/dEuygeJC_7wA3wLQ-tMysnLfEfZhCb73gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2188/Tommy%2BJohn%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJimmy%2BKey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2188" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX9UoFyEwIM/X5Xlep-eOgI/AAAAAAABMRY/dEuygeJC_7wA3wLQ-tMysnLfEfZhCb73gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h306/Tommy%2BJohn%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJimmy%2BKey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-favorite-baseball-cards-of-jimmy-key.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Favorite Baseball Cards of Jimmy Key During His Nine Seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays</span></span></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> <br /></span></span></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-23261225713883312292021-06-13T19:42:00.001-04:002021-06-13T19:44:44.978-04:00Dave Parker Brings His Unforgettable Career to Life in “Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood”<p><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-o7A7eX8VU/YMVQxzsECSI/AAAAAAABXvA/uXJ3bQliYucji5R2x_GtrLbnGCc9NYDjgCLcBGAsYHQ/s448/Dave%2BParker%2BCobra.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="448" data-original-width="299" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0-o7A7eX8VU/YMVQxzsECSI/AAAAAAABXvA/uXJ3bQliYucji5R2x_GtrLbnGCc9NYDjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w428-h640/Dave%2BParker%2BCobra.png" width="428" /></a></div><br />During the prime years of his career, Pittsburgh Pirates right
fielder Dave Parker was often in the conversation for the best player in
baseball. With the ability to hit for both average and power while
also showcasing a cannon throwing arm and speed on the basepaths, Parker
was a true five-tool talent. Standing 6’5”, he was not only one of the
game’s most dominant players but one of the most physically impressive
as well. Add in a charismatic personality and an engaging smile and you
had the perfect ingredients for a superstar ballplayer. As the 1978 NL
MVP and an integral part of the 1979 World Series champion Pirates, the
towering right fielder garnered his fair share of praise and
recognition. Parker chronicled his impressive career in his recently
published book, <i>Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood</i>, which he coauthored with Dave Jordan. This is the second book Jordan has coauthored with a baseball player,
having previously worked with pitcher John D’Acquisto on his excellent
2016 release, <i>Fastball John</i>. Parker’s book takes its title from the memorable nickname the slugger was known by during his playing career.<br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Parker
gives readers a look at his childhood growing up in Cincinnati. He
shares his dreams of playing football and how his career path changed to
baseball. From the outset of the book, Parker’s confidence, swagger,
cockiness, and occasional audaciousness are on full display but his
charismatic and charming personality make it impossible not to be
entertained by and root for the slugger.<i> Cobra</i> takes readers
through the highs and lows of Parker’s life but maintains a positive
tone and never gets bogged down by the negative experiences he endures. Parker doesn’t shy away from admitting to mistakes he made in life and
shares the lessons he learned from his missteps.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cobra</i>
primarily covers Parker’s 14 years in the Pittsburgh Pirates
organization. The slugger doesn’t just glaze over his time in the minor
leagues, instead he makes you appreciate the level of difficulty it was
to crack Pittsburgh’s deep major league roster. Parker gives readers
insight into the importance of a young player having an advocate in the
front office or on the coaching staff which can mean the difference
between multiple opportunities to succeed at the major league level as
opposed to one brief chance or no shot at all and staying mired in the
minors. Parker brings to life the Pirates locker room he entered as a
22-year-old rookie in 1973 with Willie Stargell growing into the team
leader and elder statesman role, the ultra-focused Al Oliver passing
along his hitting knowledge, and the jovial Manny Sanguillen keeping the
atmosphere light. Teammate Dock Ellis proves to be a much more layered
character than just the zany pitcher who threw a no-hitter in a
chemically altered state. Unlikely as it may seem, Ellis provided the
club with strong leadership, showing younger players the ropes and
helping them stay out of trouble. However, later on we witness Ellis’
own self-destruction that led to his trade from Pittsburgh.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">One
of the book’s main highlights is Parker’s detailing of the inner
workings of the Pirates franchise. The slugger illustrates how the
organization valued its homegrown players and what made them different
and more successful than other teams. He gives readers a
behind-the-scenes look at club politics and the role it played in roster
decisions and trades. Parker also gives insights into the different
managing styles of Bill Virdon, Danny Murtaugh, and Chuck Tanner, the
three skippers he played under in Pittsburgh. In addition, Parker also
looks at the contrasting front office regimes of general managers Joe L.
Brown and Harding “Pete” Peterson.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1GcseTiYnI/YMVQGqDdevI/AAAAAAABXu0/wA5yJIcwcNkYGqNyLULa4tW3vNKVeBWfACLcBGAsYHQ/s1524/Dave%2BParker%2Band%2BWillie%2BStargell%2B1979%2BTopps.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1524" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I1GcseTiYnI/YMVQGqDdevI/AAAAAAABXu0/wA5yJIcwcNkYGqNyLULa4tW3vNKVeBWfACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h456/Dave%2BParker%2Band%2BWillie%2BStargell%2B1979%2BTopps.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parker played alongside veteran Willie Stargell as part of the 1979 World Series champions<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />As the
decade progressed, Parker became one of the best players in the game,
earning perennial trips to the All-Star Game, multiple Gold Glove
Awards, and even the 1978 NL MVP. In 1979, the Pirates defeated
Parker’s hometown Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS to advance to the World
Series. With Parker and Stargell sparking the offense, Pittsburgh
defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a closely-contested seven-game Fall
Classic to become world champions. Parker does a great job of bringing
the 1979 championship season to life and the Pirates raucous clubhouse
which famously used Sister Sledge’s “We Are Family” as it’s rallying
song. The big right fielder’s love of music is apparent in <i>Cobra</i>. Like John D’Acquisto and Dave Jordan did in <i>Fastball John</i>, Parker and his coauthor cleverly weave snippets of song lyrics into his writing.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">To
his credit, Parker does not shy away from tackling the controversial
years of his life. The slugger openly discusses the drug and weight
issues that plagued him in the early 1980s. Parker’s struggles
coincided with the decline of the Pirates franchise. When he became a
free agent following the 1983 season, Pittsburgh made no real effort to
re-sign the 32-year-old. Only two teams showed serious interest in
Parker: the Seattle Mariners and his hometown club, the Cincinnati
Reds.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WC4LFmEblik/YMaXODaUdnI/AAAAAAABX54/38j4-EZ5c9UPPvUyqXUEMbsvaFppiCGZwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1496/Dave%2BParker%2B1982%2BTopps%2Band%2B1986%2BTopps.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1496" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WC4LFmEblik/YMaXODaUdnI/AAAAAAABX54/38j4-EZ5c9UPPvUyqXUEMbsvaFppiCGZwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h444/Dave%2BParker%2B1982%2BTopps%2Band%2B1986%2BTopps.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a difficult last few seasons in Pittsburgh, Parker embraced the elder statesman role with the Cincinnati Reds </td></tr></tbody></table><br />Upon his return to Cincinnati, Parker set
about rebuilding his tarnished reputation and re-establishing himself
as one of the premiere players in the game. Parker spends a portion of
his book writing about his career renaissance in Cincinnati where he
embraced the elder statesman role and provided valuable veteran
leadership for the club’s young sluggers, Barry Larkin, Eric Davis, and
Kal Daniels. Parker also writes about his experiences playing for one
of the idols of his youth when Pete Rose returns to the Reds in the dual
role of player-manager.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the main things that makes <i>Cobra</i>
an excellent book was reading about the relationships Parker formed
throughout his lifetime. Pirates fans will enjoy reading Parker’s
memories of Willie Stargell, Dock Ellis, Bill Madlock, Kent Tekulve, and
other franchise greats. However, Parker doesn’t just focus on the
friendships he developed with Pittsburgh’s star players but also lesser
known teammates such as Larry Demery, Ed Ott, and John Milner as well as
career minor leaguers who never made it to the majors like Bill
Flowers, Charles “Charlie Boo” Howard, and Ron “Satch” Mitchell. Reading Parker’s stories about these players was just as interesting as
reading his memories of Stargell and the other superstars. Parker also
provides first-hand accounts of several memorable moments from his
eventful career including his slide into catcher John Stearns where he
suffered a broken jaw and his highlight reel throw home to gun down
Brian Downing during the 1979 All-Star Game. Some of the most enjoyable
parts of the book are the verbal sparring matches between Parker and
infielder Phil Garner. While they constantly needle and playfully
trash-talk one another, the two men are bound by a deep mutual respect
and a desire to win.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Cobra</i> is a terrific book. I am glad Parker put the memories of his unforgettable career and fascinating life into print. I rank <i>Cobra</i> among my favorite sports books and highly recommend baseball fans give it a read.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">----by John Tuberty</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Baseball-Brotherhood-Dave-Parker/dp/1496218736" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Link to <i>Cobra: A Life of Baseball and Brotherhood</i> on Amazon</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cards: 1979 Topps Dave Parker and Willie Stargell, 1982 Topps Dave Parker, 1986 Topps Dave Parker </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjG5G_3AV_M/YMVPcVAc-JI/AAAAAAABXus/2l8Llhl_9HcoJThy61_eUSinNlcBLVhGACLcBGAsYHQ/s2220/Fastball%2BJohn%2BTim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2220" height="302" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hjG5G_3AV_M/YMVPcVAc-JI/AAAAAAABXus/2l8Llhl_9HcoJThy61_eUSinNlcBLVhGACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h302/Fastball%2BJohn%2BTim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Other articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2017/06/former-pitcher-john-dacquistos-book.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Former Pitcher John D’Acquisto’s Book “Fastball John” Chronicles His Intriguing Career and is an Excellent Read</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/taking-deeper-look-into-tim-hudsons.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Taking a Deeper Look into Tim Hudson’s Excellent .625 Win-Loss Percentage and Comparing the Hurler to Recent Hall of Fame Inductees and Other Prominent Pitchers from the Era He Played In</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stat
links to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parkeda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Parker</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stargwi01.shtml" target="_blank">Willie Stargell</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/oliveal01.shtml" target="_blank">Al Oliver</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanguma01.shtml" target="_blank">Manny Sanguillen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/ellisdo01.shtml" target="_blank">Dock Ellis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/larkiba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Larkin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/daviser01.shtml" target="_blank">Eric Davis</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/danieka01.shtml" target="_blank">Kal Daniels</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/madlobi01.shtml" target="_blank">Bill Madlock</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/tekulke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kent Tekulve</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Rose</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stearjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Stearns</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/downibr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brian Downing</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garneph01.shtml" target="_blank">Phil Garner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/d'acqjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John D’Acquisto</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/virdobi01.shtml" target="_blank">Bill Virdon</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/murtada01.shtml" target="_blank">Danny Murtaugh</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/tannech01.shtml" target="_blank">Chuck Tanner</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/demerla01.shtml" target="_blank">Larry Demery</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/otted01.shtml" target="_blank">Ed Ott</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milnejo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Milner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=flower001bur" target="_blank">Bill Flowers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=howard001cha" target="_blank">Charles Howard</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mitche002ron" target="_blank">Ron Mitchell</a></span></span></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-24036861186909716652021-04-21T12:56:00.001-04:002024-01-04T20:00:56.207-05:00Gregg Jefferies’ Unique Feat of Drawing Rookie of the Year Votes in Two Different Seasons<div class="a3s aiL" id=":n9"><div dir="auto"><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt6ruvrmUoI/YH20hmpN2MI/AAAAAAABVaA/HBTG3Z0D_jcnm67J3KfqYZw8RyqEBh4owCLcBGAsYHQ/s2172/Jefferies%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="2172" height="309" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kt6ruvrmUoI/YH20hmpN2MI/AAAAAAABVaA/HBTG3Z0D_jcnm67J3KfqYZw8RyqEBh4owCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h309/Jefferies%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gregg Jefferies dominated the minors and burst onto the major league scene like few prospects before him<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Gregg
Jefferies generated a considerable amount of buzz coming up through the
New York Mets farm system. As the Mets first round draft pick in the
June 1985 Amateur Draft and <i>Baseball America’s</i> Minor League
Player of the Year for both 1986 and 1987, Jefferies was one of the most
highly-touted prospects during the latter half of the 1980s. With an
excellent stint as a late season call up in 1988 followed by a
respectable full-length 1989 campaign, Jefferies accomplished the unique
feat of drawing Rookie of the Year votes in two different seasons. <span style="background-color: white;">Although
Jefferies was not the recipient of either the 1988 or 1989 Rookie of
the Year Award, the slugger’s initial campaigns represented the start to
a fine career. </span>Going into the 2021 season, Jefferies remains
the only player in the nearly 75 year history of the award to garner
support in multiple years.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">On
June 3, 1985 the Mets selected the switch-hitting Jefferies out of
Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, California with the twentieth
overall pick of the Amateur Draft. Jefferies split his first
professional season between Rookie League Kingsport and Single-A
Columbia, batting a combined .326 and showcasing his speed by going 28
for 29 in base stealing attempts. Jefferies followed up his debut
campaign with a superb 1986, hitting a sizzling .353 with 111 RBI in 125
games, this time making stops at Single-A Columbia, High Single-A
Lynchburg, and Double-A Jackson. He further displayed his speed with 11
triples and 57 stolen bases. At season’s end, Jefferies was named
Minor League Player of the Year by <i>Baseball America</i>. Jefferies
spent 1987 at Double-A Jackson and continued to dominate minor league
pitching, raising his batting average to .367 while adding more power to
his game with 48 doubles and 20 home runs. Once again, Jefferies was
named <i>Baseball America’s</i> Minor League Player of the Year, making
him the first to two-time winner of the award. Jefferies’ outstanding
season earned the budding prospect his first promotion to the majors. Just over a month after celebrating his twentieth birthday, Jefferies
made his major league debut for the defending World Champion Mets on
September 6 at Dodgers Stadium. Jefferies entered the game as a pinch
hitter during the top of the 14th inning in a losing effort against the
Los Angeles Dodgers—coincidentally, the team he rooted for during his
childhood. In his first major league at bat, Jefferies faced Dodgers
reliever Brian Holton, who got the slugger to pop out to third baseman
Phil Garner in foul territory. Two nights later, Jefferies entered his
first home game at Shea Stadium as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the
5th inning. Jefferies singled off Philadelphia Phillies starter Bruce
Ruffin for his first career hit and was subsequently lifted from the
game for pinch runner Keith Miller. Jefferies made four additional late
season appearances, each as pinch hitter, collecting two more hits to
bat .500 over his first six career trips to the plate.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Now
a two-time Minor League Player of the Year, Jefferies began drawing
significant attention from the media. The young phenom was profiled in
the March 21, 1988 issue of <i>Sports Illustrated</i> which focused on
the innovative and intense 17-part offseason training program designed
by Jefferies’ father, Rich. The unique regimen included such activities
as standing chest-deep in a pool while swinging a sawed-off bat
underwater, a practice that targeted quickening bat speed by building
arm and wrist strength through resistance. Another drill involved
hitting tennis balls thrown from a 20-foot distance to improve
concentration.<i> Sports Illustrated</i> also highlighted the comparisons Jefferies was drawing to all-time great players such as Mickey Mantle and Pete Rose. </span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vjAIxvY5DU/YH22VRdM8zI/AAAAAAABVaI/vMqMGuAbcjkpnBtTEh_IgRWBGGlfczkUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2200/Jefferies%2B2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2200" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6vjAIxvY5DU/YH22VRdM8zI/AAAAAAABVaI/vMqMGuAbcjkpnBtTEh_IgRWBGGlfczkUgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h304/Jefferies%2B2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After a late season call up to New York, the young slugger started the 1988 season in Triple-A Tidewater<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jefferies
started the 1988 season in Triple-A Tidewater, primarily to work on his
defense which was, at times, error prone. For his first three years in
the minors, Jefferies was mainly played at shortstop while also seeing
limited action at both second and third base. However, with Jefferies’
move to Triple-A, the organization decided to focus on playing him at
third base. During his first couple of months in Tidewater, Jefferies
found himself in an unfamiliar position as he struggled to hit .200. Nevertheless, by late August, Jefferies had raised his average to .282
when he earned his second call up to New York after an aggravated
hamstring sent Mets second baseman Wally Backman to the 15-day disabled
list.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jefferies
joined a veteran club, the majority of which had been members of the
franchise’s 1986 championship team. After finishing runner-up to the
St. Louis Cardinals in 1987, the Mets appeared poised to return to the
playoffs in 1988. New York sat atop the NL East with a 76-52 record and
a seven and a half game edge over the second place Pittsburgh
Pirates on August 28 when Jefferies made his return to the Mets line up
against the San Francisco Giants. Although New York lost the game, 7-4,
Jefferies immediately announced his presence by stroking a single and a
double off veteran pitcher Mike Krukow in his first two at bats. The
following day, Jefferies took San Diego Padres hurler Eric Show deep for
his first career home run. In addition to his longball, Jefferies
helped lead <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">New York to a 6-0 rout of San Diego by </span>smacking
both a double and a triple to collect nine total bases and finish a
single away from hitting for the cycle. On September 2, Jefferies
slugged career home run number two during New York’s 8-0 drubbing of the
Dodgers as part of a three-hit night in which he finished a triple shy
of the cycle. Jefferies was then named NL Player of the Week for a
six-game stretch between September 5 and September 10 in which he batted
.440, collected 11 hits, clubbed 3 home runs, and posted a scorching
1.460 OPS. The California native’s award-winning week included
a September 9 game where he once again finished a single shy of hitting
for the cycle. After going 4 for 4 in a September 12, 3-2 victory over
the second place Pirates, Jefferies brought his batting average up to a
robust .462 since his call up.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lubDDoo1kk/YH23g10z-9I/AAAAAAABVaQ/p-vIWAcNbJ4ERvDcuPCMiQjZKvvdHy-egCLcBGAsYHQ/s2228/Jefferies%2B3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2228" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4lubDDoo1kk/YH23g10z-9I/AAAAAAABVaQ/p-vIWAcNbJ4ERvDcuPCMiQjZKvvdHy-egCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h300/Jefferies%2B3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferies dominated NL pitching after being recalled to New York in late August 1988<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />During
his first couple of weeks in New York, Jefferies split time between
second and third base on defense. When Backman returned from injury,
the Mets settled on using Jefferies at the hot corner and moved the
club’s regular third baseman Howard Johnson to short. Since recalling
Jefferies in late August, New York had generally hit him second in the
batting order. However, when the team’s number three hitter, Keith
Hernandez missed a few games in mid-September, the club showed their
confidence in Jefferies by temporarily moving him into the three-hole to
replace Hernandez. On September 16, Jefferies went 3 for 5 with his
two out, 9th inning walk-off single leading the Mets to a 4-3 victory
over the Montreal Expos. Jefferies’ banner night snapped a three-game
hitless stretch for the young phenom and effectively eliminated the
third place Expos from contention as the Mets inched closer toward the
NL East Division title. Although Jefferies’ came back down to Earth in
the season’s final weeks, he finished the year batting .321 with 6 home
runs and 17 RBI in 118 plate appearances over 29 games. New York
clinched the Division title on September 22 and finished the campaign 15
games ahead of the second place Pirates with a 100-60 record.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
Mets were upset by the 94-67 Dodgers in a closely-contested, seven-game
NLCS. Jefferies batted .333 with a .438 OBP against Los Angeles,
collecting 9 hits and drawing 4 walks. The slugger hit safely in five
of the seven games, including three multi-hit games. Jefferies’ solid
NLCS hitting was tempered by a fielding error at third base during the
nightmarish 2nd inning of Game 7 in which New York allowed five runs. In spite of that, Jefferies was the only Mets player with more than one
hit against Dodgers Game 7 starter Orel Hershiser, who shutout New York
to clinch the NL Pennant.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Following
his late August call up, Jefferies’ assault on NL pitching was in-line
with the game’s most dominant hitters. While Jefferies’ 118 plate
appearances were well shy of the 502 required to qualify for league
leader categories, nevertheless, his .321 average was higher than the
.313 mark of NL batting champion Tony Gwynn. Moreover, Jefferies’ .596
slugging percentage, .961 OPS, and 178 OPS+ were each higher than the
respective .545, .911, and 165 totals of teammate Darryl Strawberry, the
NL leader for these three categories. All of this came during a season
which saw a significant drop in offense following the “Rabbit
Ball”-fueled scoring outburst of 1987. Indeed, the 3.88 average runs
scored per game in the NL was not only down from 1987’s 4.52 but also
the Senior Circuit’s lowest since 1968—a season which is commonly
referred to as the “Year of the Pitcher.”</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3DE_IcS0sio/YH24M-XfUHI/AAAAAAABVaY/Ycf9S8jtrBA03Fi7WJN1Ugp1BXdcUnyOgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2192/Jefferies%2B4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2192" height="304" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3DE_IcS0sio/YH24M-XfUHI/AAAAAAABVaY/Ycf9S8jtrBA03Fi7WJN1Ugp1BXdcUnyOgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h304/Jefferies%2B4.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferies placed sixth in the 1988 NL Rookie of the Year vote while Chris Sabo edged Mark Grace in a close election to win the award<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Even
though Jefferies had appeared in barely a month’s worth of games, the
wunderkind slugger drew support in the NL Rookie of the Year election,
picking up a second-place tally from one of the 24 voters. Under the
5-3-1 voting format for first, second, and third, Jefferies’ 3 points
tied him for sixth place with Chicago Cubs catcher Damon Berryhill. Cincinnati Reds third baseman Chris Sabo edged Cubs first baseman Mark
Grace, 79 points to 61, in a close election to take NL Rookie of the
Year honors. Sabo and Grace drew 11 and 7 first place votes,
respectively. The remaining 6 first place votes were split between Los
Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tim Belcher, Atlanta Braves infielder Ron Gant,
and San Diego Padres second baseman Roberto Alomar who completed the
top-five finishers. Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ricky Jordan
rounded out the results with 2 points from a pair of third place
finishes. Jefferies’ 109 at bats were the fewest ever by a position
player who drew Rookie of the Year support. Prior to Jefferies, the
position player with the lowest number of at bats to garner support was
Bob Hazle with 134 in 1957. Since Jefferies’ 115 career at bats from
his 1987 and 1988 call ups did not exceed the 130 at bat threshold and
he had spent less than 45 days on the Mets roster prior to September 1,
the young phenom’s rookie status stayed intact for the 1989 season. Thus, Jefferies was eligible for and the prohibitive favorite to win
the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year Award.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The emergence of Jefferies created a logjam in the Mets infield. Jefferies’ profile in the March 1988 <i>Sports Illustrated</i> featured
a quote from Mets Vice President of Baseball Operations Joe McIlvaine
who stated, “When Gregg’s ready, we'll create a position for him.” Faced with the likelihood of seeing reduced playing time, veteran
second baseman Wally Backman expressed interest in being traded. On
December 7, the Mets honored Backman’s request and sent the keystoner to
the Minnesota Twins, thus opening up second base for Jefferies. Even
after trading Backman it appeared New York might be willing to deal
third baseman/shortstop Howard Johnson, provided the team could land a
power-hitting slugger or frontline starting pitcher as part of a package
for the infielder. Johnson’s name appearing in trade rumors was not
shocking since he was coming off a difficult 1988 campaign in which he
struggled during both the regular season and the playoffs, resulting in
his benching for Games 6 and 7 of the NLCS. A trade involving “HoJo”
could have potentially opened up both second and third base as options
for Jefferies. However, the trade never materialized and the Mets broke
camp with Jefferies manning second base and Johnson back at the hot
corner. With just 24 minor and 10 major league games as a second
baseman, Jefferies would be learning the position on the job. Mets
manager Davey Johnson, a former 3-time Gold Glove-winning second
baseman, volunteered to teach Jefferies the nuances of the keystone as
the skipper was content to keep “HoJo” at third and preferred the smooth
glovework of Kevin Elster covering short.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Plugged
into the number two spot in the batting order, Jefferies started 1989
off by picking up a pair of hits and scoring the Mets’ first run of the
season en route to an 8-4 Opening Day victory over the St. Louis
Cardinals. However, Jefferies struggled mightily over his next 10
games, going 4 for 44. By the end of April, Jefferies—now sporting an
abysmal .176 average—was moved from the two-hole and batted later in the
order, primarily out of the six spot. Jefferies also began losing
playing time to Tim Teufel. The month of May was not any kinder to
Jefferies as the youngster hit .195. In fact, Jefferies sported a sub
.200 batting average as late as June 9. An additional cause for concern
was the lack of power from Jefferies who had yet to hit a home run in
1989. Jefferies had experienced a similar slump the year before at
Triple-A Tidewater only this time, his struggles were taking place under
the high-pressure environment of New York. Jefferies’ difficulties at
the plate began taking their toll on the beleaguered slugger. Mets
hitting instructor Bill Robinson commented on Jefferies’ frustration,
“He’s eating himself up a little bit every day. Every time he makes an
out, he acts like it’s the end of the world. He comes back to the
dugout muttering to himself, then proceeds to step on his lower lip. He’s trying too hard and not having enough fun out there.”</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xa0SCniY33s/YH243esNk-I/AAAAAAABVag/BKMljOyyOTQ4p6Be-3MYg04jz1BJ80GoQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1472/Jefferies%2B5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1041" data-original-width="1472" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xa0SCniY33s/YH243esNk-I/AAAAAAABVag/BKMljOyyOTQ4p6Be-3MYg04jz1BJ80GoQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Jefferies%2B5.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The young phenom experienced growing pains on both offense and defense during the 1989 season<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Jefferies
finally broke out of his slump with a series of multi-hit games during
the first half of June which comfortably rose his batting average over
the Mendoza Line. Most notable was a three-hit June 15 game that
concluded with Jefferies stroking a bottom of the 12th inning walk-off
single to defeat the Cubs. This was a particularly important win for
the Mets since Chicago, along with New York, St. Louis, and Montreal,
was one of four teams emerging as contenders for the NL East Division
Title. The following day on the road in Philadelphia, Jefferies drove
in four runs, a pair of which came on his first home run of the season
as the Mets beat the Phillies, 15-11. Jefferies rode a six-game hitting
streak into the All-Star break, however, his first half of the season
had been well below expectations as his average through 73 games was
still just .230 supported by a meager .284 OBP and .318 slugging
percentage. Jefferies did have 18 doubles but only the one home run
while grounding into 12 double plays. New York finished the first half
in 3rd place with a 45-39 record. The Mets sat right in the thick of a
closely-packed four-team race for the NL East, a mere two and half games
back of the Division-leading Expos, a single game behind the Cubs, and a
half game in front of the Cardinals.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">After
a solid June which saw Jefferies bat .284, he slid back to .247 in July
but hit 3 home runs and added 13 RBI. Although Jefferies was able to
avoid the prolonged slumps he experienced in April and May, he was not
immune to occasionally being benched and platooned during the second
half of the season. With the club mired in a seven-game losing streak,
Jefferies was sat in favor of Keith Miller at the beginning of August. After seeing little action for the next two weeks, Jefferies was
written into the lineup as the starting second baseman and leadoff
hitter on August 17. Jefferies responded by putting together an 11-game
hitting streak during which he batted .396 and reclaimed his role as
the team’s full-time second baseman. However, the Mets only managed to
go 4-7 during Jefferies’ hitting streak and had fallen to 4th place,
three and a half games behind the Division-leading Cubs.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While
Jefferies was flourishing as the club’s leadoff hitter and
re-establishing himself on offense, his defense was still a work in
progress. Even with the tutoring of skipper Davey Johnson, the rookie
keystoner was prone to make errors and had difficulty turning the double
play. Fortunately, most of those miscues had little effect on the
outcome of the game. However, one particularly costly error came on
September 6 in the top of the 8th of a 2-2 tied game against the
Cardinals when Jefferies’ miscue on a ground ball allowed Ozzie Smith to
reach base. Smith scored the go-ahead run later in the inning to hand
New York the 3-2 loss. Jefferies somewhat redeemed himself the
following day when he hit a pair of longballs and drove in five runs
during a 13-1 rout of St. Louis. Those two games essentially summed up
the final month of the season for Jefferies and the Mets. The
switch-hitter resembled the breakout star of the prior year by batting
.300 with 8 home runs and 17 RBI. Yet, Jefferies’ offensive outburst
was offset by 5 errors including the costly September 6 miscue. New
York was unable to make up ground in the Division race, going 15-15 to
close the campaign with an 87-75 record in 2nd place, 6 games behind the
NL East Champion Cubs. For the Mets, the 1989 season was particularly
frustrating after coming off a 100-win 1988 in which they easily won
the division. New York’s disappointing 1989 also brought an end to a
streak of five-straight seasons with at least 90 victories.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYkBJiAUuOI/YH25XjzI1II/AAAAAAABVao/LhS-Qrb7c-0vNDQhfUyhSQ2STPqx5edBgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1488/Jefferies%2B6.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1028" data-original-width="1488" height="442" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aYkBJiAUuOI/YH25XjzI1II/AAAAAAABVao/LhS-Qrb7c-0vNDQhfUyhSQ2STPqx5edBgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h442/Jefferies%2B6.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferies' 1989 campaign ended with a bench-clearing brawl involving former teammate Roger McDowell<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Unfortunately,
Jefferies’ 1989 campaign did not end without controversy. On September
25, in what was New York’s final homestand of the year, Phillies closer
Roger McDowell retired Jefferies with a ground out to second base. After McDowell broke Jefferies’ bat with one his pitches, the hurler
made a point of screaming at the rookie. Two nights later, during the
last meeting between the two clubs—and by which point the Mets had been
mathematically eliminated from the NL East race—McDowell was brought in
to face Jefferies with two outs in the bottom of the 9th. Once again,
McDowell induced Jefferies to ground out to second. After the two
players exchanged words while Jefferies was running out the play,
Jefferies raced toward McDowell and upended the pitcher who in turn
landed a few blows to the slugger’s forehead as the two players went to
the ground and the benches emptied. Jefferies and McDowell had been
teammates together prior to the pitcher’s trade from New York to
Philadelphia on June 18. It is likely McDowell’s behavior toward
Jefferies stemmed from animosity the pitcher felt toward the rookie
while the two shared the Mets locker room. Phillies manager Nick Leyva
said of the fight, “There were 30 of our guys rooting for Roger and 20
guys on their side rooting for Roger.”</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Leyva’s
quote highlighted a growing problem for Jefferies. In addition to his
slumps in the batter’s box and struggles on defense, he was also
experiencing difficulties in the Mets clubhouse. Jefferies had become
unpopular with several of his teammates for a variety of reasons, many
of which were out of his control: The excessive attention and lavish
praise bestowed upon him by the media and the Mets front office played a
role in alienating him from some of his teammates. Replacing popular
veteran Wally Backman at second base had also created some resentment
towards Jefferies. Others took umbrage with what they perceived to be
coddling from manager Davey Johnson. However, some of Jefferies’
actions made the rookie a target of scorn: The youngster’s displays of
emotion after making outs were often viewed as immature pouting and
selfish brooding. Jefferies also raised eyebrows in the clubhouse when
he requested that his custom-made black SSK bats be packed separately
from his teammates. Jefferies took special pride in his bats, rubbing
them down with alcohol so he could see where he made contact with the
ball. Multiple teammates played pranks on Jefferies, a memorable one
involved McDowell sawing the slugger’s bats in half and taping them back
together so that when he went to use one, it would fall apart in his
hands.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jefferies finished his official rookie
campaign with 12 home runs, 56 RBI, a .258 batting average, and .314
OBP. The switch-hitter exhibited great contact skills by ranking 5th
in the NL with 11.0 at bats per strikeout and also contributed on the
basepaths with 21 stolen bases at a 77.8% success rate. After a weak
first half, Jefferies’ offense showed marked improvement with 11
longballs and a solid .287 average following the All-Star break. In
addition, Jefferies saw a 200-plus point difference between the paltry
.602 OPS he put up prior to the Midsummer Classic and the .815 mark he
posted in the second half. Jefferies’ OPS for the season worked out to
.706 which translated to an OPS+ of 106. Also, after grounding into 12
double plays before the All-Star break, Jefferies was the victim of just
4 in the second half. On defense, Jefferies finished the year with 14
errors, 12 of which came at second base—the third highest total among NL
keystoners—while the remaining pair of miscues were in the limited
action he saw at third base when Howard Johnson was either played at
short or given the day off. Overall, Jefferies’ put together a
respectable rookie campaign. However, due to the lofty expectations
placed on Jefferies from his excellent stint as a late season call up,
along with being a two-time recipient of <i>Baseball America’s</i> Minor League Player of the Year, his first full campaign was largely viewed as a letdown.</span></span></div></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEpBQqDSNU8/YH25z5nFkcI/AAAAAAABVaw/iFm48MtM8sM-EdQ00ige4peppHVf9LZ6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s2232/Jefferies%2B7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="2232" height="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oEpBQqDSNU8/YH25z5nFkcI/AAAAAAABVaw/iFm48MtM8sM-EdQ00ige4peppHVf9LZ6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h298/Jefferies%2B7.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferies finished third in the 1989 NL Rookie of the Year vote behind Jerome Walton and Dwight Smith<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />While
Jefferies’ 1989 season may have been disappointing, the switch-hitter
still garnered a fair amount of support in the NL Rookie of the Year
vote. Jefferies received votes from 16 of the 24 writers to finish 3rd
in the results. The California native accrued 18 points, three from a
second-place vote and the remainder from 15 third place tallies. Cubs
center fielder Jerome Walton picked up 22 first place votes and a pair
of runner-up finishes to give him 116 points and earn NL Rookie of the
Year honors. Walton batted leadoff for Chicago, put together a 30-game
hitting streak, and finished the year with a .293 average. Walton’s
streak ran from July 21 to August 20, during which time the Cubs went
20-10, overtook Montreal for the NL East Division lead on August 7, and
never relinquished it. Finishing second in the vote with 68 points was
Cubs slugger Dwight Smith, who patrolled Chicago’s outfield alongside
Walton. Smith collected the two remaining first place votes, 19
runner-up tallies, and a third place. With an excellent .324 mark,
Smith had a significant edge over his rookie peers in batting average. However, since Smith was used in a platoon role and rarely faced
left-handed pitching, he compiled far less plate appearances than Walton
and Jefferies. In addition, as a corner outfielder rotated between
left and right field, Smith played less demanding defensive positions
than Walton and Jefferies. Smith’s 68-point total was essentially
halfway between Walton and Jefferies, giving the election a clear
winner, runner-up, and third place finisher. Well behind Jefferies in
fourth was Braves pitcher Derek Lilliquist who accumulated 6 points from
a second-place finish and a trio of thirds. Rounding out the results
were Padres pitcher Andy Benes and Phillies third baseman Charlie Hayes
who each drew 3 points, followed by Padres reliever Greg Harris with 2
points.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Going
into the 2021 campaign, Jefferies stands as the only player to pick up
Rookie of the Year support in multiple seasons. However, the special
circumstances of the abbreviated 60-game 2020 season set the stage for
four players to draw Rookie of the Year votes and still retain their
rookie status for 2021: Atlanta Braves pitcher Ian Anderson, Pittsburgh
Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, Baltimore Orioles left
fielder/first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, and Miami Marlins pitcher Sixto
Sanchez. Hayes, who coincidentally is the son of Charlie Hayes,
collected 5 points from a second-place vote and a pair of third place
tallies while Anderson, Mountcastle, and Sanchez grabbed a single point
each from garnering a third-place finish. It’s not hard to imagine
Jefferies being joined by one or more of these four players since they
will be among the favorites to win their respective league’s 2021 Rookie
of the Year Award.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WozULfVbPHs/YH26cATfjCI/AAAAAAABVa4/Xgl54YOcK3w3vnz1JewbAJZuTtEm0_z8wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Jefferies%2B8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1463" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WozULfVbPHs/YH26cATfjCI/AAAAAAABVa4/Xgl54YOcK3w3vnz1JewbAJZuTtEm0_z8wCLcBGAsYHQ/w458-h640/Jefferies%2B8.jpg" width="458" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going into the 2021 season, four players have a chance to match Jefferies' unique feat of drawing Rookie of the Year support in multiple seasons<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />During Jefferies’ 1988 call
up, he appeared on the Mets roster for just over a month which
represented roughly one-fifth of the regular season. By contrast,
Anderson, Mountcastle, and Sanchez each appeared on their respective
team’s roster for more than half of the barely two-month long 2020
season while Hayes’ time on the Pirates roster was slightly greater than
two-fifths. Had these players appeared on their team’s roster for
anything close to two-fifths during a normal 162-game season, they would
have easily blown past the service time threshold and would not have
their rookie status intact for 2021.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Although
Jefferies was not the recipient of either the 1988 or 1989 Rookie of the
Year Award, his initial campaigns represented the start to a solid, in
some ways underrated career. Going into his second full season, the 22
year-old Jefferies resolved to work on his maturity and improve his
relationships with teammates. Unfortunately for Jefferies, questions
about his shaky defense and clubhouse issues continued to plague him
during the 1990 and 1991 seasons. In addition, Jefferies began
experiencing more difficulties with the media and became a target for
the unforgiving New York press. Prior to the 1992 season, the Mets
traded the slugger to the Kansas City Royals as part of a multi-player
deal to acquire two-time Cy Young Award winner Bret Saberhagen.</span></span></div></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XL8Fz7riHi8/YH27OIU6auI/AAAAAAABVbA/tVdMtfEbnv0NYhszM22VcTO0FEb4fgMcACLcBGAsYHQ/s1488/Jefferies%2B9.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1048" data-original-width="1488" height="450" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XL8Fz7riHi8/YH27OIU6auI/AAAAAAABVbA/tVdMtfEbnv0NYhszM22VcTO0FEb4fgMcACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h450/Jefferies%2B9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jefferies batted a career-high .342 in 1993 for the St. Louis Cardinals and hit for cycle in 1995 while playing for the Philadelphia Phillies<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />After
leaving the Big Apple and the Mets franchise, Jefferies was able to
repair his damaged reputation and develop positive relationships with
his teammates and the press in the cities and on the clubs he played
for. Following a year in Kansas City, Jefferies was dealt to the St.
Louis Cardinals who solved his defensive struggles by converting him
into a first baseman. The position change allowed Jefferies to focus on
his hitting and he responded with back-to-back All-Star seasons, in
1993 and 1994, when he posted respective batting averages of .342 and
.325. At the conclusion of the strike-shortened 1994 campaign,
Jefferies became a free agent for the first time. Having played for
three teams in the space of four years, Jefferies sought stability and
requested a no-trade clause from St. Louis. When the Cardinals turned
down Jefferies’ request, he signed a four-year contract with the
Phillies who included a no-trade clause in the deal. Jefferies batted
.300 for the third consecutive season during his first year in
Philadelphia while also accomplishing a feat that had always eluded him
when he hit for the cycle. Jefferies had completed three-quarters of
the cycle on ten previous occasions—including thrice during his 1988
call up—before he turned the trick on August 25, 1995 in a 17-4 win over
the Dodgers. Interestingly, Jefferies’ wife went into labor during the
game and delivered the couple’s daughter two days later. Injuries
began to take their toll on Jefferies over the next few seasons. Nevertheless, the California native managed to hit .300 for the fourth
and final time in 1998 when he waived his no-trade clause to allow a
late August trade to the Anaheim Angels.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Jefferies
next signed a two-year contract with the Detroit Tigers. After
suffering through a horrid 1999, he was in the process of putting
together a bounce back 2000 campaign when disaster struck. On May 29,
while facing Texas Rangers starter Kenny Rogers during the bottom of the
6th inning of a 3-2 loss, Jefferies tore his left hamstring running out
a ground ball base hit. The injury kept Jefferies off the field for
the remainder of the season and in December of that year, the 33
year-old announced his retirement. While he never reached the all-time
great heights some had forecast for him as a young phenom, Jefferies put
together a solid career that spanned parts of 14 seasons. He retired
as a veteran of 1,465 games in which he accumulated 1,593 hits and
batted .289 with a .344 OBP along with 126 home runs, 663 RBI, and 196
stolen bases at a 75.7% success rate. During his final season,
Jefferies forged a strong bond with Tigers manager Phil Garner who
valued the slugger’s opinions and often discussed strategy with him. Jefferies called Garner the best manager he played under. Garner
thought so highly of Jefferies that he offered him the Tigers bench
coach job for 2001. However, Jefferies turned down Garner’s offer as he
was still coming to terms with his playing career being over. Although
Jefferies’ hamstring injury brought a premature end to his career, by
playing for Garner, in a way, the switch-hitter’s career came full
circle as his final manager was the same Dodgers third baseman who he
popped out to in his first major league plate appearance.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qkh97jGUgFg/YH27-0kd3EI/AAAAAAABVbI/SgqAgyrrMHMUKdqDDN9-nI_t4jskfXAYgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Jefferies%2B10.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1455" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Qkh97jGUgFg/YH27-0kd3EI/AAAAAAABVbI/SgqAgyrrMHMUKdqDDN9-nI_t4jskfXAYgCLcBGAsYHQ/w454-h640/Jefferies%2B10.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----by John Tuberty</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources:
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/card/17205/gregg-jefferies" target="_blank">Baseball Prospectus</a>, <a href="https://metsmerizedonline.com/2018/05/mmo-exclusive-former-met-gregg-jefferies.html/" target="_blank">Metsmerized Online May 2018 Gregg Jefferies interview</a>, <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/05/23/gregg-jefferies-complicated-mets-failure-looks-different-now/" target="_blank">NY Post May 2020 article</a>, <a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/gregg-jefferies-wonders-how-good-he-could-have-been/article_9e1519b7-8ec1-5adf-88f7-ed96274fc31f.html" target="_blank">St. Louis Dispatch
June 2020</a></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/gregg-jefferies-wonders-how-good-he-could-have-been/article_9e1519b7-8ec1-5adf-88f7-ed96274fc31f.html" target="_blank">article</a>, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/mlb-awards-10-early-rookie-of-the-year-candidates-for-2021-including-randy-arozarena/" target="_blank">CBS Sports November 2021 article</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1995/08/26/cycle-for-jefferies-shellacking-for-nomo/047a8068-7482-4f47-9889-f0c47d98e313/" target="_blank">Washington Post August 1995 article</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1988/03/21/the-rookies-waiting-to-splash-down-a-novel-sometimes-even-watery-regimen-has-helped-make-the-mets-gregg-jefferies-the-best-prospect-in-the-minors" target="_blank">SI Vault March 1988 article</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1992/04/20/royally-confused-the-kansas-city-royals-debuted-with-a-cast-of-new-names-but-came-up-0-for-opening-week" target="_blank">SI Vault April 1992 article</a>, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1994/07/18/sweet-swinger-hyperactive-elvis-loving-gregg-jefferies-is-happily-hitting-a-ton-for-the-st-louis-cardinals" target="_blank">SI Vault July 1994 article</a>, <a href="https://www.csmonitor.com/1988/1007/pjef.html" target="_blank">Christian Science Monitor October 1988 article</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1988/02/18/mets-say-skys-the-limit-for-jefferies/5585dd25-80bb-47fe-89d0-9ca147650302/" target="_blank">Washington Post February 1988 article</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-21-sp-993-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times May 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/08/sports/mets-send-backman-to-twins-for-pitchers.html" target="_blank">New York Times December 1988 article</a>, <a href="http://MLB.com" target="_blank">MLB.com</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/11/09/sports/sports-people-baseball-walton-top-rookie-in-national-league.html" target="_blank">New York Times November 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/27/sports/mets-are-striving-to-find-jefferies-a-regular-position.html" target="_blank">New York Times February 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/just-because-that-time-the-phillies-and-mets-had-a-walk-off-brawl/" target="_blank">CBS Sports</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=0q7iQwrhYWUC&dat=19890907&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">The Newburgh-Beacon Evening News September 7, 1989 article page 18 via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/02/27/sports/mets-are-striving-to-find-jefferies-a-regular-position.html" target="_blank">New York Times May 1991 article</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-01-sp-948-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times October 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19890630-1989-06-30-8906290369-story.html" target="_blank">Daily Press June 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/28/sports/baseball-johnson-hit-wins-5th-in-row.html" target="_blank">New York Times August 1988 article</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-11-09-8901290772-story.html" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune November 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/28/sports/mets-finishing-in-turmoil-on-field-and-off.html" target="_blank">New York Times September 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1990-03-24-9001310174-story.html" target="_blank">South Florida Sun-Sentinel March 1990 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/21/sports/baseball-loud-rumors-over-herr-s-soft-bat.html" target="_blank">New York Times April 1991 article</a>, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-1991-05-25-9102280450-story.html" target="_blank">South Florida Sun-Sentinel May 1991 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/26/sports/sports-of-the-times-the-mets-fogbound-clubhouse.html" target="_blank">New York Times May 1991 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/24/sports/shakeup-reinstates-elster.html" target="_blank">New York Times April 1991 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1990/03/22/sports/jefferies-tries-to-change-image.html" target="_blank">New York Times March 1990 article</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/howard-johnson/" target="_blank">Howard Johnson SABR bio</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=rQKKVauEoioC&dat=19881102&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">Wilmington Morning Star-News November 2, 1988 page 2B via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=rQKKVauEoioC&dat=19891109&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">Morning Star-News November 9, 1989 page 2B via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8_tS2Vw13FcC&dat=20000530&printsec=frontpage&hl=en" target="_blank">Toledo Blade May 30, 2000 page 3C via Google News Archive</a>, <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Worst_Team_Money_Could_Buy/DslfDeBKM_wC?hl=en&gbpv=1&printsec=frontcover" target="_blank">Bob Klapisch and John Harper-<i>The Worst Team Money Could Buy</i> (Bison Books)</a></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Gregg
Jefferies Cards: 1987 Coca-Cola Jackson Mets, 1989 CMC AAA
All-Stars/Future Stars, 1988 Score, 1988 CMC AAA, 1988 ProCards Minor
League, 1988 ProCards Triple A All-Star Game, 1988 Donruss, 1988 Fleer,
1989 Fleer, 1990 Bowman, 1991 Topps Stadium Club, 1990 Topps, 2013 Topps
Archive, 1993 Fleer Ultra, 1995 Fleer Update, 2001 Topps, 1988 Star
Pink</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Other
Player’s Cards: Chris Sabo 1989 Topps, Mark Grace 1989 Topps, Roger
McDowell 1990 Topps, Jerome Walton 1990 Topps, Dwight Smith 1990 Topps,
Ian Anderson 2020 Bowman, Ke’Bryan Hayes 2020 Bowman 1st Edition, Ryan
Mountcastle 2020 Bowman, Sixto Sanchez 2020 Bowman Prospects, Phil
Garner 1988 Score, Phil Garner 2001 Topps</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5L58xqOZYkA/YH29CywPJ4I/AAAAAAABVbQ/8ZxYfyQvGfIIM-NLjbxoOC5PbDEdX6AmACLcBGAsYHQ/s2614/Tim%2BHudson%2BKeith%2BHernandez%2BDwight%2BEvans.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1203" data-original-width="2614" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5L58xqOZYkA/YH29CywPJ4I/AAAAAAABVbQ/8ZxYfyQvGfIIM-NLjbxoOC5PbDEdX6AmACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/Tim%2BHudson%2BKeith%2BHernandez%2BDwight%2BEvans.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/taking-deeper-look-into-tim-hudsons.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Taking a Deeper Look into Tim Hudson’s Excellent .625 Win-Loss Percentage and Comparing the Hurler to Recent Hall of Fame Inductees and Other Prominent Pitchers from the Era He Played In</i></span></span></a></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/keith-hernandez-whitey-herzog-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Keith Hernandez, Whitey Herzog, and the Controversial Trade That Revived The New York Mets</i></span></span></a></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</i></span></span></a></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stat
links to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeffegr01.shtml" target="_blank">Gregg Jefferies</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernake01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Hernandez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/strawda01.shtml" target="_blank">Darryl Strawberry</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/backmwa01.shtml" target="_blank">Wally Backman</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsho01.shtml" target="_blank">Howard Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garneph01.shtml" target="_blank">Phil Garner</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/anderia01.shtml" target="_blank">Ian Anderson</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hayeske01.shtml" target="_blank">Ke’Bryan Hayes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mountry01.shtml" target="_blank">Ryan Mountcastle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sanchsi01.shtml" target="_blank">Sixto Sanchez</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gwynnto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Gwynn</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hershor01.shtml" target="_blank">Orel Hershiser</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mantlmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mickey Mantle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rosepe01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Rose</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithoz01.shtml" target="_blank">Ozzie Smith</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/johnsda02.shtml" target="_blank">Davey Johnson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/holtobr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brian Holton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ruffibr01.shtml" target="_blank">Bruce Ruffin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/milleke01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Miller</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shower01.shtml" target="_blank">Eric Show</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/berryda01.shtml" target="_blank">Damon Berryhill</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saboch01.shtml" target="_blank">Chris Sabo</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gracema01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Grace</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/belchti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Belcher</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gantro01.shtml" target="_blank">Ron Gant</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alomaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roberto Alomar</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jordari02.shtml" target="_blank">Ricky Jordan</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hazlebo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Hazle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/e/elsteke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Elster</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/teufeti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Teufel</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/robinbi02.shtml" target="_blank">Bill Robinson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcdowro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roger McDowell</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/managers/leyvani99.shtml" target="_blank">Nick Leyva</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/waltoje01.shtml" target="_blank">Jerome Walton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithdw01.shtml" target="_blank">Dwight Smith</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lillide01.shtml" target="_blank">Derek Lilliquist</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benesan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andy Benes</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hayesch01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Hayes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/saberbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Bret Saberhagen</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rogerke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kenny Rogers</a></span></span></div></div></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></p>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-87929984242935475862021-01-12T12:28:00.001-05:002021-01-12T12:38:55.597-05:00David Ostrowsky’s Pro Sports in 1993 Gives Readers an In-Depth Look at a Memorable Year in Football, Basketball, Hockey and Baseball<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOGlxWw4pTQ/X_3Pjer-RBI/AAAAAAABO6Y/5Pk90KxTTN4zg3q4h7ylO9FSLsDcZRBSwCLcBGAsYHQ/s750/Pro%2BSports%2Bin%2B1993.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NOGlxWw4pTQ/X_3Pjer-RBI/AAAAAAABO6Y/5Pk90KxTTN4zg3q4h7ylO9FSLsDcZRBSwCLcBGAsYHQ/w266-h400/Pro%2BSports%2Bin%2B1993.jpg" width="266" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bulls,
Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Blue Jays. These four teams were once
dominant franchises in their respective sport. However, over the past
couple of decades, these franchises have struggled to recapture their
past championship glory. In his book, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Sports-1993-Signature-Basketball/dp/1476680264" target="_blank"><i>Pro Sports in 1993: A Signature Season in Football, Basketball, Hockey and Baseball</i></a>,
David Ostrowsky takes the reader back to a memorable year in which this
quartet of teams stood tall as champions of the four major sports.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Ostrowsky
splits his book into seven chapters, each of which examines a major
event that shaped the 1993 sports world. Ostrowsky devotes a chapter to
each of the championship teams from the four major sports. In
addition, Ostrowsky also includes three additional chapters which cover
Joe Montana’s first season with the Kansas City Chiefs following the
veteran quarterback’s controversial trade from the San Francisco 49ers,
the opening of the Baltimore Orioles home ballpark Camden Yards which
played host to the 1993 MLB All-Star Game, and the Buffalo Bills
incredible comeback win against the Houston Oilers in AFC Wild Card
Playoff Game. Each of the seven chapters are thoroughly researched and
well written. Ostrowsky secured first-hand interviews with a wealth of
players, coaches, and team personnel. Ostrowsky does an excellent job
of mixing his writing with quotes he gathered from these first-hand
interviews.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As
a baseball fan, I was drawn to the chapters about Camden Yards hosting
the MLB All-Star Game and the Toronto Blue Jays repeating as World
Series champions. Ostrowsky gives details on the background of the
building of Camden Yards, takes the reader through the April 1992
opening of the ballpark, the pregame festivities of the 1993 All-Star
Week, and the All-Star Game itself. I learned a lot about Camden Yards
in this chapter. For example, I was not aware that a young Orioles
intern named Theo Epstein was instrumental in putting together a
five-day celebration during the All-Star Week to honor former Negro
League players. Also, I was surprised to find out that there was a fair
amount of push back for the retro-style ballpark design which Camden
Yards made famous. Ostrowsky brings the All-Star Game to life with
quotes from both American and National League players including Jay
Bell, Devon White, John Burkett, and Andy Benes. Ostrowsky also gives
insights into the clash between Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston who helmed
the AL team and Orioles hurler Mike Mussina who was denied the chance
to pitch in front of the hometown fans when Gaston opted to have Blue
Jays reliever Duane Ward toss the final inning of the Midsummer Classic.</span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div style="color: #454545;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2-HLAVuye0/X_3QOr244II/AAAAAAABO6g/8H_LB2n-uOovVu_iP31m8rvdphaUzXPvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2244/Baseball.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="2244" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-s2-HLAVuye0/X_3QOr244II/AAAAAAABO6g/8H_LB2n-uOovVu_iP31m8rvdphaUzXPvQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/Baseball.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pro Sports in 1993 includes several quotes about players from the World Series-winning Toronto Blue Jays as well as the teams they faced in the playoffs<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
chapter about the Blue Jays features an assortment of quotes centering
on Toronto’s top players including future Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar
and Paul Molitor as well memorable sluggers Joe Carter and John Olerud. This chapter also highlights the differences between Toronto’s 1992
World Series-winning team and the 1993 club along with the challenges
they faced trying to repeat as World Champions. The acquisition of
Molitor—the eventual 1993 World Series MVP—and the emergence of Olerud—
the 1993 AL batting champ—are identified as key factors in Toronto
repeating as World Champions. Ostrowsky doesn’t just focus on the Blue
Jays, he also takes a look at the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia
Phillies, the two teams Toronto defeated in the playoffs on their way to
securing a second-straight World Championship. The speed and power of
the White Sox is spotlighted with quotes about future Hall of Famers Tim
Raines and Frank Thomas while characters like John Kruk, Darren
Daulton, and Lenny Dykstra are remembered from the collection of misfits
who made up the unlikely NL Pennant-winning Phillies. Ostrowsky
interviews some notable players for this chapter including 7-time Gold
Glove winner Devon White and 1993 AL Cy Young Award winner Jack
McDowell. However, the player with the most intriguing quotes is
veteran Blue Jays infielder Alfredo Griffin. As a light-hitting middle
infielder who was primarily on Toronto’s postseason roster for his
glovework, Griffin describes entering Game 6 as a late-inning defensive
replacement and finding himself with the unique perspective of being the
on-deck hitter when Joe Carter took Mitch Williams deep for his
Series-ending walk-off home run.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMWe3fx2M0Y/X_3RH4RA-rI/AAAAAAABO6o/Ig-by_cMEPM3ZrBODdoxbtf0oysYpnpwgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2238/Hockey.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1020" data-original-width="2238" height="292" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CMWe3fx2M0Y/X_3RH4RA-rI/AAAAAAABO6o/Ig-by_cMEPM3ZrBODdoxbtf0oysYpnpwgCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h292/Hockey.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 1993 Stanley Cup Finals featured a match up between future Hall of Famers Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky with a young John LeClair emerging as an unlikely hero<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I was also
drawn to the chapter about the 1993 Stanley Cup-winning Montreal
Canadiens. I have always drawn a parallel between the dominance of the
24-time Stanley Cup champion Canadiens and the New York Yankees, winners
of 27 World Series Titles. It’s hard to believe that with Montreal’s
long history of success, 1993 represents their most recent championship
to date and perhaps even more shocking is that no Canadian-based
franchise has raised the Cup since. As a one-off championship team, the
1993 Canadiens are rarely written about and not romanticized in the
same way as the club’s dynasties from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Thus, it is nice to see Ostrowsky focus on the 1993 team’s postseason
triumph. This chapter largely centers on the two iconic players who
faced off in the Finals, Montreal’s Patrick Roy and Wayne Gretzky of the
Los Angeles Kings. Ostrowsky gives a background on each of these
superstar player’s struggles prior to the playoffs—Roy’s subpar regular
season before railing off an amazing 10 straight overtime playoff wins
and Gretzky’s return from a career-threatening injury to help lead the
Kings to their first and ultimately his last Cup Final. In addition to
the in-depth look at Roy and Gretzky, this chapter also focuses on the
controversial penalty involving Kings defenseman Marty McSorley which
played a key role in shifting the momentum of the Finals to Montreal as
well as the clutch play of young Canadiens left winger John LeClair. Ostrowsky also secured interviews for this chapter from some well-known
Canadiens and Kings players including Kirk Muller, Brian Bellows, Tony
Granato, and Jimmy Carson.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Reading about Joe
Montana’s move to the Chiefs seemed particularly relevant with Tom Brady
recently leaving the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also, with the Bills franchise experiencing a revival, it is a fitting
time to take a look back at the Buffalo team that dominated the AFC in
the early Nineties. I actually enjoyed the chapter about Buffalo’s
miraculous come-from-behind victory over the Oilers most since it
featured outstanding quotes from Bills players Don Beebe, Steve
Christie, and Hall of Famer Andre Reed.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u-vocP3P1s/X_3R6_NcT9I/AAAAAAABO60/cpcKAwg8pBQMNXuEtC5Clp4RMiB8rYSMACLcBGAsYHQ/s2188/Football.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="2188" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_u-vocP3P1s/X_3R6_NcT9I/AAAAAAABO60/cpcKAwg8pBQMNXuEtC5Clp4RMiB8rYSMACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/Football.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the book's best quotes are drawn from David Ostrowsky's first-hand interviews with Bill Cartwright, Don Beebe, and Hall of Famer Andre Reed<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I
wouldn’t have gone out of my way to read about Michael Jordan’s Chicago
Bulls winning their third straight championship or the Dallas Cowboys
capturing their second of what would be three Super Bowls in a four-year
span since the success of these dynasties has been well-documented. Nevertheless, I am happy I did as I found both of these chapters
interesting. A couple of the highlights from these chapters include the
many facets of Jordan’s complicated personality being explored by His
Airness’ former teammates Bill Cartwright and Scott Williams as well as
Super Bowl XXVIII hero James Washington’s account of his experiences in
helping the Cowboys overcome the Bills.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">While I
enjoyed reading quotes from the Bills players about their stunning
comeback victory in the AFC Wild Card Game, I can’t say I strongly
favored one chapter above all of the others which speaks to the overall
strength of the book. The book also gave each franchise’s 1993 season
more of an identity for me—as opposed to just remembering these teams as
“the second of the back-to-back Blue Jays World Series winners” or
“part of the Bulls or Cowboys dynasties of the 1990s.” I recommend this
book to any sports fan because with Ostrowsky’s first-hand interviews
you are sure to learn something new about the memorable players and
teams that are profiled and gain a new appreciation for pro sports in
1993.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">----by John Tuberty</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pro-Sports-1993-Signature-Basketball/dp/1476680264" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Link to <i>Pro Sports in 1993</i> on Amazon</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cards:
Paul Molitor, John Olerud, Roberto Alomar 1994 Topps Stadium Club,
Patrick Roy 1990-91 Score, John LeClair 1992-93 Topps Stadium Club,
Wayne Gretzky 1990-91 Score, Bill Cartwright 1992-93 Topps, Don Beebe
1993 Bowman, Andre Reed 1993 Bowman</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D8q4H2I6Z4A/X_3UMC0S4aI/AAAAAAABO7A/Jn0vrwsz6l01k9WHpefr5C15hnbVGx66wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2236/Tim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="2236" height="296" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D8q4H2I6Z4A/X_3UMC0S4aI/AAAAAAABO7A/Jn0vrwsz6l01k9WHpefr5C15hnbVGx66wCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h296/Tim%2BHudson%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></b></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/11/taking-deeper-look-into-tim-hudsons.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Taking a Deeper Look into Tim Hudson’s Excellent .625 Win-Loss Percentage and Comparing the Hurler to Recent Hall of Fame Inductees and Other Prominent Pitchers from the Era He Played In</i></span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</i></span></span></a></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-fathers-memories-of-working-with.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><br /></i></span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-fathers-memories-of-working-with.html" target="_blank"><i>My Father’s Memories of Working with Carl Yastrzemski at Kahn’s-Hillshire Farm in the Early Eighties</i></a> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Stat
links to players mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/molitpa01.shtml" target="_blank">Paul Molitor</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/alomaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roberto Alomar</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/cartejo01.shtml" target="_blank">Joe Carter</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/o/olerujo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Olerud</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/warddu01.shtml" target="_blank">Duane Ward</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/whitede03.shtml" target="_blank">Devon White</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/griffal01.shtml" target="_blank">Alfredo Griffin</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/t/thomafr04.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Thomas</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/raineti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Raines</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcdowja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jack McDowell</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willimi02.shtml" target="_blank">Mitch Williams</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/krukjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Kruk</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/daultda01.shtml" target="_blank">Darren Daulton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dykstle01.shtml" target="_blank">Lenny Dykstra</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mussimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Mussina</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/benesan01.shtml" target="_blank">Andy Benes</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/burkejo03.shtml" target="_blank">John Burkett</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bellja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jay Bell</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gastoci01.shtml" target="_blank">Cito Gaston</a>,
<a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/gretzwa01.html" target="_blank">Wayne Gretzky</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/r/roypa01.html" target="_blank">Patrick Roy</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/l/leclajo01.html" target="_blank">John LeClair</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/mcsorma01.html" target="_blank">Marty McSorley</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/b/bellobr01.html" target="_blank">Brian Bellows</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/m/mulleki01.html" target="_blank">Kirk Muller</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/g/granato01.html" target="_blank">Tony Granato</a>, <a href="https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/c/carsoji01.html" target="_blank">Jimmy Carson</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/M/MontJo01.htm" target="_blank">Joe Montana</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BradTo00.htm" target="_blank">Tom Brady</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/B/BeebDo00.htm" target="_blank">Don Beebe</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/C/chrisste01.htm" target="_blank">Steve Christie</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/R/ReedAn00.htm" target="_blank">Andre Reed</a>, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jordami01.html" target="_blank">Michael Jordan</a>, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartwbi01.html" target="_blank">Bill Cartwright</a>, <a href="https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WashJa20.htm" target="_blank">James Washington</a>, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/willisc01.html" target="_blank">Scott Williams</a></span></span></div></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-7367079294547448052020-11-09T07:26:00.003-05:002021-07-04T13:33:00.188-04:00Taking a Deeper Look into Tim Hudson’s Excellent .625 Win-Loss Percentage and Comparing the Hurler to Recent Hall of Fame Inductees and Other Prominent Pitchers from the Era He Played In<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLnfWUNEkHM/X5XK1gCHBBI/AAAAAAABMPE/JRVmV2uMwzky4Nm9J_vZKlbqpRftzKIOQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2594/octet%2Bof%2Bhurlers%2Bpic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="2594" height="301" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLnfWUNEkHM/X5XK1gCHBBI/AAAAAAABMPE/JRVmV2uMwzky4Nm9J_vZKlbqpRftzKIOQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h301/octet%2Bof%2Bhurlers%2Bpic.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The 2021 BBWAA
Hall of Fame ballot will mark the first time in nearly a decade that no
first-time eligible candidates are expected to draw close to the
necessary 75% of the vote required for election. Nevertheless, the
upcoming ballot features a few newly-eligible candidates with intriguing
Hall of Fame cases who could build towards eventual election.</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Arguably, the first-time candidate</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with
the strongest Hall of Fame case is right-handed pitcher Tim Hudson. During a solid career which spanned from 1999 to 2015, Hudson pitched
for three teams: the Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, and San
Francisco Giants. Hudson was noted for his mastery of the sinkerball
which he used to frustrate opposing hitters by generating weak contact
and inducing ground balls. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson
retired with a career win-loss record of 222-133 and a 3.49 ERA. When
Hudson’s career ERA is ballpark and league adjusted, his 3.49 mark
translates into a more illustrious 120 ERA+. In addition, Hudson
accumulated 57.9 career WAR during his career. Yet, Hudson’s most
impressive career statistic is his excellent .625 win-loss percentage,
which is the equivalent of a team posting a 101-61 record over the
course of a full season. Historically, a pitcher with the combination</span> of
Hudson’s 222 victories and .625 win-loss percentage has been voted into
the Hall of Fame by the BBWAA or through one of the incarnations of the
Era Committee. However, wins have become devalued by some in the
baseball community and as a result Hudson may not receive the support he
would have from previous generations of voters. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
this in mind, I decided to take a deeper look into the validity of
Hudson’s win-loss percentage by comparing the righty to seven prominent
pitchers in a variety of categories that affect wins and losses. Rather
than just rely on the </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">popular
traditional and sabermetric methods, I chose to take a different
approach by using some alternative advanced metrics and statistics to
analyze the pitchers.</span></span></span></p><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The seven hurlers I am comparing Hudson to include:</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•the three starting pitchers most recently voted into the Hall of Fame: Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, and Jack Morris; </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•the highest returning holdover candidate on the BBWAA ballot: Curt Schilling;</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•two of Hudson’s contemporaries whom are also candidates on the upcoming ballot: Andy Pettitte and Mark Buehrle;</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">•as well as another contemporary who is not yet eligible but has a strong chance at being elected to Cooperstown: CC Sabathia.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u>The Rare Combination of Hudson’s 222 Wins and .625 Win-Loss Percentage</u></b></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Before
delving into the comparisons, I wanted to see how rare it is for a
pitcher to retire with Hudson’s impressive combination of career
victories and win-loss percentage. In fact</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
only 16 pitchers have completed their careers with more victories than
Hudson’s 222 while also posting a higher win-loss percentage than the
righty’s .625 mark. To date, 14 of </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">those 16 pitchers are in the Hall of Fame while the two hurlers who have yet to be elected</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte, are still on the BBWAA ballot. Of
course, Clemens’ and Pettitte’s Hall of Fame candidacies have each been
adversely affected by their ties to PEDs</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. Had it not been for the PED allegations, Clemens would have been an
easy first ballot or even unanimous Hall of Fame selection while
Pettitte would have certainly drawn a much higher vote total than the
respective 9.9% and 11.3% he collected in his first two years on the
ballot.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However, Hudson’s 222 victories and .625 win-loss percentage represent the minimum of the standard. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
if the standard is changed to pitchers with 200 victories and a .600
win-loss percentage, Hudson still belongs to a very exclusive club as he
is one of just 37 hurlers to retire with this impressive statistical
combination. Moreover, 28 of those 37 pitchers are in the Hall of Fame. Aside from Hudson, the remaining hurlers</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); text-decoration: none;"> sitting outside of Cooperstown </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">who
retired with the 200 victory/.600 win-loss percentage combination
includes the aforementioned Clemens and Pettitte and also adds the
yet-to-be eligible Sabathia along with David Wells, early 20th century
right-hander Carl Mays, and a trio of 19th century pitchers—Charlie
Buffinton, Bob Caruthers, and Jack Stivetts. Other</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> than Sabathia, Hudson’s career is a healthy step above these additional hurlers </span>as
Mays and Stivetts only just clear the 200-victory threshold while
Wells, Buffinton, and Stivetts barely meet the .600 win-loss percentage
standard. Mays <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">has appeared on the Veterans Committee ballot in the past but has never come close to election. His Hall of Fame case has been </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">overshadowed
by throwing the errant pitch that killed Ray Chapman and suspicion that he
purposely lost World Series games during the 1921 and 1922 Fall
Classics. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
trio of 19th century hurlers have never been serious Hall of Fame
candidates as each had careers that were barely a decade long, played
during an era when two or three-man pitching rotations were the norm
and the disparity between the best and worst teams was more pronounced. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wells
is the only pitcher of recent times to retire with the 200 victory/.600
win-loss percentage combination and fall off the BBWAA ballot. However, Wells’ </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hall of Fame case was likely doomed by his 4.13 career ERA which would be, by far, the highest in Cooperstown.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FhzxQxorfgs/X5XMWb5daFI/AAAAAAABMPY/OMbqOx9WL8cF_f4iW-toJyDvLgGjpUvMQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1044/Hudson%2BBraves%2Bside.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1044" height="284" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FhzxQxorfgs/X5XMWb5daFI/AAAAAAABMPY/OMbqOx9WL8cF_f4iW-toJyDvLgGjpUvMQCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h284/Hudson%2BBraves%2Bside.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><u></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><u>Career Totals as a Starting Pitcher</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Since
the majority of the stats I am using reflect the hurlers’ performances
in games in which they were the starting pitcher, their career record,
win-loss percentage, and ERA shown below </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">slightly differ from their overall career totals.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aNNGAemG4k/X5XLuzZvdfI/AAAAAAABMPM/QLjJdYA_TFE5PKu9S1pQLXQ8s3P9oX3OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s298/1%2BCareer%2BTotals%2BStarting%2BPitcher.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="298" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8aNNGAemG4k/X5XLuzZvdfI/AAAAAAABMPM/QLjJdYA_TFE5PKu9S1pQLXQ8s3P9oX3OgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/1%2BCareer%2BTotals%2BStarting%2BPitcher.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
pitchers I consider most fitting to compare Hudson with are Buehrle,
Halladay, Pettitte, and Sabathia because their career timelines most
overlap with Hudson’s. Keep in mind, Hudson is being judged against
hurlers who have promising Hall of Fame cases or are already enshrined
in Cooperstown. It is certainly possible that each of these pitchers
will one day find their way into the Hall of Fame either through the
BBWAA vote or on a later Era Committee ballot. Thus, being at or near
the mean of these pitchers in these categories is impressive.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Percentage of Games Started Won and Lost</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During his career, Hudson regularly won while rarely losing. In fact, Hudson finished with a sub-.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">500
win-loss percentage in just two of his 17 major league seasons. Moreover, Hudson had just four double-digit loss campaigns, including
two where he lost exactly ten games</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. By contrast, Hudson had 13 seasons</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with double-digits in wins. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s career-high total of defeats was just 13—a total he met or exceeded in victories ten times during his career. </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxo87usqghc/X5Xf746Y49I/AAAAAAABMPk/82A4DgBA6QwJw2DPvmjXyyFDDzeQEhjuACLcBGAsYHQ/s672/2%2BGames%2BStarted%2BWon%2Band%2BLost.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="672" height="229" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hxo87usqghc/X5Xf746Y49I/AAAAAAABMPk/82A4DgBA6QwJw2DPvmjXyyFDDzeQEhjuACLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h229/2%2BGames%2BStarted%2BWon%2Band%2BLost.png" width="640" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
tables above show Hudson is slightly below the mean among the eight
hurlers in percentage of games started where he was credited as the
winning pitcher. However, Hudson really shines in the low percentage of
games started where he was tagged as the losing pitcher. Hudson took
the loss in just </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">27.77%
of his starts, trailing only Halladay who easily leads the octet of
hurlers in both categories—underscoring why “Doc” is the only
first-ballot Hall of Famer of the group. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">These
two categories also illustrate how Hudson won with more regularity than
contemporaries Buehrle and Sabathia and lost with less frequency than
Pettitte, Buehrle, and Sabathia.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Quality Start Percentage and Average Game Score (Version 2.0)</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Quality start and game score are two useful metrics to evaluate a starting pitcher’s performance.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">A pitcher is given credit for a quality start when they pitch six or more innings while giving up three or fewer earned runs. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">When
a starting pitcher is removed from the game, you’ll often hear a
commentator remark, “he gave his team a chance to win” or “he kept his
team in the game</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.” If a hurler has a quality start, they’ve essential pitched well enough
to earn the win or have, at the very least, kept the game close by
limiting the opposing team’s scoring.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Game
score is a metric which gauges a starting pitcher’s performance by
converting it into a number figure based on the quantity and quality of
the outing. Game score was originally devised by Bill James, however, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I
prefer Tom Tango’s refined version of the metric because it uses a
slightly different formula which penalizes pitchers for giving up home
runs, something James’ version does not do.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-371uAHi8a5s/X5XgoSMhq6I/AAAAAAABMPs/Ongkpz38rnEzMmCjs-t1FCQyXAROI4xigCLcBGAsYHQ/s477/3%2BQuality%2BStarts%2Band%2BGame%2BScore.png"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="477" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-371uAHi8a5s/X5XgoSMhq6I/AAAAAAABMPs/Ongkpz38rnEzMmCjs-t1FCQyXAROI4xigCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/3%2BQuality%2BStarts%2Band%2BGame%2BScore.png" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">At
63.05%, Hudson is comfortably above the mean in percentage of quality
starts and a good distance ahead of Pettitte, Sabathia, and Morris. For
average game score, Hudson’s 56.25% is an eyelash below the 56.34%
mean. The three pitchers Hudson trails in average game score are a pair
of Hall of Fame hurlers, Halladay and Mussina, along with Schilling—who
if it hadn't been for a crowded ballot and his off-the-field
controversies, would have been voted into Cooperstown several years ago.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Cheap Wins and Tough Losses</u></b></span></span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A cheap win is when a starting pitcher earns the victory in a non-quality start by </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">pitching fewer than 6 innings or allowing more than 3 earned runs.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XM7y3N2Flos/X5XhR1q6MkI/AAAAAAABMP4/yoZpxLq-gPUmVAHSovMBC4DLTpZHGVScQCLcBGAsYHQ/s263/4%2BCheap%2BWins.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="238" data-original-width="263" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XM7y3N2Flos/X5XhR1q6MkI/AAAAAAABMP4/yoZpxLq-gPUmVAHSovMBC4DLTpZHGVScQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/4%2BCheap%2BWins.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With
just 28 of his 222 career triumphs being classified as cheap wins,
Hudson rarely was the recipient of a gifted victory despite making a
non-quality start. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s 12.61% mark ranks a strong third among the eight hurlers and is easily better the 15.70% mean</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Essentially
the opposite of a cheap win, the pitcher is credited with a tough loss
when they are the losing pitcher of record in a quality start.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfBj5iHExEU/X5Xh4ivywMI/AAAAAAABMQA/fX8ZbHe683ciJG_cdt-yS2kl4ti9c1vSACLcBGAsYHQ/s280/5%2BTough%2BLosses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OfBj5iHExEU/X5Xh4ivywMI/AAAAAAABMQA/fX8ZbHe683ciJG_cdt-yS2kl4ti9c1vSACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/5%2BTough%2BLosses.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This
is the first category in which Hudson looks poor in comparison to the
featured hurlers. With 35 of his 133 career defeats coming in quality
starts, Hudson is about 5 tough losses below the mean. Nevertheless,
Hudson’s solid average game score mark somewhat nullifies his lower
number of tough losses. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Interestingly,
Hudson’s highest percentage of tough losses came in 2014 when the
righty posted a career-worst 9-13 record for the San Francisco Giants
despite making quality starts in seven of those defeats. Hudson’s
losing record was largely the byproduct of being a victim of
particularly poor run support as San Francisco’s offense scored zero or
one run in each of the seven games in which the sinkerball-specialist
made a quality start but was tagged with the loss. Yet, it all worked
out for Hudson and the Giants as the season ended with the veteran
lifting the World Championship trophy over his head after the club beat
the Kansas City Royals to win the 2014 Fall Classic.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FNgUfJycZKY/X5XiRtc9cHI/AAAAAAABMQI/zVuW7QlhSs8p8dBCeYVid-R3Z4EiLKkLgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1035/Tim%2BHudson%2BBowman%2BChrome.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="741" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FNgUfJycZKY/X5XiRtc9cHI/AAAAAAABMQI/zVuW7QlhSs8p8dBCeYVid-R3Z4EiLKkLgCLcBGAsYHQ/w286-h400/Tim%2BHudson%2BBowman%2BChrome.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Wins Lost and Losses Saved</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The
wins lost table shows how often the eight pitchers were in the position
to be credited for the victory at the time they faced their final
batter, only to be denied the win due to their bullpen blowing the lead.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uD7yiC0cJ8/X5XincFiK-I/AAAAAAABMQQ/-l1wvuGCcRUPZ5mtYpmZJrriuGcSp_e9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s257/6%2BWins%2BLost.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="257" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7uD7yiC0cJ8/X5XincFiK-I/AAAAAAABMQQ/-l1wvuGCcRUPZ5mtYpmZJrriuGcSp_e9gCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/6%2BWins%2BLost.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson has the dubious honor of leading the octet of hurlers in wins lost. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Over the course of his career, Hudson lost a staggering 50 potential wins due to his bullpen blowing leads. In fact, the </span>lead
Hudson holds over the other pitchers is so significant that the difference
between the sinkerballer’s 10.44% wins lost mark and the 8.46% of the
second-highest placing hurler, Roy Halladay, is greater than the gap
from Halladay to the 6.61% total of the next-to-last ranked CC Sabathia.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
spent the early part of his career with the Oakland Athletics. Along
with Mark Mulder and Barry Zito, Hudson was part of an impressive trio
of young starters known as the Big Three. Before being split up by
Hudson’s and Mulder’s respective trades to the Atlanta Braves and St.
Louis Cardinals following the 2004 season, the Big Three helped lead the
A’s to three AL West Division Titles and one AL Wildcard. Unfortunately for Hudson, Oakland’s bullpen had a bad habit of costing
him wins. Hudson was particularly victimized between 2002 and 2004 when
the A’s relief corps cost the sinkerballer 18 potential wins. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Taking
a deeper look into the game logs, only one of those 18 probable
victories were lost as a result of Hudson leaving a runner on base. </span>What’s
more, Hudson’s leads were often blown by the A’s closers during those
years as Billy Koch squandered 3 of the 8 potential victories the
bullpen cost Hudson in 2002 while Keith Foulke accounted for all 4 of
Hudson’s probable wins that were lost in 2003. However, because
Oakland’s potent offense was able to retake the lead when they were the
pitcher of record, Koch was <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">credited with the win for all three of the potential victories he cost Hudson while</span> Foulke
picked up the “W” for two of the four probable victories he cost
Hudson. Despite blowing Hudson’s potential wins, Koch and Foulke were
each named the respective AL Rolaid Relievers of the Year in 2002 and
2003. While Oakland’s bullpen struggled to hold Hudson’s leads, it was
certainly not due to the righty coming out of games too quickly as he
regularly pitched deep into ballgames, averaging 7 innings per start
between 2002 and 2004. Moreover, <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson ranked third among AL hurlers for innings pitched in both 2002 and 2003.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asJDDoaO6y8/X5XjBF1aWII/AAAAAAABMQY/8yapKisa1nMuK73I8h-cBd8I-Vj_dSOYACLcBGAsYHQ/s1039/Tim%2BHudson%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1039" data-original-width="748" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asJDDoaO6y8/X5XjBF1aWII/AAAAAAABMQY/8yapKisa1nMuK73I8h-cBd8I-Vj_dSOYACLcBGAsYHQ/w288-h400/Tim%2BHudson%2BTopps.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The
antithesis of wins lost, losses saved accounts for the number of times
the eight hurlers were in position for the loss but their team came back
to tie the game or take the lead, thus saving them from being the
losing pitcher of record.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkT_4k32GZI/X5XjS3lGaZI/AAAAAAABMQg/khYSjys8kw0WvEIQ51MSfdfZ3MexWVIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s273/7%2BLosses%2BSaved.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="273" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mkT_4k32GZI/X5XjS3lGaZI/AAAAAAABMQg/khYSjys8kw0WvEIQ51MSfdfZ3MexWVIWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/7%2BLosses%2BSaved.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
ranks fifth with an 8.56% losses saved mark that is a tick better than
the mean. Hudson is a good distance in front of sixth place Schilling
and is well ahead of his contemporaries, Buehrle and Sabathia, who bring
up the rear. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Among
the eight pitchers, Hudson along with Hall of Famers Halladay and
Mussina are the only ones with more wins lost than losses saved.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>“Adjusted” Win-Loss Percentage</b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cheap
wins and tough losses essentially have their respective opposites in
wins lost and losses saved. As the previous tables illustrate, some
hurlers excel amongst their fellow pitchers in one category while
struggling by comparison in another. However, by deducting cheap wins
and tough losses from the pitcher’s career totals while adding wins lost
and losses saved to their ledger, an “adjusted” career win-loss
percentage is created which gives an idea of the eight hurlers’ overall
performance in those four categories. The table below shows each
pitcher’s “adjusted” starting pitcher career win-loss record and the
increase or decrease from their “adjusted” to their actual starting
pitcher win-loss percentage.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8acBOmA8Sw/X5XjppIclvI/AAAAAAABMQo/WCoanUa9HEI8_4FGX8LCFEorbUnX_mT2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s456/8%2BAdjusted%2BWin-Loss%2BPct.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="241" data-original-width="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V8acBOmA8Sw/X5XjppIclvI/AAAAAAABMQo/WCoanUa9HEI8_4FGX8LCFEorbUnX_mT2QCLcBGAsYHQ/s16000/8%2BAdjusted%2BWin-Loss%2BPct.png" /></a></div></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
once again finds himself among Hall of Famers as his .0117 increase
from his actual to “adjusted” win-loss percentage ranks second, in
between Halladay and Mussina. Hudson and Halladay are the only two
hurlers who have more tough losses than cheap wins as well as a greater
number of wins lost than losses saved. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s
contemporaries, Pettitte and Sabathia, stand out in a different way as
they are the only two pitchers to see a decrease from their actual to
“adjusted” win-loss percentage. In </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">fact,
Pettitte’s and Sabathia’s decreases are so significant that they bring
the mean all the way down to .0040 with each of the other six hurlers
comfortably above it.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><b><u>Run Support</u></b></span></span></span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Aside
from National League pitchers occasionally helping their own cause, the
level of run support a hurler receives from their offense is out of
their control. Nevertheless</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">,
run support can have a major effect on a pitcher’s win-loss record. Run support is judged in two different ways: run support per game which
measures runs scored for the entire game per 27 outs and run support
per innings which accounts for runs scored per 27 outs while the
starting pitcher was in the game. Below are each of the hurler’s career
run support per game and per innings versus the MLB average which is in
parentheses. These tables are followed by the </span>combined differences between each pitcher’s run support per game and per inning versus the MLB average during their career.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EtfYY-pehI/X5XkQvpCxNI/AAAAAAABMQw/7S48FlIYoC4aiDuED4hSzGXoqOeuOaMpwCLcBGAsYHQ/s412/9%2BRun%2BSupport%2Bvs%2BAverage.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="239" data-original-width="412" height="233" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3EtfYY-pehI/X5XkQvpCxNI/AAAAAAABMQw/7S48FlIYoC4aiDuED4hSzGXoqOeuOaMpwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h233/9%2BRun%2BSupport%2Bvs%2BAverage.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-tzNjLHwQY/X5XkYMFG5rI/AAAAAAABMQ0/3TCym56kuG85QS5-Vj7_RdMY6FQ5Mn9AACLcBGAsYHQ/s262/10%2BRun%2BSupport%2BDifferences.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="262" data-original-width="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x-tzNjLHwQY/X5XkYMFG5rI/AAAAAAABMQ0/3TCym56kuG85QS5-Vj7_RdMY6FQ5Mn9AACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/10%2BRun%2BSupport%2BDifferences.png" /></a></div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hudson
ranks second behind Schilling on all three tables. However,
calculating a true ranking based on run support is difficult since a
pitcher’s run support is affected by a variety of factors that are
unique to each hurler including the pitcher’s home ballpark, the
division their team played in, and the era during which their career
took place. For example, the hurler with, by far, the lowest run
support is Schilling who spent eight-and-a-half years of his career
playing for the offensively-challenged Philadelphia Phillies who
finished at or near the bottom of the NL in runs scored during the bulk
of his time with the club. Conversely, the pitchers with highest run
support are Pettitte and Mussina who respectively spent the majority and
entirety of their career’s playing in the high-offense AL East during
what is often referred to as the Steroid Era. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
aside from Schilling, it does not appear Hudson benefited from higher
run support in comparison to the featured hurlers.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><b>Individual Starting Pitcher Win-Loss Percentage vs. Team Win-Loss Percentage</b></u></span></span></div></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">During
his career, Hudson generally pitched for competitive teams. In fact,
just two seasons of Hudson’s 17-year career were spent with a team that
finished the campaign with a sub-.500 record. Thus, a Hall of Fame
voter</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> might
assume the hurler’s excellent .625 win-loss percentage is a byproduct of
playing the majority of his career with competitive teams. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
it is also true that the best pitchers will generally play the bulk of
their careers with winning teams, in part, because their services will
be sought by the most competitive franchises. Indeed, the Braves made a
deal with the A’s to acquire Hudson as the right-hander was approaching
free agency and quickly signed him to a lucrative contract extension to
keep him from testing the open market</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">. And, towards the end of Hudson’s career, the Giants signed the hurler
to add veteran depth to their rotation as the club embarked on its third
Championship run in five seasons. While Hudson’s services were in
demand by contending teams, it is undoubtedly true his win-loss record
was enhanced by playing for competitive franchises. However, most of
the featured hurlers followed the same pattern of spending a significant
portion of their careers with winning ballclubs. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The table below </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">illustrates which pitchers </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">benefited most from playing for competitive franchises by </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">showing
the difference between each’s individual win-loss percentage as a
starting pitcher versus the accumulated win-loss percentage for the
teams they played for during their career.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><br /></u></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAU2d0L0UqY/X5XknQAouRI/AAAAAAABMQ8/DllVNqysWEwfq98H2BcKia5yqJ5U4aRpACLcBGAsYHQ/s299/11%2BDifferences%2BBetween%2BIndividual%2Band%2BTeam%2BWin%2BPct.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hAU2d0L0UqY/X5XknQAouRI/AAAAAAABMQ8/DllVNqysWEwfq98H2BcKia5yqJ5U4aRpACLcBGAsYHQ/s0/11%2BDifferences%2BBetween%2BIndividual%2Band%2BTeam%2BWin%2BPct.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The teams Hudson played for during his career put together an overall win-loss percentage of .553 which is roughly the </span>equivalent
of a club posting a 90-72 regular season record while the righty’s .625
individual career win-loss percentage translates to a 101-61 record
over the course of a full season. The .072 difference between Hudson’s
individual win-loss percentage versus the .553 mark of the teams he
played for ranks the sinkerball-specialist fourth among the eight
hurlers, just shy of the .077 mean. Hudson’s win-loss percentage was
aided by playing for competitive franchises but it is also evident that
he outperformed his teams in comparison to his contemporaries <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Sabathia, Buehrle, and Pettitte </span>as his .072 mark is comfortably ahead of each of these hurlers.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Average Finish in the Ranked Categories</u></b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To
give an overall picture of how Hudson stacks up among the eight
pitchers here is the average finish of the featured hurlers based on
their classification in the ranked categories. I <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">chose
to omit the three run support tables from the rankings because there
are too many variables and not a clear enough picture to give an
accurate ranking. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">I
also excluded “adjusted” win-loss percentage from the rankings since it
is a composite of cheap wins, tough losses, wins lost, and losses
saved.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Srfg8COd1Oc/X5Xk4Gi4xDI/AAAAAAABMRI/B-E4YvOLHYkhCYafauoKbg9u7s64tRRCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s216/12%2BAverage%2BFinish.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Srfg8COd1Oc/X5Xk4Gi4xDI/AAAAAAABMRI/B-E4YvOLHYkhCYafauoKbg9u7s64tRRCwCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/12%2BAverage%2BFinish.png" /></a><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Hudson’s
3.89 average finish ranks the sinkerballer fourth among the eight
pitchers. Hudson’s combined rankings from the nine categories add up
to 35 points, putting him just three points behind overly-qualified Hall
of Fame candidate Schilling and two points away from 2019 Cooperstown
inductee Mussina. Hudson is above the mean in five of the nine ranked
categories. What’s more, </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the
righty sits well above the mean in four of those categories: lowest
percentage of games started lost, average quality start percentage,
lowest percentage of cheap wins, and highest percentage of wins lost. By contrast, Hudson is well below the mean in only one metric: highest
percentage of tough losses.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUDieqw52sk/X5XlMyvhzdI/AAAAAAABMRQ/Z4LUTSppmikapqghgGmNF2kDif2n4kjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2244/Tim%2BHudson%2BCurt%2BSchilling%2BMike%2BMussina.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="2244" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SUDieqw52sk/X5XlMyvhzdI/AAAAAAABMRQ/Z4LUTSppmikapqghgGmNF2kDif2n4kjlQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h294/Tim%2BHudson%2BCurt%2BSchilling%2BMike%2BMussina.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">As
for the seven other featured hurlers, not surprisingly Halladay leads
his fellow pitchers by a sizable gap. In fact, Halladay ranks first or
second in seven of the nine categories and his 17 points from the
combined rankings translates to an average finish of 1.89. With such a
wide margin separating Halladay from the three-way battle for second
place between Schilling, Mussina, and Hudson, it is clear that among the
nine ranked categories the</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> first-ballot
Hall of Famer is truly in a class by himself. A ways back from the
Schilling-Mussina-Hudson triumvirate, Buehrle and Pettitte are tied for
fifth place with their equivalent </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">48
points giving them each a 5.33 average finish. Further back is Morris
with 55 points and a 6.11 average finish while Sabathia is dead last</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> with 56 points and a 6.22 average.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Morris’
seventh place rank is not surprising since his 3.90 ERA is the highest
among Hall of Fame pitchers. Nevertheless, Morris’ Hall of Fame case
was greatly strengthened by his stellar World Series performances during
the 1984 and 1991 Fall Classics, each of which played a role in his
election to Cooperstown. However, Sabathia’s last place finish is somewhat unexpected. During the final season of his career, Sabathia
joined the prestigious 3,000-strikeout club while also reaching the
secondary milestone of 250 wins. Reaching these dual milestones will
undoubtedly help Sabathia draw support when he becomes eligible to
appear on the BBWAA ballot in four years. That being said, Sabathia’s
low ranking is due, in part, to his pitching several seasons past his
prime. With 3577.1 innings pitched, Sabathia ranks second among the
eight hurlers, behind only Morris’ 3824 frames. This longevity enabled
Sabathia to reach the 250-win/3000-strikeout milestones but the quantity
he added also came at the expense of quality as, over the final seven
seasons of his career, the hurler often struggled to pitch at a league
average level, going 60-59 with a 4.33 ERA while posting a pedestrian
ERA+ of 97. Moreover, during Sabathia’s final seven campaigns, the
veteran was the beneficiary of 16 cheap wins and saved from a staggering
31 potential losses compared to being the victim of 14 tough losses
with just 5 potential wins lost.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">While Hudson’s 3.89 average finish and fourth place ranking puts him in the neighborhood of Schilling and Mussina,</span> many
of the popular sabermetric stats such as WAR and JAWS judge the
sinkerball-specialist’s career value as being closer to his
contemporaries, Buehrle, Pettitte, and Sabathia. <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Nevertheless,
with Hudson’s strong overall showing in the nine categories, the righty
sets himself apart from Buehrle and Pettitte, whom he is slated to
share the upcoming ballot with. Hudson also distinguishes himself from
Sabathia, who will be eligible for the 2025 vote. </span>In addition,
Hudson’s solid ranking and the edge he holds over three of his
contemporaries underscores the validity of his 222 victories and .625
win-loss percentage. Wins may be devalued by some in the baseball
community, however, the rarely seen combination of Hudson’s <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">victory
total and win-loss percentage are key elements of a Hall of
Fame-caliber career that should one day earn the hurler a bronze plaque
in Cooperstown.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">----by John Tuberty </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/BloggerTubbs?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sources:
Baseball Reference, Baseball Reference Stathead, <a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/instagraphs/game-score-v2-0/" target="_blank">Fangraphs</a>, <a href="http://m.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats/game-score" target="_blank">MLB</a>,
<a href="https://www.cooperstowncred.com/andy-pettitte-complicated-hall-of-fame-case/" target="_blank">Cooperstown Cred Andy Pettitte article</a>, <a href="https://www.cooperstowncred.com/is-cc-sabathia-a-hall-of-famer/" target="_blank">Cooperstown Cred CC Sabathia
article</a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Cards: Tim Hudson 2002 SP Authentic,
Mark Buehrle 2002 Upper Deck Ballpark Idols, CC Sabathia 2010 Topps, Roy
Halladay 2006 Fleer Ultra, Mike Mussina 1996 Topps, Andy Pettitte 1996
Fleer, Curt Schilling 2000 Upper Deck Pros & Prospects, Jack Morris
1984 Fleer, Tim Hudson 2007 Upper Deck, Tim Hudson 2014 Bowman Chrome,
Tim Hudson 2002 Topps Reserve, Tim Hudson 2006 Upper Deck Sweet Spot
Update, Curt Schilling 2004 Fleer Ultra, Mike Mussina 2003 Upper Deck
First Pitch</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX9UoFyEwIM/X5Xlep-eOgI/AAAAAAABMRY/dEuygeJC_7wA3wLQ-tMysnLfEfZhCb73gCLcBGAsYHQ/s2188/Tommy%2BJohn%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJimmy%2BKey.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="2188" height="306" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hX9UoFyEwIM/X5Xlep-eOgI/AAAAAAABMRY/dEuygeJC_7wA3wLQ-tMysnLfEfZhCb73gCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h306/Tommy%2BJohn%2BDwight%2BEvans%2BJimmy%2BKey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</u></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-favorite-baseball-cards-of-jimmy-key.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My Favorite Baseball Cards of Jimmy Key During His Nine Seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays</span></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Stat links to players
mentioned: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hudsoti01.shtml" target="_blank">Tim Hudson</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hallaro01.shtml" target="_blank">Roy Halladay</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mussimi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Mussina</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/morrija02.shtml" target="_blank">Jack Morris</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schilcu01.shtml" target="_blank">Curt Schilling</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pettian01.shtml" target="_blank">Andy Pettitte</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buehrma01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Buehrle</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/sabatc.01.shtml" target="_blank">CC Sabathia</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/clemero02.shtml" target="_blank">Roger Clemens</a>,
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wellsda01.shtml" target="_blank">David Wells</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/muldema01.shtml" target="_blank">Mark Mulder</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zitoba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Zito</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kochbi01.shtml" target="_blank">Billy Koch</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foulkke01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Foulke</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maysca01.shtml" target="_blank">Carl Mays</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/buffich01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Buffinton</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/carutbo01.shtml" target="_blank">Bob Caruthers</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/stiveja01.shtml" target="_blank">Jack Stivetts</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/chapmra01.shtml" target="_blank">Ray Chapman</a></span> <br /></span></span></div>John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-52330711000591709332020-10-04T17:01:00.005-04:002020-10-04T17:12:22.874-04:00Funny Baseball Cards and Silly Captions, Volume 7<p> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
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table.MsoNormalTable
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mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
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mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
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</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kDawWumyWM/X3oQoRzZtwI/AAAAAAABLPg/gVPi6vPCn28cc2ju9t2LH7_LHAPriHzUACLcBGAsYHQ/s1037/Charlie%2BHough%2B1988%2BTopps%2BRevco.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2kDawWumyWM/X3oQoRzZtwI/AAAAAAABLPg/gVPi6vPCn28cc2ju9t2LH7_LHAPriHzUACLcBGAsYHQ/w284-h400/Charlie%2BHough%2B1988%2BTopps%2BRevco.jpg" width="284" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/houghch01.shtml" target="_blank">Charlie Hough 1988 Topps Revco League Leaders</a></u></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Veteran pitcher Charlie Hough only agreed to appear on this
Revco card after the drugstore company promised to give him 15% off his
vitamins, Fixodent, Geritol, Metamucil, and Werther’s Original.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBve7xfcYtk/X3oQyk8qz2I/AAAAAAABLPk/5X1kppso3ikQPcVrcblJ3pvCIQIx16F1gCLcBGAsYHQ/s1052/Rick%2BDempsey%2B1983%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1052" data-original-width="752" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VBve7xfcYtk/X3oQyk8qz2I/AAAAAAABLPk/5X1kppso3ikQPcVrcblJ3pvCIQIx16F1gCLcBGAsYHQ/w286-h400/Rick%2BDempsey%2B1983%2BTopps.jpg" width="286" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dempsri01.shtml" target="_blank">Rick Dempsey 1983 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Rick Dempsey was known as something of a goofball during
his career but the Baltimore Orioles catcher was actually sneaky brilliant.
Here he’s using his 9th inning ‘gotta pee’ stance to subconsciously get the
umpire to give him close pitches for strikes to get the game over with.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HUYkgTMfaPc/X3oQ_iKAU5I/AAAAAAABLPs/SfGFA3Or_mEV4K7uCfqRA9t9ctc9MMIQQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1025/Pete%2BVuckovich%2B1986%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="735" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HUYkgTMfaPc/X3oQ_iKAU5I/AAAAAAABLPs/SfGFA3Or_mEV4K7uCfqRA9t9ctc9MMIQQCLcBGAsYHQ/w286-h400/Pete%2BVuckovich%2B1986%2BTopps.jpg" width="286" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/vuckope01.shtml" target="_blank">Pete Vuckovich 1986 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I’m not gonna be the one to tell Pete Vuckovich that he
has a bowl-cut mullet.”</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xn8pj6gOciw/X3oRITsSaNI/AAAAAAABLP0/sRnNUFVQphIkBUPz_8AaZyQAqRsCv_1iwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1043/Junior%2BFelix%2B1993%2BClassic%2BUpdate%2BBlue%2BTravel%2BEdition.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="738" data-original-width="1043" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Xn8pj6gOciw/X3oRITsSaNI/AAAAAAABLP0/sRnNUFVQphIkBUPz_8AaZyQAqRsCv_1iwCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h283/Junior%2BFelix%2B1993%2BClassic%2BUpdate%2BBlue%2BTravel%2BEdition.jpg" width="400" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/felixju01.shtml" target="_blank">Junior Felix 1993 Classic Update Blue Travel Edition</a></u></b><b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
</span></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Mired in an 0 for 26 slump, Junior Felix got so desperate
that after taking a full count borderline pitch for a called third strike, he
tried to row, row, row, his way gently down to first base.”</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1KN54bbXxc/X3oRRiTah8I/AAAAAAABLP8/wGUfyZkYnxcrhY5b4UYjowH720dPIgnoACLcBGAsYHQ/s1022/Rob%2BMurphy%2B1990%2BUpperDeck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1022" data-original-width="748" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_1KN54bbXxc/X3oRRiTah8I/AAAAAAABLP8/wGUfyZkYnxcrhY5b4UYjowH720dPIgnoACLcBGAsYHQ/w293-h400/Rob%2BMurphy%2B1990%2BUpperDeck.jpg" width="293" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/murphro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rob Murphy 1990 Upper Deck</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“During pregame warm ups, Rob Murphy couldn’t wait to
download a picture of a bikini-clad Cindy Crawford to show his teammates from
this thing called the World Wide Web. After the Red Sox won the game in extra
innings, all that was downloaded of the picture was Crawford’s eyebrows.
Finally six hours later, well after all his teammates had left the stadium, the
picture finally finished downloading as an anxious Murphy sat alone in a dark
clubhouse.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MDB_lGEq60g/X3oXCqOixmI/AAAAAAABLRQ/7JYxdEMkrXMJTjHXNMc0JyxDD0flwlJKQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1484/Barry%2BBonds%2Band%2BBobby%2BBonilla%2B1990%2BTopps.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="1484" height="452" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MDB_lGEq60g/X3oXCqOixmI/AAAAAAABLRQ/7JYxdEMkrXMJTjHXNMc0JyxDD0flwlJKQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h452/Barry%2BBonds%2Band%2BBobby%2BBonilla%2B1990%2BTopps.png" width="640" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bondsba01.shtml" target="_blank">Barry Bonds</a><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bonilbo01.shtml" target="_blank"> and Bobby Bonilla 1990 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Back when they were teammates with the Pirates, Barry Bonds
and Bobby Bonilla each visited a fortune teller and subsequently got in a
debate over who would have the better future:</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Hey Bobby, I’m gonna win seven MVPs and you aren’t even
gonna win one!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">—“Well guess what, Barry? I’m gonna win a World Series ring
in a closely-contested Game 7 and you’re gonna end your career with zero
championship rings!”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You think that’s great, Bobby-Bo? I’ll break Hank Aaron’s
home run record six years after your lazy butt is retired!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">—“Barry, I got ya beat—I’m gonna sign a contract that will not
only make me the highest paid player in the game but also fetch me a
million-plus per year until I’m 72!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Damn.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLzRukYY2rw/X3oT-zB_UXI/AAAAAAABLQU/fU3oiXFwa0w3lfoL0McCbXHMxrAON5qYQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1043/Dave%2BKingman%2B1987%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1043" data-original-width="737" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BLzRukYY2rw/X3oT-zB_UXI/AAAAAAABLQU/fU3oiXFwa0w3lfoL0McCbXHMxrAON5qYQCLcBGAsYHQ/w283-h400/Dave%2BKingman%2B1987%2BTopps.jpg" width="283" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kingmda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Kingman 1987 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I shudder to think what cruel prank Dave Kingman has played
on some poor, unsuspecting soul to be laughing this hard.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kingman is remembered for being a one-dimensional slugger
who hit towering home runs but struggled defensively, rarely walked, and struck
out regularly while posting low batting averages. Kingman is also notorious for
the cruel prank he played on <i>Sacramento Bee</i> reporter Susan Fornoff. In June
1986, while playing for the Oakland Athletics, Kingman sent Fornoff a corsage
box with a live rat inside. The incident led to upper management souring on
Kingman and was a major reason the club opted not to re-sign the slugger the
following season.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLvyhp_pv_o/X3oUNkPGVSI/AAAAAAABLQY/g_ydpXw6Z_cIAo0BRzX6fIODKvnUSAr6QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1046/Frank%2BZupo%2B1958%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="744" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLvyhp_pv_o/X3oUNkPGVSI/AAAAAAABLQY/g_ydpXw6Z_cIAo0BRzX6fIODKvnUSAr6QCLcBGAsYHQ/w285-h400/Frank%2BZupo%2B1958%2BTopps.jpg" width="285" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zupofr01.shtml" target="_blank">Frank Zupo 1958 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“During the 1950s, facial hair was frowned upon in the major
leagues so some players like Frank Zupo grew unibrows as a symbol of defiance.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISQqSnL1ABs/X3oUdS9wjFI/AAAAAAABLQk/WwkFvFrP5_Q-WRw9bz6ZJok4RjGp3v2VwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1030/Julio%2BFranco%2B1990%2BTopps%2BAS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="744" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ISQqSnL1ABs/X3oUdS9wjFI/AAAAAAABLQk/WwkFvFrP5_Q-WRw9bz6ZJok4RjGp3v2VwCLcBGAsYHQ/w289-h400/Julio%2BFranco%2B1990%2BTopps%2BAS.jpg" width="289" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/francju01.shtml" target="_blank">Julio Franco 1990 Topps All-Star</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“If you had the misfortune of lining out to Julio Franco,
the second baseman would show you up by doing a goofy side-to-side dance move
which was copied and popularized by MC Hammer.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6fwnhiLcyI/X3oUovqEazI/AAAAAAABLQo/zus5DQbHxFYkd8xYwGNBush04m4tGfuDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s997/Zane%2BSmith%2B1991%2BTopps.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="997" data-original-width="692" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6fwnhiLcyI/X3oUovqEazI/AAAAAAABLQo/zus5DQbHxFYkd8xYwGNBush04m4tGfuDwCLcBGAsYHQ/w278-h400/Zane%2BSmith%2B1991%2BTopps.jpg" width="278" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithza01.shtml" target="_blank">Zane Smith 1991 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Left-handed pitcher Zane Smith got so fed up with his
teammates that he decided to post his grievances on a clipboard:</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I. The playing of Winger & Warrant in the clubhouse must
stop immediately!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">II. Crop-dusting is only okay for farmers!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">III. Please stop giving me hot foot when I’m on the phone
with my financial advisor!</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IV. Peeing in the shower is not an acceptable form of
victory celebration!”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IiMQzJFhnFE/X3oUy8l5pXI/AAAAAAABLQw/dctFRwbcGy869pWUaPAU_PsAELvGhcDXgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1034/Rob%2BDibble%2B1992%2BScore%2BDream%2BTeam.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1034" data-original-width="747" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IiMQzJFhnFE/X3oUy8l5pXI/AAAAAAABLQw/dctFRwbcGy869pWUaPAU_PsAELvGhcDXgCLcBGAsYHQ/w289-h400/Rob%2BDibble%2B1992%2BScore%2BDream%2BTeam.jpg" width="289" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dibblro01.shtml" target="_blank">Rob Dibble 1992 Score Dream Team</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“I was going to make fun of this card but then I realized
there was a 0.001% chance that Rob Dibble might read this, so I decided against
it.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eKtL8akhYo/X3oU9P8rVnI/AAAAAAABLQ4/1gNRUbJgJa4ZxujUcveQMV75YZLfE49SwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1482/Gary%2BLucas%2B1987%2BTopps%2BJim%2BRice%2B1990%2BUpper%2BDeck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1037" data-original-width="1482" height="448" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8eKtL8akhYo/X3oU9P8rVnI/AAAAAAABLQ4/1gNRUbJgJa4ZxujUcveQMV75YZLfE49SwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h448/Gary%2BLucas%2B1987%2BTopps%2BJim%2BRice%2B1990%2BUpper%2BDeck.jpg" width="640" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lucasga01.shtml" target="_blank">Gary Lucas 1987 Topps and </a><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/riceji01.shtml" target="_blank">Jim Rice 1990 Upper Deck</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“First pitch? You sure, Jim?”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">—“Trust me, Gary. I’m three years in the future. You hit
Gedman with your first pitch in Game 5 of the ALCS.”</span></i></b><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I’m not sure how 1986 Gary Lucas and 1989 Jim Rice are
communicating between baseball cards three years apart from two different
manufacturers but nevertheless here it is.</span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><u><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></u></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><u><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9coBx51ZNk4/X3oVF5EEnwI/AAAAAAABLRA/-1dIHbGmRJk6kaaKm1I0z8AlYe2N6nkgwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1556/Brian%2BDayett%2B1986%2BTopps%2BHerbert%2BHoover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1556" height="418" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9coBx51ZNk4/X3oVF5EEnwI/AAAAAAABLRA/-1dIHbGmRJk6kaaKm1I0z8AlYe2N6nkgwCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h418/Brian%2BDayett%2B1986%2BTopps%2BHerbert%2BHoover.jpg" width="640" /></a></u></b></div><b><u><br /><a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/d/dayetbr01.shtml" target="_blank">Brian Dayett 1986 Topps</a></u></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><i><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“During his 1928 Presidential Campaign, one of Herbert
Hoover’s slogans was ‘A chicken in every pot.’ For their 1986 set, Topps’
slogan should’ve been ‘A Brian Dayett in every pack.’”</span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">----by John Tuberty</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow me on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sources: <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/opinion/openforum/article/A-s-slugger-Dave-Kingman-should-show-more-regret-2366864.php" target="_blank">SF Gate</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></p><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">More Articles
from the Funny Baseball Cards and Silly Captions Series:</span></u></b></div>
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<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2019/04/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions_18.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volume 1 (includes Omar Vizquel, Jack Morris, & 10 others)</span></a></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2019/05/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions_1.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volume 2 (includes Darrell Evans, Charlie Hough, & 10 others)</span></a></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2019/06/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volume 3 (includes Bryce Harper, Greg Luzinski, & 8 others)</span></a></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2019/07/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volume 4 Special Hall of Fame Induction Edition (includes 12 Hall of Famers)</span></a></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/03/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Volume 5 (includes Rollie Fingers, Curt Schilling, & 9 others)</span></a></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/08/funny-baseball-cards-and-silly-captions.html" target="_blank">Volume 6 (includes Dennis Eckersley, Gorman Thomas, & 10 others)</a></b> <br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other (More
Serious) Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</span></a></b></div><b>
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<b><br /></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/05/how-dwight-evans-overcame-mid-career_27.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">How Dwight Evans Overcame a Mid-Career Crisis to Evolve into a Hall of Fame-Caliber Player</span></a></b></div><b>
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<b><br /></b></div><b>
</b><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-favorite-baseball-cards-of-jimmy-key.html" target="_blank"><span face=""arial" , sans-serif" style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Favorite Baseball Cards of Jimmy Key During His Nine Seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays</span></a></b></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span face=""Arial",sans-serif"> </span></p>
John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6849359023607717471.post-49268563105434115132020-09-02T09:27:00.001-04:002020-09-02T09:27:25.938-04:00A Look at Steve Garvey’s Impressive Career and a Trip Down Memory Lane to Explore the Baseball Cards I Collected of the Slugger During My Childhood<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCW8QySZBf8/X0b1S9LCXzI/AAAAAAABKM4/xYlwU14XEmcGxN83rFi3H0hT87f2BqmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B3%2Bcard%2Bset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VCW8QySZBf8/X0b1S9LCXzI/AAAAAAABKM4/xYlwU14XEmcGxN83rFi3H0hT87f2BqmcwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Steve%2BGarvey%2B3%2Bcard%2Bset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I started collecting baseball cards in 1983
when I was a young child.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the
players who made an impression on me during my early years of
collecting was <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/garvest01.shtml" target="_blank">Steve Garvey</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I
entered the hobby, Garvey had been among the sport’s most prominent players for
the better part of a decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey
played for two franchises during his career, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the
San Diego Padres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since my entry into
the hobby coincided with Garvey’s move from the Dodgers to the Padres, for the
majority of my childhood, I associated the slugger more with his latter years
in San Diego than his prime seasons in Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, nearly all of my cards feature Garvey
clad in the gaudy brown and gold colors of the Padres rather than the classic
Dodger Blue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Garvey was in the
closing stages of his impressive career, my collection gives an insight into
the veteran’s standing in the game as many of his cards highlight his superstar
status.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garvey made his major league debut in
September 1969 after being selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the
thirteenth overall pick in the first round of the June 1968 MLB Draft secondary
phase.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Dodgers drafting of Garvey
was fitting as he had served as the club’s Spring Training bat boy for several
years during his childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey
initially came up as a third baseman but made an alarming number of throwing
errors which necessitated his move from the hot corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the first few years of his career, Garvey
struggled to break into the Dodgers starting line up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, after moving to first base in June
1973, Garvey finished the season strong, showing significant improvements on
both defense as well as in the batter’s box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After taking over first base, Garvey along with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/lopesda01.shtml" target="_blank">Davey Lopes</a> at second
base, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/russebi01.shtml" target="_blank">Bill Russell</a> at shortstop, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/ceyro01.shtml" target="_blank">Ron Cey</a> at third base gave the Dodgers an
impressive infield of budding young players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This promising quartet ultimately played together as an infield through
the 1981 season and were a driving force in keeping the Dodgers a perennial
contender in the NL West.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey carried
the momentum from his strong finish to the 1973 season into 1974, putting
together an excellent campaign—wrapping 200 hits with 21 home runs, 111 RBI,
and a .312 batting average.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s
breakout season helped the Dodgers win the NL West and advance to playoffs for
the first time since 1966.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Los Angeles
beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NLCS to capture the NL Pennant but came up
short against the two-time defending World Champion Oakland Athletics in the
Fall Classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey drew a lot of
attention for his standout 1974 campaign and was voted NL MVP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s defensive work was also recognized
as he was bestowed his first of four consecutive Gold Glove Awards.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FNLjK0I38Vs/X0b1gMMJjbI/AAAAAAABKM8/9v5TR7Y-e6gL3soS4yFhmGozSME1_k2rACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1982%2BKmart%2BMVP.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="736" data-original-width="1042" height="282" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FNLjK0I38Vs/X0b1gMMJjbI/AAAAAAABKM8/9v5TR7Y-e6gL3soS4yFhmGozSME1_k2rACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1982%2BKmart%2BMVP.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1982 Topps Kmart MVP Series</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A few years into the hobby, like so many kids
and collectors, I picked up the Topps Kmart MVP Series box set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The small set, which was released in 1982 but
readily available for several years afterward, highlighted the MVP winners from
1962 to 1981 and featured a reprinted version of Garvey’s 1974 Topps to
commemorate the year he won the NL MVP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
card stood out to me because it showed Garvey in a Dodgers uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was aware Garvey had previously played for
Los Angeles but up until that point all my cards and stickers of the slugger
displayed him in a Padres uniform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
reprinted variations of the Topps cards from the Kmart set gave me insight into
past MVP winners and also a chance to see what some of the older card designs
looked like.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s 1974 Topps was one
of the more memorable cards from the Kmart MVP set as the dusky image of the
first baseman captured in front of a blurry backdrop of fans gave the card an
especially old-time feel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition,
the horizontal orientation Topps used for Garvey’s card also made it unique.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garvey proved his MVP-winning campaign was no
fluke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He put together a string of solid
seasons and his ability to reach the 200 hit-plateau while batting .300 became
hallmarks of his game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, between
1974 and 1980, Garvey accomplished these dual milestones each season—save for
1977 when he collected 192 hits with a .297 batting average but
compensated for it by smacking a career-high 33 home runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another hallmark of Garvey’s game was
durability as the first baseman had taken the field for every one of his team’s
games since September 3, 1975. Los Angeles won back-to-back NL Pennants
in 1977 and 1978 only to lose to the New York Yankees in the World Series each
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Garvey earned a
reputation as a clutch-hitter for his strong postseason performances, most
notably in 1978 when he clubbed four home runs in four games against the
Philadelphia Phillies to earn NLCS MVP honors.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgB2BejhX0k/X0b1rLMDBII/AAAAAAABKNE/aRwDHggbpXYkw6dLoWy2H99dHIUuWG8hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1978%2BTopps%2BSteve%2BGarvey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="738" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JgB2BejhX0k/X0b1rLMDBII/AAAAAAABKNE/aRwDHggbpXYkw6dLoWy2H99dHIUuWG8hQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/1978%2BTopps%2BSteve%2BGarvey.jpg" width="283" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1978 Topps</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For my first few years of collecting, the
majority of my cards came from buying packs of the latest sets at convenience,
big box retail, and drug stores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually
I started buying variety packs which often included cards from special edition
releases and older sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the
variety packs rarely included any cards from sets prior to 1980, so anything
from 1979 or before I considered an “old card.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>My next step as a collector was going to hobby shops which offered me
the opportunity to buy “old cards” like Garvey’s 1978 Topps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I bought Garvey’s 1978 Topps close to a
decade after it was originally released and it was a big deal to me because I
finally had a card of the slugger from a base set during his prime years with
Los Angeles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the mix of red, white,
and blue colors serving as a perfect complement to Garvey’s Dodgers jersey, the
card has a decidedly patriotic feel to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>When Topps issued this card, Garvey was fresh off another solid campaign
in which he helped lead Los Angeles to their second NL Pennant in four
years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey paced the Senior Circuit
with 202 hits and finished runner-up to Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/parkeda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dave Parker</a> in the 1978 NL MVP vote.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During the strike-shortened 1981 season,
Garvey saw his production dip a little as the slugger’s 122 hits and .283
batting average in the club’s abbreviated 110-game schedule were a tick below
his usual standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless,
Garvey made the All-Star team for the eighth season in a row while
the Dodgers returned to the World Series where they once again faced the
Yankees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey batted a team-high
.417 in the Fall Classic with his 10 hits leading both clubs as Los
Angeles finally defeated their AL foe to capture the World Championship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, shortly after winning the World
Series, the Dodgers split up their infield by trading second baseman Davey
Lopes to the A’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With 16 home runs and
a .282 batting average in 1982, the now 33-year old Garvey had his second
straight campaign that was below par for the former MVP.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Following the 1982 season, Garvey became
eligible for free agency and, after hitting an impasse in negotiations with the
Dodgers, signed a five-year contract to join their NL West rival San Diego
Padres.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With his move to San Diego, Garvey brought a
veteran presence to a youthful Padres team in which all the other starting position
players were under 30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Diego was
coming off an 81-81 record which represented only the second time in the
franchise’s 14-year history that the club finished the season with a .500
record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Early in his first season with
the Padres, Garvey set the NL record for consecutive games played when he
surpassed <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/willibi01.shtml" target="_blank">Billy Williams’</a> mark of 1,117.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With 14 home runs and a .294 batting average through San Diego’s first
100 games, Garvey was in the process of putting together a solid 1983 campaign
when he broke his left thumb sliding into home while trying to score on a wild
pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey was lost for the remainder
of the season and saw his consecutive games streak ended at 1,207 as the Padres
repeated their 81-81 record of the previous year.</span></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1984 Topps Drake’s Big Hitters</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Between 1981 and 1985, Topps produced Drake’s
Big Hitters, a small 33-card collectors’ edition set which featured prominent
sluggers of the day and were available in packs of Drake’s Cakes snacks. The
combination of getting a delicious snack <i>and</i> receiving a
baseball card inside was one of the great memories of my childhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my first two years in the hobby, my
older sister and I collected Drake’s Big Hitters cards along with packs of 1983
and 1984 Topps and Fleer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those sets
will always be special to me because they served as my introduction to baseball
card collecting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any player who was
included in the Drake’s Big Hitters set instantly had name recognition and credibility
with my sister and me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we
were not fortunate enough to come across a Garvey card in any of the Topps or
Fleer packs we opened during those years, I can safely assume that this 1984
Drake’s Big Hitters issue is the first card I owned of the slugger.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garvey returned to action from his thumb
injury and was joined by a couple of veteran acquisitions, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gossari01.shtml" target="_blank">Goose Gossage</a> and
<a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nettlgr01.shtml" target="_blank">Graig Nettles</a>, who helped solidify the roster for the 1984 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey was familiar with the club’s new pickups
as the first baseman had battled both of them in multiple Fall Classics when
Gossage and Nettles played for the Yankees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With a core of solid veterans in Garvey, Gossage, and Nettles along with
the emergence of young players such as <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/gwynnto01.shtml" target="_blank">Tony Gwynn</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcreyke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin McReynolds</a>, and <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wiggial01.shtml" target="_blank">Alan Wiggins</a>, San Diego went 92-70 to win their first NL West title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Garvey was no longer the perennial
.300-hitter he had been during his prime years in Los Angeles, the slugger
still managed to lead the Padres with 86 RBI while his .284 batting average
ranked second in the club behind Gwynn’s NL-leading .351 mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s postseason experience proved to be
invaluable for San Diego.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the
Padres trailing the Chicago Cubs two games to one and facing elimination in the
best-of-five NLCS, Garvey delivered an incredible Game 4 performance as he
nearly single-handedly forced a decisive Game 5—going 4 for 5 while driving in
5 of San Diego’s 7 runs including a dramatic walk-off two-run home run off future
Hall of Famer <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithle02.shtml" target="_blank">Lee Smith</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Padres won
Game 5 the following day to capture the NL Pennant as Garvey was named NLCS MVP
for the second time in his career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However,
San Diego was unable to carry the momentum into the World Series and were only
able to muster one victory against the 104-game winning juggernaut Detroit
Tigers in the Fall Classic.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5azAhBDDBM/X0b2B19KOAI/AAAAAAABKNU/Z2bF5E8uKpkeSBQKpDjtiuFhssws3xbGACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1985%2BTopps%2BRecord%2BBreaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1032" data-original-width="736" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-q5azAhBDDBM/X0b2B19KOAI/AAAAAAABKNU/Z2bF5E8uKpkeSBQKpDjtiuFhssws3xbGACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1985%2BTopps%2BRecord%2BBreaker.jpg" width="285" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1985 Topps Record Breaker</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garvey finished 1984 with a perfect fielding
percentage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the end of the
season, Garvey surpassed <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/heganmi01.shtml" target="_blank">Mike Hegan’s</a> MLB record of 178 errorless games at
first base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey extended the record
to 194 before finally making an error early in the 1985 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Topps honored Garvey’s achievement by
producing a record breaker card of the veteran in their 1985 set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s record mark stood for over two
decades before it was passed by Boston Red Sox first baseman <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/y/youklke01.shtml" target="_blank">Kevin Youkilis</a> in
2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Garvey’s 194-game
errorless streak still stands as the NL record.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Oddly, Garvey was not included among the 1984 Topps record breaker cards
for overtaking Billy Williams’ NL consecutive games mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To date, Garvey’s 1,207 consecutive games is
the NL record and is in no threat of being broken anytime soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite going the entire 1984 season without
making an error, it was not enough to win the NL Gold Glove as <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hernake01.shtml" target="_blank">Keith Hernandez</a>
picked up the honor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, there
was no shame in losing out on the Gold Glove to Hernandez who is widely
regarded as the finest fielding first baseman in the history of the game.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">San Diego was unable to repeat as the NL West
champions in 1985, sliding back to an 83-79 record to finish tied for 3rd place
with the Houston Astros, 12 games back of the Division-winning Dodgers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey batted .281 with 17 home runs and a
team-high 81 RBI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey made his tenth
All-Star team while his 17 longballs and 184 hits were the slugger’s highest
totals since 1980.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following season
Garvey posted similar power and production numbers with 21 round-trippers and
81 RBI but saw his average plummet to .255, the veteran’s lowest mark since he
was first breaking into the majors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Padres also struggled, dipping well below .500 with a 74-88 record.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRiSRgihRJM/X0b2JKb1ZyI/AAAAAAABKNc/kBImpJAUkQ0F_EIdcNiYheAAQmGCwjb-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/1986%2Band%2B1987%2BTopps%2BSteve%2BGarvey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1040" data-original-width="1488" height="444" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sRiSRgihRJM/X0b2JKb1ZyI/AAAAAAABKNc/kBImpJAUkQ0F_EIdcNiYheAAQmGCwjb-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/1986%2Band%2B1987%2BTopps%2BSteve%2BGarvey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1986 and 1987 Topps</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One of my most avid years as a collector was
1986.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After my sister and I
enthusiastically collected Topps, Fleer, and Drake’s Big Hitters in 1983 and
1984, we were not as impressed with the look of the 1985 sets and our interest
in the hobby waned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My sister outgrew
baseball cards and moved onto other interests while I was drawn back into
collecting when I opened my first pack of 1986 Topps and quickly found myself
buying more cards than ever before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s
1986 Topps always stood out to me and is one of my favorite cards from the
set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With his first baseman’s glove
raised above his head, Garvey appears to be readying himself to call for the
ball during infield practice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey
very much looks the part of a veteran player in charge and focused on leading
his team to victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following year,
Topps went with a wood grain design that was similar to the look of their 1968
set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The wood grain design clashed with
some teams, particularly those who wore blue like the Kansas City Royals and
Toronto Blue Jays but was a perfect fit for the brown and gold colors of the
Padres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an adult, the shot of Garvey
smirking while stretching on the field is kind of amusing but as a child this
card was one of my favorites from the 1987 Topps set.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kpeyb0zRlUk/X0b2R_FCJeI/AAAAAAABKNk/OqADaOGHHQYqs4M9qcs3OoftgnLb3z6nQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2BTopps%2BStickers.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="929" data-original-width="1600" height="369" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kpeyb0zRlUk/X0b2R_FCJeI/AAAAAAABKNk/OqADaOGHHQYqs4M9qcs3OoftgnLb3z6nQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Steve%2BGarvey%2BTopps%2BStickers.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1986 and 1987 Topps Stickers</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Along with baseball cards, I also collected
Topps Sticker Yearbooks, particularly in 1986 and 1987 when I completed both
sticker books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my early years as
a fan, baseball cards and sticker books largely served as my sources of
information on players and teams.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Underneath
their stickers, Topps included the player’s stats from the previous season along
with their career numbers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at
Garvey’s career totals and comparing them to other hitters, I could see the
veteran had been one of the top sluggers in the game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Topps selected two players from each team to
be prominently displayed with larger stickers than their teammates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For both 1986 and 1987, Garvey and Tony Gwynn
were picked to be San Diego’s two featured players.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On his 1987 sticker, Topps once again
captured Garvey stretching, using a shot similar to the one used for the former
MVP’s 1987 card.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Which makes me wonder,
did Topps have some fascination with Garvey stretching?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, since Garvey was the starting first
baseman for the NL in the 1985 All-Star Game, Topps showcased the slugger along
with each of the other Midsummer Classic starters in a memorable All-Star page
in their 1986 sticker book.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YHnBLgly47U/X0b2hDCAB3I/AAAAAAABKNs/UFLvNlbXLfQT2NcdqbZOTY_5flbFiJDhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1986%2BTopps%2BGlossy%2Band%2BMail%2Bin%2BAll%2BStars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1044" data-original-width="1476" height="451" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YHnBLgly47U/X0b2hDCAB3I/AAAAAAABKNs/UFLvNlbXLfQT2NcdqbZOTY_5flbFiJDhQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1986%2BTopps%2BGlossy%2Band%2BMail%2Bin%2BAll%2BStars.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1986 Topps Rack Pack Glossy All-Stars and
Mail-In Glossy All-Star Collector’s Edition</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition to issuing an All-Star sticker of
Garvey, Topps also made two 1986 All-Star cards of the veteran that are part of
my collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey was included in
the glossy 22-card commemorative All-Star Game set that was available in Topps
rack packs and was also part of the special mail-in glossy 60-card Topps
All-Star Collector’s Edition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly,
Topps did not produce an All-Star card of Garvey for their base set as the
company instead chose to use Keith Hernandez as the NL first baseman
representative despite Garvey being the starting first baseman of the 1985
Midsummer Classic and Hernandez not even being among the reserves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s appearance in the 1985 All-Star Game
was the slugger’s tenth and ultimately final trip to the Midsummer Classic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the course of his ten All-Star
appearances, Garvey batted a whopping .393 and was the NL starter
at first base for nine of those games.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Garvey made his first All-Star team during his breakout 1974 campaign
when he won the fan vote to be the NL’s starting first baseman on write-in
votes despite not even being included on the ballot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey went 2 for 4 in the 1974 Midsummer
Classic, scored the first run of the game, hit a game-tying double, made some
key defensive plays, and was named All-Star Game MVP in the NL’s 7-2
victory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey capped his breakout 1974
by being named the NL regular season MVP later that year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey picked up All-Star Game MVP honors a
second time in 1978, this time driving in a pair of game-tying runs and later
scoring the deciding run after leading off the bottom of the 8th with a triple
in the 7-3 win for the Senior Circuit.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SawtkNoxHg/X0b2pZcH7NI/AAAAAAABKN0/897fxei_bb4z-5fzWR4g2I_cIG27tgvBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1986%2BLeaf%2Band%2B1987%2BFleer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1036" data-original-width="1492" height="443" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3SawtkNoxHg/X0b2pZcH7NI/AAAAAAABKN0/897fxei_bb4z-5fzWR4g2I_cIG27tgvBwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1986%2BLeaf%2Band%2B1987%2BFleer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1986 Leaf and 1987 Fleer</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Two other Garvey cards I have from base sets
are his 1986 Leaf and 1987 Fleer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aside
from my standard Garvey cards from the Topps, Leaf, and Fleer base sets, every
other card of the slugger I owned highlighted or underscored his superstar
status in the game.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ziK9na_ipE/X0b2wZi11yI/AAAAAAABKN4/dGFooY4Ed4od5n_uDb1MqE94l1EbUYYhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1984%2BDonruss%2BChampion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="1029" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ziK9na_ipE/X0b2wZi11yI/AAAAAAABKN4/dGFooY4Ed4od5n_uDb1MqE94l1EbUYYhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1984%2BDonruss%2BChampion.jpg" width="276" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1984 Donruss Champions</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For his MVP-winning All-Star performance in
the 1974 Midsummer Classic, Garvey was included in the 1984 Donruss Champions
series, a small set of oversized cards which honored active players and Hall of
Famers for different achievements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
card features a shot of Garvey finishing up his swing with the slugger’s face
somewhat grimaced, looking slightly upward as if he flew out or swung and
missed the pitch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUHN-YNY3LQ/X0b25tqYAwI/AAAAAAABKOE/IohIDwjmIBoiNq0lwiW9x7H7unT1u0BAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1984%2BRalston%2BPurina%2Band%2B1986%2BQuaker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1035" data-original-width="1468" height="449" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FUHN-YNY3LQ/X0b25tqYAwI/AAAAAAABKOE/IohIDwjmIBoiNq0lwiW9x7H7unT1u0BAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1984%2BRalston%2BPurina%2Band%2B1986%2BQuaker.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1984 Topps Ralston Purina and 1986 Topps
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition to having Garvey’s 1984 Drake’s
Big Hitters, I have two other cards of the slugger which were part of food
based, 33-card collectors’ edition sets produced by Topps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s 1984 Topps Ralston Purina was
available in boxes of Cookie-Crisp, Donkey Kong, and other Ralston
cereals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The back of Garvey’s card
offers the interesting tidbit that a Junior High School in Lindsay, California
was named after him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, the
learning establishment bore Garvey’s name from 1978 until 2011 when it was
renamed Ronald Reagan Elementary School after it was transitioned into a
kindergarten through eighth grade “ele-middle” school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey also was included in the 1986 Topps
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars set which featured headshots of the game’s most
prominent players with the company’s unmistakable logo in the top left hand
corner of each card.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSnHnRQ2754/X0b3AZwZCtI/AAAAAAABKOM/JObC81Qc0Mkxh1PHMDZyK7W-bWeTAZcwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1987%2BFleer%2BLimited%2BEdition.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1030" data-original-width="726" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gSnHnRQ2754/X0b3AZwZCtI/AAAAAAABKOM/JObC81Qc0Mkxh1PHMDZyK7W-bWeTAZcwQCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1987%2BFleer%2BLimited%2BEdition.jpg" width="281" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1987 Fleer Limited Edition Baseball Superstars</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Garvey was also part of Fleer’s 44–card
Limited Edition Baseball Superstars box set which was sold at McCrory’s
stores.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During my early days of
collecting, McCrory’s was a “five and dime” store which was a great place to pick
up limited edition box sets as well as variety packs which included cards from
earlier in the decade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s Fleer
Limited Edition card shows the veteran receiving handshakes from his teammates
with <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/krukjo01.shtml" target="_blank">John Kruk</a> appearing to be ready to give him a congratulatory smack on the
butt while the Montreal Expos catcher looks on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based on his teammates’ reactions, it appears Garvey has hit home
run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If Garvey has in fact gone deep,
Kruk’s presence in the picture means this shot is from an August 21, 1986 home
game against Montreal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey hit a
three-run home run off Expos hurler <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/martide01.shtml" target="_blank">Dennis Martinez</a> in the bottom of the 3rd
inning, driving in Kruk and Kevin McReynolds to make the score 5-0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The blast was the 268th of Garvey’s career.
San Diego ultimately won the game 6-0.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Montreal’s catcher that day was backup receiver <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bilarda01.shtml" target="_blank">Dann Bilardello</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">However, after 1987, Garvey just seemed to
disappear as, unlike previous years, he was not in any of the baseball card
packs I opened, box sets I collected, or part of the sticker books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the card manufacturing giant, Topps’ packs
were the most readily available but I also generally favored the company’s
visually appealing designs over those of Fleer and Donruss.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thus, Garvey’s wood grain 1987 Topps came to
represent the end of the first baseman’s career for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During this era, hits, home runs, RBI, and
batting average were the main statistics used to judge hitters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the sun still shone on the well-tanned
Garvey on his 1987 Topps, the tiny stats on the back of his card provided some
evidence that the former MVP was in decline as his respective hits and batting
average had dropped from 184 and .281 in 1985 to 142 and .255 in 1986.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Garvey’s dips in hits and
batting average were somewhat offset by a modest increase from 17 to 21 in home
runs while the slugger maintained his solid 81 RBI total of 1985.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since at the time, baseball cards and sticker
books largely served as my delayed news source, I would not find out until I
was a little older and began to study the history of the game that Garvey had
indeed played after his difficult 1986 campaign.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hampered by shoulder issues that started in
Spring Training, Garvey went hitless in his first 14 plate appearances of
the 1987 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey was batting .211
with just 1 home run in late May, when he aggravated his left shoulder during
an exhibition game against the club’s Triple-A Las Vegas team.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey went on the disabled list to undergo
shoulder surgery which sidelined him for the duration of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When his five-year contract expired at the
conclusion of the 1987 campaign, Garvey became a free agent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Diego made little effort to bring the
veteran back, only offering him an invite to Spring Training as a non-roster
player.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey expressed interest in
returning to the Dodgers but as a 39-year old coming off shoulder surgery, the
club was not receptive to their former first baseman’s overtures and did not
tender him a contract.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without a serious
offer from his current or former team for the upcoming season, Garvey announced
his retirement on January 14, 1988.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCu8_95m2SM/X0b3Hoy7l6I/AAAAAAABKOQ/OOW8d74RCMcEMZfmKrx5GGZh4jAX_JstwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1988%2BScore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1029" data-original-width="749" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TCu8_95m2SM/X0b3Hoy7l6I/AAAAAAABKOQ/OOW8d74RCMcEMZfmKrx5GGZh4jAX_JstwCLcBGAsYHQ/s400/Steve%2BGarvey%2B1988%2BScore.jpg" width="290" /></a></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1988 Score</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Despite his distinguished career and status as
a former MVP, 10-time All-Star, and 4-time Gold Glove winner, Garvey was not
part of the 1988 sets issued by Topps, Fleer, and Donruss. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, many years later I found out that one
card company, Score, included Garvey in their set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1988, Score entered the baseball card
marketplace when the company released their initial 660-card set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though I bought countless packs of 1988 Score,
somehow Garvey’s card eluded me and since I never looked at the full set, I did
not know the burgeoning card company included the first baseman in their initial
offering until recently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey’s 1988
Score captures the veteran with his arms extended, reaching for an outside
pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Garvey appears to have swung too
low and as a result is either popping the ball up, fouling it off, or missing
the pitch entirely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The shot of Garvey
struggling to hit the ball is a fitting representation of the former MVP’s
disappointing, injury-marred final season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The back of the card displays Garvey’s complete career statistics
but also highlights the somewhat abrupt end to his career as he went from
162 games played in 1985, to 155 in 1986, to a mere 27 in 1987.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nevertheless, Garvey was one of the most prominent
players of his time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over an impressive
career that spanned parts of 19 seasons, Garvey left the game with a .294
lifetime batting average, 2,599 hits, 272 home runs, and 1,308 RBI.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With cards that honored Garvey as an MVP,
All-Star, Big Hitter, Champion, and Record Breaker along with his inclusion in
several limited and collectors’ edition sets, it’s no wonder the slugger was
one of the players who made an impression on me during my early years of card collecting.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">----by John Tuberty</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Follow my blog on the Twittersphere
<a href="https://twitter.com/bloggertubbs?lang=en" target="_blank">@BloggerTubbs</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sources: <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/" target="_blank">Baseball Reference</a>, <a href="https://stathead.com/?ref=br&utm_medium=br&utm_source=top-nav-bar&utm_campaign=baseball" target="_blank">Stathead</a>,
<a href="https://blogs.fangraphs.com/steve-garvey-is-modern-baseball-ballots-ballast/" target="_blank">FanGraphs</a>, <a href="https://www.mlb.com/" target="_blank">MLB</a>, <a href="https://www.baseball-almanac.com/recbooks/rb_1ber.shtml" target="_blank">Baseball Almanac</a>, <a href="https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/steve-garvey/" target="_blank">Steve Garvey SABR bio</a>, <a href="https://waxpackhero.com/blog/drakes-baseball-cards-the-definitive-guide" target="_blank">Wax Pack Hero</a>, <a href="https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/a-catalog-of-1980s-baseball-card-boxed-sets/" target="_blank">Sports Collectors Daily</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-25-sp-1379-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times May 25 1987 article</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-05-27-sp-1634-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times May 27 1987 article</a>, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-01-14-sp-36173-story.html" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times January 1988 article</a>, <a href="https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2009/07/30/exeter-district-turns-over-ambulance-to-tulare-co-2/" target="_blank">The Sun-Gazette July 2009 article</a>, <a href="https://thesungazette.com/article/news/2012/01/04/year-in-review/" target="_blank">The Sun-Gazette January 2012 article</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1987-05-31-8702100407-story.html" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune May 1987 article</a>, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1989-10-16-8901220557-story.html" target="_blank">Chicago Tribune October 1989 article</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/14/sports/garvey-retires-after-17-years.html" target="_blank">The New York Times January 1988 article</a>, <a href="http://www.fenwayfanatics.com/content/2008/04/02/youkilis-sets-new-consecutive-error-free-games-record/" target="_blank">Fenway Fanatics</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<b><u><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other Articles by Tubbs Baseball Blog:</span></u></b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKFCr4uKce0/X0b3Qd_yumI/AAAAAAABKOY/3EJQ0wB7YYUBRudoCyLfptwMwaXftYWDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Tommy%2BJohn%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski%2BThurman%2BMunson%2B3%2Bcard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="732" data-original-width="1600" height="291" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PKFCr4uKce0/X0b3Qd_yumI/AAAAAAABKOY/3EJQ0wB7YYUBRudoCyLfptwMwaXftYWDwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/Tommy%2BJohn%2BCarl%2BYastrzemski%2BThurman%2BMunson%2B3%2Bcard.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and_5.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Mainstay Era Committee Ballot Candidate Tommy John</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2018/07/my-fathers-memories-of-working-with.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Father’s Memories of Working with Carl Yastrzemski at Kahn’s-Hillshire Farm in the Early Eighties</span></b></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://tubbsbaseballblog.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-three-favorite-baseball-cards-and.html" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #454545; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My Three Favorite Baseball Cards and Thoughts on the Hall of Fame Case of Thurman Munson</span></b></a></div>
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<![endif]-->John Tubertyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02319696129461138092noreply@blogger.com1