NL East Predictions 2009

Utley for MVP in 2009?

Philadelphia Phillies (91-71) --> Division Champ
The rotation is somewhat suspect, but it's better than everyone else's but Atlanta and, possibly, Florida's. I don't expect Hamels to be out long, and it appears his start is only moved back. Behind him, Myers will need to his second-half self, Moyer has to repeat '08 or get close, Blanton needs to be solid, and the fifth spot (owned by Park at the moment but probably Carrasco later) has to contribute. There are some question marks, but they look good. The bullpen once again looks terrific, and they shouldn't miss Romero too much. Offensively, they should be just fine, and Ibañez isn't much of a downgrade from Burrell. Defensively, this team should be really good as Werth will play more and Ibañez (no matter what you say) is better than Burrell.

Atlanta Braves (90-72) --> Wild Card
Yes, they are my team, but I've got a decent argument. A rotation of Lowe, Vazquez, Jurrjens, Kawakami, and eventually Hanson (I have the over/under on Glavine at 7 starts) could be the best in the division. Depth with Reyes and Medlen should help. In the bullpen, they have a fearsome back end of the bullpen with Gonzalez, Moylan, and Soriano, but they all have major injury issues. Can they stay healthy? Offensively, there isn't a big hitter, but looking 1-8, there are not too many easy outs, and Francoeur has been much improved (watched him three games, and his leg no longer steps in the bucket and his head actually stays on the same plane; I love Rudy Jaramillo) this Spring, though his BA won't be as great for the regular season. Defensively, this team is solid all the way around until you get to left field. Just please don't get hurt. God, don't get hurt for too long.

Florida Marlins (86-76)
The young guns in the rotation run into a serious collective slump at some point that costs them the division, though I don't know when, but they are, otherwise, wonderful and the favorites for 2010. The bullpen has enough arms, but they need a healthy year from Lindstrom. Offensively, don't worry. They still have Hanley, Uggla, Ross, and Cantu with other talents around them. Defensively, this team has serious issues all around the infield, and it will cost them, possibly causing above stated slump.

New York Mets (84-78)
A good team that just lacks the role guys stepping up. The rotation is Santana and a bunch of question marks. Which Ollie comes to the mound, and can he get any consistency? Can Pelfrey repeat, or will he follow Maine's decline? Speaking of Maine, can he rebound? After that, they are depending on Livan, and when that fails, they lack any depth, which hurts over a long season. When the team doesn't make the playoffs, it won't be because the bullpen isn't talented enough. More likely, a rough starting rotation will wear them down, but if they get enough innings from the rotation, this team won't lose. Offensively, they have probably the best core of three players in Reyes, Wright, and Beltran, but I wonder if Delgado has another good season left, if Murphy can be what they need, and if Church will get over his concussion and second-half slide. Defensively, they are pretty solid all around. I just wonder about that rotation.

Washington Nationals (73-89)
I don't know how to place this team wins-wise. They're obviously the worst of these five, but will they be really bad or over-achieve? I split the difference. The rotation is a mess, but Lannan and Zimmerman could be a decent 1-2. The bullpen really doesn't look much better, but Hanrahan and Beimel make it somewhat respectable. Offensively, they actually don't look terrible. Dunn gives them a big guy to take the heat off Zimmerman (Ryan, this time). If Milledge and Dukes can improve and Johnson stays healthy, this team could win a few more games than I give them. But this team is just too bad and has too many holes to even consider them in another spot in the standings.


This is probably the second-best division in baseball. There are four quality teams, but none of them are spectacular. Major question marks exist for each team. But in the end, the Phillies look the best on paper, and they have decent depth in the farm system. The Braves have the most depth, and that's why I give them the edge over the other teams for second place. Call me biased, but I do have a rational argument. Whether it works that way is a whole other story.


Note: The Braves-Phillies opener is Sunday Night Baseball this weekend. I will be doing a live-blog of the game, and you should stop by and harass me for how bad Lowe pitches and Francoeur swings.

Hall of Fame: Joe DiMaggio (1955)

What could have been if WWII hadn't come.

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
 1936 21 NYY AL 138  637  132  206  44 15  29  125   4  0  24  39  .323  .352  .576  128  367   3
 1937 22 NYY AL 151  621  151  215  35 15  46  167   3  0  64  37  .346  .412  .673  168  418   2
 1938 23 NYY AL 145  599  129  194  32 13  32  140   6  1  59  21  .324  .386  .581  139  348   0
 1939 24 NYY AL 120  462  108  176  32  6  30  126   3  0  52  20  .381  .448  .671  184  310   6
 1940 25 NYY AL 132  508   93  179  28  9  31  133   1  2  61  30  .352  .425  .626  173  318   0
 1941 26 NYY AL 139  541  122  193  43 11  30  125   4  2  76  13  .357  .440  .643  184  348   0
 1942 27 NYY AL 154  610  123  186  29 13  21  114   4  2  68  36  .305  .376  .498  147  304   0
 1946 31 NYY AL 132  503   81  146  20  8  25   95   1  0  59  24  .290  .367  .511  142  257   3
 1947 32 NYY AL 141  534   97  168  31 10  20   97   3  0  64  32  .315  .391  .522  154  279   0
 1948 33 NYY AL 153  594  110  190  26 11  39  155   1  1  67  30  .320  .396  .598  163  355   0
 1949 34 NYY AL  76  272   58   94  14  6  14   67   0  1  55  18  .346  .459  .596  178  162   0
 1950 35 NYY AL 139  525  114  158  33 10  32  122   0  0  80  33  .301  .394  .585  151  307   0
 1951 36 NYY AL 116  415   72  109  22  4  12   71   0  0  61  36  .263  .365  .422  116  175   0
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
13 Seasons           6821      2214    131     1537      9     369  .325  .398  .579  155       14
               1736      1390      389    361       30    790                            3948

3 MVP Awards (1939, 1941, 1947)
13 All-Star Games (1936-1942, 1946-1951)


Joseph Paul DiMaggio was born on Novermber 25, 1914 in Martinez, California. Though his father wanted him to be a fisherman like himself, the smell of fish made Joe nauseous, and he would often do whatever he could do get out of working on his father's boat. In 1933, his older brother Vince convinced the manager of the San Francisco Seals to give Joe a try. Later that season, DiMaggio recorded a hit in 61 consecutive games. His legend was growing and the scouts were drooling, but then, DiMaggio tore the ligaments in his knee while at his aunt's house. The injury scared teams away, but the Yankees still saw his potential. They bought him but allowed him to play for the Seals for another season in which he hit .398 with 34 HR and 154 RBI, making him the MVP of the league.

In 1936, the highly-touted DiMaggio didn't disappoint, hitting .323 (though with a poor OBP in comparison, but I'm just nit-picking) with 29 HR and 125 RBI while setting rookie records in runs (132) and triples (15). He followed that season with an even better one. 46 HR and 167 RBI later, DiMaggio was the hit of the party. In his first four seasons, the Yankees won the World Series. Over his first five seasons, DiMaggio continued his brilliant play, getting close to hitting .400 (.381), hitting over 30 home runs in 3 of those seasons, and driving in over 100 in 4 of those seasons. In 1941, he had his unbelievable run of 56 consecutive games with a hit. Then, the Second World War hit, and DiMaggio enlisted in the army. Oddly enough, his parents, of Italian descent, were listed as enemy aliens and not allowed to travel and, worst of all, not fish in the San Francisco Bay as his father always had.

It's impossible to know what DiMaggio could have done in the three seasons between his military service, but they were all his "prime" years, thus losing a lot of production. Regardless, he came back with a bang, hitting 25 HR and driving in 95. The next season, he brought back up his batting average and he won his third MVP Award. After another great season in 1948, he signed a record $100,000 contract, but injuries kept him from producing. Two seasons later, DiMaggio couldn't take a step without pain, and after a Dodger scouting report accidentally became public, DiMaggio decided it was, indeed, time to retire. The once splendid center fielder could no longer tolerate the pain and his lack of contribution to his team.

Though he retired after the 1951 season, he wasn't elected into the Hall of Fame until 1955 with 223 of the 251 votes (88.8%). I can't fathom why it took them so long (he missed in 1954), especially considering he was such a fan-favorite.

An interesting side note: he was once traded with Yogi Berra for Ted Williams, but the deal fell through because the Yankees decided Berra was too much to give up.

This Day in Baseball History: March 31st, 1993

A fine man.

On March 31, 1993:

Bill White steps down from his position as National League President.


Bill White was a productive first baseman originally for the New York Giants but mostly for the Cardinals. Every year, he had an OPS+ over 100, and from 1962 to 1966, they ranged from 122 to 134 (the 122 seasons bookended his run). He was an All-Star five times, and he won seven straight Gold Gloves from 1960 to 1966. While still playing for the Cardinals, White had his own sports program on the radio and had one when he went to Philadelphia. After he retired, he would become a Yankees broadcaster alongside Phil Rizzuto.

But White is known more for something else he did. In 1989, he became the first African-American league president in league history. Breaking through nine years after Jackie Robinson, White had to deal with all the racial epithets available. Although he said that his race wasn't an important issue, it was for many in the African-American community that finally saw a black man in an upper-level commission. Still, at the end of his tenure when asked who should succeed him, he responded, "Someone like me", purposely leaving the comment vague.

Actually, he, and most in the baseball world, were shocked to see him get the position. He was an excellent baseball man, but he didn't seem to be on the radar. He didn't even ask to be considered, but there he was being asked to be the National League President. At first, he was bewildered, and after realizing the committee was serious, he wasn't sure. Ultimately, he took the position. While there, he did his job. A straight-shooter focused on his job, White never used his position to explicitly force more minorities in the game. White didn't feel that was his job, but he definitely wanted more minorities in upper-level positions and was mindful of how his performance could affect future hirings. In fact, he instituted a program forcing National League teams to notify the president of open positions and the list of interviewees for the position, implicitly pressuring at least the consideration of minorities.

Outside of the race issue, one of his most important contributions was setting up the National League to expand. Although not done until 1994 when he had left, White was instrumental in getting the job done.

AL East Predictions 2009

He's smiling now, but when he doesn't get started early enough, Yankees fans will let him hear it.

Predictions in a serious sense are pointless. You can look at what's on paper and say what's going to happen, but it is absolutely impossible to actually predict the winners. However, in a funny and curious sense, they can be quite helpful. I'm going to explain who I think is going to win each division over the next week. The reason? Because I want to have some fun. Call me out at the end of the season. Hell, call me out now. Neither of us have a clue. But I'd like to see how far off I am or, by some miracle, how close I am. After doing these for a number of years, maybe Lar over at wezen-ball will use my predictions as a source. Okay, probably not. Anyway, onward is my prediction (teams in order of how I think they'll finish), but for more great previews, go to Jorge Says No! and wezen-ball for some more detailed looks at each team.


Boston Red Sox (96-66) --> Division Champ
Depth, depth, depth. That's the pitching staff for the Red Sox. After Beckett, Lester, Dice-K, Wakefield, and Penny, the Red Sox still have Buchholz, Bowden, and Smoltz (in June). The bullpen looks loaded as Papelbon, Okajima, Ramirez, Masterson, Delcarmen, and Saito make up a pretty nasty run through the end of the game. Offensively, I wouldn't worry too much. Papi will bounce-back (though not to previous levels), Lowell should be able to contribute and is having a good Spring, and Bay should fill in just fine for Manny. Defensively, there's not much to dislike, especially trading Bay for Ramirez in left.

Tampa Bay Rays (94-68) --> Wild Card
They were awesome last year, and they are better this season. You can't expect the starting staff to stay so healthy, but with Price, Wade Davis, and others, there's not much of a problem. The bullpen scares me a bit because last season's success was built on a quite a few breakthroughs. Can they do it again? Well, again, they have depth. Offensively, they improved as well. Burrell gives them another big stick to add to the speedy lineup. BJ Upton is primed for a big season to give some more power and be the better of Grady Sizemore (yes, I think BJ will be better than Grady this season). To add on, Crawford should improve, Longoria should still be fantastic, and Peña should continue to contribute. Defensively, they should be as good or better than last year with a hopefully fully healthy Bartlett and a better right field combo. One other thing to remember, the Rays are aging in the right direction, whereas most of the Red Sox and Yankees are aging in the wrong direction.

New York Yankees (91- 71)
It's hard to go against them. They made some big splashes this off-season grabbing the two best free-agents in Sabathia and Teixeira, but I wonder if it is enough. Damon, Matsui, Jeter, Posada, and A-Rod are past their primes, but they are expected to be impact players. They have the talent to perform, but I wonder if that offense is going to see a lot of the DL. A-Rod's absence for an unknown period of time and the possibility that he won't be the same when he gets back scares me off from the Yankees. But the rotation is much improved from last year, and having Hughes back in AAA to start the year is a good thing. But injury issues surround 3 (Burnett, Wang, and Joba) of those starters. Can they stay healthy enough? The bullpen is made of relatively unknown names, but as long as the starters go enough innings to cover them and get to Mo, it won't matter. Defensively, they improved by adding Tex and using Gardner as the starting center, but how good will Damon, Matsui, Jeter, Cano, and Posada be?

Baltimore Orioles (78-84)
The Orioles offense is a definite plus, and you should pay attention. Markakis is a stud, Jones should improve, Huff probably won't have the year he just had but he's underrated, and Roberts is always a sparkplug. Add in Wieters in a month or two, and they will be that much better. The rotation is the scary part, however. Guthrie and then a bunch of question marks. Can Uehara translate here? Can any of the others step up? Hurry Mastusz, Tillman, and Arrieta! The bullpen should be pretty good with Sherrill and a healthy Ray. The rest aren't real well-known, but they're pretty good arms.

Toronto Blue Jays (74-88)
The rotation scares me just as much as Baltimore's. Halladay is a stud, but he can't do it himself. A combination of Litsch, Purcey (who's having a very nice spring), Romero, Richmond and Mills. Don't know who they are? Neither does anyone else. They have the same question marks the Orioles do. The bullpen should be strong, however, but if the rotation doesn't pitch enough innings, any bullpen will fold. Offensively, I worry more about them than the Orioles, and that's the difference I see between the two teams. The outfield and DH spots look solid and Overbay is no slouch. But can Snider and Lind step up? Can Wells return to 2003 or 2006 form (going by years, he should)? Will Rios' power come back? When they get McGowan and Marcum back, this team should take off in 2010 or 2011.

Overall, the AL East is going to be an all-out, vicious melee for all six months. I have the Rays and Red Sox here, but I don't leave the Yankees out because they aren't good. I just see more upside and, maybe more importantly, depth with the Rays and Red Sox. The Orioles and Blue Jays are decent teams, but their staffs will keep them in the back from about mid-May on, at least.

Hall of Fame: Bill Terry (1954)

Go ahead, ask him for his number. What's the worst that could happen?

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
 1923 24 NYG NL   3    7    1    1   0  0   0    0   0  0   2   2  .143  .333  .143   30    1   0
 1924 25 NYG NL  77  163   26   39   7  2   5   24   1  1  17  18  .239  .311  .399   91   65   0
 1925 26 NYG NL 133  489   75  156  31  6  11   70   4  5  42  52  .319  .374  .474  119  232   4
 1926 27 NYG NL  98  225   26   65  12  5   5   43   3     22  17  .289  .352  .453  116  102   8
 1927 28 NYG NL 150  580  101  189  32 13  20  121   1     46  53  .326  .377  .529  141  307  19
 1928 29 NYG NL 149  568  100  185  36 11  17  101   7     64  36  .326  .394  .518  135  294  17
 1929 30 NYG NL 150  607  103  226  39  5  14  117  10     48  35  .372  .418  .522  131  317  18
 1930 31 NYG NL 154  633  139  254  39 15  23  129   8     57  33  .401  .452  .619  158  392  19
 1931 32 NYG NL 153  611  121  213  43 20   9  112   8     47  36  .349  .397  .529  149  323   2
 1932 33 NYG NL 154  643  124  225  42 11  28  117   4     32  23  .350  .382  .580  156  373   1
 1933 34 NYG NL 123  475   68  153  20  5   6   58   3     40  23  .322  .375  .423  128  201   9
 1934 35 NYG NL 153  602  109  213  30  6   8   83   0     60  47  .354  .414  .463  137  279  19
 1935 36 NYG NL 145  596   91  203  32  8   6   64   7     41  55  .341  .383  .451  125  269  16
 1936 37 NYG NL  79  229   36   71  10  5   2   39   0     19  19  .310  .363  .424  112   97   5
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
14 Seasons          6428      2193    112     1078      6     449  .341  .393  .506  136      137
              1721      1120      373    154       56    537                            3252

3 All-Star Games (1933-1935)


Born on October 30, 1898 in Atlanta, Georgia, William Harold Terry would become one of the best first basemen ever. Unlike so many of the previous Hall of Famers in this series, Terry was relatively old, 25, when he began to play regularly, but he would make his 14 seasons in the major leagues count.

His first season in 1924 wasn't his best work, but he quickly started turning things around the following season. From 1927 to 1933, Terry was an exceptional first baseman, both offensively and defensively. Playing at the Polo Grounds for the New York Giants, the field was big and kept him from hitting as many home runs, but he instead rattled off a bunch of doubles and triples. Terry also hit for a very high average, and his .341 career mark is the best for a National League left-handed hitter. He hit his peak in a spectacular 1930 season. In that season, he became the last National Leaguer to hit .401 (Ted Williams is the last major leaguer and American Leaguer eleven years later). He smacked 23 home runs and 123 RBI's while scoring himself 139 times. Oddly enough, he was sixth in the league in runs (Chuck Klein had 158).

Defensively, he was really good. Part of the reason that it took a while for Terry to get to the majors, Terry had to oust future Hall of Famer George Kelly. After he took the reigns, he was constantly a league-leader in putouts, assists, and fielding average (yeah, I know fielding percentage isn't the greatest measurement, but all of these indicate he was pretty good).

But it took a while to get into the Hall of Fame. Terry, who had a career OPS+ of 136 and a reputation as a great defender, wouldn't be elected until 1954 although his career ended after the 1936 season. Why? He didn't get along with the writers. Known for wanting to keep his life private, Terry was often blunt and difficult to approach. He didn't think anyone needed to know his business, and when he was asked for his personal phone number, Terry declined, saying he was already available for 16 hours a day and was done when he got home. Regardless, the writers eventually elected him in 1954 with 77.4% (195 of 252) of the vote. Not holding a grudge, Terry was a popular and constant sight during induction ceremonies for numerous years.

This Day in Baseball History: March 30th, 1992

Ignorance was bliss, wasn't it?

On March 30, 1992:

The Chicago White Sox trade Sammy Sosa and Kenny Patterson to the Chicago Cubs for George Bell.


George Bell was a well-known slugger that had spent most of his career in Toronto. In 1990, he signed with the Cubs as a free-agent to play with them for the 1991 season. Bell had a difficult relationship with Blue Jay manager Jimy Williams, and his defense, never very good, was worsening to the point that fans couldn't overlook it for his offense. Sammy Sosa was a young and somewhat frustrating outfielder, but at age 22, his talent and potential were there. Ken Patterson was a 27-year old middle reliever averaging in the mid-60's of innings pitched and a high-3 ERA.

Bell, 32, had just had a bounce-back season for the Cubs. In 1992, he contributed well for the White Sox in terms of home runs (25) and RBI (112), but he was his typical terrible self when it came to OBP. His OPS+ dropped from 117 to 99, and at that point, his offense wasn't equaling his defensive shortcomings. Still, he would receive some MVP votes for his contributions for that season. The next season, Bell rapidly declined due to a knee injury. He wouldn't play in the playoffs and was released after the season. Bell would go on to retire.

Sosa would ... well ... you know for the next 13 years, but it didn't start out so well. He only played in 67 games during the 1993 season, but the numbers weren't bad considering the time played. 1993 would be his break-out season? Do you remember when Sosa could steal bases? I can't, but he bashed 33 HR while also stealing 36 bases. He would never steal more bases than number of home runs again, but that wasn't so bad. After only playing 105 the next season, Sosa would really break-out and become a household name.

Patterson wouldn't be so successful. The young reliever only threw 41.2 innings, and his ERA rose 1 whole point from the previous season. Following the season, he was released. He would try with the California Angels the next season, but his ERA rose another .6 points. After being released, he caught on with the Reds who released him at the end of Spring Training. Patterson made one more attempt with the California Angels in 1994, but after those whopping .2 IP, he wasn't heard from again.


Sorry for the nothing this weekend. It was my 21st birthday on Saturday, so I ... uh ... didn't exactly have the motivation or ... capabilities of coherently posting anything worthwhile. However, evidently I was hilarious Saturday night, so it may have been worthwhile, just not for baseball reasons.

New Stat: ATB

Yes, the kid is me. I get it.

Remember how I reserved the right to bring up modern baseball? Well, here we go, and yes, it involves the Braves. At least, it was inspired by the Braves. Going into this season, no one knows who will play center field, but it's down to three candidates: Josh Anderson (the presumed favorite), Jordan Schafer (the young, hot-shot), and Gregor Blanco (the overlooked dark horse). Each brings something different. Anderson hits for a really good average and steals lots of bases, but he doesn't walk much. Schafer could be the next Grady Sizemore, but he's young and inexperienced. Blanco gets on base, but he has zero power and doesn't steal bases, even though he has great speed. The problem isn't a bad one as all three are talented, but there is a debate over which should be the center fielder.

Well, that got me to thinkin'. How can we come up with a way to decide between the three? The answer came while doing a Hall of Fame post. I looked at the stats of whoever and saw TB, or total bases. But something occurred to me? Is it really total bases? I decided to improve on it with ATB, or Actual Total Bases (someone give me a better name for it). The formula is simple:

TB (Total Bases) + BB (Walks) + IBB (Intentional Walks) + SB (Stolen Bases) - CS (Caught Stealing) + HBP (Hit By Pitch)

This is my reasoning. Total bases tells you how many bases someone gets on their hit, presumably because it's what the player does by himself. The thing is that it doesn't encompass everything a hitter can do himself. I've always wondered why walks weren't included. They're not always as good as singles, but they earned that base. So why steals? Well, a player gets a stolen base without the aid of another hitter. If he gets a single and then steals a base, what's the difference between that and a double? Okay, a double is a hit and could potentially move runners over. I get it. Also, when a stealer is caught, he hurts the team and should lose the base he had gained (this doesn't exactly work for stealing third -- should lose two bases --, but it doesn't happen much and is kind of negligible). If that's the case, then being a good base stealer should be appreciated, and walks should also be. This should (in theory, but I'm probably completely wrong; I was good at math, but I gave it up a while ago) account for each's strengths. The one who has the most Actual Total Bases should be the winner, all other things being equal (by most accounts, all are very good outfielders, though Blanco doesn't have the arm of the other two). What's more important -- OBP or BA and SB? My hypothesis is that Josh Anderson wins.

For this first spot, I'll only look at Anderson and Blanco's major-league career, as Schafer can't be compared here. I'll look at all three and their minor-league stats after. I adjusted their stats to 162 games (God, I love baseball-reference.com) to make things even, but yes, it isn't exact. I get it, but it's what I have to work with. Anderson has 586 PA, and Blanco has 583.

Anderson
134 (1B) + 26x2 (2B) + 2x3 (3B) + 7x4 (HR) + 34 (BB) + 5 (IBB) + 7 (HBP) + 29 (SB) - 5 (CS) = 290

Blanco
101 (1B) + 15x2 (2B) + 4x3 (3B) + 1x4 (HR) + 83 (BB) + 2 (IBB) + 6 (HBP) + 14 (SB) - 5 (CS) = 247

So, Anderson wins and by a healthy margin. He hits more extra base hits and steals more (at a better rate), which theoretically puts him in scoring position more. If he's getting in scoring position more, he should score more. The stats say Anderson scores 82 times and Blanco 58. Not sure if that means anything, but it's interesting.

Okay, now for their minor-league stats. Schafer has had about half as many at-bats, so I'll multiply by two at the end. Again, I'm not sure if that's kosher, but it seems to make sense. The main problem here is that Schafer hasn't played AAA yet, and therefore, he hasn't played against the same competition that Blanco and Anderson (who both have spent significant time in AAA). But considering there's plenty wrong with the conversion to the majors anyway, let's just take a look for fun. If anything, it at least continues to look at Anderson and Blanco, who again have roughly the same number of at-bats (Blanco 2776 but has more walks and Anderson 2967)

Anderson
698 (1B) + 120x2 (2B) + 36x3 (3B) + 19x4 (HR) + 180 (BB) + 280 (SB) - 69 (CS) = 1513

Blanco
577 (1B) + 108x2 (2B) + 46x3 (3B) + 29x4 (HR) + 423 (BB) + 181 (SB) - 86 (CS) = 1565

Schafer
230 (1B) + 94x2 (2B) + 26x3 (3B) + 36x4 (HR) + 146 (BB) + 63 (SB) - 35 (CS) = 814x2 = 1628

Well, Schafer wins, but I think he should get penalized some for not having played at AAA, so Anderson and Blanco win there. Blanco tops Anderson, but because of the larger sample size, it isn't by too much. He seems to have had substantially more power in the minors, but the Braves asked him to stop trying to hit home runs before he reached AAA. I have no idea if that did anything, but he only hit 3 HR in his last two minor-league seasons (I guess it did). Also, I know IBB and HBP weren't in the above formulas, but they weren't on baseball-reference.com and I doubt anyone would intentionally walk or hit any of them significantly more than the others.

Okay, but what about projection? It's one thing to know where they've been, but it's another to know where they're going. I'll use the CHONE predictions from FanGraphs (another amazing site) for each player. Schafer plays about 14 games less than the others, so they'll get docked 10% (132 - (132 x .1) is about 118) to make it fair.

Anderson
124 (1B) + 27x2 (2B) + 5x3 (3B) + 4x4 (HR) + 33 (BB) + 5 (HBP) + 33 (SB) - 10 (CS) = 270-2.7 = 267

Blanco
89 (1B) + 21x2 (2B) + 5x3 (3B) + 3x4 (HR) + 75 (BB) + 3 (HBP) + 19 (SB) - 10 (CS) = 245-2.5 = 241

Schafer
71 (1B) + 22x2 (2B) +5x3 (3B) + 10x4 (HR) + 42 (BB) + 2 (HBP) + 14 (SB) - 7 (CS) = 221

CHONE was not friendly to Schafer, giving him a .238 BA, so he seems the inferior of the group. I was slightly amused it projected HBP, so I included it for shits and giggles. Anderson again wins the competition. He gets more hits, more extra-base hits, and steals more bases, which seems to overcome the loss of walks. So, this proved my hypothesis, but I'm not sure this is real science. It just seems cool, and I put a lot of work into it. If it doesn't pan out, just tell me. It won't hurt my feelings. It was just an idea I had, and I thought I would see how far down the rabbit hole it went.

So, does this prove or say anything in general? Stolen bases are valuable as is more power, but I think we knew that. Maybe it says Willy Taveras is better than we give him credit for (nah). I need a spreadsheet to make a leaderboard, but I'm not that technologically advanced. But for this competition, it says Anderson is the superior offensive player to Blanco. He may not get on as much, but his additional extra-base hits and stolen bases should count for something. When he gets on, he's more likely to be in scoring position, making him more likely to score. Just because Blanco gets on, it doesn't mean he puts himself in position to score. What's the use in getting on if you don't score? If only Blanco stole more bases. I mean, like 40 of 'em.

Again, I don't know if this proves anything, but I thought it was an interesting way to look at the battle between the three players. I don't think my formula unfairly biases either Anderson or Blanco (I think Schafer ends up in AAA, so I'm not including him here, though I think he's the best choice of the group -- that .238 average is a jip). What does everyone think about my first amateur crack at being like Bill James (okay, a nerd who spent too much of Thirsty Thursday worrying about this)?

Famous Teams: The Gashouse Gang of 1934

Here they are in their not-so-shiny glory.

Branch Rickey became the manager of the 1919 St. Louis Cardinals, but by most accounts, he wasn't very good. His teams were just mediocre, so in 1926, the team was turned over to Rogers Hornsby, the Hall of Fame second baseman. Hornsby was abrasive, but he got the most out of his team as the Cardinals went on to win the NL pennant and the World Series over the New York Yankees' Murderers' Row. Astonishingly, the Cardinals then traded Hornsby, who had slightly declined but was only 30, to the New York Giants for the younger second baseman Frankie Frisch, who had a falling-out with John McGraw. Frisch became a Hall of Famer and would come to lead some of the best Cardinals teams ever in the early thirties.

Though there is some contention, the term "Gashouse Gang" generally refers to the 1934 team, though it very well could have been the nickname for a period of years. The team earned this nickname through their scrappy play which gave them a dirty appearance. Gas houses were where coal was manufactured into energy, and they were generally in the worst part of the city and smelled horribly. The workers were always dirty, and shortstop Lou Durocher coined the term in reference to his team's play and how the AL didn't think the Cardinals were any good.

The team turned out to be plenty good. April started a little rough at 4-7, but they quickly turned things around by going 21-6 in May. June was mediocre at 13-14, but the team gradually improved over the next two months, which set up a showdown with the Giants. The Cardinals were 5.5 games back and would be 7 games back in a couple days at the beginning of September, but the Cardinals went on a tear, going 21-7 for the month. With a commanding lead, the Giants went 13-14 in the final month and lost their last 5 games. Frisch, getting his revenge, and the Cardinals, on the other hand, took advantage of the last-place Reds and swept the final four-game series.

The 1934 World Series pitted the Cardinals versus the Detroit Tigers. The series would last seven games with the Cardinals winning. The Dean brothers, Dizzy and Paul, would be the heroes of the series as each won two games. Dean almost didn't, though. In Game 4, he pinch-ran and broke up a double play by using his head, literally. He was rushed to the hospital, and the headline the next day said, "X-ray of Dean's Head Shows Nothing". Another interesting episode, Joe Medwick slid into third baseman Marv Owen in Game 7 in Detroit, and the two scuffled for a moment. With the game lost (9-0 at that point), the crowd vented by hurling insults and produce at the outfielder.

Offensively, the team was led by Ripper Collins who stroked 35 HR and 128 RBI. Frisch added a decent but unspectacular season. Medwick added 18 HR and 106 RBI. Pitching, however, was the team strength. Dizzy Dean won 30, his brother Paul won 19, Tex Carleton won 16, and Bill Walker added 12 wins and a 3.12 ERA.

Fun Fact: The team had two interestingly similar and odd names. Dizzy Dean and Dazzy Vance.

Hall of Fame: Bill Dickey (1954)

Another great Yankee catcher.

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
 1928 21 NYY AL  10   15    1    3   1  1   0    2   0  0   0   2  .200  .200  .400   56    6   0
 1929 22 NYY AL 130  447   60  145  30  6  10   65   5  3  14  16  .324  .346  .485  117  217  11
 1930 23 NYY AL 109  366   55  124  25  7   5   65   7  1  21  14  .339  .375  .486  120  178   9
 1931 24 NYY AL 130  477   65  156  17 10   6   78   2  1  39  20  .327  .378  .442  120  211   7
 1932 25 NYY AL 108  423   66  131  20  4  15   84   2  4  34  13  .310  .361  .482  121  204   2
 1933 26 NYY AL 130  478   58  152  24  8  14   97   3  4  47  14  .318  .381  .490  135  234   5
 1934 27 NYY AL 104  395   56  127  24  4  12   72   0  3  38  18  .322  .384  .494  132  195   3
 1935 28 NYY AL 120  448   54  125  26  6  14   81   1  1  35  11  .279  .339  .458  109  205   2
 1936 29 NYY AL 112  423   99  153  26  8  22  107   0  2  46  16  .362  .428  .617  158  261   0
 1937 30 NYY AL 140  530   87  176  35  2  29  133   3  2  73  22  .332  .417  .570  145  302   1
 1938 31 NYY AL 132  454   84  142  27  4  27  115   3  0  75  22  .313  .412  .568  143  258   1
 1939 32 NYY AL 128  480   98  145  23  3  24  105   5  0  77  37  .302  .403  .513  133  246   4
 1940 33 NYY AL 106  372   45   92  11  1   9   54   0  3  48  32  .247  .336  .355   82  132   2
 1941 34 NYY AL 109  348   35   99  15  5   7   71   2  1  45  17  .284  .371  .417  109  145   1
 1942 35 NYY AL  82  268   28   79  13  1   2   37   2  2  26  11  .295  .359  .373  108  100   0
 1943 36 NYY AL  85  242   29   85  18  2   4   33   2  1  41  12  .351  .445  .492  173  119   1
 1946 39 NYY AL  54  134   10   35   8  0   2   10   0  1  19  12  .261  .357  .366  101   49   2
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
17 Seasons    1789 6300  930 1969 343 72 202 1209  37 29 678 289  .313  .382  .486  127 3062  51

11 All-Star Games (1933, 1934, 1936-1943, 1946)


William Malcolm Dickey was born on June 5, 1907 in Bastrop, Louisiana. It didn't take him long to make it to the majors, doing so at age 21, but he wouldn't be the full-time catcher until the next season.

From that moment in 1929, Dickey would have one of the greatest careers ever for a catcher. He rattled off six consecutive seasons of hitting over .300, and over his first 13 seasons, he would play over 100 games every season, a major-league record that still stands today. At the beginning of his career, he was overshadowed by Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. He would continue to put up solid numbers until 1935 when his averaged dropped below .300 for the first time. Upset over such a travesty, Dickey took no prisoners over the next four seasons as his average and power jumped, and he would not post an OPS+ under 130. The demands of catching for so many seasons, however, started to take their toll. His power and average would dramatically drop from 24 to 9 home runs and .302 to .247. Two years later, his string of 100+ games played would end. After the 1943 season, he enlisted in the army, but he came back for one more try in 1946, but Dickey only played 54 games.

Obviously a great hitter, Dickey was also a great backstop. He was an excellent handler of pitchers, and his tutelage and guidance helped Lefty Gomez settle down. If base runners tried to steal, he gunned them down. The one negative about Dickey could have been his competitive nature. Usually a good thing, he could get carried away. In 1932, Washington Senator Carl Reynolds ran over him at home plate. A furious Dickey whaled on Reynolds. One punch and a broken jaw later, Dickey had himself a 30-day suspension and a $1,000 fine. Dickey did have a softer side. He was Gehrig's best friend and the first to know about his debilitating disease.

Dickey would go on to be a coach in 1949. He would be essential to Yogi Berra's career, even though the young catcher had stolen his number (Dickey would wear 33; actually, Dickey, who's number was retired in 1972 in a joint ceremony with Berra, would not wear the number at the beginning or end of his career as a Yankee). Five years later, Dickey was elected to the Hall of Fame with 202 of the 252 (80.2%) votes.

Fun fact, well kind of depressing I guess: Dickey is the only Yankee with a retired number who has not been featured by YES Network's Yankeeography. Travesty.

This Day in Baseball History: March 26th, 1951

There's the Mick.

On March 26, 1951:

Mickey Mantle hit a home run an estimated 650 feet.


Let's get this out of the way quickly. Video games have guys hitting home runs in the range of 420-470 feet on most home runs, but they aren't that common. A 400-foot shot is impressive. Fifty more feet is extraordinary, and fifty feet after that are put in history books for people to remember. So Mantle hitting one 650 feet is just so incredibly rare ... that it's unbelievable. In much the same way way the Bible says someone is 900 years old means they're just really freakin' old, saying a home run went that far is just saying it went really freakin' far. It wasn't until the 1980's that technology truly began to accurately distance ball flights, and when it did, home runs went from 500 feet to 450 feet. The longest home run in history is still up for debate, but there is no doubt that Mantle has hit some of the longest in history.

Anyway, what I find more interesting about this season is that this is one of the famous anecdotes of Mantle's career. Signed in 1949 right after graduation, Mickey Mantle was an instant celebrity in the Yankee organization, and after this Spring Training home run (which was probably true but slightly embellished), he was in the starting lineup on Opening Day in 1951 as a rookie. Joe DiMaggio called him the best prospect he ever saw. But things didn't go so swimmingly for Mantle.

Though his stats aren't terrible, he was sent down to the minors during a slump. When he couldn't find his legendary power stroke from either side, he almost quit. Wanting his father to console him, his father told Mantle to wait for him. Mantle's father came into his hotel room, packed his clothes, and demanded that Mickey follow him back home to work in the mines. Deciding that his best option was to stay in baseball, Mantle promptly broke out of his slump, and after 40 games and 11 home runs, the Yankees brought him back up for good (why the heck did the Yankees wait so long to call him up? Hello, by the seventh or eighth homer, I would have thought Stella had gotten his groove back).

Fantasy Fun 2

I can't believe I forgot to draft him.

Okay, I promise this is the last time for this season that I will do this. I know most people don't care, but I figure I'd share my second team. I think this one is a better one than I put together the first time, but let me know. Offense is based on OBP, SLG, HR, RBI, R, and SB, so you'll see I favored the big hitters. Pitching is based on W, K, BB, HD (yes, holds), SV, and ERA.


C - Russell Martin --> Expecting a big year from the Dodger backstop in a loaded lineup.
1B - Carlos Delgado --> Please, god, don't decline now.
2B - Dan Uggla --> Still should be good for 30 HR, 90 RBI, and 100 R, and from the second sack.
3B - Aramis Ramirez --> He doesn't get a whole lot of pub, but he's excellent.
SS - Hanley Ramirez --> I wonder who had the first pick of the draft. This guy.
IF - Justin Morneau --> I got him in a trade (Kevin Gregg, Yovani Gallardo). Just need a healthy Mauer.
OF - Manny Ramirez --> I was big on Ramirezes, and I love all three.
OF - Ryan Ludwick --> I can't imagine he'll be that good again, but he shouldn't drop off too much.
OF - Pat Burrell --> Yeah, this is cheating a bit, but he adds onto the power/no speed trend.
OF - Nelson Cruz --> Okay, so I drank the Kool-Aid, but so has everyone else.
UTIL - Mike Lowell --> He's looked good so far this spring.
Bench - Shin-Soo Choo --> Yep, second time on my time. I have a hunch.
Bench - Chris Snyder --> Solid, but I wonder how many AB's Montero steals.
Bench - Casey Blake --> Dependable, just in case.
Bench - Cody Ross --> Need the repeat, if not improvement.

SP - Roy Oswalt --> Stud, but please start better this year.
SP - Cliff Lee --> Don't expect '08, but he should be somewhat close ... right?
SP - John Danks --> I wonder about this one, but there's plenty to like.
SP - Brett Myers --> Need a '08 second-half version. God, not the first-half.
RP - Matt Lindstrom --> Got hurt about an hour after the selection.
RP - Mike Gonzalez --> Just stay healthy, and we should be good.
RP - Chad Qualls --> I'm betting he keeps the closer spot and that Arizona wins 95.
P - Grant Balfour --> Get me my K's and HD's.
P - Aaron Cook --> In full disclosure, he was added after the Morneau trade, and he should grab some W's.
P - Rafael Perez --> Can he repeat '08? Also added after the draft.
Bench - Hideki Okajima --> Using holds makes him valuable.
Bench - Kelvim Escobar --> Holding onto him for the first month and then watch out.

I really like this team, but every time I like a team in fantasy football, it usually fails miserably. Offensively, I went pretty heavy for OBP, HR, RBI, and SLG, leaving SB and potentially R for others. Luckily, we don't include defense because Martin and A. Ramirez are probably the only capable defenders I have. Pitching-wise, I took what I could get, focusing mainly on SP (remember, I had Gallardo as well). I went bargain shopping for SV.

I had all these sheets for the first draft and didn't really use them, so I scrapped them for this one. It's amazing being in live drafts. It feels like eternity between picks, but you never have enough time when your turn comes up.

Hall of Fame: Rabbit Maranville (1954)

In one of his famous poses.

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
 1912 20 BSN NL  26   86    8   18   2  0   0    8   1      9  14  .209  .292  .233   44   20   5
 1913 21 BSN NL 143  571   68  141  13  8   2   48  25     68  62  .247  .330  .308   83  176  17
 1914 22 BSN NL 156  586   74  144  23  6   4   78  28     45  56  .246  .306  .326   85  191  27
 1915 23 BSN NL 149  509   51  124  23  6   2   43  18 12  45  65  .244  .308  .324   93  165  23
 1916 24 BSN NL 155  604   79  142  16 13   4   38  32 15  50  69  .235  .296  .325   94  196  24
 1917 25 BSN NL 142  561   69  146  19 13   3   43  27     40  47  .260  .312  .357  110  200  10
 1918 26 BSN NL  11   38    3   12   0  1   0    3   0      4   0  .316  .381  .368  133   14   0
 1919 27 BSN NL 131  480   44  128  18 10   5   43  12     36  23  .267  .319  .377  112  181  12
 1920 28 BSN NL 134  493   48  131  19 15   1   43  14 11  28  24  .266  .305  .371   97  183  13
 1921 29 PIT NL 153  612   90  180  25 12   1   70  25 12  47  38  .294  .347  .379   90  232  23
 1922 30 PIT NL 155  672  115  198  26 15   0   63  24 13  61  43  .295  .355  .378   88  254  12
 1923 31 PIT NL 141  581   78  161  19  9   1   41  14 11  42  34  .277  .327  .346   76  201   9
 1924 32 PIT NL 152  594   62  158  33 20   2   71  18 14  35  53  .266  .307  .399   86  237  11
 1925 33 CHC NL  75  266   37   62  10  3   0   23   6  5  29  20  .233  .308  .293   53   78  10
 1926 34 BRO NL  78  234   32   55   8  5   0   24   7     26  24  .235  .312  .312   69   73   6
 1927 35 STL NL   9   29    0    7   1  0   0    0   0      2   2  .241  .290  .276   50    8   0
 1928 36 STL NL 112  366   40   88  14 10   1   34   3     36  27  .240  .310  .342   69  125   9
 1929 37 BSN NL 146  560   87  159  26 10   0   55  13     47  33  .284  .344  .366   79  205  23
 1930 38 BSN NL 142  558   85  157  26  8   2   43   9     48  23  .281  .344  .367   74  205  17
 1931 39 BSN NL 145  562   69  146  22  5   0   33   9     56  34  .260  .329  .317   77  178  16
 1932 40 BSN NL 149  571   67  134  20  4   0   37   4     46  28  .235  .295  .284   59  162  15
 1933 41 BSN NL 143  478   46  104  15  4   0   38   2     36  34  .218  .274  .266   60  127  17
 1935 43 BSN NL  23   67    3   10   2  0   0    5   0      3   3  .149  .186  .179    2   12   1
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
23 Seasons        10078      2605    177      884     93     756  .258  .318  .340   82      300
            2670      1255      380     28      291    839                            3423

Walter James Vincent Maranville was born on November 11, 1891 in Springfield, Massachusetts. His nickname "Rabbit" was apt. First, he was small and would only reach 5'5". Second, he was fast and superior jumping ability allowed him to be a first-rate defender, end his career with a record 5,139 put-outs for a shortstop, and run out 22 inside the park home runs.

Maranville was known for being a clown and practical joker, and at the beginning, he was much appreciated for it. He would bring an umpire a pair of glasses, mock slow pitchers, and frequently jump into the arms of his biggest teammates for the camera. On the field, he was one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball for the Boston Braves, and oddly enough, he would hit fourth for the 1914 Miracle Braves. In that 1914 season, Maranville would finish second in the MVP voting, the closest he would get to the award. Over the next five seasons, he would lead the league in most defensive categories, cementing his status as one of the game's stars.

However, Maranville was also known for drinking, and it would cause the vertically-challenged shortstop to be shipped around the league. For a while, his antics were comedic relief, but when his drinking became too much of a problem, the Braves sent him to Pittsburgh in 1921, where he still played a great shortstop. Glenn Wright came up in 1924, and Maranville shifted to second, where he again was a defensive whiz. The following off-season, Maranville was traded to the Cubs, but his alcohol problems became worse. After 53 games, the Cubs released him. In 1926, the Cardinals grabbed him and sent him to Rochester of the International League, where Maranville finally controlled his alcoholism. However, Maranville would be sent back to the Braves in 1929.

Maranville continued to play well, but in 1934, he broke his leg while sliding into home during Spring Training and was never the same. His 23 seasons in the majors would be the most ever until Pete Rose played 24. Finally after 13 tries, Maranville was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1954 with 82.9% (209 of 252) of the vote.

I don't know if he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but if he does, then doesn't Omar Vizquel?

This Day in Baseball History: March 25th, 1945

It was getting closer.

On March 25, 1945:

Terris McDuffie and Dave "Showboat" Thomas are granted tryouts with the Brooklyn Dodgers.


During and after World War II, the United States came to a harsh confrontation with the issue of race. On one hand, whites had always discriminated against blacks, and they had constructed their world around the premise that blacks were inferior. However, African-Americans were a large part of the war effort, from working in factories to fighting on the front lines. If they could put in so much effort and brilliant work, how could they be inferior? On the baseball diamond, it was much the same. Black baseball players were not allowed to play in the major leagues, but they were doing very well in the Negro Leagues. Many even thought, dare they say it, that blacks were just as good, or better, than whites.

Joe Bostic, sportswriter for the People's Weekly, was among the most boisterous, and ultimately most persuasive. Branch Rickey had been trying to figure out a way to bring in African-American players, but he wasn't sure how to do it. If he failed, it could set the entire movement back decades. Rickey was looking for the perfect player, but Bostic wasn't going to wait that long. He barged into Rickey's office and demanded tryouts for outfielder Terris McDuffie and first baseman Dave Thomas. Rickey wasn't happy that Bostic has come to him in such a manner, but because he had rebuffed Bostic a few times before, Bostic decided to just come on in this time.

Unfortunately, these two players weren't exactly what Rickey was looking for. They were in their late thirties, and they weren't major-league caliber players. Still, Rickey, basically backed into a corner, gave them a tryout on April 7th. Neither player would make the team, obviously, but it was a start. But why those players if Bostic and everyone else knew they couldn't make it? They were friends from his hometown of Mobile, Alabama. After the tryout, Rickey let Bostic have it, reminding the journalist that Rickey was working for the integration movement and force wasn't the best way to handle the situation. Over the next few months, more tryouts for Negro League players would be held around the majors.

1968 - The Year of the Pitcher

Man of the Year, Bob Gibson.

From the late 1940's to the early 1960's, offense was king. 1950 saw a pretty explosive season in which the AL averaged 5.02 runs a team per game. But Major League Baseball believed that offense was getting out of hand, so they decided to aid the pitchers. In 1963, the MLB increased the size of the strike zone to the armpits down to the bottom of the knee. Why were they upset? Just blame Roger Maris. Actually, though Maris was just an example, some believed that these out-of-left field sluggers were damaging the game because they weren't being consistent.

The American League was really hit hard, falling from that 5.02 in 1950 to 4.44 in 1962 to 3.41 runs a game. Batting average-wise (go ahead and scream that I'm using this, but you can get the heck over it), they fell to a collective .230, the worst in American League history. The Oakland A's led the pack with a .240 clip while the Yankees scuffled to a .214 average. Carl Yastremski, in the last year that we've had a Triple Crown winner, won the batting title with a .301 average (he hit .378 in September to break .300).

The National League wasn't much better. From a high of 4.75 runs a game in 1953 to 4.48 in 1962, the runs per game fell to 3.82. Its average as a collective was .343, which is second-lowest and beats the 1908 Dead Ball season of .239. The Cincinnati Reds, startlingly, hit .273 for the season while the New York Mets finished last with a nice .228 average. Luckily, Pete Rose (.335) and Matty Alou (.331) decided to hit that season to avoid a catastrophe like the AL.

However, when one side dips, nature restores the balance. Pitching saw its era of greatness. The NL saw its shutouts rise to 185, and that was double the 1962 total of 95. ERA's also began plummeting, and the most famous case was Bob Gibson. Gibson rattled off one of those seasons. In this one, he launched 304.2 IP with an amazing 1.12 ERA to go along with 268 K. Gibson, a great pitcher in every sense, never got below 2 in ERA in any other season (2.18 the year after was the closest).

Gibson wasn't the only one to have a great season. 5 AL pitchers broke the 2 barrier, and 2 (including Gibson) did it in the NL. Luis Tiant led the AL with a 1.60 ERA, but unlike Gibson, he would return below that 2 barrier in 1972. Catfish Hunter would throw the first perfect game in the AL in 46 years. Gaylord Perry added a no-hitter against the Cardinals, and on the next day, the Cardinals, behind Ray Washburn, added their own no-hitter. Don Drysdale also famously threw 58.2 consecutive scoreless innings, and his record would stand until 1988. The two MVP's that season? Bob Gibson in the NL and Denny McClain in the AL, both pitchers.

The World Series would see those two matched up as the St. Louis Cardinals faced the Detroit Tigers. Gibson threw a shutout for Game 1, but McClain would have more problems leading to a 4-0 Cardinal victory. Game 4 saw much of the same as Gibson threw a complete game while giving up a run, but McClain, overmatched, gave up 6 runs in the first four innings to give the Cardinals a 3-1 series lead. McClain came back for Game 6 and redeemed himself with a complete game, 1-run effort to stretch the series to a Game 7. In that game, Gibson and Mickey Lolich, owner of a couple impressive wins himself, duked it out going six scoreless until the Tigers broke through to win 4-1. The losers of every game either scored 3 runs (twice), 1 run (4 times), or 0 (once).

Attendance dipped only slightly in 1968, but the owners knew they had gone a little too far. The pre-1963 strike zone was put back in for the 1969 season, and the mound was knocked down from 15 inches to 10 inches (more incline allows pitchers to get more of a downward angle, thus making it more difficult to hit). Things immediately went back to normal in 1969, but for one season, pitcher was king.


Sorry for the lack of posts over the last few days. Trying to get back into the swing of school and fighting something trying to eat my computer occupied my time, so I figured I'd give you a doosy today.

Hall of Fame: Al Simmons (1953)

It may have been. I think he's the fifth or sixth A from that team that has been in this series.

 Year Ag Tm  Lg  G   AB    R    H   2B 3B  HR  RBI  SB CS  BB  SO   BA   OBP   SLG *OPS+  TB   SH
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
 1924 22 PHA AL 152  594   69  183  31  9   8  102  16 15  30  60  .308  .343  .431   98  256  18
 1925 23 PHA AL 153  654  122  253  43 12  24  129   7 14  35  41  .387  .419  .599  149  392   6
 1926 24 PHA AL 147  583   90  199  53 10  19  109  11  3  48  49  .341  .392  .564  142  329  10
 1927 25 PHA AL 106  406   86  159  36 11  15  108  10  2  31  30  .392  .436  .645  171  262  20
 1928 26 PHA AL 119  464   78  163  33  9  15  107   1  4  31  30  .351  .396  .558  145  259  11
 1929 27 PHA AL 143  581  114  212  41  9  34  157   4  2  31  38  .365  .398  .642  159  373  16
 1930 28 PHA AL 138  554  152  211  41 16  36  165   9  2  39  34  .381  .423  .708  176  392  17
 1931 29 PHA AL 128  513  105  200  37 13  22  128   3  3  47  45  .390  .444  .641  176  329   0
 1932 30 PHA AL 154  670  144  216  28  9  35  151   4  2  47  76  .322  .368  .548  130  367   0
 1933 31 CHW AL 146  605   85  200  29 10  14  119   5  1  39  49  .331  .373  .481  129  291   2
 1934 32 CHW AL 138  558  102  192  36  7  18  104   3  2  53  58  .344  .403  .530  136  296   0
 1935 33 CHW AL 128  525   68  140  22  7  16   79   4  6  33  43  .267  .313  .427   88  224   1
 1936 34 DET AL 143  568   96  186  38  6  13  112   6  4  49  35  .327  .383  .484  113  275   1
 1937 35 WSH AL 103  419   60  117  21 10   8   84   3  2  27  35  .279  .329  .434   94  182   3
 1938 36 WSH AL 125  470   79  142  23  6  21   95   2  1  38  40  .302  .357  .511  121  240   2
 1939 37 TOT NL 102  351   39   96  17  5   7   44   0     24  43  .274  .324  .410  102  144   4
         BSN NL  93  330   39   93  17  5   7   43   0     22  40  .282  .331  .427  108  141   4
         CIN NL   9   21    0    3   0  0   0    1   0      2   3  .143  .217  .143   -2    3   0
 1940 38 PHA AL  37   81    7   25   4  0   1   19   0  0   4   8  .309  .341  .395   92   32   0
 1941 39 PHA AL   9   24    1    3   1  0   0    1   0  0   1   2  .125  .160  .167  -13    4   0
 1943 41 BOS AL  40  133    9   27   5  0   1   12   0  1   8  21  .203  .248  .263   48   35   0
 1944 42 PHA AL   4    6    1    3   0  0   0    2   0  0   0   0  .500  .500  .500  187    3   0
+--------------+---+----+----+----+---+--+---+----+---+--+---+---+-----+-----+-----+----+----+---+
20 Seasons         8759      2927    149     1827     64     737  .334  .380  .535  132      111
           2215      1507      539    307       88    615                            4685

3 All-Star Games (1933-1935)


Aloisius Szymanski was born on May 22, 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. For whatever reason, he supposedly changed his name to Aloysius Harry Simmons after seeing an ad in a newspaper, but I can't figure out what that was or why. With his unusual unorthodox swing, his received the nickname Bucketfoot Al because he strode toward third base when he swung (a lot like Jeff Francoeur except with a lot more success).

He was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics and would be a part of some of the best teams ever put together. Simmons came out of the gate swinging in his rookie season as a 22-year old in 1924, but his power (8 HR) hadn't quite arrived yet. It came the next season with 24 HR, but it would dip over the next few seasons due to injury. From 1929-1932, his best seasons also coincided with the success of the Athletics, who won two World Series and played in another. Like his other teammates, that 1932 season would be the last of his as an Athletic, and he was sold to the Chicago White Sox for $75,000. While successful over the next few seasons with the White Sox, he wasn't quite the same threat and wouldn't really be for the rest of his career except for blips in 1936 and 1938 when he stayed moderately healthy.

In fact, Simmons held on, by his own admission, a little too long. You'll note he was annoyingly close to 3,000 hits, and he wanted to reach that milestone badly. He, however, failed and regretted the hangovers and leaving blowouts early to have a fun nightlife. In order to repay his sins to the baseball gods, Simmons told aa young player to never give up an at bat or live to regret it. That player was Stan Musial. Regardless, his unusual batting style was effective, and Connie Mack yelled at anyone who pointed out the technical flaw.

In 1953, Simmons got as close as possible to not getting in but still getting in when he received 75.4% (199 of 264) of the vote. It's a good thing he got in when he did as he died three years later at the age of 54.

This Day in Baseball History: March 24th, 2001

On March 24th, 2001:

Randy Johnson hits a bird.


I'm sorry. I couldn't resist the temptation to bring this up. I mean, seriously, what are the odds? He had to throw the right pitch, at the right angle, and at the right time to hit a bird soaring it at a pretty good speed which also had to be coming in at the appropriate angle at the right time. I mean, oh my god! Plus, the video is simply hilarious.

For those who might be opposed to a little violence against animal humor, I'm sorry, but I'd love to go out in such a blaze of glory. That bird didn't feel a thing. For what it's worth Johnson felt horrible about it afterward even though there's no way he could possibly have done anything about it. Still, I imagine it would have been horrible to be a part of.

For those who care about trivia, the pitch was officially a "no pitch". Do-over! Yeah, go ahead and try.