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EVIL~! alkeiper

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  1. EVIL~! alkeiper
    My friends regard me as a baseball nut, and for the most part that is true. Name any year, and I can tell you who played in that World Series off the top of my head. Further along however, I fall flat. Ask me who won the National League West in 1979, and I might not remember. Major League Baseball expanded its playoff format in 1969, adding a League Championship series. Most of us remember the great World Series, as they are prevailent, produced on dvd. The LCS however sometimes fades into oblivion. Unless your local team was involved in a memorable series, you may not ever hear about it. Certainly, ESPN Classic's insistance on never showing complete baseball games means some absolute classics are forgotten. Hopefully, this will begin a series of articles about those series. I intend to relive those series, as well as the losing teams involved.
     
    1980 National League Championship Series
    Best of Five
     
    1980 Houston Astros
     
    The Houston Astros (then known as the Colt 45s) began as an expansion team in the 1962 season. The 'Stros amased a fine collection of talent over the years such as Joe Morgan, Jimmy Wynn, Larry Dierker and Don Wilson, but could not quite make it to the top of the National League West. Sharing a division with the Big Red Machine will do that. The Astros of course played their home games in the Houston Astrodome. Fans know about the dome and artificial turf, but relatively few fans realize how tough a hitters' park the Dome was. Astros' hitters were perenially underrated, and some pitchers were overrated. The Astros finally broke through in 1980, as we will see.
     
    The Lineup
    C: Alan Ashby (.256/.319/.347, 93 OPS+)
    1B: Art Howe (.283/.350/.445, 129 OPS+)
    2B: Joe Morgan (.243/.367/.373, 115 OPS+)
    SS: Craig Reynolds (.226/.262/.304, 64 OPS+)
    3B: Enos Cabell (.276/.305/.351, 90 OPS+)
    LF: Jose Cruz Sr. (.302/.360/.426, 128 OPS+)
    CF: Cesar Cedeno (.309/.389/.465, 147 OPS+)
    RF: Terry Puhl (.282/.357/.419, 124 OPS+)
     
    A few interesting players here. Any of the three outfielders could play center, and Terry Puhl in fact did play 30 games in center that season. Jose Cruz is perhaps one of the most underrated players in baseball history. Cruz hit 106 home runs on the road, but only 59 at home. Playing in the Astrodome most of his career cost him perhaps 50 home runs over the years. Cruz certainly deserved more than two All-Star nods. He is not quite a Hall of Fame caliber player, but he's better than Jim Rice, for example.
     
    Cesar Cedeno could be a Hall of Famer. He was a better player than many center fielders currently in the Hall, and might well have been had he not decended rapidly after age 30. Cedeno still played over 2,000 games thanks to an early start, and finished his career with 550 stolen bases.
     
    Joe Morgan left the Cincinnati Reds after the 1979 season, returning to the team that originally drafted him. Morgan remained one of the most disciplined hitters in the game, drawing 93 walks and stealing 24 bases in 1980. Despite a .243 batting average he was one of the more productive second basemen in the league, even at the age of 36.
     
    Enos Cabell on the other hand rated as the player most often criticized by young baseball author Bill James. Cabell hit .276 on the season, at a glimpse an acceptable average. But then you dig in the stat sheet and see a meager 26 walks, almost no power, and he was caught stealing 13 times against 21 successes.
     
    Craig Reynolds' hitting stats are appaling, but it was common for teams in that era to play unproductive hitters at short, preferring defense. Frank Taveras (Mets, 80 OPS+), Larry Bowa (Phillies, 70 OPS+), Tim Foli (Pirates, 73 OPS+), Luis Gomez (Braves, 26 OPS+), Johnnie LeMaster (Giants, 59 OPS+), and Ozzie Smith (Padres, 71 OPS+) comprised some of the league's starting shortstops. When you remember the Padres' trade of Ozzie to the Cardinals for Garry Templeton, consider that Templeton was the only starting shortstop in the league to hit above the league average in 1980.
     
    Ashby of course starred as an announcer for the Astros for several years, and Art Howe went on to become a successful manager in the majors.
     
    The Rotation
    Joe Niekro (20-12, 3.55 ERA, 92 ERA+)
    Nolan Ryan (11-10, 3.35 ERA, 98 ERA+)
    Ken Forsch (12-13, 3.20 ERA, 103 ERA+)
    Vern Ruhle (12-4, 2.37 ERA, 138 ERA+)
    J.R. Richard (10-4, 1.90 ERA, 173 ERA+)
    Joaquin Andujar (3-8, 3.91 ERA, 84 ERA+)
     
    Joe Niekro was in the midst of a late career surge, posting his second consecutive 20 win season. Given his stellar record and the fact that he was a knuckleballer, I think Niekro's mediocre ERA is the result of staying in games longer than most pitchers when his team had a big lead. That's just a guess. Niekro's son Lance currently plays for the San Francisco Giants.
     
    Nolan Ryan remains the game's most overrated pitcher. For all the flack Bert Blyleven receives about not being a winning pitcher, the same tag could be applied to Nolan Ryan, who had a worse win percentage and lower ERA+. Ryan in 1980 had 14 no decisions, of which his team won 11. He did pitch a large number of innings, as did Niekro.
     
    Vern Ruhle's season was entirely a fluke. He never again won more than nine games in a season, and finished his career with a below average ERA. He did however become a successful pitching coach, first with the Phillies and then with the Astros.
     
    J.R. Richard is one of baseball's most tragic cases. Beginning in 1976, Richard ranked among baseball's best pitchers. Despite surrendering over 100 walks a season, he won 72 games from 1976-79. He found his control in 1979 and posted yet another career year. Richard's first half performance in 1980 netted him his first All-Star appearance, a starting assignment to boot. Unfortunately, Richard suffered a series of bizzare ailments that year. Many fans and reporters thought Richard was a lazy player, and that he was loafing. On July 30, Richard suffered a major stroke, requiring emergency surgery. Richard never pitched in the majors again.
     
    Some other intriguing players on the Astros that season included current Padres' manager Bruce Bochy and long time closer Dave Smith, making his debut season.
     
    The Astros ended the regular season in a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers, necessitating the first regular season playoff in the National League since 1962. (Oddly, of the seven regular season playoffs in N.L. history, the Dodgers have been in five of them). The Astros had held a three game lead over the Dodgers with three to go. However, those three games happened to be against the Dodgers, in Dodger Stadium. The Astros lost all three games to force the playoff. However, the Astros won the playoff easily, 7-1 behind the pitching of staff ace Joe Niekro.
     
    The NLCS
     
    The first two games took place at Veterans Stadium. The Phillies won game one 3-1, thanks to Greg Luzinski's two run home run in the sixth. Game Two saw the Astros and Phillies go into extra innings tied 3-3. The Astros scored four in the tenth, including Dave Bergman's two run triple. The Phillies had a chance to score a run in the ninth, but Lee Elia held Bake McBride at third base.
     
    Games three through five would be played at the Houston Astrodome. Game Three saw the Astros and Phillies trade zeros through ten innings. Joe Niekro pitched ten scoreless innings, striking out two and walking one. Denny Walling's sacrifice fly scored Rafael Landestoy, winning the game for the 'Stros. Game Four saw the Astros take a 2-0 lead into the eighth inning, but the Phils scored three runs. The Astros tied the game in the ninth, leading the game into extra innings for the third straight time. In the top of the tenth, Pete Rose scored on Greg Luzinski's RBI double, and the Phillies went on to win. Rose famously scored on a close play at the plate, knocking down catcher Bruce Bochy. Rose was widely praised for his aggressiveness. What's forgotten is that Manny Trillo followed up with a double that would've scored Rose anyway. But there were two outs, and no tomorrow.
     
    Game five saw the Astros again take a 5-2 lead into the eighth inning. Phillies down three against Nolan Ryan. In the eighth, Rafael Landestoy replaced Joe Morgan at second base, a defensive manuever the Astros made all series. Larry Bowa led off the inning with a base hit to center field. Bob Boone followed with a hard grounder off Ryan's glove, runners at first and second. Greg Gross reached on a bunt down the third base line, loading the bases. Pete Rose followed with a walk, forcing in a run. At this point, Astros' manager Bill Verdon replaced Ryan with Joe Sambito.
     
    If the Astros made a mistake in the series, this is it. Bowa's hit was the hardest hit ball of the inning. Boone and Gross's hits were both infield shots. Rose walked on a full count. The pitch before ball four, which Bowa fouled out, was clocked at 99 mph. I honestly think Ryan came out too soon. Sambito came in to pitch to left handed Bake McBride, who was pulled for Keith Moreland, a righty. There goes the platoon split. Moreland grounded to second, forcing out Rose but scoring a run. 5-4 Astros, first and third for the Phillies, one out.
     
    Ken Forsch came in to replace Sambito. Mike Schmidt struck out in a key spot, leaving two outs. Del Unser bailed out Schmidt and the team, hitting a single to right that scored the tying run. With runners on first and second, Manny Trillo tripled to left, scoring two runs and giving the Phillies a 7-5 lead.
     
    Bottom of the eighth, the Phils attempted to lock down the game by bringing in Tug McGraw. McGraw however, running on fumes, could not get the job done. Two consecutive RBI singles by Rafael Landestoy and Jose Cruz tied the game yet again.
     
    Top of the tenth, Del Unser doubled and Garry Maddox hit a two out double to plate Unser, giving the Phils the lead. Maddox's double was a simple base hit, but Puhl had to dive for it knowing that if it fell in, the Phils would take the lead. The Astros went in order in the bottom of the tenth to give the Phillies the pennant. Noteable about that last half of the inning was Enos Cabell swinging at ball four and flying out to center field for his trouble.
     
    In that five game series, four game went into extra innings. If you watch the Phillies' broadcast, you note Tim McCarver laughing hysterically as the Phillies win the pennant on Maddox's catch. It was an extremely hard fought series, and the Phillies really felt like they simply survived that game, not just won it. In my mind, it rates as the greatest game in Phillies' history, due to its combination of excitement and importance. The Phils would go on to defeat the Kansas City Royals in six games for their first and only World Series championship.
     
    The Astros again reached the postseason the following season. After taking the first two games from the Dodgers, they lost the next three and the series. They lost to the New York Mets in the 1986 NLCS, puncuated by a 16 inning classic game six. Division series appearances in 1997, '98, '99 and 2001 all resulted in losses, giving the Astros seven consecutive playoff series losses. They finally broke that streak in 2004, and won their first National League pennant in 2005.
  2. EVIL~! alkeiper
    With the preponderance of baseball statistics on the internet, you might question the need for an annual statistics book. Certainly, baseball-reference.com provides a plethora of statistics along with sorting options and statistical splits that a printed version simply can not match. In this environment, a publisher needs to add a few bells and whistles to entice paying customers.
     
    First off, if you feel the need for a print stat book of any kind, stop now and buy the book. That said, here are a few other features. The book offers a look at the first version of the "Fielding Bible" awards. The publishers chose a panel of ten voters, ranging from Bill James and Rob Neyer to the Tangotiger online fan poll. Honestly, this strikes me a bit elitist. It is one thing to say you can improve the process. It is another to assume you are a better voting group because you disagree with the results. The awards are improved by the nature of the process, each voter submits a weighted ballot rather than choosing a single player. If they selected candidates the same way the actual gold glove awards do, three of the picks would change.
     
    You get the usual chapters you expect. Park factors, managers' records, platoon splits, etc. The manager index demonstrates how many lineups a manager used, how many pinch-hitters and runners used, and more than a dozen other categories. Some other records are compiled. Particularly useful are baserunning statistics, chronicling how often a player went from first to third on a single, or scored from second on a single, or scored from first on a double. The best baserunner in 2007 of course was Jose Reyes. The best baserunning team suprisingly was the Kansas City Royals.
     
    Much has been made of the Young Talent Inventory. That James produced a list based solely on 2007 statistics seems quite sloppy. I believe it is an example of the commerce aspect of the book, needing to attach names and essays to the book in the interest of sales. The player comments however are interesting. Player projections are covered (only for established players), as well as win shares. I wish the publishers would simply list the win shares in the career register.
     
    Amazon currently lists this book around $15. For that price, it's a solid purchase.
  3. EVIL~! alkeiper

    2008 RR Preview

    By EVIL~! alkeiper,

    Since I am ordering the show tonight, I thought I might as well give some pre-match thoughts and projections.
     
    Royal Rumble Match
     
    Always a good show. I am a bit wary though on the HHH show. I find his character stale and his matches generally dull. It is not that he is not a good wrestler, but he is terribly methodical. Every time he wrestles a big gimmick match you know it is going 20+ minutes. HHH/Orton at Wrestlemania does not interest me in the slightest. The only thing that might make it watchable is an Evolution Fatal Four-way. In this match though, you have either HHH or the Undertaker, unless WWE throws a major curveball. Other storylines heading in are the Hornswaggle/Finlay saga, and that's about it. We'll see.
     
    Jeff Hardy vs. Randy Orton
     
    You know the IWC are still marks at heart. Everyone wants WWE to put Jeff over in this match although it really doesn't make good long-term booking sense. It would devalue Orton as champion even if they gave him the belt back, and Jeff as champion would not have a ready opponent apart from the Orton rematch. I'd love to see a title change though, because we're all marks at heart. Jeff has become one of WWE's better talents, and it will be a great moment when he does win the title, here or in the future.
     
    Edge vs. Rey Mysterio
     
    No one really believes Mysterio has a shot here.
     
    MVP vs. Ric Flair
     
    Again, everyone buys Flair coming out on top, possibly thanks to Matt Hardy. This Rumble card is really devoid of suspense, which makes me believe that they might try a surprise on at least one of the matches.
     
    JBL vs. Chris Jericho
     
    I think there might be money in a gimmick match down the road, though they would be crazy to try a blood feud blowoff on the same card as an elimination chamber, and I do not know if they can drag this out until Wrestlemania. This match honestly though gives Jericho his best shot at a great match in two years. Hopefully he can deliver.
  4. EVIL~! alkeiper
    I don't know if there is a good way to sum up an event like this. I probably should not even try. A lot of things have gone through my head as to what to write, and suffice to say I'm not a terribly poetic writer. I got to watch quite a few of the Phillies' players come through the minors, including Chase Utley, Cole Hamels and Ryan Howard.
     
    Frankly, I am shocked it came about so easily. The only other year the Phillies won the World Series was 1980. In that season, the Phils won the division by one game, coming back from behind to win three times in the last week, including the clincher. They won a best of five series 3-2 against the Astros, trailing all three times before they won, and seeing four of those five games go extra innings. They won the World Series 4-2 against the Royals, and they came from behind to win three times. Twice they had to beat Dan Quisenberry to do it. The only game they won in the playoffs but never trailed was the clincher, game six. This time they went 11-3 in the postseason. They were never a loss away from elimination. The only game the Rays even led at any point was their game two victory.
     
    Cole Hamels established himself as a Phillies postseason legend, going 4-0 with a 1.80 ERA in five starts. Brad Lidge rocketed up the postseason saves list. He has now saved more postseason games than all but two pitchers, Dennis Eckersley and Mariano Rivera. Ryan Howard hit three home runs. I think credit is due to the Rays though, who enjoyed a fine season. They lost fighting, with the tying run at second base and losing out only when a line drive stayed in the air too long. Baseball is truly a game of inches, hits turning into outs and vice versa by the smallest of margins. A couple of breaks and the championship easily could have gone the other way.
     
    Was it a boring postseason? More or less, yes. I was thankful for that from a Phillies' perspective but disappointed in the other series. The game five ALCS comeback from the Red Sox will live as a classic. Game five of the World Series was very good as a whole (it will hopefully live in one piece on the dvd), as was game three. Little was memorable about the Fall Classic though. I think we can lay blame on Fox, the weather, MLB as much as we want. The fact remains however that if the games are lacking, there is little you can do to dress them up. Baseball needs exciting games, and then needs to market them properly.
     
    It bears repeating. If you long for the days that your children could enjoy baseball, take them to a minor league game. The lower, the better. You get cheaper tickets, cheaper parking, cheaper concessions, and the players are much more accessable.
     
    It amazes me how much merchandise MLB will attempt to sell in the wake of a World's championship. Within an hour, the Phillies' website proudly displayed a couple hundred items for sale, all proclaiming the Phillies "2008 World Champions." Hats, shirts and dvd sets are customary. Here are some other fun items you might purchase.
     
    * Wincraft Philadelphia Phillies 2008 World Series Champions Galvanized Pail ($29.99)
    * Seven different 2008 World Series Bobbleheads, including the Phillie Phanatic, all holding the trophy ($24.99 each)
    * Mr. Potato Head, Complete with Phillies hat and trophy ($19.99)
    * 2008 World Champions Snow Globe ($34.99)
    * Cole Hamels Autographed World Series Baseball ($217.99)
     
    I can just imagine someone in the process of redecorating their den.
     
    A final note on the parade. Chase Utley has raised a bit of a stir by declaring the Phillies, "World F'n Champions!" That is not the most distressing thing on its face, but it is a bit disheartening how this type of language has seemingly become acceptable at Philadelphia sporting events. It makes it difficult to introduce non-fans into the sport or to a sporting venue. Winning is not a ticket to act like a jackass.
     
    In summation, this is really the first championship win I was alive to witness. I don't think anything in the future will measure to this. Thank you Phillies!
     
  5. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Who were the best team in the history of the St. Louis Browns? Most fans would assume the 1944 club. That team won the only league championship in the club's history. A better choice however would be the 1922 club. Contrary to what you might think, the Browns were not always non-contenders. In 1922, the Browns finished 93-61, a scant game behind the champion New York Yankees. The Yankees that season traded for Joe Dugan mid-season. That trade, coupled with the NY Giants' midseason trade for Hugh McQuillan, prompted protests that New York teams could buy their way to a pennant. Some things never change.
     
    In addition to holding a better record, the 1922 team played in a tougher league than the '44 club. The 1944 Browns benefitted from World War II, which depleted Major League rosters. Not many fans would recognize Stan Spence, Nick Ettel or Johnny Lindell. Those players finished third, fourth and fifth in OPS in the AL. The leaders in OPS in 1922, by comparison, included Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker, George Sisler, Cy Williams and Harry Heilmann. Clearly more talent existed in the league in 1922. But what about that pennant? Honestly, would the 1944 Browns have won the pennant had they faced the 1922 Yankees? Vern Stephens was a superstar, but the rest just doesn't compare to Babe Ruth, Wally Pipp, and the Yanks' excellent pitching staff that year.
     
    Talent wise, the Browns of 1922 had some excellent players. Hall of Famer George Sisler enjoyed his greatest season, hitting .420 with 42 doubles, 18 triples and 51 stolen bases. In the process Sisler struck out a scant 14 times. Young second baseman Marty McManus hit .312 with 11 home runs, and led American League second basemen in OPS. Outfielder Ken Williams slugged .627 with 39 home runs. The Browns led the league in runs scored. On the pitching side, ace Urban Shocker won 24 games. The Browns finished second in runs allowed, behind only the Yankees.
     
    George Sisler missed the following season however, and the Browns never recovered. Urban Shocker and Pat Collins found their way to the Yankees' dynasty, and Hank Severeid was traded to the Washington Senators. Still, for a couple seasons in the '20s the Browns were one of the best teams in the league.
     
    May 12, 2007
    Chicago Cubs @ Philadelphia Phillies: Citizens Bank Park
     
    -When it comes to geography, nothing beats Citizens Bank Park for an out-of-towner. PA Turnpike to I-95, and then north to the stadium. You go around Philadelphia rather than through it, and traffic is not bad at all. Compare that to New York City, where congestion begins about 30 miles away and gets progressively worse from there. Parking is expensive ($10) but convenient. The park is extremely easy to access from I-95.
     
    -I brought along three friends, and all were impressed with the park. There is hardly a bad seat in the place. We sat 400-level but behind home plate with a great view of the field. There's a secret to attending baseball games. Your best option for viewing the action is anywhere between third and first base. You get better perspective there than sitting five rows past the outfield fence.
     
    -Every time I see the Phils live they explode. 11 runs in this outing. They scored 10 when I saw them in 2006, and 12 the previous time in 2005.
     
    -I left during the rain delay in the seventh. Delays get harder to wait out when you're making day trips from two hours out. The concourse however becomes absolutely impossible to navigate. It will take you a half hour to get around the stadium, at least.
     
    -You honestly can not beat Citizens Bank Park when it comes to ambiance and amenities. Concessions are expensive but not outrageous. $11 will get you a BBQ pork sandwich, a diet coke, and an autograph from Greg "The Bull" Luzinski.
     
    -One actual baseball note. Why teams will run on Shane Victorino I will never understand.
     
    May 13, 2007
    Columbus Clippers @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees: PNC Field
     
    -The International League gives you the opportunity to see some fun players. Some are guys who should be in the majors (Colter Bean). Some are guys who could've made it with a bit of luck, but are still worth watching (Jim Rushford). And there are some who could not make it in the Majors. Chris Michalak is 36 years old. He's gotten 191 MLB innings, produced a 4.70 ERA (average for his run-scoring environments), but can never stick with a club. The reason is simple. He throws an 81 mph fastball. I love watching him pitch though. He's not masterful like Jamie Moyer. He just throws strikes that get hit right at guys. And he works fast. Hitters have trouble adjusting to his slow stuff and by the time they do, it's time for the flame throwing reliever. On this night he managed five shutout innings, leaving after 53 pitches. I figure his team didn't want to push him as he just returned from a quad injury. I get the feeling watching him that he could be Chris Hammond.
     
    -One hour into the game, we were in the top of the fifth. The game lasted 2:50. That should give you an indication of the relative quality. Chris Booker pitched two innings for the save. Booker throws 95 mph but it's straight and he has no secondary pitch. It took Booker 54 or so pitches to get those last six outs. Compare that with Michalak. Both teams combined for 14 walks, and five errors. Just horrid, horrid baseball.
     
    May 14, 2007
    Same teams, same field.
     
    -Same game really except the Yankees won a blowout. The lack of competition made the slow pace more painful. This game took three hours, ending at 10pm. When you get out and hit road construction right off, gah! Especially when your schedule has you out the door at 7am the next morning.
     
    -Mike Bacsik pitched for Columbus. Around the twelfth batter I noticed he had thrown first-pitch strikes to two batters. That's a recipe for disaster. Sure enough, Bacsik surrendered three home runs in the fourth. Bacsik is a good pitcher, throws strikes and flyballs. Sometimes that will get you killed though, as it did this night. Honestly, the Clippers are the Washington Nationals' farm team. If these guys can't make the Nats, how good can they be?
     
    -Two years ago (May 12, 2005), I saw the Reds and Phillies play. Dave Miley was the Reds' manager and D'Angelo Jimenez their starting second baseman. Fast-forward, Miley is managing Scranton and Jimenez is playing for Columbus. During a break in the action Miley (coaching third) and Jimenez (playing third) were seen conversing. It's good to see some old partnerships come up again.
     
    The buzz around Scranton is that Roger Clemens is scheduled to start on Memorial Day. Whether that is for the AAA club or the big club is yet to be seen. I don't have that game, so not seeing Rodge won't bother me. In fact, it would be fun to see Clemens skip Scranton just because of the hype he's received.
     
    Next game is Sunday, Reading against Portland. Ryan Madson is pitching rehab.
  6. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Portland Sea Dogs @ Reading Phillies
     
    When it comes to minor league baseball, no park can beat FirstEnergy Park in Reading for pure ambiance. There's talk of replacing the park with a new downtown stadia, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion. The corporate name belies the park really. The park is over 50 years old now. Recent renovations make the park comfortable but it retains an old-time feel unlike modern parks. The concessions have a carnival-like atmosphere. There are seemingly dozens of options from standard fare to Rita's Italian Ice (no gelatis though).
     
    Everything about the game is enthusiastic. The staff know better than to jam every single sound effect into spare space like in other minor league parks. There are plenty of in-game promotions to keep the crowd entertained. The park contains a pool beyond right field and there is the standard party deck beyond left field.
     
    Pricing is right. Parking is free but can be a hassle. Paved spots were gone an hour before gametime, leaving the grass beyond the brick wall in left field. It is easy to get to at least, straight down Route 61 off Route 222.
     
    If you have the chance, this is a park you should take a trip to see at some point.
     
    Roger Clemens is apparently coming to Scranton on Monday. I'm going to Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday's games instead. I don't need to deal with the traffic.
  7. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Last night Tampa Bay's Edwin Jackson lasted 1/3 of an inning, giving up five runs, five hits, two walks, and two home runs. Currently his ERA stands at 8.20 along with a gaudy 0-8 win/loss record. Anthony Reyes of the St. Louis Cardinals was also 0-8 upon his return to the minors. Four pitchers in the Majors collected ten or more wins in a season without a loss. How about on the opposite end, the pitchers with the most losses in a season without a win? Are Jackson and Reyes close?
     

    1    Terry Felton             1982       13        0     4.99      -11   T2   Russ Miller              1928       12        0     5.42      -12   T2   Steve Gerkin             1945       12        0     3.62       -4   4    Charlie Stecher          1890       10        0    10.32      -48   T5   Tom Tuckey               1909        9        0     4.25      -17   T5   Rod Beck                 1996        9        0     3.34        6   T5   Heathcliff Slocumb       1997        9        0     5.16       -4   T5   Earl Hamilton            1917        9        0     3.14       -5   T5   Stump Wiedman            1880        9        0     3.40      -15   T5   Edgar Gonzalez           2004        9        0     9.32      -25
     
    Very close. The first column is the season, second is number of losses, third is wins, fourth is Earned Run Average and fifth is Runs Saved Above Average (RSAA). RSAA simply measures the runs above or below what a pitcher with a league average ERA would have allowed in similar innings. Rod Beck immediately strikes me as he pitched well in 1996, posting a 3.34 ERA. Looking at his gamelogs from that season, Beck entered the game just 7 times with his teams behind, 6 times with the game tied and 50 times with his team ahead. Talk about being setup to fail.
     
    Terry Felton is baseball's hard luck man. Felton pitched in three other seasons for the Minnesota Twins, finishing with an 0-16 record.
     
    Jackson is close, but the problem is that pitchers of this nature are unlikely to continue pitching. He may well have pitched himself out of the rotation in favor of Jason Hammel at this point. If Jackson is out, he falls well short of the mark of pitching futility. The standard remains Steve Blass, who lasted 88.7 innings with an ERA of 9.85 in 1973.
     
    Rain Delay
     
    Most of you know I went to Raw on Monday. Tuesday I attended the Scranton/Durham game, on assignment from Baseball Info Solutions. I've been working my other job 730-5 all week, so the lack of sleep Monday night hurt. Still I figured, at least I'd get home a bit earlier from the game, right? Rain was in the forecast, but I didn't figure they would wait two hours to finish up a game. In the top of the eighth, the game resumed with maybe 50 fans in attendance, along with the stadium staff. All for seven more outs of baseball. Dustin Mohr created a scare in the ninth when he hit a home run shot 20 feet foul. Imagine that game going into extra innings. With such a small crowd, you can hear the game chatter from the field. It's certainly a unique experience and I like it in a way. It's too bad you have to sit through crappy weather to get to it.
  8. EVIL~! alkeiper
    A couple days off from work gave me an opportunity to catch a ballgame. Much of the local Eastern League was on the road, leaving Reading as the only local minor league team in town. Checking the Majors, I noticed the Phillies and Orioles both played home games. Running the choices by my friend, we agreed that Baltimore was a solid option as I have been to the other parks already this season. For a bit of background, I have been to Baltimore a couple times, but never to the ballpark. The last time was July of 2001. Knowing we were staying in the Inner Harbor, I bought tickets to two baseball games. Unfortunately Baltimore had an underground train wreck, and the games were wiped out for the duration of my vacation.
     
    Camden Yards is easy to get to, given that I-83 ends right at the Inner Harbor with minimal traffic to boot. Parking is it's usual adventure in an unfamiliar area but not too bad. Honestly, Camden is probably the most crowd-friendly ballpark I have ever been to. Bringing in outside food and drink is NOT prohibited like it is in seemingly every professional ballpark (note to Eastern and New-York Penn Leagues: league rules my ass). Walk in and of course you're greeted by the Eutaw Street promenade, the area behind the right field wall and in front of the B&O Warehouse. Leaving that building intact is the most brilliant move any park designer has done. The area of course has it's various stands including Boog's Bar-b-que. Arrive early and you can meet Boog Powell himself, as I did. Powell was nice enough to sign my ticket stub, and is approachable and gregarious. Boog and Eutaw Street are a couple of the features copied by Citizens Bank Park (Bull's Bar-b-Que and Ashburn Alley).
     
    We sat about ten rows from the field on the first base side. What is the advantage of watching two second-division teams on a Wednesday? Sparse crowds give you a better opportunity for good seats. The seating isn't quite as comfortable as in Philadelphia but that is expected. The O's took a three-run lead early in the game, scoring one in the first and two in the third. O's fans in our section seemed lukewarm towards Miguel Tejada due to his contract and production. That is what you get with a big contract. You pay for the first years of production with the last years.
     
    Jarrod Saltalamacchia kicked off the scoring with a two-run single in the fourth, and Ramon Vazquez followed up with a three-run home run. Vazquez's home run was a no-doubter, and really Cabrera's only serious mistake of the night.
     
    This was the first game of a doubleheader, which is very important to know when evaluating this game. Saltalamacchia led off the sixth inning with a home run, and Trembley responded by pulling Cabrera with 96 pitches thrown, 62 for strikes. In came Brian Burres, holding a 4.45 ERA at the time. Whatever went wrong with Burres who knows? He gave up a single to Vazquez, who advanced on a wild pitch. Catalanotto walked. Ian Kinsler failed a sacrifice bunt. Michael Young singled on a line drive, loading the bases. O's fans rode the outfielders for not diving for the balls. What they miss is if they dive and miss, it's a triple. I'll come back to this however. Marlon Byrd hit a grand slam to put the game effectively out of reach, 10-3. If I have a thrill outside of the 30 spot, it's seeing Byrd come up big. The Phillies never gave Byrd a fair shot after his poor 2004 season.
     
    After a strikeout, five straight singles, the last four on line drives. Three runs scored on those, at which point Trembley pulled Burres in favor of Rob Bell. Bell is the mop-up man, and recovering from Steve Blass disease (the same ailment that Rick Ankiel suffered as a pitcher). Bell gave up one more RBI single and got the last out on a fly ball. The Rangers went in order in the seventh. At this point, the O's fans were waiting for the second game.
     
    I don't need to bore you with the full details of the eighth and ninth, you can check the play-by-play if you want. In the eighth the fans were cheering for a mercy rule. At the ninth when Ramon Vazquez homered again to make it thirty, the fans cheered heartily. I think everyone realized at that point they were in the midst of a historic game, not just a mere blowout. This all came about because manager Trembley wanted to save his relievers for game two. After the Rangers hung six in the ninth, there was no reliever warming up behind Shuey.
     
    You can question not using a prime reliever or at least an outfielder, but it was just one game in the end. I made the observation that this was Baltimore's "rope a dope" strategy to win game two. The Rangers got a three spot early and the O's tied it in the third. As an aside, I saw game two pitcher Garrett Olson pitch last year with Bowie, and earlier this year with Norfolk. It was 10pm after the third, and we departed. With six innings to go, there was no reason to try and stick it out with a three-hour drive home ahead.
     
    Overall, Camden Yards is a wonderful ballpark. The only complaint you can make is that the amenities aren't quite on par with the newest parks. That's nit-picking. Even the concourses are larger and easier to navigate than Citizens Bank Park. No reason not to get to Camden at least once.
  9. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Not a live game this time but worthy of an entry nonetheless. Today the Phillies clinched the National League East on the final day of the season. I will leave the taunting for Mets fans out if this one. I grew up in a family that was not big into baseball, so I don't really remember a great deal about the 1993 season. This is the first time I have vivid memories of the Phillies reaching the postseason. For those who wonder why cheer for a traditionally failing team, here you go. I can not imagine any division championship being as sweet to Yankee fans as today's victory was for Phils' fans.
     
    I don't think it's an exaggeration to say this season was the best baseball season I experienced. Around fifty live games attended. The highlights...
     
    -Watching the Texas Rangers score 30 runs on the Baltimore Orioles.
     
    -Seeing Louisville's Chris Dickerson hit for the cycle.
     
    -Catching Andy Pettitte implode against the Oakland Athletics, in Yankee Stadium.
     
    -Watching Sal F'n Fasano steal a base, straight up.
     
    -Getting an autograph from Joba Chamberlain.
     
    -Seeing back-to-back doubleheaders in Williamsport and Scranton.
     
    This season included 37 games in Scranton, three in Philadelphia, one trip to Williamsport (doubleheader), a doubleheader in Baltimore, a seat in the bleachers of Yankee Stadium (overrated), two games in Reading, and shots in Harrisburg, Trenton and Lakewood. Ranking the parks by best ballpark experience.
     
    1. Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia)
    2. Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore)
    3. First Energy Stadium (Reading)
    4. First Energy Park (Lakewood)
    5. Waterfront Park (Trenton)
    6. Commerce Bank Park (Harrisburg)
    7. Bowman Field (Williamsport)
    8. Yankee Stadium
    9. PNC Field (Scranton)
  10. EVIL~! alkeiper
    I'm running a greatest teams tournament on Strategic Baseball Simulator, and I figured I would post the results here. I am running the tournament in the same manner of the College World Series. It is extremely unscientific, so take any results with a grain of salt. The tournament consists of four rounds...
     
    Regionals
    Sixteen separate four team brackets. The competition is double-elimination, meaning the losers fall into a second bracket. Teams are eliminated after two losses.
     
    Super Regionals
    Eight brackets of two teams each. Best of three games.
     
    Semifinals
    This is where the competition reaches Omaha in the College version. Again we have two brackets of four teams each, double elimination.
     
    Championship
    Final two teams in a best of three competition.
     
    In order to even things up, I divided the tournament into four eras. 1901-34, 1935-65, 1966-87, and 1988-2005. Each era contains an approximately even number of teams in their talent pool. There have been about 2,100 teams since 1900, and each era contains about 550. (This is the kind of stuff you do to pass time in a boring class). Here are the entrants.
     
    '14 BosN @ '06 ChC
    '34 StL @ '32 NYY
     
    '06 Cubs 3, '14 Braves 2
    '34 Cardinals 5, '32 Yankees 1
     
    '19 Cin @ '21 NYG
    '35 ChC @ '12 BosA
     
    '21 Giants 14, '19 Reds 5
    '35 Cubs 3, '12 Red Sox 0
     
    '19 CWS @ '29 PhA
    '07 Det @ '27 NYY
     
    '19 White Sox 8, '29 Athletics 3
    '27 Yankees 8, '07 Tigers 6
     
    '09 Pit @ '12 NYG
    '24 Was @ '11 PhA
     
    '12 Giants 9, '09 Pirates 6
    '24 Senators 9, '11 Athletics 4
     
    '50 Phi @ '53 NYY
    '57 Mil @ '54 Cle
     
    '53 Yankees 2, '50 Phillies 1
    '57 Braves 4, '54 Indians 0
     
    '62 SF @ '55 Brk
    '41 Brk @ '46 StL
     
    '62 Giants 10, '55 Dodgers 6
    '41 Dodgers 10, '46 Cardinals 8
     
    '65 Min @ '61 NYY
    '46 Bos @ '63 LAD
     
    '61 Yankees 7, '65 Twins 5
    '63 Dodgers 3, '46 Red Sox 0
     
    '35 Det @ '40 Cin
    '59 CWS @ '39 NYY
     
    '40 Reds 3, '35 Tigers 1
    '39 Yankees 10, '59 White Sox 5
     
    I'm taking a break from the games for a moment to briefly discuss the managers. Several managers have two teams in the tournament. Walter Alston manages three teams, the '55, '63 and '74 Dodgers. Here are the other multi-team managers.
     
    Sparky Anderson ('75 Reds, '84 Tigers)
    Bobby Cox ('92 Braves, '98 Braves)
    Alvin Dark ('62 Giants, '74 Athletics)
    Tony LaRussa ('88 Athletics, 2004 Cardinals)
    Al Lopez ('54 Indians, '59 White Sox)
    Connie Mack ('11 Athletics, '29 Athletics)
    Joe McCarthy ('32 Yankees, '39 Yankees)
    John McGraw ('12 Giants, '21 Giants)
    Joe Torre ('98 Yankees, 2003 Yankees)
     
    Top managers in career wins who are not represented.
     
    1. Gene Mauch
    2. Tommy Lasorda
    3. Clark Griffith
    4. Jimmie Dykes
    5. Wilbert Robinson
     
    '67 Bos @ '74 Oak
    '84 Det @ '80 KC
     
    '74 Athletics 4, '67 Red Sox 3, 12 Innings
    '80 Royals 5, '84 Tigers 1
     
    '69 NYM @ '80 Phi
    '85 StL @ '70 Balt
     
    '69 Mets 4, '80 Phillies 1
    '85 Cardinals 5, '70 Orioles 1
     
    '74 LAD @ '77 NYY
    '79 Pit @ '86 NYM
     
    '77 Yankees 6, '74 Dodgers 2
    '86 Mets 5, '79 Pirates 4, 14 innings
     
    '68 Det @ '67 StL
    '82 Mil @ '75 Cin
     
    '68 Tigers 2, '67 Cardinals 1
    '75 Reds 8, '82 Brewers 4
     
    '94 Mon @ '98 NYY
    '02 Oak @ '04 StL
     
    '98 Yankees 9, '94 Expos 8
    '04 Cardinals 3, '02 Athletics 2
     
    '04 Bos @ '92 Atl
    '01 Sea @ '88 Oak
     
    '04 Red Sox 11, '92 Braves 3
    '88 Athletics 2, '01 Mariners 1, 10 Innings
     
    '05 CWS @ '03 NYY
    '02 SF @ '95 Cle
     
    '05 White Sox 2, '03 Yankees 0
    '95 Indians 5, '02 Giants 2
     
    '01 Ari @ '92 Tor
    '03 Fla @ '99 Atl
     
    '01 Diamondbacks 11, '92 Blue Jays 5
    '03 Marlins 1, '98 Braves 0
  11. EVIL~! alkeiper
    I'm blatantly ripping off a concept from Bored. The best player from each pick in the draft. The MLB June draft has run from 1965 to the present.
     
    1. Alex Rodriguez, SS
    2. Reggie Jackson, OF
    3. Robin Yount, SS
    4. Dave Winfield, OF or Barry Larkin, SS
    5. Dwight Gooden, RHP
    6. Barry Bonds, OF
    7. Frank Thomas, 1B
    8. Todd Helton, 1B
    9. Barry Zito, LHP
    10. Mark McGwire, 3B
     
    Not one #1 overall pick has yet made the Hall, though Junior Griffey and A-Rod certainly will. Having no player better than Zito at #9 is a surprise, ditto for Doc Gooden at #5.
     
    11. Greg Luzinski, 1B
    12. Billy Wagner, LHP or Nomar Garciaparra, SS
    13. Manny Ramirez, OF
    14. Derrek Lee, 1B
    15. Chase Utley, 2B
    16. Lance Parrish, IF
    17. Roy Halladay, RHP
    18. Willie Wilson, OF
    19. Roger Clemens, RHP
    20. Mike Mussina, RHP
     
    21. Rick Sutcliffe, RHP
    22. Craig Biggio, C
    23. Jason Kendall, C
    24. Rondell White, OF
    25. Chuck Knoblauch, 2B
    26. Alan Trammell, SS
    27. Vida Blue, LHP
    28. Lee Smith, RHP
    29. George Brett, SS
    30. Mike Schmidt, SS
     
    Where are the Hall of Famers? Currently, 19 members of the Hall of Fame began their careers out of the amateur draft. Only six of them (Jackson, Yount, Winfield, Puckett, Fisk, Molitor) were chosen in the first ten picks of the draft. Five of them were not picked in the top 100, and Ryne Sandberg was the 511th pick in his draft. Nolan Ryan was the 226th pick, Goose Goosage was chosen 204th.
  12. EVIL~! alkeiper
    A mini-MLB draft is in the works. Instead of the whole of MLB history for this one, we are going to focus solely on the New York Yankees. Why the Yankees, a team I despise? They simply have the talent necessary to sustain this kind of idea. I'd run Phillies, but who is going to get excited over Fred Luderus?
     
    We have five entrants. Myself, Canadian Chris, Smues, Brooklyn Zoo and 161st and River. One more person can join in if they are interested.
     
    Here are the basics.
    1. 21 man rosters (eight position players and a DH, three reserves, five starters, three relievers, and a manager)
    2. You draft a player's career ONLY as a Yankee. If you draft Randy Johnson, you're getting 34 career victories.
    3. A player may only be chosen either as a manager or player. A player may not be chosen twice for each role. Two exceptions, Hal Chase and Clark Griffith may be player-managers.
    4. All home parks are assumed to be Yankee Stadium.
     
    Results
    Round One
    CC: Babe Ruth
    Al: Mickey Mantle
    Bored: Lou Gehrig
    BZ: Joe Dimaggio
    Smues: Alex Rodriguez
    161st: Bernie Williams
     
    Round Two
    161st: Whitey Ford
    Smues: Yogi Berra
    BZ: Mariano Rivera
    Bored: Derek Jeter
    Al: Charlie Keller
    CC: Bill Dickey
     
    Round Three
    CC: Tony Lazzeri
    Al: Lefty Gomez
    Bored: Red Ruffing
    BZ: Don Mattingly
    Smues: Spud Chandler
    161st:Ron Guidry
     
    Round Four
    161st: Jorge Posada
    Smues: Jason Giambi
    BZ: Thurman Munson
    Bored: Reggie Jackson
    Al: Joe Gordon
    CC: Andy Pettitte
     
    Round Five
    CC: Goose Gossage
    Al: Allie Reynolds
    Bored: Rickey Henderson
    BZ: Dave Winfield
    Smues: Roger Clemens
    161st: Roger Maris
     
    Round Six
    161st: Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez
    Smues: Mike Mussina
    BZ: Earle Combs
    Bored: Ed Lopat
    Al: Phil Rizzuto
    CC: Paul O'Neill
     
    Round Seven
    CC: Bobby Murcer
    Al: Elston Howard
    Bored: Graig Nettles
    BZ: Tommy Henrich
    Smues: Casey Stengel (manager)
    161st: Dave Righetti
     
    Round Eight
    161st: Willie Randolph
    Smues: Sparky Lyle
    BZ: Wade Boggs
    Bored: John Wetteland
    Al: Herb Pennock
    CC: Bob Shawkey
     
    Round Nine
    CC: Jimmy Key
    Al: Bill Skowron
    Bored: Hideki Matsui
    BZ: Joe McCarthy (manager)
    Smues: Mel Stottlemyre
    161st: Waite Hoyt
     
    Round Ten
    161st: Joe Torre (manager)
    Smues: Tino Martinez
    BZ: Catfish Hunter
    Bored: Tommy John
    Al: Gil McDougald
    CC: David Cone
     
    Round Eleven
    CC: Home Run Baker
    Al: Roy White
    Bored: Alfonso Soriano
    BZ: Vic Raschi
    Smues: Robinson Cano
    161st: Lou Piniella
     
    Round Twelve
    161st: Hank Bauer
    Smues: Frankie Crosetti
    BZ: Tony Kubek
    Bored: David Wells
    Al: Carl Mays
    CC: Chien-Ming Wang
     
    Round Thirteen
    CC: Mike Stanton
    Al: Johnny Murphy
    Bored: Gary Sheffield
    BZ: Bobby Richardson
    Smues: David Justice
    161st: Clete Boyer
     
    Round Fourteen
    161st: Jeff Nelson
    Smues: Gene Woodling
    BZ: George Selkirk
    Bored: Steve Howe
    Al: Miller Huggins (manager)
    CC: Don Baylor
     
    Round Fifteen
    CC: Kid Elberfeld
    Al: Bob Meusel
    Bored: Billy Martin (manager)
    BZ: Al Downing
    Smues: Ben Chapman
    161st: Wally Pipp
     
    Round Sixteen
    161st: Jack Chesbro
    Smues: Mickey Rivers
    BZ: Bob Turley
    Bored: Butch Wynegar
    Al: Steve Hamilton
    CC: Nick Etten
     
    Round Seventeen
    CC: Jerry Mumphrey
    Al: Urban Shocker
    Bored: Ron Davis
    BZ: Fritz Peterson
    Smues: Hal Chase
    161st: Bob Wickman
     
    Round Eighteen
    161st: Roberto Kelly
    Smues: Clark Griffith
    BZ: Joe Page
    Bored: Ralph Terry
    Al: Ryne Duren
    CC: Lindy McDaniel
     
    Round Nineteen
    CC: Johnny Blanchard
    Al: Mike Stanley
    Bored:Roy Smalley
    BZ: Red Rolfe
    Smues: Joba Chamberlain
    161st: Ron Blomberg
     
    Round Twenty
    161st: Tom Tresh (or Shane Spencer)
    Smues: Wally Schang
    BZ: Joe Girardi
    Bored: Ron Hassey
    Al: Snuffy Stirnweiss
    CC: Randy Velarde
     
    Round Twenty-One
    CC: Ralph Houk (manager)
    Al: Birdie Cree
    Bored: Tim Raines
    BZ: Ramiro Mendoza
    Smues: Tom Gordon
    161st: Rick Cerone
     
    Round Twenty-Two (Relief Pitchers)
    161st: Shane Spencer
    Smues: Lee Guetterman
    BZ: Dick Tidrow
    Bored: Hal Reniff
    Al: Steve Farr
    CC: Jack Aker
  13. EVIL~! alkeiper
    I've been putting this off for several days. As some of you might imagine, I am somewhat steamed by the trade that sent Bobby Abreu to the Yankees for four prospects. Abreu was one of my favorite players, and the Yankees are my most hated enemy. But sometimes good baseball sense requires that you set personal feelings aside and make decisions that win games. So I would like to be as fair about this as possible.
     
    First off, the trade is terrible, value-for-value. The Phillies sent a player away with a .301 career batting average, .412 OBP, 261 career stolen bases, and two All-Star appearances. I could recite statistics all day. The players the Phillies got in return include a 20 year old shortstop in Low A known more for his athleticism than his production, a 27 year old middle reliever currently in AAA, and two prospects with potential but too far away to even project. All the circumstances in the trade point to a pure salary dump. That the Phils got little in return and did it at the trading deadline gives the impression that they wanted (or perhaps needed) to clear Abreu's salary as quickly as possible. Let's face it. Attendance at the new Citizens Bank Park has settled back to 2.6 Million after spiking to 3.2 Million its first season. Pessimistic messages by G.M. Pat Gillick will not help season ticket sales. The previous payroll of $95 Million is probably not sustainable in the eyes of the club. (It probably is, but I'm not going to turn this into another essay about club economics).
     
    The trade aside, does this move make the Phillies better? Payroll flexibility gets thrown around alot, but that implies that the Phillies will both spend the savings, and that there are players worth buying. Maybe by spending the money on two players you come out ahead by plugging holes. That's entirely possible, but we will not see that until the offseason. In the meantime, improvements in the Phillies play will no doubt be attributed to some sort of clubhouse chemestry, the idea being that Abreu was some sort of curmudgeon whose mere presence forced Ryan Franklin to throw multiple gopher balls.
     
    That of course is nonsense. But defense is not, and Abreu's play in right field has declined over the last two seasons. You can punt defense in one corner, but putting up with Abreu in right field AND Pat Burrell's declining range in left field has worsened the defense, and might be responsible for some of the Phils' inability to prevent runs. I feel fairly comfortable even as an Abreu fan working under the assumption that switching right fielders will improve the defense.
     
    Does that make up for the lack of offense? Most fans assume that adding/deleting a star makes a greater difference than it really does. David Dellucci has actually posted a better OPS the last two years than Bobby Abreu. Abreu has a higher OBP, by perhaps 70 points. Over the last two months of the season, that works out to reaching base about 14 times more.
     
    Now, Dellucci's offense is largely based against right handed pitching. By a happy coincidence, Shane Victorino is crushing LEFT handed pitching this season. If you get a right-handed hitting platoon partner for Dellucci, you've replaced 80% of Abreu's production at about a third of the cost. The Phils play only a fourth of their games against lefties, so Dellucci's lack of production against lefties isn't a serious problem.
     
    You know, I actually like this deal a bit. I don't think the Phillies are much worse without Abreu, and they should be able to pick up some help over the offseason. The Phils have some young pitching coming up the system, and I think they'll contend next season.
     
    Other Phillies Notes:
     
    The last Phillies notes on MLB.com reported the outstanding batting line of Branden Florence in Class A Clearwater. What the article didn't mention is that Florence is a designated hitter and sometime left fielder, and that he's 28 years old. In his prime, he's posted an MLE (Major League Equivelency) of .252/.283/.323. In context, Peter Bergeron's a better prospect.....SS Adrian Cardenas is ripping up the Gulf Coast League. He has an excellent chance of showing up on my postseason top 30 prospect list....The Red Barons are six games up on the playoffs with 32 games left.
  14. EVIL~! alkeiper
    As some of you might know, I have a part time gig scoring minor league games for an independant statistics company called Baseball Info Solutions. It's not well paying but it allows me to see more games than I would otherwise. This week I saw an entire four game series between AAA teams Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Richmond. The Richmond Braves are an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves and the Barons are of course an affiliate of the Phillies.
     
    Tuesday: Red Barons 6, Braves 1
     
    The are times the stat sheet gives you an indication that it might be a fun week. The Red Barons came in at 56-46 (.549), while the Braves came in at 38-63 (.376). Richmond is the worst offensive team in the International League, carrying a team slugging percentage of .343.
     
    -The Braves had one chance of coming back at this. Down 5-1 in the 7th, the Braves placed runners on the corners with one out. Tony Pena popped out foul however, and Brayan Pena tried to catch Joe Thurston napping. B. Pena was thrown out at home. That's a good move down a run or tied, but down four it is a foolish gamble.
     
    -Scott Mathieson dominated, giving up just three hits and one run over eight innings and striking out seven. I don't think there's a Phillies prospect who has taken a bigger step forward over the last year. Mathieson has obvious MLB talent, and it's a matter of time before he gets there for good. The question is whether he starts or closes. He's easily a guy who can turn into the next Jon Papelbon.
     
    Wednesday: Red Barons 4, Braves 1
     
    Sometimes something little can make a big difference in a game. The Braves got two quick outs in the third before Michael Bourn doubled. Joe Thurston singled, moving Bourn to third. Chris Roberson followed with a single of his own that plated Bourn. The ball was fielded deep in the hole by Braves' 2B Cesar Crespo however, and Thurston was dead between second and third. The Braves botched the rundown, and Thurston and Roberson ended up on third and second. Carlos Ruiz followed with a home run, and it's 4-0 Barons. In three pitches the Braves went from "should have been out of the inning" to down four runs.
     
    That came back to haunt the Braves in the ninth, when they scored a meaningless run that would've tied the game had they executed the rundown.
     
    Thursday: Red Barons 7, Braves 6 (12 Innings)
     
    The Red Barons have given us a great season, with four really good starters right now. This time we got starter number five, Jeremy Cummings. The Braves were nice enough to oblige with a mediocre starter of their own, so this got brutal in the early goings. The lead changed about five times in the early going. 1-0 Braves. 1-1 after the first inning. Braves scored one in the third, Red Barons followed with two. Braves score two again in the fourth to retake the lead, and the Barons followed up with three in their half. The Braves scored one in the fifth to cut the lead to 6-5. Thankfully the starters came out at that point and things settled down.
     
    Until the 9th. Mikey, who sits two rows behind us and has grown up at the park, says "I think he's gonna get shelled," referring to closer Brian Sanches. Some kids are too smart for their own good. That is going to be how my own grandchild acts someday. Leadoff hitter Gregor Blanco kicked off the inning with a 12 pitch walk. Tough break, but he earned it. Blanco stole second on a close play, drawing some vehiment disagreements. I thought Blanco was safe, but I was 120 feet away and I have bad eyesight. Cesar Crespo followed with a sac bunt, and pitcher Sanches tried to get the tough out at third. He didn't have a chance. The next hitter, Michael Ryan, groundout out, scoring the tying run. The Barons escaped with no further damage.
     
    That is where everything got real fun. The umpire booted Carlos Ruiz from the game for arguing balls and strikes. Manager John Russell got tossed and presumably Brian Sanches was thrown out as well. The next half inning saw coach Sal Rende move to the third base coache's box and player Ryan Fleming take over coaching duties at first. (In AAA, the manager occupies the third base box. This was common in the majors before teams started employing ten coaches at a time.) The second batter, Michael Bourn, is informed that he too has been tossed. The only plausible explanation is that he was the same height as Carlos Ruiz. I do not usually take heat with the umpires but at this point it had become ridiculous. Our first base coach had to pinch hit.
     
    Dusty Wathan came in to catch, and Josh Kroeger was used earlier as a pinch hitter. That left Juan Sosa as our last bench player. So of course Danny Sandoval was hit by a pitch in the 11th and had to come out. Pitcher Brian Mazone pinch ran for Sandoval, and reliever Ryan Cameron batted for himself. Juan Sosa came in as a defensive sub in the next inning. Ryan Cameron appeared to be in the game as long as possible, pitching three perfect innings.
     
    Wathan hit the first pitch of the 12th over the right-center wall for a game winner. Wathan has won two games with extra inning home runs this year. Wathan has four home runs this year total.
     
    -That was long winded, so let me throw this one out quick. The Braves made five errors, three alone by third baseman Jonathan Schuerholz. You might recognize the name, he's the son of the current Braves' GM. Some at the beginning of the year questioned his promotion to AAA, and suggested it was simply nepotism. Schuerholz has answered his critics by hitting .161/.248/.192 in 79 games. He can't hit for average, can't hit for power, isn't a baserunning threat (four steals in six tries), and apparently can't field. Intangibles? That does a world of good on a 38-67 team. This guy is EASILY the worst player in the International League. His father does him a disservice leaving him out to dry.
     
    Little side note. Some woman asked me if I was a scout. She thinks she can get into professional baseball, and wants to meet Derek Jeter. She also swore she was on her first beer. She probably would have had better luck asking Yankees' first base coach Tony Pena, who happened to be sitting in the next section watching his son play ball. Tony Jr.'s not much of a hitter but good defensively at shortstop.
     
    Friday: Red Barons 7, Braves 3
     
    Brian Mazone isn't a prospect. He has however posted a 9-1 record since being promoted from AA Reading. He doesn't have great peripherals. He just somehow seems to be effective. He also has that one bad inning where he struggles, and the Braves got a run across in the second.
     
    All four games in this series were decided by a home run. Brennan King's two run shot on Tuesday gave the Barons a 3-0 lead. Carlo Ruiz's three run homer was the difference on Wednesday. Dusty Wathan hit a walk-off on Thursday. This time, Joe Thurston hit a two out grand slam in the fourth. The game was 6-1 after that, and the game was never really competitive. The fortunate part was that none of the four games were blowouts. A blowout game is the worst because neither team particularly cares about getting effective pitching in the game.
     
    Sandoval played after nearly being carried from the field the night before. He got the MLB call® right after the game, as did Tony Pena Jr. of the Braves.
  15. EVIL~! alkeiper
    A discussion a couple days ago prompted the statement that we can not compare Bonds' MVP awards to Ruth, because modern MVP voting did not exist until 1931. This is true. What if modern voting did exist however? I decided to come up with an MVP for each season from 1915-35, the years Ruth was active. My intention is not to demonstrate how many MVPs Ruth should have won, or deserved. Rather it is to predict voting patterns.
     
    With that in mind, a couple notes. One, voters would likely look for a player on a contending team. In an eight-team league, first division (top four) would get the job done. Second, remember that certain statistics such as On Base Percentage and Slugging Percentage did not exist. RBIs did not become an official stat until 1920. THE most important statistic of the time was batting average.
     
    1915: Ty Cobb
     
    Cobb won the batting crown by a 37 point margin and stole 96 bases, 45 more than the nearest competitor. His performance kept the Tigers in contention, falling just 2.5 back of the pennant winning Red Sox.
     
    1916: Joe Jackson
     
    Tris Speaker was the dominant offensive player of the season, but would voters go for a player on a sixth place team? Odds are the voting would come down to Cobb and "Shoeless Joe" Jackson. The White Sox finished just two back as Jackson hit .341, a 33 point increase over his previous season. Voters love a step-up performance, so my gut tells me Jackson would take this award.
     
    1917: Eddie Cicotte
     
    The White Sox won the American League by a sizable margin. Cicotte won 28 games and lost 12. His 28 wins were 10 over his previous career high. In addition, Cicotte led the league in earned run average.
     
    1918: Walter Johnson
     
    Here is a tough one. Ruth went 13-7, led the league in slugging and OPS. The problem is that neither hitting statistic existed at that time. Ty Cobb was again the dominant offensive force, but would voters again take a player on a seventh place team? Walter Johnson takes the award for winning the pitching triple crown on a team that finished just four games out.
     
    1919: Ty Cobb
     
    The Tigers went 80-60, and yet another Cobb batting title would prompt the voters. Ruth led the league in OBP, slugging and OPS. The problem is that the Red Sox finished fifth. When the trade occured the following winter, writers were not jumping all over themselves to declare the Sox traded the best player in the league. At the time, observers considered hitting for home runs a foolish endeavour that prized the individual over the team.
     
    1920: Babe Ruth
     
    Three team race between the Indians, White Sox and Yankees. There are three possibilities here. One is Ruth and his 54 home runs. A second is Tris Speaker and his .388 batting average for the pennant winners. A third is Eddie Collins with his .372 batting average and being one of the "clean" Sox. I think 54 home runs is too much to ignore at this point.
     
    1921: Babe Ruth
     
    59 home runs along with a .378 batting average, third in the league.
     
    1922: George Sisler
     
    The St. Louis Browns finished a mere game behind the Yankees. While Ruth fell back to 35 home runs, Sisler hit .420. Voters at the time would have loved batting average. They have never voted for a guy having a down season, no matter how good that down season still is.
     
    1923: Babe Ruth
     
    No contest. The Yankees finished 16 games up, Ruth hit .393.
     
    1924: Walter Johnson
     
    Johnson won the actual MVP award in this season with another pitching triple crown. The Senators won their first pennant this season as well.
     
    1925: Roger Peckinpaugh
     
    With Ruth on the mend the race becomes wide open. Stan Coveleski finished 20-5, and led the league in ERA as the Senators won their second consecutive pennant. Peckinpaugh won the damned thing though.
     
    1926: Babe Ruth
     
    Bounceback season as Ruth hits .372 and leads the league in RBIs by a healthy margin.
     
    1927: Lou Gehrig
     
    The RBI crown gives Gehrig the award here as the voters likely would like to switch up the award here and there.
     
    1928: Lou Gehrig
     
    Again Gehrig would have the batting edge here. Ruth and Gehrig tied for RBIs, but I think Gehrig would have more team credibility that the voters might go for.
     
    1929: Al Simmons
     
    Simmons barely missed a batting crown and led the league in RBIs for the league champion.
     
    1930: Al Simmons
     
    A batting crown, second in RBIs. A note that I would not underestimate the voters giving Mickey Cochrane one of these awards.
     
    1931: Lefty Grove
    1932: Jimmie Foxx
    1933: Jimmie Foxx
    1934: Mickey Cochrane
    1935: Gabby Hartnett (NL)
     
    Four for Ruth, best I can manage. You can argue for him getting six or seven. That said, let's see what Win Shares has to say about the best players in each season.
     
    1915: Ty Cobb
    1916: Tris Speaker
    1917: Ty Cobb
    1918: Babe Ruth
    1919: Babe Ruth
    1920: Babe Ruth
    1921: Babe Ruth
    1922: Red Faber
    1923: Babe Ruth
    1924: Babe Ruth
    1925: Al Simmons
    1926: Babe Ruth
    1927: Babe Ruth
    1928: Babe Ruth
    1929: Al Simmons/Jimmie Foxx
    1930: Lou Gehrig
    1931: Lefty Grove
    1932: Jimmie Foxx
    1933: Jimmie Foxx
    1934: Lou Gehrig
    1935: Arky Vaughan (NL)
  16. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Another year of baseball is finally here. Who cares if it is too cold to reasonably enjoy the game?
     
    April 1, Lehigh Valley @ Reading (exhibition)
     
    A cold front threatened this game. While every place in eastern PA got drenched, the rain somehow avoided Reading entirely. We were treated to a 66 degree gametime temperature, fantastic conditions. This game pit the Phillies' top two minor league affiliates against each other to benefit Baseballtown charities. I can not stress enough how terrific a place First Energy Stadium is. The staff puts together a tremendous gameday experience, prices are good, concessions are reasonable. Plus, you can see Jason Donald take a wizz in the dugout!
     

     
    Lehigh Valley won 6-2.
     
    April 3-5, Lehigh Valley @ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
     
    The first official games for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. Less said about the games, the better. As much as Reading puts into their gameday experience, Scranton does the opposite. No promotions, no excitement, barely any information for the fans. And that nice weather? Gone. Saturday was particularly fun. Afternoon game, bound to be a bit warm, right? 41 f'n degrees. And my dumb ass brought a short sleeve shirt. Put on a brave face though. Considered a sweater at the gift shop, but if someone bet me I couldn't make it through the game for $38, I'd take the bet.
     
    Next week: Three games at Scranton, against the Louisville Bats.
  17. EVIL~! alkeiper

    Best Swansongs

    By EVIL~! alkeiper,

    Using Baseball Reference's Play Index, I came up with a list of the best player seasons by players in their final year. This list comprises players in their last season, playing 100+ games, sorted by OPS+.
     
    1. Ted Williams
     
    Playing in 113 games, Williams hit .316 with 29 home runs, 72 RBIs, and 75 walks (adding up to a .451 OBP). Announcing his retirement before the end of the season, Williams hit a home run in his final career at bat.
     
    2. "Shoeless" Joe Jackson
     
    This is actually 1920, as it took a season for the Black Sox scandal to break. Offenses around the league exploded, Jackson himself hit .382 with power and plate discipline. Jackson hit 42 doubles, 20 triples, 12 home runs, 121 RBIs, and only 14 strikeouts. With three games remaining in the season, Jackson and company were suspended by MLB in the wake of the Black Sox indictments. He was later banned for life the following season.
     
    3. Nick Johnson
     
    Johnson suffered a horrific leg injury in September of 2006 and missed the entire 2007 campaign. Will he ever play again? If not, note his .428 OBP for the Nationals in 2006, playing in a tough hitters' park.
     
    4. Will Clark
     
    After quietly producing quality seasons in Texas, Clark moved to Baltimore and missed half of the 1999 season. Clark played well in 2000 with the Orioles, staying healthy and again producing quality. Meanwhile in St. Louis, Mark McGwire suffered nagging injuries. The Cards looked to Clark as a stopgap, and Clark exploded, hitting .345 down the stretch and leading St. Louis to a Central division championship. The Cardinals tried to re-sign Clark for a LF job, but Clark elected retirement instead.
     
    Let me note here that Clark's season in 1989 was every bit as good as Jim Rice's 1978, in context. Clark was a flat out better player with a better career, but of course got no Hall of Fame support.
     
    5. Happy Felsch
     
    See Joe Jackson. Felsch hit .338, collected 69 extra base hits, drove in 115 runners and played center field. Hall of Fame material? Probably not. He had a similar OPS+ careerwise as players such as Cesar Cedeno, Ray Lankford, Cy Williams and Rick Monday.
     
    6. Mickey Mantle
     
    When Mickey Mantle hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs, he looked done. The composite batting line for the American League in 1968 was .233/.302/.346. Mantle's .782 OPS that season actually ranked 9th in the American League.
     
    7. Dave Nilsson
     
    Nilsson had something of a fluke season, hitting .309 in 115 games as a catcher. Nilsson departed after the season to play for Australia in the 2000 olympics, and has generally been an Australian baseball mainstay since.
     
    8. Steve Evans
     
    The only player on the list I never heard of. Evans jumped to the Federal League and had two very good seasons there in 1914-15. When the league folded, Evans disappeared from the majors.
     
    9. Brian Downing
     
    .407 OBP for the Texas Rangers in 1992 as a DH in 107 games. Downing had not played a game in the field since 1987, so only his bat carried him.
     
    10. Buzz Arlett
     
    Arlett hit .318/.387/.538 in his only MLB season with the Phillies. Arlett was a star in the Pacific Coast League, back when that meant something. Arlett could have easily had a productive career in the Majors, but like many players of his day preferred to stay closer to home in California.
  18. EVIL~! alkeiper

    Bob Gibson, 1968

    By EVIL~! alkeiper,

    Forty years ago, Bob Gibson set a near-record by posting a 1.12 ERA over a full season. Of course Gibson benefitted from favorable pitching conditions, but his mark is still third all time even taking the deadball era into account.
     
    What amazes me most about the season is not the ERA, but the fact that Gibson lost nine games in the process. Without exaggeration, I can find 200 pitchers who had more impressive single season records. I thought it would be interesting to take a quick look at those losses. Retrosheet.org has game logs of course, but thanks to Baseball Reference's Play Index we can create a quick list.
     
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/HSpC
     
    There are ten games on this list. Nine of Gibson's losses, and a tenth game the Cardinals lost after Gibson left the game. For the record, Gibson had three no-decisions in 1968, the Cardinals went 2-1 in those games. In one loss, Gibson surrendered six runs, three of them earned. He allowed just six hits in a complete game, two walks, and 15 strikeouts. All six runs scored in the final three innings.
     
    Three times Gibson lost 1-0 games. In one game he pitched a dual shutout with the Phillies' Woodie Fryman before losing in the tenth. Don Drysdale beat him 2-0, the other run coming off a reliever in the ninth (Gibson left for a pinch-hitter). In the third, the Giants' Gaylord Perry countered with a no-hitter. In those four three-run outings, Gibson pitched eight innings in all four. Two were complete games, the other two saw Gibson lifted for pinch hitters with his team trailing.
     
    Here are Gibson's wins for that season.
     
    http://www.baseball-reference.com/pi/shareit/KtNf
     
    Those two at the bottom are Gibson's no decisions that the Cardinals won. Two things stand out about the wins. One, Gibson pitched 9 or more full innings EVERY SINGLE TIME he won a game. Second, Gibson won a game while allowing more than one run just twice. Talk about earning your victories.
     
    Many teams struggled to score runs in 1968. The Cardinals finished fourth out of ten teams despite a team containing Orlando Cepeda, Lou Brock, Roger Maris, Curt Flood and Tim McCarver. Just three players (Brock, Flood and Dal Maxvill) posted OBPs above .310.
     
    By any measure Gibson was a dominant force that year. If he had the hitting the SF Giants for example enjoyed that season, he would have gone 30-3. As it was though, it's a remarkable season in spite of the nine losses.
  19. EVIL~! alkeiper
    I rented this game recently off Netflix. I thought I had pegged the Gibson walk-off, but this game certainly did not disappoint. A 2-1 victory highlighted by Mark McGwire's walk-off home run in the ninth. A few thoughts:
     
    -It surprises me somewhat that you rarely hear about this homer from McGwire, even during his playing days. You would think a player known for his home run exploits would have this one highlighted.
     
    -McGwire's home run game came three days after Gibson won game one with his own home run. This was the first time two batters hit walk-off home runs in the same series. The only other series to earn this distinction was the 2004 NLCS.
     
    -I will never, ever complain about too many pickoff throws again. Bob Welch threw over eight times after Steve Sax reached base to leadoff the game. The eighth inning was interminable, with the Athletics obsessed with neutralizing Lasorda's running attack.
     
    -Despite the throw overs, the constant threat of hit and runs, steals, etc. make this game very interesting. Broadcaster Vin Scully does an outstanding job of giving the relevant situation, letting the viewer know the potential strategy given the statistics and results of the season. Fox should watch Scully and NBC work games and take notes.
     
     
  20. EVIL~! alkeiper
    As some of you may know, Major League Baseball has a system where teams can earn draft picks from other teams as compensation for lost free agents. Typically, teams trade impending free agents mid-season in order to get something in exchange for them rather to let them walk. Often however this results in a worse return than simply losing the player at the end of the season. In 2002 for example, the Chicago White Sox dealt Ray Durham to the Oakland A's in exchange for Jon Adkins. The same month, The Montreal Expos dealt Cliff Floyd to the Red Sox for Sun-Woo Kim and Seung Song. All concerned made the Majors but never distinguished themselves.
     
    Now let's take a look at the draft compensation for 2005, and see what kind of return that process brings. I am expressing the results as if they were straight trades. I selected 2005 because I have the BA Almanac for that draft and it makes things much easier.
     
    Arizona: Matt Torra and Micah Owings for Richie Sexson
    Atlanta: Beau Jones and Jeff Lyman for Jaret Wright
    Boston: Jacoby Ellsbury and Jed Lowrie for Orlando Cabrera, Craig Hansen and Michael Bowden for Derek Lowe, Clay Buchholz and Jon Egan for Pedro Martinez
    Chi Cubs: Mike Billek for Matt Clement
    Cleveland: John Drennan and Jensen Lewis for Omar Vizquel
    Colorado: Chaz Roe and Daniel Carte for Vinny Castilla
    Florida: Aaron Thompson and Ryan Tucker for Armando Benitez, Jacob Marceaux and Sean West for Carl Pavano, Brett Hayes for Mike Redmond
    Houston: Eli Iorg and Tommy Manzella for Carlos Beltran
    LA Angels: Trevor Bell and Ryan Mount for Troy Percival
    LA Dodgers: Luke Hochevar and Ivan DeJesus for Adrian Beltre (Hochevar did not sign)
    Minnesota: Henry Sanchez and Paul Kelly for Corey Koskie, Brian Duensing for Christian Guzman, Drew Thompson for Henry Blanco
    NY Yankees: J. Brent Cox for Orlando Hernandez, CJ Henry for Jon Lieber
    Oakland: Travis Buck and Craig Italiano for Damian Miller
    St. Louis: Colby Rasmus and Mark McCormick for Edgar Renteria, Tyler Herron and Josh Wilson for Mike Matheny
    San Diego: Cesar Ramos and Nick Hundley for David Wells
     
    Arizona, Atlanta, Boston came out ahead. Billek looks like a washout but Clement bombed too. Jury's out on Cleveland. Colorado came out well ahead, and Florida got three of their top ten prospects from that group. Houston got little. LA Angels came up ahead, at least until Percival unretires. Dodgers came out behind except on salaries. Jury is out on the Twins. I think Cox is a better bet than El Duque, but CJ Henry is awful. Travis Buck is a stud for Oakland. Colby Rasmus is a good prospect.
     
    Overall, teams generally get fair value in return for their free agents. Keeping players around until they reach free agency is a reasonable move, provided you follow the terms required to get compensation back.
  21. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Bored's recent blog on the 1996 Athletics mentioned the name of Ernie Young, a current mainstay in the minor leagues. His blog got me thinking. I attend Scranton/Wilkes-Barre games regularly, and I see several players who are very good, but lack (or seemingly lack) the ability to play in the Major Leagues. They still provide some value however, and they make minor league games worth watching. Only a handful of the players in AAA are real prospects, after all. I thought I would draw up a list of some of my favorites. The only criteria is that the player should be a AAA veteran, and for the most part a non-prospect.
     
    1. RP Colter Bean, Columbus Clippers.
     
    Free Colter Bean! Bean is a 6'6", side-arming right handed pitcher in the Yankees' organization. Most do not consider Bean a prospect due to his lack of noticeable velocity. He's the kind of pitcher that scouts feel do not adapt to the majors. I regard that as sheer foolishness. Since joining the Clippers in 2003, Bean has compiled a 19-12 record in relief, including a 2.62 ERA and 274 strikeouts in 233 innings. Meanwhile the Yankees sit in the Bronx and wonder why the hell they can not find relievers.
     
    2. OF/1B Jim Rushford, Reading Phillies.
     
    Rushford looked headed to the Northern League before re-signing with the Phillies' organization the last week of March. Unlike Bean, Rushford's failings are pretty apparent. He hits for a high average and has good plate discipline. He does not hit for much power however, only hitting more than 10 home runs once, in 1997. He's a below average right fielder and average first baseman. Most teams do not have a need for that type of player in the majors, but he fits well in the minors.
     
    3. OF Ernie Young, Charlotte Knights
     
    The essential minor league journeyman. Young has hit over 300 home runs between the majors and minors, and won a Gold medal with the 2000 Olympic Baseball team. He could help a major league club in a fifth outfielder's role yet.
     
    4. RP Dan Giese, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons
     
    Giese retired midway through last season for unspecified reasons. I'm glad to see him back. Giese is pure control out of the bullpen. Last season he walked just one batter in 38 innings. This season Giese has come out firing, striking out 17 batters and walking one in 10 1/3 minor league innings. He's a pitcher that could really surprise people, and could grab a spot in the Phillies' bullpen if it struggles this summer.
     
    5. SP Brandon Duckworth, Indianapolis Indians
     
    At one time Duckworth was a prospect. He compiled a 15-3 record for the Red Barons in 23 starts, including 164 strikeouts in 165 innings, with just 40 walks. Then he fell apart in Philly and hasn't been the same pitcher. He's got a name and face that suggest he shouldn't be that good, so it's fun to watch him when he succeeds.
     
    6. 1B Brad Eldred, Indianapolis Indians
     
    Eldred's plate discipline is abysmal. He struck out 157 times last year while drawing just 35 walks. He struck out 148 times in 2004 while drawing 41 walks. If you gave him 600 ABs in the majors, he would absolutely shatter Adam Dunn's strikeout record. The beauty is though that if he gets ahold of one, he can hit it as far as any player in baseball.
     
    7. C Bobby Estalella, whereabouts unknown.
     
    Estalella, due to injuries, will never get his chance in the majors. He was once a young AAA prospect with power and plate discipline, but now he's on the wrong side of 30. It's a shame because his grandfather was an MLB semi-regular who also never got a fair chance.
  22. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Watching the Glory Days documentary of the 1980 Phillies, former owner Ruly Carpenter mentioned a potential trade with the Texas Rangers over the winter of 1979 that would have removed three star performers of the 1980 season. Narrator Dallas Green states, "of course, we won't mention the players involved," while showing a clip of Tug McGraw. What was that trade? What would it have entailed?
     
    Paperofrecord.com carries archives of the Sporting News. Searching for "McGraw" over the period of 1979 would bring up potential trade rumors, I would think. Sure enough, we find our answer. The Phillies seemed keen on acquiring an ace reliever. Whispers of offers to the Cubs for Bruce Sutter are mentioned, but the big one is a package to the Rangers for Sparky Lyle. Specifically, the Phillies would have sent Tug McGraw, Larry Christenson and Bake McBride to the Rangers for Sparky Lyle, outfielder Johnny Grubb, reliever Adrian Devine and maybe shortstop Pepe Frias.
     
    Swapping Lyle for McGraw must have looked good at the time. Sparky Lyle at the time was the greatest lefty reliever of all time. Lyle however was hanging on the precipice. He bombed in 1980, producing a 4.69 ERA with Texas. Tug McGraw meanwhile battled tendonitis, but after a three week stint on the DL he came back and posted an amazing 0.52 ERA from July through the end of the season. I count 12 one-run victories among his appearances. Given that the Phillies won the NL East by a single game, surely that trade costs them the pennant.
     
    The rest of the package looks a little more interesting. Bake McBride was the starting right fielder and a good player. McBride hit .309 in 1980 with 52 extra base hits. Among right fielders, he was middle of the pack. Grubb meanwhile was a lefty slugger, a tremendous platoon player in the era. With Grubb, the Phillies likely platoon him in right field with blazing rookie Lonnie Smith. Offensively that's a good move. Defensively with Smith in right and Greg Luzinski in left? Thank god Maddox was the Secretary of Defense.
     
    Adrian Devine had a good ERA in 1979 but it was a fluke. He struck out merely 22 batters in 66.7 innings pitched. Sure enough, he had a 4.82 ERA the next season and never again pitched in the Majors. Frias was just an awful hitter.
     
    So that trade costs them 1980. McBride faded after the season. Christenson gave the Phillies about 350 quality innings the rest of his career. McGraw had another good season in 1981 and hung on three more years. Grubb was a quality player but not a star. Oddly, the Phillies snagged Sparky Lyle later in the season in a September trade, sending Kevin Saucier after the season for a PTBNL. 1981 was the strike year, that is almost impossible to gauge. One wonders if the Phillies in 1982 could have contended without Christenson pitching a full season. And of course in '83 they won the pennant.
     
    In retrospect, the trade costs them a World Championship. Thank goodness it did not happen.
  23. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Three Game series, pitting the 1939 New York Yankees against the 1995 Cleveland Indians.
     
    '95 Indians (Charles Nagy) @ '39 Yankees (Monte Pearson)
    '39 Yankees (Atley Donald) @ '95 Indians (Ken Hill)
    '95 Indians (Dennis Martinez) @ '39 Yankees (Red Ruffing) (if necessary)
     
    Game 1
    '95 Indians 12, '39 Yankees 4
     
    The Indians steamrolled Yankee pitching in the first game of the series. Albert Belle hit two home runs and Omar Vizquel and Sandy Alomar added home runs of their own. Belle has now hit seven home runs in the tournament. Charles Nagy pitched seven innings to improve his record to 3-0, while Monte Pearson drops to 0-1.
     
    '95 Indians 10, '39 Yankees 4
     
    The Indians again crushed the Yankees to wrap up a tournament victory. Ken Hill (2-0) pitched two innings for the victory while Atley Donald (2-1) lasted just two innings in the loss. Albert Belle hit his eighth home run.
     
    Tournament MVP: Joe Dimaggio, 1939 Yankees
     
    Dimaggio hit .386 in 44 at bats with a tournament leading 16 RBIs.
     
    Tournament Cy Young: Charles Nagy, '95 Indians
     
    3-0. 1.29 ERA.
  24. EVIL~! alkeiper
    Last year I ran a tournament of the greatest teams in MLB history. The '95 Cleveland Indians prevailed with a win in the finals over the '39 New York Yankees. I quite liked that tournament, and with the College World Series nearly upon us I'd like to try it again. The format is fairly simple. The 64 team field is divided into 16 four-team brackets. Each bracket is double-elimination. The 16 winners advance to Super Regionals, which are best-of-three affairs. The eight winners advance to the College World Series, but we'll have a different name for that.
     
    I don't have the full brackets worked out, but here are the groupings I've worked out so far. We're taking the Regionals at face value this time, and trying to group teams mainly by geography.
     
    BRONX Regional: '98 Yankees, '61 Yankees, '12 Giants, '54 Giants.
    BROOKLYN Regional: '41 Dodgers, '55 Dodgers, '27 Yankees, '77 Yankees
    QUEENS Regional: '69 Mets, '86 Mets, '39 Yankees, '53 Yankees
    BOSTON Regional: '12 Red Sox, '46 Red Sox, '67 Red Sox, 2004 Red Sox
    PHILADELPHIA Regional: '50 Phillies, '80 Phillies, '29 Athletics, '11 Athletics
    CHICAGO Regional: '06 Cubs, '84 Cubs, '19 White Sox, 2005 White Sox
    LOS ANGELES Regional: '63 Dodgers, '78 Dodgers, 2002 Angels, '98 Padres
    OAKLAND Regional: '74 Athletics, '88 Athletics, 2002 Athletics, 2003 Giants
    ST. LOUIS Regional: '34 Cardinals, '42 Cardinals, '67 Cardinals, '82 Cardinals
    CLEVELAND Regional: '95 Indians, '54 Indians, '75 Reds, '40 Reds
    PITTSBURGH Regional: '09 Pirates, '79 Pirates, '70 Orioles, '24 Senators
    DETROIT Regional: '68 Tigers, '84 Tigers, '92 Blue Jays, '94 Expos
    KANSAS CITY Regional: '85 Royals, 2001 Mariners, '82 Brewers, '65 Twins
    ATLANTA Regional: '98 Braves, '57 Braves, '48 Braves, '14 Braves
    HOUSTON Regional: '98 Astros, '99 Rangers, 01 Diamondbacks, '95 Rockies
    MIAMI Regional: '97 Marlins, '04 Devil Rays, '32 Yankees, 2004 Cardinals
     
    Any suggestions/comments?
  25. EVIL~! alkeiper
    We have two brackets now, the winners' bracket and the losers' bracket. The games in the winners bracket determine who gets the first spot in the regional finals. While not as critical as the losers bracket, the losers in these games would need to win three straight to advance. The losers bracket is simply win or be eliminated. Results will be updated as the results occur.
     
    Winners' Bracket Matchups
    '34 StL @ '06 ChC
    '35 ChC @ '21 NYG
    '19 CWS @ '27 NYY
    '24 Was @ '12 NYG
     
    '06 Cubs 4, '34 Cardinals 0
    '21 Giants 2, '35 Cubs 1
    '27 Yankees 8, '19 White Sox 2
    '24 Senators 1, '12 Giants 0
     
    '57 Mil @ '53 NYY
    '41 Brk @ '62 SF
    '63 LA @ '61 NYY
    '40 Cin @ '39 NYY
     
    '53 Yankees 13, '57 Braves 5
    '62 Giants 4, '41 Dodgers 1
    '61 Yankees 4, '63 Dodgers 3
    '39 Yankees 7, '40 Reds 2
     
    '80 KC @ '74 Oak
    '85 StL @ '69 NYM
    '86 NYM @ '77 NYY
    '68 Det @ '75 Cin
     
    '80 Royals 6, '74 Athletics 3
    '85 Cardinals 7, '69 Mets 3
    '77 Yankees 5, '86 Mets 4
    '75 Reds 9, '68 Tigers 8
     
    '04 StL @ '98 NYY
    '04 Bos @ '88 Oak
    '05 CWS @ '95 Cle
    '03 Fla @ '01 Ari
     
    '98 Yankees 11, '04 Cardinals 3
    '88 Athletics 1, '04 Red Sox 0, 11 Innings
    Talk about a hard-luck outing for Curt Schilling. He pitched a ten inning no-hitter, but his Sox failed to score a run. The A's scored the winning run on an missed catch error by Trot Nixon that likely would've been a sac fly anyway.
    '05 White Sox 3, '95 Indians 1
    '01 Diamondbacks 7, '03 Marlins 6, 13 Innings
     
    Losers' Bracket Matchups
    '14 Bos(N) @ '32 NYY
    '19 Cin @ '12 Bos
    '07 Det @ '29 PhA
    '09 Pit @ '11 PhA
     
    '14 Braves 6, '32 Yankees 5
    '19 Reds 7, '12 Red Sox 5
    '29 Athletics 8, '07 Tigers 0
    '09 Pirates 4, '11 Athletics 3
     
    '50 Phi @ '54 Cle
    '55 Brk @ '46 StL
    '65 Min @ '46 Bos
    '59 CWS @ '35 Det
     
    '50 Phillies 8, '54 Indians 0
    '55 Dodgers 10, '46 Cardinals 2
    '46 Red Sox 9, '65 Twins 3
    '35 Tigers 5, '59 White Sox 4
     
    '67 Bos @ '84 Det
    '80 Phi @ '70 Balt
    '74 LA @ '79 Pit
    '82 Mil @ '67 StL
     
    '67 Red Sox 4, '84 Tigers 0
    '80 Phillies 5, '70 Orioles 0
    '79 Pirates 4, '74 Dodgers 3
    '82 Brewers 4, '67 Cardinals 3
     
    '94 Mon @ '02 Oak
    '01 Sea @ '92 Atl
    '02 SF @ '03 NYY
    '92 Tor @ '98 Atl
     
    '94 Expos 6, '02 Athletics 3
    '01 Mariners 5, '92 Braves 1
    '02 Giants 8, '03 Yankees 4
    '92 Blue Jays 11, '98 Braves 4
     
    Thankfully this is the last set of 32 games.
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