Month: December 2008

HOF ’09: Don Mattingly

mattingly

“Honestly, at one time I thought Babe Ruth was a cartoon character. I really did, I mean I wasn’t born until 1961 and I grew up in Indiana.”

Don Mattingly

Donnie Baseball, a nickname bestowed on him by the late Kirby Puckett, was arguably the best firstbaseman in the American League from 1984-87. In 1985 he was named AL MVP, driving in 145 runs, with 211 basehits, including 48 doubles & 35 HRs, winning the first of nine consecutive Gold Gloves. His average soared to .352 in 1986, with an amazing 238 hits, & 53 doubles, 113 RBIs. In 1984, Don was no slouch in his first full year in the bigs, batting .343, with 207 hits, and 110 runs batted in. Despite injuring his back during the 1987 season, Mattingly managed to put up some pretty good numbers, .327, 30 HRs, & 115 RBIs. Over the next two years he wasn’t the same, only 88 RBIs in 1988, bouncing back with 113 ribbies in 1989, batting .311 & .303 respectively, however his homers dropped to 18 & 23. The next year was the beginning of the end, only five homers, with a very average .256 batting average.

Turns out Don Mattingly’s injured back was the result of horseplay between himself and teammate Bob Shirley. A friend, in the know, said Bob Shirley brought drugs to the San Diego Padres during the 80s, now here’s another reason to dislike him. Without a doubt, Mattingly was on the fast track to Cooperstown, until the Shirley incident. He still managed a .307 batting average over 14 years, with 1,099 RBIs, 2,153 hits, and 222 home runs.

Although Mattingly never played in a World Series game during his fourteen year career with the Yanks, he’s one of the most popular Bronx Bombers ever. The Yankees lost the 1981 World Series, the year before Don Mattingly made his debut, in his first 13 years in pinstripes New York did not make it to postseason play. In 1994 the Yankees had the best record in the American League, but a players strike cut short the season and meant no postseason play. On the final day of his final regular season (1995) New York won the Wild Card, Mattingly batted .417 with 6 RBIs, but Seattle beat the Yankees in 11 innings of the decisive game five.

Despite his enormous popularity, his .300 batting average, and his HOF first four years of his career, I have to ask, “Why is this guy even on the ballot?”

 

  Hall of Fame
 

Hall of Very Good

Why is he even on the Ballot?

 

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.  

Ultimate Act of Sportsmanship

tucholsky I was watching ESPN last night when a story came on which caught my eye. The story was talking about a women’s college softball game played between Western Oregon University and Central Washington University. 5’2″ Sara Tucholsky had never hit a home run in high school or college ball, but on this day she got hold of one, and drove it over the fence. In her excitement she missed firstbase, when she went back to touch it, something popped, it was her ACL.

While she lay on the ground in agony, her coach contemplated what to do, if a pinch runner was inserted, she would be credited with a single. She’d be ruled out if her teammates assisted her in any way. But then, miraculously, her opponents did an amazing thing. They asked the umpires if they could carry her around the bases. The umps told them, there was no rule against that. So two players from the opposing team carried Tucholsky around the bases, tapping her foot down on each base, as they rounded the bases. They’d said, she earned it.

This is much more than, who won the game? That fact will soon be forgotten, but this act of true sportsmanship will live on.

Teixeira Signs With the Yankees

An Angel Fan’s Viewpoint:

As a fan of the team that got the short end of the stick in this, here are my observations and conclusions:

Does anyone doubt that The Boss remains in charge of the Yankees? Maybe not the day-to-day operations of the team, but the BIG decisions. Who do they spend the money on? How much money is spent? Maybe even whether Joba starts or relieves. I think that The Boss still makes the big decisions.

I also think he was embarrassed last year to spend all that money and miss the playoffs. And he has vowed that IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. Maybe he was even pounding on the desk.

Meaningless DonS Observation: One way to make it less likely to happen again is to have a third baseman who is less interested in chasing Madonna and more interested in chasing the pennant, but that’s just MY opinion. Well, mine and Nick’s.

Two Other Interlocked DonS Observations: 1) I hate The Boss – in nice way, as “The One, The, Only Groucho” used to say. “Say the secret word and a duck will come down and give you fifty bucks. It’s a common word, one that people use every day.” 2) I wish The Boss owned a team that I root for, because he settles for no less than victory…and spares no effort to achieve that victory. I think he would be spending similar money even without the New York financial advantages that he enjoys, because he is the most competitive owner in sports.

Who says “money can’t buy me love?”

MLB SNARES TWO IN DRUG NET

You might have thought the drug problem in baseball is behind us, but it’s good to see the powers that be are still on the job, catching those who violate the rules, and making them pay. The latest two villains are Damian Tavares & Ambiorix Suero, both will receive 50 game suspensions for taking performance enhancers.

Taveras is a catcher in the Yankees minor league system, who played in the Rookie Dominican Summer League, where the then 19 year old, batted .229, with one home run, in 166 at bats. In 2007 he batted .207, with one homer, in 193 at bats, in the same league. So you can see the progress he’s making and the impact taking steroids has had on his career. Stanozolol is the steroid in his system.

In 2005 Rafael Palmeiro was suspended 10 days after Stanozolol was found in his system, this came months after he testified before the US House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on steroid usage in baseball, and he denied using steroids.

Barry Bonds has been accused of using Stanozolol in the book, Game of Shadows. Strength coach, Brian McNamee alleged Roger Clemens was injected with Stanozolol during the 1998 baseball season.

Ambiorix Suero was found to have Boldenone in his system, it can stay in one’s system for 1 1/2 years after taking it. The 17 year old pitcher, from the Baltimore Orioles organization, appeared in six games in the Rookie Dominican Summer League in 2008, where he posted a 9.53 ERA, with eleven walks in 5 2/3 innings of work, imagine if he hadn’t taken roids.

Now I’m not saying take down the walls and let everyone take whatever they want to tack, nor am I suggesting steroid use doesn’t help athletes achieve better results. I am just not naive enough to believe, marginally talented Hispanic minor leaguers are the only ones guilty of steroid use. It seems as though the law is being disproportionately applied.

HOF ’09: Rickey Henderson

rickey-henderson

“If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game.”

Rickey Henderson

In 2003 Rickey signed on with the Independent League Newark Bears, the LA Dodgers signed Henderson after the All Star break. Amazingly at the age of 44 in 30 games in Los Angeles, he hit two homers, batted .208, while stealing three bases without being caught. This guy reminds me of a player, who’d play the game for nothing, he loved it that much, definitely a throwback.

There are all kinds of stories of Rickey speaking in the third person and an account him seeing John Olerud playing firstbase with a batting helmet on, “Hey, Rickey used to have a teammate with the Mets who played first with a helmet.” Olerud then informed Rickey that they were teammates with the Mets, but that story is false. Here is a quote from Henderson that shows how much he loved to play, one month after the Oakland A’s offered to sign him up for one day in September, 2007, so Rickey could retire an Oakland A, Rickey said, “One day? I don’t want one day. I want to play again, man. I don’t want nobody’s spot… I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. If I don’t, just get rid of me, release me. And if I belong, you don’t have to pay me but the minimum — and I’ll donate every penny of that to some charity. So, how’s that hurtin’ anybody?… Don’t say goodbye for me… When I want that one day they want to give me so bad, I’ll let you know.”

Rickey Henderson was born on Christmas Day 1958 in Chicago, but moved to Oakland when his father left when Rickey was only two. His father died when Henderson was just twelve years of age. Rickey’s mother remarried and the family took on her new husband’s surname of Henderson. He was a natural lefthander, but learned to bat from the right side because he thought that was the way you were supposed to hit. Rickey married his high school sweetheart Pamela, together they have three children, Angela, Alexis, & Adriann.

He finished his career with more stolen bases (1,406) and more runs scored (2,295) than anybody in the history of the game. In a game in 1977 he stole seven bases, tying a major league record. Some say, I’d have to agree, he was the greatest leadoff man in the history of the game, certainly of his era. He had 3,055 hits & 2,190 walks, 510 doubles, and three homers shy of 300, with a lifetime batting average of .279, and an incredible .401 OBP. Three times within his first five years he stole over 100 bases, a record 130 in 1982, only two other ballplayers in the modern era stole 100 bases in a year, each only once.

Henderson started with the A’s, was traded to the NY Yankees in time to score 146 times in 1985, he’d return to play for Oakland three more times. In 13 seasons he scored over 100 runs. Despite the wear and tear running had on his body, he played an unbelievable 25 years in the major leagues. Even though he wasn’t a power hitter, he could go yard, as evidenced by his career high in home runs of 28 in both 1986 & 1990. Seven times he walked over 100 times, five more years with more than 90 bases on balls, in 1989 he walked a career high 126 times. Along with a keen eye, Henderson perfected a crouched batting style, which gave him a very small strike zone.

He was on two World Championship teams, 1989 Oakland & 1993 Toronto, ironically both times he was traded midseason. Ten times he was an All Star, three times he won Silver Slugger Awards, once he won a Gold Glove, in 1990 he was the American League MVP, and in 1999 at the age of 40 he was named NL Comeback Player of the Year. He hit a record high 81 leadoff home runs.

Here’s proof as to how great of a ballplayer Rickey Henderson was, statistician Bill James was quoted as saying, “If you could split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers.”

Hall of Fame
 

Hall of Very Good
  Why is he even on the Ballot?

 

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.

RIP: Dock Ellis

dockellis

Just received an e-mail from Captain Will, it said…

“One of my favorites. I used to love to watch him pitch

When he was with Yanks, one preseason the Yanks were struggling and a reporter asked Dock, “Why are the Yanks struggling?” Dock replied, “Well it is by design, the more we lose, the more George flies down here, and the more George flies, the better the odds are of a plane crash.”

In 1970 Dock overcame eight walks in the first game of a doubleheader against the Padres to throw a no-hitter, several years later, he admitted he was high on LSD when he accomplished the feat. He was 19-9 with the Buccos in 1971 when the Pirates won the World Series. On July 13, 1971, Reggie Jackson blasted what almost certainly is the longest home run ever hit in an All-Star game, and one of the longest of all time. Jackson’s home run came at Tiger Stadium in Detroit off the NL pitcher, Dock Ellis. After the 1975 season Ellis was traded to the Yankees along with Willie Randolph & Ken Brett, in exchange for Doc Medich.

In 1986 the Yankees hired him to offer guidance to their minor leaguers on drug & alcohol abuse. Ellis kept up his campaign against addiction for the rest of his life, and frequently joined former teammates to support them on their charity work.

Dock Ellis always spoke his mind, he was one of a kind, he will be missed.

HOF ’09: Mark Grace

“The most important thing about playing baseball is to have fun. I’m about to start my 13th year, but I can remember my rookie season like it was yesterday. It goes fast, folks.”

Mark Grace

As a Cub fan, I suppose I should be all over he idea of Mark Grace getting into the hallowed halls of Cooperstown.  I know other Wrigley faithful who support the idea.  But let’s take off our rose-tinted glasses for a moment and look at the player and man objectively before inducting him just yet.

Grace Facts
  • Drafted 24th round in 1985 by the Chicago Cubs
  • Played for ChiC, Ari (1988-2003)
  • 3 time All-Star, 4 Gold Gloves
  • 511 career doubles (39th all-time)

 

The one thing about Mark Grace is that you pretty much knew who you were going to get year in and year out.  Not including his last two years, he only batted below .298 once in his career (.273 in 1991).  Grace had a great eye at the plate with his walks surpassing his strikeouts every year and consistently ranking in the top ten in OBP. 

Not only was he consistent at the plate, he managed to show up at work every day.  In the 12 years from 1989-2000, Grace dipped below 500 at-bats only once (403 in 1993). 

0501008P BRAVES V CUBS For a firstbaseman, Grace wasn’t blessed with power.  He never reached 20 homers in a season.  Despite that, Cubs’ managers batted him in the coveted #3 spot in the lineup right after Ryne Sandberg.  With the Cubs, Grace only got as far as the first round of the playoffs with the Cubs in 1989 and 1998 but fate smiled on him in 2001 when he played for the Diamondbacks.  The Dbacks went all the way to the World Series.  With Grace’s help (3 rbis including a solo shot in Game 4), Arizona defeated the New York Yankees to become the World Champions that year. 

I suppose to say that Mark Grace was a steady ballplayer would be an insult.  But I don’t want to underestimate that either.  He was a solid career .303 hitter with a fine glove (four Gold Gloves) you plug in the lineup day in and day out. 

But that’s not enough for the Hall of Fame.  I don’t like throwing out stats to prove a point but I can’t ignore them either.  Grace was player who played a position associated with power and he just didn’t have much. He never hit 20 HR in a season nor did he drive in 100 rbis. 

sorry, Chicago fans… I loved him as a Cub but he won’t make it.    

  Hall of Fame

Hall of Very Good
  Why is he even on the Ballot?

 

While we wait for January 12 ballot results, The Baseball Zealot will be profiling those players who are on the 2009 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.  Read the rest the of the profiles.

Rafael: Live & Die in LA

furcal Deja vu all over again, as Rafael Furcal once again is the center of controversy regarding signing with a team as a free agent. This time it’s Furcal choosing the Dodgers over the Braves, last time he snubbed the Cubs when he signed with LA in 2005.

Here’s what Braves president John Schuerholz had to say about Furcal signing with the Dodgers. “Having been in this business for 40-some years, I’ve never seen anybody treated like that. The Atlanta Braves will no longer do business with that company — ever. I told agent Arn Tellem that we can’t trust them to be honest and forthright. I told him that in all my years, I’ve never seen any agency act in such a despicable manner”. It seems as though the Furcal team had a verbal agreement with Atlanta, then went with LA.

I remember a similar thing happened with the Cubs in 2005. Aramis Ramirez, Neifi Perez, & Greg Maddux had all talked with Rafael, telling him to sign with Chicago, his name was already penciled in as the leadoff hitter, but then he signed with the Dodgers.

THAT’S RIGHT ED!

edfarmer1 I jumped so high with delight when I heard Steve Stone would be coming over to TV to join Hawk Harrelson, replacing Darrin “Yes Man” Jackson. But soon my joy was overcome by grief when I learned DJ was moving over to radio, joining Ed Farmer. I’m sure Farmer thought, what did I do to deserve this? Ed is kind of a jokester, I wonder if he’ll play around with Darrin, just to make him look stupid, not that Darrin isn’t fully capable of doing that on his own.

Last year I turned the volume off White Sox telecasts, powered up my radio, and enjoyed Farmer & Stone (even though the sound didn’t always matchup, still it was better than listening to those two knuckleheads). It was uncanny how often Ed & Steve would say something might happen, and then it would happen just as they’d predicted. I’ve got the MLB Direct-TV package, and the Sox TV guys were, by far, the worst in the business, from whining about the umpires to being complete homers, to talking about their playing careers (was there that much to talk about, did I mention Carl Yastrzemski?).

Maybe I’ll have to brush up on my Spanish and listen to Hector Molina do the games. Heck, even if I don’t understand what he’s saying, it still might be better.