I have no hard evidence Jeff Kent is/was a juicer, just my observation, quick to scuffle, square head, solid muscle, and a little too eager to deny rumors. His numbers are as rock solid as his abs. From 1997-2005 he drove in more than 90 runs per season, unprecedented, 128 in 1998 was his career best, finished his career with 1,518 ribbies, this while playing traditionally not an offensive position, secondbase. In 2002 Jeff hit more homers than during any other year of his career, 37. Kent was never flashy with the leather, but made the routine plays. He’d never win a congeniality award. He was the best offensive secondbaseman of his era, ending his career with 351 home runs while playing secondbase, 74 more than Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg. Kent hit a total of 377 home runs, 560 doubles, scored 1,320 runs, while batting .290 over his 17 year career. Jeff Kent was a five time All Star, four times he won Silver Sluggers, and was the National League MVP in 2000.
Author: Teddy Ballgame
RIP: Bill Werber, Oldest Major Leaguer Dies at 100
Bill Werber played his first big league game June 25, 1930 with the New York Yankees, Babe Ruth, & Lou Gehrig. In 1934 he had his best season with the Boston Red Sox when he batted .321, 200 hits, 129 runs scored, 41 doubles, 10 triples, and a league leading 40 stolen bases, he also led the league in stolen bases with 29 in 1935 & 35 in 1937. Bill was the league leader in runs scored in 1939 with 115. Werber was the fastest man in baseball.
Werber graduated from college, was Duke’s first All American basketball player, and was coached by Eddie Cameron, for which Cameron Indoor Stadium was named. He couldn’t get into the batting cage with the 1927 Yankees, Murderer’s Row didn’t have time for a college kid.
“He was a kindly man,” Werber said of Ruth. “He didn’t shove these little kids along. They crawled all over his white shoes and his tan pants. He’d go to hospitals, but he’d never take a newspaper man with him and he’d never take a photographer with him.”
Bill Werber was sharp until the last month of his life and enjoyed talking about his baseball playing days nearly until the end of his long life. Thanks for the memories Mr. Werber, you will be missed.
Sox Bring on Big Man to Fill Big Hole in Rotation
With Javier Vazquez traded off to Atlanta, good riddance, Chicago had an open slot in their rotation, in Back to the Future fashion, Kenny Williams flipped back to 2003, and Bartolo Colon. Colon was signed to a $1 million dollar contract, with an innings pitched clause that could be worth an additional $2 million dollars. Workhorse Bartolo is a big man, who pitches big innings, when healthy, 242 in 2003 with the White Sox. He was limited to only 39 innings with the Red Sox in 2008, due to injury.
It seems as though the White Sox may be out of the Freddy Garcia sweepstakes, looks like Freddy will be heading to the Big Apple, either with the Yankees or the Mets. So the Sox rotation is Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd, John Danks, two righthanders coming off injuries (Jose Conreras & Bartolo Colon), and possibly young lefty Aaron Poreda.
Last year Esteban Loaiza was brought in as a rotation possibility, but without his fastball, he was ineffective, and quickly gone. Hopefully Colon will make out better this year.
Koji Uehara Signs With O’s
The Orioles have signed 33 year old starting pitcher Koji Uehara, of the Yomiuri Giants. As a rookie in 1999 he was the leader in wins (20), strikeouts (179), ERA (2.09), winning percentage (.833, 20-4 record), complete games (12), and was named Rookie of the Year. Koji was the Sawamura Award (named after legendary Yomiuri Giants pitcher Eiji Sawamura of the 1930s & 40s) winner in 1999 & 2002, best starting pitcher in Japan. Due to an injury in 2007 Uehara pitched as a closer, saving 32 games, with a 1.74 ERA. He returned to the starting rotation in 2008.
Koji has enjoyed alot of international success with a 12-0 record and 2 saves, appearing in the Olympic Games (twice), the World Baseball Classic, as well as the Asian Baseball Championships. He was the winning pitcher against Cuba in the championship game of the WBC, and led the tournament with 16 strikeouts. In 1998 Uehara rejected a $3 million dollar offer to sign with the Angels on the advice of friends and acquaintances, and instead signed with Yomiuri. Although he had his struggles in 2008, he is a durable pitcher, and it should be interesting to see how he fares with the Orioles.
Upon Further Review Joe Deserves HOF Nod
A while back I wrote a controversial piece, saying the Veteran’s Committee got it wrong, and Joe Gordon didn’t deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Well I’m not too big to admit it when I made a mistake, and boy, did I ever make one here! Here is why I changed my mind.
Nine of Gordon’s eleven years in the majors, he was an All Star. In 1942 he won the AL MVP Award over Triple Crown winner, Ted Williams. He was arguably the best secondbaseman of the forties. Known for his acrobatic defense, he led the AL in assists four times and in double plays three times. He was the first AL second baseman to hit 20 home runs in a season, doing so seven times, and holds the league mark for career HRs at second base (246), Joe held the single season mark until 2001. Gordon’s 25 home runs as a rookie set an AL record for second basemen which stood until 2006. All of these accomplishments were achieved with the heart of career yanked out, as he went off to fight a war for two years, when he was 29 & 30, in the prime of his career.
After the war Joe had his worst season with the Yankees before being shipped off to Cleveland, batting .210, with 11 HRs, & 47 RBIs, in only 112 games played. With the Indians Gordon rebounded to find his game, hitting 29 HRs & 93 RBIs in 1947. Then in 1948, teaming with DP partner Lou Boudreau, to make the Cleveland Indians World Series Champions, leading the team in HR’s (32) & RBIs (124).
One of the big reasons for my change of heart comes from the MLB Network. I got a chance to see some film of him playing the game, AMAZING! Congratulations to HOFer Joe Gordon, a deserving recognition that was long over due.
Bosox Hurlers: Made in Japan
There used to be a time when “Made in Japan” meant inferior quality, not anymore, just ask the Red Sox. The Red Sox just added Takashi Saito, former Dodgers closer, who first became a closer in Japan when his predecessor, Kazuhiro Sasaki came to the Mariners. In Japan Saito had a tendency to give up alot of home runs, 15 off the bat of Hedeki Matsui, which should be interesting. The Red Sox are hoping the 38 year old Saito can bounce back from an elbow injury, which landed him on the disabled list for much of 2008. Junichi Tazawa, a 22 year old, righthander, who idolizes Daisuke Matsuzaka, signed with Boston, in early December. The 5’11” Tazawa was 6-1 with a 1.00 ERA, striking out 56 in 54 innings in 2008, with Nippon. In signing two more Japanese hurlers, the Bosox are hoping for the same type of success they’ve had with Daisuke Matsuzaka & Hideki Okajima. Daisuke and his gyroball were only 15-12 in his first year with Boston, but he had a breakout 18-3 record last year. While lefthanded reliever Hideki Okajima has been solid in his two seasons with the Red Sox, more than 60 games & 60 innings pitched, & a sub 3.00 ERA, each year.
So, if you want to watch the Boston Red Sox staff this spring, you might be better off following the Japanese team in the World Baseball Classic.
HOF ’09: Greg Vaughn
When I first saw the name Greg Vaughn listed among the other Hall of Fame eligible players, I thought, what the f***?!?! But then, believe it or not, he had some pretty impressive numbers. It’s kind of like getting set up on a blind date with somebody’s cousin, who has a wonderful personality, and you find out, she ain’t half bad.
Jerry Royster’s & Mo Vaughn’s cousin was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 4th pick in the 1986 draft out of the University of Miami. Greg was an All Star four times, 1993, 96, 98, & 2001, four times he hit 30+ home runs, and three times drove in 100 or more. In 1998 he won a Silver Slugger, was named NL Comeback Player of the Year, hitting 50 home runs, trailing only Ken Griffey, Jr., Sammy Sosa, & Mark McGwire (who set the home run record that season). The next year Vaughn was traded to the Cincinnati Reds where he blasted 45 long balls, to become only the 2nd player in history to hit 40 or more homers for two different ballclubs (Andres Galarraga was the first).
On the downside, he was a poor outfielder, who struck out 100+ times nine different seasons, 1,513 times over 15 seasons, his lifetime average was just .242. Greg Vaughn was ripped at 6’0″ 193 pounds of solid muscle. Still, overall, you have to ask, Why is he even on the ballot?
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Hall of Very Good |
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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.
Bosox Sign Three for a Penny
When Rocco Baldelli first came to the big leagues with Tampa Bay in 2003 as a 21 year old kid, he was compared to Joe DiMaggio. In his first two seasons he played centerfield, 156 games as a rookie, then 136 games in his second season, batting .289 & .280, 89 runs & 78 RBIs, and 79 runs & 74 RBIs, 27 SBs & 11 HRs, and 17 SBs & 16 HRs, not bad for a kid Rhode Island, still wet behind the ears. Baldelli tore his ACL while playing baseball with his brother in the offseason, while rehabbing he injured his elbow, and needed Tommy John surgery, he missed the entire 2005 season, and didn’t return to everyday play until June 7, 2006. Playing from that point on, he batted .302, 16 homers, 57 runs, 57 RBIs, 10 steals, in only 364 at bats. In 2007 during spring training Rocco pulled his hamstring, he’d appear in only 35 games. Doctors discovered some metabolic and/or mitochondrial abnormalities, but were unable to provide an exact diagnosis. Baldelli was limited to 28 games in 2008, mainly as a DH & pinch hitter, batting .263, with 4 homers, and 13 RBIs, he hit a three run homer in game #3 of the ALCS to help the Rays take the lead in the series. In the offseason, further testing revealed he suffers from channelopathy, which makes his condition more treatable and less serious than previously thought. Rocco will wear #5 with the Red Sox, first guy to wear it since Nomar Garciaparra’s departure.
41 year old righthander John Smoltz is no longer an Atlanta Brave, he’s joining Rocco Baldelli in Boston. Smoltz has a career mark of 210-147, all with Atlanta, and if he hadn’t shifted to the bullpen (154 saves) for four years, he’d be closing in on 300 wins. Although John only started six times for the Braves in 2008, due to shoulder surgery. Whatever he’s got left he’ll bring to Boston, he signed a $5.5 million dollar deal, with roster incentives which could net as much as $10 million. His best season as a starter was 1996 when he was 24-8, with a 2.94 ERA, earning him the NL Cy Young Award. In 2002, his first season working out of the bullpen, Smoltz established the new saves mark with 55, Eric Gagne tied the record one year later.
Brad Penny is the 3rd member of the free agent trio to join the Red Sox. Penny won 16 games in back-to-back seasons with the Dodgers in 2006-07, before succumbing to injuries in 2008 (6-9, 6.27 ERA, 94″ IP). Brad knows how to pitch for a winner, being a member of the rotation for the 2003 Florida Marlins as a 25 year old youngster, posting a 14-10 record, 2-0 with a 2.19 ERA in the World Series against the Yankees. After shutting out the Giants for seven innings in his first 2008 start, he spent much of the disappointing season on the DL. Yet at only 30 years of age, this talented righthander should be able to help Boston, if healthy.
So while the Red Sox didn’t match the Yankees when it comes to throwing dollar signs at free agents, they did add three players with heart. One local son returns home, while two pitchers who are proven winners were added to Boston’s roster, in an effort to get back into the postseason.
HOF ’09: Lee Smith
Lee Arthur Smith finished his career with more saves than anyone in the history of the game, 478, since bested by Trevor Hoffman. But still Smith led his league in saves four times, and had twenty-five or more saves in twelve straight seasons. Lee was an eight time All Star, 1983, 87, 91-95. He appeared in 1,022 games, with a 3.03 ERA, and nearly a strikeout per inning.
“[I flipped] a coin with Lee Smith to see who throws the eighth inning of the ’91 game. We were behind in Toronto, and we were both tired. I won the flip, so I pitched the eighth, and that means he had to stay out there for the ninth. He didn’t get to pitch anyway, because we lost. But what I remember most from that is him coming back into the clubhouse and being ticked off because someone stole his glove. I felt guilty because he loses this flip to me, and that glove probably had 300 saves in it, bound for the Hall of Fame.”
— Rob Dibble on his favorite All-Star memory
Here’s one for CLuke, he has all the numbers, this guy should be voted into the HOF, maybe not in 2009, but he deserves in, but he doesn’t get the votes, due to east coast bias.
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Hall of Fame |
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Hall of Very Good |
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| 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.
Hoffman to Sign with Brewers
Why didn’t the Brewers sign Coco Cordero last year instead of going out and pickup up broken down Eric Gagne? Luckily for Milwaukee Solomon Torres stepped into the closer’s job, and did a credible job – 28 saves, then he retired. So now, once again, the Brewers were without a closer, until they reached an agreement with the alltime career saves leader, Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman played his rookie year with the Marlins, but spent the last 15 years in Southern California, with the San Diego Padres. Last year he converted 30 of 34 opportunities, with a 3.82 ERA.
The 41 year old veteran signed a $6 million dollar one year deal, with an additional $1.5 million performance bonuses, based on games finished. Journeyman reliever Jorge Julio was brought in as insurance, but if Julio’s your insurance – Hell’s Bells!