2009 Cactus League

camelbackranch08 After a week in the Sunshine State watching the Grapefruit League, a weekend in Chicago to play some APBA, it was time to travel to the desert to enjoy some Cactus League action. Met up with DonS & Tom at the airport and it was off to the ballpark.

First stop was Scottsdale for a game between the Angels & the Giants. Sitting behind us was a tattooed couple & their son Dylan, they live on 100 acres, 2 hours north of SF, what nice people, really enjoyed meeting them. The Angels won the game thanks in part to SF reliever Luis Perdomo, who walked three, gave up one hit, committed two errors, in 1/3 innings of work. Brandon Wood looked overmatched, Macier Izturis had trouble hitting the ball past the pitcher, and Nick Adenhart had trouble pitching out of the stretch for the Halos. For SF, Emmanuel Burriss had to leave the game after getting plunked by a pitch, right after I said, he was injury prone, Justin Miller threw the ball well in his two scoreless innings, and Waldis Joaquin was lights out striking out three in 1 1/3 innings.

St. Patty’s Day it was time to go to Phoenix to see the A’s host the split squad Diamondbacks. Highly touted Max Scherzer barely broke a sweat, as he was pulled after only 2/3 of an inning, three hits, one walk, one error, five runs, only one earned, it’s tough to get by with only a fastball. Sean Gallagher looked sharp for Oakland against minor leaguers. I enjoyed seeing Aaron Cunningham go yard for Oakland, he’s a real hustler, reminds me of Lenny Dykstra. 11-3 A’s. Celebrated St. Patty’s Day at the Library a bar near ASU, lotsa green shots.

Wednesday it was time to check out the Ballpark at Camelback Ranch as the White Sox hosted the Angels. DonS wanted me to bet him a shaved head on the outcome, not much point in that, as his melon was already polished. The Ballpark was unbelievable! Thirteen practice fields for the LA Dodgers & the ChiSox, Connie’s Pizza, place holds 13,000 fans, and they even have a stirfry noodle dish. For LAA Dustin Moseley worked five shutout innings and Chone Figgins & Gary Matthews, Jr. hit homers. Chris Getz hit the ball sharply, Octavio Dotel struckout three in his perfect inning, and Mike MacDougal showed why he’s so overpaid, three hits & one run in his one scary inning. The Halos won this one, 4-1. Went to my favorite pizza place Pizzeria Bianco with Joe after the game, waited three hours, better than I remembered, it’s all good.

The last game of our trip was back where it all started in Scottsdale. DonS’ brother Kevin, his wife Dawn, Rob T, and his wife Vicki joined us for tailgating before the game. John Danks worked five scoreless innings for the Pale Hose, Carlos Quentin & Paul Konerko went deep, and Aaron Poreda punched his minor league ticket, spitting it out, five runs over 1 1/3 innings. Jeremy Affeldt worked out of a self induced bases loaded jam for the save, he started the game on Monday for SF, so it all came around in a great big circle. Sox lost 6-4. After the game we took a trip over to the Salty Senorita for some Mexican food, Mexican food, and some Margaritas. Can’t think of a better way to bid Arizona adios.

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.

Outman does his job

Man, for a pitcher, I just love this guy’s name. 

Josh Outman pitched his first start today for Oakland (he had appeared in two games earlier).  And at least for today, his name fit.  In his first career start (against the Rangers) he allowed only one run, four hits, struck out three and walked two. 

Oh, and he recorded 15 outs, man

Pitchers (past and present) whose names did NOT inspire confidence:

Bob Walk

Homer Bailey

Grant Balfour

Bruce Hitt

and I know it’s part of his nickname but I can’t ignore

Hugh "Losing Pitcher" Mulcahy

…any others?

ROOKIE WATCH: AARON CUNNINGHAM OF, OAKLAND A’s

Aaron Cunningham played his first big league game Saturday for the Oakland A’s, collecting two hits (an opposite field double that almost cleared the wall on the fly in rightcenterfield & a 2 RBI single to center). Cunningham was originally drafted by the White Sox and traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Danny Richar, then shipped off to Oakland in the Dan Haren deal.

I saw Aaron play last fall in the Arizona Fall League. He was hard to overlook. He’s a hustling kid, who plays the game hard. Everybody was saying Cunningham really isn’t a tool guy, but he makes the most of his talent. I became an AC Fan!

Looking over his minor league stats I saw where he even pitched a little bit, with some success, a 3.16 ERA in 53 games over 71″ innings pitched. But AC really got the job done in 2008 with the bat, hitting .317, with 12 homers, 6 triples, 18 doubles, & twelve steals at AA Midland before being called up to AAA. Cunningham turned up his game a notch at Sacramento where his batting average soared to a robust .382, with five homers, five doubles, & four stolen bases, in just 20 games.

This kid reminds me of Shane Victorino, the way he plays the game. I’m looking forward to watching this exciting ballplayer, the way his career unfolds, even though he’s no longer a member of the White Sox, I wish AC nothing but the best!