This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Baseball

  • Rest in Peace, “Flip”

    Another bit of America’s past is gone.

    Al Rosen – MLB star of the 1950s, and later team executive with the Yankees, Astros, and Giants – passed away last Friday. He was 91.

    Rosen was no slouch as a player. He played for 10 years, all with the Cleveland Indians organization. He had a career batting average of .285, drove in 100 runs 5 times, and was an AL All-Star 4 times. Rosen was his league’s unanimous MVP in 1953, leading the AL in RBI and home runs.  He missed the triple crown that year when he finished second in batting average – by slightly more than .001 – in spite of finishing with a batting average of .336.

    During his rookie season, Rosen hit 37 home runs; this stood as the rookie-season record until Mark McGwire hit 49 as a rookie in 1987. He was also regarded as an exceptional defensive third baseman. Unfortunately, back and leg injuries forced him from the game after the 1956 season at age 32.

    After his playing career, for 22 years Rosen was a stockbroker. Then in 1978 he returned to baseball, becoming a successful baseball executive. He had front-office roles with the Yankees (President/CEO, 1978-1979), Astros (President/CEO, 1980-1985), and Giants (President and General Manager, 1985-1992). During his time with the Giants Rosen’s efforts were credited with helping improve them from a last-place team in 1985 to a World Series team in 1989.

    In 1989 Rosen was selected as the NL Executive of the Year. He is the only individual in MLB history to be selected both his league MVP as a player and Executive of the Year.

    Rosen retired from baseball a second time in 1992. However, he still afterwards on occasion acted as a consultant for various baseball teams; this included a role as a Special Assistant to the General Manager for the Yankees in 2001-2002.

    In case you’re wondering why this article is here . . . as you might expect for someone of his age, Rosen was also a vet. He enlisted in the US Navy in 1942 and served until 1946, mostly in the Pacific. He participated in the invasion of Okinawa, serving as navigator for an assault boat during the initial landings. He left the Navy as a Lieutenant.

    Rosen was Jewish, and was proud (and very protective) of his religious heritage. Though more famous for doing so, Koufax was not the first prominent Jewish MLB player to refuse to play during Judaism’s high holy days; Rosen did the same a decade earlier. His nicknames during his playing days were “the Hebrew Hammer” and “Flip”. The latter is the source of this article’s title.

    RIP, my elder brother-in-arms. There are far too few of your generation left today.

    Still . . . you certainly had a wonderful, All-American life. I can’t help but be a bit envious.

  • Congratulations to the 2015 Baseball HOF Inductees

    Congratulations to Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio. They are this year’s inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

    Craig Biggio was an excellent catcher and infielder, making the NL All-Star team at both positions, and is fully worthy of HOF membership. He ended his career in the same place it began – Houston – and had 3000+ hits, a .281 batting average, and a career OBP of .363. He came tantalizingly close to HOF election last year, missing election by 2 votes. This year, he gained entry.

    John Smoltz’s career was in some respects similar to that of another Hall of Famer – Dennis Eckersley. He was an accomplished pitcher both as a starter and reliever, and has a fair claim (though not one I’d support) as the best postseason pitcher since Koufax.  Kudos.

    Pedro Martinez’s career wasn’t terribly lengthy by HOF standards due to health issues; that’s reflected in his win-loss and innings pitched totals, which are quite low for the HOF (less than 220 wins and less than 3000 IP). But at his peak – from 1997-2003 – he was truly exceptional. And his full career was exceptional as well, even if somewhat short by today’s standards. Martinez has the highest ERA+ (ERA normalized against league-average and adjusted for ballpark) of any pitcher in the HOF – yes, better than Lefty Grove.

    Randy Johnson was likewise exceptional – one can argue he was the best left-handed pitcher of all time, Koufax included. (Indeed, Johnson’s career can be described as what Koufax’s career might have been had Koufax remained healthy.) Two things IMO best describe Johnson’s career:

    1. Sustained High Performance. From 1993 to 2002 – over a period of 10 seasons – Johnson averaged the following: 18-6 W/L, 2.70 ERA, nearly 293 K, roughly 30 starts, and 219+ IP per year. And this includes two strike-shortened years (1994 and 1995) and one where he spent roughly 2/3 of the season recovering from back surgery (1996). Omit the season mostly lost to back surgery and you’re looking at 9 years averaging roughly 19-6 W/L, 2.70 ERA, 32+ starts per season, 315+K(!), and 236+ IP per year.
    2. Dominance.  Besides being #2 all-time in Ks, Johnson’s ability to dominate hitters was incredible.  This is shown by his strikeout rate – the number of strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.  To date, there have been 20 seasons in all of MLB history where a pitcher struck out more than 11 batters per 9 IP. Johnson owns 7 of them – and they’re bunched near the top of the list (numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 11). No one else has more than 3 seasons with more than 11 K per 9 IP (Kerry Wood). Johnson also owns 10 of the top 30 strikeout-rate seasons in MLB history (numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 24, 29, and 30).  That’s as many top-30 strikeout-rate seasons as Pedro Martinez, Kerry Wood, Nolan Ryan, Curt Schilling, Sandy Koufax, Tom Seaver, and Justin Verlander have – combined (3, 3, 2, 2, 0, 0, and 0 respectively).

    Plus, doves everywhere say they’re just glad they no longer need to worry about seeing Johnson on the mound.

    Congratulations, gentlemen.  Well-deserved.

  • Happy Birthday, Wrigley Field

    One hundred years ago today, the first ever baseball game was played at what later became Wrigley Field.   At the time, it was called Weeghman Park  – so named after Charles Weeghman, the owner of the Chicago “Federals” professional baseball team of the short-lived Federal League.  (The name “Federals” is somewhat of a misnomer.  Though they were called the “Federals” or the “Chifeds” to distinguish them from the Cubs and White Sox, the team actually had no formal nickname in 1914.  They were named the Chicago Whales the following year).

    The Federal League folded after two years of operations.  Weeghman at that point became controlling owner of the Chicago Cubs and moved the Cubs to the stadium in 1916.

    Weeghman was forced out of baseball in 1920 due to financial troubles; the Wrigley family had become controlling owners of the Cubs in 1918.  The park was renamed Cubs Field in 1920, and acquired its current name of Wrigley Field in 1926.

    Wrigley Field is the second-oldest Major League Baseball stadium.  Only Fenway Park in Boston is older – and only by two years.

    Ground was broken for Wrigley Field on March 4, 1914.  Amazingly, it was ready for the Chicago “Federals” home opener that year on April 23, 1914 – barely 7 weeks later.

    Yes, Wrigley Field is a bit dated today.  But it has something most other MLB stadiums doesn’t have:  a century’s worth of history.

  • Another Hall-of-Famer Passes

    Ralph Kiner passed away the yesterday.  He was 91.

    Kiner was a longtime broadcaster for the New York Mets – for over 50 years, actually.  He was noted for his baseball malaprops, and for “Kiner’s Corner” – an area near the leftfield corner of Shea Stadium where Kiner held his post-game show.

    But Kiner should be remembered for more.  He was a legitimate Hall of Famer based on his performance on the diamond.  His career was cut short – 10 seasons, the bare minimum for HOF consideration – due to chronic back issues.  Yet at the time he retired, he was 6th on the all-time home run list with 369 – and had hit 329 in his first 8 seasons, leading his league 7 times and both leagues 6 times.

    Kiner’s career slugging percentage was nearly .550 (.548), and his career on-base percentage was nearly .400 (.398).  He had over 1450 hits, over 1000 RBIs, and over 1000 walks during his career.  Though his election took until his last year of eligibility, Kiner was a legitimate HOFer.  Had his career not been cut short by injury we might be talking about him in the same breath as other legendary baseball power hitters like Mantle, Ruth, Mays, Williams, and Aaron.

    Kiner played mostly for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  They weren’t good enough during his playing days to make the World Series.  Had they done so, or had Kiner played mostly in NY or Chicago – we’d likely remember more about his career.

    Why post this here?  Because Kiner’s MLB career spanned the immediate post-World War II years:  1946-1955.  It began a bit late for that era, at age 22.

    It began late because prior to 1946 he was otherwise occupied.  Kiner was a US Navy pilot during World War II.  He flew ASW missions in the Pacific theater.

    Baseball historian Marty Noble has called Kiner “one of baseball’s genuine and most charming gentlemen”.  That’s a fine tribute to a truly fine man – and for 10 years, a truly great player.

    Rest in peace, Mr. Kiner.

  • RIP, LtCol Jerry Coleman

    A baseball icon has passed.

    Jerry Coleman – former MLB second-baseman with the New York Yankees and longtime broadcaster for the San Diego Padres – has died.  He passed away yesterday at 89.

    Coleman’s career in MLB was interrupted – like Ted Williams, when recalled to the USMC for service in Korea.  However, unlike Ted Williams Coleman had flown in combat previously.  Prior to his career in baseball, Coleman had flown combat missions for the USMC in World War II, and did so again in Korea.  He was reputedly the only MLB player to see combat in both wars.  He retired from the USMC Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel, giving rise to his nickname “The Colonel” among his professional colleagues within the San Diego organization.

    Coleman’s military awards included two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals, and 3 Navy Citations (I’m pretty sure this was the forerunner of the Navy Commendation Medal; Navy types, correction please if I’m wrong).  He was no slouch as a ballplayer or broadcaster either; he was the MVP of the 1950 World Series, and received the Ford C. Frick Award in 2005 for his contributions to baseball as a broadcaster.

    Coleman was honored by the San Diego Padres with a statue near PETCO Park in 2012.  When interviewed about his military career shortly before the statue was unveiled, he remarked: “Your country is bigger than baseball.”

    Truly a life well-lived.  Rest in peace, my elder brother-in-arms.  Rest in peace.

  • Sandman Exits

    Most of you probably know that a gentleman named Mariano Rivera is retiring from MLB at the end of this season.  If you’re even a causal baseball fan – or even read the newspapers or otherwise follow the news – it would have been virtually impossible to avoid knowing.

    Most of you also probably know that the NY Yankees won’t be in the hunt for a World Series title this year.  That means that for Mr. Rivera, his season ends Sunday.

    This man is considered to be one of the all-time greats.  That’s true whether you’re talking athletic performance and class – or simply as a human being.

    I’m not going to sing his praises here.  I’m only going to say two things:

    It’s not often you get to see an all time great end his career.  It’s even rarer when that all-time great is also an all-time great human being.

    Vaya con Dios, Señor Rivera.  IMO, the world needs more like you.

    And baseball isn’t why.

     

  • Perhaps the Biggest “Shaft Job” in Baseball History

    Somewhat over twenty-three years ago, one of the strangest games in baseball history occurred.  A man pitched a complete game.  He gave up no hits.

    He lost the game 4-0.  And although he was originally credited with pitching a no-hitter, in a final ironic after-the-fact shafting that credit was taken away from him about a year later.  Today he is not even officially recognized as having pitched a no-hitter.

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  • Sixty-one Years Ago Today: A Performance for the Ages

    Today is the anniversary of a singular and amazing achievement.  It’s also one you’ve probably never heard of.

    Sixty-one years ago, a 19-year-old right-handed pitcher with the Bristol Twins – the Appalachian League farm club for the Pittsburgh Pirates – pitched a complete game shutout.  Complete game shutouts were nothing unusual in that day and age.

    He pitched the game in front of a crowd of less than 1,200.  Nothing too out of the ordinary about that for a minor-league game in the 1950s.

    He pitched a 9-inning no-hitter, but not a perfect game.  Excellent – but not terribly uncommon, either.

    He won the game (that’s not a given; at least five 9-inning games have been recorded in the Major Leagues alone where one team was held hitless but nonetheless won the game by scoring unearned runs).  So even if had he had lost the game while pitching a no-hitter (he didn’t), that fact would hardly be unique.

    What was unique – and amazing – about the performance involves what he did during this no-hitter.

    The young man pitched a complete game – all 9 innings.  He was the only pitcher for his team.

    He recorded 27 strikeouts.

    In professional baseball at any level that had never been done before.  It has never been repeated.

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