Baseball--the great American game--has persevered through a fair number of scandals over the years. Beginning in the early days, every generation of ballplayers has produced a subpopulation of rule-breakers and rogues.
In 1877, four players from the Louisville Grays were found to have thrown games in exchange for bribes from gamblers. Jim Devlin, George Hall, Al Nichols and Bill Craver were all suspended for their actions.
In 1908, on the eve of a one-game playoff between the Cubs and Giants for the NL pennant, one of the umpires was offered a bribe to help the Giants win. The offer was refused and the incident reported to the league office.
The year 1919 brought the infamous White Sox scandal, in which eight players with abilities ranging from Hall of Fame worthy to moderately talented conspired the throw the World Series and were subsequently banned from the sport for life by Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis. As the investigation was broadened, at least two other players were punished for throwing games--Heinie Zimmerman and Hal Chase, both of the Giants.
Gambling controversy persisted into the 20th century when Pete Rose--a.k.a. "Charlie Hustle," (the game's active hits leader and one of the greatest players ever to don a uniform in my opinion) received a lifetime ban for betting on games as manager of the Cincinnati Reds. Though Rose has lobbied for reinstatement, his efforts to date have yielded no results.
Gambling has not been baseball's only problem. Substance abuse has been a major issue since the Deadball Era as demonstrated by the following anecdote:
Off to the best
start in franchise history during the 1908 campaign, the St. Louis Browns went
into a slump, falling several games out of the running. Alarmed by the sudden
swoon, Manager Jimmy McAleer called all of his players together and ordered
them to get drunk. “You fellows are worn
out, all in and gone stale,” he said. “”If any man on this team comes into the
hotel tonight sober, I will fine him fifty dollars.” According to pitcher Jack Powell, the entire
team showed up at the ballpark hung over the next day yet won handily. The
party continued on the train to St. Louis and a five game winning streak
followed. “The jag by orders had brought
back our spirits and energies,” Powell explained.
Baseball's drinking problem persisted well into the 1950's. Former Dodger
great Don Newcombe, who captured Rookie of the Year and Cy Young honors during
his career, fell on hard times after leaving baseball behind. A chronic
alcoholic in heavy debt due to gambling, he pawned his 1955 World Series ring
to avoid losing his Los Angeles apartment. He nearly lost his wife of many
years before getting involved with Alcoholics Anonymous and cleaning himself
up. In 1986, he spoke to a reporter about the rampant alcohol problems among
members of the ‘55 Dodger squad. Citing Jackie Robinson and Gil Hodges as being
exempt, he said: “I bet there were at least ten of us who were abusers of
alcohol on the championship team...I had two of them who told me one day:
‘Newk, if you’re an alcoholic, what am I?’” In a previous interview, the
retired moundsman had indirectly blamed manager Walter Alston. “The fact is, baseball
managers encouraged the drinking of beer—and they still do,” he told the
Associated Press.
By the 1960's, baseball's abuses morphed into something entirely different. Jim Bouton's epic book Ball Four exposed the rampant use of amphetamines among players. In 1985, several players were summoned before a Pittsburgh grand jury to testify about drug use within the sport. Among those appearing were Dave Parker, Lee Mazzilli, Keith Hernandez and Tim Raines. This led to the exposure of cocaine use among various players--The Pirates and Mets in particular. It was soon revealed that drug dealers roamed the Pittsburgh clubhouse. Even the team mascot was implicated! In February of 1986, Commissioner Peter Ueberoth issued suspensions to a number of players for their transgressions.
Sadly, the story doesn't end there. The '90's gave way to steroid scandals that have to date kept such luminaries as Barry Bonds, Mark McGuire and Roger Clemens out of the Hall of Fame.
In closing, I pose this question: If "America's Favorite Pastime" is a reflection upon our culture in general, what does it say about us? Are the bad apples an exception rather than a rule or are we a country of flagrant excess? You decide.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Gloves of Stone
While researching dubious defensive records, I got to thinking about who had committed the most errors on a single play. This wasn't readily available on the standard leaderboards at Baseball-almanac or Baseball-reference, so I had to do some digging. Eventually, my efforts paid off.
That record belongs to Mike Grady, a catcher and utility infielder who played for the Phillies, Giants and Cardinals between 1894 and 1906. Grady was adept with a bat in his hands--a lieftime .294 hitter who exceeded the .300 mark at the plate in 5 of his 11 big league seasons. His experience as a fielder was an entirely different story. While stationed at the hot corner for the Giants in 1899 following an ejection to the team's regular third baseman, Grady was charged with 4 miscues on one sequence. After botching a grounder (error #1), he threw wildly to first (error #2). As New York's right fielder relayed the ball back to Grady, he dropped it (error #3). At this point, the batter was rounding third. Grady scrambled for the ball and fired wildly over the catcher's head allowing the run to score (error #4).
This may or may not be the most horrific defensive sequence of all-time. Many stories still circulate regarding a hard-hitting outfielder by the name of Smead Jolley who played for the White Sox and Red Sox from 1930 through 1933. Jolley was an excellent run-producer at the plate, reaching the century mark in ribbies twice during his brief career while posting batting averages above .300 in 3 of 4 campaigns. But his fielding misadventures became legendary and he was referred to by one writer as "the greatest stationary outfielder in history." According to numerous (and likely apocryphal) accounts, Jolley once matched Mike Grady's feat of four errors on the same play, though a sympathetic official scorer deliberately failed to credit him with it. As the story goes, a ball rolled through his legs in the outfield (error #1) then bounced off the outfield wall and back through his legs (error #2). Retrieving it, the ham fisted fly-chaser then bobbled the ball (error #3). When he finally gained possession, he fired wildly into the seats, allowing the runner to score (error #4). It's a funny story, but there's no statistical evidence to support it. Various accounts describe different settings for the play (making it a highly debatable occurence). Solid evidence of Jolley's poor fielding exists in his error totals and lifetime fielding percentage, which is more than 20 points below the league average.
(Yet another shameless plug, you can read more about Jolley in my book Cellar Dwellers)
You have to give Jolley credit for trying. According to many sources, the most inept fielder of all-time was first baseman Zeke Bonura, though statistics won't back this up. Why? You can't be charged for an error if you can't get your hands on the ball. The lumbering Bonura was another able-bodied slugger who played 7 seasons for four clubs from 1934 to 1940. In that span, he amassed 351 extra-base hits and hit .307. He also led the league in fielding percentage three times. But according to contemporaries, Bonura made little effort to field anything hit in his direction. Any ball hit outside of his immediate reach was given a disdainful look and a half-hearted wave of the glove, a gesture dubbed by one writer as "The Mussolini Salute." In his own defense, Bonura once told a reporter: "I'm not a lousy fielder. That's one of those stories spread by (manager) Jimmy Dykes and (teammate) Lew Fonseca. They've been labeling me as a poor first baseman for years, by Dykes so I couldn't ask for much money and by Fonseca so he wouldn't lose his job." There may be some truth to that statement, though descriptions of his "laughable" defense are legion.
That record belongs to Mike Grady, a catcher and utility infielder who played for the Phillies, Giants and Cardinals between 1894 and 1906. Grady was adept with a bat in his hands--a lieftime .294 hitter who exceeded the .300 mark at the plate in 5 of his 11 big league seasons. His experience as a fielder was an entirely different story. While stationed at the hot corner for the Giants in 1899 following an ejection to the team's regular third baseman, Grady was charged with 4 miscues on one sequence. After botching a grounder (error #1), he threw wildly to first (error #2). As New York's right fielder relayed the ball back to Grady, he dropped it (error #3). At this point, the batter was rounding third. Grady scrambled for the ball and fired wildly over the catcher's head allowing the run to score (error #4).
This may or may not be the most horrific defensive sequence of all-time. Many stories still circulate regarding a hard-hitting outfielder by the name of Smead Jolley who played for the White Sox and Red Sox from 1930 through 1933. Jolley was an excellent run-producer at the plate, reaching the century mark in ribbies twice during his brief career while posting batting averages above .300 in 3 of 4 campaigns. But his fielding misadventures became legendary and he was referred to by one writer as "the greatest stationary outfielder in history." According to numerous (and likely apocryphal) accounts, Jolley once matched Mike Grady's feat of four errors on the same play, though a sympathetic official scorer deliberately failed to credit him with it. As the story goes, a ball rolled through his legs in the outfield (error #1) then bounced off the outfield wall and back through his legs (error #2). Retrieving it, the ham fisted fly-chaser then bobbled the ball (error #3). When he finally gained possession, he fired wildly into the seats, allowing the runner to score (error #4). It's a funny story, but there's no statistical evidence to support it. Various accounts describe different settings for the play (making it a highly debatable occurence). Solid evidence of Jolley's poor fielding exists in his error totals and lifetime fielding percentage, which is more than 20 points below the league average.
(Yet another shameless plug, you can read more about Jolley in my book Cellar Dwellers)
You have to give Jolley credit for trying. According to many sources, the most inept fielder of all-time was first baseman Zeke Bonura, though statistics won't back this up. Why? You can't be charged for an error if you can't get your hands on the ball. The lumbering Bonura was another able-bodied slugger who played 7 seasons for four clubs from 1934 to 1940. In that span, he amassed 351 extra-base hits and hit .307. He also led the league in fielding percentage three times. But according to contemporaries, Bonura made little effort to field anything hit in his direction. Any ball hit outside of his immediate reach was given a disdainful look and a half-hearted wave of the glove, a gesture dubbed by one writer as "The Mussolini Salute." In his own defense, Bonura once told a reporter: "I'm not a lousy fielder. That's one of those stories spread by (manager) Jimmy Dykes and (teammate) Lew Fonseca. They've been labeling me as a poor first baseman for years, by Dykes so I couldn't ask for much money and by Fonseca so he wouldn't lose his job." There may be some truth to that statement, though descriptions of his "laughable" defense are legion.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Dubious Records For Pitchers
As promised, I will conclude my discussion of baseball's most embarrassing accomplishments. Today, my lists will pertain exclusively to pitchers.
The AL record for errors by a pitcher in a career is 55 by Ed Walsh, a Hall of Famer who spent most of his days with the White Sox from 1904 through 1917. His NL counterpart, Hippo Vaughn, had his best seasons with the Cubs between 1913 and 1920. Vaughn retired with 64 career errors.
The record for most errors by a pitcher in a game is 5 by Ed Doheny of the Giants in 1899. The record for errors in an inning belongs to three modern hurlers, all of whom committed 3 muffs in a single frame: Tommy John (1988), Jamie Navarro (1996) and Mike Sirotka (1999).
In regard to balks, Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's set the all-time single season record in 1988 with 16. Bob Shaw holds the record for balks in a game with 5. He turned the trick in 1963 when he was with Milwaukee. Most balks in an inning is 3, shared by 5 players (Shaw is among them).
The record for most walks issued in a 9-inning game is 16 shared by three old-timers. Bruno Haas of Philadelphia, Bill George of New York and George Van Haltren of Chicago. It seems likely that this record will never be broken since today's hurlers would almost certainly get the hook for being so wild. But in the old days, pitchers were expected to finish what they started and it was a matter of pride. There are two modern pitchers who compiled double-digit walk totals in a no-hitter. Jim Maloney of the Reds walked 10 batters in his 1965 "gem." Steve Barber of the Orioles duplicated the feat in 1967.
The "modern" record for losses in a season is 26 by Bob Groom, who was making his big league debut for the dreadful Senators in 1909. (The topic is covered extensively in my book, Cellar Dwellers.) Before Groom, Happy Townsend was strapped with 26 losses for the equally dreadful Senators' squad of 1904 (also discussed in my book.) The all-time mark for losses in a season belongs to an obscure 19th century hurler by the name of John Coleman. Playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, he absorbed 48 of the club's 81 defeats in 1883. The Quakers finished last in the NL with a 17-81 record that year.
The record for consecutive losses by a pitcher belongs to Jack Nabors, who dropped 19 straight decisions for the A's in 1916 (You can read about this in Cellar Dwellers as well). Cliff Curtis lost 18 straight for the Boston Doves (later known as the Braves) in 1910. Roger Craig matched him while playing for the Mets 53 years later.
The topic of hit batsmen always seems to be a lively subject. Everyone wants to know who the most dangerous pitcher of all-time was. Names like Randy Johnson, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale always seem to get thown into the mix. But none of those guys came close to matching the all time numbers of Gus Wehying, a right-hander who plunked an incredible total of 277 batters between 1887 and 1901. Nicknamed "Cannonball" or "Rubber-Winged Gus," Weyhing compiled impressive strikeout totals for the era, punching out at least 193 batters in five campaigns. But he was completely wild, compiling a lifetime WHIP average of 1.417. Walter Johsnon is behind Weyhing on the all-time hit batsmen list at 205 while the other Johnson--I'm referring to that nasty fellow named Randy--plunked 190.
In regard to wild pitches, the all-time career leader is Jack Morris with 206. (Yet another reason he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame as mentioned in a previous post.) The modern record for wild pitches in a single season is 26 by Juan Guzman, who was playing for the Blue Jays in 1993 when he set the mark. A.J. Burnett unleashed 25 wild ones in 2011 while playing for the Yankees.
Wrapping up my discussion of dubious pitching feats, the career record for home runs allowed is 511, accomplished by Jamie Moyer in 25 major league seasons spent with 8 different clubs. The record for home runs surrendered in a single season is 50 by Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven in 1986. He still managed to win 17 games for the Twins that year. The record for homers coughed up in a game is 7 by Charlie Sweeney of St. Louis in 1886. At least three pitchers have coughed up 6 long balls in a 9-inning game. Two of the three are still active. R.A. Dickey accomplished the feat with Texas in 2006 and James Shields of the Rays matched him in 2010. Tim Wakefield did it in 2004 while playing for the Red Sox.
The AL record for errors by a pitcher in a career is 55 by Ed Walsh, a Hall of Famer who spent most of his days with the White Sox from 1904 through 1917. His NL counterpart, Hippo Vaughn, had his best seasons with the Cubs between 1913 and 1920. Vaughn retired with 64 career errors.
The record for most errors by a pitcher in a game is 5 by Ed Doheny of the Giants in 1899. The record for errors in an inning belongs to three modern hurlers, all of whom committed 3 muffs in a single frame: Tommy John (1988), Jamie Navarro (1996) and Mike Sirotka (1999).
In regard to balks, Dave Stewart of the Oakland A's set the all-time single season record in 1988 with 16. Bob Shaw holds the record for balks in a game with 5. He turned the trick in 1963 when he was with Milwaukee. Most balks in an inning is 3, shared by 5 players (Shaw is among them).
The record for most walks issued in a 9-inning game is 16 shared by three old-timers. Bruno Haas of Philadelphia, Bill George of New York and George Van Haltren of Chicago. It seems likely that this record will never be broken since today's hurlers would almost certainly get the hook for being so wild. But in the old days, pitchers were expected to finish what they started and it was a matter of pride. There are two modern pitchers who compiled double-digit walk totals in a no-hitter. Jim Maloney of the Reds walked 10 batters in his 1965 "gem." Steve Barber of the Orioles duplicated the feat in 1967.
The "modern" record for losses in a season is 26 by Bob Groom, who was making his big league debut for the dreadful Senators in 1909. (The topic is covered extensively in my book, Cellar Dwellers.) Before Groom, Happy Townsend was strapped with 26 losses for the equally dreadful Senators' squad of 1904 (also discussed in my book.) The all-time mark for losses in a season belongs to an obscure 19th century hurler by the name of John Coleman. Playing for the Philadelphia Quakers, he absorbed 48 of the club's 81 defeats in 1883. The Quakers finished last in the NL with a 17-81 record that year.
The record for consecutive losses by a pitcher belongs to Jack Nabors, who dropped 19 straight decisions for the A's in 1916 (You can read about this in Cellar Dwellers as well). Cliff Curtis lost 18 straight for the Boston Doves (later known as the Braves) in 1910. Roger Craig matched him while playing for the Mets 53 years later.
The topic of hit batsmen always seems to be a lively subject. Everyone wants to know who the most dangerous pitcher of all-time was. Names like Randy Johnson, Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale always seem to get thown into the mix. But none of those guys came close to matching the all time numbers of Gus Wehying, a right-hander who plunked an incredible total of 277 batters between 1887 and 1901. Nicknamed "Cannonball" or "Rubber-Winged Gus," Weyhing compiled impressive strikeout totals for the era, punching out at least 193 batters in five campaigns. But he was completely wild, compiling a lifetime WHIP average of 1.417. Walter Johsnon is behind Weyhing on the all-time hit batsmen list at 205 while the other Johnson--I'm referring to that nasty fellow named Randy--plunked 190.
In regard to wild pitches, the all-time career leader is Jack Morris with 206. (Yet another reason he doesn't belong in the Hall of Fame as mentioned in a previous post.) The modern record for wild pitches in a single season is 26 by Juan Guzman, who was playing for the Blue Jays in 1993 when he set the mark. A.J. Burnett unleashed 25 wild ones in 2011 while playing for the Yankees.
Wrapping up my discussion of dubious pitching feats, the career record for home runs allowed is 511, accomplished by Jamie Moyer in 25 major league seasons spent with 8 different clubs. The record for home runs surrendered in a single season is 50 by Hall of Famer Bert Blyleven in 1986. He still managed to win 17 games for the Twins that year. The record for homers coughed up in a game is 7 by Charlie Sweeney of St. Louis in 1886. At least three pitchers have coughed up 6 long balls in a 9-inning game. Two of the three are still active. R.A. Dickey accomplished the feat with Texas in 2006 and James Shields of the Rays matched him in 2010. Tim Wakefield did it in 2004 while playing for the Red Sox.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Dubious Major League Records
Since everybody loves lists--myself included--I decided to browse through some baseball records to determine which players have performed the most embarrassing feats on the diamond. My research yielded the following results:
Let's start with offensive stats.
The player caught stealing most in a single season was Rickey Henderson of the A's, who was nabbed 42 times in 1982. He had nothing to be ashamed of since he set the single season record for thefts that year with 130. Multiple players have been caught stealing 3 times in a game. Many players have been caught twice in an inning as well with Larry Walker of the Rockies and Derek Bell of Houston being the most recent. Bell turned the trick in 1995 while Walker matched him in 1998.
The individual record for leaving men on base in a game is 12, shared by four players: Glen Beckert of Chicago (1972), Todd Helton of the Rockies (1998), Trot Nixon of the Red Sox (2003) and David Ortiz (2009), also of the BoSox.
The record for grounding into double plays in a career is Cal Ripken, who initiated 350 twin killings during his illustrious big league run. The single-season record is held by Jim Rice of Boston, who grounded into 36 DP's in 1984. Rice would go on to lead the league in that category 4 times--also a record, tied with Ichiro Suzuki.
The career record for strikeouts is 2,597 by Reggie Jackson. (When he missed--He missed BIG!) Sandy Koufax holds the record for most whiffs in consecutive plate appearances. In 1955, the left-hander went down on strikes in 12 straight trips to the dish. In regard to whiffs in a season, that dishonor belongs to infielder Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times in 2009. Reynolds is compiling quite an impressive career in this respect. His name appears on the top ten single-season strikeout list four times. Adam Dunn is a close runner up with two appearances in the top ten and 222 K's in 2012.
Moving on to defensive feats:
Most records pertaining to errors were set during the game's early days before players wore proper gloves. Still, some of the totals are jaw-dropping.
The record for errors in a season by a first baseman was set in 1884 by Cap Anson, who muffed 58 plays that year. By no means was that the most horrific performance of all-time. Billy Shindle of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms set the mark for shortstops in a single season with 119 errors in 1890. Bill McClellan came close to matching that figure at second base in 1887, when he botched 105 chances for the Brooklyn Grays (an American Association club). Charlie "Piano Legs" Hickman waited until the turn of the century to commit 91 errors at the hot corner for the Giants in 1900. As far as outfielders are concerned, Ed Beecher set the bar pretty low when he flubbed 55 plays during the 1890 slate, which he spent with the Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League. The modern record for outfield errors belongs to Roy Johnson of the Tigers, who committed 31 E's in 1929.
Active error leaders include: Miguel Tejada (272), Rafael Furcal (250), Adrian Beltre (243) and Derek Jeter (241). It's interesting to note the Jeter and Beltre have 9 Gold Gloves between them.
(Primary Source: Baseball-almanac.com, Baseball-reference.com)
We'll talk about pitchers in my next post.
Let's start with offensive stats.
The player caught stealing most in a single season was Rickey Henderson of the A's, who was nabbed 42 times in 1982. He had nothing to be ashamed of since he set the single season record for thefts that year with 130. Multiple players have been caught stealing 3 times in a game. Many players have been caught twice in an inning as well with Larry Walker of the Rockies and Derek Bell of Houston being the most recent. Bell turned the trick in 1995 while Walker matched him in 1998.
The individual record for leaving men on base in a game is 12, shared by four players: Glen Beckert of Chicago (1972), Todd Helton of the Rockies (1998), Trot Nixon of the Red Sox (2003) and David Ortiz (2009), also of the BoSox.
The record for grounding into double plays in a career is Cal Ripken, who initiated 350 twin killings during his illustrious big league run. The single-season record is held by Jim Rice of Boston, who grounded into 36 DP's in 1984. Rice would go on to lead the league in that category 4 times--also a record, tied with Ichiro Suzuki.
The career record for strikeouts is 2,597 by Reggie Jackson. (When he missed--He missed BIG!) Sandy Koufax holds the record for most whiffs in consecutive plate appearances. In 1955, the left-hander went down on strikes in 12 straight trips to the dish. In regard to whiffs in a season, that dishonor belongs to infielder Mark Reynolds, who struck out 223 times in 2009. Reynolds is compiling quite an impressive career in this respect. His name appears on the top ten single-season strikeout list four times. Adam Dunn is a close runner up with two appearances in the top ten and 222 K's in 2012.
Moving on to defensive feats:
Most records pertaining to errors were set during the game's early days before players wore proper gloves. Still, some of the totals are jaw-dropping.
The record for errors in a season by a first baseman was set in 1884 by Cap Anson, who muffed 58 plays that year. By no means was that the most horrific performance of all-time. Billy Shindle of the Brooklyn Bridegrooms set the mark for shortstops in a single season with 119 errors in 1890. Bill McClellan came close to matching that figure at second base in 1887, when he botched 105 chances for the Brooklyn Grays (an American Association club). Charlie "Piano Legs" Hickman waited until the turn of the century to commit 91 errors at the hot corner for the Giants in 1900. As far as outfielders are concerned, Ed Beecher set the bar pretty low when he flubbed 55 plays during the 1890 slate, which he spent with the Buffalo Bisons of the Players' League. The modern record for outfield errors belongs to Roy Johnson of the Tigers, who committed 31 E's in 1929.
Active error leaders include: Miguel Tejada (272), Rafael Furcal (250), Adrian Beltre (243) and Derek Jeter (241). It's interesting to note the Jeter and Beltre have 9 Gold Gloves between them.
(Primary Source: Baseball-almanac.com, Baseball-reference.com)
We'll talk about pitchers in my next post.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Hall of Fame 2013: Concluded
In my last post, I went about the task of shortening the Hall of Fame ballot. I'll finish the job today. Jack Morris and Lee Smith were among the top vote-getters last year. Unfortunately, neither belongs in the Hall. Morris racked up 254 wins, but his 3.90 ERA is too high for Cooperstown. I make this statement on the same presumption that 3 earned runs in 6 innings does not constitute a "quality start." Since when do we want our starters giving up 4 or more runs per game?
Smith collected 478 saves (third on the all-time list) while averaging close to a strikeout per frame. But some of his other numbers just don't add up--mainly his 1.256 WHIP average and 3.03 ERA. That's dangerous territory for a closer. By comparison, Mariano Rivera--arguably the greatest closer ever--has so far compiled a 2.21 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP average to go with 608 lifetime saves. Lofty standards perhaps, but Smith is not even in the same class.
So who do I think belongs in the Hall? Call me crazy, but Jeff Bagwell gets my vote. Bagwell's career was shortened by injuries, but in 15 seasons he accomplished a lot: Rookie of the Year in 1991, MVP in 1994, a 4-time All-Star. Additionally, he led the league in runs scored 3 times and landed among an elite group of players with 1,500 runs and 1,500 runs-batted-in. His lifetime on-base percentage of .408 is nothing to sneeze at either. On the other side of the coin, Bagwell carried his weight defensively, leading the league in assists 5 times and winning a Gold Glove. His career total of 1,704 assists is second on the all-time list. Plus, he had that weird crouched batting stance that was so fun to watch.
While I'm at it, I might as well show my support for Bagwell's long-time teammate Craig Biggio,who should be enshrined on the basis of his 3,060 hits and 668 career doubles alone. Never mind the 4 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers and 7 All-Star appearances. This guy was a dependable, hard-nosed hustler who grinded it out for the Astors day after day. He stole 414 bases in his career, scored 1,800 runs and ended up in the path of pitched balls 285 times (ouch!)--second all-time to Deadball star Hughie Jennings.
We'll see who gets the nod when the results are announced tomorrow.
Smith collected 478 saves (third on the all-time list) while averaging close to a strikeout per frame. But some of his other numbers just don't add up--mainly his 1.256 WHIP average and 3.03 ERA. That's dangerous territory for a closer. By comparison, Mariano Rivera--arguably the greatest closer ever--has so far compiled a 2.21 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP average to go with 608 lifetime saves. Lofty standards perhaps, but Smith is not even in the same class.
So who do I think belongs in the Hall? Call me crazy, but Jeff Bagwell gets my vote. Bagwell's career was shortened by injuries, but in 15 seasons he accomplished a lot: Rookie of the Year in 1991, MVP in 1994, a 4-time All-Star. Additionally, he led the league in runs scored 3 times and landed among an elite group of players with 1,500 runs and 1,500 runs-batted-in. His lifetime on-base percentage of .408 is nothing to sneeze at either. On the other side of the coin, Bagwell carried his weight defensively, leading the league in assists 5 times and winning a Gold Glove. His career total of 1,704 assists is second on the all-time list. Plus, he had that weird crouched batting stance that was so fun to watch.
While I'm at it, I might as well show my support for Bagwell's long-time teammate Craig Biggio,who should be enshrined on the basis of his 3,060 hits and 668 career doubles alone. Never mind the 4 Gold Gloves, 5 Silver Sluggers and 7 All-Star appearances. This guy was a dependable, hard-nosed hustler who grinded it out for the Astors day after day. He stole 414 bases in his career, scored 1,800 runs and ended up in the path of pitched balls 285 times (ouch!)--second all-time to Deadball star Hughie Jennings.
We'll see who gets the nod when the results are announced tomorrow.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
The Hall of Fame 2013: Who Should Get In
There's been a lot of talk about this year's Hall of Fame ballot being among
the toughest ever to choose from. A quick glance at the candidates more or less
confirms the fact. Over the past several years, there has been increased
emphasis on the use of sabermetrics--wins above replacement, black ink, gray
ink, magenta ink and all that nonsense. Though I am a card-carrying member of
the SABR myself, I openly admit that I don't put much stock in all those new-fangled
statistics. To begin with, these measurements are most frequently endorsed by
people who spend a lot more time crunching numbers than actually watching ball games.
I have been watching baseball for over 40 years and I know great when I see it.
I believe that players from the present should be measured by the same
criterion that landed the old-timers in the Hall of Fame. It's only fair. Call
me Old School if you will.
With that having been said, let's take a brief look at this year's candidates. Returning from previous ballots, we have serious contenders in Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmeiro. New to the the list are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio and Sammy Sosa among others.
So who belongs in the Hall? I can dramatically shorten the list with a single brush stroke.
First and foremost, I don't believe that flagrant rule-breakers belong in the Hall of Fame. If Pete Rose and Joe Jackson (two of the greatest players ever to pull on uniforms) can't be enshrined at Cooperstown, then neither can Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro or Mark McGuire. All were immensely talented players with worthy statistics, but each of them tarnished the game in some small way. On the same note, we might as well add Roger Clemens to the list of ineligibles. Though he was legally absolved from charges of steroid use, there is compelling evidence to the contrary. Therefore, it matters not that he was among the most dominant pitchers of his generation (or of any generation for that matter). As the old saying goes: When in doubt, throw it out. This places me on the fence in regard to Sammy Sosa (who I think was a fun player and I like a lot) because of the bat-corking fiasco in 2003. Additionally, there are some who believe he used steroids (though no formal charges have been lodged against him).
On another controversial note, I don’t believe that designated hitters
should be excluded from the Hall of Fame since it’s a specialized role not
unlike that of a relief pitcher. If the doors of Cooperstown are open to the
likes of Goose Gossage, Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter, then the powers that
be should consider allowing a DH in at some point. The burning question is WHO?
A convincing case can be made for Edgar Martinez, a two-time batting champ who led the league in on-base percentage three times, doubles twice and RBI's once. He also stacks up nicely against the greatest players at his position. In 1,403 games as a DH, Martinez hit .314 with 619 extra-base hits and 1,003 RBI. These numbers far exceed those of Harold Baines, Chili Davis, Don Baylor and Frank Thomas—all of whom (in the opinion of many) were among the best designated hitters ever. The problem with Martinez is longevity. After claiming his first batting title in ’92, he saw limited action over the next two campaigns. He became a DH almost exclusively in 1995 and enjoyed his most productive stretch from then until 2001, when he completed a run of 7 consecutive seasons above the .300 mark. By 2002, he was 39 years-old and fading. Despite his prolific hitting, he topped the 100 RBI mark just 5 times in 18 seasons and in terms of triple crown-type numbers, he had just one truly remarkable season. That came in 2000, when he hit .324 with 37 homers and 145 ribbies. If you’re going to let a DH into the Hall, it’s got to be someone who’s off the charts in the hitting department. I don’t feel that Martinez fits that description. No one does—Not yet anyway.
...More about the 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot in my next post.
With that having been said, let's take a brief look at this year's candidates. Returning from previous ballots, we have serious contenders in Jack Morris, Jeff Bagwell, Lee Smith, Tim Raines, Alan Trammell, Edgar Martinez, Mark McGuire and Rafael Palmeiro. New to the the list are Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Mike Piazza, Craig Biggio and Sammy Sosa among others.
So who belongs in the Hall? I can dramatically shorten the list with a single brush stroke.
First and foremost, I don't believe that flagrant rule-breakers belong in the Hall of Fame. If Pete Rose and Joe Jackson (two of the greatest players ever to pull on uniforms) can't be enshrined at Cooperstown, then neither can Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro or Mark McGuire. All were immensely talented players with worthy statistics, but each of them tarnished the game in some small way. On the same note, we might as well add Roger Clemens to the list of ineligibles. Though he was legally absolved from charges of steroid use, there is compelling evidence to the contrary. Therefore, it matters not that he was among the most dominant pitchers of his generation (or of any generation for that matter). As the old saying goes: When in doubt, throw it out. This places me on the fence in regard to Sammy Sosa (who I think was a fun player and I like a lot) because of the bat-corking fiasco in 2003. Additionally, there are some who believe he used steroids (though no formal charges have been lodged against him).
A convincing case can be made for Edgar Martinez, a two-time batting champ who led the league in on-base percentage three times, doubles twice and RBI's once. He also stacks up nicely against the greatest players at his position. In 1,403 games as a DH, Martinez hit .314 with 619 extra-base hits and 1,003 RBI. These numbers far exceed those of Harold Baines, Chili Davis, Don Baylor and Frank Thomas—all of whom (in the opinion of many) were among the best designated hitters ever. The problem with Martinez is longevity. After claiming his first batting title in ’92, he saw limited action over the next two campaigns. He became a DH almost exclusively in 1995 and enjoyed his most productive stretch from then until 2001, when he completed a run of 7 consecutive seasons above the .300 mark. By 2002, he was 39 years-old and fading. Despite his prolific hitting, he topped the 100 RBI mark just 5 times in 18 seasons and in terms of triple crown-type numbers, he had just one truly remarkable season. That came in 2000, when he hit .324 with 37 homers and 145 ribbies. If you’re going to let a DH into the Hall, it’s got to be someone who’s off the charts in the hitting department. I don’t feel that Martinez fits that description. No one does—Not yet anyway.
...More about the 2013 Hall of Fame Ballot in my next post.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Garvey
For roughly ten seasons, Steve Garvey was among the best first basemen in the majors. He made ten All-Star appearances, captured four Gold Gloves and was named NL MVP in 1974. All this while helping the Dodgers to four World Series berths.
In 1973, Garvey received a phone call from the distraught parents of a nine-year old cancer patient named Ricky. The child had been given a slim chance of survival and, moved by the story, Garvey agreed to make a personal appearance. When the marquis infielder arrived at Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital accompanied by his wife, Cyndy, the boy was heavily sedated and not expected to respond. Remarkably, as Garvey held the youngster’s hand and spoke to him softly, Ricky opened his eyes and smiled. Within a year, the boy had recovered sufficiently enough to take the field with Garvey at a Dodger Stadium benefit for sick children. The young cancer victim gave his favorite player a medal embossed with the following inscription: “Thank you for giving me the will to live.”
Comfortable in front of cameras and microphones, Garvey maintained a wholesome public image for several years. With his rakish good looks, he was even considered a viable candidate for public office at one point. But in 1978, the cracks began to show. Garvey had shared an adjoining locker with Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton for several seasons. In '78, Sutton decided to tell a reporter from the Washington Post what he really thought of his teammate. "All you hear about on our team is Steve Garvey, the All-American boy," he said. "But Reggie Smith is the real MVP. We all know it...He is not a facade. He does not have the Madison Avenue image."
Irritated by the remarks, Garvey confronted Sutton and asked if the quotes were accurate. Sutton assured him they were. The two squared off, pounding and clawing one another. At some point during the altercation, a teammate yelled: "Stop the Fight! They'll kill each other!" Catcher Joe Ferguson shared the opinion of many when he shouted back: "Good!"
Garvey's nice guy image was irreparably tarnished in 1989, when his estranged wife Cyndy wrote a tell-all book entitled, The Secret Life of Cyndy Garvey. In it, she included details of Garvey's numerous extramarital affairs and painted him as apathetic toward his family. At the time of the book's release, there were two paternity suits filed against the retired first baseman. He admitted to fathering children illegitimately with two different women.
In the wake of the scandal, chronic financial problems set in. Interviewed by the LA Times, Garvey blamed his fiscal woes on a combination of tax liabilities, pending child support and legal battles over his tumultuous personal affairs. According to court records at the time, he owed various lawyers more than $300,000. In regard to recovering those funds from Garvey, one attorney quipped: "Once a Dodger, always a dodger."
In 1973, Garvey received a phone call from the distraught parents of a nine-year old cancer patient named Ricky. The child had been given a slim chance of survival and, moved by the story, Garvey agreed to make a personal appearance. When the marquis infielder arrived at Los Angeles Orthopedic Hospital accompanied by his wife, Cyndy, the boy was heavily sedated and not expected to respond. Remarkably, as Garvey held the youngster’s hand and spoke to him softly, Ricky opened his eyes and smiled. Within a year, the boy had recovered sufficiently enough to take the field with Garvey at a Dodger Stadium benefit for sick children. The young cancer victim gave his favorite player a medal embossed with the following inscription: “Thank you for giving me the will to live.”
Comfortable in front of cameras and microphones, Garvey maintained a wholesome public image for several years. With his rakish good looks, he was even considered a viable candidate for public office at one point. But in 1978, the cracks began to show. Garvey had shared an adjoining locker with Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton for several seasons. In '78, Sutton decided to tell a reporter from the Washington Post what he really thought of his teammate. "All you hear about on our team is Steve Garvey, the All-American boy," he said. "But Reggie Smith is the real MVP. We all know it...He is not a facade. He does not have the Madison Avenue image."
Irritated by the remarks, Garvey confronted Sutton and asked if the quotes were accurate. Sutton assured him they were. The two squared off, pounding and clawing one another. At some point during the altercation, a teammate yelled: "Stop the Fight! They'll kill each other!" Catcher Joe Ferguson shared the opinion of many when he shouted back: "Good!"
Garvey's nice guy image was irreparably tarnished in 1989, when his estranged wife Cyndy wrote a tell-all book entitled, The Secret Life of Cyndy Garvey. In it, she included details of Garvey's numerous extramarital affairs and painted him as apathetic toward his family. At the time of the book's release, there were two paternity suits filed against the retired first baseman. He admitted to fathering children illegitimately with two different women.
In the wake of the scandal, chronic financial problems set in. Interviewed by the LA Times, Garvey blamed his fiscal woes on a combination of tax liabilities, pending child support and legal battles over his tumultuous personal affairs. According to court records at the time, he owed various lawyers more than $300,000. In regard to recovering those funds from Garvey, one attorney quipped: "Once a Dodger, always a dodger."
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