Cardinals' Pitching Staff Walking Tall

The Cardinals signed 6'6" LHP Brian Tallet today.  This may just look like an after story on mlbtraderumors.com, but it made me think about something.  The Cardinals pitching staff is unusually tall.  Freakishly tall in fact.

Looking at the entire 40-man roster pitching staff, there are six pitchers who are 6'4" or taller, including four who are 6'6" or 6'7".  Adam Wainwright(6'7") and Chris Carpenter(6'6") are the tallest pitchers on the team, and start at the front end of the rotation.  Brian Tallet was signed most likely to be a middle relief guy.  The Cardinals also have another pitcher who stands 6'6" by the name of Bryan Augenstein.

The tallest pitcher in MLB is Jon Rauch, who stands officially at 6'11".  The tallest pitcher in all of professional baseball at any level is Loek van Mil, who stands at a whopping 7'1".  Despite not having either of these players, I would venture a guess to say the Cardinals have the tallest staff in baseball combined.  Who knows, maybe they can sign Rauch, he is currently a free agent.

After adding all of their heights up as decimal values and dividing by the 19 pitchers on the 40-man roster, you get 6.2500, or an average height of 6'3".  I can't think of any other team in MLB who boasts four pitchers over the height of 6'6".  They may just be the tallest staff in all of baseball.  Maybe after the games next season, they can go play a game of croquet with the Arch.

Hall Of Fame: The Case For Tim Raines

So Tim Raines is up for the Hall Of Fame for the fourth time.  In 2009, he only managed to get 22.6% of the vote, this year he got 30.4%.  So I am going to write an argument for Raines that I have been making for years:  That he is an almost exact clone of Lou Brock, who got in, in 1985 with 79% of the vote.  In this argument, I am making a case FOR Tim Raines, and not against Lou Brock, just to be clear.

	Games	PA	AB	RS	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS
Lou Brock	2616	11235	10332	1610	3023	486	141	149	900	938	307
Tim Raines	2502	10359	8872	1571	2605	430	113	170	980	808	146

	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	BB	SO	SF	GDP	TB
Lou Brock	.293	.343	.410	.753	761	1730	46	114	4238
Tim Raines	.294	.385	.425	.810	1330	966	39	142	3771

As you can see, many of the statistics between these two players are very similar.  I see at least six statistics that you could call a statistical tie:  Runs Scored, Home Runs, RBI, Batting Average, Slugging % and Sac Flies.  Lou Brock played in 114 more games and had 1460 more at bats than Tim Raines.

If we take a look at some key statistics, you see that Tim Raines has a higher batting average by .001, a higher on base by .042, a higher slugging by .015, and an overall higher OPS by .057.  These are close, but it can't be discounted that Tim Raines wins each category.  Next, you have the BB to K's.  We see that Lou Brock struck out an amazing 1730 times while only walking 761 times; almost a 1,000 difference.  Tim Raines only struck out 966 times while walking 1330 times.

For a leadoff hitter, I think this is a really important statistic; probably more important than for anyone else in the line up.  Lou Brock had more sac flies and total bases, but as we noted, he had 1460 more at bats.  Brock did however hit into almost 30 fewer double plays, showcasing his blazing speed on the bases.

Now comes a truly important statistic for this particular debate: stolen bases.  Lou Brock made his name stealing bases.  He is most known for his speed on the base paths.  He stole 938 bases, which remained the all time record for Major League Baseball until Ricky Henderson broke it, and finished his career with a whopping 1406.  Lou Brock's 938, though, remains the second most in a career by any player.  Tim Raines, however was not a slouch.  He finished his career with 808 stolen bases.  This puts him fifth on the all time list.

Here is where my argument for Raines becomes strong.  While Lou Brock stole 130 more bases in his career, he also did this by running every single chance he got, even if it was not a good idea.  This can be noted by the caught stealing statistic and steal percentages of both players.  Lou stole 938 while being caught 307 times.  That works out to a 75% success rate.  Tim Raines stole 808 bases while being caught only 146 times.  That works out to an amazing 84% success rate!

To put it in perspective, Ricky Henderson stole 1406 while being caught 335 times, which gives him a success rate of 80%.  Caught stealing was not kept track of during the 1800s, so we cannot determine Billy Hamilton's success rate.  Ty Cobb's caught stealing statistics are incomplete, but with some statistics available, it gives him a success rate around 80%.  Vince Coleman, who is 6th in career SBs, had a success rate of 81%, although Coleman does not really have the cumulative statistics of a Hall Of Fame career.

So if stolen bases are what got Lou Brock into the Hall Of Fame, then why are we seeing Tim Raines garner such little support for his bid?  Tim Raines may have not hit the magic number of 3,000 hits, but he did have what I would call a Hall Of Fame career, if we are calling Brock's career HOF worthy.  Both Brock and Raines won two World Series titles as players, but Raines got one in 2005 as a member of the Chicago White Sox coaching staff.

Tim Raines also holds a Major League record for runs scored.  He scored 133 runs in 1983.  That in itself is not a record, but the record comes when you note the 1983 Montreal Expos total team runs scored of 677.  This means that Tim Raines scored 20% of his team's runs that year, which remains a record.  Let's compare this to Rickey Henderson, who scored the most runs in MLB history.  His best scoring season was 1985 for the Yankees, when he scored 146 times.  That was 'only' good for 17% of his team's runs scored.

To compare the accolades of Brock and Raines, you find yourself noticing a lot of similarities unsurprisingly.  Lou Brock lead the league eight times in stolen bases, while Tim Raines lead the league four times.  Brock lead the league at being caught stealing 7x, Raines no times.  Brock was a 6x All Star, Raines 7x.  Both players had a season in which they finished in the top five of MVP voting.  Both players were a 2x runs scored leader.  Both lead the league in doubles once.  Brock lead the league in triples once, Raines never did.  Raines lead the league in on base percentage once, Brock never did.  Raines won a batting title, All Star Game MVP(1987), and a Silver Slugger; all things Brock never did.

One more often over looked aspect of a player's game is their ability to play the field. I think it should be at least discussed. Both players played a majority of their games at left field. Brock spent 2163 games at left field, Raines spent 1966 there. In those games, Brock posted a .958 Fielding %, making 167 errors in 3983 chances. Raines posted a .988 Fielding %, making 48 errors in 3934 chances. Clearly, Raines was the superior fielder, which only adds to his case. To take this "next level" with an advanced statistic look, we'll use "fielded balls to outs" percentage. Lou Brock's F2O% was 46%, while Tim Raines' was 54%.

Certainly, you would think a guy with the resume that looks like a carbon copy of Lou Brock(and even better in some areas), with three World Series rings, would be able to garner enough support to put his plaque in Cooperstown, right?  Food for thought.  As a prediction, I'll guesstimate that Tim receives around 39.5% of the votes this time around, and that will be a true shame.

***Update 1/9/2012***

Tim Raines received 37.5% of the Hall votes last year.  Today is the day we will find out the voting tallies for 2012, and my new guesstimate is 46%.  It should be 50% though because it's ridiculous that it has taken him this long to get in as referenced above.  Every year he does not get in, the Hall Of Fame voters are telling the world that Lou Brock is not a Hall Of Fame player.

What I Am Most Thankful For In Baseball

 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.  In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I thought I would discuss some things in baseball I am thankful about.  So here is a list of things for which I am most thankful.

I am thankful for 2005, and the White Sox winning a World Series title in my lifetime.  I am thankful for all of the years Frank Thomas gave me top notch baseball to watch growing up.  I am thankful that Frank Thomas got his ring, even though he wasn't able to play in the playoffs that season.  I am thankful for Mark Buehrle and the number 56 for helping me meet my wife.

I am thankful that there is a DH in the American League.  I am thankful that pitchers don't bat in the AL.  I am thankful that the Yankees do not win the title every year.  I am thankful that MLB has a lot of new young talent that will take the game into the next decade.  I am thankful that some of it might be on the White Sox.

I am thankful that MLB might add two more teams to the playoffs.  I am thankful that the White Sox finally cut Randy Williams.  I am thankful that Jake Peavy "gets it" now, even if it is a little bit too late.  I am thankful for all of Paul Konerko's service in Chicago, you will be missed.  I am thankful that we offered him arbitration, which means we will at least get draft picks from whatever team picks him up.  

I am thankful for keeping Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and Dayan Viciedo, so we might actually have some kind of future.  I am thankful that Alex Rios finally worked out.  I am thankful that I have good friends to discuss the ups and downs of the White Sox and baseball with.

I am thankful that many teams are finally getting new 21st century stadiums; it makes the game better.  I am thankful that the pitching rubber is that extra 6 inches beyond 60 feet from home plate; and so is every batter that has to face Neftali Feliz at 99 mph and not 105 mph.  I am thankful for wooden bats, so we don't hear *ping* everytime a player makes contact at the plate.  I am thankful for college baseball though, it gives the Razorbacks one more sport to be good at.  

I am thankful that the voters finally realized how great Mark Buehrle plays in the field.  I am thankful for instant replay determining fair or foul on home runs.  I am thankful spitballs are banned in the name of good sanitation.  I am thankful for the uniformed baseballs they have used since the 1930s, ending the deadball era.

I am thankful for advanced metric statistics that can help us better determine who is better than who intelligently.  I am thankful that the voters for awards are finally starting to use advanced statistics in their decisions.  I am thankful that Felix Hernandez won AL Cy Young because he had the best statistics and not because he had to win 20 games or pitch for a playoff team.

I am thankful for my wife.  I am thankful that she is a White Sox fan.  I am thankful that she loves the team as much as I do.  I am thankful that I spent my honeymoon in 2008 in Chicago with her, at two White Sox games.  I am thankful that we at least won one of the games.  I am thankful that her favorite player hit a home run.

I am thankful that I have two wonderful children who are becoming White Sox fans like we are.  I am thankful that my daughter can name most of the team.  I am thankful that the White Sox came back from a deficit late to win on the day he was born(September 1st).  I am thankful that he got to watch his first White Sox game with me four days after he was born.  I am thankful that I was able to buy him White Sox apparel to wear.  I am thankful that we found him a Mark Buehrle jersey from Build-A-Bear in a size he could wear for Halloween.

I am thankful for mlbtraderumors.com making it easy to keep up with all the trades, signings and moves that occur during the season and the offseason.  I am thankful for baseball-reference.com making it really easy to look like a genius with statistics.  I am thankful for mlb.com keeping me up on everything happening daily in baseball.  I am thankful for flyingsock.com being the best White Sox site out there.  I am thankful for Pale & Hosed podcast and Facebook group, for being great and bringing a lot of us Sox fans together.  I am thankful for blogger giving me the chance to share my two cents on baseball with the world.  I am thankful for MLB Network, and will be more thankful when my cable service finally gets the channel.  I am thankful that ESPN finally cut ties with Joe Morgan, the most arrogant sports athlete of all time.

I am thankful to be a White Sox fan.  While it may not be easy, it is the best thing in the world every year.  I am thankful for the day that I turn on the TV and hear "Sit back, relax & strap it down.  White Sox baseball is coming up next."  I am thankful that at least 2 or 3 games a month are on WGN, giving me extra games to watch on TV since I live out of market.  I am thankful for all of the traditions the White Sox started, such as singing Take Me Out To The Ballgame, and shooting fireworks off after each home run.  

I am thankful for the way grass smells at a baseball stadium.  I am thankful for the way the air smells like food at the stadium.  I am thankful that the White Sox have the Sodfather, and that he makes our field the best looking and the best playing surface in all of baseball.  I am thankful that the White Sox have the best stadium food I have had at any of the 11 other stadiums I have been to in baseball.  I am thankful for two-for-one hot dogs an hour before the game.

I am thankful for the feeling I get when the pitcher throws the first pitch of the game.  I am thankful for the first time the home team does something good, and everyone cheers together.  I am thankful for the feeling I get when my team gets their first hit.  I am thankful that MLB is doing well, because without professional baseball, my life would be lost.

Omar Vizquel: The Last Of The 1980s

 

It has come to my attention, and after research proven true, that Omar Vizquel is now currently the only player from the 1980's left in MLB.  By 1980's, I mean made his actual Major League Debut in the 1980's.  Some players like Tim Wakefield and Arthur Rhodes got drafted and signed in the 80's, but did not make their MLB debuts until the 1990's.  Some players like Randy Johnson, Kenny Rogers and Barry Bonds have retired in the last two or three seasons, leaving him in the company of just a small few.  Those few have dwindled this season, and Omar is currently the only player from the 1980's with a contract for next season.

Above is a picture of the back of Omar Vizquel's 1989 Score rookie card.    I got a kick out of reading it.  Listen to that scout:  "He's not as flashy as Ozzie Guillen, but has more range and speed."  I'd love to find out who said that and ask him what he thinks about comparing the two players' careers now in retrospect.  He would probably retract that statement today.

Omar Vizquel made his MLB debut on April 3rd, 1989 for the Seattle Mariners.  He went 0-3, and put three balls in play, not striking out.  He made an error.  People may have not thought he was going to be a very special short stop at that point, but he sure proved them wrong 11 Gold Gloves later.  It was a humble start to what has become a Hall Of Fame career.

So with the free agency of Jamie Moyer and his injury that could end his career, this just leaves Omar.  He's the last player we have to enjoy from an era where we saw a Yankees team never win a World Series.  Where we got "I don't believe what I just saw!" and "Go crazy folks!"  From a decade that gave us Tony Gwynn, Dale Murphy, Roger Clemens pre "The Clear".  A decade in which some of the greatest players in MLB history made their MLB debuts with him like Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr, Roberto Alomar, Barry Bonds(Pre-Roids), Barry Larkin, Cal Ripken Jr, Mark McGwire(Pre-Roids Maybe).

We should really take a moment just to reflect on the awesome career of Vizquel.  .273/80/936, 2799 hits.  Those don't really sound like Hall Of Fame numbers, but everyone knows why he will get in.  He will get in on his glove.  He has been called by many in the baseball community, the best fielding short stop in MLB history.  He has won 11 career Gold Gloves for short stop, and even last season for the White Sox showcased awesome leather from third base, at 43 years old.  This was a good enough season to get him re-signed for 2011 by the White Sox, for $1.75 million.  He will turn 44 years old on April 24th, 2011.

It seems like he should be protected by glass, like some museum relic.  We are all getting to watch a sure hall of fame player each time he walks out on the field for the Chicago White Sox.  Being the only player left from the 80's only adds to the number of reasons it is awesome when the stadium announcer calls out his name.  We should really cherish every inning, every at bat of this great player who is the last of a dying era in baseball.

NL MVP: A Three-Headed Monster

The NL MVP race here in 2010 is a very close race between three great hitters:  Albert Pujols, Joey Votto and Carlos Gonzalez.  All three had great years, and any of the three has a chance of winning.  Traditionally, voters have used key statistics as well as your team making the playoffs as the litmus test for which players are more valuable than others.  This year, however, with the selection of Felix Hernandez(13-12) as AL Cy Young, maybe this means voters will use different things to determine who the best players are.

The Case For Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols had a great year.  He finished in the top 5 in the three triple crown categories:  leading the National League at RBI(118) and HR(42) while finishing tied for fifth in average(.312).  He posted a 1.010 OPS as well.  He struck out just 76 times, while walking 103 times; he was the only one of the three to post more walks than k's, and the only one to walk 100 times.  He had 39 doubles, which leads the big three.  His 115 runs scored were also tops among the big three.  His 350 total bases were second in the league.  He was awarded the first base NL Gold Glove award and Silver Slugger.

The Case For Joey Votto 

Joey Votto had his finest season as a professional this year, posting career highs in batting average(.324), HR(37) and RBI(113).  He lead the league in OBP(.424) and Slugging %(.600), and obviouslyOPS(1.024).  He was also the only one of the three who lead his team to the post season. Joey Votto's core statistics are all top five production.  He got almost equal production to the other two top NL MVP candidates in 40 fewer at bats on the season.

The Case For Carlos Gonzalez 

Carlos Gonzalez was a big surprise this season.  He emerged this season as a superstar.  He lead the NL in batting average(.336) while posting the second most RBI(117) and top five in HR(34).  He also stole 26 bases, showcasing his versatility.  He lead the league in hits(197) and hit nine triples, tops among the big three by far.  He also lead the league in total bases(351).  He won an outfield Gold Glove award, and Silver Slugger.

Result

After spending a lot of time deliberating on what was most important, I came to the conclusion that if I had a vote, I would give it to Albert Pujols.  Albert Pujols put up the best numbers overall.  Sure his batting average was "only" .312, but leading the league at home runs, RBI and runs scored can't go unnoticed.  Only Prince Fielder walked more times than Albert Pujols, and only Car-Go finished ahead of him in total bases by one base. 

Carlos Gonzalez may just be the newest anomaly of Coors Field.  At home in 300 at bats, he posted .380/26/76 with a 1.161 OPS.  On the road in 287 at bats, he posted .289/8/41 with a .775 OPS.  It looks pretty obvious that his numbers were inflated because he plays 81 games a year at Coors.  This is the same park that made Vinny Castilla a .319/46/144 player in 1998.  Castilla could never duplicate these numbers elsewhere until returning to the Rockies in 2004 and hitting 35 HRs and driving in 131 RBI.  I hope Car-Go figures it out elsewhere on the road, but if he doesn't, he'll join the list of guys who are all Coors products.

Joey Votto got his team to the post season, but that was a team effort.  It really was not Pujols' fault that the Cardinals massively underachieved this season.  Pujols did not underachieve at all, posting great numbers yet again.  He played in the most games(159) of the big three; Car-Go played in 145 and Votto in 150, so he was reliable and stayed healthy.  He won the Gold Glove, the Silver Slugger, and I say add the MVP because in such a close race, I go with the guy who posted the best overall numbers combined.

MVP stands for Most Valuable Player, not "Best Player On A Playoff Team."  This will give Albert Pujols three straight MVP awards, but this year's will not be a reward for his last two seasons.  I feel that he completely deserves this award based on being the best player in the National League in 2010.  This may, however, work against him if the voters become simply "tired" of giving the award to him.  It has happened in other sports.  I hope it does not happen this year in the National League MVP voting.

Wins, Schmins: King Felix Reigns Supreme

Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners has been awarded the 2010 American League Cy Young.  This is a big win for sabremetricians, who have been arguing for years that wins & losses are probably the worst of all statistics on a pitcher's stat sheet to determine his value and rank.  I agree with this decision 100%.

Lets look at the vote.  It's listed above how many of each type of vote each pitcher that finished in the top 3 got and their complete vote totals.  167 to 111, including 21 of the 30 first place votes, in Cy Young voting is a pretty good run away.  It should be noted that not listed in the top three was Jon Lester who finished fourth.  That means 3 of the top 4 pitchers in AL Cy Young Voting were from the American League East's top 3 teams.  East coast bias?  That would be debatable.  Even so, King Felix beat the ECB.

Next, lets look at his ranks among all American League pitchers.  He ranked first in the AL in ERA(2.27) and Innings Pitched(249 2/3), as well as H/9(7.0).  He ranked 2nd in the AL in Strikeouts(232) and WHIP(1.05).  He did not post these great statistics without having to work for them by any means:  he faced the most batters in the AL(1,001).  He did all of this posting a record of 13-12.  In the past, wins have often been used to determine the Cy Young winners.  This year, it appears the voters may have actually sat down and gone over the statistics before voting.  We fans of baseball truly appreciate that.  

Wins are largely team-dependent, especially in the American League, where pitchers do not even get to bat for their own cause.  One more statistic you can use to throw win/loss out the window as an important part of the voting process is the fact that Felix ranked dead last in run support by his team.  He only got 2.91 runs per start from his team.  His team also only won 61 games while losing 101.  Conversely, CC Sabathia got 5.67 runs per start from his team.  His team went 95-67 this season, and Sabathia went 21-7, with notably lesser statistics than King Felix.

Felix finished 2nd last season in AL Cy Young voting, and the Mariners rewarded his stellar performance by signing him to a 5-year/$78 million contract extension.  Looks like they got a great deal.  The Mariners need to hang on to King Felix as long as they possibly can.  He should really be a franchise player and only traded maybe before the 5th year of his contract and only for top players/prospects and draft picks.  He's definitely the cream of the crop.  

Felix has been very consistent over the last 4 seasons.  He is 55-35 with a 2.96 ERA, and averages of 197 Ks and 220 IP a season over that span.  This is a refreshing step in the right direction, both for award voting and the mindset of fans.  Maybe we can finally get fans and voters to gravitate away from wins/losses and get them to understand the well-roundedness of numbers that create a complete pitcher.

Jeter To NYY: Let's Party Like It's 1999

Nobody would ever say Derek Jeter is not a great player or a hall of famer.  That would be ridiculous, and anyone who believes that is not a true fan of baseball.  That being said, Derek Jeter is 37 years old.  Last season, he hit .270 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI.

With Derek Jeter not currently having a contract, the Yankees are making re-signing him a top priority.  He has always been the face of the franchise no matter what other big name stars have been there.  Their latest offer to Jeter of 3-years/$63 million seems ridiculous for his age and output last season.  The Yankees are clearly overpaying to keep him around.  However, according to reports, Jeter is not happy with the figures.  He wants a fourth year.

Derek is clearly living in denial.  Maybe he doesn't realize he's not 30 years old trying to sign a big contract in his prime?  Maybe he doesn't realize that his numbers last season point to the fact that he is a player in decline?  Maybe he doesn't realize that no other team in MLB would even give him more than $10 million a year?

He should really look at himself in the mirror and realize all of these things, and sign their contract offer.  His last contract was 10-years/$189 million.  I have always felt that was one of the most overrated contracts in MLB over the last decade.  I think the Yankees were paying about 5-years/$89 million for his statistics, and 5-years/$100 million for his name and persona.  Yes, Jeter is a good player and a hall of famer.  However, think about his statistics over that time.  He hit .310 and averaged 16 home runs and 72 RBI each season.  Sure he won 5 Gold Gloves, but we all know how that goes.  His latest Gold Glove was scrutinized by just about every respectable baseball media outlet there is.  His numbers for his career before that 10 year contract were .322 and averaging 13 home runs and 69 RBI a season.

Imagine any other player in MLB who hits .322/13/69 and gets signed for $189 million.  That contract would be laughed right out of the park by every fan of every other team in the league.  Sure he hit .322 with 8 home runs and 21 RBI in 13 playoff series before 2001, winning 4 World Series.  After signing the 10 year contract, he hit .298 with 12 home runs and 36 RBI.  Some would argue maybe a guy who's played in 30 playoff series in his career should be paid like it.  I would counter-argue that his best years are behind him, as evidenced by his playoff statistics this year: .250/0/2 in 9 games and 40 at bats.

I don't think Derek Jeter is overrated.  I think everything written and expected about him is legitimate.  I think everyone who is involved in baseball, including fans, know what he is.  Nobody says he's better than he is, except maybe in the field.  The only thing that is overrated about Derek Jeter are his contracts.  He has had the contract of an overrated player for the last 10 seasons.  He will probably have another 3 year overrated contract.  He should just shut up, realize he's 37, and sign it.  The Yankees will be winners and losers in the deal.  Certainly the Yankees do not have a shortage of cash, but requiring them to overpay for your services in a year when they are hoping to sign Cliff Lee doesn't really show that you care about the organization like you always claim you do Mr. Jeter.

Expansion & Ground Rule Singles?

So the first big thing to come out of the GM meetings in Florida this year is that the GMs overwhelmingly support adding an extra team to each league's playoff bracket.  I support this.  I think it would be good for the game.  However, I agree that it must be done in a way that does not cheat the teams who worked hard to win their division.  

Here is my proposal:  Add one extra wild card team to each side.  Then, make the two wild card teams play each other in a wild cards-only first round.  Each winner then moves on to play the top team in their league in the ALDS, regardless whether or not the wild card and top team are from the same division.  I never liked that the top team didn't get to play the wild card in the first round just because they were from the same division anyways.  It's a stupid rule.  It would create a 10 team playoff system in which the wild card winners would have to work harder than the division winners to win the title.  I think everyone wins in this scenerio.

Some have suggested that MLB needs to go back to a 154 game season.  I do not agree with this.  I think we can keep our 162 game season.  I think though, if they were to say they were willing to shorten Spring Training, I would support that.  I think Spring Training lasts too long and many of the players who will start for their respective ball clubs are playing 2 or 3 innings a game.  I think it is the responsibility of the players in MLB to keep themselves in playing shape year round.  We could probably realistically cut 2 weeks off Spring Training and start the season earlier.  This would help avoid the playoffs, with the extra teams, from lasting any longer than it currently does.

Another option would be to leave the season as is, and require all teams to schedule 8 double headers each year.  That would allow for a 162 game season to only take up the calendar space of a 154 game season.  That would probably please everyone.  Who doesn't love a double header?

I am glad that MLB, over the last several years, has really taken steps forward in the right ways.  They have added replay, they have instituted a wild card system, they have done a lot of positive things.  Increased drug testing is finally getting the game back on track with some legitimacy to the numbers.  Bud Selig may be a terrible commissioner, but at least he has relented his opposition to things over time, to conform with the views of GMs, owners and fans.

One last thing I wish to discuss is expanded replay.  The great thing about baseball is that it is almost all judgement.  A 1st or 3rd base umpire must turn quickly to see if a screaming liner down the line is fair or foul.  An umpire behind the plate must use judgement to determine things such as a check swing, if a pitch was a strike or not, and if a player was hit by a pitch.  I love this about baseball, it remains a pure sport.  It's all on the field.  There's no clock, there's no time outs, there's no fouls or penalties.

Replay is good, though, in it's current format.  I wholeheartedly support replay for determining whether a ball was a home run or not.  I think many people want it to be used to determine fair or foul down the lines.  I don't know how it could be instituted though.  What would be the criteria for a blown call?  The umpire calls it foul and the player stops running.  The fielder does not go to field it and it is picked up by the ball person and thrown into the crowd.  What would happen?  

Lets say a ball went down the line that was a sure double if fair.  The umpire calls it foul and all of the above occurs.  If replay was used to determine the call was incorrect, what would be the players reward?  A single?  It cannot be determined that he would have made it safely to second base after a throw from the left or right fielder.  What if there are players on 2nd or 3rd base?  Are they awarded the next base as if it were a ground rule double?  Would we have to institute a new rule called "Ground Rule Single" to the rule book so that replay on this could be used?  I just don't know how they would go about instituting it.  I mean, a player in this situation does get to finish his at bat.  He might go on to hit a home run in the at bat.  

Maybe replay should not be used for anything else.  I can think of a negative result for almost all arguments I hear for more plays being replayed.  I think the replay they have now is fine.  Any other replays would lead to extreme controversy and be difficult to determine the outcomes that should be given.

Wear Your Heart(& Patch) On Your Sleeve

So it came to my attention this morning via FB post that the White Sox were yet again changing up the look of one of their jerseys.  I would have to say with full confidence and all my money that the White Sox have had the most different jerseys and looks in MLB history.  A quick look at this site can show you just how many hats we have had over the years:  http://www.dugout-memories.com/chisox.html

So back to the change that is occurring, the Sox announced that they are changing the road grays (pictured above).  See the flying sock patch?  It's very popular; maybe the most popular logo the White Sox have.  A major White Sox website even named themselves "The Flying Sock".  Someone at the Sox decided in a dark room somewhere that it would be a good idea to get rid of that patch in favor of a super generic "Sox" logo.  This might not seem like a big deal, but to die-hard fans like myself, we take these things seriously.  It's a great looking logo.  Why change it?  Well, the Sox responded to the outcry from fans who complained in the blogosphere before I had a chance to, and here is the letter they posted to fans:

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Guys,

I want to thank you all for your notes about the road uniforms. Although none of you are happy with the decision, I do appreciate the feedback, good or bad. …

We have talked quite a bit about the road grays for a few years after getting input from our players, staff and even some fans. The most alarming thing I received from a fan was the stat showing how little we are wearing our road grays in favor of the black uniforms. That is something we plan to correct going forward.

After looking at the road grays, we determined that the uniform should contain our main logo, our brand, and have decided to replace the flying sock with the White Sox primary S-O-X logo. This was one of several possible options.

I know this is not a popular decision with you guys and I am sorry to disappoint. In the event any or all of you are at SoxFest, please find me if you would like to discuss further.

Again, I truly appreciate the feedback. Sorry this email response was not what you wanted to hear.

All the best,

Brooks
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So basically, they're just saying "we're doing this no matter what you think".  Seems like the Sox organization might be a little out of touch with the fan-base.  Changes are hard, I know that.  However, is it really in our best interest to do this?  What is the purpose of this?  Is there any advantage to this?  The letter says that players gave input on this.  Why would the players not want the patch?  Is it bulky on the sleeve, or uncomfortable?  Whatever the reason is, it cannot be good enough to cause this kind of change.  The letter does not say that the patch will be removed from the black jersey, which also has it on the sleeve.  These are questions I want to know the answer to.  If I was going to Soxfest, you better believe I'd be finding "Brooks" and asking him these questions.  

We have had good uniforms and bad uniforms in the past.  Good hats and bad hats as well.  Good logos and bad logos too.  I know there are reasons to change a uniform, to break up monotony; changing your design to be more current.  The White Sox, however, have always had a feel for nostalgia.  Despite the change in 1991 to our current logo and uniform look, we have really had that great nostalgic feel to our look.  I like the black uniforms, so to respond to the person who told the Sox staff that we wear them too much, shove it.  That's my favorite uniform.  Good guys wear black.  

Maybe we should just go back to the glory days uniforms, complete with knee highs, shorts and collared shirts.  Maybe not.

"I Don't Believe What I Just..." Bought??

Kirk Gibson's bat, which he used to make Vin Scully go bonkers, was sold at auction recently for $576,000.  Game used baseball memorabilia is a hot commodity that many collectors pay big money to own.  It brings up an interesting question though: why was this bat not 1)In the Hall of Fame and 2)Not at least in the private collection of Kirk himself??  While I cannot answer either of those questions, doesn't it seem wrong that this bat is in the hands of private collectors??  This bat is part of baseball history and lore.  This is the bat from "I don't believe what I just saw!" for crying out loud.

There were four other artifacts of Gibson's being sold at the same auction, all of which were purchased by the same people who purchased the bat.  They sold collectively for $1.19 million, and included Gibson’s home run bat, his game-worn LA Dodgers jersey ($303,277), batting helmet ($153,389), National League Most Valuable Player Award ($110,293) and World Series trophy ($45,578).  Only a bat signed by Babe Ruth, which he used to hit his first home run as a New York Yankee sold for more in auction than Kirk Gibson's bat.  In 2004, that bat sold for $1.265 million.

Certainly, legendary baseball memorabilia being sold in auction is nothing new.  Mark McGwire's #70 home run ball sold for a cool $3 million to Mr. Todd McFarlene of the sports action figure dynasty.  I would like to ask Mr. McFarlene how he feels about that transaction now; post steroid admission by McGwire.  Multiple Barry Bonds home run balls from his chase to pass Hank Aaron's career record of 755 have sold for 6 figures.  Some of these include #73 ($456,000) from his historic 2001 season, #700 ($102,000) of his career, and #756 ($752,000) of his career which set the all time record.  That ball sold for nearly $1,000 a home run accumulated.  Ironically, Todd McFarlene was also the purchaser of the #73 home run ball in auction. 

Based on these Bonds values, it becomes important to notice that two things probably occurred.  The value of historic baseball material might have been devalued from this time period due to the overwhelming emergence of information regarding the widespread use of steroids.  While there was some growing suspicion during the time some of these balls sold, the lower values might be attributed to the fact that people disliked Bonds as a person.  Many people viewed Mark McGwire as a likable player, and there was not as much suspicion of steroid use by players in Major League Baseball when his #70 sold for $3 million.

I just have to wonder the process by which the Hall of Fame acquires items for display.  I cannot think of any reason why the Hall would not have this bat in it's possession.  There could be 1,000 reasons, all of which are invalid to myself as a fan of baseball.  This is not just a bat, this is a bat from what I would say was one of the top 25 moments in baseball history.  It should be on display for everyone who is an astute fan of the game to behold.  When money becomes more important than historical preservation of the game, every fan loses out.

Portions of information for this post were acquired from a Yahoo! sports article.

Raul Ibañez, Justin Bieber's #1 Fan

Yep, you guessed it.  That is Raul Ibañez of the Philadelphia Phillies.  So disgraced from being benched in the NLCS due to his poor performance at the plate(.211 with 0 RBI), he figured he had no more pride left to lose.  So recently, he was inexplicably photographed waiting in line to get into a Justin Bieber concert.  He may be lacking self worth and just not care anymore about his self esteem.  You would have to have very low pride in yourself to allow yourself to attend a Bieber show on purpose.

Over the first two years of his 3 year/$31.5 million contract with the Phillies, Ibañez has not played badly at all in the regular season.  Combined, he has hit .273/50/176.  Those are great numbers for a guy who was a real journeyman before this.  I mean, Ibañez didn't even reach 500 plate appearances until he was 31 years old.  It's the post season where he has really let the Phillies down.  In 32 games over two post seasons with the Phillies, he has hit a meager .221 with just 2 home runs, and has only driven in 13 while striking out 27 times to 8 walks.  That will keep you up at night.  This is what lead to his benching in this year's NLCS.

Maybe Raul is a sadist, and gets some kind of sick gratification from harming his image like this.  Raul, it's not so bad being known as a guy who is only good in the regular season.  Look how much money it has made ARod!  (BTW, I REALLY hope you were taking your three daughters to this concert...)

Clint Hurdle Settles For The Pirates

Clint Hurdle must have gotten the bad news from the Mets.  I cannot think of any other reason he would take himself out of the running as a finalist for the New York Mets job to take the job with Pittsburgh today.

Clint Hurdle was the manager of the Colorado Rockies(his only big league gig) from the second half of 2002, through the first 49 games of 2009.  He had exactly one winning season, but he made it count.  The year was 2007; a year he decided to get his team into the World Series(a series they would ultimately lose).  That year, the Rockies went 90-73.  To most people, one winning season in what amounts to basically 7 seasons in Colorado, is not enough for a big league franchise.  I don't care how successful that one season was.  To be exact, he was 534-625 over that time, which is only a 46% win percentage.

I didn't think he would get the Mets job over the other rumored finalists Terry Collins and Melvin Mora, and he did not.  Maybe Clint Hurdle is going to Pittsburgh as a filler job; a job in which he is just waiting around for a better club to need his services, while getting paid.  If better clubs do come along, this will be a smart move.  However, at the moment, it appears to just be a death sentence.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been nowhere close to a winning season since 1992.  They have had 18 straight losing seasons to be exact.  With their current roster, they don't appear to be heading toward that first winning season since the year Slick Willy was elected President Of The United States any time soon.  It's almost as if they don't want to win for some strange reason.  If Clint is not hired by another team in the next two or three years, he'll likely have a pretty bad record in the Steel City, which won't look good to any potential suitors.  Not sure what you are going for Clint, but Pittsburgh is not exactly the best baseball city to try to reinvent yourself.  Good luck.  You're going to need it.