Jeter, Walker Elected to Baseball Hall Of Fame - ESPN https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28533311/derek-jeter-larry-walker-elected-baseball-hall-fame CLASS OF 2020 Derek Jeter - https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/j/jeterde01.shtml Larry Walker - https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walkela01.shtml Selected by Modern Era Committee in December: Ted Simmons - https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/simmote01.shtml Voting Results: Derek Jeter: 99.7% Larry Walker: 76.6% Curt Schilling: 70% Roger Clemens: 61% Barry Bonds: 60.7% Omar Vizquel: 52.6% Scott Rolen: 35.3% Billy Wagner: 31.7% Garry Sheffield: 30.5% Todd Helton: 29.2% Manny Ramirez: 28.2% Jeff Kent: 27.5% Andruw Jones: 19.4% Sammy Sosa: 13.9% Andy Pettitte: 11.3%
It's almost time to walk away from this sport. Enough is enough. MLB Plotting Playoff Expansion, Growing Number Of Teams To 14 - N.Y. Post https://nypost.com/2020/02/10/mlb-plotting-playoff-expansion-with-reality-tv-twist/ Even Bob Costas -- of all people -- thinks this is a good idea. Heaven help us. Bob Costas, TV Execs Salivating Over MLB Playoff Plan That 'Is Going To Happen' - N.Y. Post https://nypost.com/2020/02/11/bob-c...ver-mlb-playoff-plan-that-is-going-to-happen/
Johnny Antonelli with Willie Mays Johnny Antonelli, Pitcher on 1954 WS Champion Giants, Dies at 89 - Rochester Democrat & Chronicle https://www.democratandchronicle.co...ero-1954-rochester-ny-businessman/4902150002/ Johnny Antonelli, a five-time All-Star who was a key pitcher on the World Series-winning New York Giants in 1954, died Friday in Rochester, New York. He was 89. The left-hander won 126 games over 12 seasons, including his memorable 1954, when he had a 21-7 record and National League-leading 2.30 ERA. He was also a 20-game winner in 1956. Antonelli had a stellar performance for the Giants when they swept the Cleveland Indians in four games to win the 1954 World Series. He threw a complete game in Game 2, giving up just one run over nine innings, and then came on in relief in Game 4, getting the final five outs to earn the save and clinch the series. The Rochester, N.Y., native made his debut with the Boston Braves in 1948 when he was just 18 years old. Antonelli pitched sparingly in three seasons with the Braves before joining the Army after the 1950 season, serving for two years. He rejoined the club in 1953, which by then had moved to Milwaukee. It was a blockbuster trade to the New York Giants in 1954 that helped propel him to the national spotlight. Backed by sluggers Willie Mays and Monte Irvin, the young left-hander dominated opposing hitters and earned a spot on the National League All-Star team. Antonelli pitched seven seasons for the Giants, was an All-Star for five seasons and followed the Giants when they moved to San Francisco in 1958. He was traded to the Indians in 1961 and then back to the Braves, but struggled out of the bullpen. The expansion New York Mets acquired him in an off-season trade, but Mr. Antonelli opted to retire instead, telling reporters he was tired of traveling and wanted to be home with his family. He was just 31 when his baseball career ended. Johnny Antonelli at Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/antonjo02.shtml
Ex-Astros Slugger Jimmy Wynn Dies At 78 - ESPN https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...ugger-jimmy-wynn-nicknamed-toy-cannon-dies-78 (AP) -- Jimmy Wynn, the diminutive Houston Astros slugger whose monster shots in the 1960s and '70s earned him the popular nickname "The Toy Cannon," has died. He was 78. The Astros said Wynn, a 3-time All-Star outfielder, died Thursday in Houston but did not provide further details. Just 5-foot-9, Wynn was packed with power. He hit more than 30 homers twice with Houston, including a career-high 37 in 1967 at the pitcher-friendly Astrodome. Wynn had the first of his eight 20-HR seasons in 1965 when he hit 22. He hit 33 homers in 1969 with Houston and his last 30-home run season came in 1972 when he slugged 32 and had a career-high 108 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wynn became known for his long home runs, and two became particularly famous.The first came on June 10, 1967, when he knocked one out of Cincinnati's Crosley Field, over the scoreboard in left-center and onto the highway outside of the stadium. Almost three years later, on April 12, 1970, he became the first player to hit a home run into the upper deck of the cavernous Astrodome when he sent a pitch from Phil Niekro more than 500 feet down the left-field line. Wynn spent his first 11 seasons in Houston, known first as the Colt .45s and then the Astros, before making stops with the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers and Yankees in a 15-year major league career. Wynn left Houston as the franchise leader in hits, home runs, RBIs and walks. Overall, he finished with 291 homers with 964 RBIs and 225 stolen bases in his career. He led the majors with 148 walks in 1969 and stole a career-high 43 bases in 1965. Wynn scored 100 runs or more three times with Houston. Wynn's No. 24 jersey was retired by the Astros in 2005 and he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Astros Hall of Fame in 2019. Jimmy Wynn at Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/wynnji01.shtml
Al Kaline, Hall of Fame Outfielder and Detroit Tigers Legend, Dies at 85 - ESPN https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...elder-detroit-tigers-legend-al-kaline-dies-85 Al Kaline, a Hall of Famer who played all 22 years of his career in Detroit, earning the nickname "Mr. Tiger," died Monday. Kaline was 85. Kaline, an All-Star in 15 seasons and a 10-time Gold Glove winner in right field, retired shortly after recording his 3,000th hit in 1974 and joined the Tigers' broadcasting team. He continued to work for the Tigers after his retirement from the booth in 2002. He became the first Tiger to have his number retired, with the "No. 6" by which he was known in the clubhouse going up on the walls in 1980. He was also elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame that year, his first on the ballot. Kaline finished his career with 3,007 hits, 399 home runs and a .297 career batting average. Kaline made his lone appearance in a World Series in 1968, on the Tigers team led by pitchers Denny McLain and Mickey Lolich. Kaline had been sidelined for part of the season with a broken arm, and when he returned he was used mostly as a pinch hitter or first baseman because the outfield trio of Willie Horton, Mickey Stanley and Jim Northrup was playing well. When the Tigers clinched the pennant, Kaline went to manager Mayo Smith and told him that he didn't deserve to start in the World Series. Smith ignored him and played Kaline, who batted .379, hit two home runs and drove in eight as the Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games. Al Kaline at Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/k/kalinal01.shtml Al Kaline, Ted Williams, and Harvey Kuenn at the 1957 All-Star Game in St. Louis.
MLB Considering Radical Realignment for 2020 Season: Grapefruit & Cactus Leagues - USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ders-radical-move-for-2020-season/5128935002/ GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE NORTH: New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, Pittsburgh Pirates. SOUTH: Boston Red Sox, Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles. EAST: Washington Nationals, Houston Astros, New York Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins. CACTUS LEAGUE NORTHEAST: Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics. WEST: Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Angels. NORTHWEST: Milwaukee Brewers, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals.
Glenn Beckert, Former Cubs All-Star Infielder, Dies at 79 - ESPN https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29026258/former-cubs-all-star-infielder-glenn-beckert-dies-79 Former Chicago Cubs second baseman Glenn Beckert died Sunday, the team announced. He was 79. Beckert spent nine seasons with the Cubs from 1965 to 1973 before finishing his career with two seasons for the San Diego Padres. In 1968, he led all of baseball with 98 runs scored and also won a Gold Glove. He was selected as an All-Star four straight seasons beginning in 1969. A career .283 hitter, Beckert hit a career-best .342 in 1971 and led the National League five times in strikeout-to-at-bat ratio. The Cubs said he had "a reputation for one of the toughest at-bats in the league." For nearly a decade, Beckert formed a productive middle-infield partnership on the Cubs with shortstop Don Kessinger. Beckert stayed active with the Cubs following his career, often appearing at Wrigley Field and at Cubs Conventions. Glenn Beckert at Baseball Reference: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/beckegl01.shtml
Cancellation of 2021World Baseball Classic is Imminent - ESPN https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id...ellation-world-baseball-classic-2021-imminent
So other sports getting up and running no problem, but surprise surprise..baseball can’t figure things out. Nothing has changed since 1994. Oh well, unlike maybe 1994 nobody cares for real this time. NBA, NHl playoffs, NFL starting soon. EPL, La Liga and Champions League going on all summer long. Baseball...meh.
Lots of bad precedents starting, potentially. DH in NL, extra innings begin with a man on second base, no weekday afternoon games at Wrigley. Is Gary Bettman the new commissioner?
It's about time the DH is coming to the NL. With a new CBA to be negotiated after the 2021 season, it will become universal -- at long last. Let's welcome the Senior Circuit to the 21st century!
Yup, and why stop with pitchers? Have DHs for shortstops too. They tend not to be the best hitters (generally speaking). Make it like the NFL where everyone only needs to excel at one narrowly-defined task.
Cubs turn their first triple-play this century. Although judging from the replay, looks like the ball hit the ground. Don't they have VAR in baseball? https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/29561259/mlb-mulling-seven-inning-doubleheaders-source-says
1. They do-- but I'm not sure one wants to use up a challenge on changing a triple play to a double play. 2. It did hit the ground. If you spend far more time on it than it is worth, you can slow it down at the exact moment the dirt starts to splash-- and its initial splash conforms to the spin on the ball. not the motion of the glove. Batter is not out until the ball gets to first. Actually I'm not clear where the third out comes from even if the ball is caught-- the video doesn't continue past first, so if the batter is actually out on the catch, the runner returning to first doesn't get back in time for the second out-- presumably the first baseman threw to second to get that runner returning? Either way the runner on third crosses the plate before the third, or even the second out, and those outs are timing plays or tags, not forces; so the run scores, doesn't it? Which would mean you can actually score a run on a triple play?
If the ball is caught then: 1- the batter is out immediately; 2-the runner on third base is out on a force-out when the fielder steps on third base; 3-the runner on first base is out on a force-out when the first basemen catches the throw.
If the ball is caught, no one is forced anymore; the runner at third attempts to score at his own peril, he's not obligated to return if he doesn't leave early. So it could be done-- just wasn't in this instance. I see though that he did leave early, and that Bryant did step on the bag; I somehow missed this on the first vid I saw. So I gather that the first base runner did leave early also. And it isn't a force on the runner returning from second, even if no tag is required; its called a timing play. If the out is registered by the first baseman stepping on the bag before the runner crosses the plate, no run is scored. If not, the run stands.
The Miami Marlins have never lost a postseason series. For all the crap their previous owners put them through, they have never lost a postseason series. They weren't that terrible last year. They would not have been that bad under normal circumstances this year. Derek Jeter may be on to something. And perhaps just having a shot to get in could be all they need this year. That's it. That's the random thought.
A lot of that had to do with Miami being such a fair weather fan city with the supporters always coming out for big events. When teams are bad they usually stay away, when teams are good and in the spotlight they show up big time. The Dolphins stadium was cavernous and empty and a real disadvantage during the regular seasons. But when the Marlins made the playoffs it was electric and loud and a homefield like no other in Baseball history in my opinion. Those teams were good and with talent of course too.
Braves to me can do it but I think this could be the Dodgers' year. Would love to see them sweep the Astros in the World Series.
If the Dodgers can get good outings out of Kershaw, I think it's a lock. Jansen is a mystery, but there are other bullpen options.
On the AL-side the Yankees probably had the best chance. Just needed their hitters to get hot at the right time, or at least most of them. But they choked hard yet again. They'll probably buy half the Tampa team in the off-season and finish 20 games ahead of them next year, only to get smoked by a different team that has a quarter of their payroll. Wash-rinse-repeat.
Turns out that the Dodgers can beat the Dodgers, though yesterday's game looks like the Blue have figured out the Braves' pitching.