Phillies Recap 4/26/24

Image by Matt Gelb

What a fantastic night for Aaron Nola and the Phillies! Why? Aaron Nola helped the Phillies win last night. Final score: 9-3 Phillies.

What Happened:

Bryce Harper homered

Alec Bohm doubled.

JT Realmuto doubled.

Brandon Marsh doubled and Alec Bohm scores.

Brandon Marsh homered. JT Realmuto scored.

Kyle Schwarber homered

Nick Castellanos homered

JT Realmuto homered. Alec Bohm scored.

Trea Turner singled.

Alec Bohm singles. Trea Turner scores.

Aaron Nola pitched 8 innings.

Highlights

Other Articles To Check Out:

https://www.mlb.com/news/phillies-hit-5-home-runs-in-series-opening-win-vs-padres?partnerID=mlbapp-iOS_article-share\

Next Game Info

Phillies @ Padres

Petco Park

8:40 PM ET

Question For The Readers

What Did You All Think Of Last Night’s Game?

Wasn’t Aaron Nola great?

Dodgers Continue To Add More Depth

Image by James Wagner

Introduction

Watch Out, Dodgers fans! Why? Keep reading to find out more!

Why Do Dodgers Fans Need To Watch Out?

Dodgers fans need to watch out because the Dodgers just continued adding on with pitching! Who did they add? They added pitcher James Paxton, who when healthy can be really good.

James Paxton’s numbers for the 2023 season

Wins : 7

Loss : 5

ERA : 4.50

Games : 19

Games Started : 19

Saves : 0

Innings Pitched : 96.0

Strikeouts : 101

Whip : 1.31

James Paxton Career Numbers

Wins : 64

Loss : 38

ERA : 3.69

Games : 156

Games Started : 156

Saves : 0

Innings Pitched : 850.20

Strikeouts : 932

Whip : 1.22

The Good

1. When he is healthy, he is a strikeout machine and can strikeout anyone
2. He is coming back from injury riddled seasons
3. He can pitch a lot of innings when healthy

The Bad

1. He does have a history of injuries including multiple knee inflammations, multiple hamstring strains, multiple elbow injuries, forearm, and many other injuries.

https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/james-paxton-player-injuries

2. During the 2023 season, he barely pitched due to injuries

How Much Did He Sign With The Dodgers For?

He signed for 1 year $11 million dollars.

Was It Worth It?

I think if James Paxton is fully back to 100 percent and has no issues then yes it is worth it, but if this is another season of him getting injured again then no, it is not worth it.

Questions For The Readers

What do you all think about the Dodgers signing James Paxton?

Do you all think the Dodgers signing James Paxton was worth it?

Can he stay healthy in 2024 after having so many injury problems last year and in his career?

Phillies Sign Edmundo Sosa

Picture by Ethan Witte

Introduction

Phillies did it! Did What you may be asking? Keep reading to find out.

What Did The Phillies Do?

The Phillies agreed to a deal with Edmundo Sosa to avoid arbitration. Now they don’t have to go to court. Why is this good? This is good because then Edmundo Sosa and the Phillies can both be happy, and they don’t have to fight over money for a one-year deal like they do for Alec Bohm.

Picture by CBS

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/players/2167505/edmundo-sosa/

His Numbers For 2023

At Bats : 279

Runs : 34

Hits : 70

Home Runs : 10

RBI : 30

Stolen Base : 4

Average : .251

OBP : .293

OPS : .720

Career Regular Season

At Bats : 753

Runs : 102

Hits : 190

Home Runs : 18

RBI : 78

Stolen Base : 15

Average : .252

OBP : .311

OPS : .707

His Numbers For 2023 Postseason

At Bat : 1

Runs : 0

Hits : 0

Home Runs : 0

RBI : 0

Stolen Base : 0

Average : .000

OBP : .000

OPS : .000

Career Postseason

At Bats : 13

Runs : 2

Hits : 2

Home Runs : 0

RBI : 2

Stolen Base : 0

Average : .154

OBP : .200

OPS : .431

Was It Worth It Signing Edmundo Sosa?

Yes, I think it was it signing Edmundo Sosa for many reasons.

Reasons Why It is Good To Have Edmundo Sosa

1. You have a backup third baseman in case something happens to Alec Bohm
2. Edmundo Sosa is reliable and can make really good plays when needed
3. He can play wherever you need him to play.

Questions For The Readers

Do you all think Edmundo Sosa can stay healthy this season?

Can Edmundo Sosa be better than he was last year?

The Mystery Of Where Blake Snell Will Sign Continues

Image by Zach Bachar

Introduction

Watch out! Blake Snell is a name to watch right now on the free agent market. Why? Keep reading to find out more.

Why Is Blake Snell A Name To Watch Right Now?

Blake Snell is a name to watch right now because a lot of teams are taking a close look at him. Who exactly? The Yankees. The Toronto Bluejays, The Texas Rangers, and The New York Mets. What does this mean? Let’s take a closer look.

What does This Mean?

This means that teams are talking to Blake Snell and offering him contracts so if someone wants him they better talk to him and give him a contract fast because he might be gone soon!

His Numbers For 2023

Now let’s take a look at his numbers for this year.

Wins : 14

Losses : 9

ERA : 2.25

Games Played : 32

Games Started : 32

Saves : 0

Innings Pitched : 180

Strikeouts : 234

Whip : 1.19

His Career Numbers

Wins : 71

Losses : 55

ERA : 3.20

Games pitched : 191

Games Started : 191

Saves : 0

Innings Pitched : 992. 2

Strikeouts : 1,223

Whip : 1.24

The Good About Him

1. He pitches really well
2. He has won the CY Young Award

The Bad About Him

1. He gives up a lot of walks
2. Blake Snell has had a lot of injuries

Injuries – Surgery to remove loose bodies in the elbow, shoulder fatigue, illness, and more.

My Prediction For A Contract

I think Blake Snell is going to get 9 years for more than $300 million dollars. Why? I think this because he is a CY Young caliber pitcher and has won the CY Young Award in his career, and he is a good pitcher. Even though he may give up a lot of walks, he still pitches very well.

Questions For The Readers

What contract do you all think Blake Snell will get?

Where do you think Blake Snell will go?

Do You All Think Blake Snell Will Stay Healthy In 2024?

Don’t Mess With The Los Angeles Dodgers!

Image by Kyle Glaser

Introduction

Watch Out, baseball fans! Why? Keep reading below.

The Dodgers Are Not Messing Around

The Dodgers are getting better each and every minute! They have added lots of talent, and now they are going to be hard to beat!

Who Did They Get?

They got Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot, Teoscar Hernandez, and Yamamoto. This may not seem like much, but when you see how much talent they provide, that will make a HUGE difference.

What We Have To Watch Out For Now

As the season starts, we have to watch and see if the Dodgers add any more talented players. We will also have to watch how good the Dodgers are during the 2024 season, knowing they have added lots of talent already.

Questions That Remain Unanswered

Will Shohei Ohtani stay healthy?

WIll Yamamoto stay healthy?

Will Tyler Glasnow stay healthy?

Will Manuel Margot stay healthy?

Will Teoscar Hernandez stay healthy?

If Clayton Kershaw does come back, does he stay healthy?

Will the rotation and bullpen stay healthy?

WIll everybody else stay healthy?

Will the Dodgers be the team to beat?

Do the Dodgers go out and add more talent before the season begins?

Will the new rules impact the Dodgers?

A Wild Battle For Yamamoto Has Finally Ended!

Image by David Rooney

Introduction

After a wild battle for Yamamoto, the mystery has been solved at last of who is going to pick him up and give him a contract. Want to read more? Keep reading down below.

Who Picked Up Yamamoto?

The team that picked up Yamamoto was the Los Angeles Dodgers. They signed him for 12 years $325 million.

Why Did The Dodgers Go After Yamamoto?

The Dodgers went after Yamamoto because they needed pitching help. Even though they had Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow and some other pitchers coming back from injuries, they needed more pitching help. The Dodgers lost current ace Clayton Kershaw to a shoulder injury which required surgery, so he is now out till late June or July.

Was This A Good Pickup By The Los Angeles Dodgers?

Yes, I think this was a good pickup by the Dodgers. Why? This was a good pickup by the Dodgers because then the Dodgers get more pitching help which they desperately needed.

Why Go After Yamamoto Than Other Pitchers?

Yamamoto is an ace. Just look at these numbers and information about him. Also there is no one like him on the Free Agent Market.

Win-Loss Record: 70 – 29

ERA: 1.82

Strikeouts: 922

https://www.mlb.com/news/yoshinobu-yamamoto-guide

Questions To Readers

1. What Do You All Think About The Dodgers Getting Yamamoto?
2. Do You All Think Paying Yamamoto that contract was well worth it?
3. Do You All Think Yamamoto Will Stay Healthy?
4. Will Yamamoto Be Able To Handle Pressure/Huge Standards/Expectations in Los Angeles and in The Major Leagues?

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS!!!!!!!!

50 Year Dream Team

This is a response to Dave’s post. I’m going to copy the agenda he went by.

https://mlblogsoneflewoverthejaysnest.wordpress.com/2021/12/28/50-year-dream-team/

Many times I’ve started to think, “who are the greatest players that have been around since I became aware of baseball? Who are the best at each position?” So this week I decided to expand on the idea a little, compile an All All-star Team …and add a twist.

“I decided arbitrarily to pick the past 50 years (which isn’t far outside of the range of when I’ve been a fan, although the early years primarily just by having a few baseball cards and seeing an inning or two on TV as a small child.) So we’re looking at 1972 through the 2021 seasons. I decided to make a 26 player roster, using a player at their peak. But, to make it more interesting, the team has only one player per franchise. So, for instance, from my Blue Jays, if I wanted Carlos Delgado’s massive 2000 season, with his 57 doubles and .664 slugging percentage, out the window goes Jose Bautista’s 2010 with its 54 homers. Or Roy Halladay’s Cy Young season. And so on. Oh, and finally, a player can be there only once… we can’t say have Randy Johnson for Seattle and Randy Johnson with Arizona. With that in mind, here’s the mindboggling 50-year team I came up with, with a few season highlights and their Baseball Reference WAR listed.”

This was hard. I did replace some of Dave’s but I agree totally with his list also…who wouldn’t want either one of these teams? Joe Morgan was HARD to leave off but I had Johnny Bench from the Reds already. I wanted to include Robin Yount so I could not have Rollie Fingers 1981 season.

I will have to say…the pitching staff is almost unbeatable.

Catcher :

Johnny Bench, 1972, Cincinnati.. 147 games, 87 runs, 6 SB, .279 avg, MVP, Gold Glove (GG) 8.6 WAR

Ivan Rodriguez, 1999, Texas. 144 games, 116 runs, 25 SB, .332 avg, MVP, Gold Glove (GG) 6.4 WAR

First Base

Albert Pujols, 2009, St Louis. .327, 47HR, 135RBI,  1.101 OPS, MVP, 9.7 WAR

Miguel Cabrera, 2012, Detroit. .330,44HR, 139RBI, triple crown, .999OPS, MVP, 7.1 WAR

Second Base:

Rod Carew, 1977, Minnesota. .388, 128 runs, 239H, 16 triple,100RBI, MVP, 9.7 WAR

feff Kent, 2000, San Fran. .334, 114 runs, 196H, .424 OBP, 7 triple,125RBI, MVP, 7.2 WAR

Shortstop:

Robin Yount, 1982, Milwaukee .331, 29/102, 210H, .989 OPS 10.5 WAR GG MVP

Third Base:

George Brett, 1980, Kansas City. .390, 24/114, .664 Slg., MVP, 9.4 WAR MVP

Outfield:

Mike Trout, 2018, LA Angels. .312,.460OBP, 122BB, 39HR, 1.088OPS, 9.9 WAR

Ken Griffey Jr, 1997, Seattle. 125 runs, 56/147, .646 Slg., GG, MVP, 9.1 WAR

Tony Gwynn, 1994 short-season, San Diego. .394, 165H in 110games, 1.022OPS, 4.2 WAR

Manny Ramírez, 1999, Cleveland .333, 44/165, 96BB, 2 SB, 7.3WAR

Larry Walker, 1997, Colorado. .366, 49HR, 208H, 33SB, 1.172OPS, GG, MVP, 9.8 WAR

Des. Hitter:

Frank Thomas, 1994sh.sea., C White Sox. 106R in 113games, 38HR, .729slg, MVP, 6.4 WAR

Starting Pitcher:

Steve Carlton, 1972, Philadelphia. 27-10, 1.97, 30CG, 8 Shutouts, 310K, Cy, 12.1 WAR

Greg Maddux, 1995, Atlanta. 19-2, 1.63ERA, 10cg, 181K,23bb, GG, Cy Young 9.7 WAR

Pedro Martinez, 2000, Boston. 18-6, 1.74, 4shutouts, 284K, Cy, 11.7 WAR

Tom Seaver, 1973, NY Mets. 19-10, 2.08, 251K in 290IP 3 shutouts, Cy, 10.6 WAR

Clayton Kershaw 2014, Los Angeles. 21-6, 1.77 era, 6cg, 239K, Cy and MVP 7.7WAR

Roger Clemens, 1997, Toronto. 21-7, 2.05, 9cg, 292K, Cy 11.9WAR

Randy Johnson, 2002, Arizona. 24-5, 2.32, 4shutouts, 334K, Cy, 10.7 WAR

Max Scherzer, 2016, Washington. 20-7, 2.96, 284K, Cy, 6.2 WAR

Relief Pitcher:

Bruce Sutter, 1979, C Cubs. 37 saves, 6-6, 2.22, 110K in 62G, 4.9 WAR

Mariano Rivera, 2004, NY Yankees. 74G, 78.2IP, 4W, Cy, 4.2WAR

Dennis Eckersley, 1992, Oakland. 51Sv, 7-1, 1.91, 93K:11bb, 2.9 WAR

Kent Tekulve, 1978, Pittsburgh. 91G, 8W, 31Sv, 135IP, 2.33. 3.4WAR

….

New Rules for 2020 for MLB

There have been some new rules in MLB this year. I don’t argue much because of the situation. I don’t see a problem with funky rules this year because of the sixty game regular season. I’m happy they are playing because it gives us some normality…a little we can all hold on to.

The rules were set for just this year because of what is going on but I know that Manfred sometimes wants to change for the sake of change…I guess to leave his mark… The rules are italicized in bold below and my responses are below each one. I’m sure some of you will disagree with me and that is fine…who ever reads this is probably passionate about the game…all opinions are welcomed.

Now to the rules…

1: Universal DH (No need for the official wording in this) – Ok all of you American League fans… I know that most of you like it and that is fine. I like it also…for the American League. Personally I don’t want to see this go past this year for the NL. I don’t understand why it’s so bad for the leagues to be different. I like the leagues different…at one time they had two sets of umpires…one for the AL and one for the NL… The reasons for and against doesn’t change but I have a feeling Manfred will try to pass this one. This one I don’t want to see change. I like ball parks all different and the leagues different…it separates baseball from the rigid normality of the other major sports…It’s ok to be different MLB.

2: Wet Rag- Pitchers will be permitted to carry a small wet rag in their back pocket to be used for moisture in lieu of licking their fingers. Pitchers will not be able to access the rag while on the rubber, and they must clearly wipe the fingers of their pitching hand dry before touching the ball or the rubber. Water is the only substance that will be allowed on the rag.

I don’t see a reason why this shouldn’t be in place for ever more. I want the pitchers that have 90 mph fastballs to have decent control. Yes I know someone will try to cheat the system… hey it’s baseball…but I don’t see this as a big problem.

3: Runner on second to begin extra innings
During the regular season, every half-inning after the ninth will begin with a runner on second base. If that runner scores, the pitcher won’t be charged with an earned run.

The runner placed on second base at the start of each half-inning will be the player in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning’s leadoff hitter, or a pinch-runner. However, if the player in the batting order immediately preceding that half-inning’s leadoff hitter is the pitcher, the runner placed on second base may be the player preceding the pitcher in the batting order. This rule will not be in place for the postseason.

Over the past five years, 8.26% of all regular-season games have gone to extra innings. There were 208 extra-innings games in the 2019 regular season, counting for 8.56% of all games.

I thought this was a joke when I saw this rule… even for only this year.  I’ll quote Clayton Kershaw…”No, it’s not great, it’s Mickey Mouse garbage that belongs in the minor leagues and ONLY the minor leagues.” Is this really worth it for only 8.56% of the games? It’s not baseball and there should not be a valid reason to keep this. This reminds me of wiffle ball we played while we were younger…what’s next MLB? Ghost runners?

They say baseball is too long…have you ever watched a NFL game? They also can last 3 hours or more. Try watching the NBA in the last 2 mintues…you can raise a family in the time it takes them to finish it. This is the rule I disagree with the most…

4: Suspended games
If weather forces a game to be cut short before it is official, it will be continued at a later date rather than started from scratch.

I don’t mind this one at all… it makes sense to me. The famous game that comes to my mind is the George Brett pine tar game…they started that game when it ended…of course weather had nothing to do with that one.

5: Position players pitching
There will be no restrictions on position players pitching in 2020.

A rule change installed this past offseason would have required teams to designate every player on the active roster as either a pitcher or a position player, and position players would have been unable to pitch unless it was extra innings, their team was ahead or trailing by more than six runs, or they had qualified for the “two-way” designation. That rule won’t be in place during the 2020 season.

I think this should stand. If the player is alright with pitching under emergencies why not let him? If he is ok with it I don’t see a problem. Personally I like seeing some position player pitch…some like Russell Martin did really well. Yes they could get hurt but the player either says yes or no.

Ok this is just my two cents but the recent intentional walk rule. Why make it automatic and the batter go to first? I have seen pitchers make wild throws and games were decided because of it. I have seen pitchers fool the batter into thinking it was an intentional walk and strike them on a 3-2 count…and batters lean over and hit the ball…and who can forget the A’s fooling Johnny Bench with a fake intentional walk in the World Series?  This one doesn’t have anything to do with this year but I wanted to get it in.

…

Your Favorite Teams Worst Trades

I can speak about the Dodgers because I lived it… What are the worst trades your favorite team made? If you want…comment below…I would love to see them.

1…1993 Pedro Martinez The number one bad trade – 3 words… Delino for Pedro. No Dodger fan will forget/forgive this trade that involved Delino DeShields from the Expos going to the Dodgers for Pedro Martinez. If free-agent second baseman Jody Reed agrees to a multiyear contract and returns to Los Angeles, this doesn’t happen. It’s not like they didn’t know Pedro was good… in 1993 he appeared in 65 games (two starts) and went 10–5 with a 2.61 ERA, including 119 strikeouts and 57 walks in 107 innings…then Fred Clair traded him…because of his size Lasorda didn’t think he would hold up and he would be a bullpen guy. Then GM Fred Claire takes responsibility for this though.

2… 1998 Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile to the Florida Marlins for Manuel Barrios, Bobby Bonilla, Jim Eisenreich, Charles Johnson, and Gary Sheffield. Yes, they did some quality back with Sheffield more than anyone else…but Piazza was the face of the franchise and a future Hall of Famer. 

3…1998 Paul Konerko traded for Jeff Shaw – This was stupid. Yes, the Dodgers needed a closer that part is true and they had Eric Karros at first but he didn’t have anywhere near the career Konerko had with the White Sox. Paul was given 54 games to show what he had with the Dodgers. When he had all of that time to hit…he was traded. Tommy Lasorda was made GM for a very short time…I’m thankful it was short…and he did this. To be fair Shaw was a successful closer but he was not worth the price. 

4…1983 Ron Cey to the Chicago Cubs for prospects Vance Lovelace and Dan Cataline. This trade made NO sense. Living by Branch Rickey’s logic…better to get rid of someone one year too early than a year too late…great advice but Cey wasn’t near being done. Cey would end up knocking 84 home runs for the Cubs in the next 4 years. Al Campanis really messed up with this one. Third base would be a wasteland for the Dodgers for years and years after Cey left. Adrian Beltre did great briefly but then…they didn’t resign him. Justin Turner is the first good regular third baseman the Dodgers have had since Cey was traded in1982.

5…1982 Rick Sutcliffe traded to the Cleveland Indians for Jack Fimple, Jorge Orta and Larry White. All because Sutcliffe rearranged Lasorda’s office. This was in 1981 and he just won the Rookie of the Year in 1979.

Honorable Mention…I will lump 3 trades together… Juan Guzman traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Toronto Blue Jays for Mike Sharperson a utility player… Sid Fernandez with Ross Jones to the New York Mets for Bob Bailor and Carlos Diaz…and John Franco to the Cincinnati Reds for Rafael Landestoy. Three very good pitchers for not much at all.

 

 

 

David Clyde

David was called “The Next Sandy Koufax” as he was drafted straight out of high school with the number 1 pick in 1973. I’m not so sure he would have been another Sandy Koufax but because of greed he never found out. David was a can’t-miss prospect who was 18-0 with a 0.18 ERA as a Westchester senior who went just 18-33 as a major leaguer.

The Texas Rangers had moved from Washington because of bad attendance and settled in Texas. In 1972 they had low attendance and the owner Bob Short wanted a boost in attendance and the plan was to start his new draft pick David Clyde in two games and then send him to the minors after that.

Twenty days after pitching his last high school game, Clyde won his first-ever Major League start before over 35,000 fans in Arlington Stadium, the first sellout in stadium history. David pitched well in his second game until a blister forced him out in the 6th inning. Now he was scheduled to go to the minors to learn and develop. Short, though, had other ideas after 33,010 fans flocked to Arlington Stadium for Clyde’s second start, a six-inning, no-decision performance against the White Sox.

Clyde remained a Ranger and got battered, going 4-8 with a 5.01 ERA for a 57-105 team.

Whitey Herzog the manager pleaded with Short to send Clyde to the minors. Like many young pitchers, Herzog says, Clyde started throwing his curveball too hard and lost control of it. Then hitters began sitting on his fastball. Herzog says Clyde could have regained his control and confidence in the minors.

At the end of 1973 Billy Martin was let go by the Detroit Tigers and Rangers owner Bob Short told his manager, Whitey Herzog, that he would fire his own grandmother to have a chance to hire Martin…well he fired Herzog and got Martin. Herzog’s reply was “I’m fired, I’m the grandmother.”

Martin argued to send David Clyde to the minors for seasoning the next year but he still started 21 games. He was sent and later on developed arm troubles and was traded to Cleveland in 1978

He threw his last major league pitch on Aug. 7, 1979, as a 24-year-old Cleveland Indian, 37 days shy of qualifying for MLB’s pension plan. He has tried to act as a coach to get the 37 days but no luck so far. 

Many people claim that David Clyde saved the Rangers Franchise from moving elsewhere. 

 

MLB Players who had the “Yips”

Yips: The yips is the loss of fine motor skills in athletes. The condition occurs suddenly and without apparent explanation, usually in mature athletes with years of experience. … The condition is also experienced by snooker players, bowlers in cricket and pitchers in baseball.

The Yips can come at any time. When Atlanta’s then-manager Bobby Cox was watching his team play the Mets. The Mets catcher Mackey Sasser had problems just throwing the ball back to the pitcher. Cox turned and told his second baseman Mark Lemke that anyone on the field is just one bad throw away from having what Mackey has…Cox had seen the yips before.

It’s so hard to watch as the player totally losses his confidence. Many times players cannot pinpoint when it starts and for some they never find the cure.

I just finished a book about the 1981 Dodgers and it reminded me of Steve Sax who had a problem throwing a ball from second base to first. I thought I would find some more players who had problems. Some lasted just a little while while others it took their career.

It has affected pitchers significantly. They lose the ability to throw a strike and their career along with it.

Steve Blass – He may be the most famous case of the yips. He was a pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1964 to 1974. He went from a 2.49 ERA in 1972 to a 9.85 ERA to 1973…1974 was his last year. For every 1 strikeout he had 3 walks. Balls flying to the backstop at times… Steve Blass: “I had no control over it, nor did I understand it. I would sit in my backyard 2…3…4 o’clock in the morning thinking, ‘My God, what’s happened to me? What is this? Has someone put a curse on me or something?”

He was only 31 when this happened. His stats were 100-67 with a 3.24 ERA from 1964-1972. He was 3-1 in post season with a 3.10 ERA and a World Series winner in 1971. He ended up with a 103-76 record with a 3.63 ERA.

The Yips have been called by some “Steve Blass Disease.”

Rick Ankiel – Ankiel looked like the real deal. A powerful left handed pitcher that USA Today called “the most promising young left-handed pitcher in a generation.” Tony LaRussa put it to the test and inserted the 21 year old into the 2000 NLDS against the Braves. It was painful to watch. Ankiel walked 6 men in 2.2 innings. He eventually went to the minor leagues and it didn’t get any better…in fact it got worse…but he did do something else about it. He became an outfielder and hit as many as 25 homeruns in one season. He was never as good of an outfielder as he was a pitcher though. He played until 2013…I’ve always wondered what his pitching career would have been like.

Chuck Knoblauch – After being traded to the Yankees in 1998 this second baseman’s trouble started. His errors doubled but hardly any throwing errors in 1999. In 2000 it started and his throws to first base would be wild. In fact… an errant throw sailed into the stands and hit sportscaster Keith Olbermann’s mother in the head.

He returned to second base briefly, but never regained his throwing accuracy. He was moved to the outfield and designated hitter for the remaining two years of his career, including New York’s World Series run in 2000.

Steve Sax – Steve joined the Dodgers in 1981 in the last half of the season. Steve was on the playoff roster for the World Series. His troubles started in 1983 after an error involving Andre Dawson. After that he could not throw accurately to first base. This went on for 2 months and he had over twenty errors before the All Star break. Something his dad said broke the spell.

His father told him, “One day you are going to wake up and this problem is going to be gone,” confessing that he had suffered the exact same problem in high school, but his confidence had eventually returned and he overcame it.

Six hours later John Sax died. It was the last conversation his son had with him. But buoyed by his father’s words, Sax persevered, slowly regaining his confidence over time. Baseball became fun again. Sax didn’t make a single error in the last 36 games of the season.

Years later Sax’s mom, who had known his dad since the fifth grade, told him the truth: His father never had a throwing problem. 

“He lied. He didn’t want to see me fail, so he lied,” “He bailed me out on his death bed. And it changed my life.”

Some people also call the yips from a fielder “Steve Sax Syndrome” Steve went on the play with the Dodgers, Yankees, White Sox, and A’s after this and the problem never resurfaced.

There have been other players in the MLB and many other sports to suffer from this.

 

 

Post Season Failures

Vin Scully has said before each post season he would pray…not that the Dodgers would win but that no one on either team would become a goat that would be so hard to live down. After what happened to Kershaw against the Nationals it made me think of some unfortunate players/spectators/umpires failed at the wrong moment.

A few of these people got reminded of these plays the rest of their life…as if their life boiled down to this one moment.

These are in no order

Bill Buckner – Probably the poster boy for scapegoats… Bill’s misfortune happened in the 1986 World Series. I always thought he was unfairly treated. The Sox were leading the Mets in the 10th inning 5-3 with TWO outs. All they needed was one out to win the World Series. After a single, single, single, walk, passed ball… let’s stop here for a second…now they are tied because they cannot get one out. Mookie Wilson is up next and dribbles one down the first baseline and Buckner…who usually was taken out of games because of defensive reasons…misses the ball and the Mets win 6-5. That tied the series up at 3 games apiece.

Game 7 belonged to the Mets after winning 8-5 and they won the World Series.

Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams – This one I felt when they put him in to pitch. Joe Carter took him long to win the World Series in the 9th inning for the Toronto Blue Jays. I remember Curt Schilling always hiding his head under a towel when Mitch pitched which didn’t go over well with the reliever. Williams does have a sense of humor about it anyway.

Willie Davis – Some will remember the day in 1966 when he made three errors in one World Series game. On Oct. 6, 1966, against the Baltimore Orioles, Davis lost three fly balls in the sun at Dodger Stadium. According to reporter Charles Maher’s account in The Times the next day, Davis came back to the dugout after the inning and told pitcher Sandy Koufax, “I’m sorry, I just lost them in the sun.” Koufax said: “Don’t let it get you down.” Pitcher Don Drysdale said: “Hell, forget it. … You’ve saved a lot of games for me with great catches.”

It wouldn’t have mattered much in the long run in all probability. The Dodgers were swept by the Orioles in 4 games.

Fred Merkle – “Merkle’s Boner” In the bottom of the ninth, the Giants and Cubs were tied at 1–1 with two men on base and two outs. Giants outfielder Moose McCormick stood at third base, while Merkle was the runner on first. Giants shortstop Al Bridwell took the first pitch from Cubs southpaw Jack Pfiester and got the ball past second baseman Johnny Evers for a single into center field. McCormick scored and the pennant appeared to belong to the Giants. Fans stormed out of the stands in celebration as Merkle made his way to the dugout, assuming that the game was over.

One problem: Merkle never touched second base… Evers noticed the error and headed over to beat Merkle back to the bag, which would void McCormick’s run for the final out. But this is where it gets even weirder: Evers didn’t have the ball, which was hit and lost in the shuffle of people. Some re–tellings of the play say that Giants pitcher Joe McGinnity, who also served as a first base coach that day, tossed the ball into the stands to a fan, who bolted with his new souvenir. In this version of the story, police officers stopped the spectator and the ball made its way back to the field with a throw from Joe Tinker to Evers. The umpires saw Evers on the bag, and Merkle was called out. Charles Dryden, the Chicago Tribune‘s writer on-site, talked to multiple players that day and tallied 18 assists on the final play. 

People never let him forget this through his life. This is what helped The Cubs win their final World Series in the 20th Century in the year 1908.

Steve Bartman – Ok not a player but he caught hell after leaning over to make a catch that a lot of fans will do. People forget that there was actually baseball played after the incident and a few errors that had an effect on the score. One of the biggest came from Alex Gonzalez, his bobble of a routine double-play ball that would’ve ended the inning with a 3-1 Cubs lead ended up turning into an eight-run inning for the Marlins. So, Bartman was an overzealous fan going after a fair ball but the man moved out of Chicago because of the furor of Cubs fans.

He was rewarded with a WS ring in 2016 but when you have a Halloween mask modeled after you…is that really enough?

Scott Norwood – I’m cheating here because this is football but man did I feel bad for this guy! I was watching this Superbowl and will never forget Al Michaels saying “Wide Right” after Norwood’s missed field goal attempt for the Bills that let the Giants win the Superbowl on January 27, 1991 .

Honorable Mentions…umpires

Don Denkinger – He blew a huge call during Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. The Kansas City Royals were down one to the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning. If the Cardinals win the game, they would have taken the series. Jorge Orta came to the plate and hit a grounder to first. The throw beat Orta to the base, but Denkinger inexplicably called Orta safe. Kansas City went on to score two runs in the inning and tied up the series…..The Royals won Game 7 and the World Series, partially as a result of the blown call.

Frank Pulli – Oh how I disliked this man in 1978. The 12-year-old me learned quickly that life was not always fair.

It was 1978 and the Dodgers were leading the Yankees 3-1 in the 6^th inning. The Yankees had runners on 1^st and 2^nd when Piniella hit a line drive at Bill Russell, who dropped the ball, picked it up and stepped on second for the force out. The ball wound up in right field after he attempted to turn the double play with a throw to first. At that moment Jackson stuck his hip out to deflect the throw, and run was scored on the play. This helped the Yankees tie it with a run in the 8^th after which they won in the 10^th. All of that helped them even the series. The momentum went to the Yankees after this… Reggie should have been called out for interference. The Dodgers would have had a 3-1 lead in the series and heading back to LA for games 6 and 7.

The Dodgers finally got revenge in 1981 against the Yankees and Reggie Jackson.

Welcome to Talking About Baseball

Baseball was, is and always will be to me the best game in the world.

— George Herman Ruth.

Welcome to talkingaboutbaseball.wordpress.com

I wanted to make a baseball only blog because there are some baseball items that probably would not go over really well on my Powerpop site. I would like to cover new and old…anything about baseball is in play.

I’m a Dodger fan but this will not be Dodger only posts. Since I know more about them I’m sure Dodgers posts will pop up. Everything from minor league prospects in 2019 to why did Babe Ruth try to steal second base in the 1926 World Series and make the last out.