Hall of Fame Class of 2020

Congratulations to the Baseball Hall of Fame Class of 2020: Ted Simmons, Marvin Miller, Derek Jeter, and Larry Walker!

All are picks I have no objection to, so I'm happy. Simmons is one of those guys whose omission didn't bother me too much, but if they're going to put him in, I won't complain; he had a great career. Despite all the love Yadier Molina gets, I still have Simmons as the #1 Cardinals catcher of all time.

I've updated my list of first major league home runs by Hall of Famers to reflect the three new player inductees (electees, technically?). There are also three new pitchers added to the list, as Roberto Rodriguez, Ron Darling, and Dennis Martinez weren't any other Hall of Famer's first victim.

A Few Updates

Not a big post here. Just letting you know I've updated the following pages in light of this year's award winners being announced:

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners

Congrats Nats! plus some Updates

2019 has been a year for franchises' first championships: The NHL's St. Louis Blues won their first Stanley Cup, the NBA's Toronto Raptors won their first NBA title, and now the Washington Nationals have won their first World Series!

I've always had a place in my heart for the Nationals, as I live in an area where their games are broadcast, so they're semi-local. I also was a fan of the Expos, and seeing the franchise finally win it all was pretty exciting to me. From the beginning of the playoffs, they were the team I was hoping would take home the World Series trophy, and they did it. They got one for Mr. National, Ryan Zimmerman, who's nearing the end of his career, and a long list of veterans got their first as well. Really glad this happened. The Astros were a tough opponent, but the Nats stepped up when it counted most and got the job done. I can't think of a better ending to the 2019 baseball season.

Now that it's over, I've updated a few of my lists. You can check them out here:

The Run That Clinched It
Back-to-Back World Series With Different Franchises
One At-Bat, One Home Run

Annual Updates 2018

After an anticlimactic postseason that saw the Red Sox win it again (and where my predictions were a big pile of LOL), it's time for the annual updates to our ongoing lists.

Enjoy!

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners
The Run That Clinched It

Obligatory Hall of Fame Update: 2018

We have six new Hall of Famers for 2018, and that means the list of Hall of Famers' first major league home runs has been updated.

My thoughts on our new inductees? In brief:

Chipper Jones, Jim Thome, and Alan Trammell are all deserving, and I'm glad they got in.

Vladimir Guerrero was more of a borderline case, but he had the traditional numbers and the peak value to be a selection I won't complain too much about.

Trevor Hoffman was one of the most overrated players of all-time, but he was perceived as a future Hall of Famer throughout his career, so I guess it was inevitable. It's a shame that those save totals mean so much to voters. Billy Wagner was probably just as good, but with less-gaudy numbers.

And then there's Jack Morris. There's a selection that makes me angry. When he finally dropped off the BBWAA ballot, I breathed a sigh of relief that we wouldn't have to hear about his overrated career any longer. But then this Veteran's Committee thing decides to put him in. What a joke. The guy was never anything but a good, sturdy starter. He never had any dominant seasons. Yes, Pitching a 10-inning shutout in Game 7 of the World Series is a fine achievement, but it puts him in the Mazeroski Zone of worthiness. A fine career plus a legendary Game 7 are enough for a Cooperstown Plaque, apparently. I'm calling it now: Madison Bumgarner has already got his spot locked up.

Annual Updates 2017

So after a year where the Astros got themselves off the "franchises that have never won a World Series" list, we lost the last living major leaguer from the 1930s, and the Indians won an American League-record 22 consecutive games, all the major awards are now in the bag, effectively bringing the 2017 baseball season to its conclusion. A few pages have been updated to reflect the most recent information:

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners
The Run That Clinched It

Bobby Doerr Becomes the Last Surviving Red Sox Player From Two Decades

Iconic Red Sox second baseman Bobby Doerr had a shorter career than you might expect from a Hall of Famer, but when it comes to being alive, he's outlasted most of his contemporaries.

Doerr is already the last living MLB player from the 1930s, but with the passing of Tom Wright on September 5, he also became the last living Red Sox player from the 1940s. Doerr was a 31-year-old veteran in 1949, but none of Boston's youngsters managed to outlive him. In addition to Wright, the last calendar year has seen 1940s BoSox Dave Ferriss and Sam Mele go to the great beyond.

With his 100th birthday less than a year away, Doerr has only three teammates who are still living, all from his final two seasons in the early 1950s: Paul Hinrichs, Charlie Maxwell, and Al Richter. The odds of Doerr being the last surviving 1950s Red Sox player are pretty slim, but how often does a player have a substantial career and survive until he has only three living teammates? Has any player with a decade-plus career ever outlived every single one of his teammates? Further digging may be needed to answer that question.

Keep on going, Mr. Doerr. Only seven months needed to reach the century mark!

Congratulations to Our New Hall of Famers!

The BBWAA Class of 2017 is here, and it includes three people I consider worthy: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, and Ivan Rodriguez. Congratulations go out to them!

In their honor, I've updated the Hall of Famers' first ML homers list! Bobby Castillo, Kent Mercker, and Storm Davis join the list of victimized pitchers! Congratulations go out to them as well!

Annual Updates, 2016

Another season has come and gone, and the awards are now in the books. Updates have been made to the following posts:

 The Second Place Award Winners
Rookie of the Year Facts
Which Team Had the Most Cy Young Winners?
Back-to-back World Series with different franchises
The Run That Clinched It

It was quite a year, with the Cubs (finally!) winning the World Series, and doing so in a thrilling fashion. As a longtime Cub rooter, it was perhaps my most rewarding moment as a fan. Right up there with the time the White Sox won it. It still hasn't sunk in yet that it really happened. I'll never forget it though. Whether these Cubs become a dynasty, or whether they fall apart like other great young teams have, we'll always have 2016. Flags fly forever.

Also, with Rick Porcello winning the Cy Young Award, the 2014 Tigers' pitching staff becomes a thing of legend, so be sure to check that Cy Young post out.

Congratulations to Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr.

The news just came in today that Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. are the latest additions to the Hall of Fame. I have fond memories of these guys' heyday, back when I was a kid in the '90s. Congratulations go out to both of them. It's well-deserved.

As far as this blog is concerned, it's time for an update. Check out this classic Baseball Junk Drawer list:

Hall of Famers' First Major League Home Runs

List Updates 2015

Now that the season is over, some of my lists needed to be updated, so here they are for your viewing pleasure:

Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second Place Award Winners
The Run That Clinched It

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

Congratulations Are in Order, As Well As a List Update

Congrats to our four new members of the Baseball Hall of Fame! Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, John Smoltz and Craig Biggio are all worthy additions in my book, and I'm glad to see none of them were snubbed. Now the speculation about next year begins...

Until then, you can check out my list of Hall of Famers' first Major League homers, updated to reflect our new additions.

Award Pages Updated For 2014

As I do every year, the special award list pages have been updated. This'll probably be the only update here for the month of November, as my Baseball-Reference sponsorship posts had ceased being fun several years ago, and I don't have the time to dig through them that I did in the past. I hope the few of you who care understand.

Anyway, here are the links to the updated award pages:

Which Team Had the Most Cy Young Winners?
Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second-Place Award Winners

Have fun looking through them. Or don't. Whatever you like. 

All-Star Break Report

Well, we're just past the halfway point of the season, and after last night's Derek Jeter tongue bath All Star Game, we have the official "second half" to look forward to. Let's take a look at the standings, and see if we can't make any predictions about what October might have in store. Bear in mind, I believe in the oligopoly, so I'm not optimistic about seeing anything interesting happen. We'll see how things look in comparison to my preseason predictions.

AL East:

The first-place team is surprisingly the Orioles, who have a four-game lead over the Blue Jays. It would be nice to see someone besides the Yankees, Red Sox or Rays win this division (well, I don't mind the Rays so much), and this would seem to be the year for one of the others to do it. However, the Yankees and Red Sox are members of the oligopoly, while I don't think any other team in this division is, so until they're eliminated, I can't count either one of them out. This division is packed pretty tightly, so even the teams at the bottom still have a shot. Although losing Masahiro Tanaka would be a huge blow, I stand by my prediction that the Yankees are somehow, someway going to win this division. They're evil. It's what they do. I had the Rays winning a Wild Card spot, but I don't see them pulling that off this year.

AL Central:

The current standings are exactly the same as my predicted final standings, so I'm looking pretty good there. I'll stick with my prediction that the Tigers win the Central, and as for my Wild Card prediction for the Royals, I'll stand by that too. They're close behind the Mariners in the race for the stupid second Wild Card spot that nobody wanted, so I think they can still do it. I hope they do.

AL West:

This division has the team with the best record in baseball, the Oakland Athletics. The A's seem to be going all in this year, trading away their top two prospects for starting pitching. After years of frequent-but-forgettable playoff performances, it seems that they're ready to make this year special. I would love to see it, but there's just one problem: They're not part of the oligopoly, so they won't win the World Series, as much as I'd love to see it happen. The Angels are close behind the A's, and they're sort of a fringe oligopoly member, so I could see them possibly winning the World Series, but I wouldn't particularly be interested in that. I picked the Rangers to win this division, but after a bargeload of injuries, their season's already a lost cause. I'm going to amend my prediction to Oakland winning the division and Anaheim winning the Wild Card. The surprising Mariners will fall short.

NL East:

This is pretty much a two-team race between the Nationals and Braves. As a National rooter, I'd like to see them do it, but they're not part of the oligopoly, unlike the Braves. I had the Nats winning the division and the Braves the Wild Card, and I guess I'll stick by that.

NL Central:

I predicted the Brewers would finish in last place, but they're actually in first, surprisingly. I don't think they're for real though, and don't expect them to make the postseason. I also made the out-of-left-field prediction that the Cubs would win the Wild Card, and I think it's safe to say I look like a fool on that one, as they currently sit in last place and have already punted on this season. No biggie. I figured I'd be wrong. I just wanted bragging rights in case I was right. I predicted that the Cardinals would win the division, and even when they struggled early on, I said they were going to do it. I stand by that prediction, because the Cardinals are pure evil and always find a way. Though this is a four-team race on paper, I say it's inevitable that St. Louis takes it and the Brewers, Reds and Pirates are all left out in the cold.

NL West:

This is another two-team race between the Giants and Dodgers. Rivalry! I had the Dodgers winning the division and the Giants in second place. I stand by that prediction, although I'll amend it to have the Giants winning a Wild Card spot.

So here are my amended predictions at the All-Star Break:

NL Wild Card: Giants over Braves
AL Wild Card: Angels over Royals

NLDS1: Cardinals over Giants
NLDS2: Dodgers over Nationals
ALDS1: Angels over Athletics
ALDS2: Tigers over Yankees

NLCS: Cardinals over Dodgers
ALCS: Angels over Tigers

World Series: Cardinals over Angels

Let's see how much more accurate these are.

Quick update

I'm just stopping by here to mention that the list of Hall of Famers and their first Major League home runs has been updated to reflect the additions of the three managerial greats who were just elected. Tony LaRussa never hit a Major League homer, but Bobby Cox and Joe Torre both did, and their first victims are both newcomers to the list (Gary Peters and Joey Jay, respectively).

This offseason has been pretty crazy so far, but to be frank, I just can't get excited about the 2014 season. After three straight years of crap, and the emergence of The Oligopoly, I feel like there's nothing to look forward to anymore. I have a feeling that 2014 is going to be a lot like 2013 was: A year where regular-season achievements are the only thing I'll have to root for. The possibility of a team I like winning the World Series is pretty slim.

Why Are So Many 1990's Cub Pitchers Dying Young?

As someone who tries to keep up-to-date on the latest passings, particularly in the baseball world, I was saddened to hear about the death of Frank Castillo earlier this year. He was a solid pitcher for the Cubs right around the time I began following baseball regularly, and his near no-hitter against the Cardinals in 1995 was perhaps my fondest memory of him.

Most unfortunately, Castillo's death made him the sixth Cub pitcher from the 1990's to die. He's been preceded in death by the following five:

Rod Beck (June 23, 2007, age 38, suspected cocaine overdose)
Geremi Gonzalez (May 25, 2008, age 33, struck by lightning)
Kevin Foster (October 11, 2008, age 39, renal cancer)
Dave Smith (December 17, 2008, age 53, heart attack)
Jessie Hollins (July 9, 2009, age 39, drowning)

Eerie that those first five were within a 25-month span. And now we can add:

Frank Castillo (July 28, 2013, age 44, drowning)

I don't believe any other team has lost this many players at the same position from the decade of the 1990's. This is mostly just bad luck, of course, but for those of us who remember these guys, it hits home. Their participation on the field is still fresh in our memories, and it's too soon for us to say goodbye to them. Hopefully, this outlier will revert to the mean and the rest of the Cubbie mound crew will stick around for a while.

Award Pages Updated

Another season, another round of awards. All the interesting ones are in the books, so the following reference pages have been updated:

Which Team Had the Most Cy Young Winners?
Rookie of the Year Facts
The Second-Place Award Winners

Enjoy!

I Hate to Say I Told You So...

...but I told you so.

The Cardinals advance to the NLCS again, but not before dangling some false hope in front of every non-Cardinal fan. I'll admit, there were a few times when I was tempted to think that maybe the Pirates could somehow pull off the miracle, but I had to remind myself to snap out of it and remember the rule: The Cardinals exist to make sure that no team with an interesting story ever wins a championship.

My greatest fear is that baseball will become like every other sport: an oligopoly where the underdog never gets a real shot at a title. Ever since 2005, that possibility has seemed more and more real. Will baseball become just another tragic love I had to break away from for the sake of my health? Perhaps. Thanks Cardinals, and thank you, Bud Selig, for doing everything you can to ruin the greatest game ever invented.

23 Pitching Coaches, and She Named Them All Dave

Today I came across a fun fact: The last four World Series champions have had a pitching coach named Dave. It was Righetti for the Giants in 2010 and 2012, Duncan for the loathsome Cardinals in 2011 and Eiland for the hated Yankees in 2009. The name has generally fared well in the last decade, with Duncan also winning it in 2006, and Dave Wallace serving as pitching coach for the 2004 Red Sox.

Clearly the power of the name Dave on your pitching coach has been increasing to the point where it is now invincible. Any team that hopes to win the World Series now needs one at this point. It just so happens that Daves Eiland and Righetti are the only two active pitching coaches in baseball with that name, and they coach for the Royals and Giants, respectively.

So fear not, Giant fans! You still have a shot, regardless of your recent struggles! Ditto to the Royal fans! Don't be surprised if that playoff drought ends this year, and even leads to a championship! Besides that, you've got George Brett back in the dugout, the missing link to the great teams of the '70s and '80s! 2013 is destined to be another year that goes to a team that got its act together after the All Star Break.

Quick Notes to My Readers

Happy New Year, everyone! As I mentioned in my last post, I feel obligated to put something up on this blog at least once a month, if for no other reason than I don't want to feel like I'm abandoning it.

I'm just writing to say that I've been busy lately and perhaps will be unable to post anything substantive this month, so this is just to announce that I haven't forgotten about you guys. Believe me, I have some cool ideas in the pipeline, and once time allows, I plan to share them here. I'm almost finished collecting data for one of them, but there's still a bit more work to do before it'll be ready. The other one I could end up abandoning if I lose interest, but as of right now I plan on doing it. It'd be a follow-up to a post I did a few years ago called "The Waist Band."

One other thing I wanted to mention is that Blogger hasn't been allowing me to post comments recently, so if I don't respond to your comment here, it's not because I'm trying to ignore you. I'm not sure if the problem is with my browser or with Blogger, but for whatever reason, it's being weird. I hope to figure that problem out too once I get some more free time.

Stay tuned! This blog still has something to offer!