TDox on the Sox

The Hub's New Sports Hub

2009-08-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

On August 13th, CBS introduced the new WBZ-FM as '98.5 The Sports Hub', Boston's newest all-sports radio station and a direct competitor to sports radio giants WEEI and ESPN Radio. The station will broadcast Bruins and Patriots games as well as daily sports talk shows featuring some familiar voices. The 'Toucher and Rich' show airs during weekday morning-drive time, 'Tanguay and Zolak' cover weekday middays, 'Felger and Massarotti' broadcast weekday afternoon-drive time, and Hub newcomer Damon Amendolara hosts 'The D.A. Show' weeknights. How will the new station compete against the self-proclaimed 'number one rated sports radio station in the country', and the self-proclaimed 'world-wide leader in sports'? Early indications say they will fare well.

Ironically, CBS owned 590 WEEI from 1937 to 1982 before selling the station to Helen Broadcasting who in turn sold the station to the Boston Celtics in 1991, at which time it became a full-time sports station. Meanwhile, Boston sports pioneer 850 WHDH folded and sold its dial position and transmitting facilities to American Radio Systems in 1994. Subsequently, WEEI was sold to Back Bay Broadcasting, which then sold the call letters and programming of WEEI to American Radio Systems, who then moved WEEI to 850 to replace defunct WHDH. American Radio Systems merged with CBS in 1998, but WEEI, 680 WRKO, and other stations were immediately sold to Entercom Communications Corporation. Why all the movement? The Red Sox, of course!

The Red Sox games were broadcast on 850 WHDH from 1947-1975 and featured legendary announcers Jim Britt, Curt Gowdy, Ned Martin, and Ken Coleman. From 1976 to 1982, the Red Sox games were found on 1510 WMEX , which was renamed WITS and now known as WWZN which recently tried unsuccessfully to compete in the sports radio market. 680 WRKO broadcasted Red Sox games from 1983 to 1994, followed by 850 WEEI from 1995 to the present. In 2006, Entercom signed a ten year deal to make WRKO the flagship station for the Red Sox night games, while WEEI would carry Wednesday games as well as day games. On August 26th of this year, Entercom changed the deal and WEEI became the sole flagship station for the Red Sox. Why the sudden change back to WEEI? The emergence of WBZ-FM!

With their first real competition in the Boston sports radio market, WEEI has made some noticeable changes this month. They brought the Red Sox games back from WRKO to keep listeners from changing the station before and after the games, shortened breaks between segments, answered callers quicker, and welcomed back Boston Globe writers who had been banned from WEEI since Ron Borges used a racial slur in 1999. But, it's too little, too late. The problem with WEEI has less to do with breaks, callers, and Globe writers and more to do with being a stale, stubborn, noisy mess.

The 'Dennis and Callahan' show on WEEI is a platform for the hosts' political stances, favorite shows on cable, and golf countryclubs they belong to. They typically spend less than half their time talking about sports, even though John Dennis is a former sports anchor for WHDH-TV and Gerry Callahan is a sports writer for the Boston Herald. They have an entire segment of the show about world news, and in fact, this program is better suited for FOX News than sports radio. Dennis and Callahan are right-wing bigots with a liberal audience that they frequently argue with because only their opinions matter. The program can become unlistenable unless you are a white male Republican who golfs and watches '24' or 'The Sopranos'. WBZ-FM will counter with 'Toucher and Rich', a holdover from the defunct WBCN. While a more juvenile show compared to D & C, Toucher and Rich (Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb) may appeal to a broader audience who are tired of the 'Soccer Mom' duo's act.

The 'Dale and Holley' show on WEEI is the best program on the network. Dale Arnold is the former play-by-play announcer of the Patriots and Bruins, and is the only person to announce games for all five major sports franchises in New England. He is a two-time Regional Emmy Award winner. Michael Holley is a former sports writer for the Boston Globe, and wrote best-selling books about Terry Francona, Tedy Bruschi, and Bill Belichick. Dale and Holley discuss topics rather than argue them, offer professional insights and opinions, and are well-versed in many sports. WBZ-FM will counter with 'Tanguay and Zolak', also from WBCN as part of the Patriots pre-game and post-game shows. Gary Tanguay is the host of the popular 'Sports Tonight' on Comcast SportsNet, and a former sports anchor for WBZ-TV. He is a self-proclaimed 'homer' which can be endearing to some fans and not to others. Scott Zolak was a Quarterback for the Patriots, and was the former co-host of the 'Gresh and Zo' show in Providence. Tanguay and Zolak will co-host the Patriots pre-game and post-game shows on WBZ-FM and their weekday show will give 'Dale and Holley' competition only on Fridays and Mondays during football season.

'The Big Show' on WEEI is like a bunch of guys sitting around talking about sports... while getting drunk (it seems). The show has a great concept: a host with a sports announcing background and rotating co-hosts who are sportswriters and former athletes. Glenn Ordway was a former announcer for the Celtics, a radio program director, and one of the first sports talk stars. He is an admitted flip-flopper who focuses too much on the 'topic of the day' and often contradicts himself throughout the program. Joining Ordway as a quasi co-host is Flashboy Pete Shepard. The cavalcade of stars that join Glen and Pete include respected writers Steve Buckley and Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald, and former Red Sox player and sudden sports talk star Lou Merloni. The three co-host 'The Baseball Show' with Greg Dickerson on Saturdays, which is also broadcast on NESN. Other 'Big Show' co-hosts include former Patriots players Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie, who co-host TV shows with both Ordway and Shepard, and shamelessly plug their restaurant on the shows.

The problems with the show and its co-hosts are that they talk about the same subject for longer than necessary, and they argue amongst themselves and with callers. Four hours a day for five days a week for four weeks is truly too long to talk about whether Victor Martinez or Jason Varitek should be the starting Catcher for the Red Sox. But, because Ordway and the boys constantly talk over each other and the callers, and no one can suggest a topic beyond the three presented at the beginning of the show, no real progress in the 'conversation' gets made. Many of the callers are plants, usually friends of the host or co-hosts who offer up a question or statement without any knowledge of the topic (or even how to pronounce a player's name) to get the 'conversation' going. Throughout the show someone, usually Shepard, will say something silly and listeners are encouraged to call the wildly popular 'Whiner Line' and leave a funny comment that may be broadcast at the end of the show. Most of the low-brow comments for the 'Whiner Line' are provided by frequent callers, some of whom are professional comedy writers. The entire show is sophomoric.

WBZ-FM will counter with 'Felger and Massarotti', two former co-hosts of 'The Big Show'. Michael Felger is the co-host of 'Sports Tonight' with Gary Tanguay, the host of 'Sports Sunday' on Comcast SportsNet, a former sports writer for the Boston Herald, and previously hosted his own show on ESPN Radio. Tony Massarotti is a sports writer for the Boston Globe, and a former writer for the Boston Herald. He was the 2001 winner of the Sportswriter of the Year Award, and both he and Felger have authored popular books. The outspoken Felger is known for his criticism of everything, whether he knows the details or not, and is a contrarian simply because he wants to create controversy. Remember McAdam calling Felger 'Mr Baseball'? Classic! Massarotti is a good foil for Felger because he is not afraid to take him to task, and can be a calm voice in the of reason in the 'Sea of Felger'. On 'The Big Show', both Felger and Massarotti grew tired of the inane banter and constant teasing, while on their own show they should be able to talk about many different topics respectfully, with a little bit of friendly banter, much like 'Dale and Holley'. Look for 'Felger and Massarotti' to give 'The Big Show' a run for its money.

'Planet Mikey' on WEEI is hosted by funnyman Mike Adams whose shows are more like Howard Stern than Howard Bryant. 'The D.A. Show' on WBZ-FM is hosted by Damon Amendolara who seems to be knowledgeable (even though he's a Yankees guy). The decision here is do you want to hear a comic routine or a sports program?

For the first time, WEEI has some real competition that they are afraid of. With the defections of Felger, Massarotti, John Wallach, and Marc Bertrand, will more WEEI talent leave for WBZ-FM? Lou Merloni was reportedly offered a deal to defect, but WEEI found a way to keep him on their roster. With the Patriots and Bruins on an all-sports station, will their fans stay tuned for other WBZ-FM programs? To have the Patriots radio host with his own weekday show on the same station is a good way to create loyalty. How will the cable networks be affected? WEEI partners with NESN because of the Red Sox, and WBZ-FM will likely partner with Comcast SportsNet because of Tanguay and Felger, however many WEEI personalities will continue to appear on Comcast SportsNet simply because NESN does not have a decent sports news program. Whatever the case, it is nice to be able to change the station during a commercial on one station and hear (clearly) more sports talk on another.

Varitek or Martinez?

2009-08-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

The recent addition of Catcher Victor Martinez has created quite a dilemma for Red Sox Manager Terry Francona, who will have to find At-Bats at four positions for five players: Martinez, Jason Varitek, Kevin Youkilis, Mike Lowell, and David Ortiz. Martinez is a good Catcher, though not an everyday Catcher, and a much better hitter than Varitek at this point in his career. When he's not Catching, Martinez can play First Base, which would move Youkilis to Third Base, and either Lowell or Ortiz to the bench; and when Martinez catches, Varitek would move to the bench. The big debate in Red Sox Nation is who should catch aces Josh Beckett and Jon Lester, who have an admitted comfort level pitching to Varitek.

In a five game stretch, the Red Sox could play Varitek in the Beckett and Lester games and sit him for the other three games. Martinez could then catch the other three games and play two games at First Base. Youkilis could play First Base three times and Third Base twice. Lowell could play Third Base three times and DH once, with one game on the bench. Ortiz could then DH four times with one game on the bench. In this ideal situation, Martinez and Youkilis would play every game while Varitek would play two of five, Lowell four of five, and Ortiz four of five.

Jason Varitek is a good Catcher, and probably still better defensively than Martinez. He has done a terrific job of helping the pitching staff achieve success over his 12 seasons with the Red Sox, including catching three-time Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. However when comparing Varitek's numbers while catching the team's best pitchers to other Catchers shows that in most cases Varitek is only marginally better:

Pedro Martinez with Varitek: .207 Avg, .261 OBP, .316 Slg
Pedro Martinez with Scott Hatteberg: .204/.263/.313
Derek Lowe with Varitek: .252/.312/.363
Derek Lowe with Hatteberg: .256/.319/.359
Tim Wakefield with Varitek: .259/.339/.440
Tim Wakefield with Hatteberg: .245/.325/.410
Tim Wakefield with Doug Mirabelli: .246/.312/.405
Curt Schilling with Varitek: .268/.298/.435
Curt Schilling with Mirabelli: .294/.320/.495
Josh Beckett with Varitek: .239/.289/.390
Josh Beckett with Mirabelli: .235/.306/.400
*Jon Lester and Daisuke Matsusaka have pitched exclusively to Varitek

Josh Beckett is an interesting case study for this argument. Most fans suggest that because he is a successful Major League Pitcher who makes alot of money, then it should not matter who catches him. The numbers say it did not matter early in his career, but does matter to Beckett now. While a member of the Florida Marlins, he posted his best numbers with journeymen Catchers Ramon Castro (.230/.289/.366) and Matt Treanor (.195/.272/.303), not with everyday Catchers Paul LoDuca (.242/.313/.383) and Ivan Rodriguez (.246/.315/.349), possibly the best Catcher in Baseball history. With the Red Sox, Beckett has been caught by six players including Varitek 100 times and Mirabelli eight times. Beckett's numbers with the other four Catchers:

Josh Beckett with Javy Lopez three times: .271/.386/.443
Josh Beckett with George Kottaras three times: .400/.441/.618
Josh Beckett with Ken Huckaby two times: .367/.387/.700
Josh Beckett with Victor Martinez one time: .375/.385/.917

Victor Martinez was an All-Star Catcher for the Cleveland Indians. He caught one Cy Young Award winner, C.C. Sabathia in 2007 (Kelly Shoppach caught Cliff Lee in 2008), as well as three other successful pitchers. However when comparing Martinez to others who caught for the Indians, his numbers are better with some and worse with others:

C.C. Sabathia with Martinez: .255/.305/.391
C.C. Sabathia with Einar Diaz: .248/.337/.375
Jake Westbrook with Martinez: .268/.320/.389
Jake Westbrook with Diaz: .299/.352/.462
Cliff Lee with Martinez: .271/.330/.450
Cliff Lee with Kelly Shoppach: .259/.299/.360
Fausto Carmona with Martinez: .262/.338/.379
Fausto Carmona with Shoppach: .311/.426/.491

These comparisons prove that Pitchers can have better performances with certain Catchers that they feel more comfortable with. If Beckett (and Lester) wants Varitek as his personal Catcher, and he has proven more successful with him, then Francona has an easy decision to make.

Steroids Finale

2009-08-18T09:10:00.000-07:00

Major League Baseball has known about steroids use since players began taking them in the mid 1980s. The Commissioner's office had been hesitant to do anything to prevent steroids use, possibly because of the power of the Players Union has in negotiations during collective bargaining which they famously wielded in 1994. The first attempt to prohibit steroids use was in 1991 when Commissioner Faye Vincent sent a 'memo' to clubs reminding them that players were forbidden from taking illegal substances, which was the only attempt to curb the use of steroids until the infamous tests of 2003. Without mandatory drug testing, MLB could only sit back and watch as players got noticeably bigger and stronger and started assaulting the Home Run record. Players like Jose Canseco continued to bulk up on illegal anabolic steroids, while players like Ken Griffey began taking legal muscle building supplements like creatine beginning in 1993. The record books would never be the same.

Prior to 1993, only 11 players in MLB history had hit 50 or more Home Runs in a season, accomplishing the feat 18 times. Babe Ruth hit 50 Home Runs four times; Jimmie Foxx, Ralph Kiner, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle twice; Hack Wilson, Hank Greenberg, Johnny Mize, Roger Maris, George Foster, and Cecil Fielder once.

Babe Ruth was the first player to hit 30, 40, 50, and 60 Home Runs in a season. He hit 50 Home Runs four times, all in the 1920s, and owned the single season records of 29, 54, 59, and 60 homers, which was broken in 1961. The 1930s saw four 50 Home Run seasons, most notably Jimmie Foxx and Hank Greenberg coming close to Ruth's record. There were three 50 Home Run seasons during the 1940s, two during the 1950s, and three during the 1960s. Roger Maris broke Babe Ruth's record when he hit 61 homers in 1961, and his record would last until 1998. From 1962 to 1992, only three players hit more than 50 Home Runs in a season, the last being Cecil Fielder in 1990.

Then came the summer of 1993. Since then, 14 players have hit 50 or more Home Runs in a season a total of 23 times. Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa hit 50 Home Runs four times; Alex Rodriguez three times; Ken Griffey twice; Albert Belle, Brady Anderson, Greg Vaughn, Barry Bonds, Luis Gonzalez, Jim Thome, Andruw Jones, Ryan Howard, David Ortiz, and Prince Fielder once. Coincidentally, Prince Fielder is the last player to hit 50 Home Runs in this era as his father was the last in the previous 120 years. More players have hit 50 or more Home Runs in a season over the last 20 years than the first 120 years of Baseball history.

During the strike-shortened 1994 season, no fewer than seven players were on pace to reach 50 Home Runs before the season ended in August. Matt Williams's 43 Home Runs had him on pace to break Maris's record, and Ken Griffey with 40 was close as well. The players flexed their new muscles in 1994 on the field and off the field as they went on strike. In a 144 game season in 1995, Albert Belle hit 50 homers. From that point forward, there would be at least one 50 Home Run hitter in MLB each season until 2002. The zenith of the 'Steroids Era' was 1996, when every league power record was broken. Mark McGwire enjoyed his first of four consecutive 50 Home Run seasons in 1996, and Brady Anderson, previously a Singles hitter, hit an astounding 50 homers.

Brady Anderson is the player most responsible for mediocre players suddenly hitting 30, 40, and 50 Home Runs. Anderson's brother-in-law Steve Finley and Finley's teammates Luis Gonzalez, Jay Bell, Greg Vaughn, and Shawn Green all overachieved in the 'Steroid Era'.

Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa both broke Maris's record in 1998. McGwire became the first to 62 that season, and the first to 70 in history. Androstenedione, a muscle building supplement, was found in McGwire's locker that year and helped enhance his performance. He would hit 65 Home Runs the following season before injuries forced him to miss most of the last two years in his career. Sosa had been using creatine since 1993, but somehow jumped from 36 homers in 1997 to 66 in 1998. Near the end of that season, Sosa had passed McGwire and owned the single season Home Run record for a while before McGwire overtook him. Sosa hit 50 Home Runs four consecutive seasons, missing a fifth by one homer in 2002, and is the only player to top 60 Home Runs three times. Ironically, Sosa led the league in Home Runs just twice, but never when he hit 60 or more homers.

Barry Bonds broke McGwire's record with 73 Home Runs in 2001 at the age of 37. Soon after, he was connected to steroids use, and Baseball performed a drug test in 2003 to determine if a mandatory test was needed to help clean up the sport. The test results showed that more than ten percent of MLB players failed the test even though they knew it was going to take place. Beginning in 2004, MLB instituted a mandatory drug testing policy for the first time, and some star players either lost some of their power or became mysteriously 'injured'. 2003 was the first year since 1994 that a player did not hit 50 Home Runs, and 2004, the first year of testing, had none as well. Five players have hit 50 Home Runs since testing began, including David Ortiz who was one of the players who failed the 2003 test.

Commissioner Bud Selig is to blame for the steroids problem. He was an owner of the Milwaukee Brewers before becoming Commissioner, and has never exerted his power because he is 'one of the boys'. Selig allowed the 1994 strike to go on so long that the World Series was cancelled for the first time in history and the 1995 season lost 18 games. With attendance dwindling throughout Baseball, Selig, in his haste to win back the fans, allowed McGwire and Sosa to romance the country with their Home Run chase. He also attended the embarrassing Congressional hearing in 2005 in which Rafael Palmeiro famously pointed his finger as he denied using steroids then immediately got caught, Sosa needed an interpreter even though he spoke perfect English, and McGwire was not there to talk about the past even though everyone else was. At the hearing, Selig said the extent of steroids use in Baseball had been blown out of proportion, and Baseball did not have a major problem. Uhhh...

McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds not just broke, but shattered the single season Home Run record. Bonds would go on to break Hank Aaron's career Home Run record as well with 762. How must Selig have felt watching his former player's record being broken by an accused steroids user? Of course, Bonds could be passed by Alex Rodriguez for the career Home Run record, and he is an admitted steroids user. Aaron never hit 50 Home Runs in a season. His high was 47 in 1971 at 37 years old. Hmmm. Prior to 1993, 27 players hit 47, 48, or 49 Home Runs in a year. Since 1993, 24 players have accomplished the same feat.

2008 was the first season since 1989 that a league leader did not have as many as 40 Home Runs, as Miguel Cabrera led the AL with 37. The last time the NL had a league leader with less than 40 homers was not coincidentally in 1992 when Fred McGriff hit 35. The last season in which no player hit 40 Home Runs was 1982. Many critics will blame expansion, smaller ball parks, and new baseballs for the offensive explosion. It was creatine and steroids.

A Few Facts on Expansion:
-Expansion occurred in 1961 as the AL added two teams. Mantle and Maris certainly benefited from rosters having Minor League talent on them, however integration also happened by this time, which would offset the expansion. Home Runs per team increased by 20 while Runs Scored stayed the same.
-Expansion occurred in 1962 as the NL added two teams. The NL benefited by the expansion in 1961 as teams increased their Home Runs by 20 while Runs Scored stayed the same. In 1962, the numbers remained the same even with the expansion.
-Expansion occurred in 1969 as both leagues added two teams. 1968 was known as the year of the pitcher, as offenses struggled to score runs. For 1969, the pitcher's mound was lowered from 15 inches to 10 inches. The lower mound and smaller strike zone accounted for the increase in offense, not the expansion. The 1960s saw the integration of Latin players which would have helped offset the expansion.
-Expansion occurred in 1977 as the AL added two teams. 1976 was a poor offensive season for both leagues and the last new officially modified baseball was introduced.
-Expansion occurred in 1993 as the NL added two teams. 1992 saw the lowest Home Run totals since the 1970s. Coors Field and creatine accounted for the offensive explosion more so than expansion.
-Expansion occurred in 1998 as both leagues added one team. Everyone knows why Home Runs increased in 1998 and it wasn't expansion.

A Few Misc Facts:
-Free Agency and the opportunity to earn millions of dollars became a motivator for many players. Before 1976, players got paid whatever their team wanted to pay them, regardless of performance. Since 1976, players get paid based on performance.
-30 Home Runs became a standard for players starting in 1993 when more than 20 topped the figure, after only 10 in 1992. Other individual statistics like 100 Runs and 100 RBI became standard as well.
-Ball parks are not much smaller than their predecessors. The 18 parks built in the last 20 years have an average of four extra feet in Left, two less feet in Left Center, two less feet in Center, five less feet in Right Center, and three less feet in Right. All the new ball parks built in the 1950s to 1970s also did little to increase offense.
-Relief pitching became an art form over the last 20 years, with three-out Closers and one-out specialists, yet offenses still exploded.

Thanks Bud!

The Summer of '93: Cookouts, Campfires, and Creatine

2009-08-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Red Sox Centerfielder Fred Lynn, who won the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in 1975, saw his offensive production drop dramatically over the next three seasons. During the offseason prior to 1979, Lynn began a weightlifting regimen using Nautilus machines, which were introduced to fitness centers earlier that year. Lynn would have his best season in 1979, nearly doubling his Home Run total from 1978, while increasing both his Runs and RBI by more than 40, adding 35 points to his Average, and raising his Slugging Percentage by 145 points. The following season, he suffered through an injury plagued year, and his statistics returned to normal levels. This would be the first case of weightlifting leading to an offensive explosion for a player.

Ten years later, Braves Infielder Ron Gant suffered through a terrible sophomore year in 1989 in which he hit .177 and was sent to the Minor Leagues to regain his rookie form. Gant began weightlifting and returned to the Major Leagues the following season with a new position, the Outfield, and a new body. With bulging muscles, Gant hit 32 Home Runs and stole 33 bases in his breakout season, and would duplicate it two of the following three seasons in Atlanta. This would be the first case of a player using weightlifting to create a muscular physique.

In 1993, Experimental and Applied Sciences (EAS) introduced Phosphagen, a creatine supplement, to athletes as an aid to muscle building. Creatine is a nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates and help supply energy to muscles, aiding muscle building for athletes. Baseball players began using creatine supplements during the 1993 season with immediate results. Many players enjoyed their best seasons that year, including Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Ken Griffey Jr.

Griffey was very open about his use of creatine, which was available at GNC and legal in Baseball. The supplement helped develop his power, as Griffey increased his Home Run total by 67%, going from 27 in 1992 to 45 in 1993. He averaged just 21 Home Runs for his first four seasons in the Major Leagues prior to 1993, and jumped to an average of 44 Home Runs for the remainder of his time in Seattle. With the help of creatine, Griffey would become one of the top Home Run hitters in Baseball history with over 600 in his career.

Baseball's great explosion had begun. With creatine and anabolic steroids available in every clubhouse, players became noticeably bigger and stronger. Soon, even Middle Infielders were becoming feared sluggers and offenses began hitting Home Runs at record paces. The zenith of the era was 1996, when three teams broke the Home Run record of the 1961 Yankees: The Mariners, the Orioles, and the Athletics.

The Mariners of 1995 had four players with career highs in Home Runs led by Jay Buhner and Edgar Martinez, while Griffey missed half the season. With Griffey healthy the next season, and a young power-hitting Short Stop in Alex Rodriguez, the Mariners slammed 245 homers, four more than the 1961 Yankees, but finished second in the league to the Orioles who clubbed 257. Not to be outdone, the Mariners hit 264 bombs in 1997, with all nine starters hitting double digits in Home Runs (six over 20) and Griffey leading the league with 56. Griffey left the Mariners following the 1999 season and the team's Home Run total fell by 46. Rodriguez would leave at the end of the next year, and the team's total fell by 29 to just 169 in 2001. The Mariners finished eighth in the league in Home Runs that year, yet won a MLB record 114 games. The team was led by the rejuvinated Bret Boone with his record 37 homers by a 2B.

The Orioles of 1995 had just two players with more than 20 Home Runs, Harold Baines and Rafael Palmeiro. In 1996, they set a record of eight players with 20 or more homers, and hit 257 as a team. Five hitters acheived career highs in Home Runs, including Brady Anderson who hit an amazing 50 bombs, and Roberto Alomar who achieved career highs in nearly every category. Just two players hit more than 20 Home Runs in 1997 as the team's offense returned to its normal level.

The Athletics of 1995 had just two power threats in their line-up, Mark McGwire who had 39 homers and Geronimo Berroa with 22. The next year, the team added two powerful rookies, Ernie Young with 19 homers and Jason Giambi with 20. Most of the veterans had career years in 1996, as McGwire led the league with 52 Home Runs, Berroa nearly doubled his output to 36 bombs, and Terry Steinbach more than doubled his total to 35. McGwire was traded mid-season in 1997 and the Athletics would suffer through one more poor offensive season before the emergence of future MVPs Giambi and Miguel Tejada.

The Indians of the early 1990s had the greatest collection of young stars in recent Baseball history. Beginning in 1991 with Albert Belle and Carlos Baerga, the Indians would introduce some of the best hitters in Baseball. Jim Thome, Manny Ramirez, Brian Giles, Sean Casey, and Richie Sexson all debuted with the Indians in the '90s. Each would go on to post impressive statistics throughout their careers, with Thome and Ramirez both becoming members of the 500 Home Run club. The 1991 Indians lost more than 100 games, and the youth infusion began. The 1994 Indians were the franchise's first good team in years and were on their way to winning 100 games before the strike hit. The 1995 team did win 100 games in just 144 games, and the 1999 Indians became one of very few teams to score 1000 Runs in a season.

Steroids Family Tree: Bagwell Branch

2009-08-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

Jeff Bagwell has never been connected to steroids. However, his offensive outburst during the 1994 season with the Astros would suggest he took something to enhance his performance. In his previous three seasons in the Major Leagues, Bagwell averaged 17 Home Runs, 88 RBI, and 259 Total Bases. During the strike-shortened 1994 season, Bagwell hit 39 Home Runs, second in the league to Matt Williams's 43, with league leading totals of 116 RBI and 300 Total Bases while playing in just 110 Games with 400 At Bats. Also that season, Bagwell posted a Batting Average of .368, second to Tony Gwynn's .394, a .451 On Base Percentage, again second to Gwynn, and a league leading .750 Slugging Percentage which at the time was seventh best in Baseball history. He was a unanimous choice for National League MVP, and at the end of the year Bagwell signed a seven year, $47 Million contract with the Astros.

That's right... Bagwell was a free agent at the end of 1994, which could explain his remarkable season. After signing his First Baseman to the lergest contract in team history, Astros owner Drayton McLane announced that payroll would have to be cut. By the end of 1994, seven of Bagwell's teammates were traded, including his friends Ken Caminiti and Steve Finley. At the trade deadline the next year, another friend of Bagwell's, Luis Gonzalez, was dealt away. The three would go on to have career years after leaving the Astros, and are all part of the Bagwell Branch.

With 21 Home Runs and 87 RBI in 1995, Bagwell surprisingly returned to his previous level of offense, however beginning in 1996, he would assault the box scores again until his last full season of 2004. Bagwell topped 30 Home Runs in a season nine times and finished with 449 for his career. Nine times he scored more than 100 Runs and eight times he drove in more than 100 runs, and ended with more than 1500 in each category during his 15 year career. Jeff Bagwell is a certain Hall of Famer, unless...

Bagwell begat Caminiti. The first Baseball player to admit to using steroids, Ken Caminiti was a teammate of Bagwell's during his magical year of 1994. After being traded to the Padres, Caminiti found steroids in nearby Mexico, and bulked up on his way to an MVP season in 1996. That year he had career high totals of 40 Home Runs, 130 RBI, and a .326 Average (in Houston his highs were 18/80/.294). Sadly, Caminiti died of a cocaine-induced heart attack at the age of 41 in 2004.

Caminiti begat Finley. A fleet-footed Centerfielder in his 20s with the Astros, Steve Finley became a power hitter at the age of 31 after being traded with Caminiti to the Padres. Finley's Home Run total tripled while he doubled his RBIs in 1996 hitting in front of Caminiti. In 1999, Finley joined Luis Gonzalez on the newly formed Arizona Diamondbacks. Together they would enjoy great seasons, as Finley had career bests in Home Runs and RBI. An interesting bit of trivia: Steve Finley and Brady Anderson, who played together for two years with the Orioles, are related through marriage. And... both had monster seasons in 1996. Hmmm

Caminiti begat Vaughn. 1996 was also a good year for Greg Vaughn. As a Brewer, Vaughn showed power potential, but did not break through until 1996. That season, he hit a career high 31 Home Runs before the trade deadline, and was sent to the Padres for whom he hit 10 more. Vaughn suffered through a disastrous 1997 season before suspiciously producing a 50 Home Run campaign in his free agent year of 1998. No one noticed Vaughn's achievement as the nation was caught up in the McGwire/Sosa lovefest, however Vaughn re-signed with the Padres, who then immediately traded him to the Reds. An interesting bit of trivia: Greg Vaughn and Mo Vaughn are cousins.

Finley begat Gonzalez. The last of the 'Bagwell Bunch' to be accused of using steroids, Luis Gonzalez had an interesting journey to stardom. He started his career with the Astros for whom he played five plus years in which he hit 59 total Home Runs and averaged 11 homers with 66 RBI. In 1995, Gonzalez was traded with Catcher Scott Servais to the Cubs where they became teammates of Sammy Sosa. After one season with the Cubs in which he hit just 15 Home Runs, Gonzalez returned to the Astros in 1997 and managed only 10 Home Runs. The Astros let him sign with the Tigers and the following season was his best power year as he hit a career high 23 Home Runs and 35 Doubles.
-The expansion Arizona Diamondbacks traded young Karim Garcia for Gonzalez prior to the 1999 season, and signed Steve Finley to reunite with Gonzalez in the Outfield. In a stunning season, Gonzalez added 28 Runs, 40 RBI, 40 Hits, and 69 points in Average to his 1998 totals. After an equally good 2000, Gonzalez went into the stratosphere in 2001. He hit a ridiculous 57 Home Runs, equalling his total from the previous two seasons combined, drove in 142 runs, and Slugged an amazing .688. Of course, he was overshadowed by Barry Bonds who broke the Home Run record that year. In 2002 and 2003, Gonzalez hit half as many Home Runs as 2001, and lost nearly 200 points in his Slugging Percentage. Another slugger who was 'injured' in 2004, the first year of mandatory drug testing in MLB, Gonzalez returned to his normal numbers for the remainder of his career.

Finley begat the 1999 Diamondbacks. The expansion Diamondbacks featured 2B Jay Bell and 3B Matt Williams, who both hit 20 Home Runs. In 1999, Finley and Gonzalez joined them, and all four players would enjoy a resurgence in offense. Bell and Williams were both 33 years old in 1999, and both would hit more than 35 Home runs and drive in more than 100 runs. Bell had career highs with 38 Home Runs, 112 RBI, 132 Runs, and a .557 Slugging Percentage. Williams had career highs with 190 Hits, 142 RBI, and 336 Total Bases. The Diamondbacks won 100 games in 1999, becoming the fastest expansion team to win 100 games.

The Bonds Branch:

Barry Bonds may have taken PEDs beginning in 1999 at the age of 34, following the Home Run Chase by McGwire and Sosa. Playing in just 102 Games that season, Bonds hit 34 Home Runs in just 355 At Bats. In 2000, teammate Jeff Kent won the MVP Award with a stellar season even though Bonds hit 49 Home Runs. Not to be outdone again, Bonds would win his fourth of seven MVP Awards in 2001 when he hit a record 73 Home Runs in just 476 At Bats. He ended the season with 567 Home Runs at 37 years old, an age when other stars are winding down their careers and are lucky to hit 30 Home Runs in a season, never mind 73. But Bonds was not done, as he posted three more seasons of 45 plus Home Runs and won his final three MVP Awards. Bonds joined the 'injured' stars in 2005 before returning for two 'normal' seasons, during which he passed Hank Aaron for the most career Home Runs with 762. It would later be revealed that Bonds was involved in steroids and a number of other Giants players, and Bonds's teammates, were involved as well. He also is associated with Gary Sheffield, who he worked out with occasionally.

The Sheffield Branch:

Gary Sheffield is the most confusing player in the steroids family tree. He is the nephew of Dwight Gooden, a drug user and abuser who Sheffield lived with as a youth, which may explain some of the mystery. The first four years of his career were as a light-hitting Infielder for the Brewers, for whom he hit .259 with 21 Home Runs and 133 RBI in 1110 At Bats. Sheffield forced a trade out of Milwaukee, and the Brewers obliged by sending him to the Padres prior to the 1992 season. In San Diego, Sheffield found his power stroke, nearly winning the Triple Crown that year with 33 Home Runs, 100 RBI and a league leading .330 Average. Perhaps Sheffield found his way to nearby Mexico, as Caminiti would a few years later?
-The Padres traded Sheffield the following season to the expansion Marlins for a few young players including Trevor Hoffman. After two half seasons, Sheffield would have a tremendous 1996 campaign. The Marlins would go on to buy a nice roster to surround Sheffield with and they eventually won the World Series in 1997. The team then traded nearly every star player they had and Sheffield ended up with the Dodgers in early 1998, for whom he had three and a half successful seasons. For some reason he was traded to the Braves prior to 2002, joining the Jones boys, and had a monster year in 2003 which not coincidentally was also Javy Lopez's record-setting year. The Braves did not re-sign either Sheffield or Lopez in the off-season, and Sheffield joined the Yankees with Alex Rodriguez. Sheffield enjoyed two more brilliant seasons before joining the 'injured' stars in 2006. He admitted to using a steroid cream in 2001 while working out with Bonds, and has shown signs similar to 'roids rage.

The Sosa Branch:

Sammy Sosa was a talented skinny kid with the White Sox and Cubs who averaged 15 Home Runs and 28 Stolen Bases per 162 Games through the 1992 season. In 1993 he doubled his Home Run average, as he hit 33, possibly due to weightlifting in the offseason using creatine. From 1993 to 1997, Sosa averaged 34 Home Runs, 100 RBI, 278 Total Bases, and 26 steals. With the help of new hitting coach Jeff Pentland, and possibly because of anabolic steroids, Sosa would make a mockery of the Home Run record beginning in 1998. From 1998 to 2003, which was the last year Baseball did not have a mandatory drug testing policy, Sosa averaged 55 Home Runs, 134 RBI, 372 Total Bases, and just five steals. He hit more than 61 Home Runs a record three times on his way to over 600 in his career.

Steroids Family Tree: Canseco Branch

2009-08-14T12:09:00.000-07:00

Beginning with Jose Canseco and the Oakland Athletics of the late 1980s, steroids use would become rampant in Major League Baseball in the mid 1990s. The offensive explosion of 1987 was attributed to a new baseball, which may be partly true, as offensive numbers would return to normal the next season and remain there through 1992. The 'Steroids Era' would begin in earnest in 1993 and continue for a full decade before MLB would institute a drug testing policy. During this period many offensive records were broken by star players, while mediocre players were posting Ruthian numbers as well. Canseco and company created a steroids family tree that is interesting to speculate about.

Canseco begat McGwire. In 1987, Mark McGwire hit a rookie record 49 Home Runs. After three consecutive mediocre seasons in which he failed to hit 40 Home Runs, his career appeared to be in rapid decline following his disastrous 1991 season in which he hit just 22 Home Runs with a Mendoza-like .201 Average, and a Slugging Percentage of .383 which was sixth best on his team. The next year he rebounded well, before injuries took nearly two full seasons from him. Upon his return in 1995, McGwire would go on to hit Home Runs at a record pace, eventually breaking Roger Maris's record in 1998 when he hit a ridiculous 70 Home Runs in only 509 At Bats. That year he was caught using androstenedione, a muscle builder that made him as big as Hulk Hogan, and soon after nearly everyone in Baseball was using supplements.

McGwire begat Giambi. Canseco returned to Oakland for one final season with the A's in 1997, which was McGwire's last year with the team as he was traded to the Cardinals at the deadline. Before they left, 'the Bash Brothers would leave their mark on Jason Giambi, a young player on the team who would go on to become a great Home Run hitter in his own right, hitting more than 400 Home Runs in his career. When steroid testing became mandatory in 2004, Giambi became ill with a mysterious 'virus' that shrunk his muscles.

Giambi begat Tejada. After the departure of Canseco and McGwire, the A's somehow quickly rebuilt the offense around future MVPs Giambi and Miguel Tejada, while other players on the team like Matt Stairs and John Jaha suspiciously put up career numbers. Tejada became a consistent 30 Home Run and 100 RBI player as a Short Stop, something unheard of in the 1980s and early 1990s. After teammate Rafael Palmeiro was suspended for testing positive for steroids in 2005, he pointed the finger at a supplement that Tejada gave him.

McGwire begat Pujols. While he has not been linked to steroids use, Albert Pujols was McGwire's teammate during Pujols's rookie season of 2001. After hitting 19 Home Runs in the Minor Leagues in 2000, Pujols nearly doubled that total in the Major Leagues the following season in which he had one of the greatest rookie campaigns in Baseball history. He has posted more than 30 Home Runs, 100 RBI, and a .300 Average in each of his nine MLB seasons, and is on his way to his third MVP season. There are no players prior to 1986 with Pujols's physique, which is similar to McGwire's, while most of his contemporaries with similar bodies have been revealed as steroids users.

Canseco begat Palmeiro. As a member of the Rangers in 1993 and 1994, Canseco claimed he injected steroids into three young players: Ivan Rodriguez, Juan Gonzalez, and Rafael Palmeiro. Gonzalez was the only one of the three to be a power hitter before the arrival of Canseco, yet all three would amass more than 300 career Home Runs. Palmeiro, who was a decent player with limited power until 1992, would hit 474 of his 569 career Home Runs after meeting Canseco. Interesting fact: Sammy Sosa was a teammate of Palmeiro's in his rookie year of 1989 with the Rangers, and again in 2005 with the Orioles.

Palmeiro begat Anderson. The poster boy for steroids use in the 1990s was Brady Anderson, who never admitted to using steroids, however raised suspicions when he hit 50 Home Runs in 1996 after never hitting more than 21 in any prior season. With Anderson and Palmeiro, the 1996 Orioles (more on them later) were one of three teams to break the Home Run record that season, surpassing the 241 hit by the 1961 Yankees.

Palmeiro begat Rodriguez. In 2001, Alex Rodriguex signed the most lucrative contract in Baseball history with the Rangers. On the team were Palmeiro and Ken Caminiti (more on him later), both steroids users. A-Rod, who took supplements as a young player with the Mariners (more on them later), admitted to taking steroids only during his three years with the Rangers in which he averaged 50 Home Runs per season. He was young. He was naive. He was young. He was naive. He was young. He was naive.

Canseco begat Clemens. During Roger Clemens's last two years with the Red Sox, he was teammates with Canseco. After an injury forced Clemens to miss some time in 1993-1995, he rebounded in 1996 by leading the league in Strikeouts though he won just ten games. Red Sox GM Dan Duquette suggested Clemens was in the twilight of his career after the season, allowing him to leave as a free agent. Clemens signed with the Blue Jays and went on to win the Cy Young Award in both of his years with the team. Then he met country singer Mindy McCready and his life went to hell.

Clemens begat Pettitte. Best friends Clemens and Andy Pettitte worked out and took steroids together while teammates on both the Yankees and Astros. While Clemens's performance was obviously aided by steroids, it is hard to say what affect steroids had on Pettitte, though his performance mirrored that of Clemens when they were teammates.

Canseco begat Green. A platoon player before Canseco's arrival in Toronto, Shawn Green doubled his output during Canseco's only year as his teammate. Green hit 16 Home Runs with 53 RBI in 1997 without Canseco, and 35 Home Runs with 100 RBI in 1998 with Canseco. While never linked to steroids use, Green and teammate Carlos Delgado put up big numbers as teammates of Canseco and Clemens.

Canseco begat Vaughn. A young player with power, Mo Vaughn finally realized his potential when Canseco joined the Red Sox in 1995. Vaughn won the MVP award that year and put up Rice-like numbers in 1996 with Canseco again a teammate. Vaughn left the Red Sox at the end of the 1998 season for a lucrative contract with the Angels even though it wasn't about the money.

Vaughn begat Glaus. Mo Vaughn signed with the Angels in 1999, who featured rookie Troy Glaus, who hit just one Home Run in 165 At Bats in 1998. Glaus hit 29 Home Runs in 1998 with Vaughn on the team, and the next season Glaus would lead the league with 47 Home Runs at just 23 years old. Teammate Garrett Anderson, who was not linked to steroids, would also have a career year in 1999, hitting 35 Home Runs which was 14 more than his previous high.

These players are the biggest names linked to steroids. Others like Manny Alexander and Jason Grimsley could also be a part of the branch, but they had insignificant careers. Home Run hitters like Mark Teixeira and Jim Edmonds put up great numbers while being teammates with players from this branch, however were never accused of using steroids. Only time will tell who else was among the list of 104, and members of the Canseco Branch.

ESPN Poll: All-Time Yankees & Red Sox Team

2009-08-09T10:21:00.000-07:00

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is the best in Baseball, if not all of sports. ESPN is located in Bristol, CT which is the Mason-Dixon line for both clubs, and some of their broadcasters are unabashed members of Red Sox Nation. One who plays the fence is the great Peter Gammons, an analyst for 'Baseball Tonight'. Gammons, who is a writer for the Boston Globe, becomes a Yankees supporter when he's on New York radio, possibly to get more people to read his articles and watch ESPN. The network loves the rivalry because the teams have the largest followings in all of sports, which equals higher ratings and more revenue for ESPN.

There are no more passionate Baseball fans than in the Northeast, where sell-outs still occur and fans travel for the opportunity to see their team play. ESPN plays on that passion by offering Red Sox or Yankees games regularly at the expense of every other team. If the matchup happens to be Yankees versus Red Sox, then the network will show two of the games in the series. Tonight, game three of the current series between the teams is on ESPN's 'Sunday Night Baseball' at 8pm. To promote the game, 'Baseball Tonight' has challenged fans to submit their all-time Yankees/Red Sox team consisting of members from each team. I submit mine:

Yankees/Red Sox All-Time Team:
C: Yogi Berra, NY
1B: Lou Gehrig, NY
2B: Bobby Doerr, BOS
3B: Alex Rodriguez, NY
SS: Derek Jeter, NY
LF: Ted Williams, BOS
CF: Joe DiMaggio, NY
RF: Babe Ruth, BOS/NY
DH: Jimmie Foxx, BOS
SP: Roger Clemens, BOS/NY
SP: Cy Young, BOS
SP: Lefty Grove, BOS
SP: Whitey Ford, NY
SP: Pedro Martinez, BOS
CL: Mariano Rivera, NY

Papi, Manny, and the 2003 Red Sox

2009-08-08T12:10:00.000-07:00

Red Sox GM Dan Duquette had a choice to make prior to the 2001 season; to sign free agent Pitcher Mike Mussina or free agent Outfielder Manny Ramirez. With only Pedro Martinez as a reliable Starting Pitcher for the Red Sox, fans rooted for the five-time All-Star Mussina to team with Pedro to form a powerful one-two punch in the rotation. In 2000, the Red Sox had journeymen and washed-up stars Ramon Martinez, Jeff Fassero, Pete Schourek, and Rolando Arrojo in the rotation. Pedro won his third Cy Young Award that year, but his brother Ramon was the only other starter to reach ten Wins, and each of the other four starters had an ERA over 4.75. Because of Pedro and Closer Derek Lowe, the Red Sox pitching staff had the best numbers in the league, leading the AL in ERA and finishing second in Strikeouts. The offense was lacking that season as the team finished in the bottom three in the league in Runs, Home Runs, and Average. The decision to sign Ramirez was an easy one, however Duquette offered Ramirez a ridiculous eight year, $20 million contract, for some reason outbidding every other team by tens of millions of dollars.

Mussina signed with the Yankees for six years and $87 million, nearly half the price of Ramirez. He went on to win 92 games during the six years of his initial contract. To quell the wrath of Red Sox Nation, Duquette signed Hideo Nomo, a pitcher who won 26 games over the previous three seasons with an ERA over 4.75, for one year and $1 million. The Red Sox allowed Nomo, who won 13 games in his one season, to leave as a free agent and turned Closer Derek Lowe into a Starter. Lowe had an excellent season in the rotation in 2002, followed by two years that were progressively worse before he was allowed to leave as a free agent following the 2004 season. In 2003, Tim Wakefield made his return to the rotation full-time, with two decent seasons mixed in with some mediocre years. (Imagine a 2003 Red Sox rotation of Martinez, Mussina, Lowe, Wakefield, and Nomo)

The Red Sox would falter in Ramirez's first year with the team in 2001, winning just 82 games as injuries took games away from Pedro, Nomar Garciaparra, Carl Everett, Troy O'Leary, and Jason Varitek. Everett and O'Leary would leave at the season's end and Duquette would make his last free agent signing for the Red Sox, Johnny Damon. The 2002 Red Sox offense would improve dramatically with everyone healthy and Damon in the leadoff spot, finishing second in the AL in Runs and Average.

John Henry and friends bought the Red Sox in 2002 and hired young phenom Theo Epstein as their GM. Theo immediately went about fixing the ails of the team by reworking the Bullpen and the line-up. He added Mike Timlin, Brandon Lyon, and Ramiro Mendoza to the 'pen to begin the 2003 season, then traded All-Star Third Baseman Shea Hillenbrand in May to the Diamondbacks for Closer Byun-Hung Kim. The offense was overhauled drastically as Theo traded prospects to the Cubs for Second Baseman Todd Walker, purchased First Baseman Kevin Millar in a strange transaction involving the Marlins and a Japanese team, signed free agent Third Baseman Bill Mueller, and signed Designated Hitter David Ortiz who had been released by the Twins.

The 2003 Red Sox started the season with Ortiz on the bench. Hillenbrand split his time between First and Third, while Millar played at First and in the Outfield. Jeremy Giambi was the DH to start of the year, and failed miserably. His poor performance plus the trade of Hillenbrand, who the new owners appeared to dislike, opened the door for Ortiz to start regularly at DH. He surprised everyone with his power display, hitting 27 Home Runs from July 1st to the end of the season, finishing the year with 31 homers and 101 RBI. With the Twins, Ortiz never hit more than 20 homers or drove in more than 75 runs in a season.

While it is easy to look back at the performance of Ortiz in 2003 and attribute it to steroids use, as his name was leaked as one of the players who failed a drug test from the Spring of that year, the rest of the team put up record numbers. The offense set MLB records of 649 Extra Base Hits, 2832 Total Bases, and a .491 Slugging Pct, surpassing the 1927 Yankees' Murderer's Row. The team had the MLB records of eight players with 30+ Doubles, eight players with 80+ RBI, and nine players with 100+ Hits. The Red Sox set team records with 238 Home Runs, six players with 20+ Home Runs, and nine players with 10+ Home Runs. Ortiz and Ramirez both tested positive for steroids before the season, but how many of their teammates took steroids as well?

The four new players in 2003 all had great years, led by Ortiz. Millar had equally good seasons in years past, but in 2003 had his best power year with 25 Home Runs and 96 RBI. Walker had a career best 85 RBI, while maintaining his decent overall numbers. The biggest surprise was little Bill Mueller, who nearly doubled his previous career-highs when he hit 19 Home Runs with 85 RBI. Mueller won the batting title with a .326 Average and slugged .540, nearly 100 points above his previous best. He also became the first player to hit a grand slam from each side of the plate in the same game.

Two of the veterans also set personal bests in 2003. Catcher Jason Varitek set career-highs with 25 Home Runs, 85 RBI, a .273 Average, and a .512 Slugging Percentage, all while batting ninth in the line-up. Fellow birthday boy Trot Nixon had 28 Home Runs while batting .306 with a .578 Slugging Percentage which were all career bests for him. Manny (37/104/.325), Nomar (28/105/.301), and Damon (12/67/.273) all had terrific but typical years.

With the historic offense of the 2003 Red Sox, would anyone be surprised if more players from the team also failed the drug test administered that Spring? The 2004 team that won the first World Series for Boston since 1918 scored nearly as many Runs as the 2003 team, even with Garciaparra injured for most of the first half. Ortiz increased his offense to match Manny, and Damon had career-high power numbers, while the rest of the hitters returned to their normal production. Hmmm?

The Summer of '86: Sun, Sand, and Steroids

2009-08-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

A number of important events happened in Baseball in 1986. The Red Sox came within one out of their first championship since 1918, Roger Clemens struck out a Major League record 20 batters in one game and won both the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award, and Bobby Doerr was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. In August of that season, career Hits leader Pete Rose of the Reds collected his final Hit, while Pittsburgh's Barry Bonds slammed the first of his record 762 Home Runs in June. Other notable achievements of 1986 are Atlanta's Bob Horner hitting four Home Runs in one game, Mike Scott of the Astros pitching a no-hitter, and Don Sutton winning his 300th game. While these achievements are all noteworthy, they pale in comparison to the most important event of 1986, the introduction of steroids into Major League Baseball.

No one knows the exact date of the first use of steroids in Baseball or who took them. Jose Canseco admitted to using steroids beginning in 1985 at the age of 20, a year that saw his Home Run total in the Minor Leagues jump from 15 in 1984 to 36 the next year in just 34 more At-Bats. He would go on to win the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1986 after bashing 33 Home Runs for the Oakland Athletics, five short of the MLB Rookie record of 38 held by Wally Berger and Frank Robinson. Several other Rookies made quite an impact in 1986. Former College superstar Pete Incaviglia hit 30 Home Runs for the Rangers, while Seattle's Danny Tartabull, son of former MLB player Jose Tartabull, clubbed 25 Home Runs with 96 RBI. In Cleveland, super sub Cory Snyder slammed 24 Home Runs, and the Angels had slick-hitting Wally Joyner with his 22 Home Runs and 100 RBI. Another slugger would make a brief debut at the end of the 1986 season as future Home Run king Mark McGwire joined Canseco in Oakland.

In his book "Juiced...", Canseco admitted to injecting McGwire with steroids while teammates in Oakland. They were known as 'The Bash Brothers' because of their muscular physiques and gaudy Home Run totals, which were attributed to weight lifting. Washington Post Baseball writer Thomas Boswell claimed that Canseco 'made himself great with steroids' after his MVP season of 1988. A month later, the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 penalized the distribution or possession of anabolic steroids unless prescribed by a physician, and anabolic steroids were formally banned in MLB in 1991 by Commissioner Faye Vincent. McGwire would be found using the muscle building supplement androstenedione during his chase of Roger Maris's Home Run record in 1998. Androstenedione was eventually banned by MLB in 2004, after the FDA banned the sale of andro earlier in the year because of its similarity to an anabolic steroid.

In 2005, during a Congressional hearing on steroids and Baseball, McGwire refused to answer questions about his past. It was during this hearing that Rafael Palmeiro infamously pointed his finger as he denied using steroids, and Sammy Sosa mysteriously forgot how to speak English. Also present at the hearing were Canseco, Frank Thomas, and Curt Schilling. Thus far, only Thomas and Schilling remain clear of steroid controversy.

Palmeiro and Bonds both debuted as Outfielders in 1986, Palmeiro as a September call-up with the Cubs, and Bonds at the end of May for the Pirates. The Cubs traded the slap-hitting Palmeiro to the Rangers in 1989, where he teamed with a young Sosa for a few months before Sammy was traded to the White Sox. In 1992, the Rangers traded their young star Ruben Sierra to the Athletics for Canseco, who would begin to supply steroids for Palmeiro and other young Rangers Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez. When Alex Rodriguez joined the Rangers in 2001, Palmeiro, Pudge, and Ken Caminiti were all members of the team, and would all be accused of (or be caught) using steroids. (I'll deal with the Astros and Mariners use of steroids later)

In his third season with the Twins in 1986, Kirby Puckett hit 31 Home Runs after hitting just four over his first two years. He had worked in the off-season with hitting coach Tony Oliva on driving the ball with his quick wrists, and the results were amazing. Some critics scoffed at the claim and accused Puckett and the Twins of 1986 of being Baseball's frst steroid users. Frank Deford of Sports Illustrated wrote 'The Secret Life of Kirby Puckett' in 2003, in which Deford tells of Puckett's many sexual indiscretions and acts of violence. Some of the acts could be associated with 'roid rage', a term for aggressive behavior shown by a person after taking large doses of anabolic steroids.

Prior to 'the Steroids Era', baseball players used amphetamines and cocaine in the 1970s and 1980s to boost their performance. The most famous incident involving drug use was when Dock Ellis of the Pirates pitched a no-hitter against the Padres in 1970 while high on LSD. Commissioner Peter Ueberroth suspended eleven players in 1986 who testified in the Pittsburgh drug trial the year before. Admitted users included Keith Hernandez, whose Mets teams were drowning in cocaine, Tim Raines, who slid head-first to avoid breaking a vial, and John Milner, who bought amphetamines from Hall of Famers Willie Stargell and Willie Mays. Later in 1986, Ueberroth would ban former Cy Young Award winner Lamar Hoyt from Baseball for his third arrest due to drug possession charges.

1986 was a transition year as players turned away from amphetamines and other drugs in favor of supplements and steroids. The weight lifting programs that became popular workouts in the late 1970s were aided by PEDs beginning in the late 1980s. Eventually, most of the PEDs were banned by the Government and subsequently by MLB because of the damage they cause to a body. Now that MLB has a drug testing policy, what will the players use next to make themselves better?

Great Players who debuted in 1986:
-Barry Bonds*
-Greg Maddux
-Rafael Palmeiro*
-Mark McGwire*
-Fred McGriff

Good Players who debuted in 1986:
-Will Clark
-Barry Larkin
-Benito Santiago*
-Chuck Finley
-Wally Joyner*
-Bobby Bonilla
-David Cone
-Bo Jackson
-Kevin Brown*
-Ruben Sierra

*Accused or convicted of steroids use

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Final

2009-08-03T10:30:00.000-07:00

Honoring unworthy people while ignoring those who are worthy of induction or those who overcame adversity is shameful of the Hall of Fame. Beginning with crediting Abner Doubleday with inventing the game for marketing purposes in the resort of Cooperstown, to the induction of the double play combination of 'Tinkers to Evers to Chance', to 'Frisch's Friends' being elected by the Veterans Committee, Baseball has alot to be embarrassed about when it comes to how its heritage has been handled.

Throughout this series of articles, I have challenged the Hall of Fame's elections and snubs. I am not the first to do that, nor will I be the last. Of the 296 people I have deemed worthy of induction, 211 are members of the Hall of Fame and 18 are not eligible yet. Of the 67 people who are not Hall of Famers, there are 18 position players, 14 pitchers, one manager, one executive, four pioneers, 12 Negro Leaguers, and 17 women. While Baseball has given respect to the Negro Leaguers from the 1920s through the 1950s by electing many of them into the Hall of Fame, there have been no female players from the AAGPBL elected. Women are banned from playing in the Minor Leagues and the Major Leagues, with only a few allowed to play in the Independant League. Since women cannot play in the Major Leagues, the Hall of Fame has ignored their contribution to Baseball by not electing any women, but has elected black players who never made the Major Leagues. The lone woman elected to the Hall of Fame was Effa Manley, a white woman who was part-owner of the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues. Wait... what?

Among the Hall of Fame members are eight Umpires. There are no Scouts, no Pitching Coaches, no Hitting Coaches, no Base Coaches, no Announcers, and no Writers in the Hall of Fame, so why are there Umpires? Contrary to popular belief, the great sports writer and ESPN analyst Peter Gammons is not a Hall of Famer. In 2005, he was honored with an award given by the BBWAA, the J.G. Taylor Spinks Award, but is not a member of the Hall of Fame and has no plaque hanging in the museum. Each year during the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Cermony, one sports writer and one broadcaster are presented with awards and are allowed to make acceptance speeches, however they are not inducted as Hall of Famers. Another false belief comes from the popular trivia question asking who were the first non-baseball playing celebrities inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The answer is purported to be Abbott and Costello, who are famous for their skit 'Who's on First?', which was honored by the Hall of Fame in 1957. There is a video of the hilarious bit that plays on a loop in the museum, however the men are not members of the Hall of Fame as claimed by their website, only honorees.

While the museum does a decent job of explaining some of Baseball's history, there are many unnecessary exhibits which could be replaced with more meaningful tributes. There are exhibits honoring Women in Baseball, Negro League Baseball, and Latins in Baseball. Smaller displays feature Fans, Scouts, Writers, Announcers, and even Movies but are rarely visited as they are set behind the plaque room. Missing are tributes to War Heroes (though Hall of Fame members have a medal under their plaques signifying military service), players with disabilities, and people who died while active players.

Early in its history, the Hall of Fame was going to present an 'Honor Roll' to acknowledge players and pioneers who were not Hall of Fame members, but the idea fizzled out in a few years. In 2007, the Hall of Fame created the 'Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award' to posthumously honor the great Buck O'Neil. The award will be given no more than every three years. The saddest example of how the Hall of Fame is a shameful institution is through their treatment of one of the most revered men in Baseball history. After having been a member of the Negro Leagues Committee from 1981 to 2000, O'Neil was put on the special 2006 ballot of Negro League players and pioneers. A new Negro Leagues Committee had done research over a number of years at the behest of MLB and were urged to elect a number of worthy Negro Leaguers to be inducted in 2006. The committee elected 17 people in February of that year, however O'Neil fell short of election. Why? His final shot at being a Hall of Famer while still living was somehow denied. Why? He made a memorable speech at the Induction Ceremony that year honoring his fellow Negro Leaguers, as many of them were deceased. O'Neil died a short time later in December of 2006, and was posthumously honored by the Hall of Fame in October 2007 with the award given in his name (a pathetic attempt by the Hall of Fame who should have elected him instead).

Finally, I cannot justify electing any of the Commissioners of Baseball to the Hall of Fame. It seems that the more corrupt they were, the longer they served; and the more good they tried to do, the quicker they were ousted. Pathetic!

People worthy of being honored by the Hall of Fame:

Negro Pioneers:
-William White : Grays 1B - First African-American to play in the Major Leagues
-Octavius Catto : Promoted the all-black Pythians team to the National Association
-Connie Morgan : Clowns 2B - Last woman to play in the Negro Leagues
-Welday Walker : Blue Stockings - Teammate of his brother Moses Walker
-Frank Leland : Owner, manager, and player - Formed Union Baseball Club, Leland Giants

Women:
-Helene Britton : First female owner - Cardinals 1911-16
-Edith Houghton : First female Scout - Phillies 1946-52
-Justine Siegal : First female coach - Brockton Rox (Minors) 2009
-Betty Caywood : First female broadcaster - Athletics 1964
-Marie Brenner : First female Baseball writer - Red Sox 1979 (Boston Herald)
-Jackie Mitchell : AA pitcher in an exhibition against the Yankees who struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Had her contract voided by Commisioner Landis a few days later.
-Ila Borders : Pitcher in Independant League
-Tammy Holmes : Outfielder in Independant League
-Mildred 'Babe' Didrikson Zaharias : Pitched exhibition games against Major League teams

Women Umpires:
-Amanda Clement : First paid female umpire
-Bernice Gera : First professional female umpire
-Pam Postema : First woman to umpire Spring Training games
-Christine Wren
-Theresa Cox
-Ria Cortesio
I believe this is how male Umpires should be honored, not with membership in the Hall of Fame. I would not know which male Umpires are worthy of honoring, however all female Umpires should be honored along with female players and pioneers.

Pioneers:
-Philip Wrigley : Founder of the AAGPBL
-Patrick Powers : Founder of the NAPBL (the Minor Leagues)
-Curt Flood : Fought Baseball's Reserve Clause

Players with Disabilities:
-Pete Gray : One arm. Outfielder
-Bert Shepard : One leg. Pitcher for one MLB game
-Jim Abbott : One hand. Pitcher
-Hugh Daily : One hand. Pitcher
-Mordecai 'Three Finger' Brown* : Three fingers on pitching hand
-Vincent 'Bo' Jackson : Hip replacement. Outfielder
-Jim Mecir : Two club feet. Pitcher
-William 'Dummy' Hoy : Deaf. Outfielder
-Luther 'Dummy' Taylor : Deaf. Pitcher
-Charles 'Chick' Hafey : Eyesight problems fron sinus condition. Outfielder
-Ron Santo : Diabetes. Third Baseman
-John Hiller : Heart Attack. Pitcher
-Jimmy Piersall : Bipolar. Outfielder
-Jim Eisenreich : Tourette's Syndrome. Outfielder
-Grover 'Pete' Alexander* : Epilepsy. Pitcher
-Tony Lazzeri : Epilepsy. Second Baseman

Players who died while active in MLB:
-Thurman Munson : Yankees C
-Ray Chapman : Indians SS
-Darryl Kile : Astros/Cardinals P
-Charles 'Chick' Stahl : Red Sox OF
-Lyman Bostock : Twins OF
-Jake Daubert : Dodgers/Reds 1B
-Ross Youngs : Giants OF
-Ed Delahanty* : Phillies OF
-Addie Joss* : Indians P
-Roberto Clemente* : Pirates OF

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 10

2009-08-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. Throughout its history, the Hall of Fame has had its share of controversies, but none can match the myth that Civil War hero Abner Doubleday invented modern Baseball in the village of Cooperstown in 1839.

The Mills Commission was formed in 1905 after a dispute by sports journalist Henry Chadwick and sporting goods magnate Albert Spalding as to the true origins of Baseball. Chadwick claimed that the game was derived from the English game of Rounders, while Spalding countered that Baseball was an American invention. National League President Abraham Mills chaired the six man committee that requested accounts from Americans with firsthand knowledge of the origins of Baseball. A 71 year old mining engineer, Abner Graves, claimed that his childhood friend Abner Doubleday invented Baseball while a student in Cooperstown, NY in 1839 on the farm of printer Elihu Phinney, where Doubleday Field stands today. The committee did not investigate the claim, and proclaimed Doubleday as the inventor of Baseball in their document, the 'Mills Commission Report'. A few years later, Graves killed his wife and was committed to an institution for mental illness, harming his credibility.

Abner Doubleday did not invent Baseball. His family had moved from Cooperstown a few years before 1839, and he was a 19 year old cadet at West Point that year. Graves was barely five years old the year he claimed Baseball was born, and could not have been Doubleday's childhood friend. Graves could have meant another Abner Doubleday, the cadet's cousin who was in Cooperstown that year, however the committee may have used the Civil War hero as a truly American symbol for the game. The actual 'Father of Baseball' is Alexander Cartwright who wrote the modern rules of the sport in Manhattan in 1845, with the first game played under those rules at the Cricket grounds of Elysian Fields in Hoboken, NJ in 1846. Even if Doubleday played a ball game in Cooperstown, he would have played his variation of Town Ball, not Baseball under Cartwright's 'Knickerbocker Rules' which are the base for the modern game of Baseball. The game was not invented in 1839 as it had been played for many years prior as Rounders, Town Ball and even Base Ball in Pittsfield, MA in 1791.

As President of the National League, Ford Frick worked with Stephen Clark and Alexander Cleland in establishing the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Clark lived in Cooperstown and was the grandson of Edward Clark, a partner in the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The Clark family owned a large amount of land and had built a hospital, recreation center, and a hotel with a golf course in the village. The Depression forced the railroad to cease travelling through Cooperstown, and the Clarks needed a way to increase tourism in the village to help the economy. In 1934 in nearby Fly Creek, a relative of Graves produced a baseball from a trunk in his attic and claimed it was used by Graves and possibly Doubleday. Clark bought the ball for five dollars and put it on display in a room in the Village Club as 'the Abner Doubleday Ball'. Soon after, Clark began plans for a museum that he would build on his land to celebrate the centennial of Baseball in 1939, and his staff member Cleland began scouring the country for artifacts. Cleland met with Frick to get Major League Baseball involved in the establishment of a National Baseball Museum. Baseball was suffering in ticket sales throughout the Depression and looked to the museum as a way to increase attendance.

During the planning of the centennial celebration in Cooperstown, Baseball Commissioner Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis received a letter from Alexander Cartwright's grandson who provided details of Cartwright's Knickerbocker Rules, and how his grandfather, not Doubleday, should be regarded as the 'Father of Baseball'. With Baseball invested in the myth of Cooperstown, the letter was filed away. Cartwright was honored with 'Alexander Cartwright Day' in Cooperstown, and elected to the Hall of Fame in 1938 as the 'Father of Modern Baseball'. For all the hype surrounding Abner Doubleday and the invention of Baseball, he has not been elected to the Hall of Fame, proving MLB knew that his story was a myth.

In 1935, the Baseball Writers Association of America was given the task of selecting the greatest Baseball players to be honored when the museum opened in 1939. In January of 1936, they elected Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson, and Walter Johnson to the newly established Hall of Fame. The dedication ceremony took place on June 12, 1939 with the eleven living electees in attendance.

So, what if the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum were put in its proper place? The building would be situated at the corner of 11th St and Washington St in Hoboken, NJ, where there stands a monument dedicated to baseball and the intersection was repaved to resemble a baseball diamond. A block away, Elysian Park remains as the final piece of the original Elysian Fields. Imagine how the fates of the two locations would have changed had the Mills Commission or Judge Landis declared Hoboken as the birthplace of Baseball.

Big Papi a Big Disappointment

2009-07-30T17:40:00.000-07:00

I guess it was a case of Papi being Manny.

David Ortiz was reported by the New York Times to be a member of the group of 104 players who tested positive for PEDs in 2003, along with former teammate Manny Ramirez. 2003 was David's first season with the Red Sox, in which he was platooned at the beginning of the year until he hit his way onto the starting line-up after the All-Star break. He hit 27 of his 31 Home Runs after July 1st, more than he had hit in any full season with the Twins. By 2006 Ortiz had established a new franchise record for Home Runs with 54, and had averaged 43 for his four seasons with the Red Sox. David, with a big grin to match his big bat, quickly became a fan favorite and the best clutch hitter on the team that won the 2004 and 2007 World Series.

When asked about steroids after the Alex Rodriguez admission in February, Ortiz said all players should be tested several times a year, and if they are caught they should be banned for a year. Ortiz has admitted to drinking a 'protein shake' in the Dominican Republic that he did not know what was in it, but denied using steroids in the Major Leagues. Now that he has been identified as one of the 104 players who failed the 2003 test, which he knew, what will become of the beloved Big Papi?

The 2003 test was used to determine whether mandatory drug testing was necessary in baseball. The Players Union agreed to the testing with the stipulation that players who tested positive would remain anonymous and would receive no punishment. Mandatory testing would be implemented only if more than five percent of the nearly 1200 players tested positive. Unbelievably, 104 players tested positive even after knowing they were going to be tested. The list of players as well as the samples have been seized by federal agents in their investigations into steroids laboratories. Slowly, the players on the list are being revealed, and to no one's surprise they are some of the most prolific hitters of the era.

Known Players on the List of 104:
1. Barry Bonds
2. Alex Rodriguez
3. Sammy Sosa
4. Manny Ramirez
5. David Ortiz

Since mandatory testing began in 2004, Manny Ramirez was the 22nd Major League player and 44th with Major League experience to be suspended for PEDs. Incredibly, four players were punished for a second offense.

Some of the Players suspended for PEDs:
-Manny Ramirez
-Rafael Palmeiro
-Jose Guillen
-Mike Cameron
-Ryan Franklin

The Mitchell Report was an investigation into PEDs in baseball that was performed beginning in March 2006. The report was released in December 2007 and named 89 players who were alleged to have used PEDs. These players were either implicated in the BALCO and Signature Pharmacy scandals, were clients of former clubhouse attendant Kirk Radomski, or were identified through other means.

Some of the Players named in the Mitchell Report:
BALCO:
-Barry Bonds
-Jason Giambi
-Gary Sheffield
Signature Pharmacy
-Jose Canseco
-Matt Williams
-Troy Glaus
Kirk Radomski:
-Roger Clemens
-Andy Pettitte
-Mo Vaughn

P.S. Yes, they cheated, and yes, they got caught, but no, they should not have to give up their records or championships, and no, they should not be excluded from the Hall of Fame. Every team of 'the Steroids Era' had juiced players on it and MLB did nothing about it for nearly 20 years.

The Sox and the Trade Deadline

2009-07-30T08:37:00.000-07:00

With the Red Sox swooning and the trade deadline looming, they may be forced to make some moves for the stretch run. With all the rumors of every star player being traded to the Red Sox, will Theo Epstein actually make a move? After last year's blockbuster trade that sent Manny Ramirez away, the organization has proven they are willing to do whatever it takes to make the team better, whether it takes pitching, offense, defense, or - in Manny's case - sanity. Theo should be willing to give up three or four top prospects with future potential for a proven star like Roy Halladay like he did in the off-season of 2005 when he traded Hanley Ramirez and others to the Marlins for Josh Beckett and Mike Lowell.

Fans and the media get caught up in the hype of Minor League players that they have little knowledge of other than where they were drafted. Scouting reports can be misleading as teams sometimes overhype players in an effort to increase their trade value. Very few Minor League players become Major League stars, however they can make great bargaining chips at the trade deadline because of their potential.

The June Draft has produced some great players for the current Red Sox team over the last ten years including Manny Delcarmen, Kevin Youkilis, Dustin Pedroia, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Jacoby Ellsbury, Justin Masterson, and Daniel Bard. Overall, the Red Sox have done a great job of holding on to their prospects, as the organization can afford high salaried free agents in the off-season and usually only need to add smaller pieces during the season. Prospects drafted by the Red Sox who became starters for other teams are Freddy Sanchez, traded to the Pirates for Jeff Suppan in 2003, Kelly Shoppach, traded to the Indians for Coco Crisp in 2006, and David Murphy, traded to the Rangers for Eric Gagne in 2007. The most successful Red Sox prospect that was traded away since 2000 is All-Star Short Stop Hanley Ramirez, who was signed by the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 2000 and traded to the Marlins in the 2005 off-season.

This season, the most talked about Minor League players in the Red Sox system are Clay Buchholz, Lars Anderson, and Michael Bowden. All could be, and possibly should be, traded for either Toronto's Roy Halladay, Adrian Gonzalez of the Padres, or Victor Martinez from Cleveland. As a rookie, Buchholz showed great potential with a 1.59 ERA in four games, including pitching a no-hitter. The next season he faltered as the fifth starter, going 2-9 with a 6.75 ERA and was returned to the minors. This year, he pitched the first half in the minors and dominated the competition, which had fans clamoring for his return to the big leagues. With the injuries to Daisuke Matsusaka and Tim Wakefield, Buchholz was recalled to the majors in July, possibly as a showcase to be traded. Buchholz has the ability to become a third starter in the Major Leagues, but it is doubtful he would ever be as good a pitcher as Cy Young Award winners Roy Halladay or Cliff Lee, this year's big name deadline pitchers.

A look back at some of the best and worst Trading Deadline deals by the Red Sox:

Best:
1997: P Heathcliff Slocumb to the Mariners for P Derek Lowe and C Jason Varitek.
This is the most talked about trade in recent Red Sox history. Slocumb was an All-Star Closer for the Phillies in 1995, saving 32 games. He was traded in the off-season for Ken Ryan and Lee Tinsley which was favorable for the Red Sox. After a similar season of 31 Saves for the Red Sox in 1996, his ERA doubled during the first half of 1997, leading the Red Sox to trade him for the unproven Lowe and Varitek. Lowe was a rookie in 1997, with a losing record and an ERA near 7.00, while Varitek was a mediocre catcher in AAA Tacoma. You know the rest of the story.
1995: P Frankie Rodriguez and a player to be named later to the Twins for P Rick Aguilera.
With no full-time Closer, the Red Sox traded rookie Starter Frankie Rodriguez for veteran Closer Rick Aguilera. The Red Sox won the AL East with the help of Aguilera's 20 Saves, while Rodriguez had just one decent season with the Twins. Ironically, Aguilera would return to the Twins the following season and join Rodriguez in the rotation.
2004: SS Nomar Garciaparra and OF Matt Murton for SS Orlando Cabrera and 1B Doug Mientkiewicz in a multi-team trade. OF Henri Stanley to the Dodgers for OF Dave Roberts.
The media point to the trade of Nomar, who was a negative influence in the clubhouse, as the catalyst for the World Series win. To be fair, Nomar was hurt for most of the first half of the season, and any complaining he did should not have forced the team to trade him. The Red Sox traded Nomar, their most productive offensive player over the previous seven seasons, for two Gold Glove winners. Roberts, a backup Outfielder and pinch-runner, stole the most important base in Red Sox history.

Worst:
2003: 2B Freddy Sanchez and P Mike Gonzalez to Pirates for P Jeff Suppan.
The Red Sox lost on all three counts in this trade. They traded for Suppan who had 10 Wins at the break for the Pirates which was quite a feat. Suppan won just three games with a high ERA for the Red Sox after the trade. The Cardinals signed him as a free-agent and he went on to win 16 games in each of his first two seasons with the team. Sanchez won a batting title in 2006 and has a career Average of .300, while Gonzalez saved 24 games in 2006 and has a career ERA of 2.71.
2007: OF David Murphy and P Kason Gabbard to the Rangers for P Eric Gagne.
Gagne was a record-setting Closer earlier in his career, saving 152 games in three seasons with the Dodgers before injuries nearly ended his career in 2005 and 2006. He rebounded with 16 Saves and a 2.16 ERA for the Rangers before the Red Sox traded for him. With Papelbon as the Closer, Gagne was put into the set-up role where he failed miserably, posting an ERA of 6.75. Murphy has put up similar numbers to J.D.Drew in his year and a half for the Rangers.
1996: P Jamie Moyer to the Mariners for OF Darren Bragg.
The year before the Slocumb trade, the Mariners got the better of the Red Sox. Bragg played two full seasons with the Red Sox before the emergence of Trot Nixon. Moyer, who was 7-1 at the time of the trade, would go on to win 145 games for the Mariners including two 20 Win seasons, and 45 more for the Phillies.

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 9

2009-07-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

What will the voting members of the Baseball Writers Association of America do when the triumverate of Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and Roger Clemens are added to the ballot for election to the Hall of Fame in 2013? What could have been the greatest class of inductees since the inaugural class may not see any of the three elected. Players accused of using steroids have previously received little support from the BBWAA, most notably Mark McGwire and his 583 Home Runs in 2007. The next three ballots will feature Roberto Alomar, Jeff Bagwell, and Rafael Palmeiro who are all worthy of being first-ballot inductees. Each has been linked to steroids, and it is possible that none of these players will be elected. Do any of the players from 'the Steroids Era' deserve to be members of the Hall of Fame?

The first player to use steroids was Hall of Fame pitcher James 'Pud' Galvin in 1889. He injected himself with the Brown-Sequard elixir, essentially glycerin with ground up animal testicles, before a game against Boston in which he performed well. Consuming animal testicles was not a new idea in 1889, as ancient Olympians consumed sheep testicles for a boost in testosterone. Even the great Babe Ruth has been accused of injecting himself with sheep testosterone. Before the 1925 season, Ruth became ill and suffered 'the bellyache heard round the world', which forced him to miss 56 games and he experienced his worst season with the Yankees. The press blamed the bellyache on Ruth's notorious binging on hot dogs, and some people believed it to be alcohol poisoning, but no one confirmed the exact nature of the illness which may have been caused by sheep testosterone.

Athletes during 'the Lively Ball Era' of the 1920s and 1930s tried every chemical imaginable to aid their performance, from animal gland extracts to cocaine. The modern athlete has tried many more performance enhancers including amphetamines, HGH, and steroids. European scientists developed synthetic steroids in the 1930s and Olympic athletes began using them in the 1950s after discovering their muscle building effect. The first known professional athlete to use steroids was Lyle Alzado of the Denver Broncos, who began using them in 1969 while still in college. Mark McGwire was the first baseball player to be found using steroids in 1998 when a reporter found androstenedione, a legal muscle building steroid, in his locker. Andro and most other performance enhancing drugs have since been banned by MLB in an effort to clean up the game.

Jose Canseco, in his 2005 book "Juiced...", claimed that up to 85% of all MLB players used steroids. He admitted to injecting many teammates with steroids including McGwire, whom he played with in Oakland at the beginning of his career. Burlingame, California which is close to Oakland, is home to the Bay Area Laboratory Co-operative (BALCO) which is infamous for supplying athletes with HGH and tetrahydrogestrinone (the Clear). Known customers of BALCO include Bonds, Jason Giambi, and Gary Sheffield who were all named in 'the Mitchell Report', an independant investigation into the use of anabolic steroids and HGH in Major League Baseball. Much of the report's focus was on clients of Mets' clubhouse employee Kirk Radomski and Yankees strength coach Brian McNamee, most famously Clemens.

In 2003, MLB conducted a drug test of 1200 players to determine whether a mandatory drug test was necessary. The players approved the testing after they were promised anonimity and no punishment for a positive result. After more than the predetermined limit of five percent of the players tested positive, MLB instituted a mandatory test in 2004. The list of 104 players who tested positive was part of the BALCO investigation and the samples were subpoenaed as part of the raid of Quest Diagnostics. Since the list is in the hands of federal agents and the samples were not destroyed, the anonimity of the players has been in jeopardy. Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts reported that Yankees star Alex Rodriguez had tested positive in 2003 while with the Rangers for Primobolan, the same steroid Bonds tested positive for in 2000 and 2001. Last month, Sammy Sosa was accused by the New York Times of being on the list, however no one has offered to comment.

McGwire set a rookie record of 49 Home Runs in 1987, during a dramatic increase in offense for both leagues, which MLB claimed was due to the use of a new baseball. After a return to normal for a few seasons, the hitting explosion returned in 1994, which not coincidentally was during negotiations between the owners and the players union that ultimately led to a strike. When the players returned in 1995, the offensive numbers improved and then went into the stratosphere in 1996 where they have remained since. Beginning with the Home Run chase by McGwire and Sosa in 1998, there have been 21 offensive records broken; 13 single season and eight career records. Bonds broke 12 records himself, including Home Runs in a season and in a career, cementing his place as the best baseball player of all time.

Single season performances by players since 1994 have been unbelievable, and 'the Steroids Era' has surpassed 'the Lively Ball Era' in hitting feats. The Home Run record was broken four times, in 1998 by McGwire and Sosa and McGwire again, and in 2001 by Bonds with a ridiculous 73 bombs. The era claims the top six totals (by Bonds, McGwire, and Sosa), 14 of the top 20, more than half of the 40 Home Run seasons in history, and 23 of the 41 seasons of 50 or more Home Runs. Bonds broke six other single season records, Slugging Percentage, On-Base Percentage, OPS, Walks, Intentional Walks, and At Bats per Home Run. 12 of the 36 times a player has had a .700 Slugging Pct, and 29 of the top 50 AB/HR years (including the top five) are claimed by Bonds and his peers. Other great seasonal achievements by players of the era include seven seasons (out of 29 in history) of 400 Total Bases, six (out of 15) of 100 Extra Base Hits, and 38 (out of 86) of 50 Doubles.

Career totals for 'Steroids Era' players have diminished the achievements of previous generation players. Most famously (or infamously) is Bonds' record of 762 Home Runs, seven more than Hank Aaron's 755. Ten of the 25 members of the 500 Home Run club, including five of the top ten (Bonds, Griffey, Sosa, McGwire, Rodriguez) played in the 90s and 00s, with five still active. Poor Fred McGriff hit 'only' 493 Home Runs which may not be enough to get him elected to the Hall of Fame, yet he is tied with Lou Gehrig for 26th all-time. McGwire broke Babe Ruth's record for AB/HR, and is joined in the top ten by six of his contemporaries. Bonds finished in the top ten in nearly every category for his career, and has the career records for Home Runs, Walks, Intentional Walks, and Runs Created. Other great career achievements by players of the era include 25 of the top 50 players for Slugging Pct, 13 of the top 50 for On Base Pct, and 23 of the top 50 for OPS.

Until all of the 104 players on the list that tested positive for steroids are revealed, fans and voters can only speculate who has taken illegal performance enhancers. Next year, Alomar may get elected, but what if he is found on the list after he is inducted? Will the Hall of Fame rescind his membership? Will the voters bypass anyone with the slightest suspicion of steroids use? Some in the BBWAA have voted for McGwire, who was a borderline worthy Hall of Famer. Will they, and more importantly other voters, elect Bonds, Sosa, and Clemens in 2013?

Bud Selig, the players union, and MLB are all responsible for allowing steroids use after a dismal period from 1991-1993. The bigger and stronger players created more offense, which created more fan interest, which created more money for owners and players. The players from 'the Steroids Era' should be elected to the Hall of Fame, without asterisks, without explanations on their plaques, or their own 'wing'. If the Hall of Fame can welcome players from 'the Lively Ball Era', gamblers, and criminals into its hallowed halls, then Bonds and company should be allowed to join them. What about Pete Rose...

Players from 'the Steroids Era' worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Barry Bonds : Pirates/Giants OF
-Roger Clemens : Red Sox/Yankees P
-Mike Piazza : Dodgers C
-Sammy Sosa : Cubs Of
-Frank Thomas : White Sox 1B
-Roberto Alomar: Padres/Blue Jays/Indians/Orioles 2B
-Rafael Palmeiro : Rangers/Orioles 1B
-Mark McGwire : Athletics/Cardinals 1B
-Craig Biggio : Astros 2B
-Jeff Bagwell : Astros 1B
-Albert Belle : Indians OF
-Jeff Kent : Giants 2B

The Sad Case of Julio Lugo (and J.D. Drew)

2009-07-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

The 2006 Boston Red Sox finished in third place with a record of 86-76 even though the team had added ace pitcher Josh Beckett and All-Star Third Baseman Mike Lowell prior to the season (traded ironically for Short Stop Hanley Ramirez, among others). GM Theo Epstein spent the off-season looking to add a Starting Pitcher, and more offense from the Short Stop and Right Field positions. After a long bidding war with the Yankees, and posting an insane $51 million fee to be able to negotiate with him, the Red Sox signed Japanese star Pitcher Daisuke Matsusaka for six years and $52 million. Often injured Outfielder J.D. Drew signed a ridiculous five year contract with the Red Sox worth $70 million after hitting 20 Home Runs with 100 RBI while playing in a career high 146 games with the Dodgers in 2006. Not done with crazy contracts, Theo then signed Short Stop Julio Lugo.

Julio Lugo, a decent player for the Rays who struggled after being traded to the Dodgers at the trade deadline in 2006, was signed to a four year $36 million contract by the Red Sox. The Astros drafted Lugo in 1994, and he made his MLB debut at the age of 24 in 2000 beside future Hall of Famer Craig Biggio. His sophomore season was his best with the team, as he scored a career high 93 Runs with 10 Home Runs. At the beginning of the 2003 season Lugo was arrested and charged with spousal abuse. He was later found not guilty, however he was released by the Astros ten days later. The Rays signed him the next week, and he would go on to enjoy his four best years with the team.

In his first year with the Rays, Lugo hit .275 with 15 Home Runs in just 117 games. The next season, he drove in a career high 75 runs and was sixth in the AL in Doubles with 41. Lugo's best season came in 2005, when he hit .295 with 182 Hits and stole 39 bases which was 4th in the AL. Injuries took a few games away from him in 2006, yet he was enjoying his best season at the trade deadline, hitting .308 with 12 Home Runs. Lugo was traded to the Dodgers, who did not need a Short Stop, and failed miserably, hitting just .219 over 49 games with no Home Runs. Inexplicably, the Red Sox signed him in the off-season to bolster their offense.

Alex Gonzalez was the Red Sox Short Stop in 2006. He was a former All-Star for the Marlins as a slick fielder with occassional power who had a career-high 23 Home Runs with 79 RBI in 2004. He was signed to replace Edgar Renteria, a terrific hitter and a former Gold Glove winner who made an amazing 30 errors for the Red Sox in 2005 after only 11 the previous year for the Cardinals. Fans loved the acrobatic Gonzalez who played spectacular defense, and he probably should have been awarded the Gold Glove in 2006 that went to Derek Jeter of the Yankees. With just nine Home Runs, 50 RBI, and a .255 Average, Gonzalez was deemed an offensive liability and was allowed to leave for free agency. He signed with the Reds, and of course enjoyed a nice offensive season in 2007 as he hit .272 with 16 Home Runs and a .468 Slugging Percentage.

The Red Sox won the World Series in 2007 with poor contributions from new acquisitions Lugo and Drew. In 147 games, mostly as the lead-off hitter, Lugo hit a career-low .237 with an unacceptable .294 OBP. He did managed to steal 33 bases and drive in 73 runs, however he scored just 71 Runs. Drew played in 140 games, but was platooned frequently, mostly against left-handed pitchers. He hit just 11 Home Runs, the lowest total of his career, and drove in just 64 runs. Drew managed a high OBP and scored a respectable 84 Runs batting fifth behind Manny Ramirez. Combined, Lugo and Drew in 2007 hit .252 with 19 Home Runs, 155 Runs, 137 RBI, and slugged .382. The Tigers' OF Magglio Ordonez nearly matched them when he hit 28 Home Runs with 117 Runs and 139 RBI (A-Rod did match them with 54 Home Runs, 156 RBI and 143 Runs, but...).

2008 was filled with injuries for the Red Sox, with Lugo and Drew both disabled for a time. Lugo played in just 82 games and hit only one Home Run, while rookie Jed Lowrie filled in at Short Stop and produced a decent season. Drew played in just 109 games, but was an All-Star because he hit 12 of his 19 Home Runs in the month of June when he replaced injured David Ortiz in the third spot in the batting order ahead of Ramirez. Combined, Lugo and Drew matched the productivity of OF Nick Markakis from the Orioles. Lugo and Drew hit .275 with 20 Home Runs, 86 RBI, 106 Runs, 173 Hits, and slugged .440. Markakis hit .306 with 20 Home Runs, 87 RBI, 106 Runs, 182 Hits, and slugged .491. Oh, and Markakis made $455 thousand compared to the more than $23 million paid to Lugo and Drew.

This year, with Lugo and Lowrie injured to start the season, the Red Sox have used journeyman Nick Green at Short Stop. When given the chance to play, Lugo has hit well, but his fielding has become terrible. He was a good Short Stop early in his career with decent range factor and around 20 errors per season. In 2007 he was an average AL Short Stop with the Red Sox, better than Renteria but not as good as Gonzalez. For whatever reason, Lugo lost his defensive abilities the next season. He made 16 errors in half a season posting an embarrassing .945 fielding percentage. This year Lugo has been awful in the field, often making poor efforts at diving for balls hit near him, with seven errors in just 27 games for a disgraceful .928 fielding percentage. Mercifully, Lugo was let go after Lowrie recovered and was back on the roster. Now, what to do with Drew?

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 8

2009-07-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

The 'Steroids Era' is not the first controversial period in baseball history. The 'Lively Ball Era' of the 20s and 30s produced some of the most prolific offensive achievements, from Babe Ruth's prodigious seasonal Home Run totals to Hank Greenberg's incredible RBI numbers. The seasonal League Batting Average during the 'Lively Ball Era' was over .280, and an all-time record of .296 was achieved in 1930. Eight players hit over .370 that year, seven slugged over .650, five scored in excess of 150 Runs, seven had 220 hits or more, and six drove in 150 plus runs.

Chuck Klein of the Phillies hit 40 Home Runs with 170 RBI and a .386 Batting Average, yet did not lead the National League in any of the three categories in 1930. He finished second to Hack Wilson's (then) NL record 56 Home Runs and MLB record 191 RBI, and was third in Batting Average behind Bill Terry's .401 and Babe Herman's .393. In 1933, Klein finally won the Triple Crown, but with less spectacular numbers of 28 Home Runs, 120 RBI and a .368 Average. Across town, Jimmie Foxx of the Athletics also won the Triple Crown in 1933, but with more impressive statistics. Foxx clubbed 48 Home Runs with 163 RBI and a .356 Average. If Klein had played in the AL that season, he would have finished fourth in Home Runs and third in RBI, showing that the offensive explosion had waned. Klein enjoyed his best seasons during an offensive surge, while playing in a hitter's park, and his Hall of Fame credentials were thus lessened.

When the Hall of Fame judged the 'Lively Ball Era' players, some were ignored for many years, as voters believed hitters' numbers were artificially inflated. Wilson and Klein would wait until 1979 and 1980 respectively to be elected to the Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee, while mediocre players from the New York Giants and St. Louis Cardinals of the same era were elected by the Veteran's Committee between 1970 and 1973. These players, who were dubbed 'Frisch's Friends' included Rube Marquard, Dave Bancroft, Ross Youngs, and George Kelly from the Giants; and Jesse Haines and Chick Hafey of the Cardinals. All were elected by the committee chaired by Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch, and all were teammates of his at some point in their careers. None were ever serious prospects for the Hall of Fame, and most were among the worst selections in history. Two more Giants borderline players were elected after Frisch's death in 1973, Freddie Lindstrom in 1976 and Travis Jackson in 1982.

Evaluating pitchers throughout baseball history has been more difficult than evaluating position players. The early days of baseball saw many pitchers win 300 games in a short amount of years, as teams employed only two starting pitchers. The turn of the century until World War I was known as the 'Dead Ball Era' as runs were difficult to score, and thus ERAs of good pitchers were very low. The highest Win totals in history come from this era, with Cy Young's 511, Walter Johnson's 417, and 373 by both Christy Mathewson and Pete Alexander. The offensive explosion of the 'Lively Ball Era' made pitchers' ERAs rise and Win totals fall from 1920-1940. There are more borderline worthy pitchers from this era than any other, including Burleigh Grimes, Red Ruffing, Herb Pennock, and Waite Hoyt.

The War Years sent many great players and pitchers to fight overseas and thus miss some of their prime years. Hal Newhouser, who was a losing pitcher at the beginning of his career, dominated during the War Years of 1944, 1945 and 1946. So dominating was Newhouser that he won two consecutive MVP Awards and finishing 2nd in 1946, posting a record of 80-27 over the three years with an ERA under 2.00. The rest of his career was mediocre and he finished with unspectacular numbers of 207 Wins and an ERA of 3.06, but was nonetheless elected to the Hall of Fame because of his seasons during World War II.

Recent years have seen the most 300 game winners since the 19th Century. Many pitchers finished just shy of 300 after lengthy careers, while others with shorter careers are close to Hall of Fame status. Tommy John and Jim Kaat both pitched more than 25 years and each won more than 280 games, but both failed to win 300 games and neither was elected to the Hall of Fame. Don Drysdale, Jim Hunter, and Jim Bunning were all elected despite winning less than 225 games each, yet contemporary Luis Tiant is on the outside looking in. Tiant has more wins and shutouts than the three Hall of Famers, but a higher ERA and less league leading categories in his career. Critics claim that if one player has similar numbers to another who was elected to the Hall of Fame, then the one player belongs as well. So, where does the line between Hall of Famer and great player begin?

Borderline Players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Joe Medwick : Cardinals OF
-Chuck Klein : Phillies OF
-Jim Bottomley : Cardinals 1B
-Jim Rice : Red Sox OF
-Harold 'Pie' Traynor : Pirates 3B
-Billy Williams : Cubs OF
-Willie Stargell : Pirates 1B
-Willie McCovey : Giants 1B
-Max Carey : Pirates OF
-Jacob 'Nellie' Fox : White Sox 2B

Borderline Pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Bob Lemon : Indians
-Vic Willis : Braves/Pirates

Borderline Managers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Al Lopez : Indians/White Sox
-Miller Huggins : Yankees
-Lou Piniella : Mariners
-Dick Williams : Expos
-Alfred 'Billy' Martin : Yankees

Borderline Executives worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Ed Barrow : Yankees
-George Weiss : Yankees
-Lee MacPhail : Yankees
-Warren Giles : NL President
-Will Harridge : AL President

Best fielding players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Brooks Robinson : Orioles 3B
-Ozzie Smith : Cardinals SS
-Luis Aparicio : White Sox SS
-Ryne Sandberg : Cubs 2B
-Dwight Evans : Red Sox OF
-Jim Kaat : Twins P

Next ten position players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Eddie Mathews : Braves 3B
-Richie Ashburn : Phillies OF
-Ernie Banks : Cubs SS
-Edwin 'Duke' Snider : Dodgers OF
-Harmon Killebrew : Twins 1B
-Charles 'Gabby' Hartnett : Cubs C
-Ernie Lombardi : Reds C
-Carlton Fisk : Red Sox/White Sox C
-Gary Carter : Expos/Mets C
-Ted Simmons : Cardinals C

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 7

2009-07-19T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Baseball Hall of Fame has elected many borderline worthy players throughout its history. Jim Rice, the great Red Sox slugger, is the latest such player who will be inducted next week. Rice had some excellent seasons, including four 200 hit seasons and eight 100 RBI seasons, but he fell short of some milestone career numbers that would have made him a first ballot inductee. In recent times, 400 career Home Runs and 3000 Hits meant near automatic election to the Hall of Fame, however Rice fell short with 382 Home Runs and 2452 Hits. Though he was one of the most impressive players between 1975 and 1986, Rice's dominance is diminished when compared to the 'Steroids Era' players that immediately followed his career. Hall of Fame voting for Rice began in 1995, which was the height of the offensive surge in MLB.

When compared to his contemporaries, Rice's career is surpassed only by Mike Schmidt and George Brett, and is favorable to Dave Winfield and Robin Yount, all Hall of Famers. Schmidt was an eight time Home Run champion for the Phillies on his way to hitting 548 in his career, as well as being a multi-time Gold Glove winner. In 127 more career At Bats, Schmidt bests Rice in seven of the ten important offensive categories. Brett, Yount and Winfield each played longer than Rice, with Brett having an excess of 2000 more At Bats than Rice, and Yount and Winfield around 3000 extra. At a similar point in their careers to Rice's career Games and At Bats totals, Brett surpasses Rice in seven of the ten important offensive categories, Yount is better in only two, and Winfield is superior in just three. From this point, Brett and Winfield would play four additional seasons, while Yount would enjoy five more years. Brett finished his 21 year Royals career with 3154 Hits, 665 Doubles and a .305 Average. Yount accumulated 3142 career Hits in his 20 years with the Brewers. Winfield achieved 3110 Hits and 465 Home Runs in his long 22 year career.

The player most often compared to Rice was Pirate's slugger Dave Parker, his contemporary, whose career numbers split five to five with Rice's in the ten important offensive categories. When adjusted to Rice's career Games and At Bats, Parker only leads Rice in two of the ten, Doubles and Steals, and Parker would best only Yount out of the Hall of Fame contemporaries, winning seven.

The most similar Hall of Famer to Rice is Orlando Cepeda, another borderline candidate who retired the year Rice debuted. Their careers are remarkably similar, from their career totals to the way their careers unfolded. Cepeda was NL Rookie of the Year in 1958, hitting 25 Home Runs with 96 RBi and a .312 Average, while Rice finished second in the 1975 AL race to teammate Fred Lynn, hitting 22 Home Runs with 102 RBI and a .309 Average. They both enjoyed their best seasons in their fourth year. Cepeda led the NL with 46 Home Runs and 142 RBI and Rice was the AL MVP with a legue leading 46 Home Runs and 139 RBI. After a few good productive years, they both returned to MVP form in their ninth full seasons. The MVP of the NL, Cepeda hit 25 Home Runs with a league high 111 RBI, while Rice, who finished fourth in the AL MVP voting, paced the AL in Home Runs with 39 and RBI with 126. Their final great years came in their 12th full seasons. Cepeda hit 34 Home Runs with 111 RBI, while Rice had 200 Hits with 20 Home Runs and 110 RBI.

Other Hall of Famers comparable to Rice are the Cubs' Billy Williams, Duke Snider of the Dodgers, and Willie Stargell from the Pirates. With 1000 more At Bats in his career than Rice, Williams ended his career with 426 Home Runs, which helped his Hall of Fame candidacy. In the ten important offensive categories, Williams beats Rice eight to two for his career, however Williams wins only four of them when he is at Rice's career Games and At Bats. The longevity of Williams's career, and the fact he hit more than the 'magic' number of 400 Home Runs, made him a Hall of Famer. Snider and Stargell both surpassed 400 Home Runs playing for great teams, ensuring their place in Cooperstown.

The Hall of Fame has a number of borderline players to consider in the future. So many players from the 70s to the 00s have decent numbers comparable to Hall of Famers from other eras, however the 'Steroids Era' offensive explosion has changed the value of the recently retired players stats. Players who are just below Rice and Cepeda include Andres Gallaraga, Ellis Burks, Joe Carter, Moises Alou, and Chili Davis. Players in the ballpark of Billy Williams are Dave Parker, Andre Dawson, Harold Baines, and Hall of Famer Tony Perez. The question becomes who belongs in the Hall of Fame and who does not?

Players with long productive careers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Eddie Murray : Orioles 1B
-Carl Yastrzemski : Red Sox 1B
-Dave Winfield : Padres, Yankees OF
-Robin Yount : Brewers SS/OF
-Lou Brock : Cardinals OF
-Al Kaline : Tigers OF
-Sam Rice : Senators OF
-Zack Wheat : Dodgers OF
-Luke Appling : White Sox SS
-Reggie Jackson : Athletics, Yankees OF

Players with short productive careers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Hank Greenberg : Tigers 1B
-Ralph Kiner : Pirates OF
-Gordon 'Mickey' Cochrane : Athletics C
-Kirby Puckett : Twins OF
-Bill Terry : Giants 1B
-Roy Campanella : Dodgers C
-Earl Averill : Indians OF
-Joseph 'Arky' Vaughan : Pirates SS
-Sandy Koufax : Dodgers P
-Addie Joss : Indians P

Next ten position players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Frankie Frisch : Giants, Cardinals 2B
-Leon 'Goose' Goslin : Senators OF
-John Mize : Cardinals, Giants 1B
-Sam Crawford : Tigers OF
-George Sisler : Browns 1B
-Rickey Henderson : Athletics OF
-Paul Molitor : Brewers 3B
-Joe Cronin : Senators, Red Sox SS
-Henry 'Heinie' Manush : Senators OF
-Joe Morgan : Astros, Reds 2B

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 6

2009-07-17T08:55:00.000-07:00

Women have been playing baseball since the 1830s, yet no woman has ever played in the Major Leagues. Throughout the history of baseball there have been many attempts to place women on professional rosters in men's leagues with no success. A few women played in the Minor Leagues, but were banned in the 1950s. Most women were forced to join all-girl teams and played other all-girl teams, while some formed women's barnstorming teams that played against men's teams. While the color line that prevented African-Americans from playing in professional baseball was eventually broken in 1946, the gender line has never been broken.

Vassar College in 1866 was the first college to offer baseball as a physical activity for women, thus fielding the first women's baseball team in America. The next year, the black Philadelphia Dolly Vardena became the first professional women's team, albeit as a publicity stunt. The first game in which players were paid and fans charged admission was in 1875, when the Blondes played the Brunettes in Springfield, IL. Women's Baseball was very popular from 1890-1934, when teams of 'Bloomer Girls' barnstormed across the country playing men's college, amateur and Minor League teams. Bloomer Girls teams were integrated, with two or three men on each team, including Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. The popularity of softball in the mid-30s, combined with the perception that softball was easier for women to play than baseball, forced women out of baseball until World War II.

The Hall of Fame has an exhibit showcasing women in baseball, "Diamond Dreams: Women in Baseball at the Hall of Fame", that opened in 1988. Penny Marshall was at the grand-opening of the exhibit, and thought there was a story to be told. That story became the movie "A League of Their Own" starring Geena Davis, Tom Hanks, Madonna, and Rosie O'Donnell. The movie was based on the experiences of women who played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The league was formed at the beginning of World War II by Phil Wrigley at the behest of President Roosevelt to keep baseball in the public eye as some of the best Major League players went to fight in the war. For the first five years of the league, they played a variation of softball, using a large ball and pitching underhand. The last seven years of the league were played using a baseball and pitching overhand.

Toni Stone is featured in two exhibits in the Hall of Fame, the Women in Baseball exhibit and the Negro Leagues exhibit. She was the first woman to play professionally in a men's major league as a Second Basewoman for the Indianapolis Clowns of the Negro Leagues in 1953 and 1954. Joining Stone in 1953 was pitcher Mamie Johnson, who enjoyed three successful seasons with the Clowns, and was highly regarded by Satchel Paige. When Stone retired, Connie Morgan was signed to take her place on the Clowns. While probably used as a publicity stunt, Stone and Johnson were very talented players who were not allowed to play in the AAGPBL because of its color line, even though the MLB color line had been broken six years prior.

Olympian track star Babe Didrickson, the greatest American female athlete, pitched in MLB exhibition games for the Athletics, Cardinals and Indians in the mid-30s before going on to a successful pro golf career. In the 1920s, Lizzie Murphy pitched in exhibition games against the American League and the National League. Minor League pitcher Jackie Mitchell became famous for striking out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in succession during an exhibition game in 1931.

The first woman to play professional baseball was Lizzie Arlington, who pitched one inning in 1899 for the Class A Reading Coal Heavers of the Minor Leagues. In 1936, Frances 'Sonny' Dunlap reportedly played an entire game in the outfield for Class D Fayetteville. Two other women were signed to professional contracts but did not play, Jackie Mitchell with the Class A Chattanooga Lookouts in 1931 and Eleanor Engle with the Class B Harrisburg Senators in 1952. Mitchell had her contract voided by MLB Commissioner Kenesaw Landis before she could play a regular season game because he felt playing baseball was too strenuous for women. Engle, who was a Short Stop, had her contract voided two days after she signed by GeorgeTrautman, the head of the Minor Leagues, who declared that such travesties would not be tolerated. Trautman received support from MLB Commissioner Ford Frick who said that women were not to play on Major League teams, with the purpose of preventing teams from using women players as a publicity stunt. On June 23, 1952 organized baseball formally banned women from the Minor Leagues. The ban has never been lifted, and affects a woman's chance to make the Major Leagues. One woman was signed to a Minor League contract after the ban, Gloria Jackson in 1971, who signed with the Class A Raleigh/Durham Triangles. Her contract was rescinded the day after she signed by the Minor Leagues.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 states that "no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance". While this amendment helped women's athletics in college, it has not helped get women to the Major Leagues of any of the four major professional sports. Baseball for women got a boost in 1974 when Little League baseball was forced by the Supreme Court to change its charter and permit girls to play on boy's teams.

The Pawtucket Slaterettes in 1973 became the first all-girl's league since the AAGPBL, and is still in operation offering leagues from Instructional to Senior. In 1988, the American Women's Baseball Association formed in Chicago as the first organized league since the AAGPBL. It lasted 14 years and featured as many as five teams. In 1997 the Ladie's League Baseball formed as a four team professional league based in San Diego and lasted two years. The American Women's Baseball Federation has offered tournaments for women's teams since 1992, including the first Women's World Series in 2001.

Bob Hope, the former Braves executive, tried unsuccessfully to enter his female team, the Sun Sox, whose Director of Player Personnel was Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, into the Class A Florida State League in 1984. Undaunted, Hope returned to women's baseball in 1994 with the Colorado Silver Bullets, a barnstorming team of former softball players managed by Hall of Famer Phil Niekro. The Silver Bullets, who were sponsored by Coors, folded at the end of 1997 when Coors pulled its sponsorship fearing Coors Light would be deemed a girl's beer.

Julie Croteau, a player for the Silver Bullets, was the first woman to play men's college baseball in 1989 for St. Mary's College of Maryland, a Division III school. The most famous female player was Ila Borders, who was the first woman to play in the Minor Leagues in the 20th Century, pitching for the St. Paul Saints of the independant Northern League in 1997. The next year, Borders became the first woman to start a Minor League game, and then the first woman to win a Minor League game for the Duluth Dukes. One other woman appeared in the Northern League, Outfielder Tammy Holmes, who played for the Massachusetts Mad Dogs after being a member of the Silver Bullets. Carey Schueler, the daughter of White Sox GM Ron Schueler, was the first woman to be drafted by an MLB team. She was drafted by her father (surprised?) as a pitcher in the 43rd Round of the Draft in 1993, but never signed with the White Sox.

Only one woman has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Effa Manley, wife of Abe Manley and the co-owner and business manager of the Newark Eagles of the Negro Leagues, was inducted in 2006 by the Negro Leagues Committee. Though she was white, Effa Manley was the treasurer of the Newark NAACP, and used Eagles games to promote civil rights. The Hall of Fame has elected Negro Leaguers to atone for the color line, yet aside from Manley, have not elected any female players or other pioneers.

Women players and pioneers worthy of the Hall of Fame:

AAGPBL:
-Joanne Weaver: Best hitter, Career .359 Avg, 3 batting titles, 1 MVP
-Betty Foss: .342 Career Avg, 2 batting titles, 1 MVP
-Dorothy Kamenshek: Most career hits, 2 batting titles, 7 All-Star
-Jean Geissinger: Career .306 Avg, 4th with 41 career Home Runs
-Eleanor Callow: First in career triples with 60 and Home Runs with 55
-Sophie Kurys: First in career Runs with 688 and Steals with 1114
-Doris Sams: 2 time MVP
-Helen Nicol: First in carer Wins with 163 and Ks with 1076
-Jean Faut: Career 140 Wins, Best career ERA of 1.23, 2 time MVP
-Dorothy Wiltse: 117 career Wins, 1004 career Ks
-Joanne Winter: 133 career Wins, record 33 Wins in a season
-Connie Wisniewski: 107 career Wins. 1 MVP

Pioneers:
-Maud Nelson (Clementina Brida): Bloomer Girls player, manager, owner, scout, and promoter
-Lizzie Arlington (Elizabeth Stroud): First professional female player
-Lizzie Murphy: the 'Queen of Diamonds' from 1918-1935 for Providence and Boston. Best female player from the Bloomer era. First woman to play in MLB exhibition games.
-Alta Weiss: Semi-pro pitcher
-Marcenia 'Toni' Stone: First woman to play in men's professional baseball
-Mamie Johnson: Best pitcher of her era
-Effa Manley: Owner of Newark Eagles

Mid-Season Awards

2009-07-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox are in first place in the AL East at the All-Star break for the fifth consecutive season, boasting the best record in the league at 54-34, three games ahead of the Yankees. The team's success has come without a great first half from their best slugger David Ortiz, without any contribution from their Cy Young candidate Daisuke Matsusaka, and with utility man Nick Green filling in for the injured Jed Lowrie the entire season thus far. So, how has the team been able to win despite these setbacks?

With the rest of the team performing at or near last year's levels, it has been the Jasons who have performed above expectations and helped offset the poor seasons of others. Jason Bay, replacing Manny Ramirez in Left Field, leads the league with 72 RBI and has 20 Home Runs with a .527 Slugging Pct, while 37 year old Catcher Jason Varitek has already equaled his 2008 productivity in the first half of this year with 13 Home Runs and 38 RBI. Other players, like Mike Lowell who has returned to form after his hip injury, Jacoby Ellsbury who already has 40 steals, and Nick Green who has filled in admirably at Short Stop, have helped the Red Sox remain dominant.

Three pitchers from the Red Sox were selected to the All-Star team, proving the pitching staff's importance to the team's success. Jonathan Papelbon has been the hammer at the end of the league's best bullpen, while ace Josh Beckett and the ageless Tim Wakefield are tied for the league lead with 11 Wins. With Daisuke Matsusaka injured for almost all of the first half, Justin Masterson filled in admirably for him while fifth starter Brad Penny returned to top-of-the-rotation form after an injury-filled 2008. With the emergence of Daniel Bard and the return of John Smoltz the first half ended well for the pitching staff.

Red Sox First Half Awards:
MVP: Tim Wakefield. The fourth starter leads the league with 11 Wins, and performed the best when the team needed him the most.
Pitcher of the Year: Josh Beckett. 11-3, 3.35 ERA, 110 Ks
Reliever of the Year: Jonathan Papelbon. 23 Saves, 1.85 ERA
Rookie of the Year: Daniel Bard. 2.55 ERA, 29 Ks
Player of the Year: Jason Bay. 20 Home Runs, 72 RBI

American League First Half Awards:
Surprise Team: Seattle Mariners. 46-42 (61-101 in 2008)
Surprise Player: Nelson Cruz, Tex. 22 Home Runs, 53 RBI, .539 Slugging Pct
Surprise Pitcher: David Aardsma, Sea. 20 Saves, 1.96 ERA
Most Improved Player: Kendry Morales, LA. 15 Home Runs, 49 RBI, .284 Avg, .528 Slg
Most Improved Pitcher: Scott Feldman, Tex. 8-2, 3.83
Comeback Player: Aaron Hill, Tor. 20 Home Runs, 60 RBI, .292 Avg
Comeback Pitcher: Carl Pavano, Cle. 8-7, 5.13
Rookie Player: Nolan Reimold, Bal. 9 Home Runs, 23 RBI
Rookie Pitcher: Ricky Romero, Tor. 7-3, 3.00 ERA
Player of the Year: Joe Mauer, Min. 15 Home Runs, .373 Avg*, .447 OBP*, .622 Slg*
Pitcher of the Year: Zack Greinke, KC. 10-5, 2.12 ERA*
Reliever of the Year: Joe Nathan, Min. 23 Saves, 1.31 ERA
Most Valuable Player: Torii Hunter, LA. 17 Home Runs, 65 RBI, .305 Avg, .558 Slg

National League First Half Awards:
Surprise Team: San Francisco Giants. 49-39 (72-90 in 2008)
Surprise Player: Pablo Sandoval, SF. 15 Home Runs, 55 RBI, .333 Avg, .578 Slg
Surprise Pitcher: Heath Bell, SD. 23 Saves*, 1.69 ERA
Most Improved Player: Michael Bourn, Hou. .286 Avg, .360 OBP, 32 Stolen Bases*
Most Improved Pitcher: Zach Duke, Pit. 8-8, 3.29 ERA
Comeback Player: Troy Tulowitzki, Col. 16 Home Runs, 37 RBI, .489 Slg
Comeback Pitcher: Cris Carpenter, StL. 7-3, 2.47 ERA
Rookie Player: Colby Rasmus, StL. 11 Home Runs, 34 RBI, .278 Avg
Rookie Pitcher: J.A. Happ, Phi. 6-0, 2.90 ERA
Player of the Year: Albert Pujols, StL. 32 Home Runs*, 87 RBI*, .332 Avg, .456 OBP*, .723 Slg*
Pitcher of the Year: Dan Haren, Ari. 9-5, 2.01 ERA*, 129 Ks
Reliever of the Year: Ryan Franklin, StL. 21 Saves, 0.79 ERA
Most Valuable Player: Albert Pujols, StL.

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 5

2009-07-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

Segregation in baseball denied baseball fans the chance to see great African-American players in Major League Baseball until 1947 when the Dodgers, Indians and Browns all integrated. In the early days of organized baseball, black players played primarily on black teams, often barnstorming, with only a few players given the chance to play on integrated teams. The ban on African-American players in the Minor Leagues and the 'Gentleman's Agreement' to keep African-Americans out of the Major Leagues forced black baseball teams to create their own league, the Southern League of Base Ballists in 1885. The league folded the next year, but other Negro Leagues would take its place, with little success. It would not be until Rube Foster founded the most successful Negro League, the Negro National League in 1920, that black baseball would thrive. Other Negro Leagues, including the Negro Southern League and the American Negro League joined the Negro National League and ushered in the Golden Age of black baseball that would last until integration in 1946.

Integration in the Minor Leagues in 1946 and then the Major Leagues the next season took many African-American stars out of the Negro Leagues. By 1951 the Negro Leagues was designated a Minor League, and folded by 1960 as every Major League team had integrated by 1959. Only the Indianapolis Clowns, a Negro League team that home run king Hank Aaron played on in 1951, continued playing as a segregated team into the 1960s.

The Indianapolis Clowns featured the first woman to play professional baseball, Toni Stone, who played second base in 1953 and 1954. The Clowns probably signed her as a publicity stunt, and male teammates and opponents often treated her poorly, but she was a decent player. The same year, the Clowns signed the great female pitcher Mamie Johnson, who played with the team for three years, winning 33 games and losing only eight. Another female, Connie Morgan, played second base for the Clowns in 1954 and 1955, replacing Stone who retired to care for her ailing husband. There was even one white player, Eddie Klepp, who played in the Negro Leagues in 1946 possibly as a counter to Jackie Robinson, but segregation laws did not allow Klepp to play with his team in some cities.

Red Sox star Ted Williams urged the Hall of Fame to induct Negro League stars during his induction speech in 1966. It was ironic that a player from Boston would make the case for the great Negro Leaguers to be judged equal to white players for the Hall of Fame. Boston is often wrongly accused of being a racist city because the Red Sox employed racist GMs and were the last team to integrate, yet the cross-town Braves were the fifth MLB team to integrate when they promoted Sam Jethroe in 1950 (For the record, the Celtics and Bruins were the first teams in their sports to integrate).

A special Negro Leagues Committee was finally formed by the Hall of Fame in 1971, and they elected legendary pitcher Leroy 'Satchel' Paige as the first person who played primarily in the Negro Leagues. In 1962 Jackie Robinson, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs in 1945, was the first person to play in the Negro Leagues and be elected to the Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Famers who played in the Negro Leagues include Roy Campanella, Monte Irvin, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Ernie Banks.

In the 1970s, the Hall of Fame made an effort to elect Negro League Players and some of its biggest stars were inducted between 1971 and 1977, however only two Negro Leaguers were elected between 1978 and 1994. A new emphasis on Negro Leaguers for the Hall of Fame began in 1995 after the Emmy Award winning documentary 'Baseball: A Film by Ken Burns' featured an interview of Buck O'Neil reminiscing about the Negro Leagues. From 1995 to 2001, with O'Neil as a Negro League Committee member, more obscure Negro League stars were elected to the Hall of Fame each year. In 2006, another special committee, the Committee on African-American Baseball, elected 17 African-American players and pioneers from 1860-1960, yet omitted two of the most important men in baseball history. Bud Fowler, the first professional black player and an important pioneer in the 19th Century, was on the initial list of 94 candidates, but for some reason did not make the first cut in the voting process. O'Neil, the first black MLB scout and coach, and the honorary chairman of the Negro Leagues Hall of Fame, did not make the second cut. The committee should be ashamed of itself for not electing Fowler and O'Neil.

African-American 20th Century Pioneers worthy of induction to the Hall of Fame:
-Jackie Robinson : First African-American to play in MLB in the 20th Century
-Larry Doby : First African-American to play in the AL
-John 'Buck' O'Neil : First African-American MLB scout and coach, influential pioneer and spokesman
-Andrew 'Rube' Foster : Great early 20th Century player. Founder of the Negro National League
-Cumberland Posey : Founder of the East-West League. Owner of the Homestead Grays
-J.L. Wilkinson : Innovative promoter. Founder of the multi-racial All Nations club. Owner of the Kansas City Monarchs

Negro Leagues Position Players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Josh Gibson
-James 'Cool Pap' Bell
-William 'Judy' Johnson
-Oscar Charleston
-Walter 'Buck' Leonard
-John 'Pop' Lloyd
-Ray Dandridge
-Norman 'Turkey' Stearns
-Willie Wells
-James 'Biz' Mackey
-John Beckwith
-George 'Mule' Suttles
-Martin Dihigo
-Cristobal Torriente
-Louis Santop
-Jose Mendez
-Pete Hill
-Spotswood Poles
-Dick Lundy
-Ben Taylor
-Oliver Marcelle
-Willard Brown
-Jud Wilson
-Monte Irvin*
-Sam Jethroe*
*Starred in both the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues

Negro Leagues Pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
-Jesse 'Nip' Winters
-'Smokey' Joe Williams
-Wilbur 'Bullet' Rogan
-Bill Foster
-Hilton Smith
-Leon Day
-Chet Brewer
-Andy Cooper

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 4

2009-07-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

In the early days of baseball, teams employed a few starting pitchers who would normally complete most of the games they started. Only if the starting pitcher got injured or was ineffective would a reliever be brought in to replace him. The records for Saves in the 19th Century were held by two of the most successful starting pitchers. The single-season record of eight was held by Al Spalding, the best pitcher of the NA, and the career record of 16 was held by Kid Nichols, who was a 300 game winner in the NL. In the early 20th Century, teams used their best starting pitchers in relief more frequently. Joe McGinnity, Ed Walsh, and Lefty Grove all led the league in Wins and Saves in the same season, and at some point in their careers were the active career Saves leaders. The Cubs' ace Mordecai Brown owned the single-season record of 13 Saves and the career record of 49 Saves until 1923, when the Washington Senators began using pitchers in primarily relief roles.

Allen Russell led the league with nine Saves in 1923 for the Senators, relieving in 47 of his 52 games becoming the first full-time Closer. The following season, Russell had eight Saves, but his teammate Fred 'Firpo' Marberry saved a record 15 games helping the Senators get to the World Series. The Senators won the World Series with Marberry saving two games. Marberry in 1925 became the first pitcher to finish a season without starting a game, pitching entirely in relief. He tied his own record with 15 Saves that year, and added one Save in the World Series. The reliever experiment had proven successful, with the Senators making two consecutive World Series appearances with Marberry as their Closer. With 22 Saves in 1926, Marberry set a single-season record that would stand for 23 years. He set the career record that year as well with 52. 1926 was Walter Johnson's last full season with the Senators, and they fell to the middle of the league standings. Marberry would spend the next six seasons with the Senators as a swing-man, starting half of the games he appeared in. Twice more he led the league in Saves, and would end his career as the first pitcher with 100 Saves, with 101.

Johnny Murphy of the Yankees was the next great Closer, and was nicknamed 'Fireman'. From 1934-1943, he led the league in Saves four times, and made the All-Star team three times. With 107 career Saves, Murphy held the record for 16 years. The Yankees replaced Murphy with Joe Page, who was their Closer from 1947-1950. Page was an All-Star reliever twice, and finished in the top-five in the MVP voting both seasons he led the league in Saves. In 1949, he set the single-season record with 27 Saves, but failed the next season and was never again effective. The single-season record would be broken by one-year wonder Luis Arroyo for the 1961 Yankees, with 29, and matched in 1964 by Dick Radatz of the Red Sox. Known as 'The Monster', Radatz set the AL record of 16 Relief Wins and the MLB record of 181 Strikeouts for a reliever in 1964, completing arguably the best season ever by a relief pitcher.

The late 1950s and early 1960s featured many great Closers, including two record-setters, Roy Face and Hoyt Wilhelm. Face is most famous for his 1959 season in which he won a record 18 games in relief, losing just one, for a record .947 Winning Percentage. In 1962 he set the NL record for Saves in a season with 28 and the career Saves record, finishing the year with 120 career Saves. Wilhelm won the ERA title in his rookie year of 1952, becoming the first pitcher to win the title pitching entirely in relief. He won another ERA title seven years later during his only season as a starting pitcher. The knuckle-baller never led the league in Saves, yet passed Face for the career Saves record in 1964, and held it for 16 years, finishing with 227.

The next reliever to post 200 career Saves was Sparky Lyle in 1977. Lyle, who finished with 238 career Saves, was the first reliever to win the Cy Young Award in 1977 for the Yankees. Bruce Sutter would be the next reliever to win the Cy Young Award, when he saved 37 games for the Cubs in 1979. Playing for the Cardinals in 1984, he would tie the single-season record of 45 Saves, set the previous season by Dan Quisenberry. With 300 career Saves, Sutter trailed only Goose Gossage and Rollie Fingers when he retired.

The first reliever to 300 Saves was Rollie Fingers in 1982, on his way to 341 in his career. Arguably the best reliever of the 20th Century, Fingers became the second reliever to win the MVP, following Jim Konstanty in 1950, and the first to win both the MVP and Cy Young Award in the same season in 1981 for the Brewers. Rich 'Goose' Gossage reached 300 career Saves in 1988, the same year as Sutter. He was an intimidating strikeout pitcher, and set the NL record of 151 Strikeouts by a reliever in 1977 for the Pirates.

The 1980s saw the development of the Closer role into a one-inning specialist. Jeff Reardon became the career Saves leader in 1992, his last of 11 full-seasons as a Closer. His innings pitched decreased nearly every season, going from 109 in 1982 to 58 in 1992, showing the change in the role clearly. The next season, Lee Smith passed Reardon on his way to becoming the first reliever with 400 Saves. By the time he retired, Smith had set records of 478 career Saves and 802 Games Finished. John Franco joined Smith in 1999 as the second member of the 400 Saves club, on his way to 424 for his career, the most ever for a left-handed pitcher. He remained a great Closer until the age of 38, an age when most lefties have become one-out specialists.

1987 was an important year for the Closer role, as the Athletics turned theirs over to former All-Star starter Dennis Eckersley, who was 32 years old. Over the next 11 seasons, Eckersley would redefine how the Closer role was used and who could perform well in the role. His first full season as a Closer was 1988, and he nearly won the Cy Young Award after saving a league-leading 45 games. Eckersley's 1990 season was the best by a modern-day reliever, with 48 Saves and a microscopic 0.61 ERA, and incredibly only four walks (one intentional). Ironically, two of his teammates finished ahead of him in the Cy Young voting that year, Dave Stewart and the winner Bob Welch. Two years later, Eckersley not only won the Cy Young Award, but also the MVP with 51 Saves. The Braves would use John Smoltz, who missed a full season in 2000, as their Closer from 2001-2004 as he returned from the injury.

Today's group of Closers are mostly groomed to be Closers from the time they are signed to a contract. Most pitch only the ninth inning and only in save situations. Saves are easier to earn, and their value is harder to perceive. Closers with great numbers like Tom Henke, Robb Nen, John Wetteland, et al did not dominate long enough, while other Closers are certain Hall of Famers like Trevor Hoffman, the current career Saves leader, and Mariano Rivera, arguably the best Closer of all time.

Relief Pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Dennis Eckersley : A's, Red Sox
-Rollie Fingers : A's, Padres
-Lee Smith : Cubs, Cardinals
-Rich 'Goose' Gossage : Yankees, Padres
-John Franco : Mets, Reds
-Hoyt Wilhelm : White Sox, Orioles, Giants
-Fred 'Firpo' Marberry : Senators
-Bruce Sutter : Cubs, Cardinals
-Albert 'Sparky' Lyle : Yankees, Red Sox
-Jeff Reardon : Expos, Twins

Players who played in both the 19th and 20th Century worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Jake Beckley : Pirates, Reds 1B
-Jesse Burkett : Spiders OF
-Fred Clarke : Pirates OF
-Lave Cross : Phillies, Athletics 3B
-George Davis : Giants, White Sox SS
-Willie Keeler : Orioles, Yankees, Dodgers OF
-Joe Kelley : Orioles OF

Next ten position players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-George Brett : Royals 3B
-Cal Ripken : Orioles SS
-Mike Schmidt : Phillies 3B
-Roberto Clemente : Pirates OF
-Harry Heilmann : Tigers OF
-Rod Carew : Twins 2B
-Wade Boggs : Red Sox 3B
-Tony Gwynn : Padres OF
-Johnny Bench : Reds C
-Larry 'Yogi' Berra : Yankees C

Next ten pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Clarence 'Dazzy' Vance : Dodgers
-Joe McGinnitty : Giants
-Ed Walsh : White Sox
-Mike Mussina : Orioles, Yankees
-George 'Rube' Waddell : Athletics
-Early Wynn : Indians
-Phil Niekro : Braves
-Ferguson Jenkins : Cubs
-Robin Roberts : Phillies
-Bert Blyleven : Twins

Papelbon Saves Record for Himself

2009-07-08T09:45:00.000-07:00

In his fourth full season as a Closer for the Red Sox, Jonathan Papelbon became the franchise's career leader for Saves by a relief pitcher with 133, passing Bob Stanley. What is most amazing about breaking the record is that it only took Papelbon four years and 133 Saves. Of the six teams with a lower career-leading total, only the Phillies have been in MLB longer than 35 years. The Red Sox have been one of the most successful franchises since Saves became important sixty years ago, and have employed some of the best Closers in baseball history, yet never found long-term success until Papelbon.

In the early 1900s, some of the best starting pitchers would occassionally close games for others. Hall of Fame pitchers Joe McGinnity, Mordecai Brown, and Lefty Grove all had led the league in Wins and Saves in the same season, and had been the active career Saves leader at some point in their careers. Firpo Marberry was the first successful Closer for the Washington Senators from 1924 to 1932. He set the single-season record of 15 Saves in his rookie year, tied it the next year, and then became the first Closer to top 20 Saves with 22 in 1926. It would be 23 years before Joe Page of the Yankees would break the record with 27 Saves in 1949. By the time Luis Arroyo saved a record 29 games for the Yankees in 1961, 20 Saves by a league leader was common.

The first great Closer for the Red Sox was converted starter Ellis Kinder. Known as 'Old Folks', Kinder was 31 years old when he made his MLB debut in 1946 for the Browns. As a starting pitcher for the Red Sox in 1949, Kinder finished 5th in the MVP race, winning 23 games and saving four. The next year, he split his time between starting and relieving, winning 14 games and saving nine. The Red Sox, desperate for relief pitchers used Kinder as a full-time Closer in 1951 at the age of 36. He led the league with 14 Saves that year, then tied the single-season record with 27 two years later. He enjoyed five great seasons as the Red Sox Closer, becoming the third pitcher to record 100 plus Saves, 91 coming with the Red Sox.

Mike Fornieles, a journeyman reliever, enjoyed three successful seasons as the Red Sox Closer from 1959-1961, including a league-leading 14 Saves in 1960.

The most dominating Closer for the Red Sox was fireballer Dick Radatz, nicknamed 'The Monster'. He burst onto the scene at age 25 in 1962 by leading the league with 24 Saves, finishing third in the Rookie of the Year voting and being named Fireman of the Year. Radatz had an even better year in his sophomore season with 25 Saves, becoming the first reliever to save 20 games in consecutive seasons. His 1964 season was possibly the best ever by a reliever when Radatz tied the single-season record with 29 Saves and was awarded his second Fireman of the Year Award. That year he also won an AL record 16 games in relief and set the MLB record for relievers with 181 strikeouts. Arm trouble ended his Red Sox career after just five seasons, yet Radatz set the career franchise Saves record with 104.

Between Radatz and Stanley, the Red Sox tried many people in the Closer role. Sparky Lyle had five good years with the Red Sox to begin his career including a 20 Save season in 1970. Lyle was traded to the Yankees for Danny Cater in 1972, one of the worst trades in Red Sox history, as Lyle saved an AL record 35 games that year, then became the first relief pitcher to win the Cy Young Award in 1977. From 1972-76, the Red Sox employed a somewhat successful bullpen-by-committee approach using starters and journeymen. Then after the 1976 season, the Red Sox signed their first big-time free-agent Bill Campbell. He had a sensational season for the Twins in 1976 in which he won 17 games in relief, breaking Radatz's AL record, and saved 20 on his way to winning the Fireman of the Year Award. Campbell, who threw a nasty screw-ball, was an instant success for the Red Sox in 1977 when he led the league with 31 Saves, setting a franchise record. Arm trouble removed him from the Closer role the next year.

Bob Stanley joined the Red Sox as a swing-man in 1977 making 13 starts and 28 relief appearances. He enjoyed a superb season in 1978, winning 15 games and losing only two, with a team-high 10 Saves. The following season he was an All-Star as a starting pitcher and won 16 games. When rookie John Tudor replaced Stanley in the rotation midway through the 1980 season, he went back to the bullpen and saved 14 games, second on the team to lefty Tom Burgmeier's 24. Mark Clear, who featured a mean curveball, and Stanley, who threw a confounding palm-ball, formed a formidable one-two punch in 1982 with both winning more than 12 games and saving 14, which tied them for ninth in the AL. Pitching in every relief situation, Stanley became one of the few relievers in history to qualify for the ERA title when he pitched 168 innings that year, finishing second to Rick Sutcliffe with a 3.10 ERA. The following season exclusively as a Closer, Stanley set a franchise record with 33 Saves, breaking Campbell's record. After saving 22 games in 1984, he inexplicably split the Closer role with others the next two years. In 1986, Stanley passed Radatz to become the Red Sox career Saves leader, an event which received little fanfare. After a disastrous return to the starting rotation in 1987, Stanley finished his career in the bullpen for his final two seasons. His 132 career Saves for the Red Sox remained unchallenged until the emergence of Papelbon.

Some great Closers have spent time with the Red Sox over the last 20 years. Lee Smith, a future Hall of Famer and once the career Saves leader, spent three seasons with the team averaging 27 Saves a season before going to the Cardinals for whom he averaged 44 Saves. Another former career Saves leader, and teammate of Smith's in 1990, was Jeff Reardon who in 1991 set the franchise record with 40 Saves. Reardon was traded in 1992, and Jeff Russell replaced him as the Closer, saving 33 games in 1993 before failing the next season. Rick Aguilera joined the Red Sox for the pennant race in 1995, saving 20 games in half a season before rejoining the Twins the next season. Converted starter Tom Gordon saved a team record 46 games in 1998, but injuries kept him from remaining a dominant Closer. Converted reliever Derek Lowe became the first pitcher to win 20 games in a season after saving 20 games the previous season when he won 21 games in 2002 after saving 24 games in 2001. Lowe was replaced by Ugeth Urbina who saved 40 games in his only full-season with the Red Sox in 2002. The Red Sox signed Keith Foulke after the 2003 season in which he had league-leading 43 Saves for Oakland, and he quickly became part of Red Sox history as the Closer on the 2004 World Series Champion Red Sox.

Jonathan Papelbon became the Red Sox Closer early in 2006 at the age of 25 and he dominated the league, saving 35 games with an ERA under 1.00. An All-Star in his first year, Papelbon finished second to Justin Verlander in the Rookie of the Year voting. 2009 marks his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance, and he is on his way to his fourth consecutive 30 Save season, both team records for pitchers. With a devastating fastball and a fierce scowl to match, Papelbon is the most intimidating relief pitcher on the Red Sox since Radatz 40 years ago. Papelbon passed Stanley's career franchise Saves record in his fourth full season, but because of his past contract disputes and his willingness to pitch for the Yankees in the future, he may not accumulate many more in his Red Sox career. Somebody tell Wakefield to warm up...

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 3

2009-07-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Jackie Robinson was not the first African-American to play Major League Baseball. That honor goes to William White, who played one game at first base for Providence Grays of the NL in 1879. Little is known about White, except that his mother was black and he played baseball for Brown University before replacing injured Joe Start for that one game. The next African-Americans to play in the Major Leagues were brothers Moses Fleetwood Walker and Welday Walker in 1884 for the Toledo Blue Stockings, who had left the Northwestern League to join the newly formed American Association. The Blue Stockings played just the one season, but held the distinction of being the last Major League team to have black players on its roster until the 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers. There were around thirty African-Americans who played minor league baseball professionally before 1900, however many others were either banned or prevented from playing and were relegated to playing for black teams or barnstorming teams.

The first written ban on African-American players was in 1867 when the National Association of Base Ball Players, the first governing body of American baseball, banned clubs with black players after the Philadelphia Pythians, an all-black team, applied for membership. There was no written ban placed on African-Americans in the first professional league, the National Association of Professional Base Ball Players beginning in 1871, or any other Major League since then. Adrian 'Cap' Anson, the legendary Chicago player and manager, was the man believed responsible for the unwritten ban on black players in 1887 when he refused to have his team play an exhibition game against an integrated team featuring Fleet Walker and George Stovey. Anson and others had purposely forged a 'Gentleman's Agreement' to keep African-Americans out of Major League Baseball.

The first African-American to play in professional baseball was John W. Jackson, known more famously as Bud Fowler, who played for Chelsea, MA in 1878. Fowler ironically grew up in Cooperstown, NY, and played the most professional baseball games by a black player until Jackie Robinson. When the Hall of Fame created a Negro Leagues Committee in 2005 to elect African-American baseball players and pioneers from the late 19th Century to integration in 1947, somehow Fowler was ignored (as was Buck O'Neil, which I'll discuss later). Only two 19th Century players were inducted in 2006, Sol White and Frank Grant. The minor leagues in the 19th Century featured a number of popular African-Americans until a written ban was put into effect in the International League in 1887. However, black players under contract were allowed to continue playing, including Fleet Walker and Grant, both of whom played in the IL until 1888. Grant continued playing in the lower minor leagues until 1898, when the ban extended to all of minor league baseball, and was the last known African-American to play professional baseball until 1946 when the Dodgers placed black players on the minor league rosters of Montreal and Nashua.

John McGraw, the New York Giants manager, tried to break the Color Line on numerous occassions in the early 1900s, passing African-Americans off as Cubans or Native Americans. One of these players, Jimmy Claxton, who was part African-American and part Native American, unknowingly crossed the Color Line in 1916 when he played for the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League.

African-American Pioneers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-John W. Jackson (Bud Fowler) : First black professional player
-Frank Grant : Greatest black player of the 19th Century
-George Stovey : Greatest black pitcher of the 19th Century
-Richard Johnson : 19th Century player
-Robert Higgins : 19th Century player
-Moses Fleetwood Walker : Influental pioneer and player, author
-King 'Sol' White : Player, manager, executive. Wrote first history of black baseball

Next ten MLB position players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Nap Lajoie, Indians 2B
-Tris Speaker, Red Sox OF
-Charlie Gehringer, Tigers 2B
-Eddie Collins, White Sox 2B
-Mel Ott, Giants OF
-Frank Robinson, Reds OF
-Mickey Mantle, Yankees OF
-Paul Waner, Pirates OF
-Al Simmons, Athletics OF
-Joe DiMaggio, Yankees OF

Next ten MLB pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Mordecai Brown, Cubs
-Eddie Plank, Athletics
-Bob Feller, Indians
-Bob Gibson, Cardinals
-Juan Marichal, Giants
-Edward 'Whitey' Ford, Yankees
-Jim Palmer, Orioles
-Carl Hubbell, Giants
-Gaylord Perry, Giants
-Don Sutton, Dodgers

Next MLB managers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Casey Stengel, Yankees
-Tommy Lasorda, Dodgers
-Frank Selee, Braves (His Hall of Fame plaque includes the line "Assembled Chicago's renowned double play combination of Tinkers, Evers, and Chance." Just ridiculous!)
-Bill McKechnie, Braves & Reds
-Ned Hanlon, Orioles & Dodgers

Next MLB pioneers and executives worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Charles Comiskey, Successful player, manager, and owner.
-Bill Veeck, Owner, promoter, and innovator. Signed Larry Doby, the American League's first black player. Signed Satchel Paige at age 42. Signed midget Eddie Gaedel. Added players names to jerseys.
-Larry MacPhail, Executive, owner, and innovator. Began nighttime baseball games, regular televising of games, and flying teams between games
-Charles Somers, Owner and executive. Helped create the modern World Series. Created one of the first minor league farm systems
-Walter O'Malley, Owner and executive. Moved the Dodgers to Los Angeles, becoming the first team west of the Mississippi. Convinced Giants owner Horace Stoneham to move to San Francisco.

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame: Part 2

2009-06-30T12:02:00.000-07:00

When the Baseball Hall of Fame held its first elections in 1936, the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) were allowed to vote for any players from the 20th Century, including active players, while a Veterans Committee was responsible for selecting players from the 19th Century. Five legendary players, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were elected by the BBWAA in 1936. Unfortunately, yet very typical of the corrupt Hall of Fame, no players were elected by the Veterans Committee that year because of voting confusion. In 1937, the Veterans Committee was reformed as the Centennial Commission and elected three managers and two league presidents, but no players, however Cy Young, who played ten seasons in the 19th Century, was elected by the BBWAA that year. Alexander Cartwright, the 'Father of Modern Baseball', was one of two pioneers elected by the Committee in 1938, with no players elected yet again.

Amid controversy, the Centennial Committee was replaced by the Old-Timers Committee in 1939, the year of the grand-opening of the Hall of Fame. When criticism fell on the old Committee for not yet electing any 19th Century players, the new Committee reacted by electing six people, including the top vote-getters from 1936, Cap Anson and Buck Ewing. That year the BBWAA elected Willie Keeler, who played eight seasons in the 19th Century. With a confusing and ever-changing voting process, and Committee members not voting for 19th Century players they were not directly familiar with, many deserving players remain unelected.

Pre-1876 players and pioneers worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-George Wright : 1864-1882, the first professional baseball star for the Red Stockings
-Harry Wright : 1867-1877, first great baseball manager for the Red Stockings
-Andy Leonard : 1864-1880
-Cal McVey : 1868-1879
-Ross Barnes : 1868-1881, the best hitter of the era
-Lip Pike : 1866-1887, the top home run hitter of the era
-Levi Myerle : 1869-1877, single-season record .492 avg
-Bobby Mathews : 1869-1887
-William 'Candy' Cummings : 1866-1877
-Dick McBride : 1864-1876
-Deacon White : 1868-1890
-Paul Hines : 1872-1891
-Jim O'Rourke : 1872-1893
-Adrian 'Cap' Anson : 1871-1897, the best player of the 19th Century, the first player to have 3000 hits

*Al Spalding was the best pitcher of the era, and was already elected as a pioneer

19th Century position players worthy of the Hall of Fame:
-Ed Delahanty, PHI : Best hitter of the era, career .346 avg and .505 slg
-Dan Brouthers, BUF : Best slugger of the era, career .342 avg and .519 slg
-Sam Thompson, PHI : Great run producer, career .331 avg and .505 slg
-Billy Hamilton, PHI : Best base-stealer of the era, career 912 sb and .344 avg
-Hugh Duffy, BOS : Single-season record .440 avg, career .324 avg
-George Van Haltren, NYG : Great all-around player, career 583 sb and .316 avg
-Roger Connor, NYG : Most career home runs (138) of the era, career .317 avg
-Jimmy Ryan, CHI : Career .306 avg
-Mike 'King' Kelly, CHI : Multi-position star, career .306 avg
-Mike Tiernan, NYG : Career .311 avg
-John 'Bid' McPhee, CIN : Record-setting fielding 2B, great run scorer with 1678 in his career
-William 'Buck' Ewing, NYG : Best catcher of the era, career .303 avg
-Ed McKean, CLE : Career .302 avg
-Pete Browning, LOU : Excellent hitter with career .341 avg
-Harry Stovey, PHA : First great home run hitter, once owned both the single-season and career records for home runs

19th Century pitchers worthy of the Hall of Fame
-Tim Keefe, NYG : Career 342 wins and 2.62 ERA
-John Clarkson, BOS : Career 328 wins and 2.81 ERA
-Charles 'Kid' Nichols, BOS : Career 361 wins and 2.95 ERA
-Charles Radbourn, PRO : Career 309 wins and 2.67 ERA, single-season record 59 wins
-Mickey Welch, NYG : Career 307 wins and 2.71 ERA
-James 'Pud' Galvin, BUF : Career 364 wins and 2.86 ERA, first 300 game winner
-Jim McCormick, CLE : Career 265 wins and 2.43 ERA
-Amos Rusie, NYG : Career 245 wins and 3.07 ERA
-Bob Caruthers, STL : Career 218 wins and 2.83 ERA, best winning pct in the era
-Tony Mullane, CIN : Career 284 wins and 3.05 ERA
-Will White, CIN : Career 229 wins and 2.28 ERA
-Tommy Bond, BOS : Career 234 wins and 2.31 ERA
-Charlie Buffinton, BOS : Career 233 wins and 2.96 ERA

Tim Wakefield: All-Star

2009-06-29T11:25:00.000-07:00

When the American League All-Star pitchers are announced, Tim Wakefield should be rewarded with his first All-Star nomination. Currently, Wakefield leads the league with 10 wins and has lowered his ERA to 4.18. Pitchers like Zach Greinke and Roy Halladay are assured of All-Star berths, however other pitchers on the fringe like Kevin Slowey and Edwin Jackson could open up a spot on the team for Wakefield depending on their upcoming performances. Slowey, 10-3 4.41 for Minnesota, and Wakefield are having similar seasons, while Jackson, 6-4 2.49 for Detroit, cannot seem to win during his otherwise sensational season. Another way Wakefield could make the team is if another pitcher is injured or unavailable to pitch, in which case he along with Slowey and/or Jackson could become an All-Star. The final way to make the team is through the fan vote for the 32nd player, which if Wakefield is on that list he would definitely win the spot on the roster as he is a popular member of the Red Sox.

Typically, the All-Star roster has 12 or 13 pitchers represented. The American League could feature starting pitchers Greinke, Halladay, Josh Beckett, Justin Verlander, Felix Hernandez, Kevin Millwood, Jered Weaver, and Mark Buehrle (the lone White Sox member); and relief pitchers Jonathan Papelbon, Joe Nathan, and David Aardsma. Wakefield and/or Jackson or Slowey could fill the final spot(s). The position players who could make the team include multi-position stars Victor Martinez, Kevin Youkilis, and Ben Zobrist. The flexibility they could offer would allow for more pitchers on the roster (a good idea considering recent events, especially the extra-inning fiasco).

Wakefield should have been an All-Star in 1995, his sensational first year as a member of the Red Sox. At the All-Star break, he was 7-1 with a microscopic 1.61 ERA. Wakefield had only made ten starts by the break, having been called up from the minors in May, where other All-Star pitchers had made 15 or 16 starts. However, his numbers were better than everyone on the All-Star staff, and he should have been chosen over Chuck Finley of the Angels, 7-7 3.56, or fellow Red Sox starter Eric Hanson, 7-2 3.61. 1998 was Wakefield's only other season with double digit wins before the All-Star break, when he was 10-3 with a 4.29 ERA, but other pitchers were more worthy that year, including teammates Pedro Martinez and Tom Gordon. There were only ten pitchers on the rosters of 1995 and 1998, and had there been room for one more pitcher Wakefield would already be a two-time All-Star.

How I voted for the 2009 All-Star Game:
Catcher: Joe Mauer, MIN; Brian McCann, ATL*
First Base: Russell Branyan, SEA; Albert Pujols, STL
Second Base: Aaron Hill, TOR; Chase Utley, PHI
Third Base: Evan Longoria, TB; Pablo Sandoval, SF
Shortstop: Jason Bartlett, TB; Hanley Ramirez, FLA*
Outfield: Jason Bay, BOS; Ryan Braun, MIL
Outfield: Ichiro Suzuki, SEA; Raul Ibanez, PHI
Outfield: Carl Crawford, TB; Brad Hawpe, COL*

How I would fill out the American League roster:
Catcher: Kurt Suzuki, OAK*; Victor Martinez (1B/C), CLE*
First Base: Mark Teixeira, NY; Kevin Youkilis (1B/3B), BOS; Miguel Cabrera (1B/3B/OF), DET
Second Base: Ian Kinsler, TEX
Third Base: Brandon Inge (3B/C/OF), DET
Shortstop: Ben Zobrist (SS/2B/3B/OF), TB; Derek Jeter, NY
Outfield: Torii Hunter, LA; Adam Jones, BAL*; Adam Lind, TOR#
Pitchers: Zach Greinke, KC*; Roy Halladay, TOR; Mark Buehrle, CHI*; Kevin Millwood, TEX; Jered Weaver, LA; Felix Hernandez, SEA; Justin Verlander, DET; Josh Beckett, BOS; David Aardsma, SEA; Joe Nathan, MIN; Jonathan Papelbon, BOS; Tim Wakefield, BOS

How I would fill out the National League roster:
Catcher: Yadier Molina, STL; Benji Molina, SF
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, SD
Second Base: Freddy Sanchez (2B/3B/SS), PIT*; Orlando Hudson, ARI
Third Base: David Wright, NY; Casey Blake (3B/1B/OF), LA
Shortstop: Miguel Tejada, HOU*
Outfield: Carlos Beltran, NY; Justin Upton, ARI; Matt Kemp, LA; Adam Dunn, WAS*
Pitchers: Matt Cain, SF; Tim Lincecum, SF; Dan Haren, ARI; Yovani Gallardo, MIL; Johnny Cueto, CIN*; Johan Santana, NY; Chad Billingsly, LA; Ted Lilly, CHI*^; Cris Carpenter, STL; Francisco Rodriguez, NY; Ryan Franklin, STL; Heath Bell, SD

*= lone representative of their team
#= Josh Hamilton may be voted in by the fans. I would then remove TOR OF Adam Lind
^= Alfonso Soriano may be voted in by the fans. I would then add FLA P Josh Johnson, and remove CHI P Ted Lilly and LA OF Matt Kemp

Reinventing the Baseball Hall of Fame

2009-06-23T10:13:00.000-07:00

The Baseball Hall of Fame has had its share of controversies, from baseball writers voting for undeserving players, to baseball writers not voting for deserving players, to the Veterans Committee electing their unworthy friends and teammates. The travesty of 1946, when Joe Tinker, Johnny Evers, and Frank Chance were elected by the Veterans Committee, was the most controversial voting process in the history of the Hall of Fame. The baseball writers had elected only one player over the previous six years, and new voting rules were put into place to ensure players would get elected in 1946. The baseball writers again did not elect any players in 1946, with Frank Chance receiving the most votes, 57%. However, the Veterans Committee elected eleven players that year, five of whom were worthy and six who were not, including three of the worst selections in history, Tinkers, Evers, and Chance.

The poem "Baseball's Sad Lexicon",written by Franklin Pierce Adams in 1910, immortalized the Cubs double play combination of Shortstop Joe Tinker, Second Baseman Johnny Evers, and First Baseman Frank Chance. They were not as good as the poem made them out to be, so did the poem influence voters 36 years later? Tinker had just 1687 hits, only 31 home runs, and hit a paltry .262 during his career. He did however lead the league in fielding percentage four times. Evers had just 1659 hits, only 12 home runs, and hit a measly .270 during his career. He was inexplicably the MVP of the NL in 1914, leading the 'Miracle Braves' to the World Series with one home run, 40 rbi and a .279 average. Chance had just 1273 hits, only 20 home runs, and a scant 596 rbi during his career. He was the Cubs manager in the 00s, and won four pennants and two World Series, including their last in 1908. And what of Harry Steinfeldt? He was the Third Baseman of the Cubs and had similar numbers to his Hall of Fame teammates, yet was never elected. What if the poem read 'Steinfeldt to Evers to Chance'?

The Baseball Hall of Fame should be reserved for those players, managers, umpires, executives, and pioneers who were the greatest in the history of the sport. Baseball is a dichotomy, relying on statistics and intangibles when evaluating the value of a player or a manager. Many of the great players of the 1800s were not elected because statistics were scarce, and the Hall of Fame voters did not see them play. With the advent of SABR, baseballresearch.com, and even Bill James, evaluating players from any era is easier today than when voting began in 1936.

The baseball writers will continue to do a decent job of electing players, but the Veterans Committee will continue to do a poor job. The Hall of Fame will never remove a person from their roster, however what if they did? What if we could reinvent the Hall of Fame?

The top ten position players and pitchers who are undoubtedly worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame:
Position Players:
-George 'Babe' Ruth, Yankees OF
-Ty Cobb, Tigers OF
-John 'Honus' Wagner, Pirates SS
-Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals 2B
-Lou Gehrig, Yankees 1B
-Ted Williams, Red Sox OF
-Stan Musial, Cardinals OF
-Hank Aaron, Braves OF
-Willie Mays, Giants OF
-Jimmie Foxx, Athletics 1B
Pitchers:
-Denton 'Cy' Young, Red Sox
-Walter Johnson, Senators
-Christy Mathewson, Giants
-Grover 'Pete' Alexander, Phillies
-Warren Spahn, Braves
-Robert 'Lefty' Grove, Athletics
-Greg Maddux, Braves
-Steve Carlton, Phillies
-Tom Seaver, Mets
-Nolan Ryan, Angels

The top ten Pioneers and Managers who are undoubtedly worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame:
Pioneers:
-Alexander Cartwright : Wrote first rules of modern baseball
-Daniel 'Doc' Adams : President of the Knickerbockers, President of the first Baseball Convention in 1857, Chairman of the Rules Committee
-Al Spalding : Best pitcher in NA, founder of Spalding Sporting Goods and the "Baseball Guide"
-Al Reach : Founder of the Philadelphia Phillies, the "Reach Guide", and Reach Sporting Goods
-John Montgomery Ward : Star pitcher, shortstop and manager in 19th century. Formed the first players union in 1885, formed the Players League in 1890.
-Henry Chadwick : Created modern box-score and statistics, wrote manuals and rules
-William Hulbert : Founder of the National League
-Byron 'Ban' Johnson : Founder of the American League
-Clark Griffith : Integrated Latinos into MLB
-Branch Rickey : Integrated African-Americans into MLB
Managers:
-Connie Mack, Athletics
-John McGraw, Giants
-Joe McCarthy, Yankees
-Walter Alston, Dodgers
-Bobby Cox, Braves
-Tony LaRussa, Cardinals
-George 'Sparky' Anderson, Reds & Tigers
-Earl Weaver, Orioles
-Leo Durocher, Dodgers & Giants
-Joe Torre, Yankees

The Future of the Hall of Fame

2009-06-18T10:54:00.000-07:00

Sammy Sosa took steroids. Was anyone really surprised? Steroids would explain how he went from 36 home runs in 1997 to 66 in 1998, the largest increase in baseball history for a full-time player. Sosa was caught cheating before, using a corked bat in 2003, which coincidentally was the first year of random drug testing in Major League Baseball. During his testimony before congress in 2005 (when Rafael Palmeiro lied about taking steroids) Sosa mysteriously forgot how to speak English after speaking it fluently for 15 years. Sosa lied and cheated. Other players like Palmeiro, Alex Rodriguez, and Manny Ramirez, all sure-fire Hall of Fame players also got caught cheating. What will become of the Hall of Fame when these players are put on the ballot?

'The Steroids Era' will present the Baseball Writers of America with some difficult decisions in the near future. Already, Mark McGwire has felt the repercussions, garnering no more than 128 votes (24%) in any of his three years of eligibility. McGwire, Sosa's partner in the home run chase of 1998, was caught using andro that year before it became illegal. The Hall of Fame election of 2007, McGwire's first year on the ballot, saw Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn enshrined. McGwire would not have been elected that year regardless of steroid use. He would have been elected in 2008, which saw only Goose Gossage enshrined. Other players who were under suspicion of using steroids have received little to no support for election.

The Hall of Fame has faced controversies before. The Veteran's Committee, which was formed to elect players who played before 1936, has enshrined many undeserving players and ignored some very deserving players. While the BBWAA members are writers, the Veteran's Committee members are former players who elected their teammates and friends regardless of worthiness. More recently, the Negro Leagues Committee elected 19 players in 2006, yet did not elect the legendary Buck O'Neill.

With the elections of Jim Rice, Goose Gossage, Bruce Sutter, and Tony Perez over the last decade, fringe Hall of Fame players have received more attention from the BBWAA. Good players from the 70s and 80s who were once considered fringe Hall of Fame players, and have received decent vote totals, may have a better chance of being elected during 'The Steroids Era'. Their numbers fall short when compared to 'The Steroids Era' players, however they gain favor when compared to their contemporaries. Holdover players on the ballot Andre Dawson, Lee Smith, and Bert Blyleven should all be elected to the Hall of Fame in the next few years.

A look at the upcoming Hall of Fame ballots:

2010: Roberto Alomar, Edgar Martinez, Barry Larkin, Fred McGriff.

Alomar will be elected unless he is found to have used steroids, which he has been suspected of. He was the best all-around athlete to play second base in baseball history. Martinez has almost no chance to be elected even though he was the best-hitting DH in history. The voters will hold that against him, like they do for every MVP vote. Larkin will not be elected. Fred McGriff has the career power numbers to be elected, however he ended his career in 'The Steroids Era' and his numbers pale to players of that era. Had he played in the previous era he would definitely have been elected.

2011: Jeff Bagwell, Rafael Palmeiro, Larry Walker, John Franco.

The BBWAA will have dificulty voting for Bagwell because of the steroids suspicion. A trainer has said he supplied steroids to Clemens, Pettitte, and Bagwell. Palmeiro has better numbers than McGwire, and will get more votes, but not enough to get elected. Walker will lose the votes he otherwise would have gained because he played in Coors Field. Franco will get votes because of Sutter and Gossage. Look for Dawson and Smith to be elected this year.

2012: Bernie Williams

Williams will not be elected, even though he was a hero for the Yankees. This is a poor year for first-timers. Look for McGriff and Blyleven, in his last year of eligibility, to be elected.

2013: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Sammy Sosa, Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Curt Schilling

This group could have been the greatest ever with Bonds, Clemens, and Sosa. Unfortunately, the voters will not reward them in their first year, if ever, because of steroids use. However, Biggio and Piazza will be elected in a landslide. Biggio attained career numbers that ensure his election. Piazza was the greatest hitting catcher of all-time. Schilling will not be elected, even with the best post-season record in history.

2014: Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Mike Mussina, Jeff Kent, Pedro Martinez*

Maddux had the most wins of any pitcher since Warren Spahn, and he did it in a hitters' era. He may set the record for highest voting percentage. Thomas will be a first-ballot inductee as well, with 521 home runs and a .301 career average. Mussina and Kent will eventually be elected. Martinez may play this year, and then would not be eligible in 2014.

Some people have suggested a 'Steroids Wing' of the Hall of Fame, or even asterisks on plaques of those who were caught using steroids. That's never going to happen. Pete Rose, Joe Jackson, and others remain ineligible for the Hall of Fame for betting on baseball. There is no wing or asterisks for them. Perhaps Baseball should make players caught using steroids ineligible for the Hall of Fame. That's never going to happen either. Baseball created the steroids problem in the mid-90s and will look silly not having its greatest playes in the Hall of Fame. Eventually Palmeiro, Bagwell, Bonds, Clemens, Sosa, Rodriguez, Ramirez, Pettitte and other steroid users will get elected by a future generation of Hall of Fame voters. A similar thing happened to players from the 'Lively Ball Era' of the 20s and 30s whose numbers were deemed inflated by the era, and thus had to wait a generation to get elected to the Hall of Fame.

Can The Red Sox Really Have Too Much Pitching?

2009-06-16T12:35:00.000-07:00

The Red Sox are in first place without great contributions from key pitchers Daisuke Matsusaka and Brad Penny, and a slow start for Jon Lester. With John Smoltz ready to make his return to the big leagues, and Clay Buchholz dominating in Pawtucket waiting for his next call-up, who will be in the Red Sox rotation in the near future? Can the Red Sox really have too much pitching?

On WEEI, the idea of a six-man rotation was suggested for the Red Sox featuring Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsusaka, Tim Wakefield, Brad Penny, and John Smoltz. There are a few problems with a six-man rotation, the most obvious being who would be replaced on the roster. The Red Sox have nine starting position players, one utility corner infielder, one utility middle infielder, one utility outfielder, and one reserve catcher, That leaves room for 12 pitchers on the roster. Currently, there are five starters and seven relievers. To add Smoltz as the sixth starter would mean either eliminating the utility corner infielder or a reliever. With Mike Lowell's hip trouble, it makes sense to keep the infielder, or else be forced to make emergency moves every week.

Through 63 games, the Red Sox relievers have made 181 appearances, nearly three per game, and pitched 191 innings, nearly three per game. To eliminate one of the relievers in favor of Smoltz would put stress on both the starters and relievers. The starters would need to go longer, or the relievers would have to pitch more frequently (unless the starters come in for relief during their throwing days- not a good idea). And, who from the best relief staff in baseball would be replaced by Smoltz? Daniel Bard? Every reliever is valuable this year, and if you eliminate Bard from the bullpen, then Ramon Ramirez and Manny Delcarmen would need to pitch more frequently, possibly exposing them to bad match-ups and fatigue later in the season when they will be needed the most.

A six-man rotation would also take starts away from the team's best pitchers, Beckett and Lester. Normally, they would make 34 starts per year, but if a six-man rotation is implemented then they would end 2009 with just 29 starts. Taking ten starts away from your best pitchers just to give them to a pitcher coming off of an injury is not smart. Someone suggested keeping Beckett and Lester on a five-man schedule, with the other four starters on a six-man schedule. That would mean that Beckett and Lester would work on four to five days rest, while the others would work on seven to nine days rest. Pitchers not on a regular routine who wait more than a week between starts would be less effective than if they had a regular turn. The only way that could work is if you bring the starters in to relieve on their throwing days, but that is unrealistic.

Even with 'too much pitching' the Red Sox have some issues. Buchholz is upset he has to wait for a spot in the rotation, but failed miserably last year when given the job. Matsusaka, the worst of the starters this year, cannot be traded or sent to the minor leagues. Justin Masterson, who filled in for Matsusaka during his injury, is the fourth-best starter on the team but is passed over by more experienced starters. Smoltz is recovering from an injury, and may not be very effective. Penny, who slumped earlier in the season, may get traded which the Red Sox planned on, and would eliminate the need for a six-man rotation all-together.

Next year, the Red Sox should feature a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Matsusaka, Buchholz, and Masterson. Out with the old, in with the new for a change. Then when one starter struggles, there's always Wakefield to fill in.

***The Red Sox tried to trade Takashi Saito, a reliever, to Texas for Hank Blalock this week but failed. What does that say for Papi? And, does that mean the six-man rotation is imminent?

Will There Be Another 300 Game Winner?

2009-06-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last week, 45 year old Randy Johnson became the 24th pitcher to win 300 games in a career, defeating the team that originally drafted him 24 years ago. Johnson became the sole active member of the 300 win club (unless Tom Glavine signs with a team this year), and many people wondered if he would be the last. With pitchers starting fewer games and pitching fewer innings than previous generations because of the emphasis on relief pitching, pitch counts, etc there may not be another 300 game winner for a very long time. Of course, when Nolan Ryan won his 300th game in 1990, it was believed he would be the last 300 game winner because by 1990 every team had a five man rotation and a one inning closer. However, since then, four men have surpassed 300 wins: Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Tom Glavine, and Randy Johnson. Another pitcher, Mike Mussina, would have joined them by 2011 had he not unexpectedly retired last year after posting a career-high 20 wins. So, will any other pitchers win 300 games in the era of specialization?

The history of the 300 game winner is very interesting when compared to how the game has been played, and how statistics have motivated players to play longer than they should. Of the 24 pitchers to win 300 games, seven of them pitched before 1900, four played in the dead-ball era, one played in the lively-ball era, two played in the post-war era, six played in the modern-era, and four in the steroids-era.

Prior to 1893, pitchers threw from 45 feet, mostly underhand. Teams generally played less than 100 games and had one pitcher make half of the team's starts. These pitchers completed almost every game they started, pitching an average of over 500 innings. The average league leader in wins had over 40 most years. The first five 300 game winners played exclusively within this era, the first being James 'Pud' Galvin in 1888, followed by 'Smiling' Tim Keefe and 'Smiling' Mickey Welch in 1890, Charles 'Old Hoss' Radbourne in 1891, and John Clarkson in 1892. The average age of these pitchers when they won their 300th game was 32, and they retired at an average age of 34 after an average of 13 years pitched. Baseball was in its infancy then, with fewer teams and a smaller talent pool, and rules constantly changed. Some years, wins were not even recorded (until SABR researched the era), and the career number of wins by a pitcher was not as important as how many they had each year. One poor year, and a pitcher could find himself unemployed the next year.

Two pitchers who made their debut in 1890 became 300 game winners. Charles 'Kid' Nichols won his 300th game at the age of 30 in 1900 before retiring the next year after playing his entire career with Boston. After a two-year retirement, he returned for three more seasons including a spectacular 1904 with St. Louis at the age of 34. Denton 'Cy' Young won his 300th game in 1901 at the age of 34, during his best season in which he won the Triple Crown. He was the top pitcher for the newly formed American League, leading the league in wins each of its first three years. Unlike other early pitchers, Young continued to pitch effectively into his 40s, posting two 20 win seasons while winning 75 of his record 511 games.

The dead-ball era produced the top four winners in history. Cy Young won 511, followed by Walter 'Big Train' Johnson with 417, Christy 'Big Six' Mathewson with 373, and Grover Cleveland 'Pete' Alexander with 373. Eddie Plank became the oldest pitcher to win his 300th game at the age of 39 in 1915, mostly because his rookie year was at the age of 25. This group of pitchers differed from the pre-1900 group in that the average age at win 300 jumped to just over 34, while the average retirement age increased dramatically to slightly over 40. Baseball was a structured sport with higher salaries, championships and awards during this era. Pitchers started 30 percent of their team's games, while the leaders averaged 375 innings and 30 wins. Jack Chesbro in 1904 was the last pitcher to win 40 games in a season.

The lively-ball era coincided with the popularity of Babe Ruth and his record-setting home runs. Rules changes that affected pitchers were the 'Spit-ball' rule, which prevented pitchers from using spit or dirt on the ball as well as prohibiting them from scuffing or cutting the ball. When the popular Cleveland shortstop Ray Chapman was struck and killed by a dirty ball, the rules changed to allow a new ball to be entered into play after it was damaged, rather than playing with the same ball for the entire game. Johnson and Alexander had most of their success in the dead-ball era and ended their careers in the lively-ball era. In 1924, Alexander became the last of the eleven 300 game winners in the first 50 years of baseball. From 1920 to 1979, pitching statistics were fairly even, as teams employed four-man rotations, with pitchers starting 25 percent of their teams' games, while the leaders averaged 320 innings and 25 wins.

There were only three 300 game winners between 1924 and 1981. Robert 'Lefty' Grove was the sole pitcher to win 300 while playing his entire career in the lively-ball era. He was as dominant in that offensive era as Pedro Martinez was in the steroids-era, with his ERA a full two runs below the league average. Grove started his career late, at the age of 25, and finished his career as a part-time starter the last four years of his career. His last win, his 300th, was in 1941 at the age 41 and he became the oldest pitcher to win his 300th game. Grove was one of just three pitchers to win 30 games in the lively-ball era when he won 31 in 1931.

World War II prevented some pitchers from reaching 300 wins, most notably Bob Feller, who lost between 75 and 95 wins while fighting in the war. He finished his career with 266 career wins at age 37 after two poor final seasons, and could have had 350.

The post-war era featured two 300 game winners. In 1961, 40 year old Warren Spahn won his 300th game on his way to 363. The 363 wins were the most for a pitcher in a career after Alexander retired in 1930, and the most by a left-hander in history. Spahn missed three of his first four years due to the war and would have surpassed 400 wins if he had played those years. Like Cy Young, Spahn in his 40s won 20 games in a season twice and 75 overall. Early Wynn was a late winner, with only 83 career wins before the age of 30. He won his 300th and final game in 1963 at the age of 43.

The modern-era changed baseball forever. The beginning of the five man rotation in the late 70s, and the new emphasis on relief pitching started to take potential wins from starting pitchers. In the mid-1970s free-agency enabled players to make more money for better performances, so players began taking better care of themselves in the off-season, as baseball became their profession and they no longer needed an off-season job. Career numbers like 3000 hits, 400 home runs, and 300 wins became 'magic' numbers that ensured enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.

Incredibly, six pitchers who began their careers in the 1960s went on to win 300 games in their careers. Gaylord Perry, the master of the illegal spit-ball, won his 300th game at the age of 43 in 1982. The next year, Steve 'Lefty' Carlton became the first pitcher to win his 300th game in his 30s (38) since Alexander in 1924. 1985 was the second year (1890 the first) in which two pitchers notched their 300th wins, when Tom Seaver, 40 years old and Phil Niekro, the oldest member at 46, accomplished the feat. Mr Consistent, Don Sutton at 41 years old joined the 300 win club in 1986. Strikeout king Nolan Ryan was presumed to be the final member of the 300 win club in 1990, when he was 43 years old. The average age of a pitcher at the time of his 300th win since 1924 increased to over 41 years old, while the retirement age of 300 game winners escalated to nearly 44 years old. During this era, Denny McLain was the last pitcher to win 30 games in a season with 31 in 1968.

The steroids-era focused on offense, with pitchers starting less games, pitching less innings, and relievers winning more games. The average pitcher started just 20% of their teams games, while the leaders averaged 250 innings and 21 wins. The last pitcher to win more than 25 games in a season was Bob Welch in 1990 when he had 27.

Four pitchers have won 300 games in the steroid-era. Roger Clemens followed fellow Texas fire-baller Ryan in 2003, when Clemens won his 300th game at the age of 40. He finished with 354 wins at the age of 44 in 2007 after accusations of steroid use ended his career. Clemens had 200 wins at age 34 and 250 wins at age 37. Greg Maddux finished his career with 355 wins, winning number 300 at the age of 38, featuring a record 17 consecutive 15+ win seasons. Maddux had 200 wins at age 32 and 250 wins at age 35. Tom Glavine won his 300th game at the age of 41 in 2007. Glavine had 200 wins at age 34 and 250 wins at age 37. Randy Johnson won his 300th game last week at the age of 45. Johnson had just 68 wins in his 20s, and has 70 in his 40s. He had 200 wins at 37 and 250 wins at 41. Only Phil Niekro (46) was older than Johnson when he won his 300th game.

Mike Mussina would have joined the 300 win club sometime in 2011 had he not retired last year, after a career-high 20 win season. He finished his career with 270 at the age of 39. Why did he retire? He was part of a Yankees team filled with steroid abusers. Was he one of them?

Active pitchers with a chance at 300 wins:
1. C.C. Sabathia: 28 years old. Needs 178 wins. Averages slightly less than 16 wins a season, and would need to pitch 11+ more years, when he will be nearly 40 years old.
Pros: Pitches for the Yankees, three times 16+ wins, low ERA
Cons: Innings pitched, weight
Odds: 80%
2. Roy Oswalt: 31 years old. Needs 169 wins. Averages over 16 wins a season, and would need to pitch 11 more years, when he will be 42 years old.
Pros: Four times 16+ wins, low ERA
Cons: Pitches for the Astros
Odds: 75%
3. Roy Halladay: 32 years old. Needs 159 wins. Averages 14 wins a season with more than 16 recently. He has 10 wins already this season. If he averages 15 wins for 10 years he will reach 300 at age 42.
Pros: Five times 15+ wins, completes games, low ERA
Cons: Injuries, innings pitched
Odds: 60%
4. Andy Pettitte: 37 years old. Needs 80 wins. Averages 15 wins a season, and would need to pitch nearly six more years, when he will be 43 years old.
Pros: Pitches for the Yankees, six times 15+ wins
Cons: Age, steroids
Odds: 50%
5. Mark Buehrle: 30 years old. Needs 172 wins. Averages 14 wins a season, and would need to pitch around 13 more years, when he will be 43 years old.
Pros: Six times 14+ wins, eight consecutive 30+ starts, two time starts leader
Cons: Pitches for the White Sox
Odds: 33%
6. Jon Garland: 29 years old. Needs 190 wins. Averages more than 14 wins a season, and would need to pitch 13 more years, when he will be 42 years old.
Pros: Three time 14+ wins, seven consecutive 30+ starts
Cons: Three teams in three years, high ERA
Odds: 25%
7. Carlos Zambrano: 28 years old. Needs 200 wins. Averages more than 15 wins a season, and would need to pitch 13 more years, when he will be 41.
Pros: Three times 15+ wins, low ERA, six consecutive 30+ starts
Cons: Temper, great hitter on base a lot
Odds: 15%
8. Jamie Moyer: Age 46. Needs 50 wins. Averages 13 wins a season, and would need to pitch four more years, when he will be 50.
Pros: Eleven times 13+ wins, eight consecutive 30+ starts, pitches for the Phillies
Cons: High ERA, junk pitcher, age...
Odds: 1%, but I could be wrong...

Close, but no cigar:
Johan Santana, Barry Zito, Tim Hudson, Livan Hernandez

Potential Red Sox Hall of Famers

2009-06-02T10:17:00.000-07:00

When Manny Ramirez was caught using PEDs, critics wondered whether or not he should be elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Because Manny got caught using PEDs, he will be lumped in with the players of 'the Steroid Era' who have received little if any votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jose Canseco and Mo Vaughn, former Red Sox players who were named in the Mitchell Report, both received just six votes for the Baseball Hall of Fame in their first, and only, year on the ballot, although neither player would have been elected regardless of their PED use, as their numbers were not worthy.

With the spectre of steroids hanging over baseball, it is difficult to predict how the BBWAA will view the players of this era when their names are put on the Hall of Fame ballot. Players like Canseco and his Bash Brother Mark McGwire have received little support from Hall of Fame voters. Others like Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro, once sure-fire Hall of Famers, will present the voters a dilemma. Jim Rice, who played prior to 'the Steroids Era', benefitted from the controversy of the last few years, as his voting numbers increased every year since 2003, when random testing for PEDs began. Rice's batting numbers were borderline Hall of Fame worthy when he was first eligible in 1995, but as player after player was accused of, or caught using PEDs, his career was judged appropriately, against his peers and not the recent group of enhanced hitters. This year Rice, along with former Red Sox outfielder Rickey Henderson, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his final year of eligibility.

Who will be the future Hall of Fame Red Sox players?

On the current team is a definite, some maybes, and some nots.
Definite: John Smoltz
Maybes: Youkilis, Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lester, Beckett, Papelbon
Nots: Varitek, Kottaras, Bailey, Lugo, Green, Lowrie, Lowell, Bay, Drew, Baldelli, Ortiz, Wakefield, Matsusaka, Penny, every non-closer relief pitcher

Former Red Sox players with Hall of Fame potential:

1. Pedro Martinez
214 Wins-99 Losses, 2.91 ERA, 3117 Ks, 1.051 WHIP
3 Cy Young Awards (2 with BOS), 8 time All-Star (4 with BOS)
1999 Triple Crown winner (with BOS), 5 time ERA champ (all with BOS), 3 time Ks champ (2 with BOS), 1999 Wins champ (with BOS)
-From 1997 to 2003, Pedro led the league in ERA five times in seven seasons during the highlight of 'the Steroid Era'. He would have won another ERA title in 2001 if not for an injury. Pedro's ERA during that span was an average of 2.37 better than the league average, and an average of 0.70 better than the second-place finisher. All three of his Cy Young Awards were won during this period, in addition to two second place finishes and one third. Pedro nearly won the MVP in 1999, and finished fifth the next season. His career winning percentage is sixth best all-time. The Hall of Fame pitcher most similar to Pedro is Sandy Koufax. Unfortunately, like Koufax, injuries have prevented Pedro from having a full season since 2005, when he was just 34 years old. Pedro is not currently active, and will be eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014, when he should be a first-ballot inductee.

2. Lee Smith
478 Saves, 3.03 ERA, 1251 Ks, 1.256 WHIP
4 Fireman of the Year Awards, 7 time All Star
4 time Saves champ
Career Games Finished record holder, former Career Saves record holder
-Smith was a reliable closer, albeit giving his managers heart-attacks with a high WHIP, saving 25 games or more for 13 consecutive seasons. From 1991 to 1995, he was an All-Star each season and finished in the top 5 in the Cy Young voting three times. When he retired, Smith was the career Saves record holder, and compares to Hall of Fame Relievers Rollie Fingers and Bruce Sutter. For the last seven years, Smith has received between 36% and 45% of the Hall of Fame votes. With the recent elections of Sutter and Goose Gossage, combined with the suspected PED users not receiving votes, the Hall of Fame should be calling Smith soon.

3. Andre Dawson
2774 Hits, 438 Home Runs, 1591 RBI, 314 Steals, .279 Average
1977 Rookie of the Year, 1987 NL MVP, 8 time All Star, 8 Gold Gloves
1983 Hits champ, 1987 Home Run champ, 1987 RBI champ
-Like Jim Rice, Dawson's numbers have gained favor in the Hall of Fame voters' eyes in recent years, as his vote totals have increased from 45% his first year to 67% this year. Dawson was a five-tool player in Montreal, where he won three Silver Slugger Awards as well as six Gold Gloves. His first year in Chicago was an anomoly, as he set career-highs in Home Runs, RBI, and Slugging Percentage during the hitter-friendly year of 1987. Over the next five years in Chicago, Dawson was an All Star four times. Comparable Hall of Famers include Billy Williams and Dave Winfield.

Former Red Sox players on the Hall of Fame cusp:

1. Luis Tiant
229 Wins-172 Losses, 3.30 ERA, 2419 Ks, 1.199 WHIP
3 time All Star (2 with BOS)
2 time ERA champ (1 with BOS)
-For the last three voting years, Tiant received votes from the Veteran's Committee. From 1988 to 2002, he was on the BBWAA ballot and only received more than 20% of the vote in his first year of eligibility. Tiant won 20 or more games four times and twice led the league in ERA. The Hall of Fame pitchers most similar to Tiant are Jim Hunter and Jim Bunning. The argument for Tiant as a Hall of Fame pitcher is that his career numbers mirror those of Hunter, who played in the World Series six times to Tiant's once.

2. Wes Ferrell
193 Wins-128 Losses, 4.04 ERA, 985 Ks, 1.481 WHIP
38 Home Runs, 208 RBI, .280 Average, .446 Slugging
2 time All Star
1935 Wins champ (with BOS)
-Ferrell, the brother of Hall of Fame Catcher Rick Ferrell, was perhaps the best hitting pitcher in baseball history. He hit a record 37 Career Home Runs as a pitcher, while posting an amazing .446 Slugging Percentage. On the mound, Wes pitched ten full seasons from 1929 to 1938, winning 20 or more games in a season six times, including the record of four consecutive 20 plus win seasons to begin a career. His career was cut short due to arm trouble, with his last full season at age 30. His numbers fall short of Hall of Fame standards, with less than 200 Wins and an ERA over 4.00. Wes is currently on the Veterans Committee pre-1943 ballot.

3. Curt Schilling
216 Wins-146 Losses, 3.46 ERA, 3116 Ks, 1.137 WHIP
6 time All Star (1 with BOS)
2 time Wins champ (1 with BOS), 2 time Ks champ
-The greatest post-season pitching record belongs to Schilling at 11-2. He was part of three World Series champions, including breaking 'The Curse' in 2004 with the Red Sox and again in his final season of 2007. Unfortunately, Schilling was injured half of his career, but when healthy he posted 20 Wins and 300 Ks three times each. Schilling started his career slowly and won only 52 games in his 20s. He finished his career strongly, with his best seasons coming after the age of 30. Dazzy Vance is the most similar Hall of Famer to Schilling, winning all of his 197 games after the age of 30. Schilling will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Active Former Red Sox Players with Hall of Fame potential:

1. Johnny Damon
1416 Runs, 2328 Hits, 193 Home Runs, 945 RBI, 367 Steals, .289 Average
2 time All Star (both with Red Sox)
2000 Runs champ, 2000 Steals champ
-A consistent player, Damon scored over 100 runs for nine consecutive years from 1998 to 2006. He has never posted huge numbers, but has a chance at 1800 Runs, 3000 Hits, and 100 Triples. Potentially, those numbers could put him into the Hall of Fame.

2. Edgar Renteria
1111 Runs, 2108 Hits, 399 Doubles, 840 RBI, 283 Steals, .289 Average
5 time All Star, 2 Gold Gloves
-Depends on his true age. If Renteria can play consistently for six more seasons, he could reach 3000 hits, 1500 Runs, and 500 Doubles. These numbers as a Shortstop could put Renteria in the Hall of Fame.

3. Nomar Garciappara
917 Runs, 1714 Hits, 228 Home Runs, 928 RBI, .313 Average, .523 Slugging
1997 Rookie of the Year, 6 time All Star (5 with BOS)
1997 Hit champ (with BOS), 2002 Doubles champ (with BOS), 2 time Average champ (both with BOS)
-Because of his recent history of injuries, Nomar will not likely have another full season. When healthy, he was a sure-fire Hall of Fame hitter. Unfortunately, Nomar has had only eight full seasons, seven with 20 Home Runs, six with 100 Runs, four with 100 RBI, seven with a .300 Average, and seven with a .500 Slugging Percentage. He may finish his career with 1000 Runs, 1000 RBI, 250 Home Runs, a .300 Average, and a .500 Slugging Percentage for his career, mostly as a Shortstop, which will make the Hall of Fame voters think about his worthiness.

Former Red Sox Players who will have to wait a long, long time:

1. Roger Clemens
354 Wins-184 Losses, 3.12 ERA, 4672 Ks, 1.173 WHIP, 46 Shutouts
7 Cy Yound Awards (3 with BOS), 1986 MVP (with BOS), 11 time All Star (5 with BOS)
2 time Triple Crown winner, 4 time Wins champ (2 with BOS), 7 time ERA champ (4 with BOS), 5 time Ks champ (3 with BOS)
-The greatest pitcher of the Modern Era, and unfortunately 'the Steroid Era', was Clemens. If he had admitted using PEDs, like Andy Pettite did, would the BBWAA members vote for him? He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2013. Good luck.

2. Manny Ramirez
1466 Runs, 2424 Hits, 516 Doubles, 533 Home Runs, 1745 RBI, .315 Average, .594 Slugging, .412 Slugging
12 All Stars (8 with BOS)
-The greatest right-handed power hitter of the Modern Era, and unfortunately 'the Steroid Era', was Ramirez. Was getting caught using PEDs just Manny being Manny? Will the voters use that as an excuse to vote for him when he becomes eligible?

3. Jamie Moyer
250 Wins-190 Losses, 4.22 ERA, 2278 Ks, 1.326 WHIP
2003 All Star
-The Ageless One, Moyer may end up with 350 Wins and 3000 Ks if he keeps pitching into his late 50s like Satchel Paige. He could well pitch into the next 'Dead Ball Era', and lower that ERA below 4.00, hahaha!

And, forget about Dewey, Burks, the Hit Dog, Canseco, Lopez the Catcher, Cone, and Wells. They have no chance at the Hall of Fame. With Dwight Evans, you can make a pretty good argument if you include fielding, but he only got Hall of Fame votes in three years.

Precedents for Papi

2009-05-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

David Ortiz is suffering through his least productive season in the big leagues, with only one home run through his first 150 at-bats of 2009. Three years ago, Ortiz established a career-high and franchise record of 54 home runs, surpassing the 50 hit by 'The Beast', Jimmie Foxx, in 1938. Ortiz's home run total increased every season from 1999 to 2006, and has decreased every season since. Some critics blame the recession on the wrist injury Ortiz suffered in 2008, others blame the absence of Manny Ramirez hitting behind him, and a few even suggest that the beloved 'Big Papi' has stopped using steroids. Many question his age (33), believing him to be a few years older, as many Dominican players have lied about their ages, justifying his sudden lack of production. Others simply wonder how a man in his early thirties could lose his hitting skills so quickly. I would like to offer some precedents for Papi; other sluggers who lost their ability over the last four years of their career, while retiring at age 37 or under.

Ortiz
Age 30: 54 home runs, 137 rbi, .287
Age 31: 35 home runs, 117 rbi, .332
Age 32: 23 home runs, 89 rbi, .264 -Injured wrist
Age 33: 1 home run, 18 rbi, .193 -Through May 28th
bold = career high

Contemporaries:
Andruw Jones
Age 28: 51 home runs, 128 rbi, .263
Age 29: 41 home runs, 129 rbi, .262
Age 30: 26 home runs, 94 rbi, .222
Age 31: 3 home runs, 14 rbi, .158
Jones averaged 30 home runs for the eight years prior to his career high of 51 at the age of 28. His last season with the Braves was at age 30, which was a contract year and surprisingly the worst of his career. The Dodgers mysteriously offered him a huge contract, and he rewarded them with an even worse year of 3 home runs and a .158 average, with no injury to blame. Jones is active with the Rangers in 2009.
Richie Sexson
Age 30: 39 home runs, 121 rbi, .263
Age 31: 34 home runs, 107 rbi, .264
Age 32: 21 home runs, 63 rbi, .205
Age 33: 12 home runs, 36 rbi, .221
Sexson averaged 36 home runs from 1999-2003 before an injury limited him to nine home runs in 23 games in 2004. He again averaged 36 home runs for the first two seasons after the injury, before plummeting to 21 home runs and an abyssmal .205 average at age 32. Following a 12 home run campaign at age 33, Sexson found himself retired.

Mitchell Report:
Mo Vaughn
Age 32: 36 home runs, 117 rbi, .278
Age 33: Injured
Age 34: 26 home runs, 72 rbi, .259
Age 35: 3 home runs, 15 rbi, .190
Vaughn, not Jim Rice, is the Red Sox slugger most similar to Ortiz and his sudden demise. He was a consistent hitter, averaging 35 home runs and 111 rbi in his eight full seasons prior to an injury at the age of 33. The injury forced the Angels to let Vaughn go to the Mets, where he had one last full season before retiring at age 35.
Jose Canseco
Age 33: 46 home runs, 107 rbi, .237
Age 34: 34 home runs, 95 rbi, .279
Age 35: 15 home runs, 49 rbi, .252
Age 36: 16 home runs, 49 rbi, .258
Canseco played for four teams during his last four years (TOR, TB, NYY, CHW). He was often injured during his career, playing in 120 or more games in a season just six times in 17 years. Every year Canseco played more than 120 games he hit more than 30 home runs. He also hit 30 home runs playing less than 120 games twice including his 1999 season at age 34. He finished his career playing half a season for the White Sox at the age of 36.

Boys of Summer (1998):
Mark McGwire
Age 34: 70* home runs, 147 rbi, .299
Age 35: 65 home runs, 147 rbi, .278
Age 36: 32 home runs, 73 rbi, .305
Age 37: 29 home runs, 64 rbi, .187
McGwire's assault on the home run record began at age 32 when he slammed 52. The next season he clubbed 58 home runs, 34 for the A's and 24 for the Cardinals. At age 34, McGwire would demolish Roger Maris's record of 61 home runs by nine, hitting a ridiculous 70 bombs. He had an equally impressive season the next year, before a foot injury, among others, limited 'Big Mac' to 89 games at age 36, and 97 games in his final season.
Sammy Sosa
Age 33: 49 home runs, 108 rbi, .288
Age 34: 40 home runs, 103 rbi, .279
Age 35: 35 home runs, 80 rbi, .253
Age 36: 14 home runs, 45 rbi, .221
Sosa never hit more than 40 home runs in a season in his first nine years, then never hit less than 40 home runs over the next six years. At age 28 he hit 36 home runs, and the next season he hit an amazing 66. 'Slammin' Sammy' led the league in home runs at the age of 33, but saw his totals drop each of his next two seasons with the Cubs. He left the Cubs for the Orioles and hit just 14 home runs at age 36. Sosa retired after the season, but mysteriously signed with the Rangers at age 38 and hit 21 more home runs to become the (then) fourth player over 600 for a career (609).

How'd They Do That Anyway?:
Bret Boone
Age 33: 24 home runs, 107 rbi, .278
Age 34: 35 home runs, 117 rbi, .294
Age 35: 24 home runs, 83 rbi, .251
Age 36: 7 home runs, 37 rbi, .221
Boone's career highs in his first nine years were 24 home runs and 95 rbi at age 29. His first season in Seattle at age 32 saw American League record-setting numbers for a second baseman of 37 home runs and 141 rbi, and a career-high .331 average. Those totals nearly doubled the previous year totals (19, 74, .251).
Javy Lopez
Age 32: 43 home runs, 109 rbi, .328
Age 33: 23 home runs, 86 rbi, .316
Age 34: 15 home runs, 49 rbi, .278
Age 35: 8 home runs, 35 rbi, .251
Lopez had career highs of 34 home runs and 106 rbi at age 27. He had one other decent season during the next four years, when it appeared he was near the end of his career. Lopez rebounded to have his best season at age 32, setting a Major League record with 43 home runs as a catcher, and setting career-highs in rbi and average. It was a free-agent season for Lopez, and he signed with the Orioles the next year. Lopez had one very good season at age 33 before fading the last two years.

Old School:
George Scott
Age 32: 18 home runs, 77 rbi, .274
Age 33: 33 home runs, 95 rbi, .269
Age 34: 12 home runs, 54 rbi, .233
Age 35: 6 home runs, 49 rbi, .254
Scott was the home run and rbi champ at age 31 with the Brewers. After a mediocre season the following year, he was traded to the Red Sox. In 1977, the Red Sox were a modern-day Murderer's Row, for whom 'Boomer' hit 33 home runs at age 33, his second-highest total. The next season, he had his worst season in ten years, hitting just 12 home runs. He finished his career playing for three teams at age 35.
Jim Rice
Age 33: 20 home runs, 110 rbi, .324
Age 34: 13 home runs, 62 rbi, .277
Age 35: 15 home runs, 72 rbi, .264
Age 36: 3 home runs, 28 rbi, .234
Rice was the home run and rbi champ at age 30 for the Red Sox. Eye trouble and various lingering knee and wrist injuries forced Rice to cut down his swing, resulting in only 20 home runs despite 200 hits at age 33. He never fully recovered from his injuries, and finished his Hall of Fame career with three poor seasons.
Jimmie Foxx
Age 32: 36 home runs, 119 rbi, .297
Age 33: 19 home runs, 105 rbi, .300
Age 34: 8 home runs, 19 rbi, .226
Age 35: Out of baseball
Age 36 and 37: Negligible numbers during comeback
Foxx was second only to Babe Ruth as a home run hitter, reaching 500 home runs at the age of 32. His career was cut short by either a sinus problem, or more likely a drinking problem. "The Beast" twice hit 50 home runs in a season, should have twice won the Triple Crown, and was a three time AL MVP. He held the Red Sox record for home runs in a season (50) before David Ortiz broke it (54) in 2006.

A Tribute to My Favorite Player, Hall of Famer Jim Rice

2009-05-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Jim Rice was the slugger that pitchers feared the most from 1975 to 1986. He was incredibly strong, with a swing that was quick and compact, and powerful wrists. Three times he broke his bat on a check swing without the bat touching the ball. Rice was very protective of his teammates, often avoiding interviews where he felt a writer was looking for a story about another player. This led to the media calling him surly. People who knew him would say nothing could be further from the truth. Red Sox Reliever Bill Campbell, who was Rice's roommate, said Rice was a very nice, quiet family man who was misunderstood by the media and the fans.

In High School at Westside High in Anderson, SC, Jim Ed was a four sport star. He lettered in baseball, basketball, football, and track, for which he was a State Champion. Jim Ed was such a great athlete, that the school board redrew the school zones before his senior year so that he could attend the primarily white TL Hanna High School. While at TL Hanna, he was a two-way starter in the Shrine Bowl of 1970. Jim Ed would choose baseball over football, and was selected 15th in the June Draft of 1971 by the Boston Red Sox.

The minor leagues were child's play for the blossoming star. Rice won the batting crown in his first year in AA at Bristol in 1973; and the triple crown, Rookie of the Year and MVP in his first year in AAA at Pawtucket in 1974. He was brought to the major leagues at the end of the 1974 season.

In his rookie year, Rice replaced the legendary Red Sox Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski in Fenway Park's left field. Fred Lynn, his rookie counterpart in Boston in center field, prevented Rice from winning the Rookie of the Year Award in 1975. He did finished second in the rookie race, and third in the Most Valuable Player Award voting, with a 309 average, 22 homers, and 102 RBI. Dubbed 'The Gold Dust Twins" by Peter Gammons, Rice and Lynn propelled Boston to the World Series. Sadly, Tiger's pitcher Vern Ruhle broke Rice's wrist with a pitch the last week of the regular season, preventing him from playing in the post-season.

From 1977 to 1979, Rice put together a three year span for the ages. He was the only player in Major League history to have three consecutive seasons with a .300 avg, 200 hits, 35 home runs, and 100 RBI. Rice was American League Most Valuable Player in 1978, leading the league in hits (213), triples (15), home runs (46), RBI (139), slugging pct (.600), and total bases (406). He was the first player since 1959 to have 400 total bases, and the only player to ever lead the league in triples, home runs and RBI in the same season.

Injuries and a players' strike slowed the meteoric rise of Rice's career. He came back strong in 1983, leading the league with 39 home runs and 126 RBI. After off-season knee surgery in 1985, and a new contact lens to correct the astigmatim in his left eye, Rice started hitting to the opposite field more. 1986 was his last great season, finishing third in the Most Valuable Player Award with a .324 average, 200 hits, 20 home runs, and 110 RBI. In the post-season, Rice was terrific. He had 14 hits, 14 runs, 2 home runs, and 6 RBI in his only post-season appearance.

The end of Jim Rice's career came at the age of 36, after knee surgery and a disappointing final three years. He finished his career with a .298 average, 2452 hits, 382 home runs, 1451 RBI, and a .502 slugging percentage in 16 seasons, 14 of them full seasons, all with the Boston Red Sox.

The Hall of Fame was a long wait for Jim Rice. He was elected by the BBWAA in his 15th and final year of eligibility, receiving 76.4% of the votes. With the current state of home run hitters and PEDs, it's possible the BBWAA looked at Rice's numbers a little differently when comparing his career to theirs. Whatever the reason, Jim Rice completed the trinity of Red Sox Hall of Fame Left Fielders, begun by Ted Williams from1939 to 1960, continued by Carl Yastrzemski from 1961 to 1983, and completed by Jim Rice from 1974 to 1989.

Statistics:

.300 average 7 times

200 hits 4 times, 1 time leader

20 home runs 11 times, 3 time leader

100 RBI 8 times, 2 time leader

300 total bases 6 times, 2 time leader

.500 slugging 5 times, 2 time leader

Triples leader 1 time

Achievements:

8 time All-Star

2 time Silver Slugger

1978 American League MVP

1995 Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame

2001 Hitters Hall of Fame

2008 International League Hall of Fame

2008 Emil Fuchs Award from BBWAA

2009 Baseball Hall of Fame

Post-career:

-Boston Red Sox hitting coach

-Honorary chairman of the Jimmy Fund

-1992 Jimmy Award winner

-Member of Neurofibromatosis Foundation of New England

-Member of MLB RBI Program

-NESN commentator

-Cameo appearances in the movies "Fever Pitch" and "Wait Til This Year"

Favorite Stories:

On August 7, 1982, a line drive off the bat of Dave Stapleton hit a four year old fan, Jonathan Keane, in the head. With everyone else frozen by the situation, Jim Rice left the Red Sox dugout and entered the stands to help the boy who was bleeding badly. Rice carried the boy to the Red Sox clubhouse where he was treated by the medical staff. Team doctor Arthur Pappas said Rice's actions may have saved the boy's life. Rice played the rest of the game in a blood-stained uniform. Peter Gammons would write the next day "If only every cynic in America could have 1-observed Jim Rice's reaction to crisis, and 2-seen how concerned players from both team were." Rice would later comment "If it was your kid, what would you do? The baby was crying and there was a lot of blood."

Jim Rice carried Second Baseman Jerry Remy off the field after Remy tore up his knee in a game at Yankee Stadium in 1979. Rice did the same to Center Fielder Rick Miller in 1977 after Miller collided with Right Fielder Dwight Evans. Miller would later say "He picked me up like I was a baby."

TDox on the Sox Introduction

2009-05-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone
I am a baseball fan and historian, and would like to share my thoughts and opinions with Red Sox Nation. My inspiration is a desire to create awareness and knowledge that most outlets overlook. Topics will include the current Boston Red Sox team and its affiliates, the Brockton Rox, Major League Baseball, the Negro Leagues, the Hall of Fame, baseball history and baseball trivia. I would also like to use this blog as a means of meeting baseball fans and bringing them together.