Trading Places

August 4, 1982.  Yes, that’s me on the couch, really under the weather, and fading in and out of a Cubs game that afternoon on WGN-TV.   I woke up much later, and about all I could remember was that the Mets’ Joel Youngblood had a key hit against Ferguson Jenkins in the Cubs’ loss.  The next morning, still groggy, I did my usual scouring of the MLB box scores and came across an interesting note.  Joel Youngblood of the Expos (what?) hit a pinch single off Steve Carlton of the Phillies in Philadelphia, the night before.  Were the meds too strong?  No, I wasn’t dreaming it.  The Mets had indeed traded Youngblood to the Expos during the Cubs game.  Youngblood had flown from Chicago to Philadelphia after the trade, appearing in two games with two different teams with a hit against two future Hall of Fame pitchers, all in the same day.  Crazy, but true!

Baseball trades can be a dream come true for the players and teams involved and the fans who follow them.   This past week we saw the July 31 trading deadline come and go, triggering much analysis about who were the winners and losers of the trades that were made and even the trades that weren’t.  And this year the July 31 deadline was just that, a firm deadline!  In prior years July 31 was only a non-waiver deadline, such that players could be traded in August if they first cleared revocable trade waivers.   A 2019 MLB rule change no longer allows for trades to be made after July 31. 

Let’s step back a moment and review the topic of trading players from an historical perspective. A key moment is in 1969 when 12-year veteran Curt Flood of the St. Louis Cardinals refused to accept a trade to the Phillies. Flood challenged the MLB’s reserve clause in player contracts, a clause which provided that the player was retained by the team at the contract’s expiration. In bringing a lawsuit against MLB (Flood vs. Bowie Kuhn, then baseball commissioner). Flood’s legal team argued that the reserve clause depressed wages and limited players to one team for life. While the Supreme Court in 1972 ultimately ruled against Flood, the challenge united the baseball players’ union and resulted in much negotiated change, including the “Curt Flood Rule”. This 10/5 rule provides that when a player has played for a team for five consecutive years and played in the MLB for a total of ten years, the player has to provide consent to any proposed trade. What also followed was today’s free agency landscape, complicating the strategies of baseball executives in positioning their teams for on-field success, short and long term.

So who won the battle last week at the trading deadline? Curiously, two of the bigger named pitchers traded actually landed on teams with losing records this year. The Mets added Toronto All-Star pitcher Marcus Stroman, as he returns to his home state to bolster a star-studded rotation, headlined by last year’s Cy Young winner, Jacob deGrom. By deciding not to trade Noah Syndergaard and/or Zach Wheeler, the Mets look formidable in 2020 with its starting staff. That same trade for next season philosophy was taken by the Reds in their acquisition of stud pitcher Trevor Bauer in a three-team trade with the Indians and Padres. The 2020 Reds will be able to roll out Bauer, 2019 NL All-Stars Luis Castillo and Sonny Gray, and Anthony DeSclafani, in their own version of a fearsome foursome of starters.

In terms of winning the July 31 Trading Deadline for 2019 success, most baseball experts have pegged the Astros as the clear winner, and I agree.   Houston is an example of the rich getting richer.  The Astros in the first four months of the season have survived numerous injuries to key starting players, yet found themselves with the second-best record in the AL at the deadline.  All they needed was a key acquisition to put them over the top, and that dream became reality in the Zach Greinke trade with Arizona.   Heading into the last two months of the season and the playoffs, the Astros have 4 of the top 14 starting pitchers in MLB ERA with Justin Verlander’s 2.73 (4th), Greinke’s 2.90 (9th), Gerrit Cole’s 2.94 (10th), and Wade Miley’s 3.06 (14th).

Another reason the Astros were winners is that the Yankees were perceived losers. NY failed to obtain a top starting pitcher at the deadline. New York’s offensive thunder has led them in a battle with Houston for the top spot in the AL, but they might not have the starting pitching to be a winner come playoff time. The Yankees are going to need to beat the adage “good pitching beats good hitting” in October. The Dodgers, who have all year been positioned to represent the National League in another classic NY vs. LA Series, also failed to address a significant need at the deadline, set up relievers to assist closer Kenley Jansen. The deep Dodger roster though still looks formidable down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Only two teams among the contenders in the AL and NL Central Divisions races took bold steps at the deadline.  The Indians, in the trade with the Reds and Padres, improved its outfield dramatically with the addition of Yasiel Puig (Reds) and Franmil Reyes (Padres).  The Twins sat back, and decided to continue to rely on a lineup that is at a record-setting home run pace.   In the three-team NL Central battle, only the Cubs stepped up by filling some real needs – right handed hitting outfielder (Nick Castellanos); speedster infielder (Tony Kemp); and bullpen help (David Phelps and Derek Holland).  It will be interesting to see if the stay put approach taken by the Cardinals and Brewers will decide the NL Central race this year.

There are other noteworthy trades and failed, rumored trades. The Atlanta Braves, who have led the NL East for much of the season, landed quality relievers for down the stretch, Shane Greene (Tigers), Chris Martin (Rangers), and Mark Melancon (Giants). The Braves hope to have enough to withstand the hard-charging Washington Nationals and their retooled bullpen with the likes of Hunter Strickland and Roenis Elias (Mariners) and Daniel Hudson (Blue Jays). Then there’s the San Francisco Giants, who have come from the back of the pack to second place in the NL West, resisting any trade overtures for their top guy, Madison Bumgarner, with the hope of securing a wild card spot in October.

One of my favorite sports slogans is “dance with the one who brought you”.   I’m not an advocate of that slogan at the baseball trading deadline.  You see, as a fan, I want my team to take some risks and find a dance partner to put my team in the best position to have a shot at a world championship.  I want my dreams to become reality.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

54 Games

Tommy Lasorda, former Dodgers manager, was once quoted:  “No matter how good you are, you’re going to lose one-third of your games.  No matter how bad you are, you’re going to win one-third of your games.  It’s the other third that makes the difference.”  In a 162-game season, it comes down to the critical 54 games that make or break your team’s season.  To break it down even more, a baseball season is a multitude of 3-game series with different opponents.  Each team might easily take a win in two games of the series, but how do you win the critical third game?  Let’s take a look at what might make the difference in winning or losing.

First, you need to win the tight games where you have a lead late in the game.  Last Sunday, two of the all-time great relievers were inducted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, Mariano Rivera and Lee Smith.  Rivera is the greatest finisher in baseball’s history.   He was the Yankees’ closer for 17 seasons and amassed some incredible statistics – MLB career leader in saves (652) and games finished (952).  His Yankees won the World Series five times during his tenure and a lot of it was due to Rivera’s playoff dominance, lowest ERA (0.70) and most saves (42) in playoff history.  He was deemed the “Sandman” because the game was virtually over once he entered it.   Rivera’s personal accolades are many – 1999 World Series MVP, 2003 AL Championship MVP, 13-time All-Star, and finished in the top three for the AL Cy Young Award in four different seasons. Most notably, Rivera was the first-ever unanimous selection to the Hall of Fame.

Lee Smith was a remarkable closer in his own right. In his 18-year MLB career he pitched in 1,022 MLB games and finished 802 of them, mostly with the Cubs and Cardinals. Smith’s physical presence alone terrified hitters. His dominance on the mound included 47 saves as a Cardinal in 1991 (setting the NL record at the time), the same year he finished second in the NL Cy Young voting. He still holds the Cubs career record with 180 saves. Smith related an interesting story at his induction ceremony. In 1979, at the beginning of Smith’s career, he was so mythed about the Cubs making him a relief pitcher that he decided to quit and head back home to Louisiana. Billy Williams, Cubs HOF’er, sat him down and told him that the game’s use of relief pitching was changing and that Smith might make a good career out of it! Words of wisdom by the Sweet Swinger.

One last thought about the Rivera and Smith inductions; there are only six other relief pitchers in the Hall of Fame! The other six include Hoyt Wilhelm (1985), Rollie Fingers (1992), Dennis Eckersley (2004), Bruce Sutter (2006), Goose Gossage (2008) and Trevor Hoffman (2018). This lack of recognition until recently tracks the relief pitcher’s role in the game. The concept of a “save” (getting the last outs of a game when your team is leading by three or fewer runs) did not become an official MLB statistic until 1969. In the 1980s Whitey Herzog masterfully handled the St. Louis Cardinals bullpens that featured Bruce Sutter in the late innings. Many though credit Tony LaRussa as the inventor of the closer role with his heavy reliance on Dennis Eckersley in the ninth inning for the Oakland Athletics in the early 1990s.

The closer role is not always, and really shouldn’t be, just a ninth inning stopper.  Too often skippers turn to less reliable relievers in outcome determining moments in the seventh or eighth innings. There are a few examples of managers who know that they have an overpowering pitcher with the ability to take the game away from the other team at a crucial point.  Joe Maddon’s use of Aroldis Chapman as his ultimate weapon (not just 9th inning closer) during the second half of 2016 and in the playoffs is one example.  Today, Milwaukee Brewers’ manager Craig Counsell has a stud in hard-throwing Josh Hader and is always looking for the critical spot in the late innings for him to stymie a rally.

Getting the winning edge in those critical 54 games is more than just relief pitching. Many games come down to which team plays the better defense. While team fielding percentage is one measure (the percentage of time a defensive player handles a batted or thrown ball without making an error), it’s not always a good one if your defensive players don’t have much range. The better measure is “defensive efficiency”, or the rate of times batters reach base on balls put in play. The five teams with the best defensive efficiency marks in the last 50 years all had outstanding regular season records: Dodgers (’75); Athletics (’90); Reds (’99); Mariners (’01); and Cubs (’16) (courtesy of Baseball Prospectus).

Many baseball analysts point to run differential (the difference between a team’s total runs scored and allowed) as being the telling factor in the course of a season.   The top ten run differentials in MLB history belong to some of baseball’s greatest teams – the 1927 Yankees; 1954 Indians; 1969 Orioles; 1975 Reds; and the 1998 Yankees.  Sometimes though run differential can be an anomaly because of success or failure in winning the close games.  This year’s NL standings suggest just that.  The Braves currently stand in first place in the NL East (and are currently the #2 seed in the NL playoffs) with a run differential of + 58 and record of 62-44, while the Diamondbacks are in third place in the NL West with a run differential of + 66 and a record of 53-53.

Okay, your head is spinning now with all of the numbers, something I promised not to do. But baseball has changed with the top executives all deeply rooted in statistical analysis and sabermetrics. What makes a difference in those critical 54 games? Is it team ERA? Perhaps team batting average with runners in scoring position? Sometimes you need to look past the numbers and find a team with the right chemistry, the right makeup to win those 54 games. Maybe it’s the players, not the stats.

When I was sixteen years old, I felt like my world had been crushed when Carlton Fisk of the Red Sox hit the famous 12th inning home run to defeat the Reds in the sixth game of the 1975 World Series. Cincinnati had blown a 3-run lead in the eighth inning.   After waiting so many years for the Reds to win the World Series, would we have to wait another year?  Before the start of the seventh game, NBC sportscaster Curt Gowdy interviewed Pete Rose who called game 6 not a crushing defeat, but rather “the greatest game I’ve ever played in”.  It was Rose’s will to win that enabled him to tie the game with a hit and later score the winning run in the deciding seventh game.  And of course three years ago the 2016 Cubs (and Cubs fans of all ages) were saved in the seventh game of the Series by Jason Heyward’s will to win address in the clubhouse during the momentum changing 17-minute rain delay.

As the July 31 trading deadline looms mid-week, look for those teams who add a player or two to win those decisive games down the stretch.  You know the ones; the players with the will to win!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Too Early

October 11, 1972, the fifth and deciding game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds for the National League Championship.  As a 13-year old boy I am sitting next to my parents in Riverfront Stadium’s green seats beyond the right field wall, Row 13, Seat 13.  Pirates lead 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth.  The next half inning is my favorite moment in sports.  Johnny Bench of the Reds starts the frame with a home run that goes over the head of the Pirates’ Roberto Clemente and lands directly below my seat.   The crowd goes absolutely crazy.  In fact, the 18-year old girl sitting on the other side of me turns and kisses me on the cheek.  We stand and cheer throughout the rest of the inning, which ends with a wild pitch by Bob Moose of the Pirates as George Foster crosses the plate with the winning run.  The Reds win the Pennant! 

Yet, less than 3 months later, the baseball world would mourn as this favorite moment of mine was the last game the great Clemente ever played.  On New Year’s Eve in 1972, Roberto Clemente died in a plane crash in an attempt to deliver aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.   He was only 38 at the time, yes way too early!  His career as a player is one full of the highest achievements.   Clemente played in 18 MLB seasons and was an All-Star in 15 of them.  He was the National League MVP in 1966 and won the NL batting title in four seasons.  Clemente was the most elegant right fielder this game has ever seen.  He won a Gold Glove for 12 straight seasons between 1961 and 1972.   His Pirates were the World Champions in the early part of his career (1960) and near the end (1971, when he was named the World Series MVP).  On the last day of the regular season in 1972, he reached his 3,000th career hit.

It’s just not the numbers Clemente left, but the memories. Cubs fans talk about his long home run as a young Pirate in 1959 at Wrigley Field that just missed becoming the only batted ball to hit the manual scoreboard. During the 1971 World Series, we marveled at his fielding a base hit down the right field line, pirouetting, and cutting down Oriole base runner Merv Rettenmund as he attempted to reach third base. And how about those National League All-Star Game starting outfields in the 1960s: Clemente in right; Mays in center; and Aaron in left! I know all Pittsburgh sports fans will never forget Clemente. His jersey, #21, remains one of the best selling Pirates jerseys almost 50 years since he left us. In touring the Steelers’ home stadium, Heinz Field, about ten years ago, I saw that Clemente was memorialized at the 21-yard line marker in the concourse, and I smiled. My wife, whose favorite player to this day is Clemente, shed a tear. His memory lives on.

Roberto Clemente’s untimely death is one of the most tragic stories of an MLB player leaving us during his playing career, but certainly not the only one. A few weeks ago, on July 1, Tyler Skaggs, a pitcher for the L.A. Angels, was found dead in his hotel room in Texas. The Angels were there for a series against the Rangers. Skaggs’ story is similar to so many other pitchers who suffered setbacks before coming into his own. He had Tommy John surgery in 2014, and wasn’t able to return to pitching until 2016. He started 10 games for the Angels in ’16, 16 starts in ’17, and 16 starts in ’18. This season he was firmly planted in the Angels rotation, posting a 7-7 record with a 4.29 ERA in 15 starts.

Skaggs’ former and current teammates have grieved his death and paid homage to it.  On the day after the news his dear friend, pitcher Patrick Corbin, now with the Nationals, changed his jersey to Tyler’s #45 in his outing against the Marlins.   Mike Trout and Tommy LaStella, Angel teammates, wore #45 at the All-Star Game in his memory.  On July 12, the first Angels home game since Skaggs’ death, his mother threw out the ceremonial first pitch, all of the Angels wore his #45, and the team responded with a combined no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners in a 13-0 rout.  After the game the Angels (and maybe another angel) removed their jerseys and placed them on the pitching mound to remember and celebrate their departed teammate.

The list is too long to remember all of the others who passed during their MLB playing careers, so forgive me if I just mention a few. Thurman Munson, the Yankees’ catcher for 11 seasons (1969-1979), died during an off day in the 1979 season when he was practicing landing his airplane in Akron, Ohio. Munson’s achievements are outstanding, a career batting average of .292, 3 Gold Gloves, 1970 AL Rookie of the Year, and 1976 AL MVP, but his leadership meant even more to his beloved Yankees. He was the “Captain” during their three consecutive World Series appearances (1976-1978), the first Yankee honored with that title since Lou Gehrig. Yes, too early.

I recall being in St. Louis in June 2002 and hearing the news that Darryl Kile, the ace of the Cardinals pitching staff, had died of coronary disease in a hotel room in Chicago.  The Cards were in Chicago that weekend to play the rival Cubs, but that rivalry was quickly cast aside as the players and fans of both cities mourned Kile’s loss.  Darryl played for three teams during his twelve year career (Astros, Rockies, and Cardinals) but is most remembered by being the stalwart of the staff that led the Cards to three playoffs in the early 2000s.   He had a wicked “Uncle Charlie”, a big-time curve ball that would baffle opposing hitters. 

One player on the list of departed who brought a tear to my eye is Chico Ruiz, a utility infielder who played for the Reds and Angels. You might not even remember the name, but he was a player with a big personality my late brother and I used to talk and laugh about. Ruiz was one of those guys who just added enough to a team to stay on the roster. He was most known for stealing home in a Reds victory over the Phillies in September, 1964. At the time Philadelphia had a 6 ½ game lead in the NL with less than 2 weeks to play. The play, deemed the “Ruiz Curse”, triggered the Phillies’ late season demise, as they lost the NL pennant to the Cards on the last day of the season. In February 1972, Ruiz died in a car crash in San Diego. He was just about ready to go to spring training for his third team, the Kansas City Royals.

On July 16 of this past week 39 years ago, my brother passed away at age 27, way too early.   That day is always difficult for me, but somehow this year I felt comforted.   You see, about a week ago at Wrigley Field, I met “Jim”, the nephew of my brother’s all-time favorite Red, Wally Post.   Jim and I felt like old friends, and shared stories of the Reds through the years.   He told me that his Uncle Wally hit the first home run ever at Dodger Stadium, and used to joke that he hit a ball 500 miles (not 500 feet) since it landed in a coal car of a train outside of old Crosley Field headed to Kansas City.  I know my brother was laughing with us too. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Turning Points

During the 1960s the World Series games were all played in the afternoon.  My Dad would take a vacation week so that he and I could catch much of the action together.  I distinctly recall one of our discussions.  It was the fifth game of the 1968 Series between the Cardinals and the Tigers, and St. Louis was up 3 games to 1.   Cards’ speedster Lou Brock, who had stolen 7 bases in the first four games of the Series, was thrown out attempting to steal second base by catcher Bill Freehan of Detroit.  My Dad turned to me and said, “there’s the turning point of the Series”.  He was indeed right; after the play the Cardinals scored just two runs in the next 3 games and the Tigers won the Series 4-3.  From that point on, I’ve always looked for those turning points that changed the fortunes of ballclubs.  

Adding a new player of course is one example.  Probably the most important acquisition of a player in baseball’s history happened 100 years ago.  Boston Red Sox owner Harry Frazee was in financial straits at the end of the 1919 season.  He decided to sell the rights to his great slugger, George Herman Ruth, the “Babe”.   Ruth was coming off a season where he had just set the all-time MLB season record for home runs (29). The Yankees purchased the rights to Babe Ruth on December 26, 1919, for the sum of $100,000.  This single transaction involving the greatest player in baseball’s history changed the direction of both the rival Yankees and Red Sox for decades to come, and is commonly referred to as the “Curse of the Bambino.”

The purchase of Ruth frustrated many teams, especially National League squads that were also interested in him. However, at the time there was no mechanism in place to regulate player acquisitions between leagues. Prior to 1920 the American and National Leagues were run independently. The first Commissioner to preside over both leagues was elected in 1920, Judge Kinesaw Mountain Landis. One of Landis’ first edicts to establish order in baseball was to put in place a deadline of June 15 for any trades during the season. The June 15 trade deadline governed MLB acquisitions for over 60 years.

A June 15, 1964 trade at the deadline impacted the direction of two other great rivals, the Cardinals and the Cubs.  The Cubs traded light-hitting outfielder Lou Brock (hitting .251 at the time) for Cardinals pitcher Ernie Broglio who was coming off some standout seasons.  Brock turned the Cardinals season around batting .348 the rest of the way and leading the Cardinals to its 1964 World Series championship and two other championships (’67 Series and ’68 NL pennant) on the way to his HOF career.  Broglio, on the other hand, went on the disabled list shortly after the trade and was never the same, leaving baseball after the 1966 season.

Today’s July 31 nonwaiver trade deadline has only been around since 1986.  There have indeed been some momentous July 31 trades, including the 2004 four-team trade involving the Red Sox that triggered their long-awaited 2004 World Series championship.  A lot of the big trades though have come at the end of August.  MLB, until this year, has allowed trades prior to August 31 if the players involved cleared waivers.  Among these, on August 31, 1992, Toronto received pitcher David Cone from the Mets en route to their first of two consecutive World Series titles.  With the July 31 trade deadline looming in just two weeks, many teams are hoping for a turning point trade to boost them into the 2019 playoffs and perhaps the title.

Another big rivalry, the Reds vs. Dodgers in the 1970s, saw a division race turn on its head on a single play. On July 1, 1973, the Reds began play 10 games behind the NL West division-leading Dodgers and in fourth place. With 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and his team down 3-1, third-string catcher Hal King of the Reds hit a walk off three run HR. The Reds 4-3 victory started a streak where they went 60-25 down the stretch and captured the NL West flag. The King home run swung the momentum to the Reds in one chapter of the heated rivalry between the teams.

We saw a humorous momentum swing in the 2011 National League Division Series between the Philies and the Cardinals.   The first two games of the five-series were split in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.  While the Philies were leading game three late in the game a squirrel appeared on the Busch Stadium playing surface that seemed to unnerve the Phillies.  While the Phillies held on for a game 3 victory, the squirrel appeared the next day on the field in the Cardinals series-tying game 4.  The Cardinals deemed their new live mascot the “Rally Squirrel”.  When the series returned to Philadelphia for the series-deciding 5th game, the Philadelphia fans mockingly threw a stuffed squirrel into the Cardinals bullpen.  The Cards kept the squirrel and got the last laugh, winning the NLDS, the 2011 NL pennant, and World Series behind its new mascot.

The fortunes of a team may also change in reaction to its manager’s fiery leadership.  On June 29, 2008, Lou Pinella, manager of the Cubs and known for his on-field tantrums, was kicked out for contesting a check swing call in a game against the rival White Sox.  Pinella’s nickname of “Sweet Lou” was based on his sweet swing as a hitter, but many jokingly referenced it in his managerial career for his less than sweet demeanor as a field manager.  After the ejection Pinella’s Cubs went onto win the NL Central title in 2008 and Pinella was named manager of the year.

Just before this year’s All-Star break, we might have seen another Cubs team turnaround triggered by the actions of their manager, current skipper Joe Maddon.  Although the Cubs have been in first place in the NL Central for much of the season, they finished the first half with a pedestrian 47-43 record.   On July 4th against the Pirates, Maddon stormed out of the dugout protesting a pitch thrown at one of his star players, Javi Baez.  Maddon though wasn’t charging at home plate umpire Joe West but rather Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.  West tossed Maddon for attempting to incite a conflict between the two teams.  The Cubs have won all 4 games against the Pirates since Maddon’s ejection and perhaps some second-half glory is to come.

What’s been your favorite baseball turning point?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Midsummer Classics

Tomorrow night in Cleveland the MLB players will be showcased in the 90th All-Star Game between the American and National Leagues. The AL currently leads the series 44-43-2! There is no professional sport that has an all-star game with more history or relevance. We all have our list of special All-Star Game memories, and much of it has to do with our own favorite players in the game we love. So let me give it a whirl and present my top 10 list in chronological order starting with my first memory.

Hometown Hero. Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California, 1967. My earliest image of watching an All-Star Game on television was the ‘67 game probably because Tony Perez of the Reds was the MVP. Like many All-Star Games, this was a pitchers’ duel, tied 1-1 going into the 15th inning. Perez, or affectionately known by his teammates as “Doggie”, hit the game-winning homer in the 15th. The pitching line for the game was a story of some of the greatest: WP – Don Drysdale; LP – Catfish Hunter; and Save – Tom Seaver. It was a sign of good things to come for the Reds as Perez soon became known as one of the great clutch hitters in the game.

Play at the Plate. Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio, 1970. Riverfront Stadium was no more than 2 weeks old when it hosted an extra inning All-Star Game classic of its own. This one was tied 4-4 going into the bottom of the 12th inning. With Pete Rose of the Reds on second base, Jim Hickman of the Cubs singled to centerfield. Rose came charging to the plate and literally bulldozed the AL catcher, Ray Fosse of the Indians, who dropped the ball. This play might be one of the most controversial ones in All-Star Game history pitting the traditionalists who favored Rose’s all-out play all the time vs. the naysayers who questioned the necessity of the injury sustained by Fosse in a meaningless game.

Home Run. Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, 1971. Reggie Jackson is probably best known as Mr. October as a slugger for the Yankees in their championship years. On this night though he was an All-Star representative of the Oakland A’s, and Mr. July. In the bottom of the third inning Jackson hit a 520 foot home run that crashed into a transformer on a light tower above Tiger Stadium. It was the longest HR in All-Star Game history. Jackson had some more majestic shots to come during the ‘70s!

Throw. Kingdome, Seattle, Washington, 1979. To set the stage, there were 2 outs in the bottom of the eighth inning with the Angels’ Brian Downing on second base. Craig Nettles of the Yankees singled to right field off Bruce Sutter of the Cubs. Dave Parker of the Pirates gunned down Downing with a rifle shot peg to the plate. The speed and accuracy of the throw from right field by Parker was certainly reminiscent of some of the amazing throws of the all-time greatest Pirate, Roberto Clemente.

Athlete.   Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California, 1989.   In my lifetime there has never been someone like Bo Jackson, an athlete who was a star in so many sports – football, track, and baseball. Bo only played 8 MLB seasons and in just one All-Star Game, but it was a classic performance in 1989. Jackson was the MVP of the game lighting up the box score in so many offensive categories – 2 for 4 at the plate; a HR; 2 RBIs; and a stolen base. He also made an outstanding running catch in the outfield. I always wish we would have had more Bo to watch through the years.

At Bat.  Camden Yards, Baltimore, Maryland, 1993.   Randy Johnson’s 22-year MLB pitching career might be best remembered by a single confrontation in an All-Star Game with an NL hitter, John Kruk of the Phillies.  It was the classic left-handed dominating pitcher against a lefty hitter.  The first pitch from Johnson sailed over Kruk’s head.   Kruk then seemed terrified and stood at the edge of the batter’s box with his bat on his shoulder for the first strike and waived his bat at the next two, totally overmatched.  It was one of the most humorous moments in the history of the Midsummer Classic.

Century Turn. Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts, 1999. The All-Century Team was announced prior to the game and featured a pre-game appearance by the all-time greatest natural hitter, Red Sox HOF, Ted Williams. Williams was greeted by, among others, star Red Sox shortstop, Nomar Garciaparra, representing the transfer of the torch from the 1900s to 2000s in baseball. The game had highlights as well. Pedro Martinez, named MVP, struck out 5 batters in two innings.

Iron Man. T-Mobile Park, Seattle, Washington, 2001. All-Star Games are often about the celebration of a player’s career, not just the first half of his season during a given year. This game honored Cal Ripken, Jr., baseball’s Iron Man. The AL starting left side of the infield had Alex Rodriguez at short and Ripken at third. Before the first pitch of the game ARod asked to switch positions with Ripken so that baseball and its fans would see Ripken in the spot where he set his career record for consecutive games played, 2,632, besting Lou Gehrig’s former record of 2,130. It was a wonderful gesture shared by two great players.

Tie. Miller Park, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 2002. This game changed baseball for the next 14 years. After 12 innings, the managers agreed through Bud Selig’s urging to end the game in a tie. Acknowledging that baseball’s Midsummer Classic had become less competitive in nature, it was decided shortly thereafter to give incentive to the winning league by having its World Series representative receive the home field advantage. Previously, the two leagues changed home field advantage in even (NL) and odd (AL) years. Now, finally, beginning in 2017, the best record rules the day.

Inside the Parker.  AT&T Park, San Francisco, California, 2007.  I often play down enthusiasm for home runs, but not when it comes to one of these!  Seattle’s Ichiro Suzuki hit a ball to right center field that struck an All-Star Game banner and bounced away from the NL outfielders.  Ichiro circled the bases before the relay throw reached the plate.  It was the first and only inside the park home run in All-Star Game history, and hit by one of baseball’s greatest gentlemen of all-time.

The 2019 Midsummer Classic will feature the youngest starting lineups and rosters the game has ever seen.  My guess is that one of these young players will stand out and become a star of the ‘20s.   I’m looking forward to finding out which player that might be.  Enjoy the game. And let me know your favorite Midsummer Classic memory!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Painting the Corners

This past Thursday afternoon I attended the Cubs vs. Braves game with my uncle at Wrigley Field.  He regaled me with some wonderful stories of his going to games with his Dad, and seeing the all-time great Cubs.   My attention turned to the left and right field foul poles and the player numbers retired and recognized with pennants flying majestically – Banks (14), Williams (26), Santo (10), Sandberg (23), Jenkins (31), Maddux (31, not a typo), and of course Jackie Robinson (42).   That second #31 (both a Cub and a Brave) gave me pause to reflect on the lost art of pitching, an ability to work the batter instead of trying to overpower him.

Greg Maddux was a pitcher’s pitcher, painting the corners of home plate and the hearts of baseball fans in Atlanta and Chicago.   His lifetime statistics are staggering.  In his 23 MLB seasons, the Hall-of-Famer won 355 games (8th all-time) and is the only pitcher to win at least 15 games over 17 consecutive seasons.   Maddux won the NL Cy Young four straight seasons (1992-1995) during the peak of his career with the Braves and garnered an ERA of 1.98 during that stretch.

Pinpoint control was his trademark. I remember watching one of his outings during the 1995 World Series against the Indians in a sports bar where most of the patrons were rooting for Cleveland. The broadcasters and cameramen kept focusing on Maddux getting strike calls that were off the plate, much to the chagrin of the loud fans in the bar. I just chuckled, knowing that any smart pitcher takes the plate that the umpire allows. Give me an inch, and I will try for another. Maddux was once quoted: “It’s not your arm that makes you a great pitcher. It’s that thing between both of your ears we call a brain.”

With precise control a pitcher can take charge of a game.  Maddux was famous for his complete games with low pitch counts (under 100).  In his career he struck out more than 3 times the number of batters he walked.  He could also help himself and his team defensively, winning 18 Gold Gloves!  With his 2-seam fastball (just around 90 mph) and circle change he made hitters at-bat after at-bat shake their heads on how he was doing it.  Some might want to call Maddux the ultimate finesse pitcher; I call him the ultimate pitcher.

There have been some other control artists and savvy pitchers of note. Jim Kaat comes to mind. “Kitty” Kaat’s 25-year career began with the Twins in 1959. He had 283 career wins and won 20 games in three seasons. During the Twins 1966 AL pennant run, he won 25 games and incredibly completed 19 games. That is just unheard of in today’s game; in 2018 there were 8 MLB pitchers tied for the lead of complete games with just 2 apiece! Kaat could also field his position with 16 consecutive Gold Gloves. After his career, Kaat was a broadcaster providing exceptional analysis about pitching in particular. In the booth he was very much like my favorite current national analyst, John Smoltz, who in his playing years teamed with Maddux and Glavine to form one of the best 1-2-3 starting staffs ever.

A lesser known “soft tosser” is Randy Jones, affectionately known as “Junkman”. Jones had a ten-year career (1974-1983), mostly with the Padres. In his first season, his record was 8-22, but he rebounded with a 2.24 ERA in 1975 and a 22-14 record, 2.74 ERA in 1976. In 1976 Jones won the NL Cy Young award with a fifth-place team, his Padres. He was the nemesis of the Big Red Machine during those two years, finding a way start after start to foil one of baseball’s all-time great lineups. Much like Maddux and Kaat, Jones was a defensive specialist, establishing an MLB record for most chances by a pitcher without an error (112).

Having a standout season is also the story of crafty John Tudor, who pitched in 12 MLB seasons (1979-1990).   Tudor is most known for his 1985 season (1.93 ERA) with the Cardinals that sparked their NL pennant run.   It was a tale of two seasons for Tudor in 1985.   Through May he was 1-7 with a 3.74 ERA, but the next four months he finished with a 20-1 record, 1.37 ERA and ten complete games.  It was one of the best streaks a pitcher has ever had, and Tudor did it with a fastball clocked in the mid-80s!  You don’t have to blow it by everyone, just get outs.

A pitcher’s pitcher in the MLB today is certainly Kyle Hendricks in his sixth season with the Cubs.  In 2016 Hendricks had the same kind of dominating second half as Tudor did in 1985.  He started the first half with a 7-6 record, but only had two losses in the last three months finishing with a 16-8 record and 2.17 ERA.   This year, on May 3, I was at Wrigley for his masterpiece against the Cardinals, an 81 pitch complete game.  It was dubbed by sportswriters as Hendricks’ “first Maddux”.

What are the unique qualities of all these pitchers?  They don’t try to overpower a hitter, but combine precise control, pitching to contact, and exceptional defense as ingredients for success.  They all paint the corners of home plate with such consistency that umpires are more likely than not barking “STRIKE” when they are on the mound.

Until next Monday,

Your Baseball Bench Coach

No Crying in Baseball

In the 1992 baseball film “A League of Their Own”, manager Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks) chastised player Evelyn Gardner (Bitty Schram) with the famous line, “There’s no crying in baseball”.  The movie was a fictional account of the All-American Girls Professional League comprised of primarily Midwestern teams between 1943 and 1954.  The classic scene triggers a look at the Women’s League history, toughness in baseball, and some current MLB topics.

Let’s turn a couple history pages about the Women’s League.  P.K. Wrigley, then owner of the Chicago Cubs, founded the League during World War II.   Originally the League’s rules were more akin to women’s professional softball but as years went by, the ball became smaller and the pitchers began to throw overhand, more closely resembling baseball.  The four original teams, playing a 108-game schedule, included the Rockford Peaches, South Bend Blue Sox, Racine Belles, and the Kenosha Comets.  The height of the League was in 1948 when there were 10 teams overall, attracting about 910,000 fans to the ballparks.

Initial tryouts for the League in 1943 were held at Wrigley Field. Indeed, the League’s first All-Star Game was played at Wrigley on July 1, 1943, featuring the Wisconsin teams’ all-stars vs. the all-stars from the Illinois and Indiana teams. That game had some added historical importance since some have proclaimed it the first night game at Wrigley. Three banks of temporary, portable lights were placed behind home plate, first base, and third base, to illuminate the playing field. Of course the first night game in MLB play at Wrigley was not until 45 years later in August 1988.

So what does “no crying in baseball” mean?  It’s just an expression to “toughen up”.   Baseball does have a history of toughness.   One of the greatest ever, Ty Cobb, was despised by many players at the time because of his gritty play and his spikes high sliding into the bases.  Interestingly, the player that broke Cobb’s all-time hit record, Pete Rose, had a similar reputation of all-out play.  Nicknamed “Charlie Hustle”, Rose is often thought of as the one who bulldozed Cleveland Indians catcher, Ray Fosse, at the plate to win the 1970 All-Star Game.  Rose’s base running skill though is better remembered by his going from first to third on singles to the outfield, landing safely into third with a belly flop.  Playing the game with great determination today is Javier Baez of the Cubs, whose baseball savvy, especially on the base paths, is amazing.

Pitchers can be tough too. This past week, Max Scherzer, 3-time Cy Young winner now with the Nationals, pitched the day after he broke his nose and blackened his eye during batting practice. Somehow seeing Mad Max with the toughness look might have added to the hitting woes of the Phillies as Scherzer pitched seven shutout innings. In the confrontation with a batter, a pitcher, like Scherzer, has the ultimate toughness advantage, being able to hurl a 95 mph baseball toward the plate. As a way of saying “you’re too close to the plate” or “a little fear in you will help me get you out on a curve ball away”, the pitcher turns to a high, inside pitch as a brush back. Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals is just one of the former great pitchers who made the pitch famous.

From the batter’s perspective, I have always marveled at players who would get hit by a pitch to start a rally (also known as “taking one for the team”). Ron Hunt, a second baseman who played 12 MLB seasons (1963-1974), mostly for the Giants, was the ultimate tough guy batter. His motto was: “Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball.” He led the National League in getting hit by pitches in each of his final seven MLB seasons. Incredibly, in 1971, Hunt was hit by a pitch 50 times! Derek Dietrich of the Reds is the modern day Hunt, setting a single game record with 3 HBPs in a June 22 game against the Brewers. While Dietrich leads the NL in HBPs (15), he also is among the league leaders in HRs (18).

No crying in baseball can also mean perseverance.  Lucas Giolito of the White Sox, whose first-half pitching performance (a current record of 10-2) will most certainly land him in the All-Star Game, has rebounded from a woeful 2018.  The differential between his 2018 ERA of 6.14 and current 2019 ERA of 2.74 might be the largest ever year-to-year for a starting pitcher when this season is completed .  Giolito experienced a little war of toughness words recently with Luke Voit of the Yankees.  Voit hit a home run off Giolito in the first inning, and was greeted in his next at-bat with a little Giolito chin music.  After the game, Voit was quoted as saying, “It’s a bunch of BS.”  Giolito did not back down, and stated:  “That’s how I pitch.  If you don’t like it, then that’s your problem.”  In other words, “there’s no crying in baseball.”

Another tough guy confrontation on the field is between an umpire and a player, which frankly is getting out of hand.   Manny Machado of the Padres this past week was called out on strikes in a game by plate umpire Bill Welke.  Machado clearly verbally abused Welke and did throw his bat toward the backstop, both clear no-nos and cause for ejection.  Welke also contended that Machado brushed him.   When MLB suspended Machado for only one game, the Major League Baseball Umpire Association took umbrage and compared the incident to “workplace violence”.    The Umpire Association even took to Twitter and asked, “Is this truly what MLB wants to teach our youth?”   Obviously, the Umpire Association went too far in its reaction. MLB promptly responded with its own contentious statement and rebuked the workplace violence analogy.  That’s way too much crying here on both sides of the table!

Does crying in baseball have a softer touch?  Yes, and let’s leave on that note.  White Sox catcher Zach Collins was called up from the minors this week for his first game, a weeknight game at Wrigley against the Cubs.  Upon hearing the news of his son’s call-up, Collins’ Dad apparently “cried like a baby”.  Everyone can agree that the joy of tears does indeed have its place in baseball.

Until next week,

Your Baseball Bench Coach

Baseball Dads

My father was a Baseball Dad.  He taught me how to play catch and to keep score at the Reds games.  On summer nights we listened to the Big Red Machine together on our front porch. Early on he signed me up to play Knothole baseball (Cincinnati’s version of Little League).  My games were mostly on Saturdays and way too often, Dad had to work and miss my game.  I remember his Volkswagen pulling up in the driveway late Saturday and my excitement in running up to share the outcome.

Dad served as my catcher during the week between my pitching in the Saturday games.  Our backyard barely fit 60 feet, 6 inches, so he had to lean back against the fence for me to throw at the proper distance when I got older.   Until one day, he quit asking me if I needed him to catch.  He told me years later that a sinker he missed had severely bruised his shin but he was too embarrassed to tell me.  I’m sure that kind of backyard story is one to which many fathers and sons can relate.  Baseball is about passing the game along to the next generation, even at the highest level, Major League Baseball.

Let’s start with the Boone’s. Bob Boone was a 4-time All Star catcher, primarily with the Phillies, and went onto manage the Royals and Reds. When Bob Boone’s son, Bret, a 3-time All Star, made it to the big leagues in 1992, it was the first time that three generations of a family had done so. You see, Bob’s father Ray had also been in the MLB. The managing piece of the Boone family tree is also generational. Aaron, Bret’s brother, perhaps most famous for his game-winning home run in the 2003 ALCS, is now the Yankees’ skipper, a quite successful one at that.

The Bell’s are another family of Baseball Dads.   Gus Bell played 15 MLB seasons with the Reds and was a 4-time All Star outfielder.  His grandson, David, had a 12-year career as an infielder.  When David hit for the cycle in 2004, it was the first time that a grandfather and grandson had both hit for one. Gus had accomplished the feat in 1951.  David of course is now the Reds’ field general in his first season. Did the Bell’s skip a generation?  Not in any respect.  David’s father, Buddy, was an MLB third baseman for 18 seasons, primarily with the Indians and Reds.  Buddy also was a skipper, managing the Tigers, Rockies, and Royals, each for three seasons.

A family tree of five tool outfielders reigned out West in San Francisco, the Bonds family! Bobby Bonds was an outfielder for the Giants between 1968 and 1981, and combined power hitting with speed. He was just the second player in MLB history to hit 300 home runs and steal 300 bases. The greatest Giant in history, Willie Mays, was the first one. Of course Bobby’s son Barry more than matched his father’s accomplishments in 22 MLB seasons. Barry Bonds was the first player in baseball with 500 HRs and 500 SBs, and holds the career record (762) and single season record (73) for HRs. Barry was the only Bonds to go into coaching, failing in his one season as hitting instructor with the Marlins.

Baseball Dad royalty for me resides in the Griffey family.  Ken Griffey Sr. played 19 seasons in MLB, mostly as the right fielder for the Reds.  Sr. was a sensational fielder, a speedster, and #2 set-up hitter. On August 31, 1990, when he was with Seattle, his son, Ken Griffey Jr., started beside him in the Mariners outfield, the first time a father and son played in the same game.  In 1999 I attended a Reds fantasy camp in Sarasota, Florida, and when I expressed excitement over meeting Ken Sr., he jokingly replied, “Don’t get too crazy.  I’m not Jr.”

Ken Griffey Jr. was indeed one of a kind.  His sweet swing, remarkable outfield catches, blazing speed, and huge smile, captured the baseball world during his 22 MLB seasons.  I met Jr. before he was “The Kid”, umpiring a game he played in when he was just nine years old.  His swing was even sweet then!  Among his accomplishments, he was a 13-time All Star, 10 Gold Gloves, and 630 lifetime home runs.  Two of my daughters and I were in attendance on Father’s Day in 2004 in St. Louis, when Jr. hit his 500th career home run with his dad, Ken Sr., watching the feat alongside the third base dugout.  To top off a great day, my daughter that night pitched a winning softball game, and signed the game ball to me, one of my precious keepsakes! 

I love being a Baseball Dad too.  I was the manager or bench coach(!) for each of my three daughters’ softball teams.  Recently, my niece sent me a text of a journal of the 2002 Ellisville Reds (who named that team?!) which she and my daughter played on.   She called it a special keepsake and my first “blog”.  It was indeed one of my first.  I also kept journals of the three baseball trips each of my three daughters and I shared years ago. And just in the past few weeks, a new generation of baseball fans was added. I took my grandson to his first Cubs game.

Baseball provides all sorts of keepsakes, special memories, and yes, maybe even life lessons.  I recall going with my Dad to a game at Crosley Field in the 1960s when the Cubs led the Reds 6-2 in the eighth inning.  My Dad had to go to work the next day, and told me it was time to leave.  Can’t we stay?  No.  As we exited the gates, the crowd roared.  Can’t we go back? No. It turns out that Vada Pinson had hit a triple to get the Reds within two at 6-4, and we listened to the car radio as the Reds won in the bottom of the ninth, 7-6.  I don’t give up on things much anymore, and certainly never leave MLB games early!

Dad, I miss you, a lot.  With the love and joy of baseball, I take comfort that you are with me every single day! Happy Father’s Day to all of the Baseball Dads!

Until next Monday, 

Your Baseball Bench Coach

Fan Friendly

According to an April 30 USA Today report, MLB had a 4% drop in attendance in 2018, the largest in a decade.  Ballparks have not fared much better in 2019.  Seven teams experienced a double-digit percentage drop in attendance in the first month, including the first-place Minnesota Twins.  Your Baseball Bench Coach has attended six MLB games in three different cities this past month.  With my field research behind me (and the help of avid readers), I thought I’d take a look at whether the MLB is fan-friendly and poised to welcome back fans.

Let’s first look at some of the positives.  What strikes me is how attending a ballgame today is so different than in the past.  It’s no longer the drive your car to the game, park in a lot, go to the game, and return to your car three hours later.  Today, baseball can be a full day of food and fun outside and inside the ballpark.  Just take a look at some of the game day happenings around my favorite NL ballparks – the Dairy Block near Denver’s Coors Field; the Banks adjacent to Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark; Ballpark Village in St. Louis; and of course Wrigleyville.  Perhaps the new catch phrase should be “fun around the ballpark”. 

Today’s ballparks are also kid-friendly. Gallagher Way outside Wrigley Field is the prime example. During the ballgame you can venture outside the park for a couple innings with the young children and relax in a large, lawn-like setting. The kids can throw the ball around and get rid some of some energy, while you relax on the lawn watching the game on a big-screen video board. Inside the ballparks is kid fun too, whether it’s watching the antics of Fredbird at Busch Stadium, enjoying the Rockpile at Coors Field, or trying to nab a t-shirt from RedZilla at GABP.

The food is certainly fan-friendly.  No longer is it just simple hot dogs, peanuts, and popcorn at the park.  At Busch you can build your own nachos at a huge nacho station, while Coors provides you with the ultimate dog dilemma (Denver, Chicago, or New York style).   Growing up in Cincinnati, I can complete my usual food sweep through town with one game at GABP – Skyline Chili; LaRosa’s; Montgomery Inn; and the best ice cream on the planet, Graeter’s!  Wrigley Field even has special offerings on a weekly basis, featuring this past week lobster rolls and grilled cheese.  Yum!

You always need a drink, right?  I love it that the MLB allows you to bring in unopened bottles of water, in contrast to the NFL where you feel like all you can bring to the game is your credit card.   There’s a variety of soda to enjoy at the ballparks and even wine for the connoisseurs.  And how about a cold one?  The beer selection is no longer just Budweiser and Miller products, but the craft-crazy fan like me can enjoy an assortment of beers from brew houses across the country.  I am amazed at the irony that the 1764 Public House station at BUSCH Stadium features over 40 selections on tap, only to be topped by a 85 foot bar at GABP which accommodates 60 taps for international and local craft beers.

From the fan-friendly glass half-empty perspective, let’s turn to the most important product at the ballpark, the kind of baseball being played.  The bottom line today is that there is a complete lack of putting the ball in the field of play.  It’s become a duel between the pitcher and batter.  During the 2018 season, more than a third of all at bats in MLB ended in a strikeout, walk, or HR, the highest rate ever!  Indeed, last year was the first ever that strikeouts outnumbered hits.  Now, if you like the long ball, and what fan doesn’t (actually, me!), the Elias Sports Bureau reports that this year MLB games are averaging 1.31 home runs per game, on a pace to break last year’s record of 1.26 HRs a game.  But strikingly, through April teams are averaging 8.86 strikeouts per game, up from last year’s 8.48 (the 11th consecutive record year for Ks).  Fan-friendly?  Perhaps not, but we are too far down the road to change the style of play.

It’s also important to address a couple safety issues that have arisen recently.  We all witnessed Albert Almora, Jr.’s visibly shaken reaction to his foul ball hitting a young girl in Houston last week.  The call from the baseball columnnists, and rightfully so, is to extend the netting protecting fans in the lower levels all the way down to the foul poles.  Frankly, MLB has responded well to this issue over the last few years by moving the screens down the lines from their usual spot.  I’m confident that a further extension of the netting is indeed in the works.  Let’s indeed be fan-friendly!

One item MLB also sorely needs to address is how to handle games impacted by bad weather.  This issue hits MLB squarely in the pocketbooks and unfortunately may not quickly be remedied, if at all.  Last Saturday night in St. Louis, the Cubs and Cardinals game, then tied at 2-2 in the fifth inning, was delayed for three hours and thirty-seven minutes before play resumed at 11:20 p.m.  A sold-out crowd of 46,000 fans was basically cashed aside so that Busch Stadium would not have to entertain a gate of rain check tickets in the future.  This was despite the fact that it was June 1 and the teams meet again in two separate series in St. Louis.  I hope the few thousand or so fans attending the game at the end truly enjoyed the Cards’ 7-4 win.

And by the way, that’s just not fan-unfriendly, but also player-unfriendly.  There’s a real safety risk to the players on a wet playing surface.  Not only that, but any athlete can attest to the difficulty of “warming up” again to play a sport with a long delay in action.  MLB has to address this one, NOW!  Please MLB, show your fans the money!

Until next Monday,

Your Baseball Bench Coach

Chicago Dogs

What’s your favorite Chicago Dog?  A hot dog with mustard (yes), ketchup (oh my gosh, no!) and how about real Chicago style, grilled with peppers and onions (now we’re talking)!  At Wrigley Field that of course means a stop at the Marquee Grill.  But today I’m putting the MLB focus gently aside for a week.   In its place, let’s pay a visit to minor league baseball and my new favorite dog delight, the Chicago Dogs, a professional, independent baseball club that will feed your baseball hunger for sure.

The Dogs play at fan-friendly Impact Field, a brand new 6,300 seat stadium near O’Hare Airport, voted the Best of Ballparks 2018 in its first year of existence.  Impact Field is intimate and beautiful with easy to access covered parking adjacent to the field (always a Chicago must!) and affordable concessions.  It’s a go to for young families and certainly baseball junkies like me.

The baseball Dogs are in the American Association, a league of twelve teams in the central corridor, as far north as Winnipeg and as far south as Texas. The Dogs compete in the six-team North Division. By American Association rules, rosters are limited to 23 players, of which a maximum of five may be veterans (a player with 6 or more years of service) and a minimum of five may be rookies. As such, rosters turn over year-to-year, and so hopes run high for each team as the 100-game season begins.

Butch Hobson, a former big league third baseman whose MLB playing career spanned three teams, the Red Sox, Angels, and Yankees, over eight seasons (1975-1982), is the Dogs’ manager.  In Hobson’s post-playing career he managed Boston for three seasons.   A South Division opponent, the Texas AirHogs, is managed by a former major league catcher, Chris Bando (1981-1989).  The AirHogs’ roster is the only one in the league that is expanded, providing spots for the Chinese national team players.  Hobson and Bando not only give credence to the league, but hope for the players to make it to the Show someday.

2019 is just the second year for the Dogs in the American Association. The Association was actually founded fifteen years ago, providing opportunities for players on the way up. Among its success stories is a current Cub, relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler. Kintzler played for the North Division’s Winnipeg Goldeyes in 2007-2008 and St. Paul Saints in 2009, and was signed by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2009. Kintzler has played on four major league teams since 2010. Indeed, Kintzler, as a Washington National, made the NL All-Star team in 2017.

The Dogs’ current roster features a former Cub great, Carlos Zambrano, a 3-time All-Star pitcher over his 12 MLB seasons.  Zambrano’s lifetime MLB statistics are impressive, a 132-91 win-loss record as a starter with an ERA of 3.66.  The Big Z was also a big-time hitter for a pitcher with a lifetime average of .238.  Zambrano is on the other side of the Association ladder, attempting a big league comeback at the age of 38 as a relief pitcher.  Zambrano’s early days as a Chicago Dog have been successful, giving up just 3 runs in 6 relief appearances and even serving as the Dogs’ designated hitter in one game!

In my recent visit to a Dogs’ game, three rising stars stood out.   Starting pitcher Luke Westphal began his season with no-hit ball and continued his mastery from the mound a start later, also giving up no hits!  Westphal has pounced on the 2019 scene with 17 2/3 innings, 0 runs, three hits and 23 K’s!   On the field the spotlight shines brightly on second baseman, Edwin Arroyo, for his stick (currently batting .302) and stellar defense.  Arroyo last year was sixth in the Association in hitting at .325! Slugging outfielder Victor Roache has been pounding the ball too with a .357 average in the early season.

And have I mentioned that going to a Chicago Dogs game is just plain FUN!  Like many minor league ballparks, the between inning activities for fans make it even more enjoyable to be at the ballpark.  Led by Nikki Huber, who is energy personified on the field, student interns stage all sorts of events through the evening, such as Sumo wrestling and a race between mascots Squeeze and Ketchup.  A nice touch is when the crowd sings Happy Birthday to those celebrants at the game.

My night at Impact Field a few weeks ago was a wonderful success as the Dogs downed the Gary Southshore Railcats 5-1. The Dogs came within one out of recording their first combined no-hitter.   The post-game celebration featured fireworks and the raising of Impact Field’s version of the “W” at Wrigley, a “V” flag (standing for “Victory”) in the outfield.   Before I left for the parking lot, I checked the schedule for my next visit, and quickly selected those Texas AirHogs visiting next week.  Join me for winning baseball (the Dogs’ 10-5 record currently leads the Association) and fun at the old (I mean new!) ballpark soon!

Special thanks to Sam Brief, Broadcast and Media Relations Manager, and Chuck Heftman, statistician, for allowing me this inside look at my new favorite Chicago Dogs! 

Until next Monday,

Your Baseball Bench Coach

Pennant Races

Flags are a tradition in baseball.  MLB teams fly flags of players whose numbers have been retired by the team or those of the elite few who have been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Key moments in a team’s history are also depicted by special flags of player names or nicknames and achievements.   And historically, teams have received a pennant from the league office when they won the league championship so they could proudly display it at their home ballpark.

Flying flags and pennants have played a large part in the history of Wrigley Field. P.K. Wrigley, who owned the Cubs from 1932 to 1977, brought his family’s love of sailing to the ballpark.  White or blue flags were used to show wins and losses. The Friendly Confines also kept the current NL standings with team flags flying outside the bleacher seats. This is how the term “pennant race” was coined. Today, the practice at Wrigley is to show the updated standings in each of the three NL division races.  The pennant “race” up the pole is now a tradition in most MLB ballparks.

Now that it’s Memorial Day, it’s time to check those races. Teams have played about one-third of the 162 game schedule and have had a chance to play at least one series or two with each of their divisional opponents. Which teams have their pennants flying high and steady above their division foes? Which of the others are trying to withstand the battle for the top spot? Let’s take a look at the three divisional races in both the AL and NL.

The surprise team of the American League is undoubtedly the Minnesota Twins of the AL Central.  The team’s power burst has been the incredible story.  On Friday Eddie Rosario’s blast was the Twins 100th HR of the season, making Minnesota only the second team in MLB history to reach that mark in the first 50 games of the season.  The Twins have a commanding 10-game lead over the Indians, who were everyone’s preseason favorite, including mine.  It may be that Cleveland may have to soon just start thinking Wild Card as the season progresses.

Another pennant flying high and maybe even more steady is out west, the Houston Astros and their control of the AL West.  Astros hitters George Springer, Alex Bregman, and Michael Brantley are dominating the offensive stat lines in the AL, while starting pitchers Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are putting up impressive numbers in ERA and strikeouts.  It’s difficult to see another AL West team stepping up to contend for the division title. The Rangers and Athletics have been surging lately and may make Wild Card bids of their own.  Interestingly, that Seattle Mariners team featured earlier in the season for their Strong Start, now finds itself in last place 9 games under .500.

While the Yankees were favorites to contend for the AL East before the season began, no one would have thought they could withstand the numerous injuries to their star players (Stanton, Frazier, Gregorius, Sabathia, etc.) and be in first place on Memorial Day.  The fun stat belongs to infielder Gleyber Torres, who this past week hit his tenth home run against the same team, the Orioles!  Tampa will challenge the Yankees based on the Rays’ starting staff led by Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell.  And don’t forget about the Red Sox who have officially rebounded from a slow start.  Two or all three of these AL East teams will be playoff bound in October.

The National League has just one team pennant flying high and strong, that of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West.  Cody Bellinger will be in the NL MVP discussion all year and currently leads in such categories as batting average, RBIs, hits, and on-base percentage.   Despite spending some time on the IL, Clayton Kershaw is again shining with a 4-0 record.  His cohort, Hyun-Jin Ryu, is leading NL pitchers with a 1.52 ERA.  The other NL West teams need to rally to stay in the race.  The Padres have won 5 of the last 6 games at week’s end.

The NL East is a two-team race between the Phillies and the Braves.  Philadelphia’s star-studded everyday lineup seemed to be their strong point in preseason discussions, yet Bryce Harper has gotten off to less than an impressive start (.227 batting average).  The Phillies have been led by first baseman Rhys Hoskins and starting pitcher Zach Eflin.  The Braves won the division last year yet no one really talks about them.  They are one of those teams in the top half of most team statistics, yet nothing stands out.  Atlanta will indeed contend again this year.

Since the Cubs 1-6 start, Chicago has turned it around and has been in first place in the NL Central much of the past few weeks.  There is not another team in baseball with a more talented starting pitching group than the Cubs.  And when you have a nucleus of position players like Bryant, Rizzo, and Baez, it’s hard to see them do anything but raise the “W” flag much of the season.   Yet, the Brewers (Christian Yelich and Josh Hader), Cardinals (Paul Goldschmidt and Jordan Hicks), Pirates (Josh Bell and Jordan Lyles) and Reds (Eugenio Suarez and Luis Castillo) all have offensive studs and pitching flame-throwers to make the division race and possible Wild Card spot wide open and fun to the finish!

There are numerous stories of great late season comebacks to win divisions and championships, so finding your team’s pennant only halfway up the pole at Memorial Day should not be alarming.  Anything can indeed happen.   Let’s check back on Labor Day on the pennant races.  There’s a lot of baseball to be played between now and then.

Until next Monday,

Your Baseball Bench Coach

Batting Second

My favorite page in a newspaper is the baseball today sheet that provides the current MLB standings, some updated player and team statistics, and the box scores.  Whether I have just enough time to glance at the standings or perhaps 30 minutes to devour the page with my morning coffee, it’s my version of a perfect start to the day!

As promised, next week’s Memorial Day edition will focus on the MLB standings.  This week I took a quick look at the National League and American League updated statistics at the quarter mark of the 2019 season   What stood out is that not one NL player has stolen 10 bases so far, yet 17 sluggers have 10 or more home runs.  In the AL, there are actually 4 players who have 10 or more stolen bases, yet 19 have 10 or more homers. Baseball today is indeed a power game.

My real love though is the box scores. From pitch counts to the playing times of the games, I’m kind of a junkie. Recently I caught up with a mentor of mine and the topic quickly turned to baseball. I recalled he told me years ago that he began each morning by checking the box score of the Yankees game the prior day. Our conversation inspired me to explore today’s box scores and review baseball’s new power theme.

What strikes me most is that many teams are now batting their power hitters second in the lineup.   Teams used to employ a lineup of a leadoff man with speed, a number 2 hitter with good bat control to hit behind the runner or lay down a bunt, a third batter as its best pure hitter, and the #4 cleanup hitter to drive in runs.  The prototypical examples of a #2 hitter from the past are Glenn Beckert and Bill Russell, both solid hitters who saw their roles in the Cubs and Dodgers lineups as more of set-up guys.  Beckert hit 22 home runs in his 11 seasons (1965-1975), while Russell hit just 17 in his 18-year career (1969-1986).  The role began to change more recently with Derek Jerek batting second in the Yankees lineup.  Yet again, Jeter only averaged 13 home runs a season in his 20-season career (1995-2014).

The role of the #2 hitter in the lineup has now clearly pivoted to a hitter with big-time power.  One theory behind this is that the team wants to see the power hitter get as many at-bats as possible in a game.  Also, managers (and bench coaches!) now realize that the leadoff batter may only bat first one time in a game.  Beginning with former Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa’s creativity in lineups about ten years ago, it is now common to bat the pitcher eighth with a speed guy in the ninth slot.  Traditional lineups don’t seem to be that important anymore.

Just take a look at some of today’s players batting second, baseball’s royalty. In the AL, Mike Trout, who many believe is the best in baseball, wreaks havoc from that slot in the Angels lineup. Mookie Betts, last year’s reigning AL MVP, bats second for the World Champion Red Sox. In the senior circuit, Christian Yelich, last year’s NL MVP and current major league leader with 19 home runs, is Brewers manager Craig Counsell’s everyday #2 guy. And of course there is Kris Bryant of the Cubs, the 2016 NL MVP, who on Friday hit home runs in three consecutive innings as the second batter in the lineup.

We also find some rising stars in the two slot, especially in the American League.  How about Yoan Moncada of the White Sox, who has 9 home runs to date after connecting for 17 HRs last year?  If you haven’t seen the first place Twins play this year, you are missing out on Minnesota’s number two hitter, shortstop Jorge Polanco. He may be one of the most complete players in the game with a league leading batting average of .329 and 8 home runs.  Vlad Guerrero, Jr. of the Blue Jays has just now rocketed into our baseball world, and hit four home runs in the past week while batting second for the Blue Jays.  The incredible statistic about these young stars is that they have a combined five stolen bases this year. 

Some of baseball’s established veterans are also now penciled in each game as the second hitter.  Paul Goldschmidt of the Cardinals, who was acquired in the off season from the Diamondbacks, now finds himself as the #2 batter in St. Louis after eight seasons as Arizona’s cleanup hitter.  Joey Votto, one of baseball’s best and most knowledgeable hitters over the past ten seasons, has relinquished his customary three slot in the Reds lineup and is now batting second. The Dodgers, who lead the MLB in home runs, employs Justin Turner, their slugging third baseman, as the #2 batter.

The tradition of “raising the W” after a Cubs win at the top of the centerfield bleachers began years ago so that commuters coming from downtown Chicago did not have to wait until the next morning to check the box scores and see if the Cubs won.  While the “W” tradition continues, the traditional number 2 hitter in the box score has indeed changed.  For today’s sluggers, the message is “Put Me in the Two Slot Coach, I’m Ready to Play the Game!”

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Numbers Game

James Holzhauer, the current “Jeopardy” contestant who is on the second longest winning streak in the game show’s history, remarked recently that he always wanted to be a baseball executive because he loves the game and is a “math guy”.  While I promised in my opening message not to provide modern day analysis of “launch angles” and “WAR”, I too do have an affinity to numbers.  Baseball, more than any other sport, is full of comparative statistics.  I also like player uniform numbers, especially those players who have provided special memories.  So this week, just for fun, let’s tackle my all-time favorites wearing uniform numbers 1-10 (all of whom, with one BIG exception, I have met or seen play):

Ozzie Smith.  The “Wizard of Oz” graced the position of shortstop to the tune of 13 consecutive Gold Gloves.  His acrobatic approach to the position was something we hadn’t seen previously.  He came into the league struggling at the plate but finished his career as an offensive force, settling into a lifetime batting average of .262.  Ozzie led the Cardinals to the 1982 World Series Championship, but might be most famous for his game-winning home run in the 1985 NLCS against the Dodgers, causing HOF announcer Jack Buck to famously proclaim, “Go crazy fans, go crazy!”

Derek Jeter.  The “Captain” was the steady hand behind the Yankees’ five World Series wins in the 1990s and 2000s. He batted .310 lifetime, and garnered over 3,000 hits in his career.  I saw him play in 1998 at Royals Stadium in Kansas City, and marveled at his pre-game routine.  From his throwing warm-up, batting practice and fielding routines, everything about Jeter was consistency and precision.

Babe Ruth.  Here’s the BIG exception, the greatest player ever.  Obviously I never saw the “Sultan of Swat” play, but I don’t know of any player in sports I think of more often than the Babe.  He came to the big leagues as a pitcher for the Red Sox, and twice won 23 games in a season.  Of course, his bigger contribution was as a slugger for the Yankees, highlighted by four world titles and 714 career HRs in an era where the home run ball was not prevalent.  To put his dominance in perspective, in 1927 when he hit 60 HRs, the runner-up Lou Gehrig hit 47 and the third-place finisher had 18.  He was a personality on and off the field, famous for his “Called Shot” in the 1932 World Series at Wrigley Field, an historic moment in baseball.

Yadier Malina.  “Yadi” has revolutionized catching over the last decade.  Winner of 9 Gold Gloves, Molina’s throwing to the bases from various angles and body positions has set the standard for catchers in baseball.  He is a two-time World Champion (2006 and 2011) with a lifetime batting average of .282.  Molina for many years has become the hitter in the Cardinals lineup you don’t want to face in clutch situations.

Johnny Bench.  The best catcher, ever.  He combined his defensive mastery and hitting prowess in leading the Reds to World Series triumphs in ’75 and ’76.  Bench was the first one-handed catcher in baseball, protecting his throwing hand from harm.  To illustrate his defensive skills, during Lou Brock’s record-breaking 118 steals in 1974, Brock made four attempts against Bench, only one successful one!   A two-time NL MVP, he started the Big Red Machine era in 1970 when he hit 40 HRs and 125 RBIs.  Bench was the 1976 World Series MVP with a .533 batting average.  And in one of the highlights of my life, he hit a game-tying home run off Dave Giusti of the Pirates in the ninth-inning of Game 5 of the 1972 NLCS into the green seats at Riverfront Stadium 12 rows in front of me.

Stan Musial.   I never saw “Stan the Man” play, but met him on two occasions in St. Louis.  He was truly the toast of the town during his playing years and into his baseball retirement.  Musial was a 3-time World Series Champion, and many call him the greatest hitter in the history of the National League.  He had a lifetime batting average of .331 and was the NL MVP three times.  Every game played in the MLB today we can think of Stan when you look out to the solid-colored dark area beyond the centerfield fence.  It was Stan’s insistence to baseball authorities in 1952 which led to a  “Batter’s Eye” in every ballpark.

Mickey Mantle.  I saw “Mick” play in my first game ever, a summer night in 1964 at Cleveland Stadium when my uncle treated my Dad, brother and me to a Yankees vs. Indians game.  All I actually remember was the buzz about Mantle playing in the game.  He was an AL MVP three times and his Yankees won the World Series seven times under his leadership.  What set him apart was his power hitting from both sides of the plate coupled with his base running skills.  At the time of his retirement in 1968 this 536 career HR power hitter held the highest stolen base percentage in MLB history.

Joe Morgan.  “Little Joe” was the fuel that powered the Big Red Machine.  He revolutionized the second base position by his combination of hitting, power, fielding, and base stealing.  Just like Bench, he was a two-time World Champion and two-time NL MVP.  In his ’75 and ’76 MVP years, he hit .327 and .320, 17 and 27 HRs, 94 and 111 RBIs, and an unbelievable on-base percentage of .466 and .444, respectively.  Morgan did not have the strongest throwing arm, but more than made up for it with his quick release. Morgan also had 689 career stolen bases.  And in the spirit of this blog, he more often than not was the “bench coach” during the game, sitting alongside HOF manager Sparky Anderson.

Javier Baez.  You might see higher offensive statistics being put up in baseball this season from the likes of Bellinger and Yelich, but there is no better and certainly no more exciting player in the game today than “Javi”.  He truly does it all, playing the shortstop position with elegance and determination.  Baez’ power to the opposite field is remarkable.  On the base paths he combines speed, hustle and craftiness, almost every game.  I don’t have to offer statistics to back up his play, just see him in action.  One stat though stands out; on 0-2 counts, MLB batters on average are hitting .163 this season.  Javi on 0-2 counts this year is hitting at a .370 clip.

Ron Santo.  When I watched the Cubs as a little boy, Santo was my favorite player among the likes of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams and Ferguson Jenkins.   He was a 9-time All-Star who played solid defense and hit with power.  Santo was a 5-time Gold Glover and the only NL player with 90 RBIs over 8 straight seasons as his career ended.  In his post-playing days he graced the Cubs broadcasting booth for 20 seasons between 1990 and 2010. 

So now it’s your turn.  Who is your favorite baseball player, past or present, wearing uniform numbers 1-10?   As one of Ron Santo’s radio broadcast partners, Harry Caray, would say:  “Let me hear ‘ya.” 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Extra Innings

When you sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch, how much more ballgame do you really want?  Saturday’s 18-inning game between the Brewers and Mets and last Sunday’s 15-inning affair between the Cubs and Diamondbacks, both games lasting close to six hours, sparked a controversy between old school traditionalists and new school realists.  Should we look for ways to resolve a deadlocked game before many fans have moved on to do other things?

From an historical perspective we need to go back 100 years to the longest game ever played measured by innings.  It was a 26-inning game in May 1920 between the Boston Braves and Brooklyn Dodgers, ending in a 1-1 tie due to darkness.  Playing time was only 3 hours, 50 minutes, and just two pitchers appeared in the game.  During that era a game could indeed end in a tie.

The longest game by time was more recent, an 8 hour, 6 minutes contest played in May 1984 at Comiskey Park in Chicago between the White Sox and the then American League Milwaukee Brewers. It was a night game suspended due to curfew at 1:00 a.m. after 17 innings tied at 3-3. Play resumed the next day and ended finally in the 25th inning with the White Sox winning 7-6.

Today, with attendance down (2018 saw lower numbers at the turnstiles and the trend is continuing in 2019) and attention spans diminishing, baseball is looking for ways to create more interest from casual fans.  Should one of those ways be to address extra inning games?  Interestingly, an NBC Sports Chicago Twitter poll taken after the Cubs vs. Diamondbacks game indicated that 73% of fans like it just the way it is, play as many innings as necessary to decide a result.

Let’s take a look though at two options that received commentary over the past week.  One is to shorten the games to 12 innings at a maximum and accept a tie, just like we did 100 years ago!  The NFL’s version of that is to have a ten-minute overtime period in regular season play and if the game is not decided, a tie results.  That actually makes sense in the NFL, since a tie game might be the deciding factor to get into the playoffs as opposed to the messy tie-breaking rules.  But in baseball?  Just going back to last year, two of the National League divisions ended in a deadlock after 162 games of play.  We might have missed out on some incredibly exciting playoff games if tie games during the season were permitted in baseball.

Another option discussed would be to begin each extra inning with a runner on second base, creating more scoring opportunities. This is a popular tournament rule in women’s fast-pitch softball where pitching tends to dominate. Indeed, minor league baseball adopted this rule in 2018, much of the reason being to lessen the burden on pitching staffs. The parallel in professional sports is to the NHL’s five minute overtime period followed by a shootout. Adopting the runner on base rule in MLB would change the way the game is pIayed, and frankly it’s hokey (sorry, had to say it).

MLB though does have planned a rule to go in effect next year that will speed up the game and indirectly impact the extra innings dilemma.  Beginning in 2020, barring injury or the end of an inning, a pitcher must pitch to three batters in an inning.  The rule change is an obvious attempt to cut down on those tedious late innings of a game when managers (and bench coaches!) opt for the best matchup, RH power pitcher vs. RH batter and even more so, LH power pitcher vs. LH batter, batter after batter. 

The number of pitchers used in a game is spiraling upward (in 1998 both teams combined averaged 6.1 per game and in 2018 it was up to 8.7), too much time spent making pitching changes with no action on the field.   In one of the classic games ever played at Wrigley Field, the Phillies defeated the Cubs 23-22 in May 1979 in ten innings.  The game was played in just over four hours (4:03), and while both starters went only 1/3 of an inning, the Phillies used just five pitchers and the Cubs six!  Contrast that to a low-scoring 3-2 Giants win over the Dodgers played this past Monday in nine, long innings (3:14), when both teams each used five pitchers. 

The more indirect impact of the 2020 rule change though might be on the makeup of the pitching staff.  We might see less of a need for one of the many left-handed relief pitching specialists on a staff (the Angels are the only team in baseball without a left-handed reliever), thus opening up a spot (or two) for a long reliever, a pitcher who can eat up in innings in extra inning games.  Last Tuesday, the Reds in a 10-inning loss to the Mets, opted for their closer, Raisel Iglesias, to pitch the 10th, just one day after he had pitched two innings.   Maybe staffs with long reliever options might change the extra innings approach beginning next season.

As a baseball traditionalist, I tend to object to rule changes that “mess with the game”, but I do realize that the game needs the casual fan and must find ways to address the speed of play. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Dodgers Blues

The Dodgers were in Chicago this past week, ugh.  Every baseball fan has a right to be a fanatic, someone who passionately roots for his or her favorite team.   Sometimes that passion carries over to dislike for your team’s rival or your least favorite team.  The team of my disdain is the Los Angeles Dodgers, plain and simple.  I clearly have the Dodgers Blues.

I grew up as a fan of the Big Red Machine of the 1970s.  Cincinnati’s nemesis during that era was the Dodgers, and the two teams dominated National League play.  I would stay up late listening to every game between the Reds and Dodgers on my transistor radio.  It was us (Rose, Morgan, Bench, and Perez) against them (Garvey, Cey, Lopes, and Russell) with the gentlemanly Sparky Anderson matching wits against the arrogant Tommy Lasorda.  For me, it was my hometown heroes against their bitter rivals, good vs. evil.

Okay Coach, take a deep breath. Do you dislike the Dodgers that much? Yes, it carries over to rooting against the Dodgers in World Series play, even though I am a lifelong National League fan. In the classic Yankees vs. Dodgers matchups (there have been a record 11 World Series between the two teams), I would even don a New York cap. I cheered when Reggie Jackson and the Yankees won titles in ’77 and ’78. In the last two World Series I became Astros and Red Sox fans as they won the World Series against LA. Take that, Dodger Blue!

Ironically, two storied players in baseball who I revere wore Dodger Blue.  Jackie Robinson is one of them.  I have always marveled at watching film clips of Jackie gracefully stealing bases.  Over a 10-year career, Jackie Robinson had a lifetime batting average of .311.  His number, 42, is retired throughout baseball.  On April 15 each year all players wear his jersey number in memory.   His number flies on the right field foul pole at Wrigley Field, the only MLB park that exists today where Jackie played.

One of my all-time favorite pitchers is Sandy Koufax.  His pinpoint control and biting curve ball were his trademarks.  With a lifetime ERA of 2.76, he led a Dodgers team in the 1960s featuring pitching and team defense.  While his career was shortened due to arthritis in his left elbow, Koufax won the Cy Young award in the ’63, ’65 and ’66 seasons.  Also, of significance, on an October day in 1965, he did not take the mound in a World Series game against the Twins due to observance of Yom Kippur.

With Robinson and Koufax wearing the Dodgers script proudly across their uniform fronts, how can I possibly justify such an intense dislike for the Dodgers team? An easy answer is that they played prior to the 1970s Reds-Dodgers rivalry. But more to the heart of the point, they played before the height of my baseball passion. Good or bad, each of us is grounded in the baseball era we found our love for the game.

The Dodger Blue invaded Wrigley Field this past week for a three-game series against the Cubs.  The Dodgers of today are an offensive force, boasting a lineup with two 10 + home run sluggers, Cody Bellinger (14) and Joc Pederson (10).  Together with Max Muncy and shortstop sensation Cory Seager, the Dodgers’ everyday lineup is as formidable as you face from the left side of the plate.   

One chink in the Dodgers’ armor though is this left-handed hitting predominance.  Since 2016, the Dodgers have struggled against left-handed pitching, especially on the road.   The trend has continued this season.  While the Dodgers are league leaders against right-handing pitching in 2019, they are in the middle of the pack against lefties. 

Much to my delight, the Cubs are one of the few teams in baseball who can roll out three lefty starters in a series.  With a little pre-series tinkering by Joe Maddon (and his bench coach!), they did just that with Quintana, Hamels, and Lester pitching in the 2-1 series win for the Cubs.  Take that (again), Dodger Blue!

Will my Dodgers Blues ever go away?  Never, and never will my love for the game.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Happy Place

Yesterday afternoon I was in my “Happy Place”, attending my first baseball game of the season at the ballpark.  It was the Cubs and the Diamondbacks at Wrigley Field, but for me it could have been two teams playing at any major or minor league park in professional baseball.  It is time to relax at my home away from home and take in the intricacies of the game I love.

As a baseball fan I’ve been fortunate to have resided in cities with great second homes, Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, and now Wrigley.  There is always that special excitement in the air as you enter the ballpark.  While presenting to the gate attendant your ticket stub from your wallet has been replaced by the “ping” of acceptance of your electronic ticket from your iPhone wallet, the message is the same.  “Welcome to the Ballpark”.   Walking down the concourse I see the bustle of fans and smell hot dogs on the grill.  I am indeed home.

A first stop before settling into my seat is always to grab a hot dog. It just so happens at Wrigley that spot is the Marquee Grill, famous for its grilled hot dogs. Unbelievably delicious! And of course while I add a little mustard to the hot dog at the stand, I take a moment to appreciate the back of the historic Marquee sign that has welcomed fans to Wrigley for 85 years.

I love traditional ballpark foods, except maybe one, Cracker Jacks, that has never made it to my Happy Place checklist!  You see, at Wrigley over 40 years ago, my date was attending her first baseball game and immediately asked to “buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks”, sadly the only thing she knew about baseball.   I said I would get them, but I missed the first inning doing so.  And when she took a paperback book from her purse to read in the fourth, I knew it was the last date!

With a hot dog in one hand, you certainly need a beverage in the other.   For me, that is usually a beer.  As an 18-year old (of age) kid, my first ballpark beer was a Hudepohl (“Get Moody with Hudey”) at Riverfront.  In college I was in Wrigley’s bleachers and enjoyed Old Style in paper cups with plastic lids.  My adult life took me to Busch where you always had to have a Budweiser (“King of Beers”).  These later years I must admit I’ve attained a more refined taste and find myself at the Goose Island stand at Wrigley.   I hear Guaranteed Rate Field now has its own Goose Island premium seating!

Finally, I’ve arrived at my seat and it’s time to Play Ball! There’s so much to enjoy watching a game. Early on, it’s good to clue in on whether the starting pitchers are in command of their respective games. Whether there is early scoring or not, you get the sense of how the game will go based on how hard balls are hit the first time through the lineup. There is the ultimate excitement for the average fan, the home team’s home run ball. For me though, I want something else, a batter sacrificing an at bat by moving a runner over with no outs, a stolen base, or the most exciting play in the game, a triple hit in one of the gaps or down the right field line.

And then there’s the part of the game that I also appreciate, the lull.  Sometime in the middle innings there may be an inning or two when both sides are out in order, a time to sit back and just plain relax.  I usually take that time to reflect a little or maybe check in with whom I am attending the game.  I remember fondly those days when we were raising our daughters and it was my tradition to do a one-on-one weeklong baseball trip with each of them.  You find out a lot about each other during those quiet times in baseball.

As we reach the middle of the seventh inning, it is time to sing!  I don’t sing much in public (many are very thankful for that), but I do love to belt out “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.  There’s probably no better tradition in all of sports!  No matter what ballpark I’m in, I have to admit that when it comes to the lyrics, “and it’s root, root for the . . . “, I reach back to my childhood days and think to myself  “Redlegs”.  It’s good to be young at heart.

The game is ending now, and oh by the way, the Cubs won, 2-1, in thrilling walk-off fashion. It’s time to sing “Go Cubs Go” and raise the “W” in centerfield, but also time to check the schedule for the next game I plan to attend. I can never get enough of my Happy Place!

Until next Monday,
your Baseball Bench Coach

April Power

As a pitcher growing up, I was intrigued by the notion that early in the season the “pitchers were ahead of the hitters”.    The mindset was that cold weather in the Midwest made batting uncomfortable.  A pitcher could pour fastballs inside on a hitter’s hands and have great success.  It was April Power pitching!

Although there are some differing views, much of the commentary prior to 2000 suggests lower run production in April MLB play.  Cold weather certainly played a role given that MLB schedulers, until recently, refused to stay away from early home stands in northern cities.  More than that, science did, and still does, come into play since a baseball does not “carry” as well in colder weather and hence, long drives are less likely to reach at or beyond the outfield walls.

Other factors played a part.In spring training, starting pitchers went deep into the game in their last two starts so they were in ready form when the season started. April schedules provided for many open dates that allowed managers to utilize four-man (and in some earlier days, three-man) starting pitching staffs through much of April, so that teams would more often than not see your top end starting pitching.Also, opposing team hitting coaches and players would in many cases not have a scouting book (and clearly no video) on any new pitchers.

April MLB baseball has now changed and is just like any other month.  A review of FanGraphs information during the 2009-2013 MLB seasons shows no statistical difference in run production or pitching performance in April vs. other months. 

Indeed, it seems that in 2019 it is now April Power hitting!  Prior blog entries have referenced the Dodgers’ early home run prowess.  Seattle has more than matched that by hitting a home run in each of its first 18 games, 41 HRs in total.  Last Monday Edwin Encarnacion of the Mariners hit two home runs in the same inning.   Tim Anderson of the White Sox leads the majors with a .429 batting average after 14 games.  Whit Merrifield of the Royals continued from last September his consecutive games with hits streak into this season at 31 games before it ended on Thursday.  It’s a regular batting barrage in the MLB!

I know what jumps to your mind; the ball is more lively now!That is an easy out, so to speak, and does not give credence to some other key factors.Putting the April analysis aside for the moment, the game of baseball is just a different game nowadays with so much emphasis on offensive production.No longer is it a station to station game (taking one base at a time), but rather managers (and bench coaches, of course!) play for the big hit and the big inning. Players up and down the lineup are not able to execute a bunt.And frankly, in traditional situations where a sacrifice is the right strategy, batters aren’t being asked to do it.

But let’s get back to the April analysis and pitching.   Managers in spring training now seem to ease the starting pitchers into form.  In fact, ESPN’s Buster Olney mused this week that one reason that the Red Sox are off to a slow start is that its starting staff was taxed due to the long postseason run last year.  As such, they were allowed to back off from the usual spring training rigors. 

While MLB schedules still have more open dates in April than other months (teams average six in April and two in September), pitching staffs are being deployed differently.  It is now uncommon to go with a short rotation in April.  Managers simply don’t want starting pitchers to start more than 30-32 games a year. 

Finally, April Power pitching meant owning the inside part of the plate for a pitcher.  You weren’t afraid to get inside on the hitter because backing hitters off the plate was just playing the game.  Now, hitters come to the plate adorned with so much padding that they appear ready for the Game of Thrones.  The effective, inside pitch and April Power pitching are now relics of the past.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Strong Start

What do the 1927 Yankees, 1955 Dodgers, 1984 Tigers, 1990 Reds, and 2005 White Sox teams have in common?  They all went “wire to wire”, in first place in their league (or division after 1968) after every game of the entire season and capping the season off with a World Series Championship.  Just 5 teams in the history of Major League Baseball have done this!

Just about 10 games into the 2019 season, and we do have a team in the American League that is in the position at least to accomplish the feat.  The Seattle Mariners, buoyed by the two early wins over Oakland in Japan before the rest of MLB opened the season, have led the AL West from the first pitch and are sitting at 9-2 after yesterday’s win against the White Sox, 3 1/2 games in first place.  Will the magic continue wire to wire for the Mariners? The odds are heavily against it.

Both leagues have other teams off to some hot starts, the Brewers and Dodgers in the NL and the Rays in the AL.  Milwaukee and L.A. are no secrets, given that they met in the NLCS last year.  The Brewers’ 8-2 record after yesterday’s play has other NL Central contenders scrambling.  The Dodgers have started the season with an identical record and bats booming, a home run in each of its 10 games and 24 HRs in total.

Tampa though was somewhat of an afterthought by the experts as the Rays compete in the AL East with the media darlings Yankees and Red Sox.  Beware of the division-leading Rays!  They are pitching deep with a team ERA of 2.09 during the first 10 games of the season.

And what about the NL East with the best win-loss division record in baseball.  The Phillies jumped off to a 4-0 start (their best since 1915!) and lead the competitive division with a 6-2 record.   Have the 2019 Amazin’ Mets returned for a 50-year reunion of the ’69 title?  Perhaps so with starters Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard, reminiscent of the Seaver-led staff days. One of the Mets players you need to watch play is rookie first baseman Pete Alonso who is batting .382 at the end of week’s play.  The Nationals, despite the loss of Bryce Harvey, will contend with its own ace pitchers, Scherzer, Strasburg, and Corbin.  Certainly don’t count out the Braves, who won the division crown last year, and are 5-1 in the last six games.

This April, like any April in baseball, the standings look somewhat upside down in other divisions.  The Red Sox  (3-8) and Cubs (2-7), winners of two of the last three World Series, are off to slow starts.  Has the panic button been pushed in Boston or the north side of Chicago?  I don’t think so, especially since they are the only remaining teams yet to play a home game. It will be interesting to see this week if home stands at Fenway and Wrigley will right their ships.

Other not so strong starts belong to the Marlins, Reds, Giants, Rockies, Blue Jays, Royals, and Angels. But there is so much baseball to be played in the 162-game marathon. Think of it this way; playing your first 10 games of a season in baseball is the equivalent of playing one game in the 16-game NFL season.

There’s an old adage that baseball standings do not matter until Memorial Day.   By that point each team has played about one-third of its games and seen the other teams in the league at least once.  (Yes, I know, with the odd scheduling in baseball nowadays, there are exceptions to that.)  For those of us attending a game at the ballpark in the next several weeks, we can ignore the pennant race flags flying beyond the outfield fence for now.  But of course pay attention on Monday, May 27, to see which teams are leading the divisions in the Memorial Day edition of this blog!  There is so much to cover between now and then.

Until Next Monday, 
your Baseball Bench Coach

Opening Day

Opening Day, my favorite day in sports!  Your Baseball Bench Coach was raised in a baseball town, Cincinnati, where, until most recently, the National League would officially open its season.  Opening Day is a holiday there, featuring half-empty schools in the area and the Findlay Market Parade downtown. My strongest memory was actually watching the opener in 1970 on my family’s brand new color television set purchased for the occasion.  The Reds beat the Montreal Expos 5-1 in the last home opener at Crosley Field. Yes, I remember the score (only a baseball nut would understand).

The 1970 Reds home opener was also memorable because you came away with the belief that something big was about to happen that season.  Indeed, it was the first game of the Big Red Machine era. Maybe that same feeling was in the air on Thursday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.  The Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 10-4 with the help of its new, powerful top of the lineup, Andrew McCutcheon, Jean Segura, Bryce Harper, Rhys Hoskins, and J.T. Realmuto. Led by veterans McCutcheon and Harper with 2 home runs apiece during the series Philadelphia completed the only sweep of Opening Weekend last night. Philly is certainly primed to be a contender this year.

This past weekend ESPN and MLB TV allowed me to tune in for some other home openers throughout baseball.  It’s your ace against their ace, and interestingly we saw match-ups featuring the best pitchers in each league from last year.  Both Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, 1-2 in the 2018 National League Cy Young race, threw gems as the Mets squeaked by the Nationals, 2-0.  DeGrom’s 10 Ks and Scherzer’s 12 was the first time since 1970 that the starting pitchers both recorded 10 or more strikeouts in an opener.

In the American League duel between last year’s Cy Young winner, Tampa’s Blake Snell, and runner-up, Justin Verlander of the Astros, the veteran Verlander stole the show in Houston’s 5-1 win.   Blake Snell though is a wonderful stylist on the mound. Make a point of catching one or more of his starts this year.

Home runs, all 46 of them on Opening Day throughout the big leagues (most since 1999), was the highlight reel story.  The Dodgers actually hit 8 of them on Opening Day. Beyond the arm raising and fireworks of today’s HR celebrations, there is the art of hitting the ball with power where it is pitched.  That was so evident in Arlington, Texas, where the Cubs saw two of its right-handed sluggers, Baez and Bryant, launch home runs to right center field. Ask any hitting instructor; hitting the ball with authority to the opposite field power alley is a sign of good things to come.

The series of the Opening Weekend had to be in Milwaukee.   You have probably seen by now Lorenzo Cain’s ninth-inning, leaping catch over the center field wall to close out the Brewers’ 5-4 Opening Day win over St. Louis. On Friday night, Lorenzo Cain could not keep Paul Goldschmidt’s three long blasts in the park as the Cardinals rebounded with a win. Speaking of three’s, how about Josh Hader’s 3-pitch, 3-batters, 3-strikeout save in game 3 of the series! Then yesterday, the reigning NL MVP, Christian Yelich, tied the major league record by hitting a home run in each of the first four games and added a walk-off double in the ninth inning to win the series. It was a wild weekend in Milwaukee, and it promises to be an exciting NL Central race this year.

I have to give the Baseball Bench Coach nod to the most interesting managerial move made this weekend. It comes back to the place where this story began, Opening Day in Cincinnati. It’s not something you would notice unless you saw the game or devour box scores each morning.  In the seventh inning of the Reds 5-3 win over the Pirates, new Reds manager, David Bell, brought in one of his top relief pitchers, Michael Lorenzen, as a pinch runner. (I guess this blog should give credit as well to Freddie Benavides, Bell’s bench coach!)  Lorenzen, who also happens to be a great athlete and good stick, finished the game as the Reds centerfielder. It’s one of those creative ways to make use of today’s pitcher-laden player rosters, a story we are going to follow throughout the season.

I hope you are as excited about this season as I am.  What’s your fondest Opening Day memory?

Until next Monday,
your Baseball Bench Coach.

Opening Pitch

All 30 MLB teams will be in action on Thursday, March 28, with a full slate of games throughout that weekend.  And so on Monday, April 1st, we will be ready with the opening pitch of the Baseball Bench Coach.   I hope you find your baseball home here. Click here to read my welcome message.