Watchful Eye

Everyone loves the Fall – the cool, crisp air; leaves turning; and pumpkin spice lattes.  It’s my favorite time of the year as well, yet my focus remains on baseball and our Fall Classic.  The 2019 World Series opens on Tuesday evening.   I truly can’t wait, but I must say that I hope each evening throughout the Series I can remain alert enough to really enjoy it.  You see, the World Series used to mean afternoon baseball.   One of my fondest memories as a little boy was watching the games with my Dad.  He always would take the week off for vacation.  I would run home from the afternoon bus stop and get my seat next to him.  He would give me his insight on hot batters and pitchers, momentum swings, and managerial decisions.  What are the key things to watch for in this year’s matchup between the Nationals and the Astros?

During a short series often a single hitter can carry his team on his back.  Will Howie Kendrick (Nats) and Jose Altuve (Astros) continue their hot hitting? Or will someone else step up? Past World Series have had many hot stick stories.  One could write a separate article on the great Yankee batters in the Series – Reggie Jackson, Mr. October (his legendary 3 home run game in the ’77 Series); Derek Jeter (32 runs scored); Lou Gehrig (12 multi-hit and 4 multi-steal games); and the greatest ever, Babe Ruth (15 Series home runs).   Of course, there were others, often leading the way in upset wins.  How about Roberto Clemente in the Pirates triumph over heavily favored Baltimore in 1971, a .414 batting average and the decisive home run in Game 7?  Or lesser known Billy Hatcher of the 1990 Reds, who from the leadoff spot had an amazing .750 batting average in the sweep of the powerful Oakland A’s?  My Dad would tell me to look out for a multi-dimensional player who could win games in several ways.  For us in our 1960’s living room that was Lou Brock, who in 3 World Series for the Cardinals had these numbers -- .391 batting average; 16 runs; and 14 steals!

In Brock’s third World Series, 1968 against the Tigers, his base path exploits provided another key to look for, momentum swings.  The Cardinals were up 3 games to 1 and leading Game 5, when Detroit catcher Bill Freehan threw out the Cardinals’ speedster not once, but twice in the middle of the game.  My Dad turned to me and remarked, “it’s the Tigers Series now” (which they went on to win in 7 games).  Momentum can swing a Series at any time, even in Game 1.  In 1988 the Dodgers trailed Oakland 4 to 3 in the ninth inning of Game 1 with two outs and a runner on first, and facing one of the great all-time closers, Dennis Eckersley.  Kirk Gibson, injured at the time with a bad knee, limped to the plate as a pinch hitter and hit one of the most dramatic HRs ever in his only at-bat of the Series.  The Dodgers went on to dominate the A’s 4 games to 1.  Gibson had just 4 years earlier as a Detroit Tiger hit a 1984 Series turning home run in Game 5 against the Padres, a long home run off another HOF reliever, Goose Gossage.

As Yogi Berra might have said, 90% of October baseball is pitching, and the other half is mental.  When it comes to hot pitchers in World Series play, another Gibson comes to mind, Bob Gibson of the St. Louis Cardinals.  In the 1967 Series against the Red Sox, Gibby allowed only 3 earned runs in three complete game wins (Games 1, 4, and 7).  Coming into the Series hot is the story of Orel Hershiser in 1988.  Hershiser finished the regular season with a 59 inning scoreless streak.  In the World Series he threw a Game 2 shutout and allowed only 2 runs in the Game 5 clincher, capturing the World Series MVP.  More recently, we witnessed the dominant pitching performance of Madison Bumgarner in the 2014 Series.  MadBum allowed 1 run in SF’s opening win over the Royals, threw a complete game shutout in Game 5, and came back on just two days rest to throw five scoreless innings in relief as the Giants completed their even-numbered year magic (titles in 2010, 2012, and 2014).  This year we have some aces who could match these efforts in the likes of Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg (Nats) and Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole (Astros). Watch for them!

While one or more of these outstanding starters might throw gems in the upcoming Series, the way the game is played today a successful start means just a seven inning, 100 pitch performance. Managers Dave Martinez and AJ Hinch will most certainly need to turn to their respective relief staffs to close out games. Relievers have played a key role in past World Series play. Who can forget Tug McGraw of the Mets in 1973 with his trademark “Ya Gotta Believe”, appearing in 5 of the 7 games? Rollie Fingers of the A’s won the 1974 Series MVP award with several multi-inning games in relief. And of course there is the ultimate closer, Mariano Rivera, who spun 23 consecutive scoreless appearances in the Yankees’ 5 titles during his era, along with garnering an MVP Series award of his own (1999). Both teams in this Series have designated “closers”, Daniel Hudson (Washington) and Roberto Osuna (Houston). A key though will be the bridge from the starters to the closers, and which team’s overall relief corps has a better Series.

Another factor will be the role of the designated hitter. Although the AL adopted the DH rule in 1973, it was not a part of World Series play until 1976 when it applied to all World Series games but only in even numbered years. Through time we have adopted its current usage, both teams use a DH only in games played in the AL park. We have had only one designated hitter who has won the World Series MVP, Hideki Matsui in 2009 when he contributed to 6 of the 7 runs the Yankees recorded in their Game 6 decider over the Phillies. This week in Games 1 and 2 in Houston we will most probably see Howie Kendrick as the Nationals’ DH. This gives Washington a defensive boost since the Nats can get Kendrick’s errant glove off the field but keep his hot bat in the lineup. When the Series shifts to D.C. next weekend for Games 3, 4, and 5, watch for how AJ Hinch adjusts his lineup without a DH and how the Astros pitchers fare as hitters. Interestingly, two of the Astros top three starters, Gerrit Cole and Zach Greinke, are former National Leaguers who will settle into the batter’s box quite comfortably.

With today’s starting pitcher accustomed to taking the mound every fifth day, the most typical World Series rotation is for your top three pitchers to toe the rubber in Games 1 and 5, 2 and 6, and 3 and 7, respectively.  So what about Game 4; do you have a solid starter for that one as well?  The Nationals starting staff has answered that with a resounding YES during the playoffs.   A huge key to their success from Wild Card entrant to World Series contender is the strength of their top four – Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin, and Sanchez.  Houston does not have the benefit of a solid four.  In the ALDS against Tampa Bay, the Astros danced around it and threw Verlander in Game 4 with just three days rest, resulting in a loss.  Just this past weekend, we saw the Astros go to a “bullpen game” in Game 6 of the ALCS, this time coming away with a pennant win. And somewhat surprisingly, the Astros’ #3 guy Greinke has not been as solid as expected in the playoffs so far.  While the AL pennant winners will attempt to ride the backs of Cole and Verlander during the Series, the Nats may just may have the starting recipe to upset the favorites.

While Houston is coming off a tough 6-game ALCS with the Yankees, the Nationals have long secured their spot in the Series with a sweep of the Cardinals in the NLCS.  As you settle into your comfy chair on Tuesday night for Game 1, one other key to watch for is whether the one-week rest will impact Washington.  Often a long layoff detracts from your playoff-winning momentum.   Nine of the last ten world champions had less rest going into the Series than their opponent, the only exception being last year’s Red Sox.   Sometimes a longer layoff does allow a manager to gain an advantage by setting the pitching rotation the way he wants it.   That’s not a real advantage this year for the Nats since AJ Hinch, despite the 6-game ALCS, will be able to use Cole, Verlander, and Greinke on regular rest in Games 1, 2, and 3 against the more rested Nats starters.  Interestingly for the Washington starters, only Strasburg has seemed to be effected by getting too much rest in the past.   This year, Strasburg’s ERA with six or more days’ rest is 5.09.  The historical numbers suggest no long rest concern for Scherzer, Corbin, and Sanchez.

By next Monday morning, Game 5 of the 2019 World Series will be in the books.  Maybe that will be the deciding game.  The last team who lost Game 5 but won the World Series was the Cardinals in 2011.  So many trends; so much to think about!  Unfortunately, I am not able to discuss it with you anymore, Dad.  I guess that is why I am writing this blog.  Please know that I will be viewing the games this week with a watchful eye, looking for those moments that really matter. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Little Things

During the past two weeks I watched a lot of exciting playoff action.  My golden retriever can attest to that.  I don’t want to bore you with recaps and statistics offered by others reporting on the games.  So what could I add to your enjoyment of October baseball?  Maybe, the little things!  You know the expression, the “little things in life” matter more than anything.  In baseball, that is so true.  It’s those little things done by the players that sometimes go unnoticed but make the difference between winning and losing.

Yadier Molina, the 9-time Gold Glover and All-Star catcher of the St. Louis Cardinals, is all about doing the little things.  When Yadi came into the league in 2004 he had the reputation of being a standout catcher but a weak bat.  Over Molina’s career his batting stroke (and average!) did improve, but more importantly he became a clutch hitter.  In the Cardinals’ pivotal Game 4 come from behind win over Atlanta in the NLDS, Molina’s offensive contributions included hitting a ground ball in the infield to move a runner over to third base with one out, a game-tying fist hit just off the glove of Freddie Freeman, and a game-winning sacrifice fly.  Nothing glamorous, but it worked!  His defensive skills always stand out, much to the displeasure of opposing teams and their fans.  No catcher today is better at centering his body just off the outside corner and framing a pitch for a called strike; just ask any Braves batter walking back to the dugout with a K!

Matching up against the Cardinals in the NLCS is another surprise team, the Nationals, fresh off their NLDS upset of the Dodgers. (Editor’s Note: YAY!!!) Washington’s Mr. Clutch is most definitely MVP candidate, Anthony Rendon, often described as the most underrated player in the game. His offensive numbers were eye-popping this year, but leading the NL in RBIs with 126 is the most critical one. Rendon means run production! In the Game 4 win over LA, Rendon added two sacrifice flies for the Nats. Indeed, he led all NL batters in 2019 by making contact with the highest percentage of pitches he swung at, 88.3%! Game 5 was his coup de gras. With his team down 3-0 in the sixth inning, in his next three at-bats with the season on the line, he had three hits (double, home run, and single), scoring all three times. Also known for his steady defensive play at third base, he has to be on top of the free agent wish list for many teams this off-season.

On the AL side, the Yankees swept the Twins in the ALDS. New York has a roster full of big-name players, but the one who truly shines is DJ LeMahieu. DJ has one of the great nicknames in baseball, “Big Fundy”, because of his dedication to fundamentals in hitting and defense. He certainly bats for average (2016 NL batting championship and second in the AL this year), perhaps due to his having the lowest pull percentage of any batter in baseball (in other words, he hits the ball where it’s pitched!). Also, LeMahieu sees the highest percentage of fastballs than any batter in the MLB; pitchers know that it is difficult to get him off-stride at the plate. Defensively, DJ is a tremendous infielder, 3-time Gold-Glover as a second baseman, and now he excels at first base for the Yanks. LeMahieu is as solid as it gets, the best of the bunch in the Big Apple.

All year baseball fans have anticipated the Yankees matching up with the Astros in the ALCS; their wish has been granted. Houston too has a bevy of talent, but it all begins with Jose Altuve, easily my favorite player in the AL. Yes, Altuve has the stats and the accolades. Not only was he the 2017 AL MVP, but he won the Associated Press Athlete of the Year as well. Altuve is a 3-time AL batting champion; 2-time AL stolen base leader; and 6-time All-Star. But that does not tell the whole story. Watch him in the ALCS and see how hard he plays the game! There is no player in the AL who goes from first to third on an outfield base hit with more determination than Altuve. For me it’s reminiscent of Pete Rose, someone who may not have the athleticism of other star players but leads his team by hustle and a will to win. Altuve does the little things.

While the Astros best record in the AL and home field advantage helped them survive a 5-game series with Tampa Bay, the Dodgers in the very same circumstance in the NLDS were not as fortunate. The Dodgers all season seemed to be on a World Series return trip by posting the only 100 + win season in the NL. One of their less acclaimed players, Enrique Hernandez, was the catalyst early in Game 5 against the Nats with a second inning HR and leaping outfield grab. Hernandez is one of those players every roster needs, a no frills guy who has played every position but catcher. But manager Dave Roberts’ lack of trust in his bullpen led to his team’s downfall in the late innings of Game 5. By staying with Clayton Kershaw in the 8th inning and not summoning Kenley Jansen until after the game was decided in the 10th, Roberts saw that elusive Series title sneak away. He will be at home this week, left to ponder the little things that might have won Game 5.

The other NLDS team eliminated, Atlanta, has a player who does the little things now but perhaps some big things in years to come, shortstop Dansby Swanson. I saw Swanson play this year at Wrigley Field and marveled at his pre-game work ethic. Batting eighth in the Braves lineup, he was a big contributor to Atlanta’s Game 3 win over St. Louis with a game-tying RBI double late in the game. What stands out is Swanson’s steady play, dedication to mechanics, and hustle on the base paths. You didn’t see Swanson gazing at his hit caroming off the wall (sorry, Acuna, that just can’t happen in the playoffs!), but rather he is the one looking for an outfielder possibly bobbling the ball so that he might turn a double into three bases. Swanson plays the game the way it should be played, tough and hard-nosed.

Two lesser known AL players also caught my attention last week, even though their teams were eliminated.  If you are someone like me who tires of pitchers and hitters who go deep into counts in today’s era of strikeouts, walks and home runs, consider following outfielder Max Kepler of the Twins.  Kepler is old school; he puts the ball in play by swinging at an amazing 50% of the pitches he sees.  Another outfielder, the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier, mans the 8th slot in Tampa Bay’s order, not often the centerfielder’s spot in a batting lineup.   While Kiermaier did hit an HR in the Rays’ Game 3 win, his much larger contribution is his glove.  He made catch after catch in the outfield alleys so easily that it probably went unnoticed by most. Kiermaier though was as big a reason as any the Rays made such a strong showing in the AL playoffs.

One of the great lines in the classic baseball movie, “A League of Their Own”, is when manager Jimmy Dugan, played by Tom Hanks, implores his team about the game:  “It’s supposed to be hard.  If it wasn’t hard, everyone would do it.  The hard . . . is what makes it great.”   Yes, I agree, there is probably no more difficult athletic feat than to hit a baseball going 95 + mph with movement.  The game is indeed very difficult to play.  My Knothole (little league) baseball manager loved to tell my team when we were playing a tough opponent, “Hey guys, they put their pants on just like us, one leg at a time.  And we play smarter.”   At any level, winning baseball is all about hitting to the opposite field, running the bases with desire, moving a runner with sacrifice flies and bunts, framing the pitch, and oh yes, playing this hard game the right way by doing the little things.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Bench Coaches

MLB has given us an exciting first week of playoff baseball.   The ALCS and NLCS matchups will be decided early this week.  There are though 20 teams that missed the playoffs, and seven of those have announced managerial openings (Cubs, Giants, Mets, Padres, and Pirates in the NL; Angels and Royals in the AL), the most recent one created this past Thursday with the dismissal of the Mets’ second-year manager, Mickey Calloway.  The status of the Phillies’ manager, Gabe Kapler, another 2018 hire, remains unclear.  The quick changeovers in command are an alarming trend.  On opening day 2020, Craig Counsell of the Brewers will be the longest tenured NL manager, 5 years on the job!

Who is best qualified to fill a manager position?  Many baseball executives point to “experience” as a significant factor.  And how do you get that experience?  It’s not always being a former manager, but often bench coaches are on top of the interview list.  You know the ones; experienced baseball guys who have been the right hand and sounding board to successful managers on defensive alignments, lineup changes, and pitcher vs. batter matchups.  They are being groomed to be the next one up, but often that next open slot is not with their current team.  Some of baseball’s great managers today started as a bench coach.   Indeed, 2 of the last 3 World Series Champions were managed by former bench coaches.

In 2018 the Red Sox captured the World Series trophy behind their manager, Alex Cora. When Boston was looking to replace John Farrell at the end of the 2017 season, they turned to the 2017 champions, the Houston Astros, and their bench coach, Cora, who was under the tutelage of manager A.J. Hinch. Cora’s story is not a unique one for a bench coach. His 11-year playing career was solid but not spectacular, an infielder with six MLB teams. Cora’s study of the game and spirited personality landed him a post-playing gig as an ESPN analyst before his coaching career was launched under Hinch. In Boston Cora became the fifth manager in baseball history to win the World Series in his first year.

The Cubs ended their 108-year drought in 2016 behind the mastery of another former bench coach, Joe Maddon. In Maddon’s playing days he was a minor league catcher in the Angels organization, never advancing higher than Class A ball. He worked his way up the Angels chain for 31 years, serving as a scout, roving minor league hitting instructor, minor league manager, and bench coach for managers John McNamara, Terry Collins, and the talented skipper, Mike Scioscia. As bench coach for Scioscia (2000-2005), the duo led the Angels to the World Championship in 2002. Maddon soon became the main man in Tampa (2006-2014), leading the Rays in 2008 to their only AL pennant. In announcing Maddon’s recent departure from the Cubs after their best 5 years in franchise history, President Theo Epstein mused that there will be a “bidding war” for Maddon’s services. It would be fitting to see Joe Maddon land in the Angels dugout, this time #1 in command.

Terry Francona is another former bench coach with big-time accomplishments.  While his Indians fell short in the ’16 Series, Francona of course ended the Red Sox franchise misery in 2004 when he guided Boston to the World Championship.  He followed that with another Series win for the Red Sox in 2007.   Francona was a journeyman player, a 10-year career with 5 MLB teams (1981-1990), highlighted by his early playing days with the Expos. He quickly went into coaching, serving in the White Sox organization for five years before getting his big league shot as the third base coach for the Tigers in 1996.  Francona immediately jumped into the manager hot seat as he helmed the Phillies over the next four years, albeit unsuccessfully.   In 2002 and 2003, Francona served as the bench coach for the Rangers and A’s.  Since his return to the top of the dugout steps in 2004, he has been recognized as one of the best strategists in the game.

When Francona was matching wits with Maddon in the 2016 World Series, Maddon had a little help, his bench coach, Dave Martinez. Martinez was more than capable as an MLB outfielder and platoon player, a .276 lifetime batting average with 9 teams (Cubs twice) over 16 seasons. When his playing days were over, he nestled into the coaching arena and soon became one of baseball’s most trusted bench coaches. Martinez served Maddon in that capacity for ten seasons (2008-2014, Tampa; and 2015-2017, Chicago). Martinez got his break in 2018 when he was named the manager of the Nationals. His Washington team recovered from some first half duldrums this season to land the first NL Wild Card slot. In the Wild Card matchup with the Brewers, Martinez called on Stephen Strasburg in a game-changing relief role as the Nationals came back and won a thriller.

An AL pennant contender has a top managerial candidate as its current bench coach, Joe Espada of the Houston Astros.  Much like Maddon, Espada never made an MLB major league roster, struggling as a player in the minor leagues for ten seasons.  His entry to the majors was as a third base coach, first with the Marlins and most recently for the Yankees (2015-2017) under Joe Girardi.  After Cora left for Boston, A.J. Hinch pried Espada away from the Yanks.  Espada has been the Houston bench coach for the past two seasons.  As the playoffs continue through October, we might find some teams wishing for an early Astros exit so that they might chat with Espada about a managerial opening.  Rumors have been swirling in Chicago and New York that Espada might be high on the list for the Cubs and Mets jobs.

The Cubs have indicated that Mark Loretta, the Chicago bench coach this past season, interviewed for their top spot this past week. Loretta began his 16-year MLB playing career with the Brewers in 1995, and played on four other teams (Astros, Padres, Red Sox and Dodgers). He had his career best year in 2004 with the Padres -- .335 batting average, 16 HRs, 76 RBIs and 208 hits, along with a place on the NL All-Star team. Loretta returned to the All-Star Game in 2006, this time representing the Red Sox as the starting AL second baseman. Loretta’s post-playing days have taken a different twist than most. He served as a special assistant in the Padres organization from 2010 to 2018 before landing the Cubs bench coach job in 2019. Watch for Loretta’s name to also come up in the Padres’ managerial search in the next few weeks.

Interviews for the 2020 open manager slots will heat up this week.   The teams have a talented pool of interested candidates, including a couple not so ordinary Joe’s who have already reached the pinnacle of baseball success, Girardi and Maddon.  Watch for those unique ties to an organization or a city to play a part in the searches.  And maybe, just maybe, one or more of the 2020 managerial openings will go to a first-time manager, an experienced bench coach. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Playoff Rankings

Did somebody say Playoffs?  Yes, they are finally upon us.  With ten teams heading into the 2019 October scramble, many have described the upcoming playoffs as having a clear Final Four, the AL’s Astros and Yankees, and the NL’s Dodgers and Braves. Yet, in baseball, there are often big surprises in the post-season. Sometimes a team catches fire late in the season and takes that momentum all the way to the World Series.  Also, in contrast to the NFL and NBA playoffs, having “home field” advantage is not always a huge factor.  Will the best team in baseball’s regular season win it all this year? My hunch is yes, but let’s rank everyone’s chances to bring home the 2019 World Championship. It promises to be an exciting October.

Houston Astros. The Astros have won more games (107) than any team in baseball this year. There’s a reason for it; they are strong in every aspect of the game. The lineup is the headliner with veterans such as Carlos Correa (SS), Alex Bregman (112 RBIs), Michael Brantley (.311 batting average), George Springer (38 HRs), and my favorite, second baseman Jose Altuve. Mid-year saw the arrival of Jordan Alvarez, who was the AL Rookie of the month in June, July, and August. Their abundance of riches continues on the mound with starters Justin Verlander (21-6, 2.58 ERA and 300 Ks) and Gerrit Cole (20-5, 2.50 ERA and 324 Ks) competing for the AL Cy Young, bolstered by a mid-year acquisition of another ace, Zach Greinke (18-5 record). Roberto Osuna, second in the AL with 38 saves, is a top closer. Manager A.J. Hinch has the playoff experience to push the right buttons in what promises to be an Orange October. The Astros are my prohibitive favorites.

Atlanta Braves.  The Braves are primed for a World Series appearance.  They are led by first baseman Freddie Freeman, who has had a season worthy of MVP chatter (38 HRs, won the NL RBI crown with 121, and a .295 batting average).   The team overall is youthful and fast, evidenced by rising superstar Ronald Acuna, Jr., who led the NL with 127 runs scored and 37 stolen bases, and standout second baseman, Ozzie Albies.  The Braves too have a solid trio of starters, Max Fried (17-6), Mike Soroka (2.60 ERA) and newcomer to the team, veteran lefthander Dallas Keuchel, who will match up well with the Dodgers’ left-handed lineup in a likely NLCS matchup.  The Braves’ Brian Snitker is one of my favorite managers in the game, an old schooler who knows how to get the most out of his team. The 2019 NL pennant awaits the Braves.

Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers have lost in the World Series the last two seasons. Is this their redemption year? In 2019 LA has excelled, the second most wins in baseball (106). From day one the Dodgers have been setting all sorts of hitting records. Cody Bellinger’s 2019 statistics are amazing (47 HRs, 115 RBIs, and .305 BA), certainly the kind of year that will make him the favorite in the NL MVP race. Typical of Dodgers teams from the past they have excellent starting pitching with the likes of Clayton Kershaw (15-5 and a 3.15 ERA), Hyun-jin Ryu (led NL with 2.41 ERA), and Walker Buehler (14-4 and 3.15 ERA). The Dodgers also tout one of baseball’s top names as a closer, Kenley Jansen. Jansen though has had his troubles closing out games in 2019, and I see it as a possible achilles heel for LA. It’s a great team, hoping for their first world championship since 1988, but again they will fall just short this October.

New York Yankees. I’m sure that the television networks would love to see the Yanks return to the World Series. Unfortunately this NY team is not built for the playoffs. Yes, baseball today is all about the home run ball, a great Yankee strength (Aaron Judge, Giancolo Stanton, Clint Frazier, etc.). And yes, the Yankees have been a wonderful story this year, facing all sorts of injuries to these key players and many others. The team, led by second year manager Aaron Boone, has been incredibly resilient, and has actually been led by some lesser known stars, Glaybar Torres (38 HRs) and second baseman DJ LeMahieu (second in the AL with a .327 batting average). BUT there is a glaring weakness in starting pitching with the loss of top performer Domingo German (18-6 record). With Severino just back, Happ and Tanaka having solid seasons, and Chapman ready to close out games, there is hope enough to get them into the ALCS. The train stops there though.

Minnesota Twins.   The Yankees’ 2019 home run barrage (306) is actually matched by their ALDS opponents, the Twins (307), the only two teams in baseball history who have hit over 300 home runs in a season.  The Twins are led by Nelson Cruz (.311 BA, 45 HRs and 108 RBIs), an MVP candidate.  Amazingly, Minnesota has 4 other players with 30+ home runs, Max Kepler, Eddie Rosario, Mitch Garver, and Miguel Sano.  Jorge Polanco leads the team defensively with his flashy shortstop play.  The Twins’ starting pitching (headed by Jose Berrios) has been steady much of the season, allowing the team to be one of four major league teams with 100 wins this season.  Taylor Rogers (30 saves) is the closer for the relief core.   The ALDS matchup with the Yankees promises to be a dream come true for those who love offense.

St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards won the NL Central fittingly on the last day of the regular season. The entire season has been an uphill battle for St. Louis, spending much of April-July mired in third place. The Cardinals even survived the absence mid-season of their Gold Glove catcher and team leader, Yadier Molina. When you review MLB 2019 individual statistics leaders, not many Cardinal names are on the lists. Paul Kleinschmidt, their off-season All-Star acquisition from Arizona, had just a so-so year for him. What stands out is team play and speed, best in the NL in fielding and stolen bases. The Cardinal also received steady play and a dose of youth in the infield from Paul DeJong and Tommy Edman. Starting pitching was a real key, being able to rely on quality starts from Jack Flaherty, Dakota Hudson, Miles Mikolas, and Adam Wainwright. Will they have enough to get by Atlanta? The Cards can only hope a little 2011 magic comes their way.

Washington Nationals.  Washington is the top Wild Card team heading into the games this week.  Indeed, were it not for the one and done nature of the Wild Card slots, I would rank the Nats a lot higher than #7.  Life without Bryce Harper has been quite nice, thank you, especially in the second half of the season.  The Nationals have an MVP candidate of their own, Anthony Rendon (.319 BA, 34 HRs and 126 RBIs), together with some great young talent – Juan Soto; Trea Turner; and Victor Robles.  The main recipe for success comes from the formidable starting rotation, 3-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer (243 Ks and 2.92 ERA), Stephen Strasburg (18-6 record) and lefty Patrick Corbin (14-7).   No one in the NL wants a series matchup against this trio, including the Dodgers if the Nats get by round one.

Oakland Athletics.  This is not your A’s teams of the early 1970s or 1989- 1991 with big name stars in the field and on the starting staff.  So how does this A’s team match some of those great teams in the win column (the 2019 A’s have won 97 games!)?  They do have some offensive clout, Matt Olson, Matt Chapman, Khris Davis, and Marcus Semien, and a top starter, Mike Fiers (15-4 record).  The strength of the ballclub though is clearly in the bullpen, which ranks by far tops in the MLB in games pitched, Petit (79), Hendriks (75), and Soria (71).  That stat alone is the storyline of today’s baseball, and promises to be a key factor in the Wild Card game vs. Tampa Bay.  If Oakland wins this Wednesday, they start the ALDS against another team with colorful jerseys next weekend, the Astros.

Milwaukee Brewers. If managerial success is measured in your team’s September win-loss record, Craig Counsell heads the list the last two years. After their surprise first-place run to the finish last year, the Brewers again came roaring back in September in 2019 to nab a Wild Card slot. Incredibly, their September dominance came without the reigning NL MVP, Christian Yelich in the lineup, who put up MVP-type numbers (.329 BA, 44 HRs and 97 RBIs) prior to his season-ending knee injury three weeks ago. Everyone stepped up as the Brew Crew went on a 16-2 run! This past weekend Milwaukee had an opening to win the NL Central but was swept in the season-ending series in Colorado. With Josh Hader ready to close out the game against the Nats on Tuesday, anything can indeed happen. It’s difficult to see how Milwaukee might advance deep in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Rays. Raise your hand if you have seen Tampa Bay play more than a handful of times this year. Indeed, despite the Rays 96-win season, their own fans can’t seem to find their way to Tropicana Field. But they can indeed play, and in certainly a unique way masterminded by manager Kevin Cash. The Rays went with a six-man starting rotation some of the year, and much like the A’s, relied on their bullpen strength. Last year’s Cy Young winner Blake Snell actually had an off year (just 6 wins), but others stepped up, including Tyler Glasnow and veteran Charlie Morton who will get the Wild Card start on Wednesday in Oakland.

Which two teams do you predict will be in the World Series?  Enjoy the games!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Finish Line

The 162-game baseball season is often described as a marathon, not a sprint. In horse racing terms, MLB 2019 is the Belmont, not the Preakness. The Seattle Mariners came running out of the gate in April, but soon stumbled into last place in the AL West for much of the season. The Washington Nationals, seen as a favorite by many pre-season analysts, had a disastrous first half but has played some of the best baseball in the National League down the stretch. The Yankees, Astros, Dodgers, and Braves have maintained their dominant run for the entire season and have already been crowned division champions. While those four thoroughbreds get ready for the playoffs, what about the other six playoff spots? Before I predict this year’s possible “wild” run to the finish line, let’s take a look back at some of the best ones in baseball history:

Phold of ’64. I was too little to closely follow the 1964 NL race but have a clear recollection of the final day of the season. My family and I were watching with friends as the Reds lost in their bid to win the 10-team NL race. The Phillies though were the big losers of the season, having led the league since opening day only to “phold” in September. Philadelphia maintained a comfortable 6 ½ game lead with 12 games to play, but lost its next ten games. The losing streak was triggered by a steal of home by a Reds utility infielder, often called the “Curse of Chico Ruiz”. The Cardinals took the NL pennant, the Reds and Phillies tied for second place one game out, and the Giants came in fourth just three games from the lead. It was a good pennant to capture as the Cardinals went on to win the ’64 Series over the Yankees 4 games to 3.

’69 Swoon.  The Cubs were the kings of the NL East for the first three-quarters of the season.  Ernie Banks, Ron Santo, and Billy Williams provided the offensive firepower, while Ferguson Jenkins and Ken Holtzman dominated from the mound.  The Cubs led the division by 9 games over the Mets on August 15.  The Cubs then went into a terrible swoon, most of it attributed to manager Leo Durocher’s using the same regular players without rest in those endless day games at Wrigley Field.  The Amazin’ Mets and its outstanding pitching staff led by Tom Seaver came roaring from behind and posted a 38-11 record down the stretch, winning the division by 8 games. It was a 17 game turnaround! Those Mets would soon be America’s darlings, taking the ’69 Series 4 games to 1 over the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles.

Dent’s Homer. As we so painfully experience each year on national telecasts, MLB loves the Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry. A 1978 AL East tie-breaker game might just be the pinnacle of the matchup. The teams had combined to win the last three AL pennants (Red Sox in ’75; Yankees in “76 and ’77). The Red Sox, looking to break its World Series win drought of 60 years, had a 14-game lead in mid-July. The Yanks came storming back and the teams ended in a tie in the regular season with identical 99-63 records. It came down to one October afternoon at Fenway Park, the first tiebreaker game in the AL since 1948. The Red Sox led throughout the game, but we all know the ending. Yankees’ shortstop Bucky Dent hit a three-run homer, only his 5th of the season, to lead NY to a 5-4 win. And yes, those damn Yankees would soon capture another world title, winning the ’78 Series against their other rival, the Dodgers, in six games.

Wild Cards. On August 24 of the 2011 National League season, St. Louis was down 10 games in the NL Central standings to Milwaukee and 10 ½ games in the NL Wild Card race to Atlanta. The Cardinals’ chances of making the NL playoffs was 1.3%. While the Brewers would hang on to win the division in September, the Braves couldn’t withstand the Cardinals’ charge, losing the wild card bid on the final day of the regular season. The Cardinals had completed the largest comeback in baseball history after 130 games played. The Cardinals’ magic turned into a Red October as St. Louis downed Philadelphia (NLDS), Milwaukee (NLCS), and Texas (World Series) to win the world championship.

NL Scramble. The 162-game 2018 regular season did nothing to decide the NL pennant race. On the final day of the season, only the Atlanta Braves, winners of the NL East, had secured their seed in the playoffs. Tiebreaker games were played for the top spot in the NL Central and West with the Brewers and Dodgers coming out on top. The losers of the tiebreaker games, Chicago and Colorado, met at Wrigley Field in the wild card play-in game. And even then, nine innings couldn’t decide the wild card entrant into the NLDS as the teams went into extras tied 1-1. It took an RBI single by Rockies catcher Tony Wolters to decide the game in the 13th inning. It was indeed a “wild” way to begin the 2018 NL playoffs.

Are we ready for another wild ending to this regular season? With two weeks left in the season, that looked to be a strong possibility with four teams bunched up in both leagues vying for three playoff spots (Twins, Indians, Rays and A’s in the AL; Cards, Brewers, Nationals and Cubs in the NL). While the possibility remains, things have become a little more settled over the past week. The AL Central indeed appears to be over. Going into the final six games of the season, the Twins hold a 4-game lead over the Indians. It’s been an amazing year for Minnesota, setting all sorts of team offensive records, including breaking the MLB single-season record for team home runs set last year by the Yankees. The Twins will be popping some corks during the week in either Detroit or Kansas City.

The NL Central has come down to two clubs, St. Louis and Milwaukee.  The Cardinals are in command with a 3-game lead and six games left.  The Cardinals are coming off a huge weekend sweep over the Cubs in Chicago, featuring four consecutive one-run wins, the last two in ninth inning come from behind fashion.  The Cardinals head to Arizona for three games, hoping that they can clinch the division before coming back to Busch Stadium for a rematch next weekend with the Cubs.  The Brewers have had a big September again this year, climbing all the way back from being five games behind in the wild card race just two weeks ago.  When Christian Yelich was ruled out for the year with a broken knee cap, it was difficult to imagine the Brew Crew’s end of the season run to the finish line. Look though for the Cards to win the NL Central sometime this week.

Although the Brewers look to finish second in the division race, they appear headed to an NL wild card showdown with the Nationals early next week.  The teams go into the final week tied for the wild card lead and a four + game advantage over the rest of the remaining teams still alive (Cubs, Mets, Phillies, and Diamondbacks).  The battle this week will be whether Milwaukee or Washington obtains home field advantage in the one-game showdown.  The Brewers are on the road in Cincinnati and Colorado, while the Nationals are back in D.C. for a final homestand with the Phillies and the Indians. While both the Brewers and Nationals hope to play the wild card game at home, maybe the more important task is to line up their pitching staffs for the winner take all game.

The AL Wild Card race has three teams, the A’s, Rays, and Indians, fighting to win and place; show (3rd) won’t cut it.  Oakland has a 2-game lead over Tampa and Cleveland.  While Oakland finishes on the road, their opponents are struggling AL West foes Angels and Mariners.  Oakland should snag one of the two AL Wild Card slots.  The Rays are at home with the Yankees, who will be battling hard for the best overall record, and then close on the road in Toronto.  Cleveland takes to the road against the White Sox and Nationals, a tough finishing slate.  I like the hot Indians to get the second AL Wild Card post. 

Enjoy the race to the finish line this week!  Next week I’ll be reviewing the chances of all ten playoff teams.  Who knows, we may have a Secretariat among them!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

150 Years

Every baseball fan has that moment when the love of the game enters your life.  Sometimes it is seeing a game at the ballpark for the first time, maybe your first game you view on television, or for me as a little boy listening to a game late at night on the radio.  You soon become a passionate fan of your favorite team.  As we enter the final two weeks of the 2019 regular season, I thought it would be fun to look back not on the year just yet but rather to when this great game began and how it has touched us.

I met someone a few weeks ago who is British and the discussion quickly turned to baseball. He remarked in his first year in Chicago he kept hearing the question, are you a Cubs fan or a White Sox fan? Feeling forced to choose a team, he opted for the National League Cubs because in cricket, a player needs to play all the positions. You can’t be just a designated hitter like in the American League! While cricket certainly has some similar equipment, such as a bat, ball, batting gloves and even a cap, it’s difficult to tie baseball to this English sport that dates back to the 13th century.

Where did American baseball find its beginnings? In 1905 the president of the National League, Abraham Mills, chaired a group to answer the question. The Mills Commission Report, issued in late 1907, concluded that baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday at Cooperstown, New York, in 1839. Most baseball historians have depicted the Report’s conclusion as a myth. Indeed, Doubleday, a Union general in the Civil War, never made the claim in his lifetime nor do his memoirs even mention baseball. While baseball’s origins can indeed be traced to New York state in the 1800s, the better conclusion is that it is based on a game British children played called “rounders”, involving a pitcher, batter, and four bases. By the time of the Civil War, there were about 50 baseball clubs in the National Association of Base Ball Players, an amateur league that specifically prohibited paying the players.

For me baseball began 150 years ago in my hometown, Cincinnati, with the Red Stockings, the first professional baseball team. The best player around at that time, Harry Wright, was asked by a group of civic leaders to put together a team and was given a bankroll to do so. The team traveled around the country and won 60 games without a loss. In 1871, the first professional baseball organization, the National Association of Professional Base Players, became the governing body of baseball. Then, in 1876, a Chicago businessman, William Hulbert, took his team, the White Stockings, and three other teams, out of the Association, and formed the National League.

There were many renegade leagues, including the Eastern, Pacific Coast, and International leagues in the late 1800s, challenging the National League. Indeed, another challenge to the NL’s existence was the play on the field, where players often engaged in fights. The Baltimore Orioles were the leaders of what writers described as “rowdyism”. Another threat to the NL was that several teams were owned in syndicates, more than one team was owned by the same owner. This allowed the owners to move talent among their teams, creating an imbalance in play. For example, the 1899 Cleveland Spiders finished 20-134! In 1901 a group of NL players, including Cy Young, was enticed to jump leagues, and the American League was founded. The NL welcomed the American League as an equal partner in 1903, and the first World Series was played in 1905. There were outlier leagues after that (Federal League in mid-1910s), but the NL and AL teams were the ones that thrived.

The Cincinnati Reds this season have celebrated their 150 years of existence in style. Throughout the year today’s 2019 Reds have worn the many uniforms of their past Red Stockings, Redlegs, and Reds teams, including the numerous baseball caps of those times. Baseball caps actually go as far back as 1860 when the Brooklyn Excelsiors wore what was the ancestor of the modern day cap. I, for one, love to collect caps and enjoy sporting a baseball cap of the home town team in MLB parks that I visit. While I must admit owning 4 or 5 caps of both the Cubs and the Reds, my baseball wardrobe also includes caps of the Royals, Cardinals, Rockies, Indians, and my most recent purchase, a White Sox cap.

One’s love of baseball and the hometown team is bolstered by the colorful play by play description of the local broadcast team.   The Reds are celebrating another special moment in their history this season, the retirement of Marty Brennaman, their radio voice for the last 46 years.  I grew up listening to “Marty and Joe” on the radio on WLW in Cincinnati.  Marty’s broadcast partner for much of his career was Joe Nuxhall, a former Reds pitcher.   Through their broadcasts I learned how the game was supposed to be played, reveled in the stories of baseball’s past, and experienced an easy enjoyment to life.  Marty’s trademark call “And this one belongs to the Reds!” immediately after a Reds victory was the perfect ending to my day.

Brennaman’s career also had some controversies worth noting. During the height of the inquiry into Pete Rose’s betting allegations, Brennaman steadfastly supported then player-manager Rose, in the face of growing evidence against him. If I could change one piece of baseball history, it would be an early admission by Rose of his misconduct, perhaps paving his path to the Hall of Fame. Brennaman’s adamant support of his Reds also led to a conflict with fans of the Chicago Cubs. When Adam Dunn of the Reds hit a home run into the right field bleachers at Wrigley in 2008, the bleacher bums threw multiple balls back onto the field, upping their tradition of throwing an opponent’s home run ball back onto the playing field. Brennaman responded angrily on the air, stating that it displayed another example of why it is “tough to root for the Cubs”, perhaps a little overstated for what was just a little fun.

The Cubs are in the final days of why it has been actually easy to root for the Cubs, as the 72 year television broadcasting of Cubs games on WGN-TV will soon come to an end.  WGN in Chicago and WTBS in Atlanta were the first cable television stations to broadcast baseball, and the nation responded by adopting the Cubs and Braves as “America’s Teams”.   WGN-TV has had some great broadcasters in its time, most notably Jack Brickhouse and his home run call “Hey Hey”, and of course the legendary Harry Caray.  The singing of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” by Caray (and now guest singers) during the seventh inning stretch at Wrigley Field is a great tradition in the game.  WGN broadcasts of the Cubs will be replaced next year by the Marquee Sports Network, which will include 24/7 coverage of the Cubs.

150 years, wow!  There’s a lot to look back on, so much to see in the next two weeks and in the playoffs, and so much more to experience in coming years.  Whether it’s at the park, on television, via radio, or streaming on my phone, you can take me out to the ballgame any day of the week!

Until next Monday, 

your Baseball Bench Coach

Record Books

Houston Astros ace Justin Verlander has had quite the 2019 season.  A week ago in Toronto he became just the fifth pitcher since 1900 to throw at least three no-hitters, placing him in the record books among the all-time greats.  The feat came with the help of a rookie teammate hailing from Canada, Abraham Toro, who slugged a 2-run home run in the top of the ninth inning to break a scoreless tie.  Verlander’s performance also came during a controversial season in which he has been in the news for his off the field comments and conduct.

Whenever your name is placed alongside HOF pitchers Nolan Ryan, Sandy Koufax, Bob Feller, and Cy Young, you have found a comfortable spot in the record books.  Verlander’s no-hitter was his first since the 2011 season when he was the AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner as a Tiger.  His first no-hitter was in 2007 early in his career.  At age 36, Verlander still commands the mound with overpowering stuff.  With his major league leading 18 wins (18-5 record), AL leading ERA of 2.52 and MLB second best 264 strikeouts (just behind teammate Gerrit Cole), Verlander remains at the top of his game. 

Having overpowering stuff late in his career was certainly the trademark of Nolan Ryan, the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven. Ryan pitched over four decades for the Mets, Angels, Astros, and Rangers. In addition to the no-hitter mark, Ryan’s career highlights include being the MLB recordholder of 5,714 strikeouts and one of only five pitchers who had more Ks than innings pitched during his career. Yet, his lifetime win-loss record was only 324-292. Jacob deGrom’s 10-9 record last season (but yet a 1.70 ERA winning him the Cy Young) and Don Drysdale’s 14-12 record during the 1968 season, in which he dealt 58 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings, are other examples of pitching dominance not always translating easily into wins.

Drysdale’s Dodger teammate, Sandy Koufax, is second on the no-hit list with four.  Koufax won the Cy Young three times, all by unanimous vote (’63, ’65, and ’66), in a much too short career.  Koufax was known for his knee-bending curveball and, like Verlander, also captured a league MVP award (1963 NL MVP).  Standing alongside with Verlander at three no-no’s are Bob Feller and Cy Young.  Amazingly, Feller also pitched 12 one-hitters with his lightening fastball, giving him the nickname “Bullet Bob”.   Cy Young holds most of the MLB pitching records, including most career innings pitched, games started, and complete games.  His 511 career wins will never be reached by another pitcher.

To date there have been 303 recorded no-hitters in MLB history.  That seems like a great number, but keep in mind the game has been played for 150 years.  In 2019 we have seen four of them, yet two of those were combined no-hitters (more than one pitcher), a sign of today’s game with deep bullpens and short pitch counts.  The Dodgers lead all MLB teams with 26 no-hitters.  Johnny Vander Meer of the Reds is the only one to pitch no-hitters in consecutive starts (1938 season).   

Max Scherzer in 2015 joined an exclusive group of four who have thrown no-hitters during the same season. Nolan Ryan of course did that himself in 1973. Jim Maloney of the Reds almost accomplished the feat in 1965 but lost a no-hit bid by giving up a home run in the 11th inning. Later that season he threw a 10-inning no-hitter, this time on the winning side. In both games Maloney would have loved to have been supported by 9th inning home run heroics from a teammate, much like Verlander received last week. When I met Maloney at a Reds camp in 1999, I asked him about his 1965 “no-hit” 9-inning games and joked that it was too bad he pitched before the Big Red Machine years.

One pitching record that won’t be achieved again is held by the 1971 Baltimore Orioles, the first team since the White Sox in 1920 to have four pitchers with 20-win seasons (Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson).  The role of a starting pitcher has indeed changed over the past 50 years from a managerial (or Bench Coach) standpoint.  What is alarming though is MLB’s own role in wanting more offense.  Justin Verlander was correct at the All-Star Break in pointing out the home run surge in 2019 and blaming MLB for juicing the baseballs.  It is time for Commissioner Manfred to address the topic head on.

Even with the juiced ball in play, there are some baseball records from the offensive side that will most certainly survive the test of time. How about Hack Wilson of the Cubs and his 191 runs batted in during the 1930 season? Wilson’s place in the record books was established in just a 154-game season, while last year, another Cub, Javier Baez, led the NL with 111 RBIs in a 162-game season. One fascinating note though from Wilson’s 1930 season is that there was a controversy even then about the baseball. MLB was apparently using a baseball that was wound tightly with Australian wool to increase power productivity!

When it comes to hitting, many baseball experts point to Ted Williams of the Red Sox as being the best pure hitter ever.  There are certainly statistics to support the claim.  Williams’ lifetime batting average was .344, and he had an incredible .482 on-base percentage, the highest OBP ever.  In 1941 Williams posted a .406 batting average, the last time any MLB player has batted over .400 for the season.  Interestingly, Williams came in second for the 1941 AL MVP award behind his Yankee nemesis, Joe DiMaggio.  Williams’ post-season award failure might have been due to his long-time feud with the media.

The media-unfriendly side of Verlander also came out recently.  After a 2-1 Astros loss to the Tigers in August, Detroit Free Press reporter Anthony Fenech was blocked from attending the Houston post-game press conference.  Apparently Verlander was upset with the reporter concerning a couple incidents from their past relationship.  The Detroit Free Press charged that this was a violation of the baseball collective bargaining agreement.

I had my brush with baseball history on July 27, 1978, while umpiring a baseball game in Cincinnati in which Pete Rose, Jr. played.   His Dad showed up that night for the game on an off day for the Reds and a 39-game hitting streak in hand.  Hundreds of fans heard the news that Pete Rose was in the ballpark and arrived shortly thereafter. It reminded me of the scene from “Rocky” when he ran through the streets of Philadelphia. That next week Rose’s streak would end at 44 games, falling short of DiMaggio’s MLB mark of 56, but setting a new NL standard to this day. You can find that in the record books.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

27 Outs

This past Friday afternoon I attended the Cubs game at Wrigley Field with my daughter.  We watched the fans pour into the gates two hours before game time.  Their goal was to snag a three-quarters length shirt, one of the many promotional items of 2019.  You gotta have all the new stuff, right?  Cubs hats, lunch bags, blankets, and oh those bobbleheads!  Last year, there was one promotional item at Wrigley I found to be curious, a replica of the clock atop the manual scoreboard.

What’s my problem with the promotional replica clock?  It was nice enough, even had the trademark dots instead of numerals on its face.  But clocks don’t belong in a baseball park!  Never!!  Indeed, the actual clock at Wrigley was not a Cubs idea, but rather added in 1941 by George Halas of the Chicago Bears, the NFL team that made Wrigley Field its home from 1921-1970.  The game of baseball is not measured by time.  It’s measured by innings, nine to be precise.  You need to get 27 outs to win a baseball game.  And sometimes getting that final out is the toughest one to get.

A recent example is the 2018 College World Series, a best of three between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Oregon State Beavers. Arkansas won the first game, and led 3-2 heading into the ninth inning of Game 2. With two outs a Beaver batter popped a fly in foul territory just beyond first base. Game over, correct? Indeed, ESPN was quick to declare Arkansas national champions on its website. Yet, something happened to embarrass ESPN in a Dewey-Truman moment. The Hogs right fielder, first baseman, and second baseman converged and each forgot to do one thing, catch the ball, as the ball dropped in foul territory. Given another chance, the batter knocked in the tying run and scored the winning run moments later on an OSU 2-run homer. The next night the Beavers won the NCAA baseball championship.

Has the MLB World Series had any 27th out failures? Oh yes. In the 2011 World Series Texas led the Series 3-2 heading back to St. Louis for Game 6. In both the ninth and tenth innings of Game 6, the Rangers were within one strike of winning its first world championship. Their closer, Neftali Feliz, faced David Freese, St. Louis third baseman, with a 7-6 lead and two outs in the ninth, when Freese lined a 1-2 pitch for a triple, knocking in the tying run. The Rangers tallied two runs in the top of the tenth, but again with two outs and a 2-2 count, Cards’ Lance Berkman tied the game with a 2-run single in the bottom of the inning. Freese finished the Game 6 drama in the 11th inning with a game-ending home run and the Cardinals went on to win the Series 4-3.

Baseball had earlier witnessed an historic comeback in the 2004 ALCS .  The Red Sox came into the matchup against their archrival Yankees with the hope of reaching the World Series and ending Boston’s championship drought of 86 years.  They had last won the Series in 1918 when they defeated the Cubs behind two wins by star pitcher Babe Ruth.  Yet, three games into the ALCS, the Red Sox were on the verge of being swept, down 3-0.   Miraculously, they won the next four and became the first team ever to win a best of seven series after losing the first three games.  We all know what happened next, the Red Sox defeated the Cardinals in four games to become world champs, finally!

About three months ago Red Sox great Bill Buckner died, at age 69, after a long battle with dementia. Baseball writers celebrated his playing career, one that featured a wondrous batting stroke culminating in the 1980 batting title when with the Cubs. Buckner came into the big leagues as an outfielder for the Dodgers, but played first base most of his career due to several chronic injuries. He was manning that position in the bottom of the 10th inning of the sixth game of the 1986 World Series. His Boston team led the game 5-3 and the Series 3-2. The baseball world gasped as a slow roller off Mookie Wilson’s bat found its way between the legs of Buckner and completed the Mets’ comeback victory. The Mets took the Series in Game 7. This year we mourned the loss of a great, gritty player, whose memory is much more than that one play in Game 6.

Just one year earlier in the 1985 Series we witnessed another amazing World Series comeback, the Royals winning it all after being down three games to one against the Cardinals.  The 1985 World Series featured a Missouri interstate affair between St. Louis and Kansas City. After failing to close out the Series in Game 5 at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals returned to KC ready to be crowned not only the Missouri champs but the world champions of baseball.  Many will say, like me, that the Cardinals were indeed railroaded in Game 6 with a missed call by first base umpire Don Denkinger.  The umpire’s mistake was pivotal as the Royals became the fifth team in history to come back from a 3-1 World Series game deficit, the others being the ’25 Pirates, ’58 Yankees, the ’68 Tigers, and the ’79 Pirates.

In 2016 the Cubs became the sixth such down 3-1 comeback team. Both Chicago and Cleveland entered the World Series with long suffering fans yearning for an end to droughts in world championships (Cubs, since 1908, and Indians, since 1948). The back and forth Game 7 will go down in history as one of the greatest games ever played (only matched perhaps by Game 6 of the 1975 Series when the Red Sox came back on Carlton Fisk’s homer to defeat the Reds after trailing 6-3 in the eighth inning). That same 6-3 score saw the Cubs on top in the bottom of the eighth with two out and no Indians on base. Cubs star reliever Aroldis Chapman could not hold onto the lead, and the teams went into extras tied 6-6 and momentum all Cleveland. The 17-minute rain delay before the tenth would turn the tide and result in a big celebration in Chicago!

This 2019 MLB season has been full of ninth inning comebacks, most particularly by a team out west in LA, the Dodgers.   Last Saturday night at Chavez Ravine the Blue Jays were one out away from defeating the Dodgers when LA won their 12th walk-off game of the year (winning as home team in their last at bat).  The even more crazy statistic is that the Dodgers have trailed 23 times going into the bottom of the ninth this season at Dodger Stadium and won 7 of those games, a .304 winning percentage.  A suggestion for the other MLB teams this year in matchups with the Dodgers might be to get the last out!  The Dodgers will be a tough 27th out in the October playoffs.

My favorite 27th out story I have shared previously, one that happened on June 1, 1967.  My Dad took me to an early season Reds vs. Cubs game at Crosley Field to celebrate the end of my second grade school year.  We left the ballpark early that night with the Cubs up 6-2 and heard the roar of the crowd in the parking lot as Vada Pinson tripled in two runs.  We listened on the car radio as the Reds won in the bottom of the ninth, 7-6.  I learned a lesson that night, always wait for the 27th out. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Best Skippers

In a pre-game ceremony this past Thursday the Cubs celebrated the career of Giants skipper Bruce Bochy (pictured above) as he managed his final game in Chicago.  Joe Maddon presented Bochy with a remembrance recognizing his contributions to baseball and displaying his uniform number 15, a tile from the historic Wrigley Field manual scoreboard. How does Bochy rank among the best?  Let’s check out the Coach’s top 10 Best Skippers in the last 50 years:

Sparky Anderson tops my list! The “Main Spark” guided the Reds through the Big Red Machine years and consecutive world championships in 1975 and 1976. In 1984 he became the first manager to win a World Series in both leagues as his Detroit Tigers won the title. I spent much of my boyhood listening to Sparky’s pre-game chats on my transistor radio, learning the game from this dynamic personality. He was the consummate gentleman and baseball ambassador. Sparky made me proud to be a Reds fan. In the clubhouse and dugout, he was known for having a great knack of knowing what was needed to get the most out of a ballplayer and his team. He was also nicknamed “Captain Hook” due to his frequent use of the Reds bullpen. Anderson was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2000.

Joe Torre began his career in 1960 as a catcher for the Milwaukee Braves and is still today part of the game as MLB’s chief baseball officer. Along the way he won an NL MVP award in 1971 as a Cardinal in a stellar playing career that spanned 18 seasons. His managing career got off to a slow start in the win column with stints as the skipper of the Mets, Braves, and Cardinals. In 1996 he became the Yankees manager and started a run that is difficult to match, leading the Yankees to four World Series titles. His winning percentage as the Yankees manager was .605. In his 12 seasons the Yankees made the playoffs each year. Torre was elected to the HOF in 2014.

Bruce Bochy also started his MLB career as a catcher, debuting with the Astros in 1978.   Bochy served as a backup catcher when his San Diego Padres won their first NL title in 1984.   His managing career began with a 12-year tenure with the Padres as he led them to playoff appearances in four of those seasons.   Beginning in 2007, he took the helm of the Giants and led them to early dominance in the 2010s.  For three consecutive even-numbered years (2010, 2012 and 2014), his Giants were World Series champions, much of it due to his keen on-field maneuvering and off-field relationship with his players.  This season marks the end of a great career for the longest-tenured active manager in baseball.  Baseball will miss him; Cooperstown awaits him.

Whitey Herzog served in several capacities in baseball, player (beginning in 1956 with the Washington Senators), scout, farm system director, general manager, and as one of baseball’s best managers.  In the 1970s he led the Kansas City Royals to three consecutive AL championship series (1976-1978) but ran into a buzz saw each year in the Yankees.  Herzog came to the National League in 1980 where his Cardinals won it all in 1982, and added NL pennants in 1985 and 1987.  Herzog’s style of NL play was branded “Whiteyball” for aggressiveness, speed, exceptional defense, and an offense focused on run-creating opportunities, not hammering the ball over the fence.  I witnessed a lot of Cardinal baseball during his era and marveled at how he was always a step ahead of the opposing manager.  Whitey was inducted into the HOF in 2010.

Tony LaRussa is another example of a utility player with a non-descript career (debuting in 1963 with the Cubs but spending most of his playing career in the minor leagues) finding his own managing winning teams.  His first title as a manager was guiding the White Sox to the AL West championship in 1983.  He then moved on to Oakland where his A’s won three straight AL championships (1988-1990) and of course the 1989 World “Quake” Series.   Just like Anderson, LaRussa brought his craft to a new league in 1996, managing the Cardinals to three NL pennants in 16 seasons and two World Series titles (2006 and 2011).   Tony is also still in baseball, serving as special assistant to the Red Sox president, Dave Dumbrowski.  LaRussa was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2013.

Terry Francona is the best manager in the American League today, period. “Tito” had a mildly successful playing career, starting as an Expo in 1981 and ending his career early in the 1990 season with the Brewers. His first managerial gig was in Philadelphia, a 4-year run with no playoff appearances. In 2004 Theo Epstein brought him to Boston and the magic began. The Red Sox won the 2004 World Series, their first since 1918! The magic continued in 2007 with another world title. Francona is now in the Indians’ dugout, hired in 2013. The Indians were on the doorsteps of ending their own long drought of world championships in 2016 before a 17-minute rain delay and the Cubs got in the way. Watch a Francona-managed game; it’s mistake-free.

Frank Robinson is my choice for the seventh slot. He died earlier this year after decades in baseball, starting in 1956 with the Reds and culminating as AL honorary president. In contrast to most of the other managers on this list, Robinson was one of the all-time great players, the only one in fact to be named MVP of the NL (Cincinnati, 1961) and AL (Baltimore, 1966). He brought that playing career with him to the dugout in 1975, when he became the first black manager in MLB history as player-manager for the Indians. He then went on to manage the Giants, Orioles and Expos/Nationals. His winning percentage as a manager was under .500 but his contributions to the game were historic in nature. Robinson joined the Cooperstown elite as a player in 1982, his first year of eligibility.

Gene Mauch makes my top 10 list, in what may be a surprise to many. In his playing days, he was a utility infielder for the most part on six MLB teams (1944-1957). Mauch is better known for being a master strategist in a managing career that spanned from 1960 to 1987 (Phillies, Expos, Twins, and Angels). My Dad took me to Crosley Field in 1968 to see a Reds vs. Phillies game and explained to me why Mauch was his absolute favorite. Mauch’s teams played what some called “small ball”, focusing on defense, hitting to the opposite field, sacrifice bunts, and base running. Unfortunately he is the winningest manager ever not to have won an AL or NL pennant. Mauch’s teams played the game the way it should be played. The game needs more Mauch baseball in the future.

Earl Weaver, long-time manager of the Baltimore Orioles, was anti-Mauch, a real disbeliever in small ball. He ended his playing career never having played in the MLB. Weaver was the manager of the Orioles for 17 seasons beginning in 1968. Early in his career, he led the Orioles to three consecutive AL pennants from 1969 to 1971, winning the world championship in 1970. His lifetime winning percentage of .583 as a manager ranks among the best. Weaver would have fit right in today since his team’s offense played for the “three-run homer”; don’t waste any outs advancing runners and wait for the long ball. Weaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996.

Brian Snitker, current manager of the Braves, completes my top 10, just edging out some great managers, each with a World Series title under their belt – Lou Piniella (Reds, 1990); Bobby Cox (Braves, 1995); and Joe Maddon (Cubs, 2016). Why Snitker? I love his story. Snitker has been a “Brave” for over 40 years. He played four years in their minor league system (1977-1980), and then coached and managed Braves minor league teams until 2016 when he finally got his shot as the big league manager. Snitker is definitely “old school.” Last Sunday he was tested by his star player, Ronald Acuna Jr., who failed to run out a batted ball in a game against the Dodgers. Snitker benched Acuna during the game, and afterward Acuna agreed it was the right thing to do. It was a wake-up call for the Braves, a much needed boost as the NL playoffs await in October.

So there’s my list!  Let the Coach know what you think!  And please comment on which manager is Number One on your Top Ten.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

South Side

I’ve heard the rumblings.  Hey Coach, how about focusing on the American League for once, and in particular, an up and coming team not that far from you, the Chicago White Sox?  With the class of the AL, the Houston Astros, in town for a rare doubleheader this past week, I took the Red Line “L” south to 35th and Sox to visit Guaranteed Rate Field.  It was time to explore GRF, AL baseball, and the team many of my friends support, the South Side Sox.  Do good guys really wear black? 

After almost a century of playing baseball at old Comiskey Park, the White Sox opened its new ballpark in 1991 and aptly named it new Comiskey Park.   In 2003 corporate sponsorship took hold and the ballpark was renamed US Cellular Field.  It became Guaranteed Rate Field prior to the 2017 season (yes, a woeful name for what I found to be a nice place to watch baseball).  GRF was the last ballpark built before all of the retro-classic ones, and it does lack in some of the old-time feel, especially the high upper deck seating too far from the playing field.   It retains though some very historic pieces, such as statues behind the lower level seating of the great Sox in the past, Minnie Minoso, Carlton Fisk, Luis Aparicio, Harold Baines, Nellie Fox, and Frank Thomas.  And did I mention the FOOD (some of baseball’s finest), where I opted of course for a Chicago grilled hot dog and a Goose Island draft beer to make me feel right at home!

The new ballpark has had some great baseball played there since its opening. Three seasons stand out. In 1993 Bo Jackson, one of the greatest athletes of our time, starred for the Sox. On opening day that year he homered in his first at bat, and then hit a home run late in the season to defeat the Mariners in the game the White Sox clinched the AL West. The 2005 season though was one for the ages. In the ALCS against the Angels, then Senator Barack Obama, a lifetime Sox fan, threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the second game of the series, and the White Sox went on to never lose in the playoffs again that year. The Sox captured the AL pennant 4 games to 1, the first time since 1959. And even the 88-year world championship drought would end later that month in the World Series sweep of the Houston Astros, then in the NL. The White Sox also won a division title in 2008, as they defeated the Twins in a one-game playoff in the famous “black out game”, where all the fans wore black clothing. Yes, good guys can wear black!

Prior to the game I always check the lineups, and of course at an American League park I wince. You see, both teams have a designated hitter! The DH rule was adopted in 1973 by the AL and allows one player to bat in place of the pitcher. It’s been kind of a sore spot for the MLB because its two leagues don’t play by the same rules; the National League has not adopted the DH rule. In 1980, the NL last took a vote on the rule and it failed; 4 yes, 5 no, and 3 abstentions. Since the advent of interleague play, the DH governs in AL home parks, while NL ballparks have the pitchers hit. We would need a separate blog piece to debate the issue, but suffice to say your Coach loves the late-inning strategy of NL games, not the offense-oriented mentality of the DH rule. It’s incredible though that we have had the two different rules for almost 50 years.

The men in orange, the Houston Astros, were the White Sox opponents last week at GRF.   Among today’s AL powerhouse teams, I am firmly in the Astros camp.  Part of it is the NL roots of the Astros (they changed leagues in 2013), but mainly it is their story.   Prior to Houston’s world championship in 2017, the Astros went through a major rebuild, suffering through three 100-loss seasons (2011-2013).   The Astros, helped by some early picks in the MLB draft, built its core around George Springer, Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, superstar Carlos Correa, and now this year’s sensation Yordan Alvarez (AL Rookie of the month for June and July).   This star-studded lineup, now coupled with a sensational starting staff of Justin Verlander, Zach Greinke, Gerrit Cole and Wade Miley, are poised to make a run at another AL title this season.

Will black be the new orange in the AL someday soon? The White Sox sure hope that is the case as the South Siders are clearly Astros wannabes. With every organization revamp, it begins at the top. For the Astros that means Jeff Luhnow, its general manager and president of baseball operations. He began his career in the scouting department of the Cardinals, and soon after his hiring in 2011 Luhnow became the architect of the rebuild. The White Sox hope they have that same kind of maestro in Rick Hahn, its vice president and general manager. Interestingly, Luhnow and Hahn have similar roots, both graduates of Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management here in Chicago. With some early draft choices and trades involving current talent for top prospects, Hahn hopes he has laid the same brick work in Chicago as Luhnow did in Houston.

The White Sox’s young stars include Eloy Jiminez and Yoan Moncado, both of whom reached the big leagues with great fanfare. Early play suggests that they are much more than the hype. And top prospect Luis Robert, skyrocketing through the Sox minor league system this year and now in AAA, will soon be in the Big Leagues. All three have the talent to be mainstays on the AL all-star roster for years to come. They are bolstered by vets like shortstop Tim Anderson, catcher James McCann, and stalwart first baseman Jose Abreu, each of whom was a 2019 AL All-Star. Every rebuild needs some phenoms on the mound, and the Sox have just that in Lucas Giolito ( a 2019 All-Star), Dylan Cease (now in the starting five), stud Michael Kopech (returning in 2020 from Tommy John), and Carlos Rodon (also on the comeback trail from Tommy John).

Expectations are high that the Sox will be AL contenders in the near term.  The first game of the doubleheader I attended last Tuesday showed that the Astros though are primed for this year, as they took advantage of Zach Greinke’s quality start and several Sox miscues in a 6-2 win.  In the night cap, Ivan Nova, the veteran Sox righthander who has rebounded from a dismal first half, threw a complete game 4-1 win over the Astros for the split.   It’s refreshing every once in a while to witness a complete game!  In the rubber game the next afternoon, the Sox outslugged the Astros 13-9, not only winning the 3-game series but the season series as well.  Maybe GRF will be hosting some more meaningful games (can you say AL playoffs) between the two teams in a future season.

It’s difficult to discuss the South Side Sox without mentioning the rivalry with their North Side counterparts, the Cubs.   That rivalry started in 1906, the only World Series played between the two teams, with the White Sox, buoyed by their exceptional pitching, upsetting the Cubs (who had a record of 116-38 in the NL) in six games.  Beginning in 1997, it’s now an annual interleague battle, the “Crosstown Classic”, which the Sox now lead 42-40.  The teams share a lot in common.   In Chicago you can get to Wrigley on that same “L” Red Line I took to GRF.  Currently, WGN and NBC Sports Chicago share television rights to the two teams. That of course changes next year when the Cubs go to the 24/7 Marquee Network.  And yes, both teams have broken the curses measuring decades of not winning world championships.

You often hear the question in Chicago, are you a Cubs or Sox fan?  While there is a definite, but sometimes murky, geographical distinction (North Side vs. South Side), often the explanation offered by Chicago baseball fans turns to how they were raised.  Is it ever possible to root for both teams?   There is always room for more baseball passion, especially when today’s teams could meet someday soon in another classic, not seen since 1906.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Baseball Experiments

It’s August and what many baseball enthusiasts have described as the “dog days of summer” for our national pastime.   Temperatures on the field and the pennant races themselves are really heating up.  Yet, if you listen to sports talk shows, the chatter is about the NFL training camps and the impact of NBA free agency.  Hey sports world, how about focusing on baseball where the only meaningful games are actually being played?  Is baseball not the national pastime anymore, but rather past its time?  With attendance at ballparks and viewership generally on a downward trend, MLB has cause for concern.

In its July 29 article (“How the Atlantic League Became MLB’s Laboratory for the Future of Baseball”), Sports Illustrated explains how MLB is using the Atlantic League, a top independent league, to address the topic.   Over the next three years the Atlantic League, which is not affiliated with any MLB franchise, will test some cutting edge technology and proposed new rules so that MLB can determine how it can make baseball more appealing to a larger audience.  Let’s take a look at how these changes are being implemented in the Atlantic League and determine what might make sense for the game we love.

The most controversial change is the use of “TrackMan”, a radar-based tracking system to call balls and strikes for home plate umpires. Yes, robo umps have arrived! On July 10 the new automated ball-strike system was introduced in the Atlantic League’s All-Star Game and now is featured in every Atlantic League ballpark. The umpires wear AirPods and hear “strike” whenever any portion of the pitch crosses home plate in the hitter’s strike zone. Early feedback by players and managers alike has not been good. It’s been estimated that the system fails every 1 of 6 pitches, especially with regard to high pitches being called strikes. The system continues to be adjusted.

While the technology will indeed improve, the question is whether it should be used in the game. I watch numerous MLB games with the imaged strike zone on the television screen. In my estimation home plate umpires overall do a respectable job in calling their games. And yes, the human element matters! I think the better use of strike-zone technology would be for the MLB to effectively grade home plate umpire performance. We all see the clear missed calls at the plate. But more often than not, it is a small number of the umpires. If one’s home plate performance grades out poorly, how about having that umpire not be part of the home plate rotation. Let’s perfect the strike zone technology and use it wisely.

In terms of rule changes, the Atlantic League began the season with a definitive no visits to the mound rule by any player or coach unless a pitching change is being made.  The obvious attempt is to speed up the game.  But sometimes a pitcher clearly needs information about a batter or situation.  And more often than not, an encouraging word or even a breather are welcomed on the mound.  I used to laugh when I heard parents from the sidelines in my early pitching days say “just throw strikes”.  Maybe that’s where we are headed with this change!  To be fair, the Atlantic League did tweak the rule recently to allow the pitcher and catcher to briefly discuss new signs with runners on base.  I, for one, say “No!” to this no mound visit change and let’s stay put with the current MLB rule of 5 mound visits per team in a game.

Another Atlantic League experiment is to prohibit defensive shifts. The initial rule provided that the third baseman and shortstop had to play on the left side of second base and the first and second basemen on the right side, while every infielder had to be on the dirt portion of the infield. I frankly don’t understand how you can tie the hands of managers in this way. Hitters, not managers, need to adjust to today’s defensive shifts. The very basics of hitting include how to hit to the opposite field, and oh my gosh, even learning how to bunt! The Atlantic League recently changed the rule by allowing infielders to play deep in the hole in the outfield grass but maintaining that two infielders have to be on each side of the infield. It’s still a crazy rule. Let’s not go down that baseline path!

An Atlantic League change this year, and one which will be adopted by MLB next year, is a 3-batter minimum for pitchers unless it is at the end of an inning.  Gone will be the day of the tedious pitching change batter after batter as a manager looks for the best matchup.  The big plus side to this change is not just to the speed of the game, but rather to the makeup of the major league rosters.    Instead of today’s 13 pitchers on a 25 player roster (which is expanding to 26 next year), a manager will be able to utilize a roster spot or two for uniquely skilled players, pinch hitters, speedsters, or defensive specialists.  Baseball strategy, away from the pitcher vs. hitter concern, will be boosted and the net gain will be greater interest.

Paul Sullivan, a sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune, recently suggested  a couple tongue in cheek changes that cut to the heart of the “swing for the fences” mantra of today’s game.  How about raising the pitching mound?   Baseball played 50 years ago was pitching-dominated.  Bob Gibson’s 1968 season for the St. Louis Cardinals is a good example.  Gibby compiled an ERA of 1.12, the lowest in over 50 years, and threw 13 shutouts.  He wasn’t alone; indeed, 1968 was called the “Year of the Pitcher”.  As a result, the pitching mound was lowered the next year to give the pitchers less advantage.   And obviously, the pendulum has swung far too back as now hitting dominates baseball.

We’ve recently heard lots of talk around the ball being “juiced”, so much so that the Commissioner of Baseball, Rob Manfred, addressed the issue at the All-Star Break.  Houston Astros’ standout pitcher Justin Verlander was the first player to speak out about it.  When you watch the games or simply review the stats, there just has to be something about the makeup of the actual baseball today.  Paul Sullivan’s idea, somewhat sarcastically, is to “deaden” the ball.  While I’m not advocating going back to the “Dead Ball Era” where we only could use 6 or 8 baseballs a game out of necessity, it’s worth exploring how to manufacture baseballs to keep the ball in the ballpark more and create increased action on the field. Let’s at least have MLB take a real interest in what the baseball manufacturers are doing, something that Manfred dismissed in his remarks.

The bottom line of all of this is interest in the game.  Atlantic League attendance is up for the season, but most of that I would think is the novelty of the changes.  I tend to attack problems at the base.  Maybe instead of finding ways to dramatically change MLB, we should explore ways to speed up the game played in Little League parks across the country.  Let’s go back to getting our youth interested in playing our national pastime.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

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