Opening Night

Six years ago one of my daughters and I experienced the perfect “Opening Day”.  We were invited to Cincinnati to see the Reds open the season against the Cardinals.  I remember walking around downtown that morning with anticipation off the charts for the new season to begin.  We watched the now 100-year old Findlay Market parade from the Fountain Square platform, walked across the overpass to Great American Ballpark, and settled into seats along the third base side for a wonderful afternoon of pre-game festivities and baseball.   While it’s difficult to match that moment, I always get a feeling of rebirth each year on Opening Day.  As I begin this blog post, it is Thursday afternoon a couple hours before the 2020 MLB season is to begin with back to back night games featuring the Yankees vs. Nationals and Giants vs. Dodgers.  While I look forward to this 60-game season ahead of us, I must admit that I don’t have my usual enthusiasm.  It’s simply “Opening Night”.

Opening Day has always been a special holiday for me.  Because the Reds were the first official professional baseball team, MLB started every season with an afternoon game in Cincinnati for decades.  To this day the Reds remain the only MLB team to open every season with a scheduled, home game.  The Cubs have been the opponents in a record 36 of those games.  I’ve attended two other home openers in my lifetime, my first one in seventh grade when somehow many kids and I were struck suddenly with a mysterious illness and could not attend school.  The year before I was at home watching the game on my family’s first color television set (see “Opening Day”, 04/01/2019).   A special moment was in ninth grade when my class gathered around a television our teacher brought into the classroom so that we could all watch Henry Aaron hit his 714th career home run, tying Babe Ruth, as Hank’s Braves hammered the Reds.  The sanctity of the afternoon home openers began to dissipate in 1994, when ESPN started televising a regular season game the night before Opening Day.

This 2020 Opening Night provides us with some history-making teams.  Let’s start with the nightcap, another edition of the Giants vs. Dodgers longtime rivalry.  The match-up goes back to 1890 when the New York Giants faced off against the Brooklyn Dodgers.  Both teams moved west in the late 1950s and brought the conflict to San Francisco and Los Angeles.  Last year the teams played their 2,500th game with the Giants now leading the series 1,258 to 1,235 (updated through Sunday’s game).  There have been so many controversial games and pennant races along the way, and certainly the one that stands out is the battle for the 1951 NL flag.  The Dodgers held a 13 ½ game lead in August, but the Giants charged back behind their rookie centerfielder, Willie Mays.  The teams ended in a tie for first place and played a 3-game tiebreaker series.  The Giants won the deciding game behind Bobby Thomson’s “Shot Heard Around the World”.   It was one of 23 NL championships the Giants have won; the Dodgers are tied with them for the National League lead.

The Giants vs. Dodgers rivalry is one of great disdain between the organizations, the fans, and the players.  Two of the greatest players ever in an MLB uniform refused to switch to the other side.  After the 1956 season the Dodgers’ Jackie Robinson was traded to the Giants but retired instead.  In 1972, the Giants tried to trade Willie Mays to LA but Mays interceded and became a New York Met.  My early memory of the teams centered on their ace pitchers, righthander Juan Marichal, known for his high leg kick and intimidation, and lefty Sandy Koufax, whose dominance of baseball from 1961-1966 is unquestioned.  In an era where #1s commonly pitched against #1s, Marichal and Koufax never faced off on Opening Day, and actually only met head to head on five occasions.  They each won two of the encounters, while Koufax lost the fifth game and Marichal got a no-decision.  Koufax did pitch one of his four no-hitters against Marichal. 

On Opening Night 2020 I was looking forward to seeing Marichal-Koufax like images on the mound as Giants righty Johnny Cueto and his own unorthodox windup, was set to face Clayton Kershaw, the second greatest Dodger lefty of all time.  Unfortunately, in what might be a signal of things to come, Kershaw was scratched from the start due to injury. Cueto had a strong start, one run in four innings, but his abbreviated outing is also telling of what to expect this season. The Dodgers hit the Giants bullpen hard and posted an 8-1 victory.

Getting the nod to pitch your team’s opener is a huge honor. I love looking at the pitching matchups on Opening Day.  There was none better than in the first game of Opening Night, featuring the Yankees’ ace, Gerrit Cole, against the Nationals’ Max Scherzer, a 3-time Cy Young winner.  Bill James, noted baseball historian, ranks the top active MLB starters in this order:  Cole; Verlander; Scherzer; deGrom; and Strasburg.  The New York and Washington batting lineups knew that any scoring opportunity would be important to take advantage of on Opening Night.

The first MLB game of the season, won by the Yankees 4-1, in a rain-shortened affair, was indeed a pitching duel.  Cole threw a one-hitter, while Scherzer had 11 strikeouts in his 16 recorded outs. Giancarlo Stanton though got the best of Mad Max, a 3-RBI game complete with an HR estimated at 459 feet. The game matched two teams on distinct sides of the winning baseball spectrum.  The Yankees come into the season looking for their 28th World Series title, unmatched by any team in the game.  The Pinstripes’ last title though was in 2009, a drought by their standards, but certainly one that Red Sox and Cubs fans might chuckle about.

The Nationals of course are baseball’s defending champs.  It seems like a lot more than nine months ago when Washington defeated the Astros in the classic, 7-game Series last fall, capturing the franchise’s first World Series title.  The Nationals franchise was founded in 1969 as the Montreal Expos in an MLB expansion.  The current Nationals are actually the eighth MLB team in history to call Washington, D.C their home.  With D.C. as a home for MLB baseball, we have witnessed several American presidents throw out the ceremonial first pitch of the season.  Yet, the last U.S. president to deliver an Opening Day ceremonial throw was Bill Clinton.  I had to smile at the beginning of the Opening Night broadcast when Dr. Fauci, a former Yankee follower but now a Nats fan sporting a World Series Champions face mask, delivered the first pitch, a socially distanced ball away from the strike zone. 

One of the other interesting pieces of Nationals history is that their predecessor, the Montreal Expos, were principal factors in mini-seasons like this one.  The Expos won their only MLB division title in strike-shortened 1981, but lost the NLCS to the Dodgers. Then in 1994, the season we didn’t complete due to a player strike, the Expos had the best record in baseball before MLB shut it down.  (See “Shortened Season”, 06/08/2020.) And sadly in 2020, for the first time since the Expos took the field in their inaugural 1969 season, we won’t have MLB baseball in Canada.  Our northern neighbors have prohibited the Blue Jays from playing this year in Toronto.  After looking at other MLB ballparks for its 2020 home, including being turned down by the State of Pennsylvania to play at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, the Blue Jays have settled on their AAA-site, Buffalo, as home base this year.

As I sat on my comfy couch during Opening Night, I kept looking at all those empty seats at Nationals Park and Dodger Stadium.  Although I admit I did chuckle at the cardboard cutouts of fans in LA, the attempt to create a baseball atmosphere with no fans is quite sad to me.  I used to love going to ballparks years ago and hearing the scalpers tout that they have the “best seats in the house”.  That practice has been replaced for the most part by those apps we now love on our iPhones, StubHub and SeatGeek, and their preference drop down, “best available”.  For now, on this empty Opening Night, best available means my couch.  Okay, grudgingly, let the games begin!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Full Gallop

Illinois and other states now have legal sports betting. With MLB play opening this coming weekend, here’s a public service announcement:  don’t even think about it!  This 60-game season will be far too unpredictable, much like a crazy horse race.  Years ago, I was watching harness racing with friends.  The only race that caught my attention featured six horses, one of which was the prohibitive favorite and another, a horse who had never won before going out at 40 to 1 odds, yet happened to have my wife’s name.  So why not place a small wager on the long shot to win, place and show?  My horse trailed the field the entire race, but at the final turn the favorite’s cart bumped into another horse, causing a wild scramble.  The confusion caused some of the horses to break out of their trot and into a gallop, something prohibited in harness racing.  After an inquiry and much delay, my long shot was declared the winner!  You’re going to need that kind of luck to predict the 2020 World Series champion. 

This season every team needs to follow the rules but be in full gallop from start to finish.  You can throw many baseball adages out the door, like the one you often hear after two months of MLB games, that pennant races don’t begin until after Memorial Day (of course, that is technically true this season).  See “Pennant Races”, 05/27/2019.  One sight I love at this time of year is the standings of the division races captured in flags flying on outfield flagpoles at a ballpark.  Even though it’s mid-July, those team pennants will need to be kept in storage for just a little while longer. White Sox manager Rick Renteria was recently asked about his team’s approach to the short season.  His mindset is that beginning opening night this week, the South Siders will have already played 102 games, and are in first place with 60 games left.  Yes, I like the message, similar to an adage we often hear on opening day, that every team starts with the same record and same opportunity.   But is that really true this year?

By sticking to playoff teams comprised of 3 division winners and 2 wild cards in each league decided by regional play within the East, Central, and West divisions, MLB may have set up championship play to be among teams that aren’t the best in baseball.  Forty of every team’s 60 games this year will come in division play (67%), and normally it’s only 76 of 162 (47%).  Think about a team from the AL East in a 4-team wild card race the last week of the season, yet they may have never played one game against any of the other three AL wild card contenders.  With last year’s results and this year’s team projections in mind, any AL East or NL East team that does not win the division outright has its playoff chances diminished.  Seven of the top teams in baseball play in the East.  The AL West teams are sitting in an envious wild card position, since they will be facing NL West teams with only the Dodgers thought of as an elite club (winners of the last 7 division titles).  And I’m liking the chances of AL and NL Central teams facing the Tigers, Royals, and Pirates (all with dismal 2019 records).

There may be some teams who have an advantage because they are fast starters.  Last year we looked at the Mariners amazing first two weeks (see “Strong Start”, 04/08/2019), that in 2020 would comprise 25% of the season.  And how about Bryce Harper’s always hot April/May starts propelling Philadelphia to first place after 65 games in 2019!  Both the Mariners and Phillies languished over the second half of the season, and certainly weren’t deserving of a playoff slot.  Conversely, slow starting teams may not have an opportunity to recover.  We’ve heard so many times about the defending champ Nationals’ poor 19-31 record to begin 2019.  An even better example might be in the American League.  During Terry Francona’s tenure with the Indians, Cleveland has posted a below .500 mark over the first five weeks of the season in 2013-2019, but has the second best overall winning percentage during those seven seasons at .562.  Neither team can afford to fall behind the field early this year.  

So which teams might you make a gentleman’s (no money) bet on?  The predictions of the analysts are all over the place.   One theory on Chicago’s north side is that a close-knit team with veteran players who are likely to follow all of the medical protocols deserves a nod.  As I write this, the Cubs are the only team in MLB that has not had a player test positive since intake testing began a few weeks ago.  That will be important, but so will be the injury status of key players, like first baseman Anthony Rizzo and starting pitcher Jose Quintana.  In the AL, the veteran team that stands out is certainly Houston, but of course we know now that team plays fast and loose with some other rules.  The worst thing about no fans in the stands this year is that we won’t get to witness the taunting of the Astros while they play on the road. 

Team leadership, whether it’s from the manager or a key off-season acquisition, will play a role.  MLB added several new managers, and certainly each one of them has to learn quickly how to make adjustments with their new rosters.  It may be especially difficult for first-time managers with younger teams, such as the Pirates’ Derek Shelton, Luis Rojas of the Mets, and San Diego’s Jayce Tingler.  While both Joe Maddon and Joe Girardi are in their first years at the helm of the Angels and Phillies, I like the championship mentality both of them bring to teams with a mix of veterans and young talent.  Also keep an eye on some teams that added a player with championship experience who might be the perfect push over the top – Gerrit Cole (Yankees); Edwin Encarnacion (White Sox); and Mike Moustakas (Reds).

What will be some of the keys on the field?  Baseball is always about PITCHING, and this year with the every game counts mentality there will be an even greater emphasis on it.  The impressive front of the staff pitching of the Yankees, Astros, Dodgers, and Nationals seems to dominate the headlines.  Yet, the overall quality of the starting staff will be as important.  Take the NL Central with top contenders throwing these threesomes in a series – Reds (Gray, Castillo, and Bauer); Cardinals (Flaherty, Hudson, and Wainwright); and Cubs (Hendricks, Darvish, and Lester).  Staying in the division, bullpens might be the deciding factor with the Brewers’ Josh Hader leading one of the best pens in the game.  Another NL team with a top bullpen is San Diego and ace closer, Kirby Yates.  Moving into the junior circuit, both Tampa and Oakland are looking for repeat playoff appearances behind their bullpen staffs, Nick Anderson and Emilio Pagan of the Rays and Liam Kendricks of the A’s.  The AL Central may see 10 tight games between the Twins and the White Sox with the final three outs each game in the capable hands of Taylor Rogers (Minnesota) and Alex Colome (Chicago).

Health, injuries, and luck will be the final factors.  Some key NL players who have opted out due to COVID-19 include David Price (Dodgers), Buster Posey (Giants), and Nick Markakis (Braves).  Each would have played a central role in their team’s success, but certainly did the absolute, right thing for themselves and their families.  In the American League, White Sox fans will need to wait another year to see future ace pitcher, Michael Kopech, as he too has opted out of the 2020 season.  Some key players returning to action from injuries include the Giants’ Johnny Cueto who has recovered from Tommy John surgery.  Texas is excited to christen Globe Life Field behind what they hope to be the comeback pitcher of the year, Cory Kluber.  You can never count out the Yankees, a roster deep in talent, but now bolstered with the return of third baseman Miguel Andujar.  

Phew!  Do I have you totally confused?  Thought so.  That’s what kind of season we are going to have.  I keep hearing the naysayers question whether the results this year should even matter in baseball history.  The Cubs new manager, David Ross, said it best a few weeks ago:  “If they’re passing out a trophy, I want it.”  Count me in too skipper!  I’ll be in the family room enjoying the games.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Team Names

This past week I proudly watched my grandson and his t-ball team play their first game.  He loved wearing his newly issued uniform, baseball cap, shirt with sponsored name on front and number on back, long socks, and the “funny pants”.  I reminisced about my early days of playing baseball and those of my daughters playing softball.  After the game, I found a photo of me in an old album wearing a “V.F.W. Post 9248” jersey, my first uniform.  I found other fun baseball photos of me in uniform with my favorite team script “Haubner Builders” across the front.  I also came upon pictures of my daughters’ teams, the Grand Slammers (I let the girls vote on their team name), the Reds (seems like the coaches selected that one), and the Diamond Cats (perfect for softball and animal lovers).  There’s a lot of history and great memories in team names.

The National League was founded in 1876 and had eight charter members:  Chicago White Stockings; Philadelphia Athletics; Boston Red Stockings; Hartford Dark Blues; New York Mutuals; St. Louis Brown Stockings; Cincinnati Red Stockings; and Louisville Grays.  The only team name that completely survived the last 145 years was the Athletics, our current day American League team in Oakland.  The names, mostly about the color of the teams’ baseball socks, were not the most creative ones.  Interestingly, the Boston Red Stockings are not the ancestors of today’s Boston Red Sox, but rather the Boston Braves.  And the Red Sox fans have had to be a little color blind because some of the team’s road uniforms have featured navy socks. The color theme is sometimes a subtle one for MLB teams – Baltimore Orioles (orange and black of the Oriole bird); St. Louis Cardinals (named that because their uniforms were a “lovely shade of red”, or cardinal); and Detroit Tigers (since there were black stripes on their uniforms, they looked like tigers).

Oddly enough, the “White Stockings” name in Chicago was the original name of today’s Cubs.  Chicago’s National League team in the late 1800s were also known for a while as the Orphans, and then the Colts.  Not until 1902, when the team’s players were so young and scruffy looking, resembling young bears, or Cubs, did a team name stick. About the same time, Charles Comiskey was awarded an American League team that he located on the south side of Chicago.  Comiskey promptly stole his rival team’s original name, the White Stockings, and later shortened the name to White Sox.  Another of the charter members, the Cincinnati Red Stockings, have also seen their team name shortened through the years, first the Redlegs (my Dad always called them that) and now today’s Reds.   There is one little blip in the Reds team name history that deserves mention. For part of the 1953 season the team played without “Reds” on the uniform.  An Associated Press report at the time noted:  “The political significance of the word Reds these days and its effect on the change was not discussed by management.”  Ahem, no other explanation was given.

Teams in sports today are taking another look at names deemed offensive to Native Americans.  The Atlanta Braves have struggled with the issue in recent years.  The nickname Braves originated in Boston in 1912.  The Braves first team president was actually a New Yorker, James Gaffney, who was a member of Tammany Hall, the Democratic party machine that controlled New York politics.  Tammany Hall, named after the Delaware Valley Indian Chief Tammarend, adopted a headdress as its emblem.  Its members were called braves.  The NL Braves moved to Milwaukee in 1953, and then to Atlanta in 1966.  The long time rallying cry for Braves fans has been to chant while motioning a tomahawk chop.  In the NL playoff series last year between Atlanta and St. Louis, Cardinals pitcher Ryan Helsley, a member of the Cherokee Nation, indicated that he found the chant to be offensive.   For the next game Atlanta did not distribute the trademark foam tomahawks to its fans.  Yet, when addressing recently whether the team plans to change its name, the Braves seemed to steer clear of the issue, releasing a statement that read in part they “have much work to do on and off the field.”

There do appear to be plans afoot in Cleveland to change its team name, the Indians.  The AL team was originally named the “Blues” upon its founding in 1901 as a league charter member.  Cleveland then became the “Naps” after their star player-manager, Napoleon Laoie.  When Laoie left the team after the 1914 season, Cleveland adopted the Indians as its new team name.  Last season, the Indians removed the Chief Wahoo logo from its uniforms in response to mounting pressure.  This past week, Cleveland manager Terry Francona addressed the team name head on:  “I know in the past, when I’ve been asked about our name or Chief Wahoo, I would usually answer that I know we’re never trying to be disrespectful.  I still feel that way, but I don’t think that’s a good enough answer today.”  Francona acknowledged that team management is openly discussing and promoting the idea to change the name of the team.

How should Cleveland proceed? Many MLB teams, especially when newly formed, have surveyed the hometown fans in the team name selection process.  Arizona asked its fans to vote in 1995, and luckily the fans selected Diamondbacks, a type of snake.  One name on the ballot that received great support but lost was the Phoenix; that Arizona Phoenix team would have led to a little confusion!  When New York was awarded an NL team in 1962, the team conducted the first fan survey and settled on the Mets (based on Metropolitans), simply because it was an easy name for newspaper headlines. In 1969 Kansas City received 17,000 entries in its contest, and landed on the Royals, not for nobility but the American Royal Livestock Show, a city treasure since 1899.  Other teams fairly new to the MLB that conducted write-in contests include:  Seattle Mariners (1976): Toronto Blue Jays (1976); and Tampa Bay Rays (1998; the name first used was the Devil Rays).  In Denver, the newly awarded NL franchise in 1993 ignored the fans’ push for the name Bears, the city’s longtime successful minor league team, but chose instead the name Rockies, to highlight the Rocky Mountains in the surrounding area.

One avenue for Cleveland to explore is a new team name that reflects the city’s history.  We see a lot of history embedded in some current MLB team names, although sometimes the historical background stems from the original location of the team.  LA’s National League team is an example.  Founded in Brooklyn, the Dodgers were named for the Brooklyn residents so adept at dodging trolley cars in the burrough.  Los Angeles’ AL counterpart, the Angels, of course, reflects its own “City of Angels”.  There are some obvious feel good, historical names, including the:  Milwaukee Brewers (the city’s tradition of beer brewing); Houston Astros (home of NASA’s astronauts); Minnesota Twins (the pride of Minneapolis-St. Paul, the twin cities); and Philadelphia Phillies (short for “Philadelphians”).   A couple Cleveland historical names I’ve heard mentioned include the “Rocks” or “Rockers”, based on the city’s famous landmark Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  That would lead to an interesting World Series matchup someday between the Rockers and the Rockies.

There are some less obvious MLB team names that are tied to events in team history.  The Pirates got their name in the late 1890s when the “Pittsburgh Club of the National League” signed a star Philadelphia Athletics player, Lou Bierbauer, off their reserve list, a transaction described as “pirating away” another team’s player.  Today’s San Francisco Giants retained the New York Giants name when the team moved west in 1957, a name derived from its former manager, Jim Mutrie, who described his team’s play in a big win as “playing like Giants”.  Cleveland is apparently considering a return to the name “Naps”, the team name over a hundred years ago based on its player-manager.  I get the sentiment, but that seems like a sleepy landing spot.

While I always advocate history’s importance to baseball, it seems like using a fun, animal-like name is the safest bet.  Recently, Florida certainly found a popular name branding its fishing industry in the Marlins, but of course it switched its first name identity to Miami in 2012 and continues to struggle catching the interest of its home base.  My favorite Cleveland team name would be the SPIDERS!  It combines history (the Spiders were the name of Cleveland’s National League team in the late 1800s), a scary creature (would be the first MLB team ever named after an arachnid), and some intriguing marketing opportunities to increase its fan base.  I’m not sure many MLB teams would like venturing into Cleveland’s “Web” in the future. And how about a World Series someday featuring the Spiders vs. the Snakes; that’d be a frightening matchup!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Something New

When I was a little boy I spent hours on our driveway throwing a rubber ball against the garage door framing.  Luckily, we had a two-car garage separated by a two feet wide concrete divider to provide a strike zone.  I played and yes, announced while playing, every Reds game season after season.  I had my own rules, such as if the ball eluded me and went to the sidewalk, it was a double, and if it reached the street, a home run!  My rules were somewhat different, but I loved every minute of my version of baseball.  The MLB has announced some new rules for the upcoming 60-game season, a version of baseball that is also somewhat different.  I say let’s embrace them; they are simply “something new”.

We can all agree on the necessity of the health precautions being taken in view of COVID-19.   Players and coaches will be tested every other day.  In addition, team personnel and players not likely to participate in the game (e.g., the starting pitcher for the next game) will be seated at least six feet apart in the stands or another designated area away from the dugout.   Non-playing personnel are to wear masks in the dugout and bullpen at all times.  Players can no longer spit or chew tobacco, but chewing gum is permitted.  There can be no celebratory contact, such as high-fives, fist bumps, or hugs.  Pitchers won’t be able to step off the mound and go to their mouth, but they will be able to use their own small, wet rag and resin bag.  And finally, the 60-game schedule will be designed to reduce travel during the season. Bottom line, there will be proper protocols in place on and off the field.

Some of the new rules though push the conflict between the traditionalist’s view of the game and a new way of thinking.  Here’s a news flash, the 47-year battle between National League and American League followers is officially over.  MLB is adopting the Universal DH for the 2020 season.   In announcing the Universal DH, MLB stressed the change is for the health and safety of the players, in particular pitchers who might risk injury or exhaustion while batting and running the bases.  While that is a concern, the heart of the issue is the creation of more jobs for MLB players.  Adopting the Universal DH for this season may turn out to be a major concession as the end of the collective bargaining agreement looms in 2021.  MLB has essentially let the genie out of the bottle.

How does this play out on the field?  American League fans have long argued that the DH rule allows for more offense and a more exciting game for fans.  In 2018, pitchers batted just .115 and admittedly, there are only a few, select pitchers on each team who can effectively handle the bat.  With a game that continues to get longer (the average time of a 9-inning MLB game in 2019 reached an all-time high of 3 hours, 5 minutes, and 35 seconds), baseball has been searching for ways to be more appealing to fans.  Indeed, a rule already in place for 2020 addresses speed of play concerns by requiring a new pitcher to face 3 batters in an inning, unless the inning is completed.  Changing the game to make it more exciting is at the core of the traditional vs. new approach conflict.  The traditionalist has long opposed the DH rule by stressing the intricacies of in-game strategies, such as bunting and the double switch.  Although I’m a National League fan and perhaps a little “old timey”, I must admit I’m on the fence about the Universal DH change, a good six feet away from either side.  For more background, see “Universal DH” (May 25, 2020).

One new rule that does seem to cross the line of messing with tradition is beginning each half-inning of an extra inning game with a runner on second base.   MLB has supported the change by pointing to player stamina concerns in longer outings.  Is it truly a problem?  In any given season, only 7 to 8% of games go to extra innings, and in 40% of those, the game lasts just 10 innings.  In 2019, only 74 games, or 1.5 % of total games played, went more than 12 innings.  To put it in terms of this season’s 60-game schedule, we are only talking about 27 games (less than 2 per team).  When I first heard about the new rule, my thoughts turned to hockey, a sport that by its nature struggles with games ending in a tie after regulation.  In order to address the notion that fans don’t like coming home from a tie game, the NHL overtime rules have evolved, first with a simple 5-minute overtime, and now with lesser players on the ice in overtime and an added shoot-out period.  Yikes, let’s not head down the road of gimmickry deciding game results.

With the extra innings rule in place for 2020, how are managers going to deal with it?   The batter who made the final out in the previous inning will be the runner placed on second base, unless the manager opts for a pinch runner.  That might create a roster spot for a specialty pinch runner on each team, such as the Dodgers’ Terrence Gore.  And you never know, we might find ourselves seeing a little old school play with the first hitter laying down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third, especially if the visiting team does not score in the first half of the inning.  While I’m troubled about messing with the game to create a quick resolution, I must admit I’m intrigued by what managerial strategy we might see.  At least it’s going to be something new.  For more background, see “Extra Innings” (May 6, 2019).

How general managers handle the new rules for team rosters in the shortened season will also be critical.    All teams will open the season with a 30-man roster that will be reduced to 28 players after two weeks of play, and 26 players after four weeks.  The 26-player roster was previously adopted for this year, up from 25.   Teams are permitted to have three taxi squad players on the road, one of which must be a catcher.   This past week teams were required to submit to MLB their 60 player pools from which the rosters can be drawn.   The purpose of the player pools is to have players available, working out at off-site locations, and baseball ready.  Some interesting trends came out of the player pool announcements.  Most teams opted to name only 50 or so players, allowing some flexibility as we move forward into the season.  And a majority of the player pool names were pitchers.  Pitching depth, and in particular bullpen depth, may be the key to team success this season.

There are a few off the field impacts the roster changes might trigger.  First, with a limit of 60 players in each team pool and the announcement this week that the minor league seasons have been cancelled, player development will suffer a severe blow.  While some teams might have recently drafted early round pitchers primed for spot relieving in their player pools, it’s hard to imagine young position players getting the same opportunities.  Second, as the season hopefully moves forward with playoffs beginning in October, two deadlines have been moved.  The new trading deadline will be August 31, and to be eligible for a postseason roster, a player has to be on the MLB team as of September 15.   There might be a wild, late scramble by teams wanting to make the playoffs offering prospects for top players who are free agent eligible after this year or next. 

With COVID-19 always lurking, it’s so difficult to predict what’s going to transpire over the coming months.  Which teams are best suited for the new rules, which general managers will make the most of their rosters, and which managers will employ the right strategy.  Rick Hahn, White Sox general manager, said it best this week about the new rules:  “In a year where we’re playing 60 games, why not try something a little different?  Why not experiment a little bit?  This is the time to try this stuff.”  Yes, it will be so good to have our game of baseball back in a few weeks.  And I’ll take what I can get, even something new.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Player Images

The good news is that the 2020 MLB 60-game schedule begins on July 23!  The bad news is everything else that happened in baseball over the past several weeks.  I feel like I need a break from thinking about how teams might be impacted in a shortened season and reviewing new rules to be put in place.  It’s time to take a deep breath and just reflect on why baseball is so important.  My focus this week returns to the memories I cherish about the game.  I thought it would be fun to rank my top ten position players (no pitchers!) I’ve seen play at an MLB ballpark with an emphasis on special moments in my life.  I’ll sprinkle in a little history as well.  Here’s my Top Ten:

Willie Mays.  In third grade I read a series of baseball stories.  My favorite one was about Willie Mays.  That summer I asked my Dad to take me to see the Giants play at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.  My wish came true on a weekend afternoon in 1968.  Mays batted third and played centerfield for San Francisco that day. During one of his at-bats, he fouled off ten straight pitches so I asked my Dad what was going on.  Dad’s simple response was “he’s waiting for his pitch”.  A couple pitches later Willie drove the ball into an outfield gap and glided into second base with a double.  It’s like it was yesterday! Mays was the ultimate five-tool player – speed; power; batting average; fielding; and arm strength.  Many will remember his 24 All-Star games, 12 Gold Gloves, 660 HRs, or certainly the amazing over the head catch in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series.  For me though, it will be the image of that patient, 1968 double, forever etched in my mind.  His incredible career is detailed in a recently released book by John Shea, “24: Life Stories and Lessons from the Say Hey Kid”.

Pete Rose.  Growing up in Cincinnati with the Big Red Machine, every kid could pick his baseball idol from the Reds All-Stars.  Mine was Pete; and any visitor to my home now will see his shrine and agree.  I saw Rose play many times in Cincinnati, but my favorite image was actually in May 1978 at Wrigley Field.  Pete always played the villain as a visiting player.  No one outside of Cincinnati liked his brashness, his sprinting to first base after a walk, and his running over catcher Ray Fosse in the 1970 All-Star Game.  In 1978, he was leading off and playing third base for the Reds.  I remember his reaching base in his first at-bat, and then sliding headfirst into third base after a single to the outfield.  The crowd booed; I smiled. Later in the game with bases loaded and two outs, a Cubs hitter lined a ball headed down the left field line but Rose leaped and snagged it.  He then spiked the ball onto the infield turf emphasizing the third out.   In the restroom between innings, I never remember hearing so many interesting adjectives about my favorite player.  Unfortunately, Pete will go down in history for his gambling in baseball.  I like to think about his being the all-time MLB leader in hits (4,256) and games played (3,562).  Rose played the game with enthusiasm and grit, especially that May 1978 game in Chicago.

Roberto Clemente. In seventh grade I hit the jackpot, 3 Reds games that summer courtesy of “Straight A” tickets.  One of my games was against the Pirates.  Our seats were pretty good, in the green, second level down the right field line.  The Pirates star player, Roberto Clemente, was in the lineup, batting third and playing right field.  Sometime in the game Bobby Tolan, the Reds fastest player, hit a ball toward the right field corner.  Clemente cut the ball off and threw out Tolan sliding into second.  That’s my image of the great Clemente, similar to the one many have of him from the 1971 World Series when he pirouetted and threw a cannon shot to nail the Orioles’ Merv Rettenmund sliding into third base.  Clemente was magnificent at the plate (3,000 career hits and a .317 batting average) and as a fielder (12 consecutive seasons as a Gold Glover).  His contribution to the game though extended beyond the field, as we honor #21 each year by awarding an MLB player who “best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and individual contributions to his team” with the Roberto Clemente Award.  Sadly, he left us much too early.

Ken Griffey, Jr.  For a Baseball Dad there is no better Father’s Day than spending it at an MLB ballpark with your kids.  That was the setting on Sunday, June 20, 2004, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, as two of my daughters and I watched the Reds’ Ken Griffey, Jr. step to the plate in the sixth inning against Cardinals’ pitcher Matt Morris.  Junior hit a home run over the right field wall for his 500th career HR.  After he toured the bases, he found someone special to hug in the first row outside the Cincinnati dugout, his dad, Ken Griffey, Sr. I remember hugging my girls as well. Griffey’s career was outstanding, his early and best days with the Mariners, his time with the Reds, and then his return to Seattle to celebrate his historic numbers – 630 HRs, 10 Gold Gloves, and playing in four different decades.  But the baseball image many of us will always have of Junior was his sweet swing, reminiscent of the Cubs’ Billy Williams, and of course the Kid’s big smile, especially the one on Father’s Day in 2004.

Johnny Bench.  Wearing number 5, and most often batting 5th in the Reds lineup, is the greatest catcher ever, Johnny Bench.  I started the blog this spring with my favorite moment in baseball, Bench’s ninth-inning home run in the 5th game of the 1972 NLCS.  My image of Bench during the Big Red Machine years is more about his defense.  I used to love going to Reds games early to take in fielding practice.  It was downright crazy to see him throw to the bases in the warm-ups.  I recall being at my family’s dinner table when we talked about Bench – my Mom called him “JB” and reported on his bachelor status; my Dad marveled at how Bench excelled whenever the camera was on, even in celebrity golf tournaments; and I would update everyone on his stats.  No stats to offer now; just simply, best catcher ever!

Ozzie Smith.  A dream summer night in St. Louis is a Cardinals’ baseball game and a frozen ice cream concrete at Ted Drewes afterwards.  That was life for me in the 1980s.  It also meant seeing the most acrobatic shortstop ever to play the game, the “Wizard of Oz”.  Ozzie would turn your head every game with a backhand stop in the hole, an Astroturf skip throw, a behind the shoulder catch, or if you were really lucky, a backflip as he took the field.  He won 13 consecutive Gold Gloves for his defensive mastery, and was clearly the leader of the Cardinal teams who won three NL pennants in the 1980s.  My favorite image of Ozzie though was Game 5 of the 1985 NLCS when he hit a walk-off home run against the Dodgers.  Little did I know then that the late Jack Buck’s call of the HR, “Go crazy, folks! Go crazy!” would become one of the legendary broadcasting moments of our time.  I didn’t hear it; I was at the game going crazy!

Joe Morgan.  What, my third member of the Big Red Machine in the Top Ten!  I can’t help it.   I just loved watching Little Joe!  With the “chicken flap” of his left elbow while taking his batting stance, he did it offensively for power and average.  Morgan was not blessed with a strong arm, but he more than made up for it as a second baseman with incredible range, a quick release, and flat out baseball smarts.  I used to enjoy watching him sitting in the dugout next to manager Sparky Anderson and providing Sparky with a player’s insight.  Morgan was also known for his base stealing, and that’s the strongest image I have of his playing days.  Many infields during that time had all Astroturf with dirt cutouts around the bases.  Riverfront Stadium was no exception.  When Morgan would take a lead off first, you would always check to see if he had both feet on the Astroturf.   And if so, he was likely to go!  He made the Big Red Machine go!

Albert Pujols.  There have been only a handful of MLB players who are pure hitters with flawless mechanics. Ted Williams, Tony Gwinn, and Kirby Puckett certainly come to mind. Add Pujols to that list! Early in his career with the Cardinals, he was the kind of hitter that you made sure you were in your seat for every at-bat.  I attended games just to see Pujols hit. During Albert’s eleven years in St. Louis, he won three NL MVP awards.  Since his trade to the Angels after the 2011 season, Pujols has had productive years but has been somewhat out of the limelight.  Baseball’s 60-game season this year probably hurts him the most.  With 656 career home runs going into this season, he had an outside chance at some point of reaching Bonds’ record of 762 (Aaron had 755) or, more probable, sneaking into third past Babe Ruth (714).   Pujols might not have that opportunity anymore.

Javier Baez.  Just when you think I’m living too much in past memories, here comes Javi, my favorite, current player, in the Top Ten.  Baez does it all on an everyday basis.  In his first six seasons in MLB, he has demonstrated power at the plate (2018 Silver Slugger Award and NL RBI champ) and exceptional defense as an infielder – range; arm strength; and game awareness.  But what makes Baez an even more complete player is his base running.  Baez puts pressure on the opposing team like no other. Last June the Braves were in Chicago for an afternoon game against the Cubs.  Baez was clearly beaten by a throw to second base but Javi not once, but twice, eluded the tag of the Atlanta infielder.  As Javi continues to rack up numbers and receive awards, he will move up this list for sure.  Right now, I’ll proudly wear his jersey #9 and watch him play.

Nolan Arenado. Rounding out the Top Ten is the only infielder to win the Gold Glove in each of his first seven MLB seasons, another current star, third baseman Nolan Arenado.  I’ve made a couple trips to Coors Field in Denver the last few years to see him play, and have been in attendance when the Rockies visited St. Louis and Chicago. On each occasion, I kept thinking that he is baseball’s hidden treasure.  Since his rookie season in 2013, Arenado has the won the Silver Slugger Award four times and twice led the NL in both HRs and RBIs.  Defensively, I haven’t seen anyone play the 3rd base position like him – range; arm strength; and quickness.  During this long offseason, there have been rumors of Colorado trading Arenado.  The other 29 MLB teams should be knocking down the Rockies’ door with offers.  He’s that good; his rise in my rankings is imminent.

This has been a welcomed respite before the 2020 season finally begins.  I know I’ve left off some great players during the past 50 years – Hank Aaron; Mike Schmidt; Frank Thomas; and today, Mike Trout.  They weren’t included in my list because I couldn’t recall a special moment when I saw them play.  I know you might have that image, and I look forward to reading your comments.  Who is on your list?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Sound of Silence

Baseball is such a great way to reconnect with friends.  I recently caught up with a teammate I met at a baseball camp over twenty years ago.  It felt good to talk about the former MLB players we met at camp, the games we played, and the laughs we shared.  For thirty minutes or so we were both kids again.  My friend mentioned that his attending a baseball game, unlike other sporting events, allows him to relax and take in the quietness of the game.  I couldn’t agree more.  Yes, the experience at a ballpark today is somewhat different than in the past, but there still can be a certain calmness about it that makes me happy.  I love hearing the crack of the bat, the calls of the vendors, and all the wonderful sounds of the game.  

As we remain hopeful of a shortened season either through an agreement by MLB and the Players Association or Commissioner Manfred’s mandate, it’s clear that any MLB games played in 2020 will be without fans in attendance.   For a baseball player, appearing before a large crowd is not all that common. High school players typically see only parents and perhaps a girlfriend in the stands, and some college experiences are the same.  While minor league baseball has seen an uptick in attendance and fan excitement, it’s not until you reach the MLB, or “the Show”, when you play before large crowds.  One of my favorite scenes from the 2002 movie “The Rookie” is when 37-year old Tampa Bay Devil Rays rookie pitcher Jim Morris, played by Dennis Quaid, looks up in amazement at the upper level of the grandstands in his first MLB game at the Ballpark in Arlington (home of the Texas Rangers).  He finally made it; there is a second level of seating!

What sounds at the ballpark am I going to miss?  Certainly organ music comes to mind.   The first time an organ was played at an MLB game was on April 26, 1941, at Wrigley Field.  Chicago organist Ray Nelson started a long line of legendary organists in ballparks, including the Yankees’ Eddie Layton and Nancy Faust of the White Sox.  Faust was particularly cutting edge, famous for playing “Na, Na, hey hey, goodbye” to arouse the home crowd.  As baseball moved into the 1970s, many teams played in the cookie-cutter, multi-purpose stadiums and abandoned the organ music.  Old-time ballparks though, like Wrigley, have kept the tradition alive.  Beginning with the end of the 1986 season through his retirement this past year, Gary Pressy delighted Cubs fans with daily renditions of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”, “Go Cubs Go” after a win, and numerous in-game ditties reflecting what just happened on the field.  And while we’re talking about music at the ballpark, this baseball purist can do without the loud, piped in music, including the batter “walk up” themes that are so popular now.

I’m also going to miss the vendors in the stands with their pleas of “Get your hot dogs here”.  Exploring food options at a ballpark nowadays is like paging through the menu of the “Cheesecake Factory”; there is so much to offer!  But I’ll take my simple dog, with mustard, the best food attraction for most baseball fans with over 26 million sold annually at MLB ballparks.  Or perhaps I’ll take one next year. And of course there are the calls of the beer vendors. Sometimes it’s a simple “Beer Man” that catches your attention, but more often you are drawn to a brand, “Cold Budweiser”.  Along the third base side at Wrigley you are even treated to the sweet tunes of the singing beer vendor.  I’ll miss that in 2020.  But what I won’t miss, the constant handing of money to the guy in the middle of the row.  It’ll be interesting to see if that practice continues going forward.

I’ll miss viewing the scoreboard at the game.  For me, that means studying the information one can find there – the score and inning; the statistics of the pitcher and the hitter; and my personal favorite, the scores of other games being played in MLB during a pennant race.  At Wrigley, the bleacher bums will miss the pitter-patter of the Balls and Strikes being transmitted to the manual scoreboard from the press box by “Quick Rick” Fuhs, the fastest in the game.  I won’t miss the advertisements or promotions blasting on the scoreboard; not at all. While I enjoy watching a replay or two on the electronic scoreboard, I can also get that at home.  And what I certainly won’t miss is any prompting by the scoreboard operators of fan noise.  I’ve always wanted to replace “Let’s Make Some Noise” with “Let’s Watch the Game”.   I remember in the 1970s observing with great disdain these giant hands clap on the scoreboard at Cincinnati’s Riverfront Stadium.  Please, no.

How about the sound of booing at the ballpark?  I don’t mind it all.  In fact, I think I’ll miss that part of the fan experience.  Sometimes, booing a visiting player is a compliment, demonstrating fan knowledge of a star player.  I’m that guy who loves to clap for the opposing player when he makes an outstanding play, a show of respect.  Unfortunately, home team players often are recipients of booing, due to a slump at the plate, making a critical error, or a poor pitching performance.  And of course most of the booing is directed at the umpires, especially by the fan in the left field pavilion screaming about the strike zone!  Yeah, I’ll admit it, that used to be me, but age has helped this crazy behavior.  Hopefully this season, I’ll get the chance to watch MLB games at home and complain that the strike-zone technology demonstrated that the home plate umpire is missing pitches.  Of course I’d much rather hear booing while I’m at the ballpark, than my own “Aw, come on!” at the television screen.

There is so much offered at the ballpark today to interest the younger fans and attract new fans.   Where do we cross the line between good, plain fun and gimmickry?  In 1981 at a game in Oakland, the A’s fans started the first known “wave” in MLB history.  A wave really needs a full ballpark; that’s not happening. For me, I’m glad we seem to be out of that phase at ballparks.  I do though like mascots at MLB games.  The first known mascot was Mr. Met in 1964 at Shea Stadium.  There have been some legendary ones, such as the San Diego Chicken introduced in 1977 and my personal favorite, the Phillie Phanatic.  These three mascots are all in the Mascot Hall of Fame (yes, there is one).  I remember my grandson’s smile last year when he met Clark the Cub at Wrigley.  It was in stark contrast to his mother’s reaction to St. Louis’ Fredbird 30 years ago.  The fun with the mascots though stops for me when they appear on top of the dugouts with a number of team promoters blowing whistles and shooting t-shirts to the crowd.   I’m glad I won’t hear that sound this year.

How will no fans in the stands impact play on the field?  I heard a former MLB pitcher remark that it might take 1 or 2 mph off of a fastball; that will be analyzed I’m sure. I have to admit that I’ve chuckled over seeing the new practice of players gathering on the pitching mound and talking into their gloves in noisy ballparks.  That will certainly continue now in the empty ballparks.  In April 2015, we did experience an MLB game in a quiet setting, a game at Camden Yards between the Orioles and White Sox.  Tragically, the scene is all too familiar today.  The city of Baltimore was experiencing much civil unrest as a result of a police incident a few weeks earlier.  The games of April 27 and 28 were cancelled for safety reasons, but MLB permitted the teams to play on April 29 with only the teams and media present.  It was eerily quiet in the ballpark that day, so much so that the WGN-TV microphones could pick up conversations on the field.  Interestingly, the game was played in 2 hours, 3 minutes.  Maybe there is one, small silver lining in this mess.

In Simon and Garfunkel’s hit song “Sound of Silence” 50 years ago, the lyrics “people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening”, ring true in baseball today.  Perhaps it is a message to MLB and the Players Association about their negotiations over the past month.  Paul Sullivan, president of the Baseball Writers’ Association, had this to say:  “Speaking on behalf of baseball fans everywhere, we’re tired of your incessant squabbling, your inane counterproposals and your constant harrumphing.”  We all just want to hear these words in our empty ballparks soon, “Play Ball”.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Negro League Baseball

When my daughters each turned ten years old, I took them on a weeklong car trip where we would visit MLB and minor league ballparks, an amusement park, and often a couple museums.  They were carefully designed trips by a baseball-crazy dad with a game to see each day as we toured the Midwest.  Together, we shared special one-on-one time with lots of baseball and fun, some not so healthy food, and a little education, all mixed in.  When our plan was to swing through Kansas City, I always included a tour of the Negro League Baseball Museum (NLBM) on the itinerary.   With each visit to NLBM I discovered new exhibits and information and became a little better in understanding the story and explaining its significance to my daughters.  Let’s take a trip to NLBM now at this critical moment in our lives.

To attempt to adequately share the history of Negro League Baseball in this space is humbling.  It’s full of wonderful teams and players, historical figures, fan passion, and of course, racism.  The first black professional baseball team was the Cuban Giants in 1885, formed due to the fact that blacks were not accepted into white major or minor league baseball.  Jim Crow laws, enacted in the 1870s and 1880s in many states, mandated racial segregation.   While the Giants and a handful of other black teams played in early, organized leagues, they made the most money through “barnstorming” around the country to play any team that would accept their challenge.  Some of the great black teams in the early 1900s included the Chicago Union Giants (renamed the Leland Giants in 1905 by a white, Chicago business owner, Frank Leland), the Philadelphia Giants, and the Cuban X-Giants.

Rube Foster was the dominant black player in the early 1900s, pitching the Cuban X-Giants to the first “Colored Championship” in 1903, and then, after changing teams, the Philadelphia Giants in the next season.   Foster joined the Leland Giants in 1907, not only as its star player but also manager, becoming one of the great innovators in baseball history.   Foster’s teams were known for taking the extra base, hit and runs, and having batters go deep into counts.  He was also quite the businessman, soon replacing Leland on the financial side of the club.  All along, it was Foster’s vision to create an all-black league with all-black owners.  His vision became a reality in February 1920 when he founded the Negro National League at the Paseo YMCA in Kansas City, just a few blocks from the present site of NLBM.  His team, the Chicago American Giants, was one of the eight original teams, a Midwestern-based league that also included the Kansas City Monarchs.  Foster, known as the “father of Black Baseball”, was named league president and controlled the league in all operational aspects.  He was elected to Baseball’s HOF in 1981.

Negro league baseball in the 1920s expanded into other leagues and areas of the country, oftentimes becoming the focal point of black communities.  The height of Negro league baseball was probably between 1935 and 1945 with games being played before many sell-out crowds.  The Negro National League II (reestablished in 1933) and the Negro American League (formed in 1937) were the two last and competing leagues.  Standing in the way of integration with the white major leagues was Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, MLB’s first Commissioner in 1920, who opposed the signing of any black player.  Landis’ successor in 1944 was Happy Chandler, who began his tenure with this plea in support of black players in the MLB:  “If  they can fight and die on Okinawa, Guadalcanal and in the South Pacific, they can play ball in America.”  The integration story started with Dodgers owner Branch Rickey’s signing of Jackie Robinson to a minor league contract in 1945, but it was a slow process.  In 1947 Rickey was the only owner out of 16 who voted to support the integration of black players into MLB.  Commissioner Chandler overruled the owners, paving the way to the signing of black prospects into MLB and the decline of Negro League Baseball interest and teams.

MLB Hall of Famers Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Ernie Banks are just a few of the greatest baseball players of all-time who played in Negro League Baseball.   While you might be familiar with their stories, it’s also important to know the story of some others, such as Satchel Paige, who may be the top right-handed pitcher ever.  Paige began his career with the Chattanooga Black Lookouts of the Negro Southern League in 1926.  In 1929, Satchel had 179 strikeouts while pitching for the Birmingham Black Barons, believed to be a Negro League record.  Paige drew huge crowds throughout the Negro Leagues, often making spot appearances for various teams so they and he could cash in on his celebrity.   While starring for the Kansas City Monarchs in the 1940s, he was making four times the salary of any player in the Negro Leagues. Known for his overpowering fastball, pinpoint control, and flamboyant personality, story has it that he would from time to time ask his infielders to sit down, and then promptly strike out the side.  In 1948, at the age of 42, he signed with the Cleveland Indians as the oldest MLB rookie ever. He pitched in the World Series that year as the first Negro League player.  Satchel Paige ended his active career with the St. Louis Browns at the age of 47.  He was elected to Baseball’s HOF in 1971.

One Negro League player who never received the honor of induction into Baseball’s HOF is Buck O’Neil.  O’Neil’s career though is more than admirable, as he symbolized the vision of Negro League Baseball as a player, manager, MLB scout, and founder of NLBM.  Buck was a solid first baseman and hitter, starring for the Kansas City Monarchs beginning in 1938.  Taking a chapter from Rube Foster’s book, O’Neil became player manager of the Monarchs in 1948.   He managed the Monarchs during the final years of the Negro American League. In 1955, O’Neil became a scout for the Chicago Cubs.  His affiliation with the Monarchs led to the signing of Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Lou Brock.  The Cubs named Buck the first MLB black coach in 1962. O’Neil served as a member of Baseball’s Hall of Fame Veterans Committee for 20 years, a catalyst for the induction of Negro League players into the HOF.  In 1990 he turned to his greatest passion, the establishment of NLBM, the first and only museum dedicated to preserving the memories of Negro League Baseball.   Buck O’Neil served as NLBM’s chairman until his passing in 2006.

The pandemic’s impact on baseball this year is more than just lost games, but also lost opportunities.  In a press release issued in February, MLB announced its plans to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Negro League Baseball.   Tony Clark, Executive Director of the Players Association, remarked:  “The (Negro Leagues) brought to our game levels of skill, passion, and integrity under the most challenging of circumstances that both inspired and entertained generations of fans in the decades before and after integration.”   MLB and the Players Association jointly donated $1 million to the centennial celebration.  In less than two weeks, on June 27, teams throughout baseball were to have special events and tribute games.  Those plans, when rescheduled, couldn’t come at a better time.  And the NLBM itself, celebrating its own anniversary, 30 years, has much more now to offer.  Of particular note is that NLBM has developed innovative curriculum for students around the country to use baseball for learning math and science.

There’s never been a week in my life when I’ve read so many thoughtful statements from people and organizations about our continuing struggle with racism.  I found two comments in the Chicago Tribune’s sports section last Tuesday that really struck a chord.  Journalist DeAntae Prince summed up the Drew Brees incident in this way:  “Now (he) will receive forgiveness and opportunities to learn more about racism, and there’s even privilege in that, being able to pick up a book or have a conversation about the topic rather than experience it.”  Cubs President Theo Epstein echoed that privilege in his statement:  “I can’t begin to walk in the shoes of a black person in this country or a black player in Major League Baseball.  I think it’s also looking inward, too. I think that’s an opportunity that we all have to take in society as well as in the game, is being able to look hard at ourselves.”

To learn, to educate, to look in the mirror; I’ll accept all of that.  One of my favorite images from visiting NLBM was watching kids play in the indoor baseball field alongside the statues of those Negro League Baseball players they just learned about.  Something good happens out of that play acting. I want to return to NLBM soon, hopefully with a grandson, to learn more, to help educate him, and perhaps look in the mirror together, with the hope that his generation someday won’t need to anymore.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Shortened Season

Years ago in youth baseball we practiced during the week and played our games on Saturday.  Oh did I dread hearing the words “it might rain tomorrow” on Fridays before games!  I would get up on Saturday morning and look out the window with the hope that the raindrops had stayed away.  Often the rains came despite my wishes.  The telephone would ring with the news that our game was postponed until a later date.  It would always seem like forever to the next game.  That is how I am feeling today.  The days have become weeks, and the weeks have become months.  Every time a new proposal is made, I hear the pessimistic words from a baseball insider that “we might not play this year”.  While I want the players and all club personnel to take every precaution and be safe, I selfishly don’t want the months to become a year. 

The 1918 MLB season is frighteningly similar to our present circumstances.  Early in 1918 the first wave of the Spanish flu had swept across the country, a pandemic that would last three years and kill 675,000 U.S. citizens and 50 million people worldwide.   Our country was fighting World War I at the time, and the War Department issued travel restrictions and bans on public gatherings.  Fearful of a second wave of the flu, the War Department allowed MLB to continue play during the summer only if the season ended by September 1st and the World Series by September 15th.   Much like the current MLB proposal where travel would be restricted in a regional play format, the Cubs and Red Sox opted for the first three games to be played in Chicago at Comiskey Park (the Cubs’ home, Weeghman Park, was deemed too small) and all remaining games at Fenway; no other travel.  On September 11th the Red Sox completed their 4 games to 2 Series win.

That September World Series, the only one of its kind, was historic for many reasons.  On the day before the Series was to begin, a bomb exploded at Chicago’s Federal Building killing 4 people, injuring 75 others, and adding to the anxiety whether the Series should even be played.  In response to the tension in the stands and to promote patriotism, the U.S. Navy band began to play “The Star Spangled Banner” during the 7th inning stretch of Game 1.   The players and fans responded by standing and saluting the American flag, a tribute that set the stage for playing the “National Anthem” before American sporting events in years to come.  On the playing field, fans were treated to baseball’s greatest player, Babe Ruth, on the mound. The Babe won games 1 and 4 by giving up only two runs in 17 innings pitched.  In late 1919 he was traded to New York and quickly became the legendary Yankee slugger.

The 1918 World Series in other ways foreshadows the issues MLB faces today.  The fall-out of playing the Series before fans in Chicago and Boston, even though the crowds were less than capacity, is disheartening.  Shortly after the Series, the second wave of the Spanish flu hit hard, especially in the two host cities.  By the end of 1918, Chicago’s excess death rate (above normal that was attributed to the flu) was 373 out of 100,000 people, only to be exceeded by Boston’s, an alarming 710 out of 100,000.   If we learned just one thing one hundred years ago, it is to keep the fans out of the stands during a pandemic.  We also witnessed the discomfort of having labor discord while others are facing more important issues.  Before Game 5 of the 1918 World Series players from both teams waged an hourlong strike to try and get a bigger portion of the Series proceeds.   The players were persuaded to play since the optics were clearly bad.  Harry Hooper of the Red Sox said they played “for the sake of the wounded soldiers and sailors who are in the grandstand waiting for us.”  

A much bigger labor dispute caused a shortened season in 1981.  The players’ strike in the middle of the season cancelled games for two months and split the season into two halves.  Similar to today’s proposal of adding two teams to the 12-team postseason format, MLB played an extra round of playoffs in 1981, featuring division winners from the first half against winners from the second half.  Unfortunately, the Reds, with a 66-42 record and best overall in baseball, finished second in both halves and did not make the 8-team playoff.  While a 2020 shortened season won’t produce such an absurd result, playing less than 162 games might call into question the World Series result.  Just last year the Nationals were 19-31 at the 50-game mark and needed a second half surge to provide us with the fall memories.  How many games is enough?  Perhaps Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt recently summed it up the best:  “If you need a number, you could probably crown a champion following a 60-game regular season.  It’s all about money and what everyone is willing to gamble to stop losing it.”

The work stoppage in 1994 illustrates another risk of a shortened season, having the season end prior to declaring a champion in the postseason.  On August 11, 1994, MLB play stopped due to a players’ strike and didn’t return until late April of 1995.  The statistics of the teams and players in the ’94 season remain on the official books, but seem empty.  The White Sox were in the midst of their finest season since 1983, leading the AL Central and perhaps on their way to the AL flag.  And how about the Montreal Expos with the best overall record in baseball at 74-40 and a legitimate shot at its first world championship?! Sorry, no postseason play for either team.  The player statistic that jumps out is the .394 batting average of Tony Gwynn over 117 games.  We’ll never know if Gwynn might have posted a .400 average last reached by Ted Williams in 1941.  MLB lost significant postseason revenue in 1994, one of its concerns this year if the season doesn’t start soon and cannot be completed due to COVID-19.  What MLB also lost that season was the baseball fan’s commitment to the game.  Attendance and viewership post-1994 suffered, resulting in a declining fan base that MLB has struggled to recapture.

The 1918, 1981, and 1994 shortened seasons illustrate the issues MLB now faces in addressing the pandemic.  Somehow baseball has always survived.  We’ve endured labor disputes, as well as all sorts of cancellations and delays due to heavy snow and rain, extreme cold and heat, high winds, hurricanes, and last May in Cincinnati even a swarm of bees.  The most memorable cancellation due to natural causes was Game 3 of the 1989 World Series when a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area prior to the game.  The A’s and Giants resumed the Series 10 days later.  And probably the most humorous delay involved just one pitch!  In Game 4 of the 2011 NLDS series, Phillies pitcher Roy Oswalt complained that a squirrel at Busch Stadium in St. Louis had ran past him and his pitch should not count.  The umpires rejected his plea, and the “Rally Squirrel” would help the Cardinals in their own run to the world championship.

Boy we could use a “Rally Squirrel” about now announcing strict medical protocols to be in place and a shortened season starting sometime soon.  82 games (MLB’s proposal), 114 games (Player Association’s response), 50 games (apparently MLB’s current fallback), or frankly any number of games with a view toward a September or October postseason, would be welcomed news.  My wife and I got married in 1981, right in the middle of MLB’s work stoppage.  It was my bright idea to stop in Paducah, Kentucky, on our drive back from our honeymoon for dinner and, believe it or not, an American Legion baseball game.  Somehow, our marriage has survived all of the times since then when MLB play has been interrupted.  I just wish now that I would be looking out my window worrying about whether rain might delay or postpone today’s game. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Sign Stealing

I recently found “Ball Four” on my book shelf, a tell all account of pitcher Jim Bouton’s season with the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969.   When the book was first circulated fifty years ago, it drew as much controversy in the baseball world as the revelations of the Astros’ cheating scandal this past winter.  Using a flashlight in my bedroom in 1970, I was able to get through part of the story until one day the book mysteriously disappeared.  Dad had discovered that I was reading it and promptly took the book to his workplace to be returned “when I was ready for it”.   That copy was never seen again.   So now, with a new copy in hand, finally I think I’m ready for Bouton’s inside scoop on baseball.  It’s a great read, and actually funny to think of now as being so scandalous at the time.  Yes, there are some stories of players on road trips, but what I have enjoyed the most is Bouton’s explanation of the nuances of baseball, such as the secret language of signs.

Communicating to batters and base runners with signals by the third base coach has long been part of baseball’s mystique.   Before the pitch is delivered to the plate both the batter and base runner will check if there is a “play on” – take, bunt, hit and run, suicide squeeze, etc.  Since it’s fair game for the opposing team to attempt to “steal” the sign, the third base coach masks the signals through an indicator (the hot sign is the next one after), wipe off (previous signs are negated), or number of touches (each numbered touch represents a sign).   Some former players, coaches, and managers in the MLB are notorious for stealing signs, such as Lou Piniella, Don Zimmer, and Roger Craig.  A lesser known sign stealing expert was former White Sox coach Joe Nossek.  Nossek, a college math major who had a brief playing career, made a 40-year MLB coaching career out of deciphering signals.  He kept a notebook on all opponents and the tendencies he observed during the game.

There is a second set of baseball signs, the catcher’s signals to a pitcher on what pitch to throw.  Depending on the number of pitches in his arsenal, a pitcher looks for 1 – fastball; 2- curve; 3 – change up, and location.  In his book, Bouton humorously talks about having poor eyesight so the number of times the catcher flashed his fingers replaced the actual numbers.  Here too, a catcher needs to use indicators and/or a numbering system to disguise the signal when there are runners on base, especially second.  It’s common practice for a base runner to attempt to relay to a batter the type of pitch or location.  Many batters want the information, but some don’t.   Pete Rose has remarked that he never asked for help since the runner might be wrong and he wanted to simply react to the pitch.  While some in baseball contend the practice violates unwritten rules of etiquette, to this day stealing signs is not a violation of MLB rules.

When do we cross the line from gamesmanship to cheating?   MLB’s answer has consistently been where equipment is used to steal the signs.  As far back as 1961 the National League banned the use of any “mechanical device” to steal signs.  In 2001 MLB issued a memorandum declaring that teams cannot use any “electronic” equipment to communicate during games, especially for stealing signs.  More recently, in March 2018 and 2019 MLB distributed guidance memos prohibiting the use of equipment in the clubhouse, video rooms, replay booths, and dugouts for the purpose of sign stealing.   The #1 concern for any sports governing body is safeguarding the public trust that outcomes of games and championships are decided fairly.  I remember watching Game 7 of the 2017 World Series when FOX commentator Joe Buck and analyst John Smoltz discussed Dodgers ace Yu Darvish possibly “tipping” his pitches as a reason for the Astros success against him.   To learn later that Darvish’s poor performance and Houston’s world championship might have been the result of illegal sign stealing sacrifices that trust.

Unfortunately, the 2017 World Series is not the first altered MLB result due to sign stealing.  There are early MLB stories of hiding people in shacks in the outfield, backup players using binoculars and a telegraph, and coaches standing on a box with electric wires relaying coded messages, all for the purpose of alerting hitters to what pitch was coming.  Some of baseball’s greatest players and moments are also marred.   Ty Cobb admitted that there was a scoreboard spy in Detroit who used binoculars to detect the opposing catcher’s signals and advise the hitter of the pitch by opening and closing a letter in a Tiger Stadium advertising sign.   Bob Feller, renowned for his lightning fastball on the mound, came back from World War II with a military gun scope to assist his team’s hitters.  And probably one of the top five moments in baseball history, New York Giants Bobby Thompson’s “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” home run that ended the 1951 World Series victory over the Yankees, was the result of a tipped pitch, although Thompson never admitted it.

Last November Mike Fiers, an Oakland pitcher who was with the Astros in 2017, told “The Athletic” that Houston stole signs that season at Minute Maid Park with the help of a camera in the outfield.  He alleged that the camera was connected to a television monitor in the tunnel between the clubhouse and dugout, and players in the dugout would communicate to the hitter an off-speed pitch was coming by banging on a trash can.  MLB launched an investigation that involved interviews of 68 witnesses, including 23 current and former Astros players, and review of emails, video clips, text messages, and photographs, confirming the illegal practice during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In its January report, MLB named one player for his transgressions, Carlos Beltran, as well as 2017 bench coach, Joey Cora, who was part of the scheme.  Cora managed the Red Sox to a World Series win in 2018.  Beltran had been named the Mets manager for the 2020 season.

MLB fined the Astros $5 million, the maximum fine under its Constitution, and stripped the club of its first and second round draft choices in 2020 and 2021.  Manager AJ Hinch and GM Jeff Luhnow were both suspended for one season, and were promptly let go by the Astros.  Beltran was fired by the Mets without ever managing a game.  The Red Sox relieved Cora of his managerial duties due to his role in the Astros scandal, while MLB at the same time was investigating whether Boston had used a sign stealing scheme in its own 2018 championship run.  In April MLB ended its investigation into the Red Sox matter, suspending a video staffer involved and having the Red Sox surrender a second-round draft choice.  Interestingly, there is also a report of a lawsuit filed in California against the Astros by former MLB pitcher Mike Bolsinger claiming that the Astros’ scheme ended his career.  In addition to personal damages, Bolsinger’s suit seeks the Astros forfeiture of $30 million in 2017 postseason shares.

Was MLB’s discipline enough?  If the answer rests in whether it will deter future players from engaging in cheating, it falls woefully short of the mark.  Former Brewers manager George Bamberger offered this view of a player’s mindset:  “If you are a pro, then you often don’t decide whether to cheat based on if it’s ‘right or wrong’.  You base it on whether or not you can get away with it, and what the penalty might be.”   MLB has previously used its ultimate weapon, permanent ineligibility, in cases of gambling, conspiring to fix games, and substance abuse.  In the current scandal there is not even one player suspension.  Without appropriate discipline, it seems the baseball world’s confidence in the fairness of the outcomes of games and championships will always be an issue.  Was Jose Altuve wearing a buzzer under his Astros jersey when he hit his series-deciding walk-off home run in the 2019 ALCS?  We’ll never be sure.  The answer lies in how much risk Altuve was willing to take, and right now, the reward wins out.

Despite some rumblings, it took a former Astro, Mike Fiers, to report on the Astros’ activities two years after the fact for MLB to launch an investigation.  Indeed, Fiers was attacked by some players and media for being a snitch.  When “Ball Four” was released in 1970, Jim Bouton was summoned to New York by MLB commissioner Bowie Kuhn and asked to sign a statement that the events in the book were fictitious.  Bouton refused.  He, like Fiers, was just giving a factual account that embarrassed MLB.   My Dad did the right thing 50 years ago by taking “Ball Four” from his 11-year old son.  I wasn’t ready for it.  MLB should do the right thing now by taking championships away from teams that cheat.  Is baseball ready for it?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Universal DH

MLB has proposed a “Universal DH” once the season begins.  For the first time ever, both American League and National League teams might have the ability to utilize a designated hitter in the lineup for all regular season and playoff games.  When this proposed rule flashed at the bottom of the ESPN television screen, I didn’t think of it as earth-shattering.  Then, last Sunday, I watched a series of MLB “World Series Game Sevens” and it struck me how much the DH rule has impacted the game over the last 50 years.  In 1979, the Orioles hosted the Pirates in a Game 7 won by Pittsburgh.  Trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning, Baltimore manager Earl Weaver summoned power hitter Lee May (aka the “Big Bopper”) to pinch hit, in what was only his second plate appearance of the entire Series!  You see, May, one of the top designated hitters in the ’79 AL regular season, had lost his role in the Fall Classic because it was an odd-numbered year – what?  Oh yes, for almost 50 years MLB has struggled with the inequities of having separate rules in its two leagues.

First, let’s explore some quick background.  A designated hitter (DH) is a non-position player who replaces the pitcher in the batting order.  Its origin dates back to the late 1960s when pitching dominated baseball with the likes of Gibson, McClain, Jenkins, and Marichal.  Some ERAs were under 2.00 and only top batting averages neared .300.  Trying to find ways to add more offense to the game, MLB in 1969 proposed a “designated pinch hitter” for spring training games. The AL teams embraced it, while the NL teams, their ownership often portrayed as traditionalists, refused.   Finally, in 1973, Charlie Finley, owner of the Oakland A’s, spearheaded the American League‘s adoption of the DH rule for a 3-year trial period, a worthy experiment that has lasted now for 47 years.  In 1980, the National League held a vote among its 12 teams to adopt the rule – 4 yes; 5 no; and 3 abstentions – the result being two leagues continuing to play under different rules.  It’s the last time that the NL voted on whether to adopt the DH rule.

MLB has struggled with how to apply the DH rule when teams from the two leagues meet head to head.  At first, with no interleague play, the only issue was the World Series.  MLB opted for no DH in any of the World Series games from 1973-1975.  Beginning in 1976, the DH rule applied in World Series played in even-numbered years (hence, the Lee May story).  This practice lasted until 1986 when the DH rule was to be used in World Series games played in the AL ballparks only.  AL teams built around the use of a DH gained an advantage when they hosted World Series games, while NL teams in games at their ballparks without a DH could take advantage of their pitchers having batted throughout the year.  The home field DH advantage of course doesn’t always play out.  Recall just seven months ago in Game 7 of the World Series when Howie Kendrick, a Nationals power hitter who had been shaky in the field during the Series, was inserted into the lineup as a DH in the Astros’ home ballpark.  Kendrick delivered, a Series deciding HR!

With the advent in 1997 of interleague play during the regular season, MLB implemented the DH rule for interleague games played in the AL ballparks.  More than anything it’s led to distinct styles of play in the two leagues and a never-ending dispute on the implementation of the DH rule in baseball.  NL traditionalists contend that baseball should be played as a team game; all players must hit and field.  It paves the way for managerial strategy, i.e., when to pinch hit for a pitcher, the double switch, and the sacrifice bunt.  In their view, AL managers just have to roll out a lineup of sluggers trying to knock the ball out of the park.  Supporters of the DH rule in the American League argue that its managers do have strategic considerations – whether to rotate the DH among bench players; employ a full-time DH; and/or give an everyday player a DH role from time to time, limiting his exposure to injury. 

There are other considerations as well.  Joel Sherman of the New York Post believes that the MLB is proposing the Universal DH rule for this season “in part to protect pitchers who will have to ramp up to pitch in a shortened second spring.”  No doubt when play resumes managers will be careful about taxing their starting pitchers with long outings.  With expanded rosters, we may see this season, more than ever, shortened starts with a barrage of relievers.  With a limited number of top of the line pitchers available, why unnecessarily risk starters to injury while batting or running the bases?  You might remember the Cardinals’ Adam Wainwright tore his Achilles while running out a pop-up in 2015.  And just last year, the Nationals received a scare when their ace, Max Scherzer, broke his nose while bunting in the batting cage.

Traditionalists have long contended that the DH rule takes away an important element in the game, the strategy of a sacrifice bunt.   In March 2019 I watched the Seattle vs. Oakland series played in Tokyo.  In the 12th inning of the opening game with runners on 1st and 2nd and no out, Jay Bruce of the Mariners stepped to the plate.  When he fouled off the first pitch, there was a murmur of boos in the stands.  On the next pitch he flied out to left field, never making an attempt to simply advance the runners.  A cascade of boos could be heard; the Japanese fans couldn’t understand why a sacrifice bunt hadn’t been executed.  Indeed, that is just not the type of baseball played in the MLB anymore.  In 2019, NL teams averaged 35 sacrifice bunts for the season, while AL teams averaged just 16 per team, a reflection of pitchers at the plate in the NL.  But think of those numbers in terms of overall games played, 162!  Moving runners along with a sacrifice bunt has almost already become extinct.  To put it in perspective, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, the active leader in career sacrifice bunts, had 108 at the end of 2019 placing him in a tie for 334th on the all-time list.

An interesting question is which teams and players this season might benefit from the Universal DH.  A National League team, like the Reds, that didn’t have much offensive punch last season, will be able to insert one of their key off-season acquisitions, big hitting Nick Castellanos, into the lineup as the everyday DH without worrying about his outfield defense.  Yet, the Arizona Diamondbacks, who signed Madison Bumgarner to anchor its pitching staff, probably won’t have that MadBum hitting advantage in his starts, but will turn to everyday hitters to DH.  Since the MLB proposal includes regional scheduling (AL East and NL East teams facing off in the same division, etc.), perhaps American League teams that have been constructed to fill the DH slot on its rosters will have an advantage over their NL division counterparts.  As such, you might see a late scramble by NL teams for players to fill the DH position.  This would be welcome news to a player like Yasiel Puig, a big hitter who has yet to be signed.

Big boppers have filled the role of DH in the American League over the years.  Players like Edgar Martinez, David Ortiz, and Jose Canseco, and a trio of White Sox stars, Frank Thomas, Jim Thome, and Harold Baines, have extended their careers due to their excellence at the plate.  Many advocate the DH rule as a way to secure more jobs in the MLB for players whose fielding talents have eroded, yet the other side of it is perhaps the DH rule is taking jobs from younger players who can contribute in all phases of the game.   Paul Molitor was an exception to the big hitter stereotype, a line drive, gap hitter who in 1993 became the first DH to win the World Series MVP.   While Ortiz also captured the 2013 Series MVP as a DH, only Hideki Matsui of the Yankees in 2009 won a Series MVP while never playing the field during the season.  Hall of Famers who have been a DH in 50% or more of their career games include Thomas, Martinez, and Baines.  If the Universal DH is adopted going forward, that HOF DH list will certainly grow.

Over the last several Sundays, “Last Dance”, the story of Michael Jordan and the 1998 Chicago Bulls winning their sixth championship in eight years, captured the attention of sports fans.  In the final episode you are left with the question “what if” the team didn’t break up after the ’98 season.  Would there have been another one?   My thoughts turned to the 1976 Reds, considered one of the greatest MLB teams ever, a team that recorded a perfect 7-0 playoff record and was crowned the MLB World Champions for the second consecutive season. In the ’76 World Series the Reds’ Danny Driessen became the first National League player to act as a DH in any game.  He excelled, hitting .357 for the Series.  The Reds, without the DH rule in place in the NL regular season, traded one of their foundation players and team leaders, first baseman Tony Perez, in the offseason, making room for Driessen as the everyday first baseman in 1977.  The Big Red Machine of the ‘70s had been dismantled.  What if?

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

108 Stitches

When the MLB resumes this summer, it seems that the first slate of games, if not all of them, will be played without spectators in the stands.  I’ll miss not being at the ballpark for sure, but there is one sight either at the game or on television I’ll especially miss, the excitement of a fan snagging a foul ball.  I love those moments when, once caught or retrieved by a lucky fan, the baseball is given to a young family member or some other kid close by.  Oh the absolute joy of getting a baseball at the ballpark and slamming it into your mitt!  What is it about this Rawlings, MLB-approved, 108-stitch work of art, which makes it so special?  We give it lots of adjectives, “juiced”, “dead”, “spit”, “souvenir”, and “garbage”, but the name itself defines my favorite sport, BASEBALL.

I have to admit that I’ve been watching some of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) games on ESPN.  Not only do the games give me a needed boost, but they provide a glimpse of what to expect when MLB is back.  KBO is doing a lot of positive things – players and coaches going through fever screenings before entering the ballparks; continuous testing of all team employees; umpires and base coaches wearing protective masks; and prohibiting players from chewing tobacco, eating seeds, and high-fiving teammates with bare hands.  Some of the other KBO features I can do without – using murals of fans with protective masks in the stands; throwing out the ceremonial first pitch by rolling a kid in a big plastic ball from the mound to home plate; and cheerleaders (please no).  Overall though, it’s wonderful to see that baseball with which we are so familiar being fired to the plate; or are we so familiar?

What surprised me most in the first KBO broadcast was the commentators’ discussion about “juiced” baseballs.  Much like the MLB, KBO has been dealing with a controversy about the actual baseball being used.   KBO games in 2017 and 2018 showed the highest offensive numbers since the league’s inception in 1982.   The collective KBO-wide slugging percentage (total bases divided by at bats) was .450.  In response, last year KBO decided to “deaden” the baseballs by making the ball heavier and ever so slightly larger.   The 2019 KBO overall slugging percentage dropped 65 points to .385.  To put it into “home run” terms we can all understand, in 2018 33 KBO sluggers had 20 or more HRs and in 2019 there were only eleven. The home run rate was down a third and there was about half the number of HRs per game in the KBO compared to MLB numbers.

KBO is certainly ahead of the curve on this issue.  It’s not a news flash to report that the MLB had record home run production in 2019.   The major league-wide 6,776 HRs hit in 2019 was 671 more than the previous record in 2017 of 6,105, an 11% increase.  The 2018 Yankees team record of 267 HRs was obliterated by the Twins in 2019 with 307.  Three other MLB teams, the Yankees, Astros and Dodgers, surpassed the prior record as well.  Indeed, 14 of the 30 MLB teams set franchise records for HRs!  Commissioner Rob Manfred addressed the juiced ball at the 2019 All-Star break, downplaying it a little and even suggesting that the MLB has nothing to do with the actual manufacturing of the baseball.   Joe Maddon’s reaction to the controversy was priceless, musing that MLB should stamp “Titleist” on the ball, not “Rawlings”.

Will we see a new baseball in the MLB this season?  The topic was an issue at baseball’s winter meetings last December in San Diego.  Rawlings CEO, Michael Zlaket, said this about the controversy:  “We have never been asked to juice or dejuice a baseball, and we’ve never done anything of that sort.”  Rawlings has manufactured the official MLB baseball since 1977, and in 2018 became co-owned by MLB.  An investigative committee reported that the 2019 MLB home run production was 60% the result of seams being slightly tighter and 40% the result of the emphasis of launch angles by hitters.  In addition, pitchers have complained that the game balls are slicker nowadays, perhaps due to to an inconsistent pre-game application of mud to the baseballs. Rawlings is in the testing phases of a baseball that doesn’t require “mudding”.

The importance of the juiced ball issue is that when the baseball isn’t flying out of the ballpark the game becomes more strategy-driven.  This was apparent over 100 years ago in the “Dead Ball Era” (1900-1920) when teams relied on hit-and-runs and stolen bases to generate offense.  In 13 seasons during that time the league leader in HRs had fewer than 10!  There were several factors that helped contribute to a lack of offense:  “spitballs” or defacing the baseball in any way for it to move erratically was permissible; the ball had a rubber core, making it softer; the ballpark dimensions were larger compared to today’s parks; and baseballs were used repeatedly throughout the game, sometimes over 100 pitches, causing the ball to soften even more in the later innings (or become “dead”).  When Babe Ruth became a fearsome power hitter in 1919 with a whopping total of 29 HRs, there was much excitement generated.  The game turned to a livelier ball to promote offensive production, and in turn, ticket sales.  And in 1920, when Ray Chapman, a player, was fatally beaned, MLB adopted a rule that the baseball must be replaced every time it got dirty or marked in any way.

Another part of the story is the advent of the “souvenir” baseball.   During this same period the Federal League was formed, an eight-team league that served as competition to the National and American Leagues.  Charles Weeghman brought his team, first named the Federals and then Whales, to his newly built Weeghman Park (now Wrigley Field) in 1914.   Weeghman wanted his Federal League team to be as fan-friendly as possible, so he allowed fans to keep foul balls they caught.  This broke with the tradition, and in many areas of the country the law, of giving the foul balls back to the ballpark ushers so they could be reused in the game.   When the Federal League folded and Weeghman was able to purchase the Cubs in 1916 and bring them to Weeghman Park, he continued this practice.  Some National League teams protested, arguing that the Cubs owed them money for balls kept by the fans.  Finally, in 1921, after the New York Supreme Court ruled against the New York Giants and allowed one of its fans, Reuben Berman, to keep a foul ball and receive monetary damages, MLB adopted “Reuben’s Rule”, fans could now bring those coveted foul balls home.

While the policy of keeping foul balls began at Wrigley Field, so did the tradition of returning to the field home run balls hit by opposing players.   In 1969, one of Wrigley’s bleacher fans, Ron Grousl, caught Hank Aaron’s 521st home run, a landmark one tying Ted Williams on the all-time HR list.  After the game Grousl apparently approached Aaron with the ball, but Hammerin’ Hank refused it because he was angry about beer dumped on him by bleacher bums during the game.   In 1970, Grousl caught another Aaron home run ball, but instead of keeping it, he threw it back onto the playing surface. He didn’t want that “garbage” in his bleachers.  Others soon followed, although oftentimes it took some money in a hat to convince someone to throw back a home run ball.  “Throw It Back”, the chant you hear in the bleachers when an opponent’s HR is secured by a fan, became increasingly popular in the 1980s when the Cubs appeared everyday on WGN cable television. 

Also part of the tradition is for fans to bring a decoy ball to the bleachers in case they catch an opponent’s home run ball and they would rather keep it. One of my favorite memories from last season was a home run hit by then Reds outfielder Yasiel Puig that landed over the left field bleachers of Wrigley onto Waveland Avenue.  The ball was beyond the bleachers and couldn’t possibly be thrown back; or could it?  After a slight delay, the fans cheered as a baseball flew over the bleachers from the street and landed safely in left field.  It turns out that a fan on Waveland Avenue retrieved the ball and was offered $200 and a decoy ball by a “ballhawker”, someone who covets MLB baseballs.  The fan refused the offer, and hurled the Rawlings game ball back on the field.  That’s fan passion; that’s BASEBALL!

I’ve always wanted to feel the excitement of getting a baseball at a MLB game.  There were two close encounters that, but for an injury, I might have snagged one early in life.  In 1967 I was at Crosley Field sitting in the second level right behind home, a great perch for a foul ball.  One was hit right at me, but since my hand was in a cast, the ball fell under my seat and someone from the aisle grabbed it.  Then, in 1977, I was with a dear friend in the first row along the Reds bullpen at Riverfront Stadium, when a ground foul ball came right to me but my right hand was again in a splint.  Double, ugh! I couldn’t have been more thrilled a couple years ago when I attended a game with my family at Wrigley and caught a Ben Zobrist foul ball.  I finally did it, and boy did I feel like a kid again!  After sharing the ball with my family and seeing it soon appear on Facebook, the baseball was returned to me. I smiled at each and every one of the 108 stitches.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

It's Okay

I needed a real Mother’s Day hug yesterday, especially from my late mother.  She was always my biggest fan.  This past week I thought a lot about how her kindness extended to my world of sports.  About 50 years ago I was playing shortstop in a youth baseball game when a hard hit ground ball took a wicked hop and hit me right in the Adam’s apple.  I recall being on the dirt infield looking up at my Mom with a wet wash cloth in her hand.  The last thing a 10-year old boy wanted to see was his mother on the playing field, but I do remember her words, “It’s okay.”  I think we could all use that reassurance right now.

With the baseball season delayed, I watched Ken Burns’ wonderful documentary on “Baseball” for a second time.  I was struck by a quote from writer Roger Angell in “Inning 8” of the series.  Angell was a Mets fan in 1962 following one of baseball’s all-time worst teams, while many New Yorkers around him adored the winning ways of the Yankees.  Angell said this:  “There’s more Met than Yankee in all of us.  What we experience in our lives, there’s much more losing than winning.”  My Mom couldn’t have said it better.  Winning is easy; it’s the losing that makes us better.

Many of baseball’s winning numbers can also be thought of as losing ones.  Think about those Hall of Fame hitters with .300 batting averages; they failed 7 out of 10 times at the plate.  96 wins in an MLB season mark a playoff appearance and perhaps a championship run.  Yet, those teams lost 40% of the time, and most found the key to success by playing .500 on the road.  A pitcher needs to get three strikes by a batter, and even then foul balls keep the batter in the box until that one fat pitch results in the bat solidly meeting the baseball.  Yes, indeed, it only takes one!  In Josh Pinkman’s 2008 article, “Moms and Baseball:  One Son’s Story”, he sums up the game with a lesson from his mother:  “Above all baseball teaches you persistence, the value to endure.”

Oh, the lesson of persistence, keeping your head up knowing that there is always the next game, the next season.  As a youth I made a critical throwing error in a city tournament game that contributed to my team being eliminated.  On the way home the car was silent until my Mom said, “You really had a nice hit in the third inning.”  Yes, there would be many more games, nice plays, and hits for me ahead, but at the time that one misplay seemed devastating.  I recalled this moment last May when the baseball world lost Bill Buckner, a great hitter who had won the NL batting title in 1980.  In his playing days, he was most known for a ground ball that went through his legs as he played first base for the Red Sox in the 1986 World Series.  Upon his death though, we remembered how graciously he handled all the grief he took in Boston about the play.

The 1986 Buckner error was considered for many years to be just another example of the “Curse of the Bambino”.   After the 1919 season Babe Ruth, aka “The Bambino”, was traded from the Red Sox to the Yankees for $125,000.  Prior to the trade Boston was a perennial power in the American League, winning five of the first 15 World Series, the last one in 1918 over the Cubs.  After the trade Yankee teams led by Ruth dominated baseball.  The Red Sox had many failed attempts at the world title as the years went by – 1967 loss to the Bob Gibson led Cardinals in the seventh game; another 7th game loss in 1975 to the Reds; and perhaps the most devastating blow, Bucky Dent’s home run in the 1978 AL East playoff game capping the arch-rival Yankees comeback from 14 games down in the race.   The 86-year curse ended in 2004 in remarkable fashion as Boston came back from a 3 games to 0 deficit to win the ALCS with 4 wins over its New York nemesis.  Add another 4 wins in a World Series sweep of St. Louis and the curse was over.   As for Buckner, the Boston fans had endured and could finally let go and embrace him.

An even longer drought, 108 years, ended recently for Cubs fans.  The Cubs, also a dominant force in early World Series matchups, winning in 1907 and 1908, endured the heartache of many losing seasons, and another curse, “The Curse of the Billy Goat”.   During game 4 of the 1945 World Series, William Sianis, a local tavern owner who had brought his pet goat, Murphy, to the game, was asked to leave Wrigley Field.   While there are various accounts of what happened, the legend is that Sianis cast a curse that the Cubs would never win the World Series again.  The Cubs lost the 1945 Series to the Tigers and did not return to post-season play until 39 years later, another playoff loss.   In 2003, the Cubs led the Marlins 3 games to 2 in the NLCS and held a 3-0 Game Six lead in the eighth inning.  That’s when Cubs fan Steve Bartman “disrupted” Moises Alou’s attempt to reach into the stands to catch a foul ball.  Bartman, too, caught the wrath of Cubs fans for years until finally the Cubs endured, a thrilling, 10-inning seventh game win over the Indians in 2016.

After the 2016 Series victory Cubs management presented players and others with celebratory rings.  One ring went to Bartman, the Cubs way of asking for forgiveness.  Cubs employees received rings too, including Don Costello, who worked as an elevator operator at the ballpark.  Costello’s recent passing hit the national news in the last week when his son found letters Costello had stored in his garage.  In 1981, Costello, a lifelong Cubs fan, couldn’t take the losing anymore and apparently wrote other MLB teams offering his fandom.   Costello received several letters in response, the best one coming from the then Montreal Expos VP of player development, James Fanning, who replied, “if I also know anything about being a long time and loyal Cubs fan – you will not only REMAIN ONE – you will withdraw your free agency threat and re-dedicate yourself to the Chicago Cubs.”  Costello endured, and he was able to witness his Cubs claim a world championship before his death.

My lasting image of the Cubs 2016 celebration is seeing the tears of joy of the passionate fans.  The persistence in following the Cubs throughout generations had finally paid off.  11 years earlier on the south side of town the White Sox provided their fans with those same joyful tears in ending their own 88-year championship drought.  The 2005 Sox, led by manager Ozzie Guillen and first baseman Paul Konerko, finished the season with the top record in the American League.   Their 2005 playoff run was one of the best ever – a sweep of the Red Sox in the ALDS; a 4-1 series win over the Angels in the ALCS; and another sweep of the Astros in the World Series.  The only downside to the White Sox wonderful season was that my father in-law, a lifelong Sox fan, died two months before the World Series and did not see his beloved Sox win a world title.

Persistence continues to be the word for another AL Central team, the Indians.  Despite dominating the division for over two decades, Cleveland can’t seem to find a way to end its drought, currently 72 years since its last World Series championship.  And while it would be difficult to convince an Indians fan of this notion, I’m not so sure the ultimate success of winning the title is all that matters.  There is also the absolute joy of experiencing the next game, the next season. Perhaps John Pinkman’s view of “Moms” in his 2008 article is the best way to think about it:  “Success to a mom is not the fact that their child went 3-3 or pitched a 1 hitter, or even whether his team won.  It doesn’t matter to a mom whether her child won or lost.  She knows it’s only a game.  What matters to a mom is that he had fun doing it and that he gained knowledge about his life.”  Maybe, just maybe, baseball can also be about how experiencing losing makes us better.

About 25 years ago my Mom lost a much bigger battle, one with cancer.  The last weekend of her life I spent a lot of alone time with her.  We watched part of a Reds game but mostly we quietly talked.  I reminded her what she said to me when I came home one day from school unexpectedly because I was cut from the seventh grade basketball team, “there’s more time for baseball now.”  She smiled at the memory, and I believe she is smiling now, knowing that despite all of the anxiety around us, “It’s okay”.   It’s going to be okay.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

First Game

A great joy in life is to experience the excitement of your first MLB game – the beauty of the playing field, the smell of grilled hot dogs, the sound of the crack of the bat, the bigness of it all.  In these days of trying to reflect on your blessings and hold them closely, one of mine is to have lived this moment more than once through my own eyes and those of my family members.  And another great pleasure is to hear others share personal stories of their first game; it makes my memories even brighter.  So let’s take another nostalgic look back with the hope of more first games for others coming soon.

I attended my first MLB game when I was five years old, and oddly enough, it was not in my hometown of Cincinnati, but rather in Cleveland visiting relatives.  My uncle surprised my Dad, brother and me with four tickets to an Indians game.  It was not just any Indians game, but the opponent would be the New York Yankees!  Checking the 1964 schedule, I believe the game was played the night of July 13.   I recall my brother being excited about seeing Mickey Mantle.  My strongest memory of that night is that I couldn’t believe how many people were at the game.  I don’t remember much else other than spending a lot of time eating and having fun.  The box score of the game shows a 10-4 win by the first-place Yankees, a crowd of only 18,427 in cavernous Cleveland Stadium, and a home run by Mantle.

What none of us knew that night was that the 1964 season would mark the endpoint of the Yankees’ dominance of baseball that had lasted several decades through Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and now Mantle.  While the Yankees won the AL in 1964, the upstart St. Louis Cardinals upset them in the World Series.  The Yankees would not return to the Series until 1976.  Because of knee issues, Mantle was on the downside of a HOF career spanning 18 seasons.  His game combined speed on the base paths, exceptional outfield play, a lifetime batting average of .298, and the most power as a switch-hitter baseball has ever seen.   Many like to place Mickey on Baseball’s Mount Rushmore as one of the four greatest ever.

My first game at Wrigley Field is also a day to remember.  In exchange for two days of hard labor moving my brother in West Lafayette, Indiana, he treated me to a day trip to Chicago and my choice of what to do.  It was a no brainer; I wanted to see the Cubs play!  It was Saturday, August 2, 1976, a game vs. the Phillies.  We drove his Dodge Demon into the area near the ballpark and parked in the backyard of a nearby resident.  An unfriendly German Shepherd barked at us as we locked the car.  Welcome to Wrigleyville!  I recall seeing a lot of fans taking photos outside the park in front of the sign “Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs”.  I didn’t know the story then but I do now.  The Marquee is the most famous venue entrance in all of professional sports.  The playing field was so beautiful, luscious grass and the ivy-covered outfield wall, in stark contrast to the cookie-cutter Astroturf stadiums of that era.  Also, I recall one of my favorite tastes, a hot dog right off the grill in the concourse.  Two of them would do just fine for a 17-year old.

The box score of that summer 1976 game details a Cubs 4-2 victory with Bill Bonham getting the win on the mound and offensive support from Bill Madlock, Manny Trillo, and Pete LaCock.  On the Phillies’ side of the ledger, two hits from their All-Star third baseman, Mike Schmidt, stand out.  I was a big fan of Schmidt, the future Hall of Famer and 3-time winner of the NL MVP.  I loved that he was from nearby Dayton, Ohio, and that he played my same infield position growing up.  Schmidt, like Mantle, combined power hitting and superb defense in an 18-season career.  Many consider Schmidt to be the best third baseman in our game’s history.  I would be in Chicago a few years later when Schmidt hit the game-winning home run in the famous 23-22 Phillies wind-blown win over the Cubs.

In 1989 I was able to experience another first game, that of my oldest daughter. Father’s Day, June 18, would be our first game together to see the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.  She had not as yet turned 4 years old, so I was very concerned about the game keeping her attention.  My memories from the game include lots of ballpark snacks and standing in a long line for about two innings waiting to see the Cardinals mascot, Fredbird.  It didn’t matter to either of us that the Pirates won the game 12-4 or that we arrived too late to get a Lou Brock bobblehead.  We had fun, which is what every game is all about.

I knew that day we were watching another future Hall of Famer, Ozzie Smith, the “Wizard of Oz”.  Ozzie led the Cardinals to three NL championships in the 1980s and the World Series title in 1982.  Baseball in the ‘80s centered upon speed and defense, mostly because of the fast playing surfaces.  Triples, not home runs, dominated the box scores. Ozzie won the Gold Glove for 13 consecutive seasons with his acrobatic play at shortstop.  He came into the league as an average hitter, but found his stroke in mid-career winning the 1987 NL Silver Slugger Award as the top hitting shortstop.  And sadly, my daughter’s first game in 1989 would mark an end to a wonderful baseball decade as the game in the ‘90s turned to PEDs and the home run ball.

Life came full circle last May when I shared my grandson’s first MLB game at Wrigley Field.  Ironically, he was about the same age as is mother at her first game.  It was the Reds vs. Cubs, my two favorite teams, on a beautiful day at the ballpark.  While his favorite part of the day might have been riding the “L” to and from the game, the first game Wrigley experience could not have been a better one.  We, too, enjoyed the ballpark food (and lots of it), and even watched most of the game!  Our seats were down the third base side, so we had a nice view of shortstop Javier Baez, the most exciting player in baseball today.  Sensing some restlessness in the bottom of the seventh inning, I took my grandson to play in Gallagher Way, a turfed area just outside the ballpark gates.  He could expend some energy, while I could catch the last two innings of the Cubs 8-6 win on the big screen.

Wow, I really enjoyed writing this piece, so many wonderful first game memories.  I hope they helped you to remember yours.  I want to hear about them in the Comments section below.  I want to keep smiling, especially now. 

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

You're Out

You’re Out!  These are words expressed by one with a stiff upper lip, fair-minded, baseball knowledgeable, rule enforcer, aka the Umpire!  Of course baseball managers, players, and fans don’t always use the same descriptive words for our men in blue.  Depending on whether your team won or lost, you either don’t know who called the game or believe he must have been a bum. The best compliment an umpire can ever receive is that he went unnoticed.  Let’s take a moment to indeed recognize umpires and their role in baseball.

My first job was as an umpire in District 18 Knothole (Cincinnati’s version of Little League).  I studied the rules, passed the exam, and was soon issued a t-shirt, face mask, and a handful of scorecards that would be my first time sheets as a 15-year old employee.  My pay would be five bucks a game; seemed fair enough.  There are so many fun stories to share about my years behind the plate and manning the bases, but the two that stand out involve brushes with fame.  I was once assigned a game where a very young Ken Griffey Jr. played.  I remember seeing Jr. batting for the first time and thinking that his swing was sweeter than that of his dad, Ken Griffey Sr., Reds right fielder.  25 years later I met Sr. at a Reds baseball camp and shared those thoughts with him.  Sr. laughed and agreed I was right about Jr., even then.

I’ll never forget a summer night in August, 1978.  Pete Rose was in the midst of his NL record setting 44-game hitting streak.  His streak stood at 39 and the Reds were in town but had an off day.  That evening I was the home plate umpire for a game that Pete Rose Jr. led off, just like his dad.  There were only about 50 people watching the game until the third inning when Pete Rose arrived.  When word got out Rose was there, it was reminiscent of “Rocky” running through the streets of Philly as literally hundreds of people were soon at the ballpark.  I remember calling Jr. out on a play at the plate and trying not to glance into his team’s dugout where Rose sat.  Interestingly, my umpiring career came to a screeching halt five years later also with an out call behind the plate.  I was umpiring in a Men’s Softball Beer League in St. Louis.  While my pay was now a whopping twenty bucks a game, I called it quits the night that two disgruntled players were pounding on my AMC Gremlin about the terrible call that I had made.  It was time to finally turn in the face mask.

An MLB umpire is one of the highest paid officials in professional sports.  A first-year umpire starts around $120,000, while veteran umps often earn three times that annual salary.  In the playoffs an MLB umpire can make around $20,000 per game, a little more than my $5 per game in 1974.   Turnover is low, which is good for those who have made it to the big leagues and of course bad for those struggling in the minor leagues to get there.  Often, MLB only adds 1 or 2 umpires a year to its crew of 68 umpires for the season.  For umpires toiling in the minor leagues the road is long, the pay is barely adequate (just $3,900 per month at the highest level, Triple-A), and most often there is a dead end sign ahead.

I wish I could say that I have followed the careers of MLB umpires.  Yes, some last names ring a bell, especially when they span across two generations and 50+ years of service, such as these father and son combinations – Ed and Paul Runge; Tom and Brian Gorman; and Shag and Jerry Crawford.  But just like everyone else, my memory of umpires concerns bad calls.  In Game 1 of the 1970 World Series between Cincinnati and Baltimore a controversial call made by home plate umpire Ken Burkhart is still painful to remember.  With the game tied 3-3 in the sixth inning Reds pinch-hitter Ty Cline hit a high chopper right in front of the plate as Bernie Carbo ran from third trying to avoid Orioles catcher Elrod Hendricks’ tag.   Burkhart signaled “You’re Out”, failing to see that Hendricks had made the tag with his glove while he held the ball in his throwing hand.  Fifty years later I can still hear Reds manager Sparky Anderson screaming “there’s no way possible” at Burkhart.

And then there was “The Call” in the 1985 World Series that decided the Missouri interstate match-up between St. Louis and Kansas City.  The Cardinals led 3 games to 2 with a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 6.  Jorge Orta, the Royals leadoff batter, hit a bouncing ball toward Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark who tossed it to pitcher Todd Worrell, clearly beating Orta to the bag.  Yet, instead of “You’re Out”, first base umpire Don Denkinger signaled safe.  The Royals won the game 2-1 and dominated Game 7 in 11-0 fashion, setting off a celebration on the wrong side of the state.

The 1970 and 1985 World Series calls would have been most probably overturned in today’s replay review.  When the system expanded in 2014 to include more than just disputed home run calls, baseball fans and commentators have offered endless criticism on what plays are reviewable and how much time it takes to make a review decision.  Since we have state of the art technology available now, I contend (and would hope MLB umpires support) that we should be able to correct as many missed calls on the field as possible.   Those who suggest that we are unduly replacing the human element with the replay system are on the wrong side of the issue.  The issue is putting in place a system that is fair, transparent, and timely.  With every game now on television and the scrutiny of umpire performance seemingly heightened more and more each season, let’s use our advanced technology to help the umpires and as a result, the game of baseball.

ESPN baseball insider Buster Olney opined last year that technology will replace home plate umpires calling balls and strikes by 2023.  I have previously discussed baseball’s use of TrackMan, a radar-based system to call balls and strikes being used in minor league play.  Some commentators have mused whether the MLB should experiment with TrackMan when baseball returns this season.  While today’s HD television and the imaged strike zone add fuel to the argument that umpires too often miss ball/strike calls, I maintain that a better use of the new strike-zone technology would be to effectively grade home plate umpire performance.  Maybe it would pave a clearer path to getting into the MLB for deserving umpires.

On-field use of the new strike-zone technology would have erased one of my favorite World Series moments.  I was always fond of the pitching savvy of Greg Maddux, and recall his starting Game 1 of the 1995 Series between Atlanta and Cleveland. Maddux was masterful that night, allowing only two hits in the Braves 3-2 win.  Harry Wendelstedt (father of today’s MLB umpire, Hunter) was the home plate umpire.  The camera crew captured how Wendelstedt was consistently calling strikes out of the zone.  As the game went on, Maddux knew exactly the location of the extended strike zone.  Maddux clearly was playing the game of “give me an inch, and I’ll take a mile”.  Unfortunately, my Cleveland buddies in the sports bar that I was watching the game weren’t quite as enamored with how it all turned out as I was.

With the pandemic all of us would like to hear the sweet sound of “Play Ball” from home plate umpires sometime soon.  Until then, all we can do is reminisce and celebrate the words “You’re Out” as the fly ball is caught by Reds CF Cesar Geronimo in 1975, the toss across the diamond from the Cubs Kris Bryant lands safely into the first baseman’s glove of Anthony Rizzo in 2016, and the third strike thuds into the mitt of Nationals catcher Yan Gomes, a very long six months ago.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Uncomfortable Truths

I began my research for this article on Wednesday, April 15, “Jackie Robinson Day”, celebrated in baseball since 2004.  Listening to the ESPN commentators and guest athletes pay tribute to the special contribution Jackie made served as a perfect background to writing my series of nostalgic baseball stories.  I remember going with my Dad to a game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati to see the Reds play against the San Francisco Giants and their ace pitcher, Juan Marichal.  We drove to the ballpark on a hot summer night in Dad’s Volkswagen with no A/C.  In checking the box scores for the summer of 1965, I believe the game was played the night of August 4, 1965.

I wish I could tell you that I remember the 4-3 Giants win in 10 innings that evening, featuring two hits apiece by Giants legends Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, and Jim Ray Hart, and similar multi-hit games by the Reds’ Pete Rose, Frank Robinson, and Vada Pinson.  What I do remember is the popcorn Dad would always get for me at the games, one that when finished I could use the box to yell “CHARGE” with the rest of the fans.  Dad and I loved to keep score together.  I might have received my first lesson that night watching him fill out the scorecard. I can still today hear him reminding me at games not to record a batter being walked as a “W”, but rather a “BB” (base on balls).

Dad did tell me something that night I clearly recall, and until my research this past week, I’ve never truly understood its significance.  Our seats were down the right field line not far from the Giants bullpen.  The Reds’ Frank Robinson was playing right field.  Dad pointed out to me that when the Reds were batting and it was not Robinson’s turn in the order, he would sit at the end of the Giants bullpen bench instead of returning to the Reds home dugout on the third base side.  Dad turned to me and said, “Robbie won’t be with the Reds next year.”  Indeed, in what was one of the worst trades in baseball history, Frank Robinson was traded to the Baltimore Orioles prior to the 1966 season for Milt Pappas, Jack Baldschun, and Dick Simpson.  The trade is even scoffed at by Annie Savoy in the opening scene of “Bull Durham”.

The trade made no sense from a baseball standpoint.  Robinson was in the prime of his baseball life and would go on to win the Triple Crown in his first season as an Oriole.  His illustrious career included winning the MVP award in both leagues (NL, Cincinnati, 1961, and AL, Baltimore, 1966), two World Series championships (1966 and 1970), 30 HRs in each of 11 seasons, and a first-ballot Hall of Famer (sadly, entering as an Oriole).  Frank Robinson was named player-manager of the Cleveland Indians in 1975, becoming the first black manager in MLB.  He also managed the San Francisco Giants and Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals, and served in various capacities in the MLB office after his managerial career.

So why exactly did the Reds make the trade?  What did Dad know about on that hot summer night in August, 1965, that a 6-year old wouldn’t understand?  My research uncovered stories of Robinson’s conflicts on the field with white players, including a fistfight with Braves HOF third baseman, Eddie Mathews, in 1960.  Off the field, after his NL MVP 1961 season Robinson had a run-in with a bully at a restaurant in Cincinnati, resulting in Robinson’s arrest.  In 1963, he threatened to quit baseball because he felt he was being treated unfairly.  I must say that this new knowledge made me uncomfortable.  Maybe it wasn’t a baseball trade at all, but rather the Reds rejecting Frank Robinson, the civil rights activist.  Frank Robinson was fighting back, and perhaps doing what Jackie Robinson couldn’t do a decade or so before.

The celebration of Jackie Robinson’s contribution to baseball is a special one.  We all know the story that in 1947 he broke the color barrier and became the first black player in the MLB in the modern era.  His accomplishments on the field during his 10-year career as a Brooklyn Dodger are remarkable – 1947 NL Rookie of the Year; 1949 NL MVP; 6-time NL All-Star; played in six World Series; and was part of the 1955 Dodgers World Championship team.  In 1997 MLB retired his uniform #42 in all of baseball.   Coincidentally, according to the Society for American Baseball Research, black participation in MLB hit its peak between 1981 and 1997 averaging around 18% per roster.

I kept hearing the word “endure” from the ESPN commentators this past Wednesday, something that truly was Jackie’s mantra during his 10-year career.  While Frank Robinson fought back, Jackie had to just endure.  Jackie Robinson’s nonviolent nature allowed him to withstand racial prejudice throughout baseball. In his 1947 debut in Cincinnati, fans were shouting racial slurs.   Fortunately, his Dodger teammate, shortstop Pee Wee Reese, hailed from nearby Kentucky and came to his defense to quiet the crowd.  The St. Louis Cardinals reportedly threatened to strike if Robinson played, but were rebuked by the Commissioner’s office.  Cardinals great Enos Slaughter spiked Jackie intentionally on the playing field. Robinson’s early death in 1972, at the age of 53, may partly be a result of what he had to “endure” from our baseball nation.

In our annual “celebration” of Jackie Robinson, perhaps we are also continuing to mask some uncomfortable truths.  The game of baseball has not exactly been welcoming to black players and fans over the past two decades.  On Opening Day 2019 only 7.7% of black players filled the MLB rosters.  Black viewership of games and black fans at the ballpark have declined as well.  Indeed, a Nielsen ratings 2017 release indicated that the average viewer for a baseball game was a 53-year old white male.  That really isn’t something to celebrate, but leaves an empty feeling, much like the ballparks on this past Wednesday.

My hope for Jackie Robinson Day, April 15, 2021, is not only that ballparks will be full again, but that we address these uncomfortable truths.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Row 13, Seat 13

I’ve heard the rumblings.  Where are you Coach?  In early March I thought about starting my second season writing this blog with comments about the Astros’ cheating scandal.  When COVID-19 hit hard in mid-March, the scandal just seemed unimportant.  I guess I could get out of the box with my own conjecture about when the season will start and what it will look like.  Let’s wait though until MLB has settled upon an approach. After watching past baseball highlights recently on MLB and ESPN, it struck me what I could offer you, some good old-fashioned nostalgia with a personal touch.  So let the season begin, maybe not on the field, but until “play ball” is called (and hopefully it will be), in your heart.  Let’s tackle our own favorite baseball memories, a little food for our souls.

My favorite baseball memory was on October 11, 1972.  It’s not even close.  On the night of October 10, my Dad walked into our living room in Cincinnati and surprised Mom and me with three tickets for Game 5 of the National League playoffs between the Reds and the Pirates.  You see, the Reds that day had just tied the 5-game series at two games apiece.  I have a strong image of those tickets in Dad’s hands – right field plaza in the green seats at Riverfront Stadium (the Reds now play at GABP, pictured), row 13, seats 11, 12, and 13, Game 5, 3:00 p.m.  I quickly asked for seat 13.  My parents smiled; 13 was and is my lucky number!

I remember waking up the next morning extremely excited about the game but then disappointed when I peered outside; it was raining!  Ugh, but the game wasn’t until late afternoon. I recall wearing my Reds baseball cap to school, White Oak Junior High, but not being able to wear it in class.  Shortly after lunch, the intercom sounded in my eighth grade classroom asking for me to be dismissed to the office.  It turns out that I was one of many leaving school early for the big game.  Upon arrival at Riverfront, it was still pouring.  We got to our seats, fortunately under cover, and waited out the rain delay.   With no cell phone to turn to, I am sure I bided my time reading the game program and perhaps trying to get enough courage to say something to the high school girl in Row 13, Seat 14.

By this time in 1972 the Reds and Pirates were fierce rivals, already established as the NL teams of the 1970s. The Reds had gone to the World Series in 1970; the Pirates had won it in 1971.  Both clubs had amazing offensive players.   Pittsburgh, led by Clemente, Stargell, Oliver, and Hebner, was known as the “Lumber Company”, while my Reds and its core players of Rose, Morgan, Bench, and Perez, were affectionately called the “Big Red Machine”.  Interestingly, when I checked the box scores of the series (you knew I would!), two of the first four games of the series had been played under two hours, something that is unheard of today.

The rains went away, and it was game on!  The Pirates jumped ahead early 2-0 and maintained a lead throughout the game.  As a 13-year old, I must have been yakking to my parents about the Reds inability to win the big game.  I do have a vivid image of seeing the game from behind both teams’ right fielders, the Reds #30 Ken Griffey Sr. (his son Jr. would really become famous!) and the Pirates #21 Roberto Clemente (the greatest Pirate of all time).    Tragically, this would be the last game Clemente ever played.  He died in a plane crash on a rescue mission to Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve later that year.

The Reds trailed 3-2 going into the bottom of the ninth inning, facing the Pirates ace closer, Dave Giusti.  There was some hope as the Reds middle of the order was up, Bench, Perez, and third baseman Denis Menke.  Johnny Bench was coming off another NL MVP year, 40 HRs and 125 RBIs.  He had previously won the 1970 NL MVP with 45 HRs and 148 RBIs.  How about one more of each, Johnny?  We learned after the game that his own Mom said those exact words to him while seated alongside the Reds first base dugout.  This kid in Row 13, Seat 13, so desperately wanted to see a miracle.

And then it happened . . . on a 1-2 pitch from Giusti, Bench hit an opposite field shot right at me, over Clemente’s head, clearing the right field wall, and caroming off the facing just before the green seats, a game-tying HOME RUN!  It was bedlam at Riverfront, fans were hugging each other, and the high school girl in Seat 14 turned and kissed me on the cheek.  Every fan stood and cheered throughout the rest of the inning.  Five batters later, another Bucs reliever, Bob Moose, uncorked a wild pitch to pinch-hitter Hal McRae and pinch-runner George Foster (soon to be a slugger in his own right) scored the winning run.  The Reds win the pennant!

I’ve always been thankful to Johnny Bench for giving me that special moment.  In his career Bench had so many wonderful highlights for a kid growing up in Cincinnati like me to enjoy.  In addition to his MVP awards, he was a first ballot Hall of Famer, two-time World Series champion, 14-time NL All-Star, and 10-time Gold Glover, all as a catcher for the Reds.  Bench revolutionized the art of catching by using a hinged mitt so that he could catch one-handed and protect his throwing hand by placing it behind him.  And even though my favorite single memory was his 1972 NL playoffs home run, his throwing arm was the Reds’ best weapon.  In Lou Brock’s 1974 record-setting 118 stolen bases he stole only 1 in 4 attempts against Bench, and in the 10 playoff series the Reds played in the 1970s, Bench threw out 11 of 13 would be base stealers.  That was a game-changing catcher, the greatest ever.

After the pennant-clinching game in 1972, I remember standing in Row 13, shocked and kind of taking in the celebration on the field and in the stands.  For dinner that night we went to my family’s favorite restaurant, the Hitching Post, famous for fried chicken.  It was time to celebrate!  The manager of the restaurant, “Ron”, came over to our table that night and said, “You just attended the greatest baseball game ever played in Cincinnati!”   He was indeed correct.

It’s truly fun to look back.  Now it’s time for you to share your favorite baseball memory.  I look forward to hearing from you in the “Comments” section of my blog below.  Baseball is good for our souls!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Time Travel

In the 1989 movie, “Back to the Future Part II”, the vision of the future included a Chicago 2015 World Series sweep of the Miami “Gators” and the end of the Cubbies’ 107-year drought.   Although the Cubs world championship winless streak was actually broken in 2016 after 108 years, many joke that was only because the writers of the film failed to foresee the 1994 baseball strike!  Time is a great measuring stick in baseball, maybe not in the actual games where innings preside, but in so many other respects.  We love to book back to historical numbers and compare player and team statistics, but also enjoy looking ahead and predicting pennant winners, player signings, and managerial hirings.  So with Marty McFly and the 2019 World Series in our immediate rear view mirror, let’s do our own travel back and forth through time.

This past week itself was truly historical.  With the Nationals winning it all we witnessed something never seen before in professional sports, a 7-game series where not one game was won by the home team.  The hometown fans in D.C. were willing to forego a win at Nationals Park when it meant they could see their Nats become the first Washington team to win a World Series since 1924, certainly a welcomed end of a long drought in its own right.  The Nationals’ playoff run was most remarkable for its never say die comebacks, as the Nats won all five games when elimination was staring at them.  It was another sign in 2019 that unlikely teams can endure long seasons and become champions, the NBA’s Raptors and NHL’s Blues also demonstrating just that.   The Nats turnaround season (playing .667 ball after a 19-31 start) has now even become a rallying cry in NFL locker rooms, exemplified by the Bears head coach Matt Nagy starting practice this past Thursday with a presentation on the Nationals’ comeback championship!

The 2019 playoffs was full of clutch performances. There was none better than hitting star Anthony Rendon of the Nats. In the seventh inning or later in the five elimination games Washington faced, Rendon was 6 for 7, with 3 HRs, 3 doubles, and 6 RBIs. What stood out to me though in the World Series was the masterful starting pitching. Stephen Strasburg received the MVP Award for his overpowering performances in Games 2 and 6. In the playoffs Strasburg’s record was 5-0, the best mark in MLB history. We also witnessed some gutsy performances from Max Scherzer of the Nats. Scherzer’s contribution might have been greater off the mound with his inspiring leadership, such as coming back to pitch after suffering severe neck and back spasms. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen more emotion from a player in the post-Series celebration than Max embracing his teammates. On the Astros side, Zach Greinke’s Game 7 outing made the disbelievers believe, and probably the best single game start was Gerrit Cole’s 3-hitter in Game 5. Cole’s win put his Astros in position to win it all, yet he looked hopelessly on from the bullpen in Game 7 when his number wasn’t called.

Looking ahead to the off-season, the standout playoff performances of Rendon, Strasburg, and Cole will certainly bode well for their bank accounts.  Strasburg announced on Saturday that he is opting out of the remaining $100 million and four years on his current contract to join Rendon and Cole in the free agent market.  It would behoove baseball owners to be a little more like the NBA and the NFL in signing free agents expeditiously and build off of the 2019 playoff excitement. The baseball free agent market can’t afford another lackluster one like year, when the signings of Manny Machado and Bryce Harper went into March.   I think there will be more urgency this year, given that baseball’s high profile teams (Yankees, Dodgers, Red Sox, and Cubs) have strong needs for these elite players.  The 2019 playoffs was certainly evidence of the baseball adage “good pitching beats good hitting”, so who wouldn’t want to have an ace like Strasburg or Cole headlining your pitching staff?!

Most of the managerial openings have now been filled, and it’s been an interesting mix of hiring old school managers with a win now approach vs. building for the future with a new age manager adept at analytics.  With the hiring of Joe Girardi by the Phillies and Joe Maddon by the Angels, both teams seem to want to come out of the box swinging next season for a championship.  Coupling experienced managers with baseball’s superstars (Harper and Trout), and opening the pocketbooks even more for a top free agent starting pitcher, might make the Phillies and Angels teams to watch.   The Padres hiring of 38-year old Jayce Tingler, a little known coach for the Rangers, is on the other end of the spectrum.  Tingler has no managerial experience but comes to San Diego with a keen eye for player development and a strong grasp of analytics.  The selection reminds me of the Reds hiring of another unknown 38-year old in 1970, San Diego third base coach Sparky Anderson; the Padres certainly wish they are on the receiving end of success this time!  Somewhere in the middle is the Cubs signing of David Ross who Chicago hopes will bring a fresh approach to a team looking for a way to return to the playoffs next year.

While “MLB The Show 20” has announced its play station cover Javier Baez of the Cubs, it’s also good to take an early look at which teams might be the cover boys on the ‘20 playing field. Are the windows closing a little on the Astros and Dodgers? The Astros are coming off three consecutive 100 + win regular seasons, while the Dodgers rule of the West included the top win mark of the NL during that time as well. The Astros will most probably see their ace Gerrit Cole in another uniform next season. And assuming they reach the AL playoffs in 2020, they certainly can’t be confident about Justin Verlander leading the staff given his now 0-6 record in World Series games. Houston, we might have a problem next year! Interestingly, the Dodgers continue to have that same nagging concern with their ace, Clayton Kershaw, who just can’t seem to get over his playoff performance woes. Will another team like the Nationals break through in 2020? I’ll save that one for a Baseball Bench Coach edition early next season.

So what will the game of baseball look like five, or maybe twenty-five, years from now?  Average attendance at ballparks was down again this year to 28,198 fans, the lowest attendance rate since 2003.  Despite the seven-game World Series, television viewership also lagged.  We have to do something about the pace of play.  This year the average time of a nine-inning game was 3 hours, 5 minutes, which tied the record set just two years ago.  As a benchmark, the average game time in 2005 was 2 hours, 46 minutes.  The World Series games drag along even more.   Yes, the between inning commercial breaks are extended during the Series, but here are the facts over the last three years:  the 2017 Series games averaged 3:16; in 2018 it was 3:30; and this year six of the games played ranked in the top 13 longest of all time.  In fact, the Astros 4-1 victory in Game 3 took 4 hours, 3 minutes!  Baseball fans just don’t have the patience anymore to stay engaged, especially since the games are being played late into the evening.  Maybe we go back in time and play a couple World Series games during weekend afternoons as a start.

This summer the Atlantic League did some testing of pace of game measures for MLB, the most controversial of which was introducing technology for calling balls and strikes.  While “TrackMan” had some mixed reaction early in the season, it seemed to gain favor as the season wore on.   Indeed, some of baseball’s top prospects have played in the Arizona Fall League this past month with TrackMan in place and even more success.  Will we see robotic umpires in baseball’s future?  Games 3 and 5 of the 2019 World Series had their fair share of strike zone disputes by players and managers alike.  And the unfairness of the calls as seen through the eyes of the average fan is certainly exacerbated by the Fox TV strike zone box that does not adjust to the size of batters and where the ball actually crosses the plate.  Of course, the dispute in Game 6 of the Series over the controversial runner interference call is not one to be addressed by technology, but really by common sense.  I’ve never been sure why we label umpire calls as “reviewable” or “non reviewable”.   Maybe in the future we will have in place a review system that has as its main purpose the ability to correct wrong calls. 

Baseball is about tradition, and sadly, perhaps that’s what is dragging it down nowadays. I’ve been a long-time advocate of playing the game the “right way”, yet who am I to say what future generations will love about the game. My “right way” mindset took a hit in Game 6 of the World Series. I couldn’t believe that Alex Bregman carried his bat all the way to first base after his early home run, and then watched with even more amazement when Juan Soto did the same with his tie-breaking homer later in the game. What struck me was the reaction of the players during the post-game interviews. Bregman was remorseful, stressing that was not how he was taught to play the game. Rising 21-year old star Soto laughed about it, saying that he thought it was “cool” what Bregman did and wanted to do it himself. Maybe we need a little more “cool” in our game.

Next year’s baseball schedule provides a little bit of old and new. The Yankees will play the White Sox at the Field of Dreams in Iowa, while the Cubs and Cardinals take their rivalry to London. The game needs continuing support from those who love the game rooted in their past, and newfound, broader support from others who might see it in their future. A lot more MLB players, minor leaguers, college athletes, high school players, Little Leaguers, and FANS need to think this time-tested game is cool again.

Until next Season,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Rooting Interest

I remember my Mom coming into the living room while we were watching sports on television and asking, “who are we rooting for?” It was not until I started writing this baseball blog that it hit me how powerful those words were. Sportswriters need to be as objective as possible, while fans need to be just that, fanatics. After my first year of writing this blog, I have found that being a fan is a lot easier than trying to cover both sides of a story. So if you are on the fence without a connection to either team and you want to make a choice, what goes into it? For me, it’s a combination of nostalgia, personal interests, and more often than not, rooting for the underdog. What did this mean to my fandom during this up and down 2019 World Series we are all now watching?

Before Game 1 of the Series, I was confident that the Astros, the most talented team in baseball and my pre-playoff pick, would secure its second title in three years.  Somehow I began to think about the Nationals’ origin back in 1969 when they entered the NL as an expansion team, the Montreal Expos.  I remember that as a little boy that summer I wore the colorful Expos cap to baseball practice, much to the amusement of my coaches.  I also remember that October the baseball world was surprised when the Mets took the ’69 Fall Classic against the Orioles.  The comparisons between the two Series, 50 years apart, were remarkable – both the Mets and Nationals were slow starters in the regular season only to come on strong at the end; were facing World Series opponents in the American League that had posted two of the best all-time regular season records (Orioles with 109 in 1969 and the Astros with 107 this year); and were looking for their first world titles in franchise history.  Yes, a little nostalgia, that history could repeat itself, and certainly, if I would cheer for Washington, I’d be rooting for the underdog!

I must admit that the embarrassing cloud hanging over the Houston franchise off the field also helped land me in the Nationals camp.  First, the Astros team staff after a mid-season game unfairly prevented a Detroit Free Press reporter from entering the post-game clubhouse due to a harmless feud with Astros ace Justin Verlander. After some clamor and a quick MLB look, the incident seemingly went away. Then, during the post-Series ALCS celebration, Houston’s Assistant General Manager Brandon Taubman directed inappropriate comments toward female sportswriters in the Astros clubhouse in support of reliever Roberto Osuna.  The Astros truly fumbled this latter incident with some lukewarm press statements, the end result being the firing of Taubman, a continuing MLB investigation, and the Astros management team perhaps unworthy of another title.

One last factor in support of that crazy “W” which reminds us all of our last visit to Walgreen’s; I’ve lived my entire life rooting for teams in National League cities! When in doubt, I go NL (except, of course, if it is the Dodgers). So there you have it, my Nationals fandom for the 2019 Series is exposed. How have the games played out? And what about those factors I asked you to keep a watchful eye for in my last blog; have they played a part?

The Nationals carried the momentum into Game One in Houston, having won 16 of their last 18 games played.  Home runs, a sign of the times, and a little nostalgia played a big part in Washington’s 5-4 win, the only nail-biter so far in the Series.  Brian Zimmerman, the first player ever drafted by the Nationals, hit the first World Series home run by a Nat. Later in the game, Juan Soto, three days short of his 21st birthday, became one of the youngest players in World Series history to hit a long ball as well.  A base running gaffe by veteran Astro George Springer also led to the outcome.  Giving his best impression of Ronald Acuna Jr., Springer watched his long hit carom off the outfield wall and failed to make it to third base as the tying run in the 8th inning.  We did see one chink in the Nationals armor though.  Since Nationals starter Max Scherzer was uncharacteristically wild, he only made it through five innings.  Washington had to turn to its bullpen early.  Pressed into relief action was 4th game starter Patrick Corbin, a sign of pitching problems to come.

Game Two on the scoreboard was a blowout, 12-3 Washington, but it really was a tight game until the Nationals 6-run seventh inning.  The story again was the failed efforts of an Astros ace.  The night before Gerrit Cole lost his first game since May, giving up 5 runs in 7 innings.  Game 2 saw Justin Verlander’s World Series reputation take another hit as he gave up 4 runs in 6 innings, and was saddled with the loss.  Verlander is an astounding 0-5 in six World Series starts in his career.  The key hit in the game was another Nat home run, this time a leadoff blast by veteran catcher Kurt Suzuki in the seventh inning.  It marked the first time all year that a team had beaten Cole and Verlander in consecutive starts.  My new found Nats were rolling!  It was time to head home and finish up the Series.

After a travel day, the Series moved to D.C. for Game Three before a raucous crowd ready to boost the Nationals and their winning ways.  Momentum plays a huge part in a seven-game series.  Big Mo may have shifted to the Astros due to the strike zone of home plate umpire Gary Cederstrom.  Nats starter Anibal Sanchez, who had pitched a masterful NLCS game against the Cardinals just a week before, is one of those pitchers who needs to work at the corners and off the plate.  The Astros have incredibly patient hitters, and with a tight strike zone, Sanchez worked behind in the count most of the evening.  He became increasingly frustrated in the fifth inning as the Astros took a 3-1 lead.  The Nationals hitting fortunes also changed since they failed time after time to get a key hit off Astros starter Zach Greinke.  Houston’s better bullpen prevailed and the Astros got a much needed win, 4-1.

Game Four presented a huge pitching dilemma for Astros manager AJ Hinch with his team down 2 games to 1.   In the ALCS against the Yankees he opted to skip his #4 starter and pitch Justin Verlander on short rest in Game 5 (the ALCS Game 4 rainout allowed Cole to pitch on regular rest), a loss by Verlander.  Early reports for Game Four of this Series had Hinch turning to Cole on short rest.  Fortunately for the Astros, Hinch showed confidence in his #4 guy this time and started Jose Urquidy, a 24-year old rookie making only his seventh big league start.  Kind of gutsy call by Hinch, but the confidence was well placed as Urquidy was masterful, giving up just two hits in five scoreless innings.  On the Nationals side, Dave Martinez turned to reliable starter, Patrick Corbin, who was coming off a Game One relief stint. Corbin gave up four runs in his six inning outing. Backed by a game deciding grand slam by Alex Bregman and the continued blazing hitting by Michael Brantley (he maintained a .471 batting average in four games), the Astros won a laugher, 8-1, tying the Series at two games apiece.

The baseball world was buzzing yesterday with the anticipation of a Game Five matchup between Max Scherzer and Gerrit Cole.  It promised to be a classic pitcher’s duel to decide the most important game of a seven-game series.  As noted in last week’s blog, the last team to win the World Series without winning Game Five was the Cardinals in 2011.  Then the news broke.  Scherzer was ruled out of the game with neck and back spasms, and the Nats’ Joe Ross was asked to take the mound.  Ross performed well in a five inning start, but was done in by two 2-run homers, long shots by Jordan Alvarez and Carlos Correa.  The Astros Cole did his part, and interestingly, changed his approach from Game One, relying this time on his curve ball as the out pitch.  It’s that kind of an adjustment the second time a pitcher sees a team in a short stretch that makes the difference in winning or losing.  Cole gave up only one run and three hits in seven innings. Astros win Game Five, 7-1.

The Series heads back to Houston tomorrow night for Game Six, and Game Seven, if necessary on Wednesday evening.  Certainly this Series shows firsthand that home field advantage is not critical.  Neither team has won so far at home.  As I write this, Scherzer has not been ruled out to pitch Game Seven.  With the Strasburg and Scherzer combination in Games Six and Seven, there’s still hope Washington could be the Miracle Nats, 50 years after the Miracle Mets laid claim to the nickname in ’69.   My newly found Nats fandom says yes; my objective blog writing says no.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

P.S. Next Monday will be my last blog piece until next spring. Your 2019 World Series Champions will have been crowned. I will provide some closing thoughts on 2019 and a look ahead to 2020.

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