Scorecard

A big moment for me growing up was learning how to keep score at a baseball game.  Sometime in the late 1960s when my Dad took me to a Reds game at Crosley Field, we stopped at the stand inside the gate and bought my first scorecard.  Throughout the game Dad made sure I knew the numbers assigned to the fielding positions, how to create a scoring diamond when a player got on base, and to leave enough space in the player blocks so that I could fill in any substitutes.  It was a lot of fun, and yet not as easy as I thought it might be.  I’m sure there was a play that a shortstop bobbled a hard hit grounder in the hole, the batter reached first base safely, and I turned to my Dad and asked whether it was a hit or an error.  My Dad told me to be patient, pointed to me to the centerfield scoreboard, and finally it flashed, “E 6”. The official scorer in the press box had made the call, an error on the shortstop that I could record on my scorecard.

Keeping the official score at an MLB game has an interesting history. The early official scorers were newspaper writers in the cities where the games were played.  While scorers make judgment calls that do not affect the progress or outcome of a game, they do make decisions that impact player statistics.  As a “player’s numbers” began to enter into contract negotiations, there became increasing pressure by the players on the hometown newspaper scorers to make favorable decisions on their behalf.  Some baseball historians even claim that one of baseball’s storied records, Joe DiMaggio’s 56-game hitting streak in 1941, was made possible due to a couple hometown favorite calls. Beginning in 1958, several major newspapers, including the Washington Post, Boston Globe, and New York Times, actually prohibited their writers to be official scorers due to the scoring conflicts. 

In 1980, MLB took control and hired official scorers who reported directly to the Commissioner’s office.  Over the past forty years much has been put in place to ensure scoring fairness.  MLB Rule 10.01 requires the official scorers to view the game only from the press box so that each scorer has the same perspective on the game.  Scorers are permitted to review replays to make sure the rulings are correct, and can correct a ruling for up to 24 hours.  There are even rules in place to give guidance to scorers on very close calls.  Rule 10.05 provides that the scorer “give the benefit of the doubt to the hitter when the scorer believes the decision to credit the batter with a hit is equally valid to an alternative scoring decision”.  And in Rule 10.16, in terms of whether to credit an earned or unearned run to the pitcher (more later), the scorer is to give the “benefit of the doubt to the pitcher”.  Yes, baseball has its curious rules!

Sometime along the way Dad taught me to enter a peculiar “INT” in my scorecard for interference, a judgment call made by an umpire on the field, not the official scorer.  “Offensive Interference” is the most common one.  The rule sounds easy – when a member of the offensive team physically hinders the defensive team, the ball is dead, and an out is called on the baserunner.  Of course there are numerous variations to the rule depending on the particular play.  One of the most disputed ones, and often not called, is that a batter running to first base must stay within the outside lane (foul territory) in the last 45 feet to the base. In fact, just last week in the Brewers vs. Marlins game, first base umpire Marty Foster called the Milwaukee pitcher Zack Godley for “obstruction” when the Miami batter Isan Diaz ran to first base on the infield side and touched Godley in his pathway.  If anything, it was “offensive interference” on Diaz.  Instead, mark that “OBS” on the scorecard with an “E 1” for the pitcher.

“Spectator Interference” has gotten the most ink over time, especially since we’ve seen it happen in prime time during the playoffs.  Bottom line, if an umpire judges that a fielder could have caught a fair or foul ball over the field such that the fielder is not reaching over the plane of the field, an umpire may rule the batter out.  In the first game of the 1996 ALCS between New York and Baltimore at Yankee Stadium, Derek Jeter hit a fly ball to the right field wall and a 12-year old Yankee fan reached over the wall to deflect it from Orioles rightfielder Tony Tarasco and over the fence.  No interference was called, and the Yankees went on to prevail in the game and the series.  More recently, in the fourth game of the 2018 ALCS between Houston and Boston, a ball hit by Jose Altuve into the stands for an HR was wrongly ruled an out due to fan interference with Red Sox rightfielder Mookie Betts.  I call it poetic justice!  And then there’s the play at Wrigley Field in the sixth game of the 2003 NLCS, but let’s not go there.

During the first month of the 2021 season there were numerous catcher’s interference calls.  Catcher’s interference is when the catcher hinders the batter’s opportunity to swing at a pitch.  It happens mostly when a catcher gets too close to a batter or reaches out his mitt on a pitch that he doesn’t think the batter will swing.  A former Red Sox and Yankees star, Jacoby Ellsbury, actually holds the single season and career record for being a batter who gets catcher’s interference calls.  He was known for letting pitches get deep into his stance and taking later swings.  Current White Sox catcher, Yasmani Grandal, has three catcher’s interference calls against him already this year.  Typically, he might see that once per year.  Mark that “INT, E 2” in the scorecard.

Another interesting entry on the scorecard is “FC” for fielder’s choice.  This scoring might involve a number of plays where an offensive player (batter or runner) reaches a base due to the defense either putting out or attempting to put out another baserunner.  It sounds easy, but sometimes it takes experience or a little bit of a crystal ball to make the FC scoring decision.  For example, let’s say there is a runner on first base and the batter hits a sharp ground ball in the hole.  The shortstop hadn’t realized that the baserunner was running on the pitch, throws to second, and the runner is called safe.  While it seems like the official scorer might easily rule an FC for the batter reaching first, it could be ruled a hit if the scorer determines the batter might have beaten the throw to first.  The impact of an FC ruling is that the batter is not credited with a hit but is credited with an at bat and plate appearance.

One last dive deeper into the weeds is that an official scorer has the last call on whether a run is either earned or unearned.  This can get complicated when many runs are scored during an inning.  After the conclusion of the inning, the official scorer has to recreate the events of an inning and envision how many runs would have crossed the plate without the assistance of an error (including catcher’s interference) or passed balls (wild pitches count against the pitcher as being earned). Interestingly, the new extra innings rule adds a little intrigue to this scoring decision. In the tenth inning, each team now begins the half inning with a runner on second base (the one who made the last out in the ninth). For scoring purposes, that runner is deemed to have reached base by an error. No actual error is charged to the defensive team, and if the runner does score, the pitcher is not charged with an earned run.

I thought I was a baseball guy who knew the nuances of the scorecard until a couple nights two years ago.  I was a guest in the press box of a friend who is an official scorer of a minor league team. He entered the scoring decisions electronically while at the same time keeping his own handwritten scorecard.  It became all too clear how tough a job he had.  I remember on a couple calls thinking about how my Dad might have scored it.  Sometimes I think that’s why I’m writing this blog.  Baseball truly does give us a lifetime of memories.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Homecoming

May 31, 1974.  My Dad called home from work that afternoon.  He had blue seats (field level) for the Reds game against the Pirates that evening.  I was pumped; we usually sat in the red (upper grandstand) or green (lower grandstand) seats at Riverfront Stadium.  This night I could see the players up close.  Our seats were down the third base line, not that far from the visitors’ bullpen in foul territory.  Late in the game an awkward looking Pirates pitcher with a funky delivery started to warm up.  About five rows behind us fans started to applaud.  It made me curious.  The applause turned into wild cheering as the Bucs skipper, Danny Murtaugh, left the Pittsburgh dugout and headed to the mound, motioning for the righthander.  That righty reliever happened to be Kent Tekulve, those fans were his family and friends, and this night was his MLB debut in his hometown, Cincinnati.

I’ve always enjoyed homecoming stories for players, and on that night in 1974 I quickly became a fan of Tekulve and began to follow his career.  He pitched in sixteen MLB seasons, always as a reliever, and compiled a sparkling 2.85 ERA with 184 career saves.  Tekulve’s best seasons were in 1978 and 1979 when he saved 31 games each year.  In 1979, after his Pirates beat my Reds in the NL playoffs, I rooted for Tekulve as he saved three games in Pittsburgh’s seven-game, come from behind, World Series championship over Baltimore.  It was Tekulve on the mound for the final out in Game 7.  In 1989 he returned to a bullpen in Cincinnati, but this time along the first base side, as he pitched 37 games for the Reds in his final year.  I’m sure he had many a night that season with family and friends cheering him on.

More recently, I’ve become a fan of Joe Musgrove, a righthander who pitched the first no-hit game of the 2021 MLB season. Musgrove has a coming home story of his own. During this past winter’s hot stove season, he was part of a three-team trade that brought him from Pittsburgh to his hometown team, the San Diego Padres. In his second start of the season, he pitched the first no-hitter in the Padres’ franchise history, a masterful 3-0 win over the Rangers. It was also Musgrove’s first no-hitter at any level of baseball. Last Sunday night I watched with the entire baseball world his start against the Dodgers on ESPN. I plan to see a lot more of his outings as the season progresses.

Another former righthander of the Pirates, Trevor Williams, has received a warm welcoming during the first month of the season.  Williams had a non-descript early part of his career with Pittsburgh, and became a free agent in the off-season.  The Cubs signed him to a one year, $2.5 million contract.  His debut at Wrigley Field, on April 5 against the Brewers, was particularly fun since his Dad, a lifelong and diehard Cubs fan, was there in the stands keeping score and cheering him on.  Before Williams next start in Chicago, an April 17 game vs. Atlanta, Trevor gave his Dad a special memento, a game-worn Williams jersey.  Wrigley will see a lot of his Dad’s jersey and scorebook this summer.

Greg Maddux is certainly a pitcher who knows his way around Wrigley Field, having pitched there at the beginning and end (save for a minor stint with the Dodgers) of his Hall of Fame career.  Maddux debuted with the Cubs in September 1986, and then starred there on the mound for the next six seasons.  Free agency took him to Ted Turner’s Braves in 1993.  His achievements are monstrous – first pitcher in MLB history to win the Cy Young Award in four consecutive years; only pitcher in MLB history to win at least 15 games for 17 straight seasons; most Gold Gloves for a pitcher with 18; and one of only 10 pitchers ever to win 300 games (355), record 3,000 strikeouts (3,371), and walk less than 1,000 batters (999).  He was a control artist and master technician, and the leader of a magnificent Braves starting pitching trio, alongside Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.  Maddux returned to Chicago in 2004 and pitched for a couple more seasons.  His number, #31, has been retired by the Cubs.

Another #31 for the Cubs, the number also retired and waving on a flag proudly at Wrigley, is that of Ferguson Jenkins, the Hall of Famer who in 1971 was the organization’s first Cy Young winner. Fergie made his claim to fame as the ace of the Cubs staff between 1966-1973. His numbers are also remarkable – 284 wins; 3,192 strikeouts; and a 20-game winner for seven consecutive seasons. Jenkins led the NL in complete games for three seasons as a Cub and the AL for one season as a Texas Ranger. One crazy stat from his standout season in 1968 is that he lost five 1-0 games, all of which were in complete game starts. After some stints with the Rangers and Red Sox, he returned to Chicago for the last two seasons of his career (1982-1983). In early April this year, the Cubs announced that Jenkins will be honored in 2022 with a statue outside Wrigley Field, joining the likes of Banks, Santo, Williams, and Caray.

Ken Griffey, Jr. had homecomings in two different cities.  He was raised in Cincinnati, the son of the Big Red Machine’s exceptional rightfielder, Ken Griffey.  While his Dad and Reds teammates were dominating the NL ballparks, Jr. starred on the high school diamonds at Cincinnati Moeller.  In 1987, he was named the U.S. high school player of the year and drafted #1 overall by Seattle.  His career numbers are outstanding – 630 HRs, 10 Gold Gloves, 1997 AL MVP, and a 13-time All Star.  In a wonderful story, his Dad joined him as a Mariner in 1990 and 1991, the first father-son combination on a team in MLB history.  Jr. returned to his roots in Cincinnati for nine seasons (2000-2008) as a Red.  In his final two seasons, he went back to Seattle to complete his Hall of Fame career.

Joe Torre’s idea of coming home was returning to manage in three cities where he performed as a player.  When we think of Torre now, most often it is because of his four world championships as the manager of the Yankees.  He was a big time player too, starring as a catcher, third baseman, and first baseman with the Braves, Mets, and Cardinals.  1971 was the highlight of his playing days, when as a Cardinal he was named NL MVP for leading the major leagues in batting average (.363) and RBIs (137).   As a New York Met in 1977, he quickly transitioned his playing career into a managerial career, serving as player-manager for a brief stint.  He went on to manage the Mets for four more seasons (1978-1981), the Braves for three (1982-1984), the Cardinals for six (1990-1995), and the Yankees for twelve (1996-2007).

It was during Torre’s managerial tenure with the Cardinals that I had the privilege of meeting him.  In May 1995 I attended an annual baseball event in St. Louis, the “Knights of the Cauliflower Ear” dinner introducing and honoring that year’s Cardinals club.  I had great seats that night too; I was seated at a table of ten that included manager Joe Torre.  I’ll never forget how gracious he was to me that night.  He signed a baseball for my oldest daughter, a special keepsake.  About a month later Torre was fired as manager of the Cardinals. I became one of his ardent followers as he joined the Yankees as manager the next year.  For a 12-year period in my life, I was, can you believe it, a Yankees fan.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Chin Music

So much of the first month of this season has been spent on controversies surrounding hit batsmen, brushbacks, and suspensions.  It would be easy for me to dispel all of it with the credo “let the players police themselves”; let’s just move on.  But I keep thinking back to my little league days when my teammates and I decided that it was cool for a couple seasons just to wear a liner (lightweight plastic lining inside the baseball cap) in the batter’s box.  Coming to the plate without an actual helmet was a foolish thought back then, and today’s fallback of “remember the good old days when Gibson and Drysdale just delivered chin music” is a foolish thought now.  There are responsible ways to address the overriding issues with which baseball is struggling.  Let’s explore the history, review a couple recent events, and discuss ways to move forward.

We can’t start the discussion without acknowledging the safety concern of a pitcher hurling a 95+ mph fastball at a hitter.  About 100 years ago, Ray Chapman of the Indians was hit in the head by a pitched ball, and died the next day.  Helmets were not required at the time. It’s the only incident of a player death, but there have been other serious injuries.  In 1967, Red Sox star Tony Conigliaro was hit in the left eye by a pitch, nearly lost his sight and was never the same player again. At the time, batting helmets were not required to have ear flaps (side protection).  Many of us remember Minnesota Twin Kirby Puckett’s last at-bat in the major leagues, in September 1995.  A fastball hit Puckett in the cheek, breaking his jaw.  During spring training the next season he developed glaucoma, ending his Hall of Fame career.  Despite the seriousness of the injuries, the law is pretty clear – stepping into a batter’s box is an “inherent risk” of the sport.  Most recently, in 2006, the Supreme Court of California ruled just that.

Baseball’s history is chalk full of batters who take that risk, or maybe better put, take one for the team by getting on base with a hit by pitch (HBP).  Ron Hunt, who in 1971 as a Montreal Expo set the modern-day single season record with 50 HBPs, had this motto: “Some people give their bodies to science; I give mine to baseball”.  In a game in 1969, Hunt was hit by a pitch in three at-bats, certainly a painful day at the office.  At the time of Hunt’s retirement, his 243 career HBPs were a modern day record.  That has since been surpassed, first by Don Baylor (267 career HBPs) and then by Craig Biggio of the Astros, who retired with 285.  Anthony Rizzo of the Cubs is the leader among active players with 150.  From the mound perspective, Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson is the all-time “hitting a batsman” leader with 206 over the course of his career.  Two weeks ago, we saw a hit batsman break up a perfect game bid by White Sox lefty Carlos Rodon. Rodon hit the 26th Indians batter in a no-hit performance.  Three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer could certainly relate.  In a game he pitched for the Nationals in 2015, pinch-hitter Jose Tabata, the 27th batter to face him, leaned into a pitch and was hit, ending Scherzer’s perfect game and raising the issue of an umpire’s role in dealing with hit batsmen.

MLB Rule 5.05(b) provides that a batter is awarded first base if (1) he is touched by a pitched ball outside the strike zone; (2) he attempts to avoid it (or had no opportunity to do so); and (3) he did not swing at the pitch.  It seems straightforward, but umpires simply fail to apply the rule.  When was the last time you saw an umpire disallow an HBP because the batter did not attempt to avoid a pitch?  We need to go back to 1968 when Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale hit Giants batter Dick Dietz with a pitch that would have forced in a run and ended Drysdale’s scoreless innings streak at 44.  The umpire ruled that Dietz made no effort to avoid the pitch, called the pitch a ball, and Drysdale’s streak went on for another 14 innings.  Importantly, the advent of instant replay hasn’t helped either.  An umpire’s application of the rule to a large extent is not subject to replay review.

The ending of an April 8 game between the Marlins and Mets is illustrative of MLB’s dilemma.  With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, New York’s Michael Conforto appeared to stick out his right elbow pad just enough to get it grazed by a pitch from Miami’s closer Anthony Bass.  At first the home plate umpire appeared to be signaling a strike, then pointed to the touching of the ball on the pad, awarded Conforto first base, and allowed the winning run to cross the plate.  Marlins manager Don Mattingly asked for a replay review that the umpires accommodated, but the ruling came back in a New York minute – game over!  While the touching of the ball on the elbow pad was confirmed, the decision that Conforto didn’t attempt to avoid the pitch or that the ball was in the strike zone (which it clearly was) were judgment calls by the umpire and couldn’t be overruled.  It was a crazy result, and one that the Mets themselves admitted was wrong.  It remains confounding why some result-changing plays can’t be reviewed, especially when umpires are so hesitant to make on-field calls like this one.

An NL Central rivalry was fueled by the MLB handing down recent suspensions on a play where there was no old-time brushback or bench clearing of any kind. In Milwaukee, the Cubs became weary of catcher Willson Contreras being hit with pitches by Brewers pitchers (7 times in 14 games over the past two seasons, the last one by Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff). Cubs reliever Ryan Tepera threw a message pitch behind Woodruff. Woodruff took umbrage, and the home plate umpire did the right thing by warning both dugouts. After reviewing the footage, MLB determined that Tepera was “intentionally throwing at Woodruff”. Cubs manager David Ross was suspended for one game (a manager can’t appeal a suspension) and Tepera for three games. Tepera has appealed his suspension, claiming there was no malicious intent to hit Woodruff. There was clearly no chin music, but rather a message in support of his catcher for Milwaukee to back off.

When I see batters coming to the plate sometimes wearing what looks to be body armor (pads and leg braces), I find myself resorting to being an old school curmudgeon.  Just take that gear off and get in the box like we used to do!  The better view is to support protective gear, especially when it comes to helmet apparatus.  Milwaukee’s Craig Counsell, currently the longest tenured manager in the National League, was an infielder for the Marlins in 1998 when his season came to an abrupt halt.  He was struck in the face by a pitch, causing his mouth to be wired for eight weeks.   While after the season Counsell joked that it was a good way to lose 20 pounds, he brought the memory of that incident to the Brewers organization.  The team has championed the idea of requiring players to wear protective face flaps on batting helmets.  Bottom line, safety first!

Other than enhancing protective equipment and imploring umpires to enforce the rules, what can MLB do?  Bill James, noted baseball historian, offered an interesting rule change 20 years ago in his “New Historical Baseball Abstract”.  He suggested that the batter’s box be moved back from home plate gradually, perhaps an inch each year, to be four inches away from its current spot.  If the umpires would enforce hitters not crossing the line of the box, gone would be the days of batters crowding the plate and daring pitchers to throw inside.  The beauty of the rule change would be that it would not only result in fewer hit batsmen, but fewer home runs too.  It would be a lot more difficult to try and launch a strike on the outside half of the plate.  Batters might be inclined to be contact hitters again and put the ball in play.  The rule change could serve as another way to try and speed up the game.

In February 1998 I had the opportunity to be a 16 year-old again by attending the Reds fantasy baseball camp in Sarasota, Florida.  It was a glorious week of playing baseball with 70 of my new closest buddies at a big league facility, culminating with a game against former Reds players.  Before heading to camp, I received advice from a baseball friend who had attended a Cardinals camp.  He said that some of the former MLB players still liked to compete, especially Bob Gibson who could bring the heat (in other words, don’t get too comfortable in the batter’s box with a former MLB pitcher on the hill).  Prior to my three innings of fame in the big league Reds vs. the campers game, I saw one of our camp’s hot shot pitchers hit former Reds pitcher Jim Maloney in the leg with a wild, inside pitch.  Maloney was a little upset (he was 58 at the time), and looked like he was going to approach the mound, but of course didn’t.  When I came to the plate in the next inning, let’s just say I didn’t exactly dig in.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

That Pitch Moved!

My Dad was mild-mannered, except when it came to one of his passions, like baseball.  I remember when I was a boy watching with him in our living room a Reds game against the Cubs at Wrigley Field.  Chicago had a one-run lead with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, but the Reds had their clutch hitter up, Tony Perez. On the mound for the Cubs was their ace reliever, Phil Regan.  On a two-strike pitch, Perez swung and missed.  Game over, yet my Dad jumped out of his sofa chair and yelled, “that pitch moved a foot!”  The Reds had the same reaction on the television screen.  It was the first time that I became aware of challenges concerning pitchers unfairly altering the movement of pitches, or “doctoring”.

About a week before the 2021 season MLB executive Mike Hill issued a curious memo to all team officials that MLB would be monitoring closely the use of foreign substances by pitchers.  Hill proclaimed: “Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, handling foreign substances, advising a pitcher how to use or otherwise mask the use of foreign substances, interfering with the collection of game-used baseballs and failing to report observed violations of these rules by players or staff.” “The Athletic” reported last week that the MLB collected several baseballs that Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer pitched in an April 8 outing against Oakland.  Interestingly, Bauer in 2018 spoke out against Astros pitchers for appearing to use substances on their pitches.  Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts quickly defended Bauer after “The Athletic” report came out, indicating that his ace was unfairly being singled out. 

Phil Regan, nicknamed “The Vulure” by Sandy Koufax due to Regan’s propensity for late-inning relief heroics, probably felt he too was being singled out over 50 years ago.  Regan was a top pitcher, mostly as a reliever, for 4 MLB clubs during a 13-year span (1960-1972).  Indeed, in 1968 he won the “Sporting News” Reliever of the Year award for the second time. In an August game that same year against the Reds, umpire Chris Pelekoudas called several illegal pitches on Regan based on the unusual movement of the balls as they reached the plate.  No illegal substances were found on the baseballs thrown by Regan.  NL President Warren Giles met with Regan a few days later and absolved him of any wrongdoing. The incident though followed him, unfairly so, the rest of his pitching career. Regan is now the pitching coach of the Mets, and one of the best in the game.

Movement of the baseball is so essential to an MLB pitcher. Today’s new term is called “spin rate” (basically, the more you can make a pitch spin, the more easily its trajectory can be changed).  The confrontation between a pitcher and a hitter in today’s game is a mental match of power pitching (95+ mph is the norm) vs. power hitting (swing velocity).  It has become increasingly difficult for a starter to go through an opponent’s lineup more than two times and be effective.  Batters are inclined to take pitchers deep into counts, see a lot of pitches, and run up pitch counts.  It used to be a starting pitcher could set up hitters for at bats late in the game by not always showing the good stuff early – think Marichal, Gibson, and Jenkins.  In today’s game, even a pitcher like Yu Darvish who reportedly has 11 pitches, 7 of them “primary ones”, can’t conquer the power mentality and go deep into games. MLB’s recent focus on pitched baseballs suggests that there is a concern pitchers may be resorting to doctoring baseballs to win the power struggle.  MLB isn’t saying, and it’s just hard to know.

It isn’t hard to know what was Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry’s take on the matter. In his autobiography, “Me and the Spitter”, he admits putting Vaseline on baseballs.  Perry’s lifetime numbers were outstanding – 314 wins, 3,534 strikeouts, and a 3.11 ERA.  Perry was never bashful about putting something on the baseball.  In fact, he used it as a mental edge over hitters, daring them to figure out when, how, and if he was doing it.  Gene Tenace, a catcher for the Padres when Perry pitched in San Diego, recalled: “I can remember a couple of occasions when I couldn’t throw the ball back to him because it was so greasy that it slipped out of my hands.  I just walked out to the mound and flipped the ball back to him.”  Crazily, Perry was not ejected from a game for an illegal pitch until 1982, his 21st season in baseball.

Don Sutton, also a Hall of Famer, who passed earlier this year, had a reputation for doing something with the baseball.  Like Perry, Sutton pitched in 23 MLB seasons and compiled an amazing career stat line – won 324 games, pitched 58 shutouts, and is seventh on the all-time strikeout list with 3,574.  Unlike Perry, he didn’t throw “greaseballs”, but might have scuffed the baseballs from time to time.  Reportedly, Reds manager Sparky Anderson used to have team personnel collect Sutton scuffed baseballs in a bucket. Yet, Sutton too was only “caught” once by an umpiring crew, in a game in 1978.  The National League gave him a ten-game suspension that he appealed.  The suspension was dropped after threats of litigation.

Another approach to moving the ball is by throwing a “knuckleball”, a legally pitched ball that a pitcher can grip in a couple of ways and is thrown with a stiff wrist.  The goal is to actually minimize the spin of the ball in flight, causing erratic movement.  The founder of the knuckleball was Hoyt Wilhelm, but the master was Atlanta Brave Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, “Knucksie”.  Niekro’s record on the mound was sensational – 318 career wins; led the NL in victories two seasons; and five NL All-Star selections.  He was also a great fielder, winning the NL Gold Glove five times.  Noteworthy was his durability and longevity, mostly because the knuckleball was easy on his arm.  121 of his career victories were recorded after he reached age 40. When a manager gave Niekro the ball, he didn’t give it back often.  He is the last MLB pitcher to win and lose 20 games in the same season.  Sadly, he passed recently as well, in December 2020.

An American League hurler in that same era who also used the knuckleball as his #1 pitch was Wilbur Wood, who pitched in 17 MLB seasons and starred with the White Sox.  Wood began his career as a starter relying on a fastball and curveball.  Under the tutelage of Wilhelm, Wood’s career took off when he mastered the knuckler.  In 1968 as a reliever for the White Sox he pitched in 88 of the team’s games.  The early 1970s White Sox teams featured Wood in a starting role.  He led the AL in games pitched from 1972 to 1975.  In 1972 he started 49 games and pitched 376 innings, numbers that are unheard of in today’s game.  Like Niekro, Wood won and lost 20 games in a season (1973).  And probably Wood is most famous for starting both ends of a doubleheader in July 1973 against the Yankees, losing both starts. There is not a present day knuckleballer, although some believe that Orioles’ minor leaguer Mickey Jannis has promise.

During the summer of 1974 I convinced my parents to go to a Braves vs. Dodgers game in Atlanta on our trip home from Florida.  I remember the night so well.  Phil Niekro pitched a complete game in the Braves 4-3 win; he also had the game-winning RBI.  We stayed at the Howard Johnson’s Motor Lodge next to the Atlanta ballpark.  Post-game my family waited in a long line for my celebratory, two scoop orange sherbet cone.  After receiving my treasure, I dropped it on the pavement no more than 50 feet from the front counter.  All my Dad said was “there’s no way we are going to stand in that line again”.  His passions apparently did not include ice cream.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Dugout

My favorite place to be growing up was Haubner Field, a ballpark about a mile from my house.  It had everything – smooth infield; concession stand; good drainage for those rainy Saturdays; and an outfield wall with names of advertisers. It was the home field for my Knothole (Little League) team.  The most special spot there for my teammates and me was our home dugout along the third base side.  Unlike other fields in the area, it was more than just a bench but an actual enclosed space with a gate allowing us entry onto the field.  I can still see the couple of team aluminum bats and helmets we would place next to the gate.  That home dugout kept us away from parents, siblings, and other spectators.  We came together as a team in that dugout; it was our safe place, our home.

Historically, “dugout” has been used to describe the bench areas slightly depressed below field level on both sides of home plate. One of the reasons early designers of ballparks created dugouts for the teams was that fans with seats next to the field could more easily view the action. In the early days, most home teams in MLB located their dugouts on the third base side since the managers also served as the third base coaches for their teams.  Today, 9 of the 15 teams in both the AL and NL have their home dugouts along the first base side.  It’s truly just a matter of home field comfort, cutting down on the amount of running by a batter across the diamond after making an out.  That home field advantage is also seen in our two oldest ballparks but in opposite directions.  The Red Sox dugout at Fenway is on the first base side, while the Cubs find their residence at Wrigley along third base.  In both cases, the opposing teams’ dugouts face the afternoon sun in day games!

MLB Rule 3.17 mandates that “no one except players, substitutes, managers, coaches, athletic trainers and batboys” can occupy a dugout during the game. For players and substitutes, that means you need to have secured a spot on the active roster. For decades the roster limit was 25 during the first five months of the season with the ability to expand to 40 players beginning September 1. The make-up of the 25-man roster has certainly evolved. It used to be common to have just 10 pitchers and 15 position players, which included the starting eight, backup position players, and specialty pinch hitters and pinch runners. More recently, the trend is to have a pitcher-dominated 25 that includes five starting pitchers and eight relievers. Prior to the 2020 season, MLB announced that it was expanding the rosters to 26 players and limiting the number of pitchers on the roster to just 13. The change would be a way to create more opportunities for position players and specialists. The pandemic shortened season of 2020 added health protocols to the considerations and roster limitations were revised throughout the season. MLB has returned to 26 player rosters in 2021, but there are no limitations on the number of pitchers. Many teams started the season with 14 pitchers on their roster.

There’s always a lot of chatter in the dugout, much of it directed toward the umpires.  I’ve always found it fascinating to see (and sometimes hear) a home plate umpire and a manager arguing balls/strikes calls as the manager remains in the dugout.  Under MLB Rule 9.02(a), a manager can be ejected for leaving the dugout and arguing about the strike zone. Baseball is famous for having “bench jockeys”, those who take great delight in harassing umpires from the dugout.  While often that has been the role of the bench coach, Hall of Fame managers Earl Weaver and Bobby Cox were particularly famous for it.  Today managers have the benefit of seeing replays of pitches to support their arguments.  In 2016 the disputes between managers and umpires on balls/strikes calls became so out of control that MLB executive Joe Torre issued a memo to all teams and managers to cool it. The topic continues to be a hot one with the proposed use of electronic ball/strike calls.

We’ve also witnessed some great arguments inside the dugout.  While managers and players wish to keep their internal disputes away from the public eye, sometimes television cameras capture the heated moments.  The most famous one was in the visitors’ third base dugout at Fenway Park on a June 1978 nationally televised game between the Red Sox and Yankees. In the sixth inning of the game, Yankees star right fielder and slugger Reggie Jackson turned a Red Sox single into a double due to his lackadaisical effort to make the play.  The fiery Yankees manager, Billy Martin, did the unthinkable immediately after the play – he replaced Jackson with Paul Blair before the next pitch was thrown.  When Jackson returned to the dugout, he confronted Martin and the two had to be restrained from exchanging blows.  Later that year, the Yankees won their second, consecutive world championship.  Maybe the dugout discord was needed.

The Astros sign-stealing scandal that broke after the 2019 season brought some changes to the dugout.  MLB banned in-game video for the 2020 season.  No longer could hitters make in-game adjustments based on viewing previous at bats.  Many cited this prohibition as the reason for the league-wide batting average of .246, the lowest since the 1968 season.  Some of the great stars in the game – Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger, Nolan Arenado, and Javier Baez --  saw dips in their batting averages last year.  Nationals veteran Ryan Zimmerman gave the players’ perspective: “Hitters and pitchers, honestly, use video during the game, and it gives us the best chance to be successful . . . and put the best product on the field. Things like that, that help us perform better, should be able to be used.”  Instead of lowering the mound to help boost batting averages (the reaction in 1969), MLB has agreed to allow players in the dugout to watch in-game video in 2021 on their personal tablets.   The video seen by the players blurs out catcher signs (sorry, Astros).

The relief pitchers on the roster don’t sit in the dugout, but rather the bullpen.   The origin of the term “bullpen” as the bench for relief pitchers in baseball has many theories.  It was first used in an 1877 Cincinnati Enquirer article describing where players on the Reds sat during the game.  My favorite theory is that the pitchers, bulls, would wait in their pen, before being sent off to slaughter.  That 1877 Reds team finished in last place; its roster included only 3 pitchers.  For many years, the bullpen was indeed simply a bench in playable foul territory.  The bullpen consisted of two pitching rubbers and two home plates, side by side.  Today, only two ballparks have their bullpens on the field in foul territory, Oakland Coliseum and Tampa’s Tropicana Field.  The relief pitchers now have the safety of warming up in a secured area situated out of play and behind the outfield walls.

What do we call a scuffle between two teams when the players leave their respective dugouts and bullpens? That’s easy, a “bench clearing brawl”.  Among the provisions of the collectively bargained MLB health and safety protocols in response to the pandemic, there is an explicit prohibition on fighting or instigating fights, such that any violator would be “severely punished”.  That protocol was put to test in the first week of the MLB season.  In the third game of the St. Louis vs. Cincinnati series, the Reds held a big lead in the fifth inning. Perhaps in response to slugger Nick Castellanos celebrating too much on his home run the day before, Cardinals reliever Jake Woodford hit Castellanos with a pitch.  Later in the inning, Castellanos scored on a wild pitch as Woodford covered home.  Words were exchanged; the “benches” cleared; and no punches were thrown.  Castellanos was suspended for two games for instigating the fight, and a handful of players from both teams were fined.  Castellanos has appealed the suspension.

My most vivid memory of the dugouts at Haubner Field when I was a kid is not the one on the home third base side, but rather the visitors’ dugout along the first base line.  In August 1978 I was assigned to be the home plate umpire for a Thursday evening, C-1 matchup (9-year olds).  When I arrived at the field, I noticed that the visiting team had a player numbered #14, Pete Rose Jr.  His Dad was kind of famous, especially at that time.  Pete Rose was in the midst of his NL-best 44 game hitting streak.  It was an off day for the Reds; Rose had just reached 39 straight games the night before and Cincinnati was buzzing.  In the second inning of this little league matchup, Pete Rose arrived to see his son play.  For security reasons, Rose sat in the first base dugout.  Late in the game, Pete Rose Jr. was at the plate with a 2-strike count.  The pitch hit the outside corner, I raised my right hand signaling out, and never looked over to the first base dugout.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

The Show

July 3, 2005.  It was a rainy Sunday morning as my daughter and I drove to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on our weeklong baseball trip for an afternoon game between the Kernels and the Lansing Lugnuts. We arrived for the game much too early. The gates to the ballpark wouldn’t open for another 90 minutes.  As we sat in the parking lot and waited it out, we noticed a Kernels player in the car parked next to us munching down a McDonald’s hamburger for lunch.  He then reclined his front seat and settled into a pre-game nap.  Soon, the sun came out and the front gate to the ballpark looked to be opening.  All three of us bounced out of the cars.  The Kernels player, a little embarrassed, ran to the Cedar Rapids clubhouse; he apparently had overslept and was now late.  When my daughter and I entered the main gate, she was chosen to be one of the nine kids to go on the field with a Kernels player before the start of the game.  She was very excited.

Over this first weekend of MLB play, there were a handful of players, “rookies”, who shared that same excitement of stepping onto a baseball diamond.  In the words of Crash Davis (Kevin Costner) in the baseball movie, “Bull Durham”, the MLB rookies had finally made it to “The Show”.  Many of this year’s rookies we saw play in last year’s shortened season. To be eligible for NL and AL Rookie of the Year honors, a position player needs to have fewer than 130 at bats and a pitcher fewer than 50 innings the prior year.  There are some familiar “rookies” from the playoffs last year – Tampa’s outfielder Randy Arozerena (ALCS MVP); Atlanta pitcher Ian Anderson (0.96 ERA in four postseason starts); and Miami righthander Sixto Sanchez (5 shutout innings in a playoff win over the Cubs).  Others debuted in 2020 as future stars on some struggling clubs – Detroit hurler Casey Mize; Texas pitcher Dane Dunning; and Pittsburgh third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes.  Other rookies to watch include Reds’ second baseman Jonathan India, who actually did make his MLB debut this past Thursday, and White Sox slugger Yermin Mercedes, a 28-year old rookie who toiled in the minor leagues for 10 years.

All of these rookies have something in common, an MLB big league contract (lowest big league salary is now $570,500 per season) after years of playing in the minor leagues.  “The Show” for them means no more long bus rides, bad meals, and thrifty hotels.  And maybe, just maybe, one of them might even catch the 2019 rookie debut lightning of San Diego star shortstop, Fernando Tatis, Jr.  I’m sure they certainly hope so.  In just two years of MLB play, one shortened by injury and the other by the pandemic, Tatis had shown the Padres enough to land an incredible, 14-year $340 million contract extension this offseason. After Francisco Lindor’s recent signing with the Mets for $341 million, the Tatis contract is the fourth largest in MLB history in terms of total money committed to a player.

Fernando Tatis, Jr.’s father, Fernando Tatis, starred as an MLB player in a fourteen year career.  Senior is most famous for hitting two grand slams in one inning in a 1999 game for the St. Louis Cardinals.  Like his father, Tatis, Jr. signed as a baseball free agent out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year old.  He showed enough potential for the Padres to acquire him in a 2016 trade with the White Sox for veteran pitcher James Shields.  Tatis Jr. struggled in his 2016 minor league rookie season.  He played shortstop for the Arizona Padres of the Rookie League and the Tri-City Dust Devils of low Class A ball, and had a poor, combined .904 fielding percentage.  Tatis Jr.’s power at the plate, defensive flash, and speed became apparent in his next two minor league seasons.  In 2017 and 2018, he moved through the Padres system, playing for the Class A Fort Wayne Tin Caps and the Class AA San Antonio Missions of the Texas League.  In the offseasons, he starred in the winter Dominican League.  Ranked by the MLB Pipeline as the #3 prospect in baseball, it was just a matter of time before he would be called up to “The Show”.

On March 26, 2019, the Padres issued a release announcing that Tatis Jr. had made the San Diego Opening Day roster.  Indeed, Tatis Jr. made his MLB debut as the Padres starting shortstop, and had two hits in his first game.  This past Thursday some new “rookies” got their first Opening Day start as well. Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes homered in the first inning against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, Reds’ Jonathan India stroked two hits against the Cardinals in Cincinnati, and amazingly Yermin Mercedes of the White Sox began the season with an 8 for 8, record-setting batting streak.  Tatis Jr.’s 2019 year was solid.  He batted .317 with 22 home runs, and came in third in the NL Rookie of the Year balloting.  In 2020, he was spectacular, hitting 17 HRs (second in the NL), 42 RBIs (fourth), and 11 stolen bases (also fourth).  Tatis Jr. led the Padres to a 2020 playoff spot and a first round win over St. Louis.  Many commentators project the Padres to return to the NL playoffs this year and see Tatis Jr. as the potential NL MVP.

One fascinating part of the Tatis $340 million monster contract is that he has to give part of it to a company called “Big League Advance” (BLA), an investment firm that rewards young, promising players with early payments in exchange for a piece of all of their future MLB earnings. Advance payments give minor leaguers, like Tatis Jr., the ability to withstand the rigors and inequities of minor league ball for a chance to play in The Show. You see, BLA invested in Tatis’ success when he was just an 18-year old minor leaguer. For Tatis’ new contract, it is believed that BLA will receive an estimated 25 to 30 million dollars over the course of his contract, a pretty nice return on their original payment to Tatis of about $500,000. BLA has made similar deals with over 300 minor leaguers during the last five years, and 20 such arrangements have already been inked in the first three months of 2021. It’s the ultimate win-win in professional sports.

The Big League Advance investment fund is the brainstorm of former Philadelphia pitcher Michael Schwimer, a reliever for the Phillies in just 37 games during the 2011 and 2012 seasons.  His firm has invested heavily in predictive analytics software programs.  An algorithm projects the performance and earnings potential of minor league players.  Tatis Jr. was part of BLA’s first $26 million fund that was spread across 77 players in 2017.  A second fund raised an additional $130 million.  If a minor leaguer accepts $100,000 upfront for his future earnings, BLA’s possible payday is 1% of those earnings.  On the high end, a player could get an $1,000,000 payment for 10% of future earnings.  While the per player arrangements are not public, apparently the average deals are for 8% of earnings.  Schwimer has said that the average paid to a player is $350,000. 

From a player’s perspective, the upfront payment is incredibly appealing.  For example, when Tatis took the deal in 2017, the pay for Class A players was only $1,300 a month, and that was for play during the season.  In an interview with The Athletic in 2018, Tatis said the BLA deal gave him the ability to afford a personal trainer, more quality food, and better housing. These deals also come at a time when the MLB is reducing its minor league affiliations, and hence the opportunities to play professional baseball.  MLB announced in December that it is only offering 120 minor league affiliations (down from 163) to cities across the U.S., four per team (Class AAA, Class AA, high Class A, and low Class A).  Gone are the rookie leagues where so many players got their start.  And from a personal perspective, cities and teams like the Burlington Bees and Clinton LumberKings, both part of fond memories of my prior baseball swings, are no longer minor league destinations.

Last season Dodgers pitcher David Price gave $1,000 each to the 220 minor leaguers in the Dodgers system when he learned that the minor league season might be cancelled due to the pandemic.  That goodwill gesture reminded me of how important minor league baseball has been to players and fans, much like my daughter and I on our trip in 2005.  After she returned to our seats that Sunday afternoon in Cedar Rapids prior to the first pitch of the game, she handed me the baseball that a player had autographed for her.  The ball bore the signature of the same player who was parked next to us a couple hours before in the ballpark parking lot.  My daughter and I cheered when he smacked two hits that afternoon in the Kernels 5-4 win over the Lugnuts.  Years later, I checked, and he never made it to The Show.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Hammerin' Hank

Welcome to the third season of Baseball Bench Coach!  MLB’s 2020 version was certainly memorable with the many changes made to address the pandemic – a shortened season, the DH in the National League, and 7-inning games.  It was a year that many players and fans are wont to forget. As the calendar turned to 2021, we learned that MLB would have a full 162-game schedule and fans would be gradually returning to the ballparks.  There is indeed some glimmer of a return to normalcy in baseball.  2021 was only 3 weeks old though when we also learned of the passing of baseball legend Hank Aaron.  We should not begin BBC’s third edition with anything other the Aaron story; it’s just that important.  So instead of looking ahead to Opening Day this coming Thursday, let’s first look back at the life of Hammerin’ Hank, truly one players and fans should never forget.

My first memory of Hank Aaron is on Opening Day, April 4, 1974.  The Reds have opened their season at home in Cincinnati for decades. It’s a day of celebration for the Reds, a downtown parade, the introduction of the team, and the ceremonial first pitch. 1974 was different. The country’s attention was focused on the visiting Atlanta Braves and their home run hitter, Henry Aaron.  I was an ecstatic 15-year old that afternoon as my teacher rolled a television set into our ninth grade classroom. My classmates and I watched as Aaron came to the plate in the first inning and hit Reds pitcher Jack Billingham’s first pitch over the left field wall at Riverfront Stadium.  It was Hank’s 714th career home run, tying Babe Ruth’s all-time mark.  Aaron would go on to break the record four nights later with #715 off Al Downing of the Dodgers before Hank’s home Atlanta fans and a national television audience.

What I knew about Hank Aaron when I was 15 was his baseball greatness. I thought of him as a true hitter and slugger, and certainly his career totals reflect that – 755 HRs (ranked 2); 2,297 RBIs (1), 6,856 total bases (1), 3,771 hits (3), and 1,477 extra-base hits (1). My other image of Aaron back then was that he was the left fielder of the magnificent NL All-Star outfield that also included Willie Mays in center and Roberto Clemente in right. I really don’t have a memory of Aaron, unlike that of Mays and Clemente, making an outstanding play in the outfield. Yet, Aaron’s legacy is not complete without acknowledging that he too was a graceful fielder with a strong throwing arm (a 3-time Gold Glover) and an exceptional baserunner. He was, in baseball’s new terminology, a five-tool player (hitting, hitting for power, running, fielding, and throwing).

What I didn’t realize as a 15-year old was how much Hank Aaron suffered personally while setting the baseball records.  His life growing up in Mobile, Alabama, was one of poverty and segregation. He saw baseball as a way out, and in many ways it failed him.  After his successful debut as the Rookie of the Year in the 1952 Northern League, the Braves assigned Aaron the next season to their Class A affiliate in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was named the South Atlantic League MVP.  He led that league in runs, hits, doubles, and RBIs (but not HRs).  Aaron’s success on the diamond in 1953 was remarkable, not because of the numbers but what he had to tolerate.  He was the constant target of racial slurs and death threats.  As young Hank reached the big league club in Milwaukee in 1954, the personal ridicule continued as baseball struggled with bringing black players into the major leagues.  And sadly, twenty years later, on the precipice of breaking Babe Ruth’s home run mark, he suffered through a 1973-1974 offseason of racial epitaphs, and again, death threats.  He entered the batter’s box on Opening Day in 1974 not only as a great home run hitter, but also as a survivor.

Although Hank Aaron the baseball player broke the home run record that first week of April in 1974 and retired 2 years later with remarkable career records, his contributions might have been greater off the field.  Aaron was a true civil rights pioneer.  After his passing two months ago, his baseball brethren remembered him for his leadership, outspokenness, and genuine concern for all whose paths he crossed. Former President Carter called Hank his “personal hero”, and former President Obama deemed him a “towering example”.  In early January, two and a half weeks before his death, Aaron made it a point to take the COVID vaccine in public, a signal to his beloved black community that the shots were safe in the midst of the pandemic. 

Aaron told it like it was in his post-baseball career, providing a message that we needed to hear. He spoke often about the need for more blacks in the management of baseball organizations. After the Astros cheating scandal was made public less than two years ago, Aaron called for much greater discipline than MLB handed down. Hank believed that everyone in the scandal should have been banned from baseball for life, sounding the message that cheating in baseball should never be tolerated. Prior to that, Aaron spoke against allowing Pete Rose into the Hall of Fame, a position with which I understand but disagree. More than anything, Hank Aaron was a strong voice representing the black community, a voice of integrity, passion, and forthrightness.

The nickname “Hammerin’ Hank” recognizes Aaron’s long career with the Braves and his record 755 home runs (second all-time).  The nickname though has drawn criticism from Native Americans, as has the team name “Braves”.  You might recall during the 2019 NL playoffs that the Atlanta crowd’s chant and motioning of a Tomahawk Chop came under scrutiny.  A St. Louis Cardinals pitcher, Ryan Helsley, who is a member of the Cherokee Nation, indicated that he found the chant offensive.  The Braves’ organization did recognize the concern and halted the playing of the chant during the last game of the 2019 playoff round.  Interestingly, after Aaron’s death, there have been some who have campaigned for renaming the team the “Hammers”.

Hank Aaron will be honored in the Atlanta sports scene this year.  His number, 44, has long been long retired by the baseball Braves, but will now also be retired by the NFL Falcons, the MLS Atlanta United, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football program.  The Milwaukee Brewers have also announced that their players will wear a “44” patch on their uniforms in honor of Hank.  Aaron started his career in Milwaukee as a Brave, and ended it in 1976 as a Milwaukee Brewer.  Aaron will indeed be at the front of our minds in 2021 as we hope for a better year in sports.

I am excited for Opening Day this Thursday, much like I was as a 15-year old in 1974.  Looking back, I am a little embarrassed that I didn’t know the story of the treatment of Hank Aaron off the field.  I wish I had known.  This past week, almost 47 years later, I read that college basketball stars E.J. Liddell of Ohio State and Kofi Cockburn of Illinois were the targets of racist social media comments after their teams’ early round losses in the NCAA tournament.  I am again embarrassed that our society continues to espouse such hate.  On Thursday, let us take a deep breath, and hope that someday, somehow, we can be better.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

World Series

World Series; the championship of my favorite sport at the best time of the year!  During the past week we have witnessed the Dodgers and Rays battle it out with Los Angeles now holding a 3-2 lead.  There’s so much new about the Series this year – all games in the same ballpark; DH rule in effect in every game; and oh yes, crowds of just 11,500 (lowest since 1909) with background noise piped in.  Yet, some longstanding traditions have indeed been maintained.  Let’s look back at how the history of the World Series has played a part in the 2020 Fall Classic, certainly one to remember (or perhaps one to forget).

This is the 116th World Series between the AL and NL.  The American League holds a 66-49 Series advantage. It all started in 1903 when the NL Pittsburgh Pirates were defeated 5 games to 3 by the upstart American League’s Boston Americans (now the Red Sox).   The Americans were ready to defend their championship the next season, but the NL pennant-winning New York Giants, owned by John T. Brush, boycotted the 1904 Series.  Among the reasons Brush cited was the lack of rules under which money would be split.  After both leagues agreed to the “Brush Rules”, which included that the player shares would come from a portion of the gate receipts for the first four games only so as to prohibit fixing games, the Series returned in 1905 with the Giants beating the AL’s Philadelphia Athletics, 4 games to 1.   The concern about gambling in the Series was well founded in the early days, resulting in the ultimate black eye for baseball in 1919. (See “Field of Dreams”, 08/10/2020.)

One huge story line in the Series this year is that MLB found a way to stage it in the face of the pandemic.  Aside from the 1904 boycott, the only other year the Series wasn’t played was in 1994 when it was cancelled due to the players’ strike.  The Series has survived so many events – the 1981 Series was played despite a long, mid-season work stoppage; in 1989 an earthquake struck the Bay Area right before Game 3 causing the Giants and Athletics match-up to be delayed 10 days; and in 2001 the Series started a week late due to the September 11 attacks.  And of course, the 1918 World Series was also played while the country was in the midst of a pandemic, the Spanish influenza.  (See “Shortened Season”, 06/08/2020.)  I’m sure that MLB executives will be glad this week when the ’20 Series is safely in the books.

Home field advantage in the Series has always been an interesting topic.  The Dodgers, who had an MLB best 43-17 regular season record, received the “home field” for the Series only so far as it gives them the last at bat in games 1, 2, and 6, and importantly, game 7 (if necessary).  No Dodger Stadium, though. Until 2002, home field advantage in the Series alternated every year (even years – NL; and odd years – AL), no matter the records of the teams.  In 2003-2016, home field advantage was determined by which league won the All-Star Game.  MLB returned to reality in 2017 and adopted the much called for best record determination.  The 2 (home) – 3 (away) – 2 (home) format goes all the way back to 1924.  How “home field” plays out in winning the Series is across the spectrum.  In 1987, the Twins captured the Series by winning its four home games, while last year the Nationals became the first world champions ever by winning four games on the road.

With the MLB’s adoption of the DH Rule in the 2020 shortened season, it’s been somewhat of a return to the World Series approach employed back in the 1970s.   The American League first adopted the DH rule in 1973, but MLB opted not to use it for Series games until 1976.  Beginning in 1976, all even-numbered years would include the DH and it would be used by both teams in all Series games.  AL faithful were glad to see it, except Cincinnati turned it to its advantage by casting slugger Dan Driessen as a DH in the ’76 sweep of the Yankees.  In 1986, MLB changed gears and imposed a rule that the DH was to be used for Series games played in the AL champion’s park but not in the NL ballpark.  The rationale was that the DH should not affect the performance of the home team.  (See “Universal DH”, 05/25/2020.) Over the past five games in this Series, the Dodgers and the Rays have effectively used the DH with several players serving in the role.  It’s a testament to the amazing depth both teams have on their rosters. 

The 2020 Series teams are certainly contrasts from an historical perspective.  This is only the Rays second Series appearance, the first one in 2008 in a loss to the Phillies.  Tampa Bay is one of 6 current teams to have never won it all, the others being Colorado, Milwaukee, San Diego, Seattle, and Texas.  The Dodgers are in an NL elite class; this is their 24th Series appearance.  My first memory of watching the World Series was in 1965 when Sandy Koufax and Don Drysdale led LA to a Series win over Rod Carew and Tony Oliva of the Twins.  The Dodgers had previously beaten the Yankees in 1963 (I was a little too young) and then in 1966 lost to Jim Palmer and the Orioles.  Prior to the 60s, the Dodgers were certainly an NL dynasty, appearing in 7 Series between 1947 and 1959.  Of course, those Dodgers most often had to face the AL dynasty Yankees, who reigned supreme.   The Dodgers last won the Series in 1988.  LA has been in 3 of the last 4 Series, losing in 2017 and 2018.  There has been no team in Series history that has been in 3 of the last 4 played and not won one.

Just when I was getting used to having some day baseball during the 2020 postseason, MLB returned to prime time for all of the games this week.  Night baseball in the MLB goes back to 1935 with the first night game at Crosley Field in Cincinnati.  It was not until the 1971 Series when we witnessed Series play at night, a Game 4 encounter between the Pirates and the Orioles at Three Rivers Stadium.  But of course nighttime television took over with its larger audiences and more attractive advertising spots.  The last World Series game played during the day was 33 years ago, Game 6 at the Metrodome in Minneapolis between the Cardinals and the Twins.  I miss World Series day baseball tremendously, especially when games are played well over 3 hours and late into the night.   It’s hard to imagine a 10-year old in Tampa staying up to see the final innings of the games this week. 

If you were awake to see the Rays’ walk off win in Game 4 Saturday night, you saw some big-time drama.  I often ponder what was the best World Series game in my generation.  For many, maybe it was Jack Buck’s call of Kirk Gibson’s home run in Game 1 of the 1988 Series, “I don’t believe what I just saw”.  (See “Rounding Third”, 08/24/2020.)  For me, it had to be Game 6 of the 1975 World Series between my Reds and the Red Sox.  I was a sixteen year-old kid sitting in my living room hoping beyond hope that the Big Red Machine would finally be World Champions.  I had 13 pennies in my pocket and was sitting in a chair with the #13 mask-taped to the back of it.  (See “Row 13, Seat 13”, 04/13/2020.)  When Carlton Fisk hit the long drive toward the left field foul pole motioning for the ball to stay fair, I remember standing up and trying to push the ball the other way.  I vividly recall the next evening before Game 7 watching Curt Gowdy’s interview of Pete Rose who said “last night was the greatest game I’ve ever played in”.   It truly was the best Series game I’ve witnessed, especially after the Reds did take Game 7 and the Series.

The Dodgers and the Rays came into the 2020 Series as clearly the best in their respective leagues based on regular season won-loss records.  Since postseason baseball went to eight teams in 1995, there have been only three Series between the teams with the top record in each league:  Braves over the Indians in 1995; Yankees 1998 Series win over the Braves; and the Red Sox beating the Cardinals in 2013.  One might think that the NL and AL best this past week would be involved in some late inning nail-biters.  Other than the Game 4 thriller, the Fall Classic 2020 has so far fallen short in terms of close games.  It’s certainly not been the 1991 Series between the Twins and the Braves, deemed by ESPN as the “greatest of all time”, when the 7-game win by Minnesota included five games decided by one run, four games determined in the final at-bat, and three games going into extra innings!

We might have, however, found a new “Mr. October”.  Reggie Jackson of the Yankees was called that in 1977 after his incredible power show in the World Series win over LA.  This time a Ray, Randy Arozarena, might be just as deserving of the nickname.  Raise your hand if you knew about Arozarena before the playoffs (not me). In Game 4 of the Series, Arozarena set the new MLB mark for home runs in the postseason with his ninth blast. More than that though, a little thing he did might have served as a big difference in the Series. (See “Little Things”, 10/14/2019.) Because of Arozarena’s Game 3 HR off of Kenley Jansen, Dodger closer, Jansen pitched around Arozarena in the ninth inning of Game 4 and walked him. The result was Arozarena scoring the winning run on his wild sprint around the bases. Last night in Game 5 he set the MLB postseason hit record with 27.

I hope you enjoy the conclusion of the Series in the next few days.  It’s been an interesting and fun season of baseball blog writing.  I look forward to being back with you next spring for the third year of Baseball Bench Coach and a full season of Major League Baseball.

Until next Season,

your Baseball Bench Coach

We Remember

MLB has made the most of its 2020 shortened season and 16-team October postseason, despite some well-founded concern that it would not navigate play safely through the finish line.  But we are almost there, as baseball awaits the World Series beginning this Tuesday night between the Dodgers and the Rays. Unfortunately, 2020 has been a time when we’ve lost too many baseball legends.  They made many of our childhoods better because we found baseball through them.  I chose eight of the departed players, highlighted their achievements, and personalized some memories.  I’ve also asked readers to share their memories.  We remember . . .

Glenn Beckert.  I was always in the infield during my playing days (maybe it was because I wasn’t very fast and had a little trouble catching fly balls).  So when I think of teams from the past, my thoughts turn to the great infields – Cubs second baseman Glenn Beckert, and Banks, Santo, and Kessinger, alongside him.  Beckert’s play was solid in all respects.  At the plate he garnered a .283 lifetime batting average, and demonstrated what it means to be a contact batter and #2 hitter.  Beckert led the National League for five seasons in fewest strikeouts per at bats.  (See “Batting Second”, 05/20/2019.) His steady fielding allowed him to capture the Gold Glove and four appearances as an NL All-Star in his ten-season career.  He passed on April 12 at the age of 80.

Tom K., Chicago:  “I remember that Beckert wasn’t his roomy Santo type of hitter, or Banks or Williams.  But I always felt quite safe when Beckert was up with the game on the line or when a ground ball came his way.  This last spring was the last time I saw Beckert (at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona).  Before the park opened he would stand on the grass berm in the outfield looking out at the field.  I guess he’ll complete the infield up there now.”

Lou Brock.  I miss the days of the base stealers – Rickey Henderson; Maury Wills; and my favorite, Lou Brock.   I remember fondly in 1974 seeing Brock break Wills’ single season SB record with 118 during the season.  He also broke Ty Cobb’s MLB career stolen base record.  (Henderson now holds both records.) Brock’s World Series fame came during those memorable October afternoons in the 1960s, helping his Cardinals win 2 of 3 World Series.  (See “Turning Points”, 07/15/2019, and “Watchful Eye”, 10/21/2019.)  Brock starred in the leadoff spot for almost the entirety of his 19-year career.  By the numbers, he recorded a career .293 batting average, 3,023 hits, and 938 stolen bases.  Brock died a little over a month ago, on September 6, at age 81.

Mark W., St. Louis:  “Lou Brock was one of my earliest baseball heroes.  I remember watching him at the old Busch Stadium in St. Louis, usually from the upper deck seats in left field.  I picture him at the place where he most excited me – taking a lead off first base, eyes on the pitcher, then stretching that lead.  When he took off for second there was an explosion of motion.”

Whitey Ford.  Whitey Ford was the ace of the most dominant team baseball has seen, the Yankees in the 1950s and early 1960s.  From his rookie year in 1950 to 1964, the Yankees represented the American League in every World Series except two.  Ford’s record of 236-106, a .690 winning percentage, was the top won-loss record in the 20th century.  He holds numerous World Series records, games and starts (22), innings pitched (146), wins (10), and a string of 33 consecutive scoreless innings (breaking Babe Ruth’s mark).  His teammates called him “Chairman of the Board”, because no one could lead a team like their left-hander.  Mickey Mantle said this about Ford:  “He was the best pitcher I ever saw and the greatest competitor”.  Ford died on October 8, at the age of 91, just hours before his beloved Yankees lost to the Rays in Game 5 of the ALDS. 

Amy L., Orlando:  “I’ve been a Yankee fan for as long as I can remember.  I would often take the subway from my home in Brooklyn to Yankee Stadium.  The quintessential summer afternoon was the upper deck there.  To look down on the field, real grass, watch the greats, was perfection on a Saturday afternoon.  Whitey Ford and Mickey Mantle were my favorites.  Can you imagine a glorious day with Ford on the mound, Mantle in center, and me in the upper deck, adoring them.  Those were the days.”

Bob Gibson.   You have accomplished much in sports when your dominance causes a rule change.  That sums up the career of Bob Gibson.  In 1968 he finished the season with a 1.12 ERA and was named the NL MVP. (See “Shattering Records”, 08/03/2020.) The next season MLB had no choice but to lower the mound.  Gibson spent his entire 17-year career with the Cardinals, pitching 3 games in each of the 1964, 1967, and 1968 World Series.  And incredibly, he completed eight of those nine games! His career numbers were outstanding, 2.91 ERA, a record of 251-174, and 3,117 strikeouts.  For me though, there are two distinct memories – his glare toward the hitters from the mound, and that he taught me how to throw a curveball in his 1968 book, “From Ghetto to Glory”.  Gibson passed earlier this month on October 2, at age 84, on the same date when he struck out 17 Tigers batters in his Game 1 victory in the ’68 Series.

Jim S., St. Louis:  “I saw Bob Gibson pitch in the final game of the 1964 championship season (10-4-64, the date engraved in my mind forever), at Sportsman’s Park with my brother and father.  My father wasn’t a big sports fan so it had to be a big deal for him to get us out of Religious School to go to that game.  My brother and I still reminisce about that game.”

Al Kaline.  Kaline will forever be known as “Mr. Tiger”. He was an 18-time All-Star in his 23-year career with Detroit.  Known for his strong throwing arm, Kaline was an exceptional outfielder, a ten-time Gold Glover with a career .987 fielding percentage.  In 1955, at the age of 20, he became the youngest player ever to win the AL batting title with a .340 batting average.  Lifetime at the plate he batted .297 and recorded 3,007 hits.  In his only World Series appearance, 1968, he led his Tigers to a world title.  Down 3 games to 1 and a 3-2 score in the seventh inning of Game 5 against St. Louis, it was Kaline’s bases loaded single that ignited the Tigers to win the game and the Series 4-3.   He passed on April 6, at age 85.

Clay A., Chicago: “Everybody in Detroit felt connected to Al Kaline.  For me as a young child watching the ’84 Tigers win it all, it was with Al Kaline and George Kell as the TV announcers on WDIV.  But I still remember hearing about my Grandfather who was a high school teacher, coach, and athletic director, spending his summers working part time on the grounds crew at old Tiger Stadium, just to be closer to Kaline and the Tigers.  One of my grandpa’s fellow coaches and teachers was the son in-law of Ed Katalinas, the Tigers scout, who told the story for years about signing Kaline right out of high school.  Whether he actually went to his high school prom the day after signing to the Big Leagues may be a bit of an exaggeration!”

Don Larsen.  It’s so fitting to remember Yankee pitcher Don Larsen the day before the 2020 World Series is to begin.  Larsen’s 15-year MLB career is highlighted by a single October day.  In Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Larsen threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers.  His perfect game is the only one in World Series history, only one of two no-hitters in Series history (Roy Halladay pitched one in 2010), and just one of 23 perfect games ever in modern day baseball.  Yes, the naysayers can point to his pedestrian 81-91 career won-loss record, but Larsen’s pitching performance day 64 years ago was indeed baseball perfection.  Don Larsen passed earlier this year on New Year’s Day, at the age of 90.

Joel K., Chicago:  “I’m old enough to have watched Don Larsen’s perfect game on a black and white television set on Monday, October 8, 1956.  I stayed home from school that day just to watch the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers.  The Yankees got a run via Mickey Mantle’s home run in the fourth inning and scratched out another run partly thanks to Larsen’s sacrifice bunt later.  The excitement continued to build as Larsen completed his masterpiece, recording 27 consecutive outs.  I remember seeing his catcher, Yogi Berra, jump into his arms at the end of the game.”

Joe Morgan.  Little Joe was the catalyst for the Big Red Machine.  In 1975 and 1976, he captured the NL MVP awards, the same years his Reds won back-to-back world championships. He was a 10-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glover.  (See “Numbers Game”, 05/13/2019).  Offensively, he could hit with power and steal bases, the first player to hit 200 HRs and steal 500 bases.  Over the past week I’ve heard many reminisce about his trademark chicken flap of his left arm as he stood in the box and awaited the pitch.  I have other images, such as his putting two feet on the artificial turf outside of the first base dirt cutoff, daring a pitcher to throw over.  Morgan stole 689 career bases, and had a lifetime on-base percentage of .392.  My other image is his sitting next to Sparky Anderson in the dugout, discussing strategy.  (See “Player Images”, 06/29/2020.)  His teammate Johnny Bench:  “Joe wasn’t just the best second baseman in baseball history. He was the best player I ever saw and one of the best people I’ve ever known.”  Morgan died this past week, on October 11, at the age of 77.

Tom D., Cincinnati:  “Growing up in Cincinnati in the sixties, my favorite Red was Tommy Helms, perhaps because he and I shared the label of being a solid defensive, yet light hitting, second baseman.  He remained my favorite Red until November 29, 1971, the day the Reds traded Helms to the Astros and acquired rising star Joe Morgan in an eight-player trade. Little Joe played a different brand of second base, more athletic.  There have been few, if any, second basemen that possessed the offensive skills as the Reds #8.  His combination of speed, power, and clutch hitting undoubtedly rank him as 1 of the top 3 all-time Reds. Morgan knew the game like few others, played the game like no other second baseman (including Helms), helped to carry a team to back-to-back World Series titles, and left us far too soon.”

Tom Seaver.  Tom Seaver had so many accolades in his career – 12 time All-Star; ‘69 World Series Champion: 3 time NL Cy Young Award winner; 3 time NL ERA leader; and 5 time NL strikeout leader.  For me, I admired his textbook pitching style, an incredible lower body, leg drive to the plate. Seaver’s dominance on the mound was mostly as a Met.  He did notch his only no-hitter as a Cincinnati Red, on June 16, 1978, one year after his trade to the Reds (a night I remember celebrating at Riverfront Stadium with friends).  In 1992, his induction into the Hall of Fame was at the highest percentage of votes (98.4%) ever. That number has only been surpassed by Rivera, Jeter, and Griffey Jr.  Seaver died on August 31, at the age of 75.

Jerry A., Cincinnati: “1969 World Series.  It was the coming of age for my affection and appreciation of baseball.  At 10 years old, our first ever color TV was delivered on Saturday, October 11, 1969. All the boys in the neighborhood crowded into our living room to see baseball in ‘living color’.  Watching future Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, the eventual Cy Young winner backed by his 25-7 record and 208 strikeout season, ‘Tom Terrific’ was not so much in World Series Game 1.  Seaver only lasted five innings giving up four runs and striking out only three Orioles.  Seaver returned in Game 4 for the win, pitching a complete 10 inning game, the Mets winning in the bottom of the 10th inning.  The fond memory of that day still resonates with me 51 years later.”

The readers’ quotes say it all.  World Series heroes, childhood playing days, recollection of specific days and dates, being at the ballpark, watching on television, family connections, and cutting school to see the great ones play.  These are wonderful memories we all share.  And from all of us, thank you baseball legends for being such a big part of our lives.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Hit the Road

I must admit that I wasn’t thrilled with the ALDS and NLDS this past week.  Maybe it was because I don’t have a team in the chase.  Or maybe it was that I always felt lost in the broadcasts.  I kept asking myself, where again are the teams playing?  Oh yeah, AL games in NL park bubbles, and vice versa.  Then there is the fake crowd noise that was too much.  Just turn it down a little.  And while the cardboard cutout fans were kind of fun two months ago, I’m not digging them anymore.  I know what I need; I want to go on a baseball road trip!  So imagine, you’ve boarded a comfortable motor coach, and we “hit the road”. 

Indianapolis, IN. Let’s begin at the “crossroads of America”, the home of the AAA Indians. Going to a minor league game often means getting a first look at future MLB players.  When I was growing up, the Indians were my Reds’ AAA-affiliate and fans were treated to Dave Concepcion, George Foster, and Ken Griffey at a little ballpark, Bush Stadium, on the near west side of town.  In 1996 the team moved to Victory Field, a downtown ballpark modeled after Baltimore’s Camden Yards and Cleveland’s Jacobs Field.  The AAA facility has been touted as the “best minor league ballpark in America” (Sports Illustrated).  The Indians have been a big hit in their downtown location, walking distance from numerous hotels and restaurants and leading minor league baseball in attendance (2017).  My daughter and I visited the ballpark a little over ten years ago and we experienced my favorite in-game promotion ever.  Between every half inning, a lucky fan was awarded a pre-owned car.  It just so happened that the Brickyard 400 was the next day!  The Indians are now the Pirates’ AAA-affliate, so let’s go see the big league team too.

Pittsburgh, PA.  Our journey east on Interstate 70 takes us to the Steel City, a reborn city where there is much to do.  Your first thoughts might be football (I’ll give you that) or food (there’s nothing like a Primanti’s sandwich topped with fries and cole slaw), but there is so much baseball to explore.  Pittsburgh has retained some of its old glory, like the left centerfield wall of the former Forbes Field.  One of the top five moments in MLB history was Bill Mazeroski’s 1960 World Series, Game 7, bottom of the ninth inning, home run over that wall to complete the surprising upset of the Yankees.  Forbes, and Three Rivers Stadium after it, have been replaced by PNC Park, built in the “retro classic” style common today and considered by many as the best new ballpark in the country since its opening in 2001.

To get to the ballpark fans cross the Roberto Clemente Bridge and often stop to take photos by the many statues of famous Bucs players.  Prior to a game baseball enthusiasts might tour PNC Park and get a touch of Pirates history.  That evening take in an MLB game at the beautiful ballpark (how about a classic NL matchup between the Pirates and the Cardinals!) with a wonderful view of the city skyline and the Allegheny River.  Your Pittsburgh baseball experience is not complete without a private viewing of the Roberto Clemente Museum, located in the former Engine House No. 25 in the Lawrenceville section of Pittsburgh.  Your Coach has visited many baseball museums, and I can easily say that this one will be truly memorable for first time visitors.

Williamsport, PA.  It’s time to see the Pennsylvania countryside along Routes 22 and 90 in route to Williamsport, the home of the Little League World Series.  I remember as a kid watching the games on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, scorning the play because the pitcher’s mound was only 45 feet away from home plate and a little envious of all of the attention the Little Leaguers received.  Now, I just can’t wait to see Williamsport for the first time.   The little town is a great place to relax and learn more about baseball’s history. It is also the home of the Crosscutters, a team in the New York-Penn League that plays its home games at Historic Bowman Field, the second-oldest ballpark in minor league baseball.  After a fun night at the ballpark, the next morning let’s visit the World of Little League Museum.  One of the cool features of this museum is that the self-guided tour follows the concept of a six inning Little League game. 

Cooperstown, NY.  Oh my, our next stop is in central New York state, baseball’s mecca.  While the origin of the game of baseball is often disputed (see “150 Years”, 09/16/2019), Abner Doubleday would be proud of the history stored in this little village today.  I’ll never forget my first time at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Hall of Fame) fourteen years ago (25th wedding anniversary).  We happened to plan our visit when the state was under a severe flood warning.  I only could tour the Hall of Fame three days before we needed to leave for drier ground.  There is so much to see in the Hall of Fame – exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays.  The Hall of Fame was established in 1939 when MLB inducted its first class – Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson, Babe Ruth, and Honus Wagner.  It will be a chance to see your favorite Hall of Famer, and learn more about how he impacted the game.  And you will have time to stroll the streets of Cooperstown, browse the shops, and talk baseball.   I can’t wait for my return visit.

Stockbridge, MA.   It’s time to rev up the motor coach again and onto the Norman Rockwell Museum.  What? Wait a minute Coach, there is an art museum on this road trip?  You bet!  Everyone will have a chance to explore the hundreds of Rockwell works throughout the museum.  There is one in particular that I’ve had in my home for many years, “Tough Call”.  It is a 1948 painting that served as the cover for an April, 1949 edition of the “Saturday Evening Post”.  The painting is at a ballpark, and highlights three umpires looking up at the sky as it is beginning to rain.  The context of the painting is that Rockwell attended a Brooklyn Dodgers game at Ebbets Field in 1948, took numerous photographs, and captured the setting in this painting.  You might have already seen a replica at the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown!

Boston, MA.  The final stop is Boston, and of course you will want first to get acquainted a little with this amazing city.  While in Boston, do what the tourists do!  We will go to Boston Common and the State House, and of course do some exploring in the Faneuil Hall area.  But then it’s time for baseball and a tour of the oldest MLB venue, Fenway Park.   Built in 1912, this historic park has some unusual features.   You will see “The Triangle”, that area in center field where the walls are formed into a triangle shape.  There have been some great caroms off those walls and certainly misplays by visiting outfielders.  How about Pesky’s Pole, the right field foul pole just 302 feet from home plate, the shortest porch in baseball?  The pole was named after Johnny Pesky, a Red Sox player who hit a home run that hooked around the pole, one of his only 6 career HRs at Fenway.  And then there’s the “Green Monster”, the 37 foot high left field wall, the highest in the major leagues.  The Green Monster was part of the original 1912 construction, but the wall wasn’t painted green until 1947.

Now it’s game time and if you haven’t seen a ballgame at Fenway, you finally get to check that off of your bucket list.  About 35 years ago I had the pleasure of attending a Red Sox vs. Yankees game on a sold-out Saturday afternoon with a great friend, one of the fondest memories I have of seeing live baseball.  This visit will feature another traditional American League opponent, the Baltimore Orioles.  There’s nothing like watching today’s version of MLB baseball on the same grounds that literally thousands of games have been played before.

That was quite a trip readers!  If you’ve enjoyed it, check out the Itinerary tab of my blog for details of “Hit the Road” next August, 2021.  I will serve as the baseball historian for the trip. Shoot an expression of interest to me (baseballbenchcoach@gmail.com) and join the team.  All travel arrangements will be made by GLOBUS and Joe Lang Travel.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Elite Eight

I was so excited for Super Wednesday this past week; eight MLB games and my favorite teams were in the 16-team tournament!  And then they each lost that day.  It reminded me of my 10th birthday, the one time in my childhood that I convinced my parents to invite my school friends over for a party.  I was so excited to see what gifts I might receive.  My bubble burst that day as well.  You see, 7 of my 8 classmates brought model airplanes for me to construct.  Let’s just say that putting things together has never been a strong point for me.  I put all of them in my closet with the hope of maybe re-gifting someday (don’t tell my guests).  The eighth gift though was kind of cool.  It was an Ouija Board, something I could use to predict my future.  So I dusted it off this weekend and used it to rank my Elite Eight, the ordering of the remaining teams in MLB’s bracket play and their chances to be the 2020 World Champions:

Los Angeles Dodgers.  It’s painful for me to place LA in the top spot (see “Dodgers Blues”, 04/29/2019), but this year’s team is very deserving.  The Dodgers came out of the 2020 gate with a 30-10 record, the best 40-game start in franchise history.  They’ve never let up, gaining the #1 seed in the NL with the best overall record, and easily defeating the Brewers in two games.  Buoyed by the offseason signing of Mookie Betts, the thunderous LA lineup just keeps getting better – Seager, Turner, Muncy, Bellinger, all playing havoc with opposing pitchers.  For playoff success teams need to have at least two top starters, and LA of course can ride the backs of Clayton Kershaw and Walker Buehler.  Kenley Jansen, closer, leads a good bullpen.  It’s difficult to see the Dodgers getting stopped on their way to their 24th World Series appearance.  The question will be whether they can capture their first World title since 1988. 

Tampa Bay Rays.  The first word to come to mind about the AL East champion Rays is TEAM.  Tampa made the playoffs for the second straight year with a cast of relatively unknown players.  In scouring 2020 MLB offensive stats, only two players appear.  Second baseman Brandon Lowe was among the AL HR leaders with 14, and centerfielder Manuel Margot was second in the league with 12 stolen bases.  In watching the Rays dismantle Toronto, I did see the Rays’ strength, pitching!  The top two starters, 2018 Cy Young winner Blake Snell and righthander Tyler Glasnow, are indeed formidable in a playoff series.  The bullpen is deep with 12 pitchers recording saves this year.  The Rays can just simply grind out wins with smart play, key hits, and solid pitching, the perfect ingredients for October success. Managed by Kevin Cash, Tampa will be a tough out in the playoffs.

Atlanta Braves.  If you would have asked me what Atlanta’s strength was prior to the playoffs, I would have rolled off the offensive numbers.  The Braves are a team built around its superstar outfielder, Ronald Acuna, but there are other big contributors.  Perennial All-Star Freddy Freeman is a leading candidate for NL MVP, second in batting average (.341) and RBIs (53).  Then there’s Marcell Ozuna, who signed a one-year deal in late January, leading the NL in HRs (18) and RBIs (56), and 3rd in hitting (.338), MVP numbers as well.  The Braves have additional firepower from catcher Travis d’Arnaud (.321), outfielder Adam Duvall (11 HRs in September alone), and middle infielders Albies and Swanson.  The series against Cincinnati certainly showed off starting pitchers Max Fried (7-0 regular season) and rookie righthander Ian Anderson, no runs allowed.  What turned my head though was the Atlanta bullpen that management built over the offseason – Chris Martin; Will Smith; Darren O’Day; and closer Mark Melancon.  And of course there is Brian Snitker, one of the top game managers in baseball (see “Best Skippers”, 08/26/2019).

New York Yankees.  The Bronx Bombers flexed their muscles in the first round, scoring 22 runs in two games and sweeping the previously, red-hot Indians. I looked forward to the first game matchup against Cleveland’s soon to be crowned Cy Young winner, Shane Bieber, and two batters in, the Yanks were up 2-0 behind Aaron Judge’s long home run.   In a year where MLB teams struggled to score runs, New York’s lineup is one of the few other teams fear.  Leadoff hitter DJ LeMahieu is the best in the game, winning the AL batting crown with a .364 average.  First baseman Luke Voit had some impressive short season numbers with 52 RBIs and a league-leading 22 HRs.  On the mound, the feature story is starter Gerrit Cole, who during the offseason signed the largest contract in baseball history for a pitcher.  Cole hasn’t disappointed, posting a 7-3 record, but the starters beyond Cole are just adequate.  New York’s bullpen is solid, headed by Aroldis Chapman, who closed out the Cleveland series with a two inning stint.  The Yankees’ October fortunes will turn on the performance of the other pitchers on staff.

San Diego Padres.  The Padres showed some true grit in the first round by coming back from 4-0 and 6-2 deficits in Game 2 against Adam Wainwright and the resilient Cardinals.  The comeback was triggered by HRs from their dynamic duo, Fernando Tatis Jr. (17 HRs and 45 RBIs, regular season) and Manny Machado (an almost identical, 16 HRs and 47 RBIs).   Tatis actually coupled with Wil Myers in the same game to hit two homers apiece, the second time in MLB postseason history for multiple HRs by teammates, the other time being Ruth and Gehrig in the historic Game 3 of the 1932 World Series (the “Called Shot”).   The Padres lineup is deep up and down, from leadoff hitter Trent Grisham to Jake Cronenworth in the ninth slot.  It was the Padres first postseason series win since 1998, and in true 2020 fashion, they couldn’t even celebrate.  Their home, Petco Park, was quickly being readied for the Rays and Yankees’ arrival later on Friday night to prepare for the ALDS.   San Diego has a huge obstacle in front of them, a 5-game series with the Dodgers. Maybe if they get one or both of their top starters, Mike Clevinger and Dinelson Lamet, back for the series, they could celebrate this time, in Arlington.

Oakland Athletics.  Oakland won its first AL West title since 2013 and followed it with a 2-1 series win over Chicago.  In NCAA lingo, this is an overrated #2 seed.  The Athletics hit .225 as a team during the regular season, one of the five teams this year with the worst team batting averages ever in the playoffs!  Oakland’s offense is typically generated from the infield corners, but 3B Matt Chapman is now injured and first baseman Matt Olson (14 HRs and 42 RBIs) struggled in the first series. Defense is Oakland’s game, recording just 26 errors, fourth fewest in the majors, along with pitching.  While the starters are just average (only Chris Barrit had a good year with a 2.29 ERA), the bullpen is tops in the AL. Jake Diekman (0.42 ERA), Yusmeiro Petit (1.66 ERA), J.B. Wendleken (1.80 ERA) and closer Liam Hendriks (1.78) can make most games just five inning affairs.  This past week the Athletics won their first postseason series since 2006, and will most probably get past the Astros in the ALDS.  The bubble will burst in the ALCS.

Miami Marlins.  Two months ago no one gave the Marlins a fighting chance to make the playoffs, and here they are, in the NLDS.  Incredibly, the Marlins remain the only team in the MLB to have never lost a postseason series.  They do have some veterans in the lineup, Corey Dickerson (a huge 3-run HR in the first game win over the Cubs) and Starling Marte (a key acquisition this summer, but whose status is uncertain for the next round).  The starting staff has two flamethrowers at the top end, Sandy Alcantara and Sixto Sanchez, both consistently coming right at hitters with high 90s heat.  The bullpen is headlined by Brandon Kintzler, a veteran who knows how to close out games.  Miami has overcome some major obstacles in this shortened season, a COVID-19 breakout at the start, numerous doubleheaders, and a tough slate of games against the NL and AL East.  I don’t see them moving on, but never count out manager Don Mattingly and the Fish.

Houston Astros.  Who invited this team to our postseason party?  The Astros have appeared in the last 3 ALCS, winning it all in 2017 but under a dark cloud after the MLB’s off-season investigation.  (See “Sign Stealing”, 06/01/2020.)  That cloud never seemed to lift during the regular season, as Houston became the first AL team in history to reach the playoffs with a losing record (29-31).  The Astros caught a break in the first round with its matchup against the Twins, an organization that has now lost 18 straight playoff games.  While the Astros star position players for the most part had off years offensively, the offense has been helped by right fielder Kyle Tucker and his team-leading 42 RBIs.  Houston’s past playoff success has been the direct result of its top starters.  With Cole now in New York and Verlander shelved for the year, only Zach Greinke remains of the Big Three.  That’s simply not enough.

So there you have my Elite Eight; no guaranties on their success in the next three rounds!  And frankly, no matter what happens in the next few weeks, it’s going to be fun just watching it play out.  I was struck by a story last Thursday by Chicago Tribune sports columnist Paul Sullivan when he ran into Kris Bryant and his six-month old son after the Cubs first game loss to the Marlins.  Bryant joyfully remarked:  “It was his (son’s) first game”.  Sullivan told his readers:  “The important things in life always remain the same, and baseball is still just a game.”   Fifty years after getting my Ouija Board, I celebrated my 60th birthday.  One of my favorite gifts was a book written by former Reds batboy, Teddy Kremer, “Stealing First”.  Teddy has Down Syndrome, and what he always gave to the Reds players in the dugout and on the field was “joy, enthusiasm and whole-hearted support”.  Let’s enjoy this beautiful October and the game we so dearly love.

Until next week,

your Baseball Bench Coach

P.S. Hey subscribers, be on the lookout in your email this week for a first time, mid-week edition of the Baseball Bench Coach!

October Madness

September 30th this week is Super Wednesday! Never before in baseball history have we had eight playoff games on the same date.  Both the AL and NL’s 2020 bracket play in the 16-team MLB postseason tournament will be underway.  For baseball fans, it’s your dream come true with games throughout the entire day.  I mean, who needs NCAA’s March Madness when you have MLB’s October Madness!  For the managers and players of the teams, the format provides numerous challenges, including first-round matchups against playoff opponents they have yet to meet all season.  Get those scouting videos, pitching staffs, and in-game adjustments ready; it’s time for playoff baseball.

The schedule makers gave us regional play this year, 10 games against each league division opponent (40 games), and 20 interleague games against the five teams in the other league’s division counterpart.  Interleague play itself is relatively new in baseball.  From the time the first World Series was played between the American and National Leagues in 1903, MLB rejected various interleague play proposals, opting to maintain the tradition of World Series first-time matchups.  After the players’ strike in 1994 (see “Shortened Season”, 06/08/2020), MLB finally turned to interleague play to renew the public’s interest in the game.  I doubt though that MLB ever envisioned one-third of the season being interleague and no league games against non-regional opponents. It’s not been since 1968, the year before MLB began a 4-team playoff with two 5-game league championship series, that teams go into a first round playoff series with no game experience against their opponents.

There’s an old baseball adage, you can’t ever have enough pitching.  That has been especially true in past playoffs, when the weather begins to chill, fly balls tend to stay in the park, and low scoring games predominate.  It’s going to be interesting to see how pitching plays out in the 2020 postseason.  When teams meet for the first time, hitters may be at a disadvantage if it is their first at-bats against a pitcher this season.  Baseball has many stories of rookie pitchers who excel in the first half of the season on their initial sweep through the league, but suffer in the second half when batters have seen the pitcher’s stuff and can make adjustments.  The story of Wayne Simpson’s season with the 1970 Reds stands out.  Simpson came out of the ’70 gate by winning 13 of his first 14 decisions, including three complete game shutouts where he gave up only 1 hit, 2 hits, and 3 hits, respectively.  Plagued by some arm stiffness, Simpson won only one other game in the second half of the season.  He was truly the “one-hit” wonder (for you movie buffs, recall “That Thing You Do”), winning only 36 games in an eight season career.  

Another pitching adage is that a starting pitcher is less effective the third time through the order.   The numbers certainly back this up.  On average, a pitcher’s OPS-against a lineup on a given day climbs from .705 to .731 to .771.  To put that in more clear terms with the playoffs on the horizon, Jon Lester, whom the Cubs will count on as the #3 guy behind Darvish and Hendricks, has allowed hitters to maintain a .323 batting average in pitches 76-100 of his starts.   With the 2020 playoff format featuring continuous play with no off days, it’s going to be difficult for managers to hide the short starts of their starters; staffs will be clearly taxed.  Tampa, the #1 seed in the AL playoffs, is known for its starting pitchers’ short starts. Rays manager, Kevin Cash, said this about his strategy:  “I pulled them quicker than anybody and probably took a lot of heat for it.  Times through the order – we value that . . . we also value the eye test and how our pitchers are doing in that given start.”

The eye test is a theme I’ve seen in much recent, pre-playoff chatter.  Cubs’ manager David Ross said last week:  “It always helps just to get your eyes on a team and how they might play baseball.”    Ross and all playoff managers are even more disadvantaged in 2020 because of the lack of in-person scouting.  MLB has not allowed scouts to attend the games of possible playoff opponents due to COVID-19 precautions.  Teams are relegated to scouting off videos and MLB-TV feeds.  There is something to be said for seeing players in-person vs. having to rely on statistical analyisis.  If you were like me during the early months of summer and took in some baseball movies, you can’t help but appreciate the storyline in the 2012 film, “Trouble with the Curve”.  An old-time Braves scout, Gus Lobel, played by Clint Eastwood, could see and hear the hitting flaw of a highly touted, and statistically proven, star high school player, because Lobel scouted the player in-person.

On a Marquee Network television broadcast last weekend, I heard the announcers lamenting the recent passing of Gary Hughes, but I had no idea who he was.  Then I read the story the next day.  Hughes was a long-time baseball scout, serving as an evaluator for several MLB teams for the past 54 seasons.  Early in his scouting career, he was the advance scout for some of the great Yankees teams. He was also a trusted Cubs scout and assistant in the 2000s.  More than that, he was one of the founders of the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation, an organization that raises funds for scouts who have lost their jobs or whose families were in need of financial assistance.  While baseball mourns the loss of Hughes, it also is losing out right now on the information provided through the eyes of all of his brethren.

So where does this leave teams like the AL Central Indians and AL East Yankees who are matched in a key, opening round series, but are meeting for the first time this season?   The players can always turn to in-game videos, correct?  Actually not, thanks to the Astros 2017 shenanigans and according to MLB policy.  (See “Sign Stealing”, 06/01/2020.)  The prohibition against using in-game video has been at the center of controversy much of this season.  Javier Baez, whose numbers are down, has been the most outspoken, pledging to keep raising the issue.  In the words of Tampa skipper Cash:  “Video is what makes us good.  It helps us learn.  It helps us coach.  It helps us attack.  And it’s been taken away from us because of a couple teams’ stupid choices.”  While it is unlikely for the MLB to now change the policy for the playoffs, the issue seems to have some offseason momentum for the MLB to reexamine.

Getting hot during September has been a predictor of past, playoff success.  Need we even mention the Nationals big push last season.  (See “Time Travel”, 11/04/2019.)  This season it seems more like a yo-yo each week with no real, prolonged streaks. The Indians did make a big push in the last week with four walk-off wins behind the big bats in the middle of their order. Cleveland could be a team to watch. Terrific offense has been part of the Braves September story too.  In a game against the Marlins, Atlanta set an NL record for runs in the modern era, winning 29-3.  Of all the eye-catching Braves performances that night, none was better than Adam Duvall’s, driving in 9 runs from the seventh slot in the order and hitting three home runs in a game for the second time in eight days.  The Braves lineup of late has indeed flashed big numbers, but will it translate to October success? I doubt Atlanta was hoping for its first round match-up against the Reds with Cincinnati starting Bauer, Castillo, and Gray in the 3-game series.

Prior to the start of the 2020 MLB season, prognosticators established the Dodgers the NL favorites at 13/4 odds and the AL race to be won by the Yankees (7/2).  Oh yes, MLB’s executive offices would certainly like another classic World Series matchup between the two storied franchises.  While the two teams are certainly in the mix in the 16-team field, there are also some preseason long shots who are in the playoffs and might make a run — Reds (22:1), White Sox (30:1), Padres (50:1), and Blue Jays (200:1). And the biggest surprise of them all, the playoff bound Miami Marlins were at the very bottom of the preseason forecast at 500 to 1!  Truly anything can happen in the next few weeks with 3 and 5-game series looming.  As Anthony Rizzo summed up:  “You’ve got to make adjustments instantly.  There’s no waiting for the game to be over.  It’s in-game, on-the-fly adjustments.”  It’s October Madness!

Until next week,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Get In

Last week the Atlantic Coast Conference announced its support of an all-in NCAA basketball tournament with 256 teams competing.  All I can say to this charge led by Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is UGH!  You see, I’m one of those baseball playoffs snobs.  I’ve always looked at the NBA and NHL playoffs with disdain.  How can you play an entire season and eliminate less than half of the teams for postseason play?  Not in my favorite sport, Major League Baseball!  Well, then there’s the 2020 season and even this baseball traditionalist has to rethink what’s the fairest way to crown a World Series champion.  And with just one week of games left on the 60-game schedule, many teams are knocking on the door, just wanting to get in.

Shortly after MLB opened its 2020 season in late July, the Commissioner’s office announced that the player’s union had approved a 16-team playoff format.   In Rob Manfred’s words:  “This season will be a sprint to a new format that will allow more fans to experience playoff baseball.”  Oh, yes it will.  For the first two-thirds of the 20th century, baseball’s postseason was pretty simple, champions of the National League and American League faced off in the World Series.  Beginning in 1969, both leagues were broken into East and West divisions, so that four teams would compete in the playoffs.  In 1994, after some realignment, a Central Division was added to both the NL and AL, such that three divisions had champions and one Wild Card (second place team with best record) was added.  It was not until 2012 when MLB arrived at its current format, adding a second Wild Card in each league that met the first Wild Card in a crazy, one-game series.

Teams this week will be competing for eight playoff spots in both leagues, 3 division winners, 3 second place teams from each division, and 2 Wild Cards.  MLB will seed the teams 1 through 8, the first 3 seeds in each league going to the division winners and the fourth seed to the second place team with the best record.  It’s MLB’s version of March Madness.  The top four seeds in each league will get to play a best of 3-game series at home, September 29 to October 1 in the AL, and September 30 to October 2 in the NL.  And news came out this week that MLB will play the remaining slate of playoff games in an NBA/NHL-like bubble, the four AL teams facing off at Dodger Stadium and San Diego’s Petco Park, while the NLDS will be played at the new gem, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and Minute Maid Park in Houston, both 5-game series.  The ALCS will be played in San Diego, and the NLCS in Arlington, with the World Series in Arlington, all 7-game series.  Got that?!

With 16 teams getting in, we will find numerous teams with near .500 records in the first round of MLB’s Sweet 16.  Do they have a chance of advancing deep into the playoffs? They certainly do, and history is on their side.  In 1973 the Mets won the National League East with an 82-79 record, a .509 winning percentage.  The 82 wins, a number matched by the Padres in 2005, are the lowest number of wins to get into the MLB playoffs since baseball expanded to 162 games in 1961. The ’73 Mets faced the NL West winners, Cincinnati, in a 5-game series.  The Reds were coming off a 99-win season.  Since it was an odd-numbered year, the Mets were even awarded home park advantage, such that the first two games were in Cincinnati and Games 3, 4, and 5 were played at Shea Stadium.  Behind the starting staff of Tom Seaver, Jon Matlack, and Jerry Koosman, New York advanced to the World Series, 3 games to 2.  While reliever Tug McGraw’s “Ya Gotta Believe” became the nation’s motto in the Series, Oakland did survive in seven games.  The Mets season winning percentage remains the lowest ever by a pennant-winning team.

The 2006 Cardinals had a similar story, winning the NL Central with only an 83-78 record and posting its worst record in seven years!  Yet, they dominated the playoffs, beating San Diego in 4 games in the NLDS, knocking off the Mets in a 7-game NLCS, and winning the world championship in 4 games to 1 fashion over the heavily-favored and 95-win regular season Tigers.  In looking at the season statistics for the ’06 Cards, it’s like a mirror of their 2020 short season.  Catcher Yadier Molina struggled all season in 2006 at the plate, batting .216.  Molina’s current batting average of .256 is his lowest since that year. The Cardinals limped into the 2006 playoffs with a 12-17 September record, and of course this September they are trying to crawl past the finish line after playing numerous doubleheaders. You just never know who might get hot in October. Just try to get in.

For the 10 non-division winning entrants this year, they all want to be tweeting the tunes of the Marlins.  Miami (once Florida) has never won a division championship in 28 seasons in the MLB.  The Marlins did, however, gain entry into the playoffs as a wild card in 1997 and 2003.   And on both occasions, they made the most of it, winning the World Series!  The Marlins, who are often the recipients of baseball scorn in terms of competitive play, is the only current MLB team to have never lost a playoff round.   Indeed, the ’97 Marlins were the youngest expansion team to win the World Series (it was their 5th year of existence), and the first team to win the World Series as a wild card entrant.   And eerily, as we check the standings as of Sunday evening, the 2020 Marlins stand ready to knock again at the playoff door.

The 2020 Marlins are bested only by today’s American League Mariners in having the longest postseason drought in baseball.  You might recall the last time Seattle was in the playoffs, 2001, when they set the AL’s all-time record for wins in a season, 116.  The 116 wins tied the major league record of wins in a season by the 1906 Chicago Cubs.  And of course the 2001 tale of the Mariners was an unfortunate one, losing in the ALCS to the Yankees.  The 2020 Mariners, despite an under .500 record for most of this season, were in contention for the eighth and final spot in the AL field until this past week of play.

This next week in the MLB promises to be an exciting and unpredictable one.   Tampa, Chicago, and Oakland are in good position to capture the AL Division crowns, while the Yankees and Twins look to fight to the last game for the best second place record and the fourth spot in the American League as a home field team.   On the NL side, the Dodgers, Braves, and Cubs seem to have division championships in sight, and the Padres appear to be a lock as the best second place team.  It’s difficult to know how much home field is an advantage in the first round this year.  The Yankees and Twins both have played extremely well in their home parks, so the fourth spot in the AL might be telling. However, only a handful of other teams (Phillies, Padres, and Astros, stop laughing) have a big disparity in winning records at home vs. road.  Both fields will be filled by many .500 teams scrambling to get in. The Reds are making a late sprint, going old school by giving the ball to ace pitcher Trevor Bauer in 3 of their last 8 games. San Francisco, who many counted out from the start with Buster Posey’s decision not to play, is also trying to slip in through the playoff door.

An interesting component of the MLB playoffs announced this week is that there will be continuous play in all rounds leading up to the World Series.  In other words, since there is no travel needed during a series, off days to adjust starting pitching rotations will be cast aside.  It will be a real test of pitching depth, and might lead to some higher scoring playoff games than we’ve seen in the past.   Unless you spend all of your free time devouring games on the MLB-TV feeds, it’s impossible to even guess how that might play out for each contending team.  Maybe the way to look at it for your favorite team in the next week or so is not to ponder the what ifs, but rather be okay for now with just getting in.

Until next week,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Retire 21

My love for baseball began in the late 1960s.  All of the World Series games were played in the afternoon, and my Dad would take vacation and watch the games with me.  It’s been a tough year for those memories with the death of so many World Series heroes from that era.  In April we lost Mr. Tiger, Al Kaline (#6), a key piece of Detroit’s 1968 championship.  And just recently, within the span of a week, two others passed, the Cardinals’ Lou Brock (#20), the base-stealing guru who led St. Louis to its ‘67 World Series title, and New York’s Tom “Terrific” Seaver (#41), whose dominance on the mound guided the 1969 Amazin’ Mets to an improbable Series win over Baltimore.  While we watched the World Series games on a black and white television set, the colorful images of these star players and the jersey numbers on their backs are forever etched in my mind.

There’s another jersey number from that period, #21, that baseball celebrated this past Wednesday.  To honor baseball legend Roberto Clemente, the Pirate players and coaches in a game against the White Sox at PNC Park all donned the number last worn by the “Great One” in 1972 and retired by the club in 1973.  It was MLB’s 19th annual Roberto Clemente Day.  Players throughout baseball joined in the celebration by wearing #21, including stars such as Francisco Lindor (Indians), Yadier Molina (Cardinals), Edwin Diaz (Mets), and Javier Baez (Cubs).  Roberto Clemente Jr. was on hand in Pittsburgh to kick off the announcement of each MLB team’s nominees for the Roberto Clemente Award.  Originally called the Commissioner’s Award, it was renamed in 1973 and given annually to the player who best represents baseball on and off the field through sportsmanship, community involvement, and positive contributions. 

What was it about Clemente that we celebrate him 48 years after his tragic death?  There’s no question he was one of the top players ever in the game – the ultimate five-tool player (speed, throwing, fielding, and hitting for average and power).  But it’s more than his baseball contributions, much more.  Clemente means “merciful” in Spanish, and that’s how he lived his life.  His Pirate teammates marveled at his commitment on road trips to visit sick children in hospitals throughout the country.  During the offseason Clemente went home to his beloved Puerto Rico, and delivered food and baseball equipment to those in need.  We truly lost a hero on December 31, 1972, when Clemente’s plane crashed en route to delivering food to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  A Puerto Rican poet, Enrique Zorrilla, might have said it best, what burned in Clemente’s cheeks was the “fire of dignity”, each day of his 38 years.

Clemente’s pathway to the MLB is strikingly similar to that of Jackie Robinson’s.   (See “Uncomfortable Truths”, 04/20/2020.) Clemente wanted to play with Robinson’s Dodgers. Brooklyn’s then general manager, Buzzie Bavasi, took advantage of that and signed him with a $10,000 bonus and $5,000 annual salary, about one-third of what the Milwaukee Braves offered.  Just like Jackie 10 years before, Clemente was assigned to Montreal to play minor league ball.  Branch Rickey, the Dodger executive who helped Jackie break the color barrier, was now in Pittsburgh and in charge of the Pirates.  During the first part of the 1950s the Pirates struggled mightily, and were deemed the “Buffoons of Baseball” by Life Magazine.  Since the Pirates had the first overall selection in the 1955 supplemental draft, Rickey signed Clemente from Brooklyn’s unprotected list.  Years later when players debated whether to support Curt Flood’s case against baseball’s reserve clause, Clemente gave an impassioned speech to the MLB players, detailing the inequities of his early signing as reason to support Flood.

The Pirates’ rebuild, featuring their sensational right fielder, Roberto Clemente, soon took flight.  In 1960, the Pirates represented the National League in the World Series for the first time since 1927 when they were swept by the Yankees, headlined by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and regarded as one of the best teams ever.  In 1960, the Yankees were again the AL opponents and had another all-time team, featuring the M&Ms, Mantle and Maris.  It was a crazy Series, one that the New Yorkers outscored Pittsburgh 55-27. The Series came down to Game 7, bottom of the ninth inning, and the score tied 9-9.  Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski launched a Series-winning home run over the left field fence at Forbes Field, and Pittsburgh had its first world championship in 35 years.  Despite batting .310, hitting safely in all seven games, and playing a spectacular right field, Clemente was snubbed for the Series MVP award.  That went to New York’s Bobby Richardson, the only time a member of the losing team won the award.

After the world championship, the Pirates of the 1960s failed to win the National League, as the Dodgers and Cardinals dominated the league.  Clemente though won four batting championships (1961, 1964, 1965, 1967) and the Gold Glove in each season, and appeared in every All-Star Game except 1968.  The National League All-Star outfield in the 1960s was a who’s who of baseball’s elite, Hank Aaron in left, Willie Mays in center, and Clemente in right.  Clemente was often overshadowed by Aaron and Mays who were both prodigious home run hitters.  Playing in cavernous Forbes Field (442 feet to the center field wall), Clemente’s game featured doubles and triples to all parts of the field.  Clemente reached the pinnacle of his individual success in 1966, capturing the National League MVP award.

The Pirates of the early 1970s were an NL powerhouse, known as the “Lumber Company” with the additions of Willie Stargell, Al Oliver, and Manny Sanguillen.  Under Clemente’s leadership, the Bucs won the NL East in three consecutive seasons, 1970-1972, and played in one of the most thrilling World Series ever, the ‘71 Series against Baltimore.  The Orioles featured the Robinson duo of Frank and Brooks, coming off a world championship in 1970 and backed by an unheard of four 20-game winners on the mound, Jim Palmer, Dave McNally, Mike Cuellar, and Pat Dobson.  Pittsburgh came back from a 3 games to 1 deficit, and won the Series in seven, with the deciding Game 7 being a Bucs 2-1 win behind Clemente’s early home run.  Clemente’s stardom on the field was never brighter than in this World Series.  He batted .414 with 12 hits in the Series, capturing the Series MVP this time.  Yet, the play baseball fans will always remember is his Game 2 rocket throw from the right field corner to third base nailing a stunned Orioles runner, Merv Rettenmund.

Clemente’s last season in baseball, 1972, in many ways seemed to foretell the tragic end to his life later in the year.  With only three games left in the season, he achieved a milestone 3,000 hit with a double off Mets pitcher Jon Matlack at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh.  It was the first time a Latin American player had reached 3,000 hits.  Clemente left the game to a thunderous ovation; it was his last regular season at-bat and time to rest up for the upcoming NL playoffs.  After the game a Pirates staff member discovered that the game happened to be Clemente’s 2,442 MLB appearance, tying Pirate legend Honus Wagner. Manager Bill Virdon used Clemente as a defensive replacement late in the next game so that he could break Wagner’s record.  The Pirates matched up against the Reds in a dramatic 5-game NLCS a week later, and this writer was there to witness Clemente’s last game ever (see “Row 13, Seat 13”, 04/13/2020.)

During his playing career Clemente was idolized by many Latin American players in baseball.  Tony Taylor, a Cuban who played second base for the Phillies, was one of many who found him to be the perfect “big brother”.  Since his passing, the Roberto Clemente Award is one of the most coveted in baseball.  Incredibly, the first recipient, in 1973, was also one of the all-time great right fielders, one we lost earlier this year, Al Kaline.  Today, Clemente’s influence is still strong, as annually players strive for the award.  Adam Wainwright was nominated by the Cardinals this past week for the fifth time in his career.  Other 2020 nominees include Tim Anderson (White Sox), Tucker Barnhardt (Reds) and Jason Heyward (Cubs).  One can’t visit Pittsburgh today without sharing in Clemente’s memory – the Clemente Museum (housed in the revitalized Lawrenceville section); Clemente Memorial Park (downtown near PNC Park); the 21-foot high right field wall at PNC Park; and even the 21-yard line in the concourse of football-crazed Heinz Field.  

In doing research for this article I chuckled about Clemente’s story behind getting that #21.  You see, he wanted #13, but that jersey was taken, and he was randomly assigned 21 as his jersey number!  We’re all glad he was, and let’s honor him by retiring #21 in all of baseball.  David Maraniss, in his book, “Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero”, offers these words: “His memory is kept alive as a symbol of action and passion, not of reflection and longing.  He broke racial and language barriers and achieved greatness and died a hero.  That word can be used indiscriminately in the world of sports, but the classic definition is of someone who gives his life in the service of others, and that is exactly what Clemente did.”  Retire 21.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Not Today

July 16, 1985.  I remember that morning so clearly.  I was in my downtown St. Louis office on top of the world.  My new job was going well and our first baby was expected in two months.  Yet, a deep gloom came over me as I sat behind my desk, so much that I began to sob uncontrollably.  I shut my office door, embarrassed, and trying to figure out what was going on.   Then it hit me; it was the fifth anniversary of my brother’s death.  I knew that I couldn’t work that day.  My mind wasn’t there.  I made an excuse of being suddenly ill and went home.  As I reflect on the recent decisions by some MLB players and teams not to play in protest of the Jacob Blake shooting, my thoughts turn to this day some 35 years ago in my life.  I will never be able to step into the shoes of the players and fully understand, but I do know that we have one thing in common.  Not today.

Jason Heyward, Cubs right fielder, was one of those players.  He sat out of Chicago’s August 26 game against the Tigers, a decision supported by team president Theo Epstein, his manager David Ross, and his teammates.  Heyward, an 11-year MLB veteran, exudes leadership.  If you’re a Cubs fan, he will always be fondly remembered for his rallying speech during the 17-minute rain delay before the 10th inning of Game 7 of the 2016 World Series.  But he’s much more than that.  In an era where the percentage of black players in the MLB is diminishing (1980 – 18.7% of MLB players were black; today – 7.7%), Heyward stands tall as the kind of person we would want all of today’s young fans to admire.  Indeed, this past week the Cubs nominated him for the 2020 Roberto Clemente Award. Sports Illustrated also did a fascinating piece called “Heyward on Life, Business and the State of Race” (August 31).  The article provides a close-up of Heyward off the field, including his becoming the first black professional athlete investor in Turn2Equity, a portfolio of businesses designed to continue the growth of baseball as our national pastime. 

J-Hey would be proud of all of his baseball brethren in history, no matter the skin color, who took a personal stand in the face of public demand for his presence on the field.  Sandy Koufax, the Los Angeles HOF pitcher who dominated the game in the 1960s, often had an October dilemma as his Dodgers competed in the World Series.  It was usually during the holiest of seasons for his Jewish religion, the High Holy Days.  The first game of the 1965 World Series indeed fell on Yom Kippur, and Koufax decided not to pitch.  His Dodgers lost to the Twins that day, 7-1, but Koufax gained the respect of all fans in baseball and people throughout the country for his personal commitment to his faith.  What’s interesting about Koufax is that although this missed Game 1 World Series start is the one we remember, he also requested to skip his turn in April 1959 due to it falling on the first night of Passover and in 1961 and 1963 since the starts fell on Rosh Hoshanah.  Not today.

Last week Aaron Boone, Yankees’ skipper, aptly described the 2020 baseball season and all of the events surrounding it, a “hard, heavy year”.  Playing in the face of COVID-19 has been of course also one of the challenges for MLB players.  Buster Posey, Giants’ veteran catcher, 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, 2012 NL MVP, and three-time World Series champion, is probably the biggest star to opt out, and rightfully so.  His wife Kristin and he adopted twin baby girls this summer, and Posey made the personal decision to protect his family.  In his words:  “We feel this is the best decision for our babies.”  A handful of other players followed, and the message was clear.  While baseball is their job, please respect their personal decisions to wait until it is safer to play.  All baseball fans look forward to Buster’s return to behind the plate next season.

Baseball is certainly a sport that individual play and statistics receive much attention and accolades.  Yet, most often we find that those teams that have players who accept their roles and support each other are the successful ones.  During the first half of this season, the Cubs have received some flak about their “rah-rah” style of cheering each other from the dugout.  I actually find their dugout behavior to be refreshing in a time when we all could use a little fun and passion.  In the aftermath of Jason Heyward’s decision to not play in the game against the Tigers, there was much commentary about whether his Cubs teammates should have joined him in sitting out.  Heyward dismissed that notion, one, because he urged his teammates before the game to play, and two, the organization as a whole supported his decision.  Salaries of some executives, coaches, and players were donated to the Players Alliance, a group of more than 100 current and past black players to increase opportunities for blacks in baseball. 

The relationship between players and fans has also been put to test this year with no crowds in the ballpark. Maybe instead of cheering at the ballpark, we can express our support in other ways, such as accepting players like Dexter Fowler and Jack Flaherty of the Cardinals, and Matt Kemp of the Rockies, and teams like the Mariners and Padres, and Dodgers and Giants, all who decided to stay away from the field.  One of the more poignant boycotts was that of the Astros and Athletics, whose players asked for a 42-second moment of silence before their scheduled game.  The players stood along their respective base lines and then together draped 42 jerseys on each side of the batters box and a BLM shirt across home plate (see photo at top).  The players left the field; not today.

On the same Friday night that the Astros and Athletics decided not to play, baseball began its rescheduled celebration of Jackie Robinson Day.  (See “Uncomfortable Truths”, 04/20/2020.)  August 28 was chosen because it was the date in 1945 when Branch Rickey met with Jackie to discuss breaking the color barrier, and it was the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington.  Every manager, coach, and player wore the jersey 42 during the entire weekend, and perhaps never so importantly.

In today’s world of us vs. them, I must admit that I struggled with writing this article.  Should I reach beyond the game and give my take on current issues or just be a baseball guy who stays in his lane?  I was buoyed by a July Nielsen study that 59% of sports fans “expect athletes to personally help progress the BLM movement”.   I also found Jason Heyward’s insight on how he is feeling to be helpful: “Putting it all out there.  I would say at the end of the day, everyone came back to the conclusion of, no, we’re family, we’re together.”

I was deep in thought about the story last weekend while I was riding my bicycle. I made an error in judgment on how fast an incoming car was coming, and decided at the last second to turn my bike over a curb and into the grass.  I fell clumsily, but wasn’t injured nor was my bike damaged.  I sat there on the grass, again embarrassed.  I then saw a woman get out of her car to check to see if I needed help.  I assured her I was okay, and also thanked her.  This is the world I want to live in, to think of each other as family, to be together. Jason Heyward is a person I admire, not just today but everyday.

Until next week,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Right Way

If you’re lucky in life, you come upon one or two mentors who help shape your way of thinking and provide life lessons.  One of those for me is Frank Espelage, who passed away two weeks ago at the age of 93.  He lived a very full life, and one of his life treasures was managing my Knothole (little league) baseball team with the help of our third base coach, his son Ron.  Three years ago our second baseman and my dear friend, Tom D’Agnillo, hosted a reunion of that team, a night of laughter and reminiscing about key games and rival teams, and even perusing old scorebooks.  Mr. Espelage attended that reunion, and to a player, we expressed our thanks to him.  The common theme was that we worked very hard to become an exceptional team, and he coached us to do it the “right way”.

What is the right way in baseball?  For me, it’s all about players and teams executing the basics of the game.  Recently I read that the 1959 AL pennant winning White Sox was the last team to appear in a World Series that stole more bases than hit home runs during the season.  The “Go-Go Sox” would definitely have been my kind of team, managed by Al Lopez, a 20-season defensive specialist as a catcher who brought his focus on fundamentals to the ball club.  Nellie Fox, the AL MVP and Sox second baseman, was one of the most difficult hitters in MLB history for a pitcher to strike out.  Steady fielding shortstop Luis Aparicio made Chicago even stronger up the middle as he finished 1959 MVP runner-up and led the league in stolen bases for nine seasons.  Cy Young award winner and Sox ace, Early Wynn, dominated hitters with his power pitching, but also displayed a mastery of the strike zone.  Sherm Lollar, the team’s veteran leader and catcher, led the team with just 20 HRs and 84 RBIs.  The ’59 Sox were just a solid team, all around!

In St. Louis, you often hear the term “Cardinals Way” to describe not only the brand of baseball the team plays, but also how the team conducts its business from top down.  In a 2016 book by baseball journalist Howard Megdal, “The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time”, the author describes how owner Bill DeWitt, general manager John Mozeliak, and former managers, such as Tony LaRussa, take great pride in the team’s code of conduct, use of statistics and analytics, and a farm system designed to groom players for the big leagues.  Much of the system-wide approach though can be traced to the late George Kissell, who served the Cards for most of his lifetime as a minor league player, manager, coach, scout, and roving instructor.  The so-called “Professor” preached fundamental baseball to players, coaches, and managers throughout the organization.  Kissell not only mentored LaRussa, but two other great managers, Sparky Anderson and Joe Torre (see “Best Skippers”, 08/26/2019).

Should we extend the right way of playing on the field to how players look?  That seems outlandish in MLB today, especially with the new look many of us have adopted during the pandemic, but baseball has some history of maintaining appearance policies.  Prior to 1972, you could not find an MLB player with facial hair.  The Oakland Athletics won the World Series in 1972 in a flamboyant style with many players sporting mustaches and longer hair.  As a result, the Yankees adopted a policy in 1973 that players must have their hair cut above the collar of their baseball jersey and no beards were permitted.  The original policy was established under the late George Steinbrenner because he wanted the players to adopt a “corporate attitude”.  The policy actually remains in effect today, much to the dismay of many MLB players.  Former Red Sox star pitcher David Price, now with the Dodgers, has stated that he would never play for the Pinstripes for that reason alone.  The Reds, until 1999, were the only other team to prohibit beards but it was more of an unwritten rule than an actual policy.

Most unwritten rules, a set of unspoken rules in baseball that managers and players are to follow, concern play on the field.  These rules include many prohibited acts, such as DO NOT: (1) bunt to break up a no-hitter; (2) stand at the plate and admire a home run; (3) swing at a 3-0 pitch when your team is winning the game; or (4) steal a base when your team has a big lead. Players with some urging of their managers are the enforcers, and many tend to have long memories about perceived violations.  Bob Gibson had an especially long memory; one story has him beaning an opposing hitter for a slight that happened 15 years earlier.  Humorously, the ultimate competitor, Michael Jordan, who played minor league baseball in the middle of his pro basketball career, stole third base once with his Birmingham Barons team up 11-0.  Jordan’s then manager, Terry Francona, had to explain to him that an unwritten rule had been broken. 

One of my favorite scenes from the movie “Bull Durham” is when catcher Crash Davis, played by Kevin Costner, scolds an opposing hitter for admiring a home run even though Davis had told him what pitch was coming.  Taking that long look at a home run took an ugly turn last year when a former Reds player, Derek Dietrich, was perceived by Pirates pitcher Chris Archer of violating the unwritten rule.  On Dietrich’s next plate appearance, Archer threw the first pitch behind him, resulting in a melee on the field and several suspensions.  Earlier in the season White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, who went on to become the AL batting champion, violated a similar, unwritten rule by flipping his bat after a home run against Kansas City.  Royals pitcher Brad Keller plunked Anderson on his next at-bat, also resulting in an on-field brawl.  Both of these 2019 incidents were despite the fact that in 2018 MLB launched a marketing campaign called “Let the Kids Play”, designed to criticize the outdated unwritten rules.

So where are we in 2020 on unwritten rules?  It depends on whom you ask.  In a game two weeks ago between the Padres and Rangers, one of baseball’s rising superstars, San Diego’s shortstop Fernando Tatis, Jr., swung at a 3-0 pitch with the bases loaded and his team leading 7-0 in the eighth inning.  Tatis hit a grand slam, and quickly received grief from both sides. When he returned to the dugout, the Padres first-year manager, Jayce Tingler, admonished him for missing a take sign.  The Rangers were a little more upset, and Texas pitcher Ian Gibault, who had just entered the game, threw behind the next batter, the Padres other big star, Manny Machado.  Gibault received a 3-game suspension and his manager, Texas’ Chris Woodward, got one game.  Woodward’s post-game comments reflect today’s dilemma on unwritten rules:  “I didn’t like it, personally.  But, like I said, the norms are being challenged on a daily basis.” 

One thing to consider for those supporting unwritten rules is that baseball sorely needs superstar players who can create excitement like Tatis.  If you haven’t seen him play in this crazy short season, you need to do so.  Not only is he at the top of the charts in HRs, RBIs, and batting average, but his defensive range is flat out remarkable.  Tatis after the game apologized for his grand slam discrepancy, but current and former MLB players quickly rushed to his defense.  Tim Anderson had this to say:  “He hit a grand slam.  What are you apologizing for?”  Former players Reggie Jackson, Ozzie Guillen, and Johnny Bench chimed in their support.  Bench, after calling the 21-year old Tatis a future Hall of Famer, tweeted: “Everyone should hit 3-0.  Grand Slams are a huge stat.”

At the beginning of each Knothole season in Cincinnati, my teammates and I gathered for the uniform distribution.  There were many sought after numbers because of the Reds star players at the time, and perhaps none brighter than # 5, Bench’s jersey.  Each season we did our best to play the game the right way.  In those many years we won the District 18 championship, our first round opponent was most often the Delhi Eagles, the top team on the west side of Cincinnati.  I chuckle still about Mr. Espelage telling us before those games, “don’t worry, they put their pants on the same way we do, one leg at a time.”  Humor aside, it was an important life lesson for me.  No one is better than me; and just as importantly, I am better than no one else.  Thank you Mr. Espelage.  Rest in Peace.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Rounding Third

The derecho that swept through the upper Midwest two weeks ago caused property damage and electric and internet outages. For those devoted baseball fans trying to ease the pain a little by keeping up with their favorite MLB team, it meant a return to old school, locating your team on the radio dial. The notion of enjoying baseball through radio broadcasts brings back so many wonderful memories – placing a transistor radio under my pillow late at night when I was growing up; trying to get the best signal from a car radio on a road trip; and putting my headphones on while cutting the grass.  I love listening to broadcasters who describe the game, provide insight, and share their passion.  The seamless production of games through radio and television booths is about the only thing that seems normal to me in 2020, and incredibly much of the broadcasting is being undertaken away from live action at the ballpark.  So I thought it would be fun to offer my top ten favorite baseball broadcasters of all time:

Joe Nuxhall.  The “Ol’ Left-hander” was the radio analyst of the Reds for 40 seasons.  Almost his entire life he spent as a Red, beginning in 1944 at fifteen years old when he pitched in a game for Cincinnati as the youngest player in MLB history and culminating in 2007 when he still worked part-time shortly before his death.  Nuxie was Cincinnati Reds baseball.  I used to look forward to rain delays of Reds games when I would sit with my Dad on the front porch and listen to Nuxhall’s stories.  During a broadcast you could always hear Joe in the background cheering a great Reds play or lamenting a bad error.  In 1999 I attended a Reds fantasy baseball camp in Florida, and my Dad joined me as my fan.  At the concluding banquet Joe Nuxhall sat with Dad for an hour sharing baseball stories.  It was one of my Dad’s life highlights, and I am forever thankful. I’m also thankful for every Reds radio broadcast I heard that ended with Nuxhall’s famous send-off, “This is the old left-hander, rounding third and heading to home.  Good night everyone.”

Jack Buck.  This Hall of Fame broadcaster was the lead commentator for many World Series games and NFL encounters, but for St. Louisans he will always be known as simply the voice of the Cardinals.   In his early years he shared the KMOX-Radio booth with Harry Caray, and then went on to be the principal announcer with former Redbird and color analyst, Mike Shannon.  Buck mastered the art of interviewing.  In his pre and post game chats with managers, coaches, and players, he would always let the big personalities talk (manager Whitey Herzog) and kindly lead the conversation for the more quiet ones (George Hendrick, player).  Buck’s call of Ozzie Smith’s walk-off home run in the 1985 NLCS against the Dodgers will always go down as a highlight for Cardinals fans, “Go Crazy Folks! Go Crazy!” And of course in 1988 during the first game of the World Series, it was Jack Buck who exclaimed “I don’t believe what I just saw” as Kirk Gibson limped around the bases after his historic home run.

Jack Brickhouse.  Brickhouse introduced me to Cubs baseball in my college years in Chicago.  He was the voice of Cubs baseball on WGN-TV from 1948 to 1981.  He received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983.  His quiet demeanor and story-telling abilities made him so believable every afternoon at Wrigley.  There was something about his kindness and warmth that made his beloved Cubbies even more lovable.  Brickhouse’s talents also extended outside of baseball, as he called the Bears’ NFL games for 25 years and Bulls’ NBA games for eight.  His most famous moment behind the mike might have been away from Chicago, the 1954 World Series radio call of Willie Mays’ catch in Game 1.  For Cubs fans though, who will ever forget his “Hey, Hey” after every Cubs home run that landed in the basket or left the park at Wrigley!

Jon Miller.   Miller is the first current announcer on my list.  The highest compliment to a broadcaster is the appearance of total objectivity.  When I first heard Miller do ESPN Sunday Night baseball games over ten years ago I had no idea that he was play-by-play announcer of the San Francisco Giants.  His style is conversational and warm, and he is adept at bringing historical pieces into modern-day topics.  Miller has been the voice of the Giants since 1997.  He had the good fortune of being behind the microphone of San Francisco’s even-numbered years dominance of World Series baseball, 2010, 2012, and 2014.  He received the Ford C. Frick Award from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, of course in an even-numbered year.

Tony Kubek.  Kubek knew all about World Series play.  In his nine-year career as a shortstop for the Yankees, he played in six of them.  After his retirement from baseball, he joined NBC television and was the color analyst for 12 World Series.  What I remember mostly about Kubek was his work with partner Curt Gowdy on the NBC Saturday Game of the Week in the late 1960s and 1970s.   Before cable television, baseball crazy kids like me only had the local broadcasting of our hometown teams.  For me, that was only 40 or so Reds away games.  I loved tuning in on Saturday afternoon to see other MLB teams.  It seemed like every other Saturday NBC would be at Fenway Park so we could hear Tony describe the nuances of the Green Monster. Kubek’s professional approach to broadcasting paved the way for many former players.

Vin Scully.  No one has had a greater run in announcing baseball than Scully’s 67 seasons calling games for the LA Dodgers from 1950 to his recent retirement in 2016.  While admittedly I am not a Dodgers fan (see “Dodgers Blues”, 04/29/2019), I appreciated his feel good charm and quiet respect for the game.  I didn’t have the opportunity to hear his Dodgers play by play, but I do recall though his NBC national broadcasts of baseball in the 1980s.   Upon his retirement, I heard so many celebrate his signature welcoming to Dodger broadcasts:  “It’s time for Dodger baseball.  Hi, everybody, and a very pleasant good afternoon to you.”  Among his many accomplishments, Scully received the Commissioner’s Historic Achievement Award in 2014 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.

John Smoltz.  Smoltz was an 8-time National League All-Star and HOF pitcher, most famous for being a starter with the Braves alongside Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.  Toward the end of his career, he spent four years as Atlanta’s closer.  Smoltzie is the only pitcher in MLB history to record 200 wins and 150 saves.  Nowadays you find Smoltz as the top color analyst on Fox television broadcasts.  I truly enjoy his insight not only about a pitcher’s mindset and mechanics, but all situational aspects of the game.  He is one of those few commentators who can lay out clearly the options of a manager in key moments of play, most often correctly predicting the outcome.  If you are a Cubs fan, you might recall his first World Series at the microphone, 2016!

Harry Caray.  More often than not, the “Mayor of Rush Street” is identified with the Cubs, but Caray had established a wonderful broadcasting career before he arrived at Wrigley in 1982.  For 25 years Caray was the voice of the St. Louis Cardinals, teaming with Jack Buck.  Caray spent one year in Oakland (1970), but then the next eleven at Comiskey Park with the White Sox.  That’s actually how I remember him, the flamboyant Sox announcer whose colorful play-by-play was perfect for the South Siders during that era.  The tradition of Harry leading the crowd in “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning started at Comiskey when his microphone was left on.  He brought that tradition to Wrigley Field.  Since his passing in 1998, the tradition has been carried forward with guest singers and an occasional big screen replay of Harry himself.  A visitor to Wrigley today can find his statue just outside the centerfield bleachers gate.

Pat Hughes.   Since the 1996 season, Hughes has been the radio voice of the Cubs.  I find his style to be incredibly enjoyable, free of flashy stories and new age data.  Hughes broadcasts in a professional manner,  capturing your attention with an objective play-by-play call but mixed with baseball history and current topics.  I find myself on many Sunday afternoons with my air buds in and listening to the radio broadcast.  After several years of playoff disappointment, Pat became the first Cubs broadcaster who could say this in October, 2016:  “A little bouncer slowly toward Bryant.  He will glove it and throw it to Rizzo.  It’s in time!  And the Chicago Cubs win the World Series!”

Andy Masur. Sometimes you need to embrace someone new and project future performance.  Masur is the talented White Sox radio announcer in his first season, replacing Ed Farmer who passed away earlier this year.  Masur is from my new home village, and is a graduate of Bradley University.  For the past 25 years he has held numerous radio reporting and broadcasting positions nationally (play-by-play for the San Diego Padres) and locally in Chicago (often substituting for Pat Hughes).  I have quickly become a fan of his on-air style, a comfortable mix of baseball strategy and the realities of today’s game. 

Football and basketball have seemingly jumped ahead of baseball in sports media because of the fast pace and excitement seen on your high definition televisions and laptops at home.  Baseball though continues to be the easiest listen for me.  I heard someone say that in today’s MLB a ball is only put in play every 3 minutes, 36 seconds.  Crazy as this may be, that’s still fine with me, especially as I listen to every game I can find on my car radio and the kids’ old boom box.  So who is on your list of favorite baseball announcers?   As Harry Caray would have said, “Let me hear ‘ya.”

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Let's Play Two!

Someone asked me recently whether I had a favorite summer job when I was growing up.  My thoughts immediately turned to umpiring, but then I recalled that first 5 day, 40 hours a week, cushy position as an “assistant office manager” at a bank in downtown Cincinnati.  I was basically the errand guy, delivering mail in the main office, taking the executives’ cars for motor vehicle registration and a weekly car wash, and delivering supplies to the eighteen branches across the city.  It was fun, I met a lot of people, and it sure beat driving my old Gremlin around town.  On a handful of late Friday afternoons that summer I also had something to look forward to after work, meeting up with my buddies and going to Riverfront Stadium for a twi-night doubleheader.  Do you remember that relic in baseball’s past?  It was the best of all deals, a $6.00 ticket for two MLB games!

Classic doubleheaders where fans were able to attend two games for the price of one were prominent in MLB through the first half of the 20th century.  The 1943 White Sox hold the record for most doubleheaders played by a team during a season, 44, more than half of their scheduled 154-game season.  In 1959, a quarter of games played (on average, 20 doubleheaders per team) were in the format of two games starting around Noon or 5:00 p.m.   The rate of scheduled doubleheaders began to decline over the next several years, falling to 10% of games by 1979.  With the urging of owners, MLB for the most part began to eliminate doubleheaders from its scheduling.  The reasons for the change most cite are the need to maximize revenue (one gate per game), the taxing of pitching staffs (over the last 50 years we have turned to 5 pitcher starting rotations from the traditional 4), and the safety of catchers and everyday players (today’s game sees half of the MLB rosters comprised of pitchers).  The last scheduled single admission day doubleheader was on June 10, 2017, between Tampa and Oakland, a rarity in today’s game.

Doubleheaders nowadays come in the form of day-night doubleheaders, the first game in the afternoon and the second at night, allowing the ultimate money grab, two gates on one day for the home team.  These day-night doubleheaders are actually prohibited by the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), unless approved by the Players Association.  Most often, they are scheduled for travel relief purposes when a prior game has been rained out and the two teams are not scheduled to return to the home team’s ballpark during the season.  Interestingly, the Elias Sports Bureau does not recognize the two games as actual doubleheaders for the record books.  The CBA does allow teams to expand rosters on these days so that a starting pitcher can be brought up from AAA to pitch one of the games. 

Much of the doubleheader stigma has been cast aside this season considering the new 60-game schedule.  With numerous games already cancelled due to COVID-19, MLB schedule makers might be looking into some unique doubleheader options based on past history.  The Yankees and Mets since the advent of interleague play have played games in each other’s ballparks on the same day three times when there was a rainout during the first series of the season.  Take notice Chicago and Los Angeles!  Maybe even more on point, the Cardinals in 1951 and the Indians in 2000 hosted doubleheaders against two different teams in September because there were no common days off for the remainder of the season and the games were needed to decide playoff races.   And as the latest version of the 2020 MLB schedule provides, we are going to see this year the arrangement the Reds and Giants struck in July 2013 at then AT&T Park to accommodate travel, where the first game of a doubleheader was the Giants home date but in the second game the Reds were the designated home team due to an earlier rainout in Cincinnati.

I’m not sure this is exactly what Ernie Banks had in mind with his trademark “Let’s play two”!  Ernie began playing professional baseball in 1950 with the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Baseball League. He signed with the Cubs in September 1953, becoming the Cubs first black player.  Banks set all kinds of records, earning the nickname “Mr. Cub” for his spirit on and off the field.  He started as a power hitting shortstop, certainly uncommon during the 1950s.  Banks won the NL MVP award in 1958 and 1959 for big numbers at the plate and outstanding play in the middle of the diamond.  The next year, 1960, Ernie won the Cubs’ first Gold Glove award.  Banks moved to first base in 1961, finishing his Hall of Fame career there in 1971.  Ernie’s catchphrase “It’s a beautiful day for baseball, let’s play two!” summed up his love of the game, especially for playing daylight games at his beloved Wrigley Field.  For a wonderful, recent biography of his life, check out “Let’s Play Two: The Life and Times of Ernie Banks” (2019) by Doug Wilson.

Playing in the sunlight at Wrigley Field is a perfect setting for my favorite doubleheader story, one of a player not a team.  On August 4, 1982, Joel Youngblood of the Mets stepped into the box at Wrigley to face Ferguson Jenkins of the Cubs.  In the third inning of the game he drove in two runs with a single.  Youngblood was replaced after the at-bat because he had been traded to the Expos.  Youngblood was asked to board a plane out of Chicago and head to Philadelphia for Montreal’s game that night against the Phillies.  He made it to the ballpark while the game was being played, and delivered a pinch hit single against the Phillies’ ace Steve Carlton in the seventh inning.  Not only is Youngblood the only player in baseball history to get hits in two games in two cities for two teams on the same day, but how about those hits coming off of two future Hall of Fame pitchers!

Recognizing the “dynamic circumstances” of the 2020 season and the need to schedule frequent games and promote player safety, MLB with the support of the Players Association announced on July 31 a rule change that all doubleheader games may be completed in 7 innings.  Separately, MLB announced that rosters would be expanded during these doubleheaders.  On August 2, the Reds swept the Tigers in the first such seven-inning twin bill. Interestingly and maybe telling as the season moves forward, past MLB doubleheader results show that a sweep is far more common than a split.  Doubleheader success will be critical for teams like St. Louis and Miami, as they scramble to get in 60 games before season’s end. 

While the Cardinals finally returned to action on Saturday with a doubleheader sweep over the White Sox, their schedule ahead is daunting, 52 games in the next 42 days.   Of course, that means many doubleheaders, and as expected, playing the role of the designated home team while finding themselves in the visitors’ clubhouse.  MLB announced late last week the scheduling of most of these doubleheaders, including two this week against the Cubs, 5 games in the course of 3 days.  I’m sure Chicago will do everything possible to prevent the first ever, walk-off win by their rivals at Wrigley.  It’s definitely a new, crazy world with lots of ramifications for all teams involved – bringing up pitchers from their taxi squads to start games; working with 3 catchers on the roster; and providing enough rest for position players.  It will be interesting to watch from the comfort of our homes.

MLB noted in the July 31 rule change announcement that despite the seven-inning doubleheaders, in case of inclement weather a game will still be deemed complete after 5 innings of play or 4 ½ innings if the home team is ahead. When I was growing up, I remember convincing my parents to go to a Reds Sunday afternoon doubleheader against the Padres.  While they agreed to go, the caveat was we would make a leisurely day of it, perhaps arriving in the middle of the first game.  As we drove to the ballpark that day listening to the car radio with the Reds leading 3-0 after three innings, dark clouds loomed.   We made it to our seats as the fourth inning ended.  Rain poured after the Padres final out in the fifth, giving the Reds a first game 3-0 win and cancelling the second game. Our $6.00 per ticket was for one-half inning, not two games, also a result that Ernie Banks did not have in mind.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

Field of Dreams

This past Monday afternoon MLB announced the cancellation of the August 13 “Field of Dreams” game between the White Sox and the Cardinals.  While I can’t say I am surprised, I must say that I am disappointed.  It was the last major professional sporting event this summer on my calendar that hadn’t until now been postponed or delayed.  The game was to be played at a newly constructed 8,000-seat ballpark in Dyersville, Iowa, on the farm where the 1989 movie was shot.  It was going to be the first MLB game ever played in Iowa.  I pondered that afternoon whether I should tell the story, despite the cancellation.  I quickly concluded that it’s an important part of baseball history; and certainly, a wonderful story to share.

The movie was based on W.P. Kinsella’s 1982 novel “Shoeless Joe”, a delightful book that I first read over the past week.  The novel tells the story of Ray Kinsella, an Iowa farmer, struggling with the memories of his relationship with his late Dad, John Kinsella, a faithful baseball fan.  One day Ray hears a voice, “If you build it, he will come”.  With the loving support of his wife Annie and daughter Karin, Ray begins to build a ballpark.  Along the way, we learn about his Dad’s devotion to a White Sox star player, Shoeless Joe Jackson.  As a teenager, Ray challenged that loyalty and pointed to the 1919 Black Sox Scandal.  After that, Ray and his Dad never played catch again, something Ray deeply regrets.  As Ray’s new ballpark begins to take shape, mystical ballplayers begin to appear and play games, first Shoeless Joe and then seven others, all of whom were banned from baseball as result of the scandal.

The story of the Black Sox Scandal actually begins the year before, 1918, in a way that is frighteningly similar to events today.  In 1918 the Spanish Flu pandemic swept across the world.  We lost an estimated 5 million people worldwide and 675,000 in the U.S. alone.  There were four waves of the Spanish flu, the first beginning in the spring of 1918.  The War Department required that the baseball season end by September 1st and the World Series by September 15th.  See “Shortened Season”, 06/08/20.  The Red Sox defeated the Cubs 4 games to 2.  Over the next several weeks, a second wave of the Spanish flu hit the U.S. hard, especially in the metropolitan areas of Boston and Chicago.  A third wave of the Spanish flu set in the next year, 1919.  Attendance was down at ballparks across the country.  At the time, players coveted shares of postseason winnings to add to their mostly average salaries, but with diminishing attendance, those shares would be taking a hit.

Betting on baseball was rampant during this era.  Gamblers would gather just outside the outfield fence at ballparks, offering outfielders money for misplaying a fly ball.  As the White Sox headed toward clinching the AL pennant in September 1919, some of the players were concerned about not getting much of a payday in the World Series.  There were two factions in the Sox clubhouse, the “Clean Sox” players who didn’t want to participate in any side action, and a second faction that reached out to a gambling syndicate led by Arnold Rothstein.  A meeting with the syndicate was set up on September 21 in New York to discuss a fix of the upcoming Series.  Six players attended the meeting, each of whom were banned from baseball in the aftermath.  One player who attended, Buck Weaver, never received any money but still was banned for not reporting the fix, and another player, Fred McMullin, who wasn’t at the meeting but heard about it and threatened to squeal if he didn’t get a payoff, was banned as well.  The banned players also included Shoeless Joe Jackson, who didn’t attend the New York meeting and whose actual involvement is disputed.

The 1919 World Series, a 9-game format, featured the upstart NL Cincinnati Reds against the heavily favored White Sox.  Sox star pitcher, Red Faber, one of the Clean Sox, came down with the flu prior to the Series and never pitched.  Some of his starts went to pitchers Eddie Cicotte and Lefty Williams, who were on the take.  Cicotte, the Game 1 starter, hit the Reds leadoff batter, a signal to the gambling syndicate the fix was on.  With the Reds up 4 games to 1, there was concern among the White Sox players that the gamblers were reneging on payment.  The Sox won Games 6 and 7.  Prior to Game 8, there were mentions of threats of violence against White Sox players and family.  Lefty Williams lost Game 8, his third loss of the Series, and the Reds won the Series 5 games to 3.   In October 1920 eight Sox players and five gamblers were indicted by a federal grand jury in Chicago on nine counts of conspiracy to defraud.  The case went to trial in July 1921, and all eight players were acquitted.  Nevertheless, MLB’s first Commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, who was hired by the owners to clean up the game, banned the eight players from baseball.

The 1982 novel captured a theme that I didn’t clearly remember in the movie.  Ray’s Dad, John, and as a result, the entire Kinsella family, despised the Yankees, a notion to which many baseball fans can relate.  The Yankees were the scheduled opponents of the White Sox in the “Field of Dreams” game prior to the 2020 season.  Now I see why!  We all have “that team” to root against (see “Dodgers Blues”, 04/29/19).  For many AL teams, the Red Sox, the Indians, and even comically, the Washington Senators in the Broadway musical, “Damn Yankees”, that means the Yankees.  The Pinstripes nowadays might have finally relinquished its American League hatred crown to the Houston Astros (see “Sign Stealing”, 06/01/20).  While the Des Moines Register reported that the MLB has not decided on an opponent for the White Sox in the 2021 “Field of Dreams” game, the Astros might be a good choice.

Disdain for the Astros has been in MLB news over the past week.  Houston’s series with the Dodgers marked the first time the teams had met since word broke this winter of the 2017 sign stealing shenanigans by the Astros en route to their World Series victory over LA.  In the sixth inning of a game the Dodgers led 5-2, LA’s Joe Kelly threw a 3 and 0 fastball behind Alex Bregman’s head and then a curveball over the head of the next hitter, Alex Correa. The dugouts emptied and words were exchanged.  Luckily for both teams, no punches were thrown, actions that would be severely punished during the pandemic.  Kelly received an eight-game suspension, the Dodgers’ manager Dave Roberts got one game, and new Astros’ manager, Dusty Baker, was fined.  When I heard about this story, my baseball instincts were first to applaud Kelly, but then I saw the replay of the incident, and felt ashamed.  It was a reckless act by Kelly, and deserving of the 8-game suspension, which is the equivalent of 22 games in a regular 162-game season.

Perhaps reckless, maybe careless behavior, and certainly bad luck, were at the heart of positive tests of COVID-19 for two National League teams, the Marlins and the Cardinals, over the first two weeks of baseball.  Players and team personnel continue to struggle in this new world MLB has placed them in, full of seclusion at hotels and way too much travel.  Yes, I see every night violations by players of health protocols (spitting and high-fiving), but overall the players are doing what they can and certainly what we had hoped, giving us a little enjoyment of baseball during the pandemic.  The shutdowns of the Marlins and Cardinals have played havoc on MLB scheduling and caused uneven play.  At week’s end, five NL teams have numerous games to make up, mostly through MLB’s newest creation, the 7-inning doubleheaders.  I grimaced recently when I heard a remark that MLB’s season felt like a game of “Jenga”, ready to topple at any moment.

For me baseball has always been more like Lincoln logs, building memory after memory of life lessons.  My favorite scene in the “Field of Dreams” movie is at the end when Ray Kinsella got his wish, to play catch with the catcher, his Dad, who finally showed up to play at the Iowa ballpark.  When I was growing up I built my own little ballpark in our backyard where my Dad and I would play catch.  One night my pitch sunk and badly hurt his shin, an injury he didn’t tell me about until much later in life.  It was our last night of catch together. In my own idyllic “field of dreams”, I too wish for one last catch.  Somehow, filling my days with baseball history brings his memory to life.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach

P.S.  It’s not possible to tell the full story of Shoeless Joe and the 1919 Black Sox Scandal in this space.  I highly recommend your exploring www.shoelessjoejackson.org or taking a visit to Shoeless Joe’s museum in Greenville, South Carolina, next year.

Shattering Records

Didn’t you despise the kid in elementary school who would win all of the Math flash card contests?  Yeah, you know the one banging his hand on the desk.  I thought so.  Well, sorry, I was that guy.  My excuse?  Maybe I knew then that success in mathematics would lead to a lifelong love of baseball.  Baseball is all about the numbers.  191 RBIs, 30 wins, and a .400 batting average; these are just some of the records we cherish but assume to be almost impossible to reach in today’s game. 

MLB’s 60-game schedule gives the numbers game new meaning.  After the Cubs Opening Night win, Marquee television announcer Len Kasper proclaimed: “Do the Math, the Cubbies are now 2.7 and 0!”  That’s indeed correct as we project the 60 games over the regular 162-game schedule.   In fact, as play closed on Sunday night, the Cubs lead the NL Central by 6.75 games, 24.3 games into the season!  So let’s have some more fun with the Math.  If you project the first 8 to 10 games of individual performances over an entire season, you will be surprised at the longstanding records that may be shattered.

A flag flies at the top of Wrigley Field with “191” on one side, honoring the amazing stat line of Cubs power hitter, Hack Wilson, 90 years ago.  Wilson led the National League in 1930 with 56 HRs, an NL record lasting 68 years, and 191 RBIs, a record that stands today.  See “Record Books”, 09/09/2019. To put it in perspective, Hector Rendon led MLB in 2019 with 126 RBIs in a 162-game season that featured explosive, offensive production, yet Hack completed his feat in a season with just 154 games. Nelson Cruz, Minnesota’s designated hitter in his 16th MLB season, is knocking in runs this year at a rate that would surpass Wilson, 12 RBIs in Cruz’s first 9 games.  Look out for that flag flying next year at Target Field with the number 216!

Denny McLain led the Detroit Tigers to the American League pennant in 1968 with a record of 31-6.  He is only one of 11 pitchers since 1900 to win 30 games during the season, and is the last one to do so.  McLain captured the AL MVP and Cy Young Awards for his efforts.  Interestingly, his teammate, lefty Mickey Lolich, got the call in the seventh game of the World Series and bested Cardinals’ ace Bob Gibson. A new lefthander on Chicago’s South Side is Dallas Keuchel, a four-time Gold Glover on the mound who captured the American League Cy Young award as a Houston Astro in 2015. With two W’s in two starts so far this season, Keuchel is on the mathematical track to become a 30-game winner!

Known by many as the greatest hitter the game has ever seen, Ted Williams manned left field at Fenway Park for 19 years.  He was a six-time batting champion, two-time AL MVP, and a two-time Triple Crown winner.  One of my favorite legends of the Splendid Splinter was his ability to see the seams of the baseball as it approached the plate.  His most notable accomplishment was in 1941 when he hit .406, the last batter to hit over .400 in a season.   This year’s first 10 games has seen a couple hitters batting at that clip, but none better than the Giants’ veteran, Donovan Solano. The San Franciso infielder’s .469 average at the end of Sunday’s play is certainly Teddy Ballgame-like.

The same season that McLain ran up victory after victory in the AL, Bob Gibson of the Cardinals overpowered NL batting lineups.  A winner of two Cy Youngs and the 1968 National League MVP award, Gibby amazed the baseball world with a 1.12 ERA for the ’68 regular season.  His and others’ pitching dominance caused MLB to lower the mound prior to the 1969 season.  MLB batters may be pushing for lowering the mound at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati when the Reds’ Sonny Gray is on the mound. Gray has gotten off to a great start with 2 W’s and 20 strikeouts.  And watch out Gibby, Gray’s ERA is 0.71, giving up only one earned run in 12 and 2/3 innings.

The season’s first week and a half has featured record strikeout performances but also continued fascination with the long ball.  Seems like the juiced ball is still in full use (see “108 Stitches”, 05/18/2020).  Barry Bonds, who played 22 seasons for the Pirates and the Giants, was a remarkable hitter, defensive outfielder, and base runner.  Of course, he might have been helped by a little juice of his own in establishing the all-time career home run mark of 762 and the single season record of 73 in 2001.  Less than 20 years later we might see that 73 shaking a little as the Yankees’ sensational right fielder, Aaron Judge, has blasted away at the fences in New York’s first eight games. Judge has hit at least one HR in five consecutive games, and six overall, projecting a record-breaking 122 for the year!

Superior pitching comes in many forms, wins and losses, low ERA, but how about a consecutive streak of scoreless innings?  Orel Hershiser of the Dodgers had a year to remember in 1988 – NL Cy Young award; Gold Glove; NLCS MVP; and World Series MVP; carrying Los Angeles on his back to its last world championship. Hershiser will be remembered especially for one personal accomplishment that season, a record 59 innings of scoreless baseball.  Should Hershiser be concerned this year?  Perhaps so.  No pitcher has dominated the baseball world more in his first two starts than new Cleveland ace, Shane Bieber (no relation to Justin). Bieber’s pitching line right now is 14 innings, 27 Ks, 1 walk, and most importantly, 0 runs.  If he continues that mastery over his next 10 starts of the 60-game season, 84 will be the new scoreless inning standard.

Speaking of streaks, there’s no more famous number in sports than 56!  Joe DiMaggio, the Yankee Clipper, graced MLB baseball diamonds for 13 years, an All-Star in each one of them.  He was the consummate player, gliding through the outfield making outstanding plays, ripping hit after hit at the plate, and leading the Yankees to ten AL pennants and 9 World Series championships in his career. Those achievements are outstanding, but what we remember most is his 56-game consecutive hitting streak in 1941.  As the first full week of play ended last night, is there a hitting streak alive that might challenge the record?  YES.  Braves’ shortstop, Dansby Swanson, is on a tear, batting .350 and recording a hit in all of Atlanta’s first ten games.  Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio, the new number will be 60 at season’s end!

A night that baseball would like to forget took place on July 12, 1979, at Chicago’s Comiskey Park.  Disco was blowing up the dance floor in the late 1970s, much to the dismay of the hard rockers.  The White Sox hosted the first and only “Disco Demolition Night” as part of a twi-night doubleheader with the Tigers.  A crowd of over 50,000 watched the promotion go up in flames as a crate filled with disco records was blown up on the field between games.  Many fans rushed onto the field causing even more damage to the playing surface, and the White Sox were forced to forfeit the second game of the doubleheader.  While I’m not suggesting MLB is going to rock our world in this shortened season, it’s fun to think about some shattered records along the way.

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach