Music & More

Best Baseball Songs challenge

I'm watching the NY Yankees play the Boston Red Sox on a Saturday afternoon in April of 2022. The Yanks just took the lead on a  Stanton 2 run HR in the bottom of the 6th inning. It inspired me to play Centerfield - the song. 13 years ago I gave my opinion as to the best songs about baseball. I wonder if I missed any great baseball songs back then. I also wonder if there have been any great baseball songs recorded since 2009 began.

 

April 05, 2009

Best Baseball Songs

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer's fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer's fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

Best Baseball Songs

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer's fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

Designated Hitter finally a hit with the NL

Back in 2009 I expressed my opinion about the NL's rejection of the DH rule. MLB is finally playing with one set of rules in the upcoming 2022 season.

September 17, 2009

Designated Hitter

I read a book a few months ago called Hit Parade by Lawrence Block. No, it wasn't about the TV show from the 1950's. That was actually Your Hit Parade and the hits were songs. In the first part of the Block book, a designated hitter became the victim of a designated hitter. Baseball's Designated Hitter or DH is alive and well - except in the National League. Yankee DH Hideki Matsui hit a 2 run HR last night to tie up the game with the Blue Jays. With his bad knees, Hideki would be limited to pinch hitting duties without the DH rule.

 

It's time for the National League to adopt the Designated Hitter rule. Except for a few diehard purists, does anybody care about having the pitcher bat? I know. Tradition and Strategy. Tradition has taken quite a few hits since 1973 when the DH was introduced. Another level of playoffs has been added including the Wild Card. A team that doesn't even win its division is allowed a shot at the World Series - a radical idea for baseball. Expansion has brought us 6 additional teams. The NL has two more teams than the AL. We have major league umpires, not AL and NL umps. We have replays on HR's. We have all kinds of new stats - WHIP, OPS, holds, etc. Baseball has evolved. The NL has its head stuck in the sand.

 

As noted, the DH has existed since 1973. This makes it likely that any fan born from around 1963 doesn't really remember baseball without the DH. As far as strategy is concerned, how many fans think that even AL managers over-manage? We see needless changes of relief pitchers, starters yanked because of the pitch count. I recall a lefty brought in to face a lefty. He got his man and the next batter was a switch hitter. The manager yanked the lefty reliever and brought in a righthander. Did he gain some small advantage because the switch hitter is better from the right side? Please! Keep it simple and play the game.

 

Most people want to see offense. Soccer's a great sport that has never made it big in the U.S. because after 90 minutes of action the score is likely to be 2 - 1. The DH doesn't just provide more offense. It provides rest for key players without losing their bats. It prevents injury to pitchers since they don't have to hit or run the bases. Ask the Yankees about Chien-Ming Wang who injured himself running the bases in an interleague game. With the money some of these pitchers make and the scarcity of quality pitching, do teams really want to risk losing them to injury? Granted if I was a pitcher, I'd prefer to pitch in the DHless NL. Still, it's crazy that baseball continues to operate under two different rules. Imagine if the NBA decision makers had implemented the 3 point goal but only allowed it in games involving former ABA teams or allowed it only in the Eastern conference but not the Western conference. It would be considered stupid.

 

The NL would have little trouble in adopting the DH rule. Take a team like the Dodgers. They signed Manny Ramirez to big bucks so they have to play him in left field. Juan Pierre sits. Jim Thome could do some DHing if he stays. The Braves could rotate DH between oldtimers Larry "not so Chipper" Jones and Garrett Anderson or use it to rest Bryan McCann without losing his bat. The Astros could DH Carlos Lee or Miguel Tejada. The Rockies could DH Todd Helton or Garrett Atkins. If the Mets keep Gary Sheffield, he's a perfect candidate for DH. If he doesn't have to play the field, he'll have more time to complain. The Brewers could DH Frankie Catalanotto. They  may eventually look to DHing the Prince who's not such a good Fielder, but not as bad as Philly Ryan Howard and Redbird Albert Pujols who are vying for the league lead in errors by a first baseman. Nat Adam Dunn and Cub Alfonso Soriano should DH. It's time to have baseball operating under one set of rules.

 

Yankees and 2018 at the half

The Battle of Gettysburg began 155 years ago yesterday - July 1, 1863. As of yesterday we are half way through 2018. trump is still in office so the battle for the soul of America continues. There was another battle yesterday of much less significance but of interest to me. It was a baseball battle between my NY Yankees and my youngest brother Chris's Boston Red Sox. It also marked the Yankees 81st game, the halfway point of the 162 game baseball season.

By the end of yesterday's 11 - 1 win behind Luis Severino, a battle for 1st place in the American League East, the Yankees lead the Sox by percentage points, .667 to .659. The Yankees are 54 -27 while the Red Sox are 56 - 29.  So far this season, the Yanks have won 5 of the 9 games between the 2 teams. They play 3 more 3 game series, one in August and two in September. In fact, the Yankees finish the season with a 3 game set at Fenway Park. Yesterday's game was also the last of a 3 game series with the Sox. The Yankees behind C.C. Sabathia took the opener over the  Red Sox 8 - 1 Friday night and Saturday the Bosox clobbered Sonny Gray of the Yankees enroute to an 11 - 0 win behind Chris Sale.

Due to scheduling and weather conditions, the Yankees have played 4 fewer games than the Red Sox. There never has been one single date upon which every mlb team plays its 81st game. As of today, of the 30 mlb teams, only 1 has not played 81 games. The Minnesota Twins will play their 81st tonight in Milwaukee. Teams that have played the most games so far this season include the Houston Astros and the San Diego Padres. Both played their 86th game yesterday.

Some think of the All-Star break as the mid-point of the mlb season. It never is. Some teams will have played 90 games or more by the time the All Star Game is held on Tuesday July 17th in Washington, D.C. At the end of the season, I like to compare first half vs second half production. Having an equal number of games to consider makes sense.

(BTW - it also makes sense and it's way past time for the NL to adopt the DH)   

 

If you're still with me, you can stop reading now if you're not a Yankee fan. The Yankee team leaders after 81 games:

 

HR's - Judge    22

RBI's - Judge    55                        

Avg. - Andujar  .282

OBP - Judge    .396

Hits - Stanton   83

Runs - Judge    57

Dbls - Andujar   23

Tpls - 4 players  2

SB's - Gregorius 9

Walks - Judge   57

 

Pitching:

Wins - Severino 13 - 2

Saves - Chapman - 23

ERA  (Starters)  Severino  1.98

ERA (Relievers) Chapman  1.51

Innings (starters) Severino  118

Strikeouts - Severino    138

 

After 81 games, the Yankees lead the major leagues in Home Runs with 137. Besides Judge's 22, Stanton has 19, Torres and Gregorius 15, Hicks and Sanchez 14 and Andujar 12. The record by a team in a single season is held by the 1997 Seattle Mariners with 264.

 

Rookie back-up catcher Kyle Higashioka, just called up from Scranton, got his 1st major league hit yesterday after starting off his career 0 for 22 (he was 0 for 18 last year). The hit was his first major league HR, a 400 foot blast into the left field stands. Don't know if he got the ball from the fan who caught it.

 

Besides Judge's 55 rbi's, Stanton has 46, Gregorius 44, Torres 42, Sanchez 41, Hicks & Andujar 38. 

 

 

Since my blog is called "Music & More", I'll add a non-baseball related last word here regarding a song I think of every year on June 30th. It was not a single but it's one of my favorite Petula Clark songs. 

"The Thirty-First of June"   (Tony Hatch)  the first verse ends:

"And though I wait each day and hope and pray
Your love will come on soon,
It's as far away as the thirty-first of June"

 

Box Scores

Box Scores that count are back! Yesterday, March 29, 2018, was opening day for Major League Baseball. 26 of the 30 teams played their first game; two games were rained out. I love checking out box scores even though I never got into playing fantasy baseball.

I was able to watch the last 7 innings of the Yankee game in Toronto.  I missed Giancarlo Stanton's HR in his first at bat as a Yankee but saw it on replay. He later hit another HR and a double. Luis Severino pitched well, allowing only 1 hit and striking out 7  in 5 2/3 scoreless innings.

The box score for the White Sox win over Kansas City provided the first surprise of the season. Who is DH Matt Davidson? He hit 3 HR's, drove in 5 and scored 4. I confess that the name didn't sound familiar. He just turned 27 a few days ago and hit 26 HR's for a 67 - 95 Chisox team last year. He played in 31 games for  Arizona in 2013 and 1 game for the White Sox in 2016. I admit it's possible I didn't check out White Sox box scores very carefully last year because they were such a bad team.

The Giants blanked the Dodgers 1 - 0 as second baseman Joe Panik (who played his college ball at St. John's University) homered off Clayton Kershaw in the 5th inning. CK was 2 for 2 at the plate but the first 5 batters in the Dodger lineup went hitless.

The next night:

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Panik became the first player to homer for his team in back-to-back 1-0 victories. In a sport as old as baseball, that's impressive enough. But to do it at Dodger Stadium, against Kershaw and Jansen, in the season's first two games -- that's a case of truth being stranger than fiction.

Speaking of the Dodgers:

The first major league baseball game I ever attended was in 1956 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn. I was 10 when I went with the Cub Scouts to a Dodger - Cardinals game won by the Dodgers 12 - 4. 

Here's the box score of that game from the best baseball website I know of, Baseball-Almanac.com, "where what happened yesterday is being preserved today". 

St. Louis Cardinals vs Brooklyn Dodgers August 4, 1956 Box Score The box score below is an accurate record of events for the baseball contest played on August 4, 1956 at Ebbets Field. The Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals and the box score is "ready to surrender its truth to the knowing eye."

"The box score is the catechism of baseball, ready to surrender its truth to the knowing eye." - Author Stanley Cohen in The Man in the Crowd (1981)

Baseball Almanac Box Scores St. Louis Cardinals 4, Brooklyn Dodgers 12 Game played on Saturday, August 4, 1956 at Ebbets Field St. Louis Cardinals ab   r   h rbi Blasingame 2b 4 0 0 0 Dark ss 3 0 0 0   Morgan ss 1 1 1 0 Musial 1b 2 1 2 0   Nelson 1b 1 1 1 2 Boyer 3b 4 1 2 0 Moon rf 4 0 1 1 Lockman lf 4 0 1 0 Peete cf 4 0 0 0 Smith c 3 0 1 0 Blaylock p 0 0 0 0   McDaniel p 2 0 0 0   Sauer ph 1 0 0 0   Liddle p 0 0 0 0   Repulski ph 1 0 0 0 Totals 34 4 9 3 Brooklyn Dodgers ab   r   h rbi Gilliam 2b 4 2 2 0 Amoros lf 4 2 1 0 Snider cf 3 2 2 3   Cimoli cf 1 0 0 0 Furillo rf 5 1 2 2 Robinson 3b 2 1 0 1   Jackson 3b 3 0 1 0 Hodges 1b 4 2 2 0 Campanella c 3 1 1 0 Fernandez ss 4 1 1 4 Erskine p 4 0 0 0 Totals 37 12 12 10 St. Louis 0 0 0   2 0 0   0 2 0 – 4 9 5 Brooklyn 5 1 0   2 0 0   4 0 x – 12 12 0     St. Louis Cardinals IP H R ER BB SO Blaylock  L(0-2) 0.1 4 5 3 1 0   McDaniel   5.2 5 3 3 1 0   Liddle   2.0 3 4 4 2 0 Totals 8.0 12 12 10 4 0     Brooklyn Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO Erskine  W(10-6) 9.0 9 4 4 3 2 Totals 9.0 9 4 4 3 2   E–Dark 2 (19), Boyer (13), Lockman 2 (8).  DP–St. Louis 2. Dark-Musial, Boyer-Blasingame-Musial, Brooklyn 2. Erskine-Fernandez-Hodges, Jackson-Hodges.  2B–Brooklyn Gilliam (7,off Blaylock); Snider (16,off McDaniel).  HR–St. Louis Nelson (5,8th inning off Erskine 1 on 1 out), Brooklyn Snider (27,4th inning off McDaniel 1 on 1 out); Fernandez (1,7th inning off Liddle 3 on 1 out).  Team LOB–6.  Team–5.  SB–Gilliam (13,2nd base off Liddle/Smith); Gilliam (13,2nd base off Liddle/Smith).  U-HP–Jocko Conlan, 1B–Artie Gore, 2B–Bill Jackowski, 3B–Vic Delmore. Game played on Saturday, August 4, 1956 at Ebbets Field

 

 

Judge at 81

I'm talking about 25 year old Aaron Judge of the Yankees after 81 games, the halfway part of the season. The Yankees played their 81st game on Monday, July 3rd. Their win at the Stadium over the Blue Jays raised their record to 44 - 37. Judge, the Yankee's 6'7" right fielder, has been tearing up the American League after a rough start at the end of the 2016 season. He's one of the most exciting players in mlb this year. Cody Bellinger of the Dodgers has also been spectacular. The 22 year old Bells is the son of former Yankee Clay Bellinger.

Judge is eligible for the rookie of the year award. He only had 95 plate appearances and 84 official AB's in 27 games at the end of 2016 season. In those 84 AB's, he hit 4 HR's and drove in 10 runs but struck out 42 times, contributing to his .179 batting average . In 2015 he split time between double A Trenton and Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre hitting 20 HR's. In 2016 he hit 19 at Scranton before being called up to the Yankees.

Per Baseball-reference.com: 

Currently a player is considered to be a rookie, and thus eligible for the award, if the player has accumulated in prior major league seasons:

• Fewer than 130 at bats or
• Fewer than 50 innings pitched
• Fewer than 45 days on the active roster, excluding time on the disabled list, in military service, or time when the rosters are expanded (currently after September 1)

When the Yanks finished their first 81 games, Judge had 27 HR's (led mlb), 62 RBI's (led AL) and a .330 avg. (tied for AL lead) In the 79 games he played,  he has scored 72 runs with 93 hits, 13 dbls, 3 tpls, 58 walks (led mlb), 99 K's, 6 SBs (2 CS), an OBP of .449 (led mlb) and slugging .684 (led mlb) in 282 AB's.

How will the 2nd 81 games go? Pitchers are walking him more and he has shown his frustration by going out of the strike zone more frequently. Hopefully, he will adjust. His Home Run total is now 29 which ties the Yankee rookie record set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936.

Judge was selected for the 2017 All-Star team along with Gary Sanchez, Starlin Castro, Dellin Betances and Luis Severino. Judge got the most votes in the AL, becoming the first rookie to accomplish that since Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1994.

He wears #99. When the TV cameras pan the crowd on Yankee broadcasts you'll see quite a few fans wearing Judge shirts. The Yankees created a three-row, 18-seat section in the lower level in right field called "The Judge's Chambers" after a group of fans from Point Pleasant, NJ attended a game wearing judge's robes and wigs.

 

Injuries have limited the production of some of the other Yankees after 81:

Gary Sanchez - in only 52 games has 13 HR's, 40 rbi's & a .294 avg

Starlin Castro - in 73 games - 12 HR's, 45 rbi's & a .313 avg

Didi Gregorius - in 58 games - 10 HR's, 36 rbi's & a .307 avg

Aaron Hicks - in 60 games - 10 HR's, 37 rbi's & a .290 avg

Brett Gardner - 76 games - 15 HR's, 40 rbi's & a .260 avg w 10 sb's

Matt Holliday - 68 games - 15 HR's, 47 rbi's & a .262 avg

Jacoby Ellsbury - 46 games - 4 HR's, 17 rbi's & a .270 avg w 9 sb's

Chase Headley - 73 games - 4 HR's, 35 rbi's & a .255 avg

Ronald Torreyes - 54 games - 2 HR's, 20 rbi's & a .282 avg

The Pitching:

C.C. Sabathia - 7 - 2 w 3.46 in 75 inn

Luis Severino - 5 - 4 w 3.52 in 99 inn

Jordan Montgomery - 6 - 4 w 3.62 in 87 inn

Michael Pineda - 8 - 4 w 4.05 in 93 inn

Masahiro Tanaka - 7 - 7 w 5.25 in 97 inn 

Yesterday’s Yankee loss was their second in a row, fourth in their last five and 16th in their last 22 games, a skid that began on June 12th. On that day, they led the Red Sox by 4 games in the AL East. They now trail the Red Sox by 4 games.

 

 

Baseball's 5 inning rule for starting pitchers

I'm reading a book called "Baseball's Roaring Twenties" (subtitled A Decade of Legends, Characters, and Diamond Adventures) by Ronald T. Waldo, published this year. It begins with a review of the Black Sox scandal in chapter 1 followed by some of Babe Ruth's exploits in chapter 2. 

Chapter 3 is titled Duster, Heinie, Casey, and other unique major league performers. The chapter begins with the career of John Walter "Duster" Mails, a pitcher I never heard of before. In his pitching debut with the Cleveland Indians on September 1, 1920,  he gave up 3 runs (3 run HR to Robert Frank "Braggo" Roth) in the first inning to the Washington Senators. After walking a batter in the 2nd inning, the Cleveland Indians manager, Hall of Famer Tris Speaker, pulled Mails from the game. The author then said (page 42), "the young hurler still earned a victory since Cleveland was leading at the time and ended up winning the game 9 - 5.

Right away I'm thinking "this can't be right". A starting pitcher has to go 5 full innings. I went to the website Baseball-Almanac.com and pulled up the boxscore for this game at Griffith Stadium. It shows Mails as the winning pitcher. He pitched 1 inning and when he left the game, Cleveland had a 5 - 3 lead. Guy Morton pitched the last 8 innings and Washington never tied the score.

I guess the 5 inning rule was not in effect in 1920. I had incorrectly assumed that the rule had been in effect at least since the beginning of the 20th century. I googled "what year did mlb's 5 inning rule for starting pitchers to get a win take effect?" Here's what I found on SABR.org (Society for American Baseball Research):

Origin of the Modern Pitching Win by Frank Vaccaro

This article was published in the Spring 2013 Baseball Research Journal.

"A recurring question among SABR members in recent years involves the first modern win: when was the first win awarded to a starting pitcher incorporating a league-mandated rule requiring the five-inning minimum standard? On the SABR-L email list, historian David Nemec is often quick to reply that the standard appears in the rulebook in time for the 1950 season. That makes Washington pitcher Ray Scarborough’s opening day victory on April 18, 1950, the first modern assigned win in baseball history, a game in which Harry Truman, some might say, threw out the “first pitch.” Of course, Scarborough wasn’t the first pitcher to win a game after pitching five innings: baseball history is chock full of five-inning wins dating back to the old National Association. But of those, Scarborough was the first pitcher to take a shower knowing full well that the “win” was in his pocket, so to speak, provided the Nationals never lost the lead. The win seems easy to understand and even academic, yet it was the culmination of a long, tortured history since the stat was invented.

On May 9, 1872, Boston’s Al Spalding was relieved after four innings in a 20–0 romp over the Brooklyn Eckfords at Brooklyn’s Union Grounds. Spalding had a no-hitter and a 17–0 lead when he was relieved, but amazingly still did not receive credit for the win after the game. Was this baseball history’s first incidence of a no-decision and a five-inning minimum standard? No. Wins for pitchers had not yet been invented."

The rest of the article is a bit lengthy but interesting. One of the issues reviewed is how pitchers could get a win before 1950 without going 5 innings. 

1. The Injury Exception - Any pitcher injured was released from any minimum innings requirement—most of the time.
2. The World Series Warm-up - The pitcher must go a few innings and be removed with the excuse given that he is getting ready for the World Series.
3. The Save Win - rare. could be awarded regardless of how many innings the starting pitcher went, thus shedding little light on the evolution of a five-inning minimum.
   
4. Weather Shortened Games - Before 1950, The AL enforced a three-inning minimum while the NL looked for four innings in these ultra-short games
5. Commanding Leads - Even for leads of three, four, and five, the AL handed out archaic wins by a 39–25 margin over the stingy NL.

Give it a read if you're a serious baseball fan.

 

Besides the 5 inning pitcher's rule, the Roaring Twenties book mentioned (on page 71) an early DH proposal that I had not been aware of:

"During the winter meetings in December 1928, National League president John Heydler proposed that a good batter replace the pitcher when it was a pitcher's turn to bat. This individual would hit throughout the game, while the hurler concentrated only on his mound duties, never swinging a bat at home plate. This innovation was heartily rejected by most people connected to the game, especially pitchers who offered up vehement protest. ... Yankee executive Ed Barrow was one of the staunchest critics of Heydler's 10 man idea."

from SABR.org article on NL President John Heydler:

Heydler was a man of “accuracy and system,” a stickler for the rules, yet he was open-minded to improvements. In December 1928 he proposed that a 10th man be allowed to bat for the pitcher. He explained:

“I made the proposal to my club owners because of a belief that the public has tired of the endless shifts in lineups due to the inability of pitchers to hit. Last season there were 698 pinch batters used for pitchers in the National League. The American [League] made 643 such moves. The game is slowed up as a result. The average pitcher not only is helpless at bat, but when they happen to get to base they are not inclined to run. They want to conserve their energy for pitching purposes.”

Heydler was not the first to suggest the “designated hitter.” The idea originated as early as 1891. The American League adopted the DH in 1973, though the National League has shunned it. Ironically, when Heydler proposed it in 1928, the NL favored it and the AL opposed it.

related posts:

 

5/27/09 Dumb Baseball Rule 10.12 (d)(3)  (can't anticipate a DP)

9/17/09 Designated Hitter (argument for)

5/15/10 Winning relief pitcher rule (brief & ineffective)

5/10/11 ERA tied to complete games (needed 10 CG's prior to 1951)

8/1/11 Real Saves (when the game is on the line)

4/28/13  Pickoffs (not officially tracked stat until 1999)

baseball 2017 begins

It's April 2nd and the 2017 major league baseball season is about to begin. The first game at 1 pm (ET) features my New York Yankees vs the Tampa Bay Rays with Masahiro Tanaka opposing Chris Archer. At 3 pm, the San Francisco Giants with Madison Bumgarner visit Arizona to face Zack Greinke. At 7:30 pm, the Cubs with Jon Lester face the St. Louis Cardinals with Carlos Martinez. The rest of the teams will play their season opening games tomorrow, April 3rd. The Washington Nationals invited the deflector in chief to throw out the first ball but he declined. A scheduling conflict was mentioned but maybe those bone spurs that kept him out of the Vietnam war are acting up for the first time since the war ended. Maybe he's just afraid of being booed.

from the Washington Post of March 28th:

Presidents have regularly thrown out the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day for Washington’s major league team going back more than a century, but the tradition will not resume this year. The Nationals invited President Trump to do the honors on Monday afternoon, when the team opens its 2017 season at Nationals Park against the Miami Marlins, but the White House declined the invitation on Tuesday, citing a scheduling conflict, according to Nationals spokeswoman Jen Giglio.

“The White House has announced that President Trump will not be joining us on Opening Day due to a scheduling conflict,” Giglio said on Tuesday. “As all of you know, inviting the president is a 100-plus year tradition here in Washington baseball. It began with the Senators back in 1910 and when baseball came back to Washington the Nats continued that tradition.”

Most prognosticators are already picking the Boston Red Sox to meet the Chicago Cubs in the World Series. That's kind of rushing things. In the AL East, my Yanks are picked to finish 3rd or 4th. I won't argue although I admit to being a bit excited over the hitting of  Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird this spring. The Yanks will probably have a better year than the basketball teams I root for. The Brooklyn Nets have won 17 and lost 59 with 6 games remaining. The St. John's Red Storm finished at 14 - 19 including an 8th place finish in the 10 team Big East conference where they concluded the regular season with a 7 - 11 record.

Here are some songs to check out on you-tube or whatever if there's a rain delay. It's from an old post of mine. If there are any great baseball songs that I failed to mention, your comment would be appreciated.

April 05, 2009

Best Baseball Songs

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer,'s fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

 

 

 

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer,'s fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

 

Best Baseball Songs

The excitement is building. Tonight the season opens with the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies hosting the Atlanta Braves. Tomorrow afternoon my New York Yankees take the field. Have I been watching the exhibition games or following the box scores in the paper? No. I never could get into exhibition games. Oh, I might watch for an inning. But the problem is - they don't count. I'll read a bit here and there about the progress of the team, more so as the days get closer. But now it's here. "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play today!" (Actually, just to watch).

As any serious baseball fan or John Fogerty fan knows, that quote begins the chorus to the greatest baseball song ever written. "Centerfield", penned and first performed in 1985 by Fogerty, gets the blood pumping, the adrenalin flowing with its infectious beat and perfect lyrics.  No song captures the excitement of opening day like "Centerfield"! In the first stanza he talks of the sun coming out and new grass on the field. In the second, he pays tribute to past greats Mays, Cobb and DiMaggio. The last stanza's conclusion is every little leaguer,'s fantasy, "Just to hit the ball and touch 'em all, a moment in the sun; (pop) It's gone and you can tell that one goodbye!". I don't know if Fogerty ever played any baseball or even likes the game but he sure captures the excitement of a new season like no one ever has. Check out the lyrics to Centerfield as well as the history and lyrics of the baseball songs to follow on www.baseball-almanac.com.

Obviously many will stick with "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" as the best baseball song ever. According to the baseball almanac just noted, the lyrics were written by Jack Norworth in 1908 with the music composed by Albert Von Tizler. Norworth changed some of the lyrics in 1927 but the famous chorus, the only part of the song I ever knew, remained the same.

Another fine song is Alabama's the "Cheap Seats" written by Marcus Hummon and Randy Sharp. The song describes a typical minor league ball town with lines like "Our ball club may be minor league but at least it's Triple-A" (like the Nashville Sounds which replaced the Long Island Ducks as my minor league team), and "We got a great pitcher, what's his name, Well, we can't even spell it" and a universal lament, "Hang ump, a blind man could have made that call".

Terry Cashman's "Talkin' Baseball" songs are familiar to many. The first in 1981 was originally called "Willie, Mickey and the Duke". Growing up in Queens, NY, in the 1950's, I recall those arguments about who was the best, Mantle, Mays or Snider. I didn't realize that Cashman wrote other versions of the song for other teams - Mets, Tigers, Cardinals, etc.

Another song on the baseball almanac list is "Catfish" written and performed by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy. It's about former Kansas City A's, Oakland A's and Yankee pitcher, the late Hall of Famer, Jim "Catfish" Hunter. He was a favorite of mine even before he became a Yankee since I discovered in my Street and Smith's Baseball Yearbook that we were born on the same day in 1946. The song was written in 1975 and I love the lyrics. Unfortunately, I can't bear to listen to Bob Dylan attempt to sing. Hope somebody else records it some day.

"The Greatest", a Kenny Rogers song written by Don Schlitz, is about a little boy throwing up a ball and trying to hit it. It has a cute and clever twist at the end.

A song that does not appear on the baseball almanac list is "The Show" written by Jon Vezner and Don Henry in 1994. I have it sung by Vezner on his '94 cd "Who's Gonna Know". It tells of a young man's journey to "The Show" which many know from the movie "Bull Durham" is the major leagues. Like "The Greatest", it has a twist at the end.

What is your favorite baseball song? Are you ready to play?

 

Gary Sanchez

When the New York Yankees brought up catcher Gary Sanchez in the beginning of August, I did not have great expectations. At Triple A Scranton Wilkes-Barre, Gary had 10 HR's, 50 RBI's and a .282 batting average in 71 games and 284 at bats. Good numbers but nothing truly exciting. In fact, Scranton teammates Aaron Judge and Tyler Austin had hit more HR's with 19 and 13, respectively. 

Tonight he hit his 18th and 19th HR's (in only 166 AB's) and moved his RBI total up to 38. The announcers mentioned that he is the fastest to hit 19 HR's in major league history. He did it in 45 games. There are still 11 games left to play in the regular season so maybe he can tack on a few more. The catcher, who will  be 24 in December, is also batting .337 with a .410 on base percentage and appears to be solid defensively. Despite missing the first 4 months of the 2016 major league season, he is being talked about as a possible Rookie of the Year winner. When Gary is at the plate, I want to be in front of my TV set. I haven't been this excited about a Yankee rookie in a long time. (I started following the Yankees in the mid-1950's when the team had a catcher named Berra.)

The Yankees are not likely to be playing in the post season this year but the last two months have been a lot of fun to watch.

81 games (2016)

If you're not into baseball trivia, you should stop reading immediately. I said this last year and the year before and every year since 2011 and everybody (or nobody?) listened. I'm going through his exercise again even though I have yet to receive a comment, positive or otherwise.

Major League Baseball's All-Star Game will be played in San Diego at Petco Park on Tuesday, July 12th. The All-Star Break has been considered by many to signify the midpoint of the baseball season. Actually, the teams finished the first half of the schedule this year between June 29th, when the Arizona Diamondbacks played their 81st game, and July 3rd when the Yankees and 11 other teams became the last of the 30 teams to complete 81.

Due to scheduling and rainouts, there is obviously no single date upon which every team plays its 81st game. What follows is each team's record after 81 games displayed as standings for all the major league divisions. The standings below reflect a standings that never actually existed on any one day. It's just a way for me to see at the end of the regular season schedule on Sunday, October 2nd how each team performed in each half of the 162 game season. This is extreme baseball trivia to be engaged in only by retirees and others with an excessive amount of time on their hands.

AL East:

Baltimore Orioles           47  - 34 (7/3) 

Boston Red Sox             44 - 37 (7/3)

Toronto Blue Jays          43 - 38 (6/30)

New York Yankees         40 - 41 (7/3)  

Tampa Bay Rays            33 - 48  (7/3)         

AL Central:

Cleveland Indians          49 - 32 (7/3)

Kansas City Royals       43 - 38 (7/3)

Detroit Tigers                 43 - 38 (7/2)

Chicago White Sox        41 - 40 (7/2)

Minnesota Twins           27 - 54 (7/3)

AL West:

Texas Rangers              52 - 29 (7/1)

Houston Astros             43 - 38 (7/2)

Seattle Mariners            42 - 39 (7/2)

Oakland A's                  35 - 46 (7/2)

Los Angeles Angels      33 - 48 (7/2) 

NL East:

Washington Nationals   49 - 32 (7/1)    

New York Mets             44 - 37 (7/3)

Miami Marlins               42 - 39 (7/2)

Philadelphia Phillies     36 - 45 (7/1)

Atlanta Braves              28 - 53 (7/2)

NL Central:

Chicago Cubs               51 - 30 (7/3)

St. Louis Cardinals       43 - 38 (7/3)

Pittsburgh Pirates         40 - 41 (7/2)

Milwaukee Brewers       35 - 46 (7/3)     

Cincinnati Reds            29 - 52 (7/1)         

NL West:

San Francisco Giants        50 - 31 (6/30)

Los Angeles Dodgers        44 - 37 (6/30)

Colorado Rockies              37 - 44 (7/3)

Arizona Diamondbacks     36 - 45  (6/29)

San Diego Padres             35 - 46 (7/2)

When looking back on a season, I've heard commentators say, for example,  that a player had 25 HR's at the All-Star break but his second half production dropped off so he finished with only 38. If he had kept up his first half pace he would have had well over 40 HR's. If the diminished production wasn't due to an injury, they may trot out the old explanations that the dog days of August or the pressure of the pennant race got to him.

Let's take a closer look.

As noted above, 12 teams played their 81st game on July 3rd.  Four teams including the Blue Jays, Giants, Dodgers and D'Backs will have played 90 games at the break for the All-Star Game. As a result, they play only 72 games after the break. (In 2014, the Dodgers played 97 games before the All-Star break. Update: The Blue Jays and Dodgers actually played 91 games by this year's break.) It's tough to match your 1st half production in the 2nd half when you're playing about 20 fewer games!

Some notable performances for the first half of 2016:

Jose Altuve, the little man (listed at 5'6"), leads the majors at .355 after 81 games. He also has 14 HR's, 49 rbi's and 21 SB's. (Good year for the offense? Maybe. Of those hitters with enough at bats to qualify for the batting title, there were none with an average below the "Mendoza Line".)

David "Big Papi" Ortiz, the 40 year old Boston DH, has said that this will be his final season. He's batting .338 after 81 games with 32 doubles, 19 HR's and 65 rbi's. A man who can't run is leading the majors in doubles. Is there a better clutch hitter in baseball these days. I don't think so. He should be elected to the Hall of Fame as soon as he is eligible. Yankee fans will be happy to see him retire.

Chris Sale - 14 wins (best pitcher has been Clayton Kershaw with 3 fewer wins but has been dominant with his 1.79 era and .073 WHIP. Otherwise known as "Sandy, Jr"., he also has 145 K's with only 9 walks in 121 innings.)

Edwin Encarnacion - 70 rbi's

If you're still with me, you can stop reading now if you're not a Yankee fan. The Yankee team leaders after 81 games:

HR's - Beltran - 19

RBI's - Beltran - 53                               

Avg. - Beltran  - .298

OBP - Gardner - .357

Hits - Gregorius - 80

Runs - Gardner - 46

Dbls - Beltran - 16

Tpls - Ellsbury - 5

SB's - Ellsbury - 16

Walks - Gardner - 38

Pitching:

Wins - Eovaldi - 6

Saves - Chapman - 16

ERA  (Starters)  Tanaka 3.35

ERA (Relievers) Miller - 1.47

Innings (starters) Tanaka - 104

Hats off to former Yankee Eduardo Nunez who leads the Twins with a .319 average plus 19 SB's and 11 HR's.

Red Storm's Losing Season

The 2015-2016 basketball season came to an end last night for my alma mater. The St. John's University Red Storm lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles, 101 - 93, in the opening round of the Big East Tournament. They overcame a 17 point deficit in the second half and even took a 1 point lead with about 3 minutes to go but couldn't hold on. Junior Christian Jones had a career high 29 points and 7 rebounds for SJU.

The Storm was picked to finish last in the Big East basketball conference this year and made the prognosticators look good. They finished at the bottom with 1 win and 17 losses in the conference and had an overall record of 8 wins and 24 losses. I watched almost all of the games on TV. A victory over former Big East rival Syracuse at Madison Square Garden on December 13th temporarily raised expectations. Then the Storm suffered a 16 game losing streak, the last 13 in the Big East. Their only conference win was on February 17th at home, Carnesecca Arena, against DePaul. They led by 7 at the half but the Blue Demons scored the first 8 points of the second half and I'm thinking here we go again - loss number 17 in a row coming up. The 16 straight losses is easily the longest losing streak in the team's history which dates back to 1907. Back in the 1918-19 season they lost every game - but they only played 7. My guess is that the abbreviated schedule had something to do with World War I. In the 2003-04 season they also suffered a 7 game losing streak. The team was originally known as the "Johnnies" and became the "Redmen" in the 1920's. The switch to "Red Storm" was in 1994. I began following them as a freshman for the 1963-64 season.

Back in the 80's I had hopes that I would see an NCAA hoops championship in my lifetime. In 1985 the Big East put 3 teams in the Final Four, St. John's, Georgetown and Villanova. SJU was then led by their new head coach and all time leading scorer and Naismith Hall of Famer Chris Mullin. They finished the year at 31 - 4 and followed it up by going 31 - 5 the following year featuring future NBA star Mark Jackson and Walter Berry. The makeup of the Big East is very different these days thanks primarily to defections for football by Pitt, Syracuse, Boston College, and a few others. The only original teams (1979) remaining besides SJU and Georgetown are Providence and Seton Hall although Villanova has been a member since 1980. Marquette and DePaul joined in 2005 followed by Butler, Creighton and Xavier in 2013, completing the current 10 team Big East.

Why was the current team so bad? All five starters on the 2014-2015 team graduated (none of them made it to the NBA) and the team lacked a true point guard. The best players on the current roster are 6'7" freshman forward Kassoum Yakwe from Mali and 6'11" freshman center Yankuma Sima from Spain. Both have shown promise on the defensive end with their shot blocking and rebounding. Hopefully, their offense will progress with more experience. Supposedly, they have recruited some very good players for next year. We'll see.

This has been a tough basketball season. Besides the struggles of the Red Storm, the NBA team I follow, the Brooklyn Nets, has a record of 18 - 46 as of the date of this post. They haven't recovered from a very bad deal with the Boston Celtics a few years ago in which they sacrificed future first round draft picks for once great players Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. My basketball bright spot this season has been watching Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors whenever I can. Luckily, the start of the 2016 major league baseball season is less than a month away.