Results tagged ‘ Major League Baseball ’
Hot Stove Notes: Yanks Make Moves, Prince Stays Put.
With pitchers and catchers set to report in about a month, a majority of Major League Baseball teams are making a flurry of small moves to round out their respective 40-man rosters. However, the Yankees and GM Brian Cashman decided that their unusually quiet off-season came to an end on Friday; the Bronx Bombers solidified their pitching rotation with signing free agent start Hiroki Kuroda to a one-year/$10 million contract, as well as acquiring young Michael Pineda in exchange for Jesus Montero and Hector Noesi.
The 22-year-old starter is the obvious headline of this flurry of moves, giving the Yankees another young pitcher with a world of talent to be inserted into the starting rotation behind their ace, CC Sabathia. In Seattle in 2011, Pineda went 9-10 with a 3.74 ERA in 171 innings pitched, while compiling a 1.1 WHIP…all this being his rookie season. Could pitching at Safeco Field helped him out a little bit? Yes, but this kid has electric stuff…so electric that Cashman was willing to part with their prized offensive prospect in Jesus Montero.
This was a good move for the Mariners as well because it has been harder for them to lure and/or develop offensive talent at Safeco more than pitching talent. After their talks with Prince Fielder broke down, they felt like they needed to inject some sort of offense into their line-up for 2012.
The Yankees weren’t done with acquiring Pineda last week. The winter-long rumors of their interest in Hiroki Kuroda finally culminated with the two sides agreeing on a one year deal last week. Giving the 37 year old starter $10 million in 2012 seems a little steep to me, but New York showed last week that they didn’t have much faith in their rotation. Now, they have a surplus of arms that will lead to plenty of competition in the Spring. With CC leading the staff, Pineda, Ivan Nova, and Kuroda all seem to be looks for the rotation. This gives AJ Burnett, Phil Hughes and Freddy Garcia the opportunity to become the fifth starter. These were solid moves for the Yankees. They found short term (Kuroda), and inexpensive (Pineda) ways to secure their largest weak spot from 2011.
I would like to see what New York does with Burnett if he doesn’t win the fifth spot in the rotation; he has two years and $33 million left on his current contract. I have a feeling that the organization would gladly pay a majority of his salary so he could be traded elsewhere. I’m sure all Yankee fans would be ecstatic.
On to the next order of business; what the hell is Prince Fielder still doing on the free agent market? Once Albert Pujols agreed upon his $254 million mega-deal with the Angels, most analysts figured that Prince would find a home pretty soon. However, with all of the big market teams not looking to lock up a first baseman long term, no team wants to spend that kind of money on him. It’s not that he’s not worth the investment, but it seems like it’s just not the right year for Prince.
Scott Boras has been in talks with both the Washington Nationals and now the Texas Rangers about his highly touted client. To even imagine what Prince could do in the middle of the Texas line-up is pretty scary. It was rumored that the Brewers approached Boras about a one-year deal for Fielder, which would allow him to re-enter the free agent market next year to try again for a big deal, and that proposal was immediately rejected. I said a few weeks ago that Fielder might benefit from that type of deal because he will be able re-enter a different type of market next year and he would have a great chance of contending for a title in Milwaukee. However, if the Texas negotiations go anywhere, that could get interesting.
We’re nearing the end of Hot Stove…which means seeing baseball again is that much closer. If only time could move faster.
Jorge Posada Intends To Retire.
News came this week that longtime Yankees catcher, Jorge Posada, intends to retire from Major League Baseball after his prosperous 17-year career with New York. Being a Mets fan for my entire life and living in New York, I had the displeasure of seeing a lot of Posada, whether it was burning the Mets in the annual Subway Series, and then in the playoffs every year during the Yankee dynasty.
So, it was safe to say that I hated Posada when he was a player, mostly because he was a fantastic player and could do a little bit of everything; he could hit for power, hit in the clutch, call a solid ballgame, and manage a pitching staff. The Yankee catcher is now the second player of the core four New York players that brought greatness and championships back to the Bronx Bombers. First it was Andy Pettitte, and now the departure of Posada leaves only Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera left from the late-90s dynasty.
In addition to his four World Series rings, he was also selected to five All-Star games and won five Silver Slugger awards. He was a career .273 hitter, accumulating 275 home runs, 1,065 RBI, and his .992 fielding percentage ranks 45th among active catchers. Also, I feel that most Yankee fans can attest to the fact that he was one of the more passionate players to don pinstripes, which is why it was so hard for him to transition from an everyday player to a bench player.
There were some rumors at the beginning of the winter that linked Posada to the Marlins or Rays because he lives in south Florida, but those rumors have obviously subsided now that he is close to retirement. I’m glad that didn’t try to latch on with another team because he is now able to leave the game on his own terms.
Plus, whatever time he spent with another team would be forgotten anyways because he had so many good years with the Yankees. Does anyone remember Michael Jordan’s years with the Washington Wizards? Not really, because he wasn’t a Wizard, he was a Chicago Bull, duh. Now, that’s a drastic comparison because Posada wasn’t the best player in the game, but if I had the opportunity to have him on my team, I would in a heartbeat because the man is a winner. I wish Jorge and his family all the best as he embarks on a new chapter of his life.
This Day In MLB History…
January 10th, 1928: The Giants trade Rogers Hornsby to the Boston Braves for Shanty Hogan and Jimmy Welsh. It’s the Rajah’s third team in three years.
Why exactly is this trade monumental? Mostly because I find it hard to believe that any team would want to trade one of the best second basemen in the history of the game, especially when he is still in the prime of his career. In 1927 for the Giants, Hornsby hit .361, slugged 25 home runs, and had 125 RBI.
Apparently, that wasn’t a good enough stat line and New York traded Hornsby within the National League to the Boston Braves. He then proceeded to hit at a .387 clip, hit 21 homers, and 94 RBI. In his 23 year MLB career, Rogers Hornsby played for five different teams. I find it odd that he switched teams that many times during his professional career. In today’s game, we see players switch teams every year due to free agency, but it didn’t always used to be like that.
Before the 1970s, the reserve clause allowed an organization to hold onto a player for as long as they wish. Due to this, it was common for a player to spend his entire career with only one or two teams. That’s why I think it’s so weird that a career .358 hitter with 301 home runs, 1,584 RBI, and almost 3,000 hits would move around to so many teams during a time when players didn’t move around after they were established.
This fact alone makes me wonder what type of player Hornsby was in the clubhouse. I haven’t read anything bad about his character, but with him moving around to so many teams, there must have been some sort of personality conflict, either with Hornsby and his fellow players, his coaching staff, or the front office; especially with Boston and New York since he only spent one year with each organization.
On the other hand, the star second baseman could have have been too expensive for either the Giants or Braves to hold onto because he was at the peak of his game. There are obviously a number of things that caused Rogers Hornsby to play for five teams during a time in which it was unprecedented. He has always been a personal favorite of mine, and one of a few Major Leaguers that I wish I had the chance to watch in person.
Introducing: The MLB Hall Of Fame Class Of 1946.
As the class in 1945, the Hall of Fame class of 1946 is another loaded one, with a total of ten players getting enshrined. Obviously, Cooperstown made for the lost time during WWII. There are a couple of familiar names in this year’s class, but more unfamiliar ones. Let’s get into it.
Jesse Burkett: Left Fielder, Cleveland Spiders
.342 average, 1,708 runs scored, 2,872 hits, 75 home runs, 952 RBI, 392 stolen bases
During his 16-year career that was mostly spent with the Cleveland Spiders, Burkett was known for what he could do with a bat in his hands. He hit over .300 on eleven different occasions, surpassing the .400 mark twice. He led the league in hits three times, batting average three times, and runs scored twice. Burkett collected 200 or more hits in six seasons, while being the second player in MLB history to hit .400, the first being 1945 Hall of Famer Ed Delahanty. An interesting fact is that Burkett actually came up as a pitcher originally and notched 30 wins in a season while in the Minors.
Frank Chance: First Baseman, Chicago Cubs:
.298 average, 796 runs, 1,273 hits, 20 home runs, 596 RBI, 405 stolen bases
Although playing 17 seasons in the Major Leagues and 15 of those years coming with the Chicago Cubs, Chance is more known for his managerial resume than as a player. He first started to manage in 1905, when he took over a talented Cubs team; Chance proceeded to lead Chicago to four NL Pennants between 1906 and 1910, while winning back-to-back World Series championships in 1907 and 1908, which unfortunately is the last time the Cubs were able to celebrate something of that magnitude. He also won a league championship in the Pacific Coast League in 1916 with the Los Angeles Angels, and finished his managerial career with a 946-648 record.
Jack Chesbro: Pitcher, New York Yankees:
198-132 record, 2.68 ERA, 2,898 innings pitched, 1,265 strikeouts
Even though Jack Chesbro only pitched for 11 seasons in the Major Leagues, he made the most of them, as you can see in his stat line. He is most well-known for the year that he had in 1904, when he started 51 games, throwing 48 complete games, and compiled a 41-12 record, while posting a 1.82 ERA. All of these games pitched led to 454.2 innings pitched. He led the league in shutouts, wins, and games started twice, and winning percentage three times. He was a known spit baller, which was OK since it was legal until 1920; during the five year span between 1901-1906, he collected 154 out of his 198 wins. Probably the best of all, he threw the first game ever for the Yankees, who where known as the Highlanders when they were established in 1903.
Johnny Evers: Second Baseman, Chicago Cubs:
.270 average, 919 runs scored, 1,659 hits, 12 home runs, 538 RBI, 324 stolen bases
These numbers don’t seem Hall of Fame worthy, but he was inducted by the Veteran’s Committee and was known for being an intelligent and scrappy infielder that was in the middle of the famous Tinker-to-Evans-to-Chance double play combination. He was also tied to winning, celebrating six league pennants and three World Series titles. Evers is unique because he is known as one of the smallest players to play the game, usually weighing in at less than 130 lbs. The pride of Troy, New York also was awarded the MVP award in 1914 when he posted a .279 batting average, .390 on base percentage, one home run, 40 RBI, and 81 runs scored.
Tommy McCarthy: Right Fielder, Boston Beaneaters:
.294 average, 1,050 runs scored, 1,485 hits, 44 home runs, 732 RBI, 506 stolen bases
In his 13-year career in the 19th century, McCarthy was known for his speed and approach at the plate. He scored more than 100 runs in a season seven times (which all happened consecutively), topped 40 stolen bases six times, while stealing more than 100 in 1888 to help win a pennant for the St. Louis Browns. What is remarkable is that he earned 20% of his career stolen bases in just one year!
Joe McGinnity: Pitcher, New York Giants:
246-141 record, 2.66 ERA, 3,459 innings pitched, 1,068 strikeouts.
While only playing 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, it pretty safe to say that Joe McGinnity was a dominant pitcher, averaging 24 wins per season. The legendary pitching topped the 20-win plateau eight times, 30 wins twice, and led the league in ERA once, wins five times, innings pitched four times, and complete games twice. McGinnity was known for his toughness, which was summed up in the fact that he would pitch both games of a double header. In 1903, he did so three times, winning each of the six games. Once he was done in the Majors at the age of 37, he continued pitching until he as 54 in the Minor Leagues.
Eddie Plank: Pitcher, Philadelphia Athletics:
326-194 record, 2.35 ERA, 4,502 innings pitched, 2,246 strikeouts
Eddie Plank is considered one of the best left-handed pitchers to ever toe the rubber, compiling the third-highest win total and recording the most shutouts and complete games by any southpaws. Even though he didn’t play baseball until he got to high school, he ended up playing in the Majors for 17 years and helped the Athletics dominate in the newly formed American League by winning six pennants and two world titles. Plank eclipsed the 20-win plateau on eight different occasions and did so with finesse and a big, sweeping curveball. He was honored as the 68th greatest MLB player by The Sporting News in 1999.
Joe Tinker: Shortstop, Chicago Cubs:
.263 average, 773 runs scored, 1,695 hits, 31 home runs, 783 RBI, 337 stolen bases
The final piece of the famous double play trio that also included fellow 1946 inductees Frank Chance and Johnny Evers, Joe Tinker developed the reputation as a clutch performer that was aggressive and fast on the field. He led all National League shortstops in fielding while helping the Cubs become the most successful team in the early 1900s. Tinker average 28 stolen bases per year for his career and stole home twice in one game in 1910, which has been done less than a dozen times in MLB history.
Rube Waddell: Pitcher, Philadelphia Athletics:
193-143 record, 2.16 ERA, 2,962 innings pitched, 2,316 strikeouts
Another legendary lefty, Rube Waddell was a colorful player during his 13-year career; he possessed pinpoint control of his above average fastball and curveball. His manager, Connie Mack, saw the talent that Waddell had and helped mold him into the successful pitcher that he became; he topped the 20-win plateau on four different occasions (while doing so consecutively) and won the pitcher’s Triple Crown in 1905 by leading the league with 27 wins, a 1.48 ERA, and 287 strikeouts. A pitcher that was known for his ability to strike out opposing hitters, Waddell led the AL in strikeouts six years in a row.
Ed Walsh: Pitcher, Chicago White Sox:
195-126 record, 2.54 ERA, 2,962 innings pitched, 1,736 strikeouts
MLB’s all-time ERA leader enjoyed a wonderful career over his 14 seasons, with all but one being with the Chicago White Sox. His most impressive year came in 1908, when he posted a 40-15 record, 1.42 ERA, 42 complete games, and 464 innings pitched. He led the league in innings pitched four times, shutouts three times, complete games twice, and games played in five times. Walsh also has the second-best WHIP in MLB history, and enjoyed six seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA and four 20-win seasons. An interesting thing to note is that he put together the lowest ERA for a pitcher with a losing record when he posted a 1.27 ERA in 1910 while having a record of 18-20.
With two back-to-back classes loaded with players that had an ever lasting impact on the game of baseball, next week we look at the class of 1947, with only four inductees.
