Archives for June 2013

Scherzer – Twelve and Oh, A Long Way To Go

June 29, 2013 by

 

Scherzer — 12 and O and a long way to go.

The Tigers’ Max Scherzer last night became the first hurler since Roger Clemens (in 1986) to start a season 12-0.  He is also the first Tiger to accomplish that feat.  Scherzer now stands at 12-0, 3.10 ERA with 131 strikeouts (second in the AL to Yu Darvish) in 110 innings. And, how about that Tiger pitching?  As a whole, the staff is leading MLB with 736 strikeouts,  averaging 9.33 per nine innings.  Among the starters, Scherzer is at 10.69 K’s per nine, Justin Verlander at 10.21 and Anibel Sanchez at 11.13.

The next consecutive win targets for Mad Max? 

The AL record for wins to start a season is shared by Cleveland’s Johnny Allen and Baltimore’s Dave McNally – who each ran off 15 wins before their first lost.  Allen accomplished his streak in 1937 (ending the season 15-1, 2.55), while McNally’s streak came in 1969, when he went 20-7, 3.22.

The NL and MLB records for consecutive victories to start a campaign belong to Hall of Famer Rube Marquard, who ran off 19 wins for the New York Giant before his first 1912 loss.  Marquard led the NL in wins that year at 26, while losing 11 and posting a 2.57 ERA.

How about total wins before the All Star break?  Out of reach.  In 1973, White Sox knuckleballer Wilbur Wood notched a record 18 victories by the break – and didn’t make the All Star team.  (He also had 14 losses on the way to a 24-20, 3.46 record).  His 24 wins led the AL, and he was saved from leading the league in losses by team mate Stan Bahnsen, who went 18-21.  For Wood, by the way, it was the third in a string of four straight twenty-win seasons (1971-74).

For you trivia buffs, the last hurler to league his league in wins and losses in the same season was Hall of Famer Phil Niekro, who went 21-20, 3.39 for the Braves in 1979.   Phil tied for the lead in wins with none other than his brother Joe, who went 21-11, 3.00 for the Astros. The Niekro brothers are the answer to the trivia query “What two brothers have the most MLB wins?”  Phil (318) and Joe (221) combined for 539 MLB victories. (Hall of Famer Phil, notably, led the NL in losses four straight seasons, 1977-80, going 71-76 in that span.  He pitched 24 seasons (until age 48) and went 318-274, 3.35.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News

Toby Harrah – He Could Have Left His Glove in the Dugout

June 25, 2013 by

Shortstops are in the news in MLB these days – as some “difference makers” at the position are rejoining line ups in need.

Hanley Ramirez is back with the Dodgers and, after a slow start, has gone 12-for-26, with two doubles, three home runs, six runs scored and eight RBI in his past eight games.

Jose Reyes is expected to return to the Blue Jays line up this week, having missed most of the season with a severe ankle sprain.  How much will he boost the resurging Jays?  Reyes, a league batting champ as recently as 2011 and a .292 career hitter, hit .395 with one home run, five RBI and five steals (in 10 games) before his injury.

Yankee captain Derek Jeter has begun taking fielding and batting practice and is expected back – to provide offense and leadership – after the All Star break.

Then there are those difference makers going the other way.  Like the Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki, who recent went on the DL with a broken rib – and was hitting .347, with 16 homers and 51 RBI.

Anyway, all this media coverage surrounding the off-the-field status of shortstops led BBRT to recall a day when a particular MLB shortstop had a truly different kind of on-the-field day.

 

Toby Harrah – didn’t need the glove for the June 25, 1976 doubleheader – made good use of the bat though.

On this day, June 25, in 1976, Texas Rangers’ shortstop Toby Harrah played every inning of both games of a double header without ever getting a fielding chance.  Not that the ball wasn’t hit around the infield.  In game one, an 8-4 Rangers’ win over the White Sox, there were eleven infield put outs (not counting the catchers’ six putouts on strikeouts) and eight infield assists. (Second baseman Lenny Randle was most active with one putout and five assists.)  In game two, a 14-9 Rangers’ loss, there were fourteen infield put outs, twelve infield assists and three infield errors.  (Second baseman Lenny Randle was again the most active infielder with two putouts, six assists and two errors.)

On the other end of the spectrum, the most chances ever for a shortstop in a doubleheader is 25; the most in a nine-inning contests is 15 and the most in an extra-inning game is 21.

What Harrah didn’t have a chance to do with the glove, he made up for at the plate.  Apparently well rested due to inactivity in the field, Harrah finished the doubleheader with six hits in eight at bats, two home runs, two runs scored, seven RBI (five in the game one win) and one stolen base. 

For trivia buffs, by the way, Harrah and Bump wills remain the only ML player to hit back-to-back inside-the-park home runs.  It happened in the seventh inning of an 8-2 Rangers’ victory at Yankee Stadium on August 27, 1977.   (The Rangers hit a total of five homers in that game.)

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News

Three Hits In An Inning – A Rare Batting Feat

June 18, 2013 by

Gene Stephens first American Leaguer to collect three hits in one inning.

Sixty year ago today (June 18, 1953) Boston Red Sox left fielder Gene Stephens – a 20-year-old rookie (only 21 games the year before) – became the first American Leaguer to collect three hits in a single inning.  In the seventh inning of the Red Sox’ 23-3 win over the Tigers (at Boston), Stephens went single-double-single as the Sox plated 17 runs.  Stephens scored twice and drove in three runs that inning.  The three hits were his only safeties of the game, in which Boston collected 27 hits, as he finished three-four-six with three runs, three RBI and one walk.

Stephens’ breakout inning was remarkable in that he finished the season hitting just .205 in 78 games.  Stephen, a career .240 hitter lasted twelve seasons as a backup outfielder, playing in 964 games.  For one inning, he was truly unstoppable.

The only other AL player to collect three hits an inning also took the field for the Red Sox.  Center fielder and lead-off hitter Johnny Damon, on June 27, 2003, nearly hit for the cycle collecting a double (he later scored), a triple (two RBI and he later scored) and an RBI single, as Boston ran up a 14-run first inning against Florida (in Boston).  The game ended 25-8, with the Red Sox racking up 28 hits.    Damon came to the plate four more times in the contest, but didn’t complete the cycle – collecting two more singles.  His day went five-for-seven, with three runs scored and three RBI.  Damon hit .284 over 18 MLB seasons (1995-2012), with 2,769 hits in 2,490 games.

Three players have collected three hits in an inning in the National League – all before 1900 and ALL IN THE SAME INNING OF THE SAME GAME.   It came as the Chicago White Stockings (who later became the Cubs) scored 18 runs in the seventh inning of a 26-6 win over the Detroit Wolverines.  In the seventh inning of that that game the White Stockings’ Tom Burns collected two doubles and a home run, Fred Pfeffer smacked a double and two singles, and Ned Williamson rapped a double and two singles.  It was the final game of a three-game series in Chicago, with the White Stockings winning the first two by scores of 13-1 and 14-1.  For the season, Burns hit .294 (later finishing a 13-year MLB career at .266); Williamson hit .276 (later finishing a 13-year MLB career at .255); and Pfeffer hit .235 (later wrapping up a 16-year MLB career at .256.)

BBRT also gives a shout out and congratulations to Woodside (CA) High School Junior Brad Degnan who not only collected three hits in one inning , but rapped three homers in one inning.  It was in the 19-run first inning of Woodside’s 24-6 win over Westmoor High on April 18, 2013.  Brad, by the way, wears lucky number 13.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Happy Birthday Trevor Plouffe – and Other Players who Have Hosted Birthday “Parties”

June 16, 2013 by

The Minnesota Twins’ third baseman Trevor Plouffe celebrated his return from the disabled list (hadn’t played since May 21) and his 27th birthday in style yesterday – going three-for-three with a walk, double, home run,  two runs scored and three RBI; as the Twins topped the Division-leading  Tigers 6-3 in Minneapolis.

Nomar Garciaparra threw best birthday party ever – 3 HRs, 8 RBI!

Plouffe’s strong performance, however, fell short of MLB’s best “birthday party” ever.  That would be Boston Red Sox shortstop Nomar Garciaparra’s 29th birthday (July 23, 2002), when he went three-for-five with three home runs (MLB birthday record), three runs scored, eight RBI (another MLB birthday record) and a walk – as the Sox drubbed the Rays 22-4 in Boston.

Today, BBRT would like to look at some other top birthday performances by MLB hitters.

We’ll start with Kirk Gibson, who seemed determined to defy his age.  On May 28, 1994 Gibson celebrated his 37th birthday coming in as a pinch hitter in the seventh inning and hitting a game-tying three-run homer. Gibson stayed in the game in center field and hit a second round-tripper in the top of the ninth (giving the Tigers a lead they didn’t hold, losing 10-9 in ten innings).  For his birthday, Gibson finished two-for-two with two homers, four RBI and two runs scored.

A year later, the 38-year-old Gibson celebrated his birthday, with a four-hit performance (in six at bats) that included a double, two homers, two runs scored and two RBI.  For you trivia buffs, Gibson is the only MLB MVP Award winner to never make an All Star Team.

Then Phillies’ second baseman Joe Morgan also defied father time.  Batting lead off on his fortieth birthday (September 19, 1983), Morgan went four-for-five with a double, two homers, two runs scored and four RBI, as his Phillies topped the Cubs 7-6.

Birthday bashes aren’t limited to the senior set.  Cubs’ rookie first baseman Brant Brown – a .247 hitter in his five-year MLB career – had arguably his best day ever on his 25th birthday (June 22, 1996). In a 16-inning 9-6 win over the Padres in San Diego, Brown went five-for-nine with a double, home run (a two-run shot in the 16th), run scored, two RBI and a stolen base.

Then there is Kansas City DH Mike Sweeney, who turned thirty-one on July 22, 2004 and celebrated with a seven-RBI performance – a Grand Slam and a three-run blast – as his Royals topped the Tigers 13-7 in Detroit.  It was an especially good day for Sweeney who had been in a slump (two-for-twenty with just one RBI in the previous five games).  Sweeney’s line:  two-for-five, two homers, one walk, two runs scored, seven RBI.

Some other multi-homer birthdays:

Mets journeyman first baseman Jim Beauchamp collected two home runs (in a two-for-four game) on his 33rd birthday (August 21, 1972) as the Mets topped the Astros 4-2. Beauchamp scored twice and drove in three.

Albert Belle, manning left field for the Indians on his 29th birthday (August 25, 1995), went three-for-three with two home runs, two walks, three runs scored and two RBI as his Indians (at home) topped the Tigers 6-5 in eleven innings.

Ray Boone, of the multi-generational MLB Boone family, won the game for the Indians at Boston on his 28th birthday (July 27, 1951) with his second home run of the game in the top of the ninth (Cleveland won 3-2).  For the day, Boone was three-for-four, with two runs, two RBI and one walk.

Ken Harrelson did his best to keep his Kansas City Athletics in the game against the Yankees on his 23rd birthday (September 9, 1964).  Playing at first base, the Hawk went two-for-five, with two runs, three RBI and two walks.  His second homer tied the contest at 5-5 in the bottom of the ninth, and the As lost 9-7 in ten innings.

Milwaukee Brewers’ SS Jose Hernandez celebrated his 33rd birthday with two homers against the Pirates in a 5-3 Brewers’ win at Milwaukee.  The 6’ 1”, 180-pound utility man had shown some power (the homers were his 16th and 17th of the season, following a career-high 25-homer campaign the year before.)  Hernandez went two-for-two, with two homers, a walk, two runs and four RBI.

Andruw Jones was in left field for the White Sox on his 33rd birthday (April 23, 2010), when he went two-for-four with a walk, two homers, two runs, two RBI and a stolen base.  His second homer was a walk-off game winner in the bottom of the ninth in a 7-6 win over the Mariners.

Houston left fielder Derrick May turned 28 on July 14, 1996 and, in the first game of a doubleheader in New York, contributed to a 7-5, 11-inning Astros’ win, going three-for-five, with two round trippers, a walk, two runs scored, three RBI, and a stolen base for good measure.  (May totaled only five home runs for the season, .251-5-33.)

Yankee left fielder Tim Raines celebrated his 37th birthday, with two three-run homers as the Yanks topped Toronto 10-0 on September 16, 1996.  Raines went tw0-for-five, with two runs and six RBI.

Alex Rodriguez made his “Golden Birthday” (July 27, 2002) truly golden with a tenth-inning walk off grand slam as his Ranger topped Oakland 10-6 in Texas.  For the day, A-Rod was three-for-six, with two home runs (his 33rd and 34th of the season) three runs scored and five RBI.

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts, News

Summer of ’68 – Good Reading for the Summer of ’13

June 14, 2013 by


Summer of ’68: The Season that Changed Baseball, and America, Forever

By Tim Wendel

Da Capo Press, 2012 ($25)

 

No doubt, 1968 was one of the most challenging in America’s recent history – the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, riots in major cities, the violence surrounding the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, the Oakland shootout between the police and Black Panthers, and the public division over the Vietnam conflict.

It is against this backdrop that author Tim Wendel presents his chronicle of the 1968 MLB season – Summer of 68:  The Season that Changed Baseball and America, Forever – told primarily from the perspective of that year’s League Champions and World Series competitors, the Detroit Tigers and Saint Louis Cardinals.

I read this book while riding the bus on my annual Ballpark Tours baseball trip (see earlier posts).  It proved to be an enjoyable, thought-provoking and fast-paced read – going beyond the traditional on-the-field and in-the-locker room look at our sport, and drawing some important and interesting historical ties.

In 1968, baseball like America was making history.   For many fans, 1968 was the last pure season – when two league champions were crowned and went directly to the World Series. ( Expansion in 1969 led to Divisional play and playoffs.) It was also, for baseball, “The Year of the Pitcher” – highlighted on the field (and in Wendel’s prose) by the exploits of Denny McLain (a 31-game winner), Bob Gibson (1.12 ERA), Louis Tiant (.168 opponents’ batting average) and Don Drysdale (six consecutive shutouts and 58 consecutive scoreless innings).  Pitchers were so dominant that Carl Yastrzemski was the only American Leaguer to hit .300 – winning the batting crown at .301.  As a result, 1969 saw a smaller strike zone, lower mound and the establishment of the “save” as an official statistic.  And, there were other changes coming in the national past time, as players became increasing vocal on a wide range of issues – both within and outside the game.  Indeed, those controversies led to the resignation of Baseball Commissioner William Eckert after the 1968 season (with three years left on his contract) and marked a beginning in a shift of power toward the players.

Wendel does a fine job of tying the tumult in the nation with the changing face of baseball – and the interaction between the two.  Perhaps the most telling story of this relationship is tied to the Robert Kennedy assassination. President Lyndon Johnson had declared a National Day of Mourning (June 9) and, for some reason that is still unclear, Baseball Commissioner William Eckert decided to respond by postponing only two games on the MLB schedule:  The Angels/Yankees in New York and the Senators/Twins in Washington.  The result was a chaotic day for baseball, with some players (like the Rusty Staub, Maury Wills and Bob Aspromonte) and some teams (like the Mets, even under threat of forfeiture of the game) refusing to play.  As Wendel writes, the issue was most contentious in Cincinnati, where player representative Milt Pappas led a group opposed to playing that day’s contest against the Cardinals.  The first vote on whether to take the field was 12-12, with one player abstaining.  A second vote led to a 13-12 decision to play the game – despite continued protests from Pappas (who, within 72 hours, resigned as player representative and was traded to Atlanta).

Just as public happenings affected baseball, Wendel makes a case for baseball events impacting the public – providing a cooling escape from the controversies of the day.  As Mickey Lolich of the Tigers tells it; “I had some friends on the police.  They were in the city and had a good feel for what was going on.  They told us to please keep winning – that things were smoldering, like how it is before it starts burning all over again.  But if we could keep on winning then things might not explode like they had the year before.  In ’67, you’d see four or five guys standing on a street corner and they’d be looking for trouble.  In ’68, you’d see the same kind of guys standing on a street corner, but they’d have a transistor radio and they’d be gathered around, listening to Ernie (Harwell)  calling a Tiger game, and waiting to see if we could come back and win another one.”

Note:  1967’s Detroit riots had resulted in 43 deaths, more than 450 injuries, 7,000-plus arrests and more than 2,000 buildings burned.   Stepping back briefly into 1967, Summer of ’68 includes a look at the courage and commitment of Tiger outfielder Willie Horton, who left Tiger Stadium immediately after a June 23, 1967 doubleheader and showed up in full uniform (and at great personal risk) in one of the most strife-torn Detroit neighborhoods, urging calm amid the violence.)

In the process of exploring a changing society and the changes taking place in baseball, Wendel also provides the traditional sportswriter’s look at two of 1968’s most prominent teams – the Tigers and the Cardinals.  Through interviews with and the observation of players on both teams he gives us a look at how they made their way to the Fall Classic.

For baseball fans and trivia buffs, there is also insight into some of the 1968 season’s highlights – like a rare umpire’s ruling (on a hit batsman) that kept Don Drysdale’s string of scoreless innings and complete-game shutouts alive, Denny McLain’s “gift” home run to Mickey Mantle, Catfish Hunter’s perfect game, Frank Howard’s ten-homer week (defying the Year of the Pitcher) and Detroit Manager Mayo Smith’s then controversial move of Gold Glove center fielder Mickey Stanley to shortstop for the World Series.

Your BBRT editor also enjoyed the “Aftermath” chapter of  Summer of ’68, with Wendel giving an update on what happened to many of 1968’s principals (inside baseball and out) in the years and decades that followed.   The chapter examines the lives of such diverse characters as baseball’s Milt Pappas, Bob Gibson, Denny McLain, Curt Flood, Frank Howard and Catfish Hunter; football’s Joe Namath; basketball’s Bill Russell; Olympic runner Jim Ryun; sportscaster Roone Arledge; and political activist Tom Hayden.

All in all, Summer of ’68 is an enjoyable read – particularly for fans of the Tigers or Cardinals.  But there is also plenty for those who want to get a better feel for the culture of the nation and the state of baseball in 1968.

Filed Under: Reviews

Dock Ellis – A Storied Career, an LSD-Fueled No-Hitter

June 12, 2013 by

Today (June 12) marks the 43rd anniversary of a unique – perhaps even legendary – event in MLB history.  On June 12, 1970, Pittsburgh hurler Dock Ellis – one of MLB’s true “characters” – reportedly threw a no-hitter while under the influence of LSD.   In this post, BBRT takes a look at some of the stories that make up Dock Ellis’ truly “storied” career – that 1970 no-hitter in particular.  But let me lead off with a few facts to keep in mind.  Ellis was a solid major league pitcher who ran up a 138-119 record, with a 3.46 ERA in twelve MLB seasons.  He was an All Star in 1971, when he went 19-9, 3.06 with eleven complete games in 31 starts for the Pirates (finishing fourth in the Cy Young Award balloting).  Ellis started the 1971 All Star game for the NL, opposing Vida Blue of the A’s, which – for you trivia buffs – was the first time two African-American hurlers started the All Star contest. Ellis was voted Comeback Player of the Year in 1976, when he 17-8, 3.19 for the Yankees.  Ellis, who pitched for six teams in his career (including three teams each in 1977 and 1979), won 10 or more games in a season nine times. Ellis was aa outspoken civil right advocate throughout his career.  And, after retiring, he acknowledged his substance-abuse issues and became a drug counselor.  He also worked with the Black Athletes Foundation for Sickle Cell Research and U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Public Health on the issue.

Now on to that LSD-fueled no-no. This is an often-related story – immortalized not just in print (books and news articles), but also in song (America’s Favorite Pastime by Todd Snider, Dock Ellis by Barbara Manning, and Dock Ellis’ No-No by Chuck Brodsky) and in film (the animated short film Dock Ellis and the LSD No-No, directed by Jeffrey Radice).

Click the link under the image below to view the animated film, which includes Ellis’ own account.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vUhSYLRw14

 

The roots of this particular performance were reportedly laid on Thursday, June 10, 1970, when Ellis was enjoying an off-day.  On Wednesday, the Pirates had wrapped up a series against the Giants in San Francisco and were scheduled to take the field next in San Diego on Friday (when Ellis’ turn in the rotation came up.) An LA native, Ellis decide that the off day offered a chance to party with some friends back home and he rented a car and headed to the City of Angels.  Wednesday night, legend has it, Ellis and friends enjoyed an evening that included LSD, marijuana and alcohol – finally winding down in the early morning hours.  As Ellis tells it, he woke up Thursday and, confident he’d have plenty of time to recover before Friday’s start, dropped another tab of LSD.

Now for the character-building turn of events.  One of the partying group informed Ellis – post LSD ingestion – that it was already Friday.  Ellis had slept away the remainder of his Thursday and he would be taking the mound in just a few hours.  The 6’3”, 200-lb. right hander (Doesn’t it seem like he should have been a lefty?) caught a shuttle flight from LA to San Diego and made to the ballpark about 90 minutes prior to game time.  To counteract the effects of the LSD, Ellis decided a sensible course would be to take a few Benzedrine tablets.  Ellis would later say he pitched primarily in a fog, throwing the ball – which felt at times small and at other times unusually heavy and large – down a “multi-colored path” to his catcher, Jerry May.   Among the stranger  “events” Ellis later reported occurring during the game were at various points believing Richard Nixon was umpiring the game; Jimi Hendrix was at the plate with a guitar for a bat; and his exclamation of “Ooh, I just scored a touchdown.” after successfully covering first on a fielding play.  His memory, like his viewpoint that day, was a bit foggy.

The final result (celebrated today) was a 2-0 win for the Pirates, with Ellis tossing nine innings, with no hits, no runs, eight walks, one hit batsman, and six strikeouts.

Remember, I indicated Ellis’ had a storied career.  Here is a snapshot of just a few of those stories.

  • Ellis, always adamant in his pursuit of the rights of and respect for African-Americans was known (during his minor league tenure) to go into the stands to confront racist hecklers.
  • In May 1, 1974 Ellis set a major league record, while attempting to “wake up” the last-place Pirates.  Angry that the Pirates would allow themselves to be intimidated by Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine and feeling the Reds did not show the Pirates proper respect, Ellis make an impassioned, expletive-laced pregame speech to his teammates in which he vowed to hit every one of the Red batters.  And, Ellis did his best to deliver.  In the top of the first, he nailed lead-off hitter Pete Rose in the ribs, and then plunked number-two batter Joe Morgan in pretty much the same spot.  Dan Dreissen was up next and (apparently pretty sure of what was headed his way) got nailed in the back while turning away from a pitch.  The next hitter, Tony Perez, proved more nimble, avoiding four attempts by Ellis (at least one reportedly behind his head) to add him to the day’s victim list. Perez walked to plate a run.  Johnny Bench was up next and after two very high, very tight pitches, Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh decided (in the pursuit of public safety?) to pull Ellis from the game.  Ellis that day set a record by hitting the first three batters in a game, tied a record for three hit batsman in an inning and added to his reputation as an intimidating presence on the mound.
  • Late in the 1973 season, Ellis was photographed wearing hair curlers in the bullpen prior to a game, which did little to endear him to the baseball establishment.
  • In May of 1972, after missing a team bus to Riverfront Stadium, Ellis was denied entrance by a security guard because he lacked proper identification. (Willie Stargell and Rennie Stennett, who were with Ellis and had ID, were admitted.)  Ellis offered up his World Series ring as proof he was a Pirate and in the course of the dispute the guard maced Ellis.  Ellis was initially charged with disorderly conduct and sued for assault by the Reds (Ellis counter-sued).  Eventually, the charged were dropped and the Reds apologized.

Dock Ellis, clearly one of baseball’s most storied characters. And, by the way, does anyone else find it interesting that Dock Ellis might have been listed in the box score as Ellis D. ?

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Final Day of Ballpark Tours Trip – The Minors

June 10, 2013 by

Final Day of Ballpark Tours’  first trip of 2013 (for info on the upcoming August trip see ballparktours.net) left Chicago just after 9:00 a.m. for a 1:05 minor league (Single A) game in Appleton, Wisconsin – the Mariners-affiliated Clinton Lumberkings versus the Brewers-affiliated Wisconsin Timber Rattlers.  The bus ride gave me a chance to make some progress on my reading:  “Summer of 68 – The season that changed Baseball, and America, Forever.”  Finished it on the finAL bus leg home, watch for the review.

Great seats and plenty of action in Appleton.

Nice little ballpark in Appleton and our tour operator got us great seats, right behind home plate.  Nice feature at the ballpark – where the food choices, by the way, were far better than Miller Park – you can order concession via cell phone right from you seat and then go to a Fast Lane to pick up your order.  Great, if you are keeping score and don’t want to miss any action while stocking up on food and beverage.

BBRT did keep score and, as in so many low minor league games, there was plenty of action.  The hometown Rattlers led 5-2 after four innings, with the Lumberkings up 6-5 a half inning later.  After 7 ½ the visitors led 8-6, but Wisconsin scored six in the bottom of the eighth and eventually won it 11-9.  Clinton scored their nine runs on 14 hits, while Wisconsin plated 11 runs on just seven hits.  The game featured four home runs (the wind was blowing left to right) – as well as 16 walks, a hit batsman, 1 error and three wild pitches.  Needless to say, there was something going on every minute.

The star of the game for Wisconsin was centerfielder Tyrone Taylor, who went two-for-three (home run/ single) in three at bats and also drew a pair of walks.  It’s just the second season for the 19-year-old, who hit .387, with two homers and 11 RBI in 18 games (rookie ball) last year.

As with all minor league games, there was also plenty going on between innings: a cheese spread race, the firing of beef sticks into the crowd, various “skill” competitions that brought fans to the field, and the obligatory charity “50-50” raffle.

The sign says it all.

For the Ballpark Tours group, one of the highlight was the Sunday Bloody Mary bar, where you received a generous pour of vodka in a Timber Rattlers mug and then put together your own Bloody Mary using a wide range of available mixed and condiments.  Your truly went with Tomato-Horseradish juice, a bit of tabasco, pepper, a beef stick, two olives, an asparagus spear, a dick pickle slice, two peppers and a celery stick.  (There was plenty more to choose from.)  The popularity of the offerings was evidenced by the high volume of souvenir mugs on the bus as we left the ballpark.

 

For the last leg home, we relaxed on the bus and watched the documentary “Yogi Berra – In His Own Words” on the overhead video monitors.  All in all, another great Ballpark tours excursion.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours

Ballpark Tours 2013 Trek Continues

June 8, 2013 by

The action was up close and personal at the Chicago Blues Festival

The 2013 Ballpark Tours trek is in its third day – and it was one filled with variety.  As always, our tour operator left us plenty of time to soak in the local culture.  For BBRT, it was a stop at the Art Institute of Chicago and the 2013 Chicago Blues Festival – both within easy walking distance of our hotel (The Palmer House Hilton).  Saw four solid Chicago Blues Rock bands at the (free) festival – highlighted by Liz Mandeville and the Blue Points and Brother Jacob and his Blues Crew.  Also had a chance to be assigned a “Blues Name” (based on your initials) for a mock “talent pass.”  I got “Old Bones Smith.” And, the opportunity for a free Blues Festival poster with your own image.  Great fun, all part of the typical Ballpark Tours experience.

Your own “blues name and poster” … all part of the 2013 trek experience.

Wrigley Field again the star attraction.

Later in the afternoon it was back on the subway/el to Wrigley for another Cubs/Pirates matchup.  Sunny day, decent upper deck seats (no really bad seats at Wrigley).  We saw the Pirates’ A.J. Burnett dominate the Cubs most of the game.  In fact, when Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle let Burnett bat (weakly) in the bottom of the eighth, we thought we were going to see an increasingly rare MLB result – a complete game shutout.  (Not so rare on the Pirates, who lead all of MLB with ten shutouts.)  After eight innings, Burnett had a 6-0 lead, having given up just two hits and three walks (with five strikeouts).  After one out in the ninth, he faltered giving up a single to Cubs first sacker Anthony Rizzo and a long home run to center fielder Alfonso Soriano before being relieved.

The game offered plenty for the fan.  The Pirates’ third baseman hit a truly out-of-the-park  two-run homer (his 13th of the season) that landed on Sheffield Avenue beyond right field, while Pirates’ catcher  Russell Martin hit his 100th career (and seventh 2013) round tripper to left.  There were also a handful of good defensive plays including a catch in the outfield ivy by Pirates’ right fielder Travis Snider, a tough diving catch by Cubs’ right fielder Nate Schierholtz and infield gems by the Pirates’ Pedro Alvarez (3B) and Neil Walker (2B).  History was served as the Cubs’ giveaway was a Hall of Famer Ernie Banks flag and Ernie himself led the seventh-inning rendition of “Take me out to the ball game.”   All in all a great day to be at the ball park.

Tomorrow, it’s off to Appleton, Wisconsin for some minor league action.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours

Ballpark Tours and Memory Lane

June 7, 2013 by

Yesterday (June 6), BBRT took off on its annual Ballpark Tours Trek … aboard a coach with 45 other baseball fans and, Julian, our intrepid operator and Phillies fan.  This is a shorter trip than usual (BPT has done as many at 13 games in nine cities in ten days).  This year it’s a long weekend – four games, in three cities (Milwaukee, Chicago, Appleton) in four days. 

Blogging from the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton … Ballpark Tours Travels in Style.

The theme, at least for BBRT, is Blues, Brews and Baseball – not necessarily in that order.  We are in town for the 2013 Chicago (free) Blues Festival, in Grant Park, just a few blocks from the Palmer House Hilton.  (I’m writing this blog in the lobby); our trek includes a brewery visit (Sand Creek Brewing Company in Black River Falls, WI); and there is, of course, the aforementioned baseball.

First stop – a brewery – makes sense to me.

We departed Saint Paul, MN at about 10:00 a.m. and reached the Sand Creek Brewery just before lunch time.  Good tour of the history brewery – and good tasting as well.  It was then a picnic-style lunch in nearby Field of Honor Park (a bit of a gloomy day), before heading off for a night game (Brewers/Phillies – I noted our tour operator is a Phillies fan) at Miller Park in Milwaukee. It was a gloomy day, and roof at Miller Park, was closed, giving you the feel of watching the national pastime in a warehouse or airplane hangar.  It didn’t help that the crowd was small (announced at 21,851 but looking considerable smaller in the cavernous Miller) and subdued (the Brewers are in last place and fell quickly behind the Phillies.  Still, it was baseball, the brats were tasty, the Bloody Mary spicy, we received free Norichika Aoki “fan masks.”  We also saw ex-Twin Delmon Young take one yard and ex-Twin (and hot hitting) Carlos Gomez exhibit the warning-track power we so often saw when he was with the Twins – as the Brewer went down 5-1.  (It was also BBRT’s first chance to see Brewers’ phenom Jean Segura – who looks like the real deal.

Johnny Logan … highlight of the Brewers’ ga,e.

The real highlight was the induction of former Milwaukee Braves’ shortstop Johnny Logan into Miller Parks’ Milwaukee Hall of Fame. Logan – known as scrappy ballplayer – remained feisty even at age 87.  In his acceptance, he shared stories about such notables as Billy Bruton, Hank Aaron and Stan Musial with enthusiasm – until emcee Bob Eucker had to cut him off.   Logan, whose MLB career stretched from 1951 to 1963, was a four-time All Star and a key player on the Braves 1957 World Championship team and 1958 NL Champs.  For trivia buffs, he was the first batter to face HOFer Sandy Koufax (delivering a single) and – playing in Japan in1964 as a member of the Nankai Hawks – was the first player to play on a MLB World Series champ and a Japanese Baseball championship team.  The return to Japan was a natural for Logan, who had played service ball (for the Army) in Japan in 1945-46.

Former Brave utility man Felix Mantilla was called upon to help present Logan’s honor not only shared stories about Logan’s exploits, but brought back some memories for BBRT.  Mantilla, who eleven-year MLB career included only 89 homers and 330 RBI, made quite a mark in Boston.  After six seasons with the Braves in Milwaukee (1956-61) and one with the expansion Met, Mantilla joined the Red for the 1963-65 seasons.  In a line-up that included such sluggers as Dick Stuart, Tony Conigliaro and Carl Yastrzemski, Mantilla, in 1964, finished second on the team in homers with 30 (to Dick Stuart’s 33) and led the Red Sox in RBI with 94 in 1965 (earning his only All Star selection).  In those two seasons, Mantilla hit 48 of 89 career homers and collected 156 of his 330 RBI – while playing 2B, 3B, SS and all three outfield spots.  Mantilla was traded to Houston in after the 1965 season and was released after the season (and did not play in the major again).  For trivia buffs, Mantilla’s groundball to Pirates’ third baseman Don Hoak leading off the 13th inning (on which Hoak made a throwing error), broke up Harvey Haddix’  May 26, 1959 perfect game.  Mantilla was sacrificed to second by Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron was intentionally walked and Joe Adcock hit one out of the park.  The elated Braves messed up the base running (Aaron ran off the field, and so was passed by Adcock) resulting in Adcock’s homer becoming a double and the final score reading 1-0.  Still, after retiring 36 consecutive batters, Haddix ended up losing the “perfecto,” the no-hitter, the shutout and the game.

After the Milwaukee game, out intrepid trekkers were back on the bus, swapping baseball tales, as we rolled into Chicago – and a late check in at the Palmer House Hilton.  A long, but truly enjoyable day.  Thanks to Ballpark Tours. 

 

 

Old stadiums, like Wrigley, have their faults … but are still the best place to see baseball.

Day two of our trek found us in Chicago, taking the subway/el to Wrigleyville, where we enjoyed a neighborhood of sports bars and baseball-themed shops before the Cubs took on the Pirates in the “friendly confines” – a great place to enjoy a ball game.  It was a good one –with the Pirates winning 2-0.  Ex-Twin Francisco Liriano started for the Pirates as was effectively wild (it didn’t seem that effective, but he went seven scoreless innings, with two hits, 5 walks, a wild pitch and eight strikeouts).  We also got a look at NL saves leader Jason Grilli. The six-foot-four Grilli, who looks even larger on the mound, logged his 23rd save – but made it interesting.  He notched three strikeouts in the inning, but also gave up two hits to bring the winning run to the plate.  Oh yes, another freebie today – Cubs’ floppy hats.

 

Supper, by the way, for food geeks, was great.  Decided to stay in tonight, at the Hilton’s lobby bar. Had a great grilled flat bread with Mergeuz sausage, Manchego cheese, smoked paprika olive oil and chervil with a very good Garnett Pinto Noir.  Nice finish to the day.   Next on the agenda – Chicago Blues Fest and tomorrow’s Cubs game.

Filed Under: Ballpark Tours, BB Fun Facts

Through May – Surprises, Disappointments, “Or Nots”

June 3, 2013 by

Brewers’ Jean Segura – 2013 Surprise “or not.”

Today, BBRT takes a look at the first two months of the MLB season – some surprises, some disappointments and some “or nots.” 

For example, it appears the Pittsburgh Pirates – who are working on a string of 20 consecutive losing seasons – are a 2013 surprise.  They finished the month of May thirteen games over .500 (34-21), tied for second place in the ML Central.  But there’s a big “or not” with this surprise.  The Pirates have proven their ability to turn around a good season in the second half.  In 2012, for example, they were sixteen games over .500 on August 8, only to finish four games under for the season (the “fade” seems to be a Pittsburgh pattern).  BBRT is hoping the Pirates surprise and stay in it until the end.

Here’s a few other surprises, disappointments and “or nots.”

  • Surprise and disappointment – the upside down AL East.  As BBRT looks at the season, many of the surprises at the end of May are consistent with the surprises noted in the end of April blog post, like the upside-down AL East. Most analysts saw the finish – from top to bottom – along the lines of Toronto (active in the off season), Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New York, Boston.  As we entered June, the teams stand in reverse order, with the Red Sox on top.  However, the Yankees, who have led the division much of the way, are starting to show signs that age and injuries may derail their season.  Still, they are getting some key players back, and may still surprise BBRT.
  • The Braves’ Justin Upton, whose power was an April surprise (.298, with 12 homers and 19 RBI), turned disappointment in May (.211-2-10).
  • The Braves and Nationals remained a surprise/disappointment combo – with Atlanta leading the favored (and disappointing) Nationals by six games at the end of May.  The Braves/Nats were expected to fight it out for the division title, but health-related disappointments (Strasburg/Harper) are not helping the Nationals as they work to catch up.
  • Not surprising is Tigers’ third baseman’s Miguel Cabrera’s pursuit of a second Triple Crown (Avg.-HR-RBI).  A bit surprising is that Orioles’ first baseman Chris Davis seems like the main obstacle in that pursuit.  At the end of May, Cabrera let the AL in batting at .372, with Davis second at .356; Cabrera led the AL in RBI with 61, with Davis second at 50; and Davis led the AL in home runs with 19, with Cabrera second at 16.  Really, if it weren’t for Cabrera, we might be talking about Davis as a Triple Crown threat.  A bit of an “or not” for Davis.  His numbers are not a total surprise, the 27-year-old had a breakout season in 2012, going .270-33-85 in 139 games (playing catcher, first base, DH and both corner outfield spots).
  • Brewers’ shortstop Jean Segura is another early season surprise with an “or not” aspect.  Segura finished May at .354, with eight home runs, 22 RBI and 15 stolen bases.  This followed a 2012 season when he went .258-0-14, with 7 steals in 45 games.  The “or not?”  The 23-year-old has shown plenty of promise, with a .313 average in 399 minor league games, a spot in the 2012 All Star Futures Game and this past season’s Dominican Winter League Batting title.  And, think about this.  Segura was an Angels’ prospect, included (after playing one game with the Halos in 2012) in the trade that brought Zack Grienke to LA from the Brewers.  We could have seen Segura and Mike Trout in the top two spots Angels’ line-up.
  • Despite the Braves’ success, the Atlanta outfield has to be considered an early-season disappointment.  BBRT already noted Justin Upton’s April slide.  Then there is B.J. Upton’s horrendous start – hitting .145, with four home runs and just eight RBI through May.  And, of course, Jason Heyward’s .146-2-8 start.  A positive surprise for the Braves has been catcher-outfielder Evan Gattis.   The 26-year-old rookie with the storied past ended May hitting .281, with 12 homers and 32 RBI.
  • Another surprise – with an “or not” – for BBRT is 43-year-old Mariano Rivera’s 1.77 ERA and AL-leading 19 saves through May.  Age apparently is ignoring Rivera’s arm and cutter.  The “or not?” Shouldn’t be too surprising, Rivera is headed for the Hall of Fame as the all-time saves leader.
  • There are a couple of surprising closers in the NL –  the Pirates’ Jason Grilli and the Cardinals’ Ed Mujica.

 

A tip of BBRT’s cap to surprising saves leader Jason Grilli.

May ended with Grilli leading the NL (and all of MLB) with 22 saves and sporting a miniscule 1.09 ERA and 39 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings.  Why a BBRT surprise?  Grilli is no new-comer.  He’s 36-years-old and, over his previous 10 big league seasons, he was 21-26, with just five saves and an ERA a bit north of four.  Still, over his three seasons as a Pirate (2011-2013), he has fanned 165 hitters in 116 innings.  This late bloomer has clearly come back even stronger from a severe knee injury that sidelined him for the 2010 season. 

Jason Motte, who saved 42 games in 2012, was penciled in as the Cardinals’ closer until shelved by an arm injury.  Number-two and number-three choices Mitchell Boggs and Trevor Rosenthal fell short of expectations, leaving number-four choice, Ed Mujca – with six saves in seven MLB seasons –  to step up.  Step up he did, since moving up to closer in mid-April, Mujica has notched a surprising 17 saves (good for second in the NL through May) and a 1.88 ERA.

  • The Texas pitching staff is an April-May surprise, finishing May with the lowest ERA in the AL (3.44), with all five starters under 4.00.
  • The Brewers’ Carlos Gomez is another early surprise, hitting .321 with 10 home runs, 27 RBI and 11 stolen bases through May.  This from a player whose highest previous average was .260 in 2012.
  • The Diamondbacks’ Patrick Corbin is a surprise to BBRT.  The 23-year-old hurler ended May at 8-0 with a 1.71 ERA (following a 2012 mark of 6-8, 5.54).  On the disappointment side of the coin, 2012 Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey (now of Toronto) finished May at 4-7, 5.18.
  • A few other good surprises through May (you can look up the numbers): Orioles’ third baseman Manny Machado; Mets’ pitcher Matt Harvey; Red Sox’ hurler Clay Bucholz; Phillies’ outfielder Dominic Brown; Seattle pitcher Hisashi Iwakawa; the Arizona Diamondbacks; the Cleveland Indians.
  • Some notable disappointments thus far:  the Angels, Dodgers and Blue Jays; Angels’ outfielder Josh Hamilton; 2012 Cy Young winner David Price; Giants’ Hurler Matt Cain.

Mariano Rivera – Still surprising at 43.

Filed Under: News, Rants & Raves